Holy crap. The Professor died.

In this post: A pesty client, Dead Famous People.

So here’s the scoop from Howdygram headquarters! It’s Friday morning, 6 a.m., I’ve been awake since 4:45 and I have zero motivation to work on website updates for an annoying client in Philadelphia who thinks I’m still interested in this kind of crap. Mostly I want to tell her to take a flying leap off Independence Hall and leave me alone — HEY! I’M RETIRED! — but Sam convinced me to do the work and cash her check. (Okay. Fine. Maybe later.)

We are grieved to report that actor Russell Johnson, 89, died yesterday from complications of being an old coot. Johnson not only played the role of Professor Roy Hinkley on “Gilligan’s Island” from 1964 to 1967, he also starred in a string of shitty science fiction movies that included It Came from Outer Space (1953), This Island Earth (1955) and Attack of the Crab Monsters (1956). By the way, did anybody ever notice that the Professor invented every crazy contraption on the island — i.e., an electrical generator, a refrigerated food locker, turning a coconut into a radio — but couldn’t figure out how to fix the damn hole in Skipper’s boat?

The Howdygram also would like to acknowledge the passing of teeny Ruth Robinson Duccini, 95, the last surviving female Munchkin from 1939’s The Wizard of Oz. For your possible interest the only remaining Munchkin who’s still breathing is Jerry Maren, 93, weirdo emeritus of the Lollipop Guild. (Oy.)

Thank you.