It would already be tempting to snark at the death of Joseph Brooks, the guy who wrote that crappiest of 70s earworms, "You Light Up My Life." (It's already playing in your head right now, isn't it!) But, apparently, he was a serial "casting couch" rapist into the bargain. (Side note - his son is currently charged with murder, making this an unusually troubled family.)

I recall going with my Mom to see the feature film of You Light Up My Life, starring Didi Conn of Grease fame. Brooks wrote and directed that piece of tripe, and followed it up with another movie in which he cast himself as the leading man. If Ever I See You Again was a huge bomb, and has never had a video release, but some thoughtful soul loaded these ten minutes of clips onto YouTube. It's got to be the most cringe-inducing thing I've seen in years.

So, my cynicism about sappy Adult Contemporary music has been very well placed!

Dr. Jack Kevorkian at age 83

the end of an era. Ive always thought of him as good intentioned, but misunderstood by many with very loud voices. hopefully the idea of death with dignity and as a choice wont die with him.

James Arness from Gunsmoke; http://tv.msn.com/tv/article.aspx?news=650839&GT1=28103

:snap:

Kevorkian and I parted paths when he changed from enabling sick people to commit suicide to killing them himself (I support suicide, but not physician assisted suicde where "assisted" is actually did it, that I think it better labeled "patient complicit homicide."

My feelings on Kevorkian are mixed. On one hand, I agree with a right to die scenario. Quality of life is an important thing, and I believe that the media prominence of Kevorkian gave us an opportunity to discuss our beliefs en masse in a way I don't think we really did before. I know that my teenage self was challenged to consider all the options when he was making headlines.

On the other hand, I remember there being debate about a number of the physician assisted suicides being patients that he 'helped' less than 24 hours after first meeting them; many of whom, it was later learned, were not terminally ill.

So, my feelings are mixed on it. I think he got a little careless at the end, which is disappointing since I do think that some people just need a little help when they're suffering so much.

Anyway, RIP.

Reading the article on him... he doesn't believe a patient should have to be terminal in order to be able to make that choice. So it's not surprising.

He went doing what he did best, dying.