Jay Bennett

Jay Bennett died in his sleep Saturday night, of causes yet to be determined. He was 45. Bennett suffered chronic hip pain for many years, having injured himself from a dive off a stage in the '90s when he was performing with his band Titanic Love Affair. I'm going to spend the rest of my night listening to his work. His love of music came through in every sound he explored: pump organ, prepared piano, Wurlitzer, Omnichord, Mellotron, piano loops, guitars and Leslie banjos -- and that's just on Yankee Hotel Foxtrot!

Multi-instrumentalist and former member of Wilco Jay Bennett died this weekend, according to a post on the website for Undertow Music Collective. A cause of death was unknown. “We are profoundly saddened to report that our friend died in his sleep last night. Jay was a beautiful human being who will be missed,” read the update on Undertow. The company released his 2002 solo album, “Palace at 4 am (Part I).”

Representatives from the label and management firm had not responded to requests for comment as of Sunday evening, but the Chicago Sun-Times reached Bennett’s friend and collaborator Edward Burch. "Early this morning, Jay died in his sleep and an autopsy is being performed," Burch told Jim DeRogatis. In the late ‘80s, Bennett founded the rock band Titanic Love Affair in Urbana, Ill., which lasted into the mid-‘90s. He was best known for his seven years in adventurous rock act Wilco.

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

President Barack Obama joins thousands of Americans in commemorating Memorial Day on Monday by laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington. The nation pays tribute to its fallen heroes as it seeks to end the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The President had honored veterans and servicemen and women in his weekly address on Saturday.

Obama, who spent Memorial Day weekend at Camp David with his family, will lead the traditional ceremony at Arlington at about 10:30 am. He will return to Camp David and spends a quiet day with First Lady Michelle Obama and their two daughters before returning to the White House later in the evening. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has issued a statement urging constituents to "take a moment to remember the extraordinary sacrifices of so many Americans who fought for their flag and their country."

"Our fighting men and women - and the military families who love them - embody what is best in America. And we have a responsibility to serve all of them as well as they serve all of us," he said. "Yet, all too often in recent years and decades, we, as a nation, have failed to live up to that responsibility. We have failed to give them the support they need or pay them the respect they deserve. That is a betrayal of the sacred trust that America has with all who wear - and all who have worn - the proud uniform of our country."

Memorial Day Flag Etiquette

Memorial Day Flag Etiquette and July the Fourth—provide a natural opportunity to teach children flag etiquette. Even young children can be taught that our flag is special, and we treat it with respect. The National Flag Foundation lists some simple rules for honoring our flag. You can wear a T-shirt showing a flag; do not wear clothes made of flags.

Do not wear pants or use towels bearing flags—the flag should not be sat upon. • Raise a flag in a lively manner; lower it slowly. • Don’t create a flag motif on a lawn or football field, where feet can step on it. Don’t hang a flag at night unless you can illuminate it. Don’t display a flag during snow, rain, or other storms unless it is weatherproof. Hung vertically, the star-studded section should be in observers’ top left corner.

Good manners do more than make children pleasant to have around; they equip your kids to face varied social situations successfully. But instilling good manners has always been a challenge. Here’s what Socrates said regarding the young people of Athens in 500 B.C. Youth today loves luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority, no respect for older people, and talk nonsense when they should work. Young people do not stand up any longer when adults enter the room.