Unbelievable. I guess we have to start counting to three again?

I think we already have, squirrelheaven.

1> Ed McMahon
2> Farrah Fawcett
3> Michael Jackson
I was sorry to hear of all these deaths. Farrah F. and Michael J. especially very iconic symbols of the 70's and 80's...

I know, oakley. Sad. What would I do without my Costco size Oxyclean? It does sound very similar to Natasha Richardson.

Note to self: Any hard bump on the head must include a trip to the Dr.

No kidding golddust! Two winters ago we had a heavy sleet storm. Not ice, but sleet. The stuff was slick as ice, a couple of inches thick, and all the schools in OK. were closed for a week, because they couldn't get it off sidewalks and parking lots.

One afternoon I went outside to check the rain gauge to see how much sleet we got. I was standing on the sidewalk and leaned over to pick up the gauge, and I went down in a split second, facing the opposite direction and hit my head HARD on an iron wheel.

I knew I was going to die that very moment and my life literally flashed by just like they say! lol.

I finally got up, went inside the house and I had a big goose egg, and only then did I start crying because I realized how close I came to actually dying!

Now I wear YakTraks even if one little snowflake comes down. lol

Don't forget a helmet, Oakley!

That was my first thought too, squirrelheaven - "well, here's the start of the next three-fer". Patrick Swayze's looking awfully rough, I wonder if we're going to lose him before too long too. He's hung in for much longer than his original prognosis in January 2008 (and the survival rate for pancreatic cancer is the worst of all cancers even when diagnosed early which is extremely rare), but reportedly he's got pretty extensive metastases now.

BTW, none of the products Mays plugged were "his" in the sense of his having anything at all to do with their invention or production - he was just the talking head, or in his case the shouting head. :-) I've been using OxiClean for years too, although I buy it at Wallyworld in the big 8# bucket, and same for the Orange Glo paste although I wasn't at all impressed by the spray; I also have the Samurai Shark knife sharpener (and gave a few for Yule presents a couple of years ago) which is surprisingly effective for touch-up sharpenings when I don't feel like hauling out the real whetstone. I never buy anything off the infomercials because there are so many stores carrying the "as seen on TV" stuff now, usually for less than the infomercials even before the insane shipping charges, that I buy it locally and keep my receipt in case the product doesn't work as advertised. Which is at least half the time!

I do hope that we're not going to see a big upsurge in appearances by that vulgar Shamwow/Slap Chop guy though now that Mays is gone... he's particularly obnoxious in a field of obnoxious people. (WHAT is with that stupid headset microphone? You're on TV, dude, use the appropriate technology so your commercials don't look like they were made by a high school A/V club.)

I'm going to sound like the most blackhearted horrible person but while I am sorry to hear of anyone's death and Billy Mays from all acounts sounds like he was a very decent and kindhearted person...I absolutely physically couldn't listen to his screaming about whatever it was he was shilling. I never watched QVC which is where I suppose he got his start(?). So when I finally got satellite tv and the incredibly loud piercing pitches started I was startled at first then appalled and quickly learned to mute the tv or change the channel *fast*. It was odd actually; I've never had that reaction to anything on television before. But I just could not TAKE IT as Billy himself might have said.

I feel terrible for his family but truthfully I sure won't miss that awful booming yelling voice every few minutes on tv.

Ann

He was such a fixture on TV and so recognizable. My guess is that it would awkward for stations to run his commercials after his death.

I didn't mind his voice, but I objected to the volume of his commercials, which always sent me racing for the mute button.

Also, Gale Storm of "My Little Margie" TV show fame (1950's) has passed. I remember watching that when I was very small (way, way small, practically a baby, oh wait, was I even born yet?). And Fred Travalena, the impressionist.

I could manage a little of his infomercials if I turned them WAY down. That habit of shouting when performing was indeed irritating. He didn't do that on "Pitchmen" - I rarely watched it for long because the subject matter didn't interest me that much but I caught a couple of minutes here and there while surfing. Both DH and I pretty much always watch TV with the remote in one hand though, since so many commercials come on blastingly loud - our TV has a doohickey in it that keeps volume levels consistent but our cable box defeats it. :-( (And now this is when the anti-TV people get to put their noses in the air and act all superior... *snicker*)

The medical examiner involved in the case says there was absolutely no sign of head trauma in the autopsy and that cause of death was a simple heart attack.

Well the Trifecta has been completed today.

Gale Storm died Sat. and I just heard that Fred Travelena lost his battle w/ non-Hodgkins Lymphoma.

That's 6 in 2wks.

I didn't know Billy didn't invent OxyClean and the other products! Well, even though his commercials were loud, I hope they paid him big bucks because I think he was the one who actually "sold" the products.

The medical examiner involved in the case says there was absolutely no sign of head trauma in the autopsy and that cause of death was a simple heart attack.

I'll bet the airline execs are breathing a big sigh of relief!

The only "pitchman" that I know of that actually invented anything is Ron Popeil of Ronco.

Here is a link that might be useful: Ron Popeil

Also actor John Carradine of the t.v. series 'Kung Fu' recently passed away. It seems next year's Oscars will have quite a few people to memorialize.

Billy Mays was a multimillionaire, so apparently someone liked the shouting!

David Carradine was the one who died earlier this month. BTW, it has been confirmed by Thai police that he was doing just what you preeee-verts thought he was doing :-) and his death has been designated accidental.

I presume Vince will be raising his rates now...

Here is a link that might be useful: Sham wow!

I had never even heard of Billy Mays until this thread.

crawling back under my rock nowsize=1>