Obit watch: October 27, 2026.

October 27th, 2026

Susan Saint James.

Other credits include “Ironside”, “McCloud”, and “WWE: The History of WrestleMania I-IX”.

It looks like you can get “Fame is the Name of the Game” on DVD (in a box set with “Brian’s Song” and something called “A Matter of Wife…and Death”) but “The Name of the Game” series is still not available on video.

Lawrence sent over an obit for Donnie Iris, musician, with the note that “Love is Like a Rock” got a lot of play on MTV in the early days.

Rich sent over an obit for Tetsuo Chiba, manga guy.

Chiba made his commercial magazine debut in 1958 with “Butokai no Shojo.” His most famous work, “Ashita no Joe” (known as “Tomorrow’s Joe” or “Ashita no Joe: Fighting for Tomorrow” in English), began serialization in Weekly Shonen Magazine in 1968. The story follows Joe Yabuki, an orphan from Tokyo’s slums who starts as an underdog in Japan’s boxing world and eventually becomes a world-ranked fighter.
A resonant depiction of social and economic anxieties in postwar Japan, the series became a phenomenon, selling more than 20 million copies. When the character of Joe’s rival, Toru Rikiishi, died in the story, fans attended a real-life funeral held in his honor, demonstrating the series’ significant impact.

Finally, Joe Redner, the “strip club king of Tampa”.

During his 50-year career in adult entertainment, Mr. Redner owned an empire of strip clubs in and around Tampa, a longtime hotbed for both adult entertainment and its culturally conservative critics.

…

But whenever challenged, he stood his ground. If he knew the police were coming, he made sure to be on the premises so he would be arrested alongside his dancers and patrons. (He claimed to have been thrown in jail 150 times.)
He ran his club in shifts, so that when one set of dancers and employees was taken to jail, another moved quickly into place. If the second set was arrested, a third crew was waiting…
Mr. Redner also fought back in court. He paid his dancers’ and patrons’ legal fees, and his business partner was a bail bondsman, which meant his people could move through the system quickly and be back at the club within a few hours.
Though he had dropped out of high school, he spent years studying First Amendment law and worked closely with his longtime lawyer, Luke Lirot, to oppose city ordinances against nude dancing. On the shelves in his office, law journals shared space with back issues of Playboy.

…

“I’m a freedom type of guy,” he told The Daily Beast in 2012. “I think people should do whatever they want as long as they don’t hurt anyone or intrude on anybody else.”

Posted in 1970s, Music, Obits, TV | No Comments »

Obit watch: October 26, 2026.

October 26th, 2026

Walter Koenig. NYT (share link, may require). McThag.

Other credits include “Futurama”, “Antony and Cleopatra”, “The Starlost”, “The Questor Tapes”…

…and “Mannix”. (“Delayed Action“, season 1, episode 22. He was “Harry”.)

This is a little old, but: Noah Adams, NPR guy.

Eric Bauza, voice actor. THR.

In the recent film “Coyote vs. Acme,” Mr. Bauza voices Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig and other characters. The film imagined the Looney Tunes mainstay Wile E. Coyote taking the Acme Corporation to court for its defective products that had repeatedly thwarted his pursuit of the Road Runner.

Paul Stankard, artist. His specialty was paperweights.

In 1972, with three young children and a newborn at home, Mr. Stankard skipped out on a steady job blowing glass for chemical laboratories. He was in love — with paperweights. The form’s pioneers had filled their weights with stylized glass garlands, pansies and primroses. Not Mr. Stankard, a sprightly, self-taught naturalist. He set out, he told a film crew in 2024, “to invent a new language to interpret native flowers in glass.”
For the next 54 years, over a nearly 5,000-degree gas flame, he melted and joined canes of colored glass into hyper-realistic buttercups and spiderwort. Within three-inch hemispheres, he created spectacular, increasingly intricate natural worlds from glass: root systems, worms, moths and honeybees in flight; kaleidoscopically colored bouquets crammed with foxglove, moss, blueberries and sprites.

…

He blew glasses in his utility room and sold glass animals at craft fairs for a quarter. But nothing enchanted him like paperweights. Magnified by a clear crystal dome, imperfections were impossible to hide — a challenge to which Mr. Stankard thrilled. Paperweights, he told The Palm Beach Post in 1996, “embody my attitudes about Mother Earth and nature. The spherical shape gives me a parameter, and within that, I’m able to create.”
For $10, he sold his first paperweight to an antiques dealer at an Atlantic City craft fair in 1971. By 1975, his weights fetched between $250 and $400, said Alan Kaplan, an antiques dealer who began working with Mr. Stankard that year. In 1989, Mr. Stankard had begun stretching his orbs into prisms that sold for nearly $10,000.

I know I have a tendency to snark on artists sometimes, so let me be clear: I think Mr. Stankard’s work is really, really impressive.

Posted in 1970s, Art, Mannix, Obits, Radio, TV | No Comments »

Your NFL loser update: week 7, 2026 (with bonus firings and NBA losers).

October 25th, 2026

NFL teams that still have a chance to go 0-17:

Chargers (bye week)

Jets lose to winless Dolphins at home as season takes embarrassing turn

You. Don’t. Say.

The Dolphins, who entered the game 0-5 and coming off their bye week, represented one of the few teams on the schedule that the Jets figured to have a good chance of defeating.

The worthless Chargers play the Rams next Sunday. While the Rams have been struggling (they were actually a favorite of many to win the Superb Owl this year: they are 2-4 as I write this, and are currently up by a touchdown over the Raiders) they are a heavy favorite to win this game.

In other news: NBA teams that still have a chance to go 0-82:

Brooklyn Nets
New York Knickerbockers
Orlando Magic
Milwaukee Bucks
Miami Heat
New Orleans Pelicans
Golden State Warriors
Sacramento Kings

In other other news, we’re getting to the point in the college football season where the firings begin.

Dave Aranda out as coach of Baylor.

In just over seven seasons, he went 40-40 with the Bears.

Dave Doeren out as head coach of NC State.

Doeren was hired in 2013 and finished with a 98-74 record at N.C. State and 121-78 in his career. The Wolfpack made 11 bowl game appearances during Doeren’s tenure, including five straight from 2014-18.

3-4 overall this season, 1-3 in conference.

…N.C. State was embarrassed in its season opener at Virginia. It fumbled away a victory at Vanderbilt. N.C. State nearly lost to Appalachian State and was blown out at home against Wake Forest. The loss to Stanford — a bad Cardinal team, no less — was the final straw.

Also out: general manager Andy Vaughn and defensive coordinator DJ Eliot.

And Drew Mehringer fired as offensive coordinator for Oregon.

Posted in Firings, Loser, NFL, Sports | No Comments »

You’re going down in flames, you tax-fattened hyena! (#165 in a series)

October 22nd, 2026

Carmen Turner, the tax assessor-collector of Fort Bend County, Texas, has been indicted on Federal charges of “misusing taxpayer funds” according to the Chron.

I didn’t know we could indict politicians for “misusing taxpayer funds”. If we can do that, why are we not doing more of it?

The allegations stem from an investigation that became public last year after search warrants accused Turner of using county money to pay employees who were caring for her mother. ABC13 reported at the time that payroll records showed the employees received more than $27,000 in county funds over about eight months.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, the indictments allege that Turner hired employees through her office to care for her mother at her apartment from September 2023 to September 2025, while they were paid as county employees.

…

Turner remains listed as Fort Bend County’s tax assessor-collector, Eberle confirmed, but she, Shemerrylyn Regina Fields and Victor Calvin Ewing are all facing conspiracy and wire fraud charges, including theft involving government programs that recieve federal funding.

Noted:

The indictments also name Turner and two other employees, including Victor Calvin Ewing, the father of Turner’s adult son. Ewing was hired as an emergency coordinator while also working at Chicago O’Hare International Airport.

Posted in Law, Politics, Texas | No Comments »

Obit watch: October 22, 2026.

October 22nd, 2026

Tom Skerritt. NYT (share link, may require).

He was 93, and had a heck of a career. A fair amount of genre stuff, some cop/PI stuff, he was Sheriff Bannerman in Cronenberg’s “The Dead Zone” (which I thought was a pretty good King adaptation), he did four episodes of “The F.B.I.”…

…and he was “Robert W. Palmer” the simply irresistible political candidate who has sold his soul to Satan in “The Devil’s Platform” episode of “Kolchak: The Night Stalker”…

…and yes, he did do a “Mannix”. (“Warning: Live Blueberries“, season 1, episode 7. He was “Morgan Carpenter”.)

Posted in 1970s, Mannix, Movies, Obits, TV | 1 Comment »

You’re going down in flames, you tax-fattened hyenas! (#164 in a series)

October 22nd, 2026

Been over a month since we had one of these, and this one is a good one.

Louise Lucas is 82 years old. She’s also a Democratic senator in Virginia.

And she was just indicted, along with two of her daughters and a nephew.

Apparently, the senator is also a drug kingpin.

Prosecutors charged Lucas and six others, including her two daughters, with an alleged racketeering conspiracy involving marijuana distribution, money laundering, honest services fraud through bribery, maintaining drug-involved premises, possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking and wire fraud.

…

According to the indictment unsealed Thursday, Lucas and close-knit group of associates including her family members orchestrated a criminal enterprise with Lucas’ marijuana business. Prosecutors said she approved and directed activities for the enterprise, including arranging for the acquisition and distribution of at least 100 kilograms of marijuana and supervising the laundering of marijuana proceeds.

…

The indictment also charges six others, including Lucas’ daughters Lisa Lucas-Burke and Theresa Lucas-Lamb, and grandson Ryan Eichelberger. It also charges Carlton Upton Jr., a former business partner of Lucas’, along with Prince Albert William Hudson III and Tameka Johnson. Neither Lucas nor Lucas-Burke could be immediately reached for comment Thursday morning.
Lucas has been in office since 1992. She’s made no secret of her status as a “grandma who legalized pot and now has her own cannabis store,” and she’s been known to sample her own supply.

What’s the rule? “Don’t get high on your own supply.”

The Virginian-Pilot repeats a claim that this is Republican retaliation for her redistricting attempts (among other things) but also suggests she hasn’t made any friends on either side of the divide:

Earlier this year, state budget negotiations ground to a standstill as Lucas refused to budge on the question of whether data centers should be subject to the state’s sales and use tax. She publicly criticized fellow Democrats Gov. Abigail Spanberger and House Speaker Don Scott, who were skeptical of what they said would be going back on deals with businesses. The state teetered on the verge of a government shutdown before Lucas agreed to a down-to-the-wire deal that included a $1.2 billion data center consumption tax to be levied over two years.

NYTimes (share link, may require).

National Review (hattip: Lawrence.)

Posted in Law, Politics | 1 Comment »

Your Friday loser update on Thursday.

October 22nd, 2026

NBA teams that still have a chance to go 0-82:

Cleveland Cavaliers
Brooklyn Nets
New York Knickerbockers
Orlando Magic
Boston Celtics
Milwaukee Bucks
Miami Heat
Chicago Bulls
Denver Nuggets
New Orleans Pelicans
San Antonio Spurs
Dallas Mavericks
Utah Jazz
Golden State Warriors
Sacramento Kings
Phoenix Suns

Posted in Loser, Sports | No Comments »

Breaking news! Must credit…somebody?

October 21st, 2026

I got this from Mike the Musicologist, who got it from Twitter. For some reason, though, I can’t open tweets: I get a “something went wrong” message.

Anyway: Smith and Wesson is buying Savage Arms.

I’m not sure how I should react to this. I own exactly one Savage gun (my first Scout Rifle). I haven’t bought any other Savage rifles, but I’ve handled some at gun stores, and they felt like good products at a fair price.

Savage got back into the handgun market a few years back (they were big in the early part of the 20th century), but I kind of felt like their handguns were mostly “me too” products.

I’m speculating here, but my theory is: S&W will probably drop the handgun line, and keep the long gun line. S&W doesn’t currently have any bolt guns in their lineup (they imported bolt-action rifles from Husqvarna in the late 1960s – early 1970s, from Howa in the 1980s, and made the “i-Bolt” after purchasing Thompson Center), and only one shotgun. I think Savage’s long guns will fill a market gap for S&W.

Savage’s annual net sales hit roughly $160 million, with a skilled workforce of approximately 500 employees. Both companies already use the same dealers, distributors, and big-box retailers, a fact that should help both American-made brands maintain a relatively streamlined delivery process for customers.

I haven’t had much time to think deeper about this, so I may have more thoughts later.

Edited to add: more coverage from “Shooting News Weekly”.

Edited to add: McThag thinks of something I did not: could this lead to a return of the legendary Savage 99?

Coverage from American Rifleman.

Posted in Guns, Smith and Wesson | No Comments »

Obit watch: October 21, 2026.

October 21st, 2026

Richard Riehle, actor. Other credits include several spinoffs of a minor SF TV series from the 1960s, “The Last Lovecraft: Relic of Cthulhu”, and “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas”.

Matt Howarth, indie comics guy. I haven’t seen a mainstream obit for him, but Michael Swanwick posted a nice tribute yesterday. Mr. Swanwick also linked to an obit at “Bleeding Cool”. And Lawrence posted his own tribute.

I was a fan of “Savage Henry” and “Those Annoying Post Brothers” back when I was still buying indie comics. But, like Lawrence, I eventually got out of that and lost track of what Mr. Howarth was doing. I hope whatever it was, he was happy doing it.

Posted in Movies, Obits | No Comments »

Loser update update (with bonus firing).

October 21st, 2026

The Los Angeles Kings won a hockey game last night (5-2 against the Washington Capitals). This means there are no winless teams left in the NHL.

But good news, everyone! The NBA season has begun!

I’m thinking right now I’m going to wait until either Friday or Saturday to start the NBA loser update. I’m uncertain because I have to go in for my yearly eye exam on Friday, and I know they are going to dilate and otherwise mess up my eyes. I expect that to last most of the day. So it might go up Saturday morning…but it looks like there are a fair number of games tonight, so I might shoot for sometime tomorrow instead. I do want to continue the regular Friday schedule for non-NFL loser updates, though.

Bonus firing: Mike Locksley out at Maryland.

Locksley, 56, went 39-54 with the Terps but held a record of 10-21 since the start of the 2024 campaign.

Posted in Firings, Loser, Sports | No Comments »

Wild, wild horses…

October 19th, 2026

What happens when you’re the general manager of a team that is a heavy favorite at home, but lost to a team that was previously 0-5?

You get fired.

Chris Ballard out as general manager of the Colts.

Ballard finishes his career in Indianapolis with a record of 72-82-1, only two playoff berths, no AFC South titles and a six-year playoff drought that has pushed the franchise to the point of a total rebuild.

Indianapolis is currently 2-4.

ESPN.

Ballard’s time in Indianapolis will be noted for the quarterback adventures the team endured on his watch. After Luck retired unexpectedly in 2019, the Colts have remained on a carousel that Ballard seemingly could never escape. Indianapolis has had 14 different starting quarterbacks under Ballard, tied with the New York Jets and Denver Broncos for the third-most in that span, according to ESPN Research.

NFL.com.

Posted in Firings, NFL, Sports | No Comments »

Your NFL loser update: week 6, 2026.

October 18th, 2026

NFL teams that still have a chance to go 0-17:

Miami (bye week)
Chargers

Edited to add 10/19: Well. So much for Indianapolis being the favorite over Tennessee.

Next week is a bye week for the worthless Chargers. Miami is playing the New York Jets: the Jest are favored.

In other news, Philadelphia won a hockey game, leaving the Los Angeles Kings as the only winless team in the NHL. We’ll see if this holds up until Friday.

Posted in Loser, NFL, Sports | No Comments »

Your Friday loser update.

October 16th, 2026

NHL teams that still have a chance of going 0-84:

Philadelphia
Los Angeles Kings

Philadelphia has lost the first nine games of the season. Didn’t they used to be good? Anyone? McThag?

Posted in Loser, Sports | No Comments »

Random gun crankery.

October 14th, 2026

Mike the Musicologist fowarded me a tweet yesterday. I don’t want to embed it here, as I’d be giving free advertising to the people who tweeted it.

MtM and I spent some time trying to get confirmation of that tweet. I ended up reaching out to someone I know, who was aware of the situation but can’t talk about it. This person (who I trust and who has connections) forwarded me an article by Jim Shepherd from “Shooting News Weekly” which confirms what we’d been reading.

Summarizing: Ruger has “temporarily discontinued”/”suspended production” of a bunch of their product line:

Those suspensions include the “immediate” suspension of the Ruger LCR, Ruger SP101, GP100 and Bearcat handguns. According to the memo, all open distributor orders for these guns would be cancelled.

Also:

SR1911 (Ruger’s 1911 clone).
LC Carbine
PC Charger
PC Carbine
LC Charger
Redhawk
Super Redhawk
Blackhawk
Super Blackhawk
Single-Series revolvers
Vaquero
No. 1
77-Series rifles
Hawkeye
Ruger Precision

These products, the memo reads, will be placed on allocation. Open orders that haven’t been filled by the end of production will be cancelled.

I’m not sure if I should be sad about this. I’m still looking for a Number 1, but I already figured I’d have to find that on the used market. I have two and a half New Model Blackhawks, and I have my Single Six. I did get my Super Redhawk. And I have a Commander length SR1911. Enough of these guns have been produced that you should be able to find them on the used market, though used prices may see a bump.

And:

What’s not been widely distributed with these notices is the fact Ruger isn’t dumping these lines. They’ve paused lines before. Some, like the Ruger Precision Rifle were paused to allow for improvements. Others, like the Red Label shotgun, were paused for years before being reintroduced.
Speaking with Ruger officials, I was reminded — repeatedly — that they realized the importance of many of these products with distributors, retailers and consumers. That’s why they emphasized the moves should be viewed as a company responsibly managing the products’ evolution, not simply ending their history.

So some of these guns could be coming back after redesign and/or re-engineering. Or they could come back after Ruger moves and/or upgrades the production lines.

I have seen people blame this on the ongoing Ruger/Beretta…well, I don’t know what to call it. It isn’t a hostile takeover any longer. But Beretta has made a tender offer for up to 25% of Ruger’s stock. 25% isn’t a controlling interest, and I don’t think Beretta has a director on the board yet. I don’t think this is related, but I don’t feel comfortable asserting that as a certainty.

(I have not tendered my Ruger stock. The $44.80 Beretta is offering isn’t enough to overcome my desire to keep Ruger independent, and if I did tender my stock, I’d make a whole $5.40.)

I think it will be interesting to see how this plays out in 2027. I expect to see some of these products reintroduced, and I expect to see people complaining about how the new versions aren’t as good as the old ones.

But it wouldn’t be a hobby if we didn’t have something to complain about.

Edited to add: American Rifleman story. I think this was published after my post went up. (Hattip: my brother.)

Posted in 1911, Guns, Ruger | 1 Comment »

Obit watch: October 14, 2026.

October 14th, 2026

P.C. Vey, New Yorker cartoonist.

Or, as the paper of wreckage puts it:

P.C. Vey, Cartoonist Who Would Have Made This Headline Funny, Has Died

I admit, I found several of these particularly funny. Especially the bedtime story one.

Posted in Media, Obits | No Comments »

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