Jerry Nelson, famed puppeteer who delighted generations of tykes and young people for decades, and was best known for his work with Jim Henson’s Muppets, died yesterday from complications of various types of cancers he had been stricken with. He was 78.

Nelson may well be best remembered by the children of the baby boomers for his portrayal of the memorable Muppet characters on Sesame Street. A short list of some of them include the sleuth Sherlock Hemlock, the alchemic magical Amazing Mumford, the gentle giant Herry Monster, and above all, one of the A-list Muppets on the show, the numerologistic Count Von Count, who in essence, helped teach scores of children how to count from one to ten during his tenure on the program. That character had debuted 40 years ago on the show and quickly became a fan favorite.

For decades the Disney animated short films, starring the classic gang of Mickey and friends, dominated the screens with innocence and cheer. But that era is not one forgotten. Merely it exists in the past tense, just like the blockbuster musicals that made Disney, Disney. Nevertheless, Walt Disney Animation Studios is experiencing a period of re-growth, what some would argue could be the “third renaissance.” Tangled and the forthcoming Wreck-It Ralph are believed to represent that new beginning. In any case, the art of the short film within the studio is also undergoing a fantastic period of re-interest and ingenuity.

For much of the last decade, when Disney animation was arguably struggling in producing quality features, both in their theatrical and direct-to-video releases, developing short films was placed on the back-burner. Perhaps not intentionally, but they were relegated to little-seen pictures, film festivals, and bonus features on DVDs. The Annie Award-winning short Lorenzo, a charming little tale about a cat’s tail that takes over its life, is utterly creative. But where was this long-delayed piece played to audiences? Try the 2004 Kate Hudson romantic comedy Raising Helen, which underwhelmed at the box office. How was it decided that a short like this be paired with a PG-13 comedy starring Goldie Hawn’s daughter? Though each of these films is adorable in its own right, one must wonder why these were paired together.

The $10 t-shirt deal of the day over at RIPT Apparel is a mash-up of A Clockwork Orange and The Muppets called “Fozzie Droog” by Chris Wahl.

The sale at RIPT began today, Tuesday, May 15, 2012, at midnight CST, and will continue for 24 hours from then, and once it’s over, it will not be sold on the site anymore.

The Muppets have been named New York City Family Ambassadors by Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the city’s tourism and marketing organization, NYC & Company.

As part of the year-long honor, the Muppets will help to spread the word on New York City’s various family-friendly options for anyone traveling to any of the five boroughs, including food, shopping, attractions, parks, and cultural institutions. Those curious about where to visit can head to NYC’s family section, where the likes of Kermit the Frog will help with navigating, Miss Piggy will help with shopping, and, of course, the Swedish Chef will recommend restaurants.

The Muppets sent out their St. Patrick’s Day greeting, choosing their top dog Kermit The Frog to give out the holiday wishes. On most days, everyone’s favorite green dude will tell you it’s not easy being green – but not today!

Check out their holiday ecard here above.

You can see Kermit and his friends in the movie The Muppets when it’s released on DVD and Blu-ray on March 20, 2012.