Neil Armstrong: The Premature Obituary
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Richard Nixon was looking at the speech no President of the United States would ever want to deliver. It was titled, “In the Event of Moon Disaster.” The date was July 22, 1969. Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were set to depart from the surface of the moon to join fellow crew member […]
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Billy Buckner’s Decisive Moment in Death
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In photography, it’s called “the decisive moment.” The term, coined by French master, Henri Cartier-Bresson, refers to the shot which captures all of the significance of an event, including hints of antecedent conditions. Think of the exhilarating moment recorded by Alfred Eisenstaedt with the kiss in Times Square on VJ day, August, 1945. Or the […]
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Julius Caesar Didn’t Own A Life Insurance Policy
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“Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears. I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.” So begins the most famous eulogy ever written: Marc Antony’s stirring tribute to the assassinated leader of Rome, Julius Caesar. With words carefully chosen, some subtle, others inflammatory, Antony cleverly praised Caesar — his aim was to rally the […]
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At the Intersection of Art and Death with Paul Walker
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The Nobel winning author and absurdist/existential philosopher, Albert Camus, wrote: “since we all are going to die, it’s obvious that when and how don’t matter.” Camus, whose genius has continued to be revered long after his death on January 4, 1960, did not know actor Paul Walker, director James Wan or Universal Pictures. From a […]
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Yes, A Broken Heart Can Be Fatal
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The story of Will and Judy Webb was recently featured on national newscasts. Not because of any explosion on social media, but due to the simple way they died — together, holding hands right up until the end. The two met when they were both 14. A few years later, Will joined the Army and served […]
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