Jose de Sousa Saramago - 1922-2010

Some people spend their entire lives reading but never get beyond reading the words on the page, they don't understand that the words are merely stepping stones placed across a fast-flowing river, and the reason they're there is so that we can reach the farther shore, it's the other side that matters.
José de Sousa Saramago

Andrew Koening - August 17, 1968 – February 25, 2010 -

In February 2010, Koenig was reported missing by friends and family. He was last seen near a bakery in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada on February 14, and missed a scheduled flight back to the US on February 16. According to his parents, Koenig left evidence that he was depressed prior to his disappearance. On February 25, 2010, it was reported by CNN that his body was found by friends searching for him in Stanley Park in Vancouver. Police later confirmed Koenig's body was found earlier in the day, and Koenig's father told reporters at an evening press conference that his son took his own life.

Humanitarian work
Koenig traveled to Burma in July 2007 and visited Burmese refugee camps in Thailand with his father as part of the U.S. Campaign for Burma. The following January, he protested the Communist Party of China's political and financial support of the military dictatorship in Burma during the 119th Tournament of Roses Parade, entering the parade and standing in front of a Chinese float promoting the 2008 Beijing Olympics after allegedly a pre-parade human rights march agreed to by parade officials was stifled by them. Koenig, who carried a sign reading "China: Free Burma" in both English and Chinese, was arrested and briefly held for his act of civil disobedience. Koenig's defense attorney was Bill Paparian, a fellow protester and former mayor of Pasadena, California, where the parade is held.
"China sits on the UN Security Council and they have refused to condemn Burma. China purchases gas from Burma and sells them weapons that the military uses on the Burmese people. So they are really quite complicit, and that was the whole point of protesting the China float," Koenig explained. Koenig also noted the Chinese government's implicit support of genocidal forces in Sudan, sweatshops and tainted export products, saying of the float, "China is putting on a good face because of the Olympics, but [it’s time to] send a message to the Chinese government that they have to not just change their face, but change the way they do things.” The Pasadena Weekly quoted Koenig as stating, "Their free speech rights have been totally censored. As a country with a Constitution and a Bill of Rights, we need to continue to support and enforce ours, and [use it to] recognize the rights of human beings all over the world."

Source by Wikipedia

Kirk Cameron, Tracey Gold Remember Andrew Koening

Former Growing Pains stars Kirk Cameron and Tracey Gold are mourning the death of their costar Andrew Koenig, whose body was found Thursday in a Vancouver park after he committed suicide.

"It is with great sorrow to hear about the final outcome of the search for my old friend Andrew," Cameron, 39, tells UsMagazine.com. "I hope everyone will be sensitive to the Koenigs and give the family some private time to reflect and to grieve the loss of their beloved son. At a time like this, we are all reminded of the briefness of life and the importance of being ready for our eternal destination. My prayers will continue to be with Andrew's family."

Adds Gold, 40: "Today is a sad day. My heart is broken for Andrew's family. I have such great memories of Andrew and our time together on Growing Pains."

Source by Us Magazine

The Year in Review 1999 - (My favorite memory of SCATMAN JOHN)

John Paul Larkin (March 13, 1942 – December 3, 1999), better known by his stage name Scatman John, was an American jazz musician and singer who created a fusion of scat singing and dance music, best known for his 1994 hit "Scatman (Ski Ba Bop Ba Dop Bop)".
A stutterer, John liked to say scatting was a process of "turning my biggest problem into my biggest asset". Scatman John sold millions of recordings worldwide and was named "Best New Artist" in the Echo Awards in both Japan and Germany. He was a recipient of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association's Annie Glenn Award for outstanding service to the stuttering community and National Stuttering Association Hall of Fame."


Scatman John Scatman'S World
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Scatman John - Scatman
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Scatman John - Everybody Jam
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Source by Wikipedia, Hakunamatata67, Ryan71, Chrisgaelle and Dan_of_the_Land