Danny

iPod morning commute music: The Clash, London Calling (1979)
Their breakout album, full of musical styles and surprises. The title cut is just great, as is Spanish Bombs, but the whole CD is wonderful. I especially like Lost in the Supermarket, where the singer's shopping for a personality. Essential.

I just got the word that my cousin's ex-husband had a massive stroke last Thursday and is not going to make it. Danny and Bev were more like uncle and aunt to me than cousins. Bev's now about 70, and Danny had to be about the same, maybe older. When I was growing up in Jersey, we would see them at least once a month. After we moved west when I was 12 they ended up divorcing.

Danny always seemed to be larger-than-life, macho, cigar smoking. I only saw him a couple of times after the divorce. Their daughter, Stephanie, and her husband Chuck, became close to Kaoru and me, and their eldest daughter, Katie, is the about the same age as our Alisa. It was Stephanie who contacted me about Danny's condition. I had sent an e-mail to her last week, and another yesterday to Chuck as his beloved Pittsburgh Steelers are playing my beloved Seattle Seahawks in the Superbowl. Football games just don't seem that important at this moment.

Our hearts and prayers go out to the whole family.