The Madoffs Come Trick-or-Treating

Just in time for Halloween, members of the Bernard L. Madoff family have emerged from wherever they keep themselves to squeeze a little more money from anyone willing to pay attention to them. The holiday is the perfect occasion for this sort of venture. It is the season for ghouls, isn’t it?

An authorized biography of the family is being published on Monday. You will have no problem learning its title somewhere else. It’s not incumbent upon me to contribute to the hype more than is absolutely necessary.

In memoriam, 2010

The world lost many of those who made it turn in 2010, many who inspired dread, angst, perplexity, obedience, imitation, laughter, and love. It's a time to celebrate their achievements, mourn their misfortunes, and marvel at a world that has such people in it.

* Newsmakers: Notable conclusions included those for John du Pont, 72, member of the Delaware familial dynasty, who died at the Laurel Highlands state prison near Somerset, Pa., while serving a sentence for murder; Mark Madoff, 46, son of convicted finance fraud Bernie Madoff; and fashion designer Alexander McQueen, 40. Porn king Bob Guccione, 79, went to the final penthouse.

In memoriam, 2010: Folks of note and notoriety who have passed on

The world lost many of those who made it turn in 2010, many who inspired dread, angst, perplexity, obedience, imitation, laughter, and love. It’s a time to celebrate their achievements, mourn their misfortunes, and marvel at a world that has such people in it.

—Newsmakers: Notable conclusions included those for John du Pont, 72, member of the Delaware familial dynasty, who died at the Laurel Highlands state prison near Somerset, Pa., while serving a sentence for murder; Mark Madoff, 46, son of convicted finance fraud Bernie Madoff; and fashion designer Alexander McQueen, 40. Porn king Bob Guccione, 79, went to the final penthouse.

Final goodbye for those who left us

One helped drop an atomic bomb on Japan during World War II. The other survived that bombing and also the second bombing that came only days later.

Morris Jeppson was a weapons test officer aboard the Enola Gay and helped arm the atomic bomb that was dropped over Hiroshima. Tsutomu Yamaguchi was the only person recognized as a survivor of that bombing and the bombing of Nagasaki that came three days after.