In astronomy, a star dies like so:

The radius of the star increases until it becomes a red giant. The core becomes hot enough to cause the helium to fuse into carbon after which the core will expand and cool. The upper layers will expand and eject material that will collect around the dying star to form a planetary nebula. Finally, the core will cool into a white dwarf and then eventually into a black dwarf. This entire process can take a few billion years.

In Hollywood, courtesy of The Guide to Hollywood Death, a star’s demise can be charted by icons depicting any of a number of final exits: pills, firearms, aircraft, decapitation, kinky sex — over 16 in all. For example, Bob Crane of Hogan’s Heroes fame (see Autofocus for a brush up) features three icons: beating, murder and kinky sex — a process that can also take a few billion years.

An “exclusive publication” of San Diego’s Home Town Press, The Guide to Hollywood Death is available by sending a couple of bucks to Home Town Press, 1166 24th Street, San Diego, CA 92102. Tell them Daedalus Howell sent you.

Unrelated links…

Nomaville: Big Fish