Edward M. Kennedy, aka Ted Kennedy, died Tuesday night at the age of 77 from brain cancer. Well today it was announced his memoir titled True Compass will go on sale September 14 with the first printing totalling 1.5 million copies. Kennedy was diagnosed in May of 2008. The publisher, Tweleve Publishing said of Ted:

"He worked valiantly to finish the book and make it the best it could be. As always, he was true to his word. The result is a great and inspiring legacy to readers everywhere, a case study in perseverance."

By late Wednesday morning, True Compass was in the top 75 on Amazon.com.

Robert Barnett from Twelve Publishing said:

"Kennedy collaborated with Ron Powers, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and co-author of Flags of Our Fathers, but every word is Kennedy’s, according to his literary representative."

"Happily and amazingly, he was in good enough shape to finish it."

"It’s his book. He wrote and approved every word."

If you want people to remember your life, get someone who can write award winning books that make great movies to write a book about you, and for you, then take all the credit yourself. Even a boring, or corrupt, life can be spun into sounding like an incredible life by the right author. For example, there are a lot of gangster books and movies that have become cult classics. If Ted wanted people to remember him badly enough, someone needs to write a book portraying him as a bit of a tough gangster type character on Capital Hill who took care of business no matter what it took, because the stakes were always too high to fail, except for that universal healthcare bill that seems to have lost steam. We’re sure to see a Ted movie after the book, because the Kennedy family is still considered American royalty.

Ryan Jenkins was found dead, and appears to have committed suicide at a motel in Canada today.

Jenkins had been charged in the murder of his wife Jasmine Fiore on August 20. Fiore was identified by her breast implants, because her teeth and fingers had been removed. Fiore’s mutilated body was found in a suitcase inside of a dumpster in Buena Park, California on August 15.

According to the manager of the Thunderbird Motel in Hope, British Columbia, Jenkins checked into the motel on Friday, paid for 2 days, and did check out. Jenkins had been dropped off by a woman who appeared to be in her 20s driving a PT Cruiser. Jenkins did not check out today so the manager and his nephew checked on him, and found him hanging by a belt from a coat rack. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police identified Jenkins by his finger prints, and are continuing their investigation into Jenkins death to confirm it was a suicide.

Two videos surfaced today of Jenkins and his wife from the past few weeks where Jenkins said:

" I love my life. And I love my wife. I’m the luckiest guy in the world."

Political columnist Robert Novak, a diehard conservative, pugilistic debater and proud owner of the "Prince of Darkness" moniker, has died after a battle with brain cancer.

His wife of 47 years, Geraldine Novak, told The Associated Press that he died at his home in Washington, D.C. early Tuesday. He was 78.

A household face as co-host of CNN’s "Crossfire," Novak had been a columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times for decades. He was diagnosed with a brain tumor in July 2008, less than a week after he struck a pedestrian in downtown Washington with his Corvette and drove away.

"He was a Washington institution who could turn an idea into the most discussed story around kitchen tables, congressional offices, the White House, and everywhere in between," Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said in a statement.

Days before his tumor was discovered in mid-July, Novak was given a $50 citation after he struck a homeless man with his black Corvette in downtown Washington. He kept driving until he was stopped by a bicyclist, who said the man was splayed on Novak’s windshield. Novak told police he had not intentionally hit the man.

Days later, Novak fell ill on Massachusetts’ Cape Cod while visiting his daughter, Zelda, and was rushed to the hospital, where the brain cancer diagnosis was made. It was Novak’s third cancer diagnosis. He underwent surgery in 2003 to remove a cancerous growth on his kidney.

Novak had been diagnosed with cancer at least three times previously. He underwent surgery in 2003 to remove a cancerous growth on his kidney and was under medical observation for a possible recurrence.

A son of Jewish parents, he converted to Catholicism at age 67 after attending Catholic services for several years.

Novak is survived by his wife Geraldine, who was a secretary for President Lyndon Johnson, their daughter and a son, Alex.

Les Paul, the guitar virtuoso and inventor who revolutionized music and created rock ’n’ roll as surely as Elvis Presley and the Beatles by developing the solid-body electric guitar and multitrack recording, died Thursday at age 94.

Paul died in White Plains, New York of complications from pneumonia.

In the video below, Les Paul and Mary Ford appear on Alistair Cooke’s "Omnibus" (10/23/1953) to dispel rumors that their recordings are all electrical gadgetry. They perform two demonstrations of their recording techniques (one fake making fun of rumors and on real with his multitrack recorders. He is using his now famous Ampex model 200 machines (1-inch tape) given to him by friend Bing Crosby. He added an extra recording playhead to each to create the 1st multitrack system. (note: this is NOT the Ampex 8-track Les Paul commissioned in 1954 and finished in 1957.)

Paul was an amazing, and inspiring, person. We need more people like Paul to inspire the next generation.

Eunice Kennedy Shiver died around 2 am today after suffering from a series of strokes. Eunice was 88 years-old, the younger sister of President John F. Kennedy, the mother of California First Lady Maria Shriver Schwarzenegger, and the founder of the Special Olympics in 1968.

Shriver organized the first Special Olympics in 1968, inspired in part by the struggles of her mentally disabled sister, Rosemary. Shriver’s son, Tim, now runs the Special Olympics, and her husband, Robert "Sargeant" Shriver, Jr., the first director of the Peace Corps, also survives her, along with their five children and 19 grandchildren.

Thank you for doing so much good for your fellow man and woman. You will be missed Eunice.