R.I.P. President Gerald Ford

[dws1982]

I believe Reagan died a few days before Ray Charles.

[Sonic Youth]

And if I remember correctly, Ronald Reagan and Ray Charles died in very close proximity. I don't remember who died first.

[dws1982]

He just surpassed Reagan as the longest living President about six weeks ago.

When I was younger (about six years old--around the time I first learned to read), I was became kind of obsessed with presidents; I even learned the names of all of the presidents, in order, and the years they served. At the time, Ford became my favorite of the living presidents. I'm not sure why--it may have been the fact that he was a football star in college. Many years later, after I became obsessed with the Kennedy assassination, and learned about Ford's role as the FBI Plant on the Warren Commission, he became dead to me.

But I did always love how unlikely his presidency was; the whole idea about how "anyone can be president" seemed true to me when I thought about the odd chain of events that got him in the White House.

RIP, Gerry.

[Sonic Youth]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former U.S. President Gerald Ford, who took office from an embattled Richard M. Nixon, has died, according to a statement from his widow on Tuesday.

Just breaking...