Dan Wheldon, 2011 Indy 500 Winner, Dead In Las Vegas Indy 300 Crash (Video)

Dan Wheldon, the winner of this year's Indianapolis 500, died earlier this afternoon in a gruesome 15 car pileup at the Las Vegas Indy 300.  On lap 13, as ABC was broadcasting from inside his vehicle, his car became airborne, flew approximately 200 yards, and landed in a catch fence outside of turn two.

Three other drivers were injured in the pileup.  Wheldon was airlifted to University Medical Center, but the injuries he sustained proved fatal.  The other drivers were not notified of his death until after the race.  Following the race, the drivers took part in a five lap salute in his honor.

It is the first Indy Car fatality since Paul Dana's death in 2006.

While the video below does not show any blood or dismemberment, it is a violent, violent, crash.  Viewer discretion is advised.



Dan is survived by his wife Susie, and his sons Sebastian and Oliver, who was born in March of this year.  Our hearts and thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Quote Of The Day

"The world has lost a visionary.  And there may be no greater tribute to Steve's success than the fact that much of the world learned of his passing on a device he invented."

 - President Barack Obama, on the passing of Apple founder Steve Jobs. 

Watch Steve Jobs Inspirational 2005 Stanford University Commencement Speech

With the passing of Steve Jobs this afternoon, I thought it would be appropriate to post the following.  On June 12, 2005, he gave the commencement speech to the graduates of Stanford University.  Months before, he publicly battled a rare form of pancreatic cancer.  That day, however, this billionaire who had never himself benefited from a college degree, revealed three personal stories from his life.  These stories make you think about yourself and your place in the world, and inspire you to do great things.

If you haven't seen this video, I encourage you to take the next 15 minutes to view it.  It will be the best 15 minutes you have spent today.  I must warn you though, there is a segment of the speech where Jobs talks about facing death.  In light of today's events, it made watching the video somewhat hard to watch.



One final note:  Steve Jobs was notoriously famous for keeping his private life private.  It is unknown as to the true nature of the latest illness that caused him to resign as Apple's CEO in August.  Many speculate that he had a recurrence of the pancreatic cancer, but it was never disclosed.  His cause of death may ultimately never be known.

His family did release the following statement this evening,

"Steve died peacefully today surrounded by his family. 

"In his public life, Steve was known as a visionary; in his private life, he cherished his family. We are thankful to the many people who have shared their wishes and prayers during the last year of Steve's illness; a website will be provided for those who wish to offer tributes and memories. 

"We are grateful for the support and kindness of those who share our feelings for Steve.   We know many of you will mourn with us, and we ask that you respect our privacy during our time of grief."

Apple.com on October 5, 2011.

Breaking: World Mourns Passing Of Visionary Steve Jobs

ABC News is reporting that Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple, and the man that revitalized the brand in the nineties, has passed away.  In a large part, he has the way that we live our day to day lives.  With the IPod, and later with the IPhone and IPad, the world is a different place today because of his innovations.

When you go to Apple's home page, you are greeted by a full page photo of their founder, along with the words, "Steve Jobs 1955-2011".  Clicking on his image takes you to a statement by the company, it says:

"Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being.  Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor.  Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple."

 In 2004, Jobs beat a rare form of pancreatic cancer.  In 2009, health conditions worsened, requiring him to get a liver transplant.  Six weeks ago, on August 24, he announced that he was stepping down as CEO of Apple.  Days later, photos surfaced of an emaciated and gravely ill Jobs being aided across the street in California.

Jobs was a "technological philanthropist".  He believed that investing in the improvement of technology would improve the human condition, thereby making the world a better place.  He was a controlling investor in Pixar Animation Studios, and later sat on the board of directors for Disney.

Steve Jobs was a college dropout, who, together with Steve Wozniak, started building computers in his parents' garage, back in 1976.  30 years later, many would consider him the Thomas Edison of our day.  He had an uncanny knack of thinking outside the box.  He has changed our vocabulary, and the way we communicate.  He has changed the way we listen to music and watch movies.  Are we a better world because of Steve Jobs?  I will leave that up for debate.  But, I will say, that we are a changed world because of him.

On a personal note, my three year old daughter was playing on our IPad this morning.  At three, she already knows how to negotiate the device.  She knows which folders her favorite applications are in.

We purchased the IPad months ago to help educate her.  In the six months or so that we have had it, she has made a remarkable improvement.  With the help of a number of apps, she has learned how to write and recognize numbers and letters.  She knows what opposites are.  She can even complete 16 piece puzzles.  With the aid of the IPad, she is going to enter kindergarten head and shoulders above all of her classmates.  For that reason alone, I owe Steve Jobs my gratitude.

Jobs is survived by his wife, Laurene, and his four children, Lisa, Reed, Erin and Eve.  Our thought are with the family, as well as the Apple family during their loss.

Another Beautiful Remembrance Of Amy Winehouse

This one comes courtesy of Dorothy Surrenders.  I am posting it verbatim, because I wouldn't do Amy's legacy justice by editing it.

"For us she was a flame. Daughter of a cab driver. Voice of a soul siren. Heart of a lonesome poet. Amy Winehouse came into our collective consciousness a blaze of behemoth beehives and tawdry tattoos. But once we heard that voice we knew, we knew we’d been given a gift. That delicious ache, that raw nerve, that naked vulnerability. She was at once something so fresh yet so familiar. True talent always is.

Her troubles were no secret, those that kept her off the stage and in the tabloids. But we never really knew her demons, those that drove her to wring beauty out of pain. Or those deeper ones that took her away from us all too soon. So much written about her during her life was almost cautionary – my own words included. Still others mocked her mercilessly as the punchline to her own life. Those who make sport of others suffering found an easy target. Yet when it happened, somehow, it still felt like a shock to me. And, Jesus, was I gutted.

Gone at 27, that supposedly haunted age for our golden gods of music. Jimi. Janis. Jim. Kurt. And now Amy. Those who burned too hot and too fast and are now forever subject to the task-tsking of history. But this is no time for I told you so’s. Such talent. Such talent, gone.

I feel so much for the people who loved her and the people who tried to help. But I also feel a profound loss for all of us. It’s selfish, so selfish. But, my God, the music we're missing. The songs. The sass. The slur of unapologetic humanity. We won’t be able to see what would come next. What wonders awaited. What she would woo us with, all over again. Not too long ago, I told a friend I felt like I had been waiting for a new Amy Winehouse album my entire life. That it will never come seems incomprehensible. Cruel, even. Though I supposed we should be thankful that we had her at all. And, for her voice, there will be no final frame. It lives on forever. Find peace, darling bird. Thank you for the music."