This is so sad

A tremendous film talent lost. And his son, just getting started on his own career.

Tuesday was usually family night for film director Bob Clark — best known for "A Christmas Story" and the "Porky's" movies — and his grown sons, Ariel and Michael.

Ariel, 22, who had been studying music composition at Santa Monica College and was a part-time card dealer at a casino, would typically join his father and brother at the condo they rented in Pacific Palisades. They were night owls, said Lyne Leavy, who headed Clark's production company, Film Classic Productions.

In the wee hours of Wednesday morning, Bob, 67, and Ariel headed out; it's unclear whether they were going to get something to eat or driving to Ariel's Santa Monica apartment.

They had just driven a few blocks and were heading south on Pacific Coast Highway near the Bel-Air Bay Club at about 2:20 a.m. when a GMC Yukon swerved across the lane, striking their Infiniti Q-30 sedan head-on. Father and son were pronounced dead at the scene.

Dammit.

Tony Bourdain tears them a new one

As only he can.

For an organization that exists (purportedly) to "honor" the craft and profession of cooking, the Beard Foundation continues to send a message of continued cluelessness and disregard.  With their most recent startegic masterstroke, they have, yet again, sent the message, "We like famous chefs just fine--especially if we're handing 'em the Cuisinart/Vulcan/Fiji Water Humanitarian Award--but who are these nasty 'cook' creatures we keep hearing rumors of?" 

And so much more, expressed in the splendid patented BourdainRudeSpeak. Go Tony!!