Before Hurricane Milton made landfall in Tampa, Florida, officials there made an effort to help a man who went by the TikTok handle “Lieutenant Dan.” The man, whose true name is apparently Joseph Malinowski, defied their attempts to disembark from his 20-foot boat and chose instead to weather the storm.
Malinowski was filmed by Terrence Concannon, who uploaded the popular TikTok on October 8 and showed him justifying his choice. Malinowski, who was inspired by the Forrest Gump character, boldly declares his belief in God in the video, saying, “God told me to come out here and acquire a boat. I’m safe with him. We’re going to get through this. He brashly said, “Hell no,” when asked if he would be donning a life jacket, stating that his yacht was the safest place for him to be.
Around 43 million people had viewed the film as of October 9, garnering both local and national interest. Authorities in Tampa were worried about his safety, but Malinowski refused to leave despite multiple attempts to persuade him. The local police said that although they would have helped, they would eventually be unable to get to him due to the storm’s increasing conditions.
Mayor Jane Castor of Tampa first said that Malinowski had been rescued and taken to a shelter during a press conference. Brian Entin, a reporter for NewsNation, swiftly refuted this, posting a picture of Malinowski remaining on his boat as evidence that he had not departed. Later on, the mayor’s office stated that Malinowski had initially decided to depart but ended up staying.
Concannon, the person who first uploaded the popular video, launched a GoFundMe page in support of Malinowski, which raised almost $23,000. The money is meant to assist Malinowski—who has been called a “modern-day pirate”—in buying a new boat because his present one has “seen better days.”
With sustained winds of 120 mph, Hurricane Milton, a Category 3 storm, was predicted to make landfall on Florida’s west-central coast as of October 9. Malinowski made the decision to stay on his boat despite several orders for the locals to leave, putting his faith and the security of his craft at risk.
Comedy Icon Bob Newhart Dies at 94 – Fans Heartbroken!
Bob Newhart, the well-loved comedy legend known for starring in two famous sitcoms, has passed away at the age of 94.
His publicist, Jerry Digney, confirmed that Newhart died after a few short illnesses, according to Variety.
Newhart was a TV icon for many years, starring in two classic shows, The Bob Newhart Show and Newhart. In his later years, he also had memorable roles in the movie Elf and the TV show The Big Bang Theory.
Bob Newhart was born on September 5, 1929, in Oak Park, Illinois. He got his degree from Loyola University Chicago and served as a Staff Sergeant in the US Army during the Korean War from 1952 to 1954.
After the war, he worked as an accountant and an advertising copywriter. During this time, he developed his comedy routines. He became famous for his deadpan, soft-spoken style, playing the “straight man” in phone conversations, reacting to absurd situations.
This act made him a hit on the stand-up comedy scene and led to his hugely successful live comedy album, *The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart*. The album was the first comedy record to reach #1 on the Billboard Charts and became the 20th best-selling album of all time at that point.
It was also the first comedy album to win the Grammy Award for Album of the Year, and Newhart won the Grammy for Best New Artist. He continued to release successful albums throughout the ’60s and ’70s.
Newhart became a television staple and had his own variety show, *The Bob Newhart Show*, in 1961. Although it only ran for one season, it won the Emmy Award for Best Comedy Series.
His first sitcom, also called *The Bob Newhart Show*, was more successful, running for six seasons on CBS from 1972 to 1978. The show followed Newhart’s character, Chicago psychiatrist Dr. Bob Hartley, in his work and home life.
Newhart struck gold again with his second sitcom, *Newhart*, where he played Vermont innkeeper and talk show host Dick Loudon. This show ran from 1982 to 1990.
*Newhart* had one of the most memorable finales in TV history. It ended with Newhart’s character from *The Bob Newhart Show* waking up in bed next to his former co-star Suzanne Pleshette, suggesting that the entire *Newhart* series was just a dream.
Later sitcom vehicles like Bob and George & Leo had less success, running for just one season, but Newhart remained a fixture of television, with recurring roles on ER and Desperate Housewives.
He also had a memorable recurring role on the hit sitcom The Big Bang Theory as former science TV host “Professor Proton.” He won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for the role — the long-overdue first-ever Emmy Award for the TV legend.
Later sitcom vehicles like Bob and George & Leo had less success, running for just one season, but Newhart remained a fixture of television, with recurring roles on ER and Desperate Housewives.
He also had a memorable recurring role on the hit sitcom The Big Bang Theory as former science TV host “Professor Proton.” He won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for the role — the long-overdue first-ever Emmy Award for the TV legend.
Rest in peace to the comedy legend Bob Newhart, who gave us so many laughs and two classic sitcoms in his incredible career.
Please share this story in memory of Bob Newhart.
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