1... 2...

One of the great chroniclers of American lives, and one of the great American stories: Studs Terkel passes at 96, and word just reached me today of the not-by-exploding-El-Dorado death of Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal, Martin Scorsese's inspiration for Casino. Working made me want to be a writer; Lefty's story makes me watch Casino every damn time it turns up on TV. And it turns up a lot.

As with Paul Newman, Studs Terkel should have at least gotten a pass 'til Wednesday -- both of them, I think would want to see how this campaign ends. And so let us all hope fervently that whoever the "3" in this trilogy might be, that s/he waits at least a little while before completing the cycle.

(ETA ...and that's three. Oh dammit. Oh dammit, that was so what I was hoping would NOT happen.)