Do the Mario, One Last Time

There's no doubt that you have probably heard about "Captain" Lou Albano's (1933-2009) death on Wednesday morning. To my surprise, it has been covered by the news quite a bit. I never realized just how many people were such big fans of him, but I'm glad.

Now, I never knew Lou for his wrestling career, although he did have a very special one. I knew him as Mario. He starred in the cartoon classic The Super Mario Bros. Super Show , which I absolutely adore. It is one of the most cheesy kids shows ever made, but that's where its charm comes from. And Lou Albano made that show what it was.

With Lou Albano gone, it feels like a part of my childhood is gone. That may sound incredibly lame, but it's true. So, for one last time, let's "do the Mario", and remember the impact Lou had on the video game, and wrestling, culture.

If you don't know of Lou Albano's role as Mario, watch the clips below and be ready to get hooked.

Polanski Arrested

It has been 31 years since acclaimed director Roman Polanski, famous for Rosemary's Baby and The Pianist, fled to Paris after pleading guilty to the rape of a 13 year old girl in 1977. He was arrested Saturday in Switzerland while on his way to accept a lifetime achievement at the Zurich film festival. Many of his friends and fans are furious with his arrest, noting that he is a genius and that he shouldn't be treated in this manner. US authorities will now have to make a formal extradition request to bring Polanski back to America to face charges. Chances are, though, this will be a long, drawn-out, and ultimately pointless process. His celebrity status is so high, he'll probably just pay his way out of all his problems. Polanski was recently working closely with British writer Robert Harris on a film version of Harris' novel The Ghost.

Farrah Fawcett: 1947-2009

It's hard not to overlook another celebrity death in the wake of Michael Jackson's death. Farrah Fawcett also passed away yesterday at the age of 62. She had been battling cancer for at least 3 years, and lost that battle early yesterday morning. She will be remembered most for her roles in the 1976 TV series Charlie's Angels and the film The Burning Bed, and let's not forget her infamous sex symbol poster that seemed to be the talk of the nation in the 70's. She will be sorely missed. It is a sad week for Hollywood.

The Rise and Fall of Miyamoto

As I was checking out a few video game sites today, I came across several articles on how Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of the Mario and Legend of Zelda franchises, has placed at #42 on Time Magazines "Your Time 100" poll for 2009. This is a poll set up to determine who the world considers to be the most influential person of the year. What's significant about this is that he placed at #1 last year. Now is that a difference, or what? Apparently, people love the Wii system, but not the games. I don't agree at all, but then again, I am a Nintendo fan. Here's the real kicker though. He placed behind the likes of the Jonas Brothers, Tina Fey, and, get this, Kobe Bryant. Who voted on this poll anyways? I suppose people just don't understand the word influential anymore. Either that, or it's a sign of the apocalypse, considering this year's #1 was Moot, creator of 4chan.com. Amazing!