I'm aware it's early to post this blog. Twenty sixteen is almost over, and I figured it was time to do one of these.

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I feel as if this picture is incredibly important right now.

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Man, I just don't know what to tell ya, folks.

This week, some great treasures of the small screen died. And so did one of the most influential figures of modern medicine.

The worst part is I somehow missed all of these until I was doing my weekly round-up. Alan Thicke's death came as a complete shock, as did Bernard Fox's. Both of those happened days ago.

Bernard Fox dying...that hurts. He's one of my favorite character actors from yesteryear.

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Here are the notable deaths for this past week from North America, Japan, and select parts of Europe. As usual, please see Wikipedia for a complete list of notable 2016 deaths.

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Here are the notable deaths for the past two weeks from North America, Japan, and select parts of Europe. As usual, please see Wikipedia for a complete list of notable 2016 deaths.

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That's all I have to say about that.

Brace yourselves people. We're going to be in for a fucked up four years.

Okay, look, folks.

Prince died. In an elevator. Alone.

It's confirmed this was no suicide. There's no obvious signs of anything unusual other than that he died.

By all accounts, Prince didn't have any sort of drug addiction. Not even painkillers.

So please, you media vultures, you media ghouls, stop trying to create a big dramatic narrative about opiates or Percoset or whatever the FUCK you want to sell papers and ad time with.

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Henceforth, the Weekly Death Blog will be posted on Saturdays. I'm combining this week's death blog with a little personal note about all my blogs, especially one particular ongoing blog series, just as a friendly and courteous reminder to my followers and readers. For the sake of not forcing everyone to read the latter, it will be placed after a cut.

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I might as well start a weekly feature of obituaries culled from WIkipedia's recent deaths page. Since this year someone we knew and respected/admired is dying on a weekly basis.

*sigh* Let's get on with it.

This week's notable deaths (note: I'm listing people I or someone close to me would be personally aware of. I'm not listing every single death on Wikipedia.):

Harper Lee, 89, American author (To Kill a Mockingbird).

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While checking the obits on Wikipedia, I discovered that two Magic: the Gathering illustrators, Wayne England and Christopher Rush, died within a day of each other this week.

I don't collect or play M:tG, but odds are some of my followers do, so I thought I'd share this news.

Grace. That is my watchword for tomorrow. I will be among students and peers. There will be some that will be uncertain, or angry, or afraid. Demonstrate grace. Start small. Let them see and understand and, hopefully, learn. Small steps. Make my community stronger by affecting the lowest denominator, those that are rejected from the norm to learn on the fringe.

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America's Mom, Florence Henderson, born on Valentine's Day, died on Thanksgiving.

Appropriate, as she was a sweetheart, and generations of Americans are thankful for her career and contribution to our popular culture.

She was 82.

These are the notable American, British, Canadian, etc. deaths of celebrities, pop culture icons, etc. for the past week. As usual, for a full list of notable deaths in 2016 to date, see Wikipedia.

Joe Santos, 84, American actor (The Rockford Files), heart attack.
Tray Walker, 23, American football player (Baltimore Ravens), dirt bike accident.
Larry Drake, 66, American actor (L.A. Law, Johnny Bravo, Darkman), Emmy Award winner (1988, 1989).

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Here are the notable deaths for this past week from North America, Japan, and select parts of Europe. As usual, please see Wikipedia for a complete list of notable 2016 deaths.

June 27:
- Mack Rice, 82, American songwriter ("Mustang Sally", "Respect Yourself") and singer, complications of Alzheimer's disease.

June 28:
- Buddy Ryan, 82, American football head coach (Philadelphia Eagles, Arizona Cardinals) and defensive coordinator (Chicago Bears, Houston Oilers).

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Here are the notable deaths for this past week from North America, Japan, and select parts of Europe. As usual, please see Wikipedia for a complete list of notable 2016 deaths.

July 24:
- Marni Nixon, 86, American singer (The King and I, West Side Story, My Fair Lady) and actress (The Sound of Music), breast cancer.

July 25:
- Tim LaHaye, 90, American Christian author (Left Behind series), stroke.

July 26:

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Here are the notable deaths for this past week from North America, Japan, and select parts of Europe. As usual, please see Wikipedia for a complete list of notable 2016 deaths.

- Buck Kartalian, 93, American actor (Planet of the Apes, Cool Hand Luke, The Rock).
- Burt Kwouk, 85, British actor (The Pink Panther, Last of the Summer Wine, Goldfinger).
- Angela Paton, 86, American actress (Groundhog Day, American Wedding, Lolita), heart attack.

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Here are the notable deaths for this past week from North America, Japan, and select parts of Europe. As usual, please see Wikipedia for a complete list of notable 2016 deaths.

Special mention this week, of course, goes to the horrible mass shooting in Orlando in which fifty people were killed and fifty-three others were wounded, as well as to the two-year-old who died tragically at a Disney resort after being dragged underwater by an alligator.

June 11:

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In short, I had a great time.

Went to a lot of informative and exciting panels: some about writing, Hooves Line, and Riffing is Magic.

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Guess who's in San Fran right now

this guy

if any of you nerds are at the Hyatt already hit me up we can chill

if you can't make it tonight it's all g, we can hang out sometime during the weekend

we got all con to do this, baby