geekosystem

Nyan Cat, the rainbow cat meme we all know and love, was originally an image created by Chris Torres. It is known. Torres based the lovable image on his cat, Marty. Unfortunately for Torres, Marty was diagnosed with feline infectious peritonitis -- basically a death sentence for cats. This was only a week ago. Last night, Marty passed away in Torres' arms, bringing an end to the cat's unexpected celebrity status.

Neil Armstrong, hero to everyone who's ever dreamed of travelling to worlds beyond our own, died yesterday at 82, his family announced. According to multiple reports, Armstrong's death was caused by complications from heart surgery performed earlier this month to relieve clogged coronary arteries.

According to the Russian International News Agency, Eduard Khil has died today after complications from a stroke he suffered in late May. The 77-year old Russian singer enjoyed a career spanning several decades, but rose to international prominence again in 2010 after his song "I Am Glad, 'Cause I'm Finally Returning Back Home" made the rounds of these great wide interwebs. You may not recognize the man or the song, but does "trolololololololololo" sound familiar?

"Steve’s final words, hours earlier, were monosyllables, repeated three times. Before embarking, he’d looked at his sister Patty, then for a long time at his children, then at his life’s partner, Laurene, and then over their shoulders past them. Steve’s final words were: OH WOW. OH WOW. OH WOW." Steve Jobs' sister Mona Simpson, novelist and English professor, in a moving and eloquent piece on the life and final days of her brother.