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Judge dismisses suit of ex-janitor who says he invented Flamin' Hot Cheetos

Judge dismisses suit of ex-janitor who says he invented Flamin' Hot Cheetos

Washington Post30-05-2025
For years, the purported origin story of Flamin' Hot Cheetos flourished through the internet and beyond as a spicy retelling of the American Dream, with self-proclaimed inventor of the snack Richard Montañez recounting how he came up with the idea while working as janitor for Frito-Lay.
But a Los Angeles Times investigation in 2021 threw a wrench into the rags-to-riches tale, with Frito-Lay disputing Montañez's claim and telling the newspaper that 'the facts do not support the urban legend.'
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Tom Lehrer, musical satirist, dies at 97
Tom Lehrer, musical satirist, dies at 97

Los Angeles Times

time7 hours ago

  • Los Angeles Times

Tom Lehrer, musical satirist, dies at 97

Tom Lehrer, an acerbic songwriter and Harvard-trained mathematician who rose to fame in the 1950s and '60s by pillorying the sensibilities of the day, has died at age 97. Lehrer died at his home in Cambridge, Mass., on Saturday. His death was confirmed by friends on Facebook. No cause of death was given. The bespectacled Lehrer began performing on college campuses and clubs across the country in the 1950s, playing the piano and singing darkly comedic numbers that he penned on topics such as racial conflict, the Catholic Church and militarism, earning him the sobriquet of 'musical nerd god.' In 'National Brotherhood Week,' which lampooned the brief interlude of imposed tolerance celebrated annually from the 1930s through the early 2000s he wrote: Oh, the white folks hate the black folksand the black folks hate the white folks,to hate all but the right folks is an old established rule …But during National Brotherhood Week (National Brotherhood Week),Lena Horne and Sheriff Clark are dancing cheek to fun to eulogizeThe people you despise,As long as you don't let 'em into your school. Lehrer's songs also took aim at then-taboo subjects such as sexuality, pornography and addiction. In 1953, his self-released album 'Songs of Tom Lehrer' became an underground hit. Produced for $40 and promoted by word of mouth, the cover image was of Lehrer in hell playing piano as the devil. It eventually sold an estimated 500,000 copies and sparked demand for concert performances around the world. During the mid-1960s, Lehrer contributed several songs to the satirical NBC news show 'That Was the Week That Was,' hosted by David Frost. The show inspired Lehrer's third album, 'That Was the Year That Was.' Released in 1965, it reached the 18th spot on American music charts. On the occasion of his 90th birthday in 2018, Los Angeles Times columnist Michael Hiltzik wrote that Lehrer's lyrics were written 'with the facility of William S. Gilbert and tunes that evoked the felicity of Sir Arthur Sullivan. Lehrer's work bounced the absurdities and paranoias of that period back at us, in rhymed couplets and a bouncy piano beat.' Thomas Andrew Lehrer was born in New York City on April 9, 1928, to a middle-class family. His father James Lehrer was a successful necktie manufacturer. As a child he took piano lessons but preferred Broadway show tunes — with a particular affection for the works of Gilbert and Sullivan — to the classics. After entering Harvard University at age 15, his penchant for sardonic humor surfaced in his parody song 'Fight Fiercely Harvard,' which challenged the football team's reputation for toughness and earned him a measure of renown on campus. For a time he followed a dual track, music and academia, though he never completed the PhD thesis he began while pursuing doctoral studies at Harvard and Columbia University. After a two-year break between 1955 and 1957 when he served in the Army, Lehrer once again performed concerts across the U.S., Canada and Europe. In a 1959 Time article, the magazine described Lehrer and fellow comedians Lenny Bruce and Mort Sahl as the symbols of a new 'sick' comedy. 'What the sickniks dispense is partly social criticism liberally laced with cyanide, partly a Charles Addams kind of jolly ghoulishness, and partly a personal and highly disturbing hostility toward all the world.' Lehrer's work opened the door for generations of musical satirists including Randy Newman and 'Weird Al' Yankovic and exerted an influence on everything from the musical skits of 'Saturday Night Live' to the mockumentary 'This Is Spinal Tap.' 'He set the bar for me — and provided an example of how a nerdy kid with a weird sense of humor could find his way in the world,' Yankovic once said of Lehrer. 'Done right, social criticism set to a catchy tune always makes politics easier to digest,' Lizz Winstead, co-creator of 'The Daily Show,' told Buzzfeed in an article examining Lehrer's influence on modern satirical comedy. But Lehrer was first and foremost an academic, over the course of his career teaching math and musical theater at Harvard, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and UC Santa Cruz and working for a time at the Atomic Energy Commission. He viewed entertainment largely as a sideline, and by the late 1960s had grown weary of life in the public eye. After several pauses to focus on his academic pursuits, he stepped off the stage in 1967 following a concert in Copenhagen. In 1971, he wrote songs for the PBS children's series 'The Electric Company.' His last turn in the spotlight was a year later. After performing at a presidential campaign rally for the Democratic nominee, South Dakota Sen. George S. McGovern, he gave up performing for good. Lehrer explained his retreat from the stage by saying that 'political satire became obsolete when Henry Kissinger was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.' In an interview with the New York Times, he elaborated: 'The Vietnam War is what changed it. Everybody got earnest. My purpose was to make people laugh and not applaud. If the audience applauds, they're just showing they agree with me.' But audiences were not through with Lehrer. After nearly a decade in self-imposed exile, Lehrer became a hit once again in the early 1980s when Cameron Mackintosh, the British theatrical producer, created 'Tomfoolery,' a revue of Lehrer's songs that opened in London's West End before going to to play New York, Washington, Dublin and other cities. Despite the public acclaim, Lehrer maintained a fiercely private life. He never married nor did he have children. In 2020, Lehrer announced through his website that he was making all of the lyrics he wrote available to download for free without further permission, whether or not they were published or retained a copyright. Two years later he went further in relinquishing his rights, saying: 'In short, I no longer retain any rights to any of my songs. So help yourselves, and don't send me any money.'

Fountain Valley's hometown Fire Chief dies unexpectedly after decades of service
Fountain Valley's hometown Fire Chief dies unexpectedly after decades of service

Yahoo

timea day ago

  • Yahoo

Fountain Valley's hometown Fire Chief dies unexpectedly after decades of service

Fountain Valley is mourning the sudden loss of its hometown fire chief, Bill McQuaid, who died unexpectedly Friday afternoon while off duty, city officials announced Saturday. 'It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of our Fire Chief, Bill McQuaid,' the city said in a statement. 'Chief McQuaid was more than a leader—he was a mentor, a friend, and a steadfast pillar of strength within our department and community.' McQuaid is survived by his wife, Tracy, and daughters, Allyson and Julie. He also leaves behind his mother, Judy; his sister, Tracy, and brother-in-law, Keith, along with their children Ashley, her husband Troy, and their son Joshua; as well as his brother Mike and sister-in-law Stacia. Raised in Fountain Valley, McQuaid joined the city's fire department as a reserve before being hired full-time in 1996 as a firefighter-paramedic, according to a 2023 profile published by the Los Angeles Times. He later held the roles of fire engineer, captain, battalion chief and division chief of operations before being named fire chief in January 2023. His career was guided by a promise he made nearly 30 years ago to then-Fire Chief Bernard Heimos, McQuaid told the Times: that if he were given the chance to serve his hometown, he would stay for the duration of his career. 'If somebody was going to give me that opportunity to get into it, then I was going to give them my all,' McQuaid said in the 2023 interview. 'Second, Fountain Valley is my home, so having the opportunity to serve in my dream career in my own hometown, in my own backyard, was an opportunity that I was willing to commit to for the entirety of my career.' McQuaid's service extended far beyond city limits. According to the Times, he led strike teams into some of California's largest wildfires, including the Thomas Fire in 2017 and the Dixie Fire in 2021. He also helped coordinate local vaccination sites during the COVID-19 pandemic. More recently, McQuaid spearheaded efforts to combat the opioid crisis by partnering with local high schools to train staff on how to respond to overdoses and distribute Narcan. 'With the large-scale opioid and fentanyl usage that's going on and the adverse results that are coming out of that, we've partnered with our high schools to train the teachers and train the high school staff how to respond to those emergencies,' McQuaid told the Times. 'We're providing them with the Narcan… so that they can get rapid response, even before we can get there, to help us in the process of saving lives.' A graduate of Fountain Valley High School, McQuaid lived in Huntington Beach with his family and earned a master's degree in public safety leadership and executive management from Arizona State University in 2022, according to the Times. 'His loss is felt deeply across our department and throughout the city he served so faithfully,' city officials said. 'We are grateful for the legacy he leaves behind and will continue to honor his memory in all that we do.' The city has not released a cause of death. Details about memorial services have not yet been announced. Luis Zuniga contributed to this report. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword

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