Steve Jobs and His Legacy

Today, the world lost a truly great man.

Steve Jobs, father of Apple Computers, passed away after a long battle with pancreatic cancer.

Although he isn't with us anymore, we can rest assured that he won't soon be forgotten. He instilled in this generation and those past a love for technology. He turned something rigid and data-oriented into something beautiful and human. He made a small bunch of circuits the iPod, and proceeded to the change the world with it. Time and time again he'd shake the foundations of the computing industry with his devotion to simplicity and undying love of innovation.

But, not only did he pioneer the world of technology, but he singlehandedly assured the creation of Pixar Animation Studios at a time when nobody else would believe in them. In a press release from just moments ago, John Lasseter and Ed Catmull say:

Steve Jobs was an extraordinary visionary, our very dear friend and the guiding light of the Pixar family. He saw the potential of what Pixar could be before the rest of us, and beyond what anyone ever imagined. Steve took a chance on us and believed in our crazy dream of making computer animated films; the one thing he always said was to simply 'make it great.' He is why Pixar turned out the way we did and his strength, integrity and love of life has made us all better people. He will forever be a part of Pixar’s DNA. Our hearts go out to his wife Laurene and their children during this incredibly difficult time.

Steve was also heavily involved with Disney in the past decade or so, after all of his Pixar stock awarded him a seat on the Board once Disney acquired Pixar. Bob Iger, CEO of Disney, had this to say:

Steve Jobs was a great friend as well as a trusted advisor. His legacy will extend far beyond the products he created or the businesses he built. It will be the millions of people he inspired, the lives he changed, and the culture he defined. Steve was such an "original," with a thoroughly creative, imaginative mind that defined an era. Despite all he accomplished, it feels like he was just getting started. With his passing the world has lost a rare original, Disney has lost a member of our family, and I have lost a great friend. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Laurene and his children during this difficult time.

The world is certainly a little bit brighter thanks to Steve. He was a truly unique individual with a love for the minimal, a passion for technology and moving forward, and a thirst for life he shared with so many during his outstanding life.

Steve, you will be missed, but never forgotten.

Image: Courtesy of Disney/Pixar

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Roy E. Disney dies

A day after the anniversary of Walt's death, his nephew, Roy E. Disney, has passed away. Roy was instrumental in the Second Golden Age of Animation during the 90s. He was a strong individual who saw to it that Ron Miller was replaced with Michael Eisner and Frank Wells in order to revive the slowly slipping name of 'Disney.' And, once Eisner turned on Roy, Roy did the same to Eisner and got him ousted. He was a true believer in his uncle Walt and his father Roy's ideals of quality animation and a company that everybody could love. Roy E. Disney will certainly be missed.

Read this wonderful obituary at the LA Times.

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Paul Newman Passes at 83

Hollywood legend Paul Newman passed away Friday night after a long battle with lung cancer. His family was with him in his Connecticut farmhouse when the tragedy occurred. "His death was as private and discreet as the way he had lived his life, a humble artist who never thought of himself as 'big,' surrounded by his beloved family and the close circle of friends," the family said earlier today.


Newman will live on through his movies and philanthropic contributions. Some his films include The Sting, Butch Cassidy and the Sun-Dance Kid, The Hustler, The Color of Money and Cars, among many other Oscar-winning and Oscar-nominated performances.


He wasn't greedy with his fame or fortune, but contributed back to the community, and even made his own line of food products, which have contributed over $250 million to over a thousand charities across the planet.


"Our father was a rare symbol of selfless humility, the last to acknowledge what he was doing was special. Intensely private, he quietly succeeded beyond measure in impacting the lives of so many with his generosity," Newman's daughters remarked. "Always and to the end, Dad was incredibly grateful for his good fortune. In his own words: 'It's been a privilege to be here,'" said his loving family who, along with all of us, will miss him very much.

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Sadly, There'll be No More Clowning Around for Larry Harmon

Does the name Larry Harmon mean anything to you? I don't think it will. But what about Bozo the Clown? I am almost certain that that name will ring a bell. You recognize it because Bozo the Clown was "a show business staple that delighted children for more than a half-century." And Larry Harmon is the one who popularized and was the most well-known Bozo the Clown.

Larry Harmon, or Bozo the Clown, was a great entertainer. "Bozo is a combination of the wonderful wisdom of the adult and the childlike ways in all of us," Harmon said. Well, I'm sorry to say, but he died today of congestive heart failure in his home at the age of 83 years.

So long Bozo, you were the original clown, and you will not be forgotten.

Source: Los Angeles Times Obituary

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