Saddle Bronc

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-29492262

2014/10/04 13:21 ET Former Haiti president Duvalier dies

Haiti's former ruler Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier has died of a heart attack in the capital Port-au-Prince aged 63, official sources say.

Duvalier was just 19 when in 1971 he inherited the title of "president-for-life" from his father, the notorious Francois "Papa Doc" Duvalier.

He was accused of corruption, human rights abuses and repression in his rule, which ended in a 1986 uprising.

After years of exile in France, he returned to Haiti in 2011.

His death was announced by Haiti's health minister, and the ex-leader's attorney Reynold Georges confirmed he died at home on Saturday.

Lavish wedding

At the time of his swearing in, Jean-Claude Duvalier was the youngest president in the world.

Initially it seemed that there could be a significant move away from his father's harsh regime, underpinned as it was by Haiti's notorious secret police, the Tontons Macoutes, says BBC world affairs correspondent Mike Wooldridge.

For some time, Jean-Claude Duvalier was the youngest president in the world

He moved closer to the Americans, from whom his father had been estranged. US businesses moved in and he allowed limited press freedom.

But Jean-Claude Duvalier lived lavishly. His state-sponsored wedding reportedly cost $5m in 1980, while most of the people in his ravaged nation endured the worst poverty in the Western hemisphere.

Repression continued, too, and amid massive unrest in 1986 he fled to France.

Human rights groups say thousands of political prisoners were tortured or killed under his rule, and he was accused of massive corruption.

He described his return to Haiti - a year after it was devastated by a major earthquake, as a gesture of solidarity to the nation.

His unexpected return to Haiti saw him arrested and charged, but the case against him stalled

But he was arrested and charged, and although released he finally appeared in court in February 2013, where in an emotionally-charged hearing in front of some of his alleged victims, he denied responsibility for abuses carried out during his time as president.

Judges ruled he could face crimes against humanity charges, but the case had stalled some time before he died.

Jean-Claude 'Baby Doc' Duvalier

Jean-Claude Duvalier, pictured here in 1980, ruled Haiti with an iron fist for 15 years

• Took over presidency aged just 19 when his father, Haiti's authoritarian leader Francois "Papa Doc" Duvalier, died in 1971
• Called himself "president-for-life" and ruled with an iron fist, aided by a brutal private militia known as the Tontons Macoutes
• Accused of corruption and human rights abuses that prompted more than 100,000 Haitians to flee the country during his presidency
• Ruled for 15 years before outbreak of popular protests led him to flee to France in 1986
• Asked Haitian people for forgiveness for "errors" made during his rule in a 2007 radio interview
• Returned to Haiti in 2011 as it was supposed to hold run-off elections to choose successor to outgoing President Rene Preval

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-26661491

Indian author Khushwant Singh dies

2014/03/20 05:09 EDT

Khushwant Singh was known for his biting satire

One of India's best known authors and journalists, Khushwant Singh, has died aged 99, his family says.

A prolific writer, he wrote dozens of novels and short story collections. He also edited several magazines and newspapers in the 1970s and 80s.

Khushwant Singh's novel, Train to Pakistan, based on the bloody partition of India in 1947, was made into a film.

He also served a term as an MP and was given the Padma Vibhushan, a civilian award, by the government.

Mr Singh, died at his home in the Indian capital, Delhi, after suffering from respiratory trouble, his family said on Thursday.

A Sikh, he was born in what is now Pakistan, and was known in particular for his biting satire.

He continued to write his popular column, With Malice Towards One and All, until his death.

In 1984, he returned a civilian award in protest at the Indian government's move to send troops into the Golden Temple, the holiest Sikh shrine, to flush out militants.

But in 2007, he accepted the Padma Vibhushan, India's second-highest civilian award.

Tributes have been pouring in for the legendary writer.

"A gifted author, candid commentator and a dear friend. He lived a truly creative life," Prime Minister Manmohan Singh wrote on Twitter.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25999203

Oscar-winning actor Maximilian Schell dies

Austrian actor Maximilian Schell, who won an Oscar for his role in the 1961 film Judgment at Nuremberg, has died at the age of 83.

He died overnight at a clinic in the Austrian city of Innsbruck after "a sudden and serious illness", his agent said.

Schell had been treated for pneumonia earlier this week.

He was one of the most famous German-speaking actors to have gained international renown.

The actor's wife was reportedly at his bedside when he died.

Schell had been in filming in Austria when he fell ill last Saturday.

He was taken to hospital and treated for a lung infection, but discharged on Tuesday.

Colourful career

Born in the Austrian capital, Vienna, in 1930, Schell was one of four children of a Swiss author and an Austrian actress.

His parents emigrated to Switzerland eight years later when Austria was annexed by Nazi Germany.

Maximilian Schell is seen standing in front of poster showing his actress sister, Maria

In 2013, Schell married German opera singer Iva Mihanovic who was 47 years his junior

A stage actor, Schell began his Hollywood career in the late 1950s when he starred alongside Marlon Brando in World War II film The Young Lions.

In 1961, he was awarded an Oscar for best actor for his role as the defence lawyer of a Nazi war criminal.

The cast of Judgment at Nuremberg also included Marlene Dietrich, Burt Lancaster and Spencer Tracy.

Over the next three decades, Schell appeared in numerous big US productions.

His diverse characters ranged from a museum treasure thief in Topkapi (1964) and a mad scientist in sci-fi film The Black Hole (1979), to a Russian KGB colonel in Candles in the Dark (1998).

Schell featured in a large number of international TV productions. His part as communist revolutionary Vladimir Lenin in the US series Stalin earned him a Golden Globe in the early 1990s.

Schell also directed several movies, including his 1984 Oscar-nominated documentary Marlene, about Marlene Dietrich.

Schell's late sister Maria, who died in 2005, was also a renowned actress.

RIP

Learned in Calgary, and extrapolated to the US -- simple!

Pad it with clothes you wish to take to US, then wrap all of it in thick newspaper and tie the package with lots of twine -- then check it in to the airline when you fly out to US.

Poetic just ice! :lol:

Indian PM Manmohan Singh to retire after elections

2014/01/03 06:34 ET

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has announced that he will not stay in the post if his Congress party wins (obviously, if it loses, he'll no longer be PM anyway) the next election, due in the summer.

Mr Singh, 81, has been Indian PM for almost a decade.

He said a Congress candidate would be named at the appropriate time, but that deputy leader Rahul Gandhi had "outstanding credentials" (the clincher -- a hint "queen" Sonia told him to step down, so her son could be PM)

Mr Singh said it would be "disastrous for the country" if opposition leader Narendra Modi were elected PM.

Mr Modi leads the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which recently beat Congress in assembly elections in four politically crucial states.

"Someone who presided over the massacre of innocent people should not be the prime minister," Mr Singh said in uncharacteristically harsh words for Mr Modi.

Mr Modi is the chief minister of the western state of Gujarat and has been accused of doing little to stop the 2002 anti-Muslim riots there which left more than 1,000 people dead. Mr Modi has always denied any wrongdoing.

The BJP condemned Mr Singh's remark, saying Mr Modi had made Gujarat "a model of development for the country".
'Hand over baton'

For the past decade, Mr Singh has headed a coalition government led by Congress.

He has often been criticised for not speaking out more forcefully. Friday's press conference was only the third such briefing during his whole term of office.

Mr Singh spoke on a wide range of issues, including the economy, inflation and corruption.

"In a few months' time, after the general election, I will hand the baton over to a new prime minister," Mr Singh said in his opening remarks.

He said he was "confident" that the next prime minister would be from the Congress-led coalition and that Rahul Gandhi had outstanding credentials to be nominated as the party's candidate.

"I am confident that the new generation of our leaders will also guide this great nation successfully through the uncharted and uncertain waters of global change," he said.

"I have ruled myself out as a prime ministerial candidate," he added.

Mr Singh said the government was "deeply committed to the objective of combating corruption. An array of historical legislations has been enacted to make the work of the government transparent and accountable".

He defended his legacy, praised his government's work for the rural poor and farmers, and said that his government had "transformed the education landscape of the country".

Mr Singh has been one of India's longest serving prime ministers and is widely regarded as the architect of India's economic reforms programme.

However, in recent years, his government has been beset by corruption allegations, with disenchantment rising steadily.

On Thursday, senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley said Mr Singh should explain how he thought history would judge his tenure, referring to the PM's "failure" to assert himself on corruption and his "subversion" of constitutional institutions.

"Since his government is perceived to be extremely corrupt, where does he feel he went wrong in not asserting himself when the situation so demanded?" Mr Jaitley asked.

US musician Phil Everly dies aged 74

2014/01/04 02:34 ET

US musician Phil Everly, one half of the Everly Brothers, has died, aged 74, in California, his family says.

Everly died in the Los Angeles suburb of Burbank of complications from lung disease, his wife, Patti, told the Los Angeles Times.

"We are absolutely heartbroken," she said, adding that the disease was the result of a lifetime of smoking.

Phil Everly and his brother Don made up the Everly Brothers, one of the biggest pop acts of the 1950s and early 1960s.

They had a string of close-harmony hits including Wake Up Little Suzie, Cathy's Clown, Bye Bye Love, and All I Have To Do Is Dream.

"It's a terrible, terrible loss - for me, for everybody," US rock pioneer Duane Eddy, a friend of Everly, told BBC Radio 5live.

Infamous

Everly died on Friday of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, his son Jason Everly told AP.

The Washington Post quoted a woman at Don Everly's home as saying he was too upset to talk about the death of his brother. "He expected to go first," she told the newspaper.

Rolling Stone magazine calls the Everly Brothers "the most important vocal duo in rock".

In its biography of the pair, the magazine says Phil and his older brother Don were the children of Midwestern country music singers Ike and Margaret Everly and performed on the family radio show while growing up.

In their heyday between 1957 and 1962, the Everly Brothers had 19 Top 40 hits, according to the Associated Press. They influenced acts such as the Beatles and the Beach Boys.

The pair had an onstage breakup in 1973 that led to a decade-long estrangement, but Phil later told Time magazine the brothers' relationship had survived this.

"Don and I are infamous for our split," Phil said, "but we're closer than most brothers."

The Everly Brothers were elected to the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame in its first year, 1986, and they were given a lifetime achievement award at the Grammys in 1997.

Among the musicians paying tribute to the singer and guitarist, was singer-songwriter Charlie Daniels, who tweeted: "Rest in peace Phil Everly. You guys brought us a lot of pleasure back in the day."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-24649143

Manna Dey: Legendary Indian singer dies

2013/10/24 03:27 ET

Manna Dey had largely withdrawn from public life in his later years

Indian singer Manna Dey has died in a Bangalore hospital at the age of 94.

He had been ill for the past few months and was in hospital for a respiratory infection. His funeral is due to take place later on Thursday.

Born Prabodh Chandra Dey in 1919, Dey was popularly known as Manna, and chalked up a number of hit Bollywood songs in a career spanning six decades.

He sang in several languages including Hindi, Bengali, Assamese, Marathi, Kannada, Punjabi and Bhojpuri.

His long career saw him win several awards for his contribution to music, including state honours like the Padma Shri in 1971 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2005. He was also given the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2007.

Dey sang more than 3,500 songs, including romantic ballads, intricate raga-based songs, Qawwalis and fast-paced modern numbers in his career.

Along with Mohammad Rafi, Mukesh, and Kishore Kumar, he made up what was known as the "famous quartet of singers" who dominated the Hindi film music industry from 1950s to 1970s.

Many of Dey's tracks for Bollywood films became huge hits and he sang for some of the biggest Bollywood names like Raj Kapoor, Rajesh Khanna and Dharmendra.

His most popular numbers included Zindagi kaisi hai paheli (Life, what a riddle it is) from the film Anand; Poocho na kaise maine raen bitayee (Don't ask how I spent my night) from Meri Surat Teri Aankhen, Ek chatur naar (A clever woman) from Padosan and and Eey bhai zara dekh ke chalo (Oh brother, look where you're going) from Meraa Naam Joker.

He also sang for Bollywood super-hits Sholay and Amar Akbar Anthony.

'Unique style'

In the last few years, he had largely withdrawn from public life.

Tributes have been pouring in for the singer from the film industry and his fans on social media sites.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari led the nation in paying tributes to "a legend who enthralled a whole generation".

Manna Dey sang more than 3,500 songs, including romantic ballads, intricate raga-based songs, Qawwalis and fast-paced modern numbers, in a career spanning more than six decades.

Many of Dey's tracks for Bollywood films became huge hits and he sang for some of the biggest Bollywood names like Raj Kapoor, Rajesh Khanna and Dharmendra.

Along with Mohammad Rafi, Mukesh, and Kishore Kumar, Manna Dey made up what was known as the "famous quartet of singers" who dominated the Hindi film music industry from the 1950s to 1970s.

Manna Dey won several awards for his contribution to music, including the state honour Padma Vibhushan in 2005.

"Deepest condolences on the sad demise of Manna Dey. His voice and unique style enthralled a whole generation. Another legend has left us," the minister wrote on Twitter.

"Manna Dey, stalwart of the music world, passes away. Flooded with memories and his songs," tweeted Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan.

In another tweet, Bachchan said: "Strange how we connect events of our life with his songs."

"Manna Dey passes away. His voice shall linger forever. R.I.P." tweeted film-maker Mahesh Bhat.

Actor Manoj Bajpai tweeted: "Manna Dey is no more! A great singer! Let's pray for him! My condolences to his family! His music will live for 1000 yrs. RIP"

Actress Shabana Azmi wrote: "Manna Dey had a unique voice. He will live on through his songs Ai Meri Zohra Jabeen/ dil ka haal suney dilwala/ poocho na kaise maine. RIP."

Popular cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle tweeted. "Oh no. Such terrible news to get up to. Manna Dey no more? Less melody in the world."

'>Arch-criminals Taliban were delighted that the girl they tried to murder last year wasn't awarded the Nobel Peace Prize

We'll see you on the other side Tom!

http://movies.msn.com/movies/article.aspx?news=820614

Eileen Brennan, an actress nominated for an Oscar in 1981 for her supporting role as tough-talking drill captain Doreen Lewis in Goldie Hawn comedy "Private Benjamin," died on Sunday. She was 80.

Brennan's management company, Unified Management, told TheWrap that she passed away in a Burbank hospice after a battle with bladder cancer.

Brennan was born in 1932 in Los Angeles to parents Regina Manahan, a silent film actress, and John Gerald Brennan, a doctor. After studying at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. and then the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York, Brennan landed the title role in the off-Broadway production "Little Mary Sunshine" in 1959. Her performance earned her an Obie Award and a "Promising New Personality" Theatre World Award alongside Warren Beatty, Jane Fonda and Carol Burnett.

After two years of playing Irene Malloy alongside Carol Channing's Dolly Levi Gallagher in the original 1964 Broadway production of "Hello, Dolly," Brennan came to Hollywood to join Dustin Hoffman in the TV movie, "The Star Wagon," followed by a supporting role in 1967 comedy "Divorce American Style," which starred Debbie Reynolds and ####### Van #######.

In 1971, Brennan's career took a turn for the dramatic when she starred as worn-out Texas waitress Genevieve in Peter Bogdanovich's "The Last Picture Show." Other memorable titles in her long filmography stretching through five decades include 1974 Best Picture Oscar winner, "The Sting," 1976 crime comedy "Murder by Death," and 1985 caper comedy, "Clue," in which she starred as Mrs. Peacock.

After her performance in "Private Benjamin" earned her an Oscar nomination in 1981, Brennan continued to portray her Army captain character for three seasons on CBS' television adaptation of the comedy. The role earned Brennan both an Emmy and a Golden Globe.

Later in life, Brennan was a recuring guest star on WB family drama, "7th Heaven," as well as the NBC sitcom "Will & Grace."

She is survived by sons Sam and Patrick -- an actor who appeared in "Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn -- Part 2" -- daughter-in-law Jessica, sister Kate and grandchildren Liam and Maggie.

No surprise -- National Assoc of ASBO's, Creeps & Pervs never did take crime as an issue.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-23300474

Veteran Bollywood villain Pran dies

2013/07/13 10:41 ET

Pran received India's prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke award in May

Veteran Indian film actor Pran Krishan Sikand, popularly known as Pran, has died in Mumbai at the age of 93.

Pran was famous for playing the part of the villain in Hindi films, in a career that stretched more than six decades.

Between the 1960s and 1980s, he appeared in nearly every major Bollywood film, elevating the role of the villain to cult status.

He won many honours throughout his career, including the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award.

Pran Krishan Sikand came to Mumbai from what is now Pakistan. (nice try, BBC -- his bio states he was born in New Delhi, never part of Pakistan) A chance encounter with a screenwriter is said to have led him to his first role in a Punjabi film, Yamla Jat, in 1940.

Moving to India after partition (see above, both Delhi region and Mumbai have been in India prior to 1947/08/13 and post 1947/08/15), he started out as the main protagonist. But after excelling as a villain, he was almost invariably cast in such roles.

He played in more than 350 films, including the blockbusters of their day.

Most famously, he played opposite Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan in the 1973 film Zanjeer, in which Pran underwent a dramatic transformation into a good man.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-23304198

George Zimmerman not guilty of Trayvon Martin "murder"

2013/07/13 22:59 ET

George Zimmerman, the Florida neighbourhood watchman who shot dead an unarmed black 17-year-old male last year, has been found not guilty.

Lawyers for Mr Zimmerman, 29, argued he acted in self-defence and with justifiable use of deadly force in the death of Trayvon Martin.

The jury retired on Friday to consider its verdict on charges of either second-degree murder or manslaughter.

The case sparked a fierce debate about racial profiling in the US.

Protesters are gathering, reports the BBC's David Willis, in Sanford, the Florida town where the shooting took place.

Police and community leaders have appealed for calm.

'No further business'

After the verdict, Judge Deborah Nelson told Mr Zimmerman he was free to go.

"Your bond will be released. Your GPS monitor will be cut off when you exit the courtroom over here. And you have no further business with the court," Judge Nelson said.

Mr Zimmerman showed little reaction as the verdict was read out.

"Hopefully everyone will respect the jury's verdict," his lawyer Mark O'Mara told reporters after the case.

He said Mr Zimmerman would now have to be "very cautious and protective of his safety because there is still a fringe element who have said that they would revenge - that they would not listen to - a verdict of not guilty."

Our correspondent said the case brought into sharp relief some of the most divisive issues in the United States: race, gun control and equal justice under the law.

Florida police did not arrest Mr Zimmerman for six weeks after the shooting.

Under the state's controversial "stand your ground" law, the use of lethal force is allowed if a person feels seriously under threat.

Hooded sweatshirt

As the jury retired on Friday, the judge told the panel of six women to consider whether Mr Zimmerman, 29, acted in self-defence and with justifiable use of deadly force.

Without explicitly discussing race, the prosecution had suggested Mr Zimmerman assumed the African-American teenager, who was wearing a hooded sweatshirt as he walked in the rain, was up to no good.

But the defence said Trayvon Martin punched their client, slammed his head into the pavement and reached for Mr Zimmerman's gun.

The accused, who was legally armed with a pistol, had been sitting in his vehicle on a dark street when he saw Martin.

Mr Zimmerman telephoned police to report a suspicious person, then left his vehicle in apparent pursuit of the teenager.

Shortly afterwards, Martin was found dead, shot in the chest.

Earlier, Mr Zimmerman's lawyer said he had proven his client's "pure, unadulterated innocence" in Martin's death.

But prosecutors said the accused had told a series of lies.

(the only ones lying were the prosecutor -- as shown by suppressing evidence showing the fact of Martin's being unremorseful ASBO -- and judge Nelson, who was in cahoots!)

I went to Toledo (due to OC's branch being closed at that time) to show solidarity, and it REALLY proved to be blessing.

I had ordered a small tray of nuggets and dipping sauce. Short time later (8-7), I had to take LEF's London pointman to the Sebring Retreat from Detroit Airport. One of his bags (which contained his camcorder) didn't arrive from Dulles in time, so it meant my preparing a hasty dinner -- the nuggets (which I had frozen) came in handy for it (and I still had some leftover to take on 8-12 after coming home)!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-21365161

India's 'virtual widows' suffer as husbands seek work in the Gulf

2013/06/09 20:13 ET

Sajida has been a single parent of a six-year-old from soon after her marriage

Many young Muslim brides in India's southern state of Kerala are left behind by their husbands who go to the Gulf in search of jobs, causing a lot of worry in the community. BBC Hindi's Salman Ravi reports from Karumbil village in Kerala.

In this non-descript village along the Malabar coast of the Arabian Sea, a group of women clap their hands and sing traditional folk songs in celebration around a teenage bride.

But once the celebrations are over, the new bride will join the ranks of many other teenage brides here who are condemned to lead a lonely life.

Most of the men in this Muslim-dominated region work in the Middle East and the most eligible groom is the one who has a job in one of the Gulf countries.

According to government estimates, almost 50% of men living in the Malabar region are working either in the United Arab Emirates or other Arab countries.

There are few job opportunities in Kerala and some estimates suggest unemployment in the state is three times the national average, which forces many young men to look to the Middle East for a livelihood.

'Virtual widows'

However, this trend is fast taking its toll on the mental health of the young brides who are forced to live the lives of "virtual widows".

"Their conjugal life is short since the groom comes to get married during his vacation and has to report back for work within 15 to 20 days. Once he goes back, he doesn't come back for a couple of years after which he returns home usually for just a month," says Sujatha, a senior government official in Mallappuram district.

She says in this region, it is normal for a girl to be married off at the age of 15 - even though the legal age for marriage for a girl is 18 - as many parents feel that after that "they will not be able to find a groom for her".

But a prolonged separation from the husband, coupled with the fact that the teenage brides become mothers at an early age, has now become a major cause of concern for the community and the state government.

Sajida (not her real name), a teenager from Nilambur, was married seven years ago and is now taking care of a six-year-old son as a single parent. She became pregnant within 15 days of her wedding after which her husband left to work in Kuwait.

Ayesha, an 18-year-old from Kottakkal, was married two years ago.

The cash and gold her parents gave as her dowry were used by her husband to find a job in the Gulf but "there has been no word from my husband since he left", she tells me.

Her father Abdhul Kareem says Ayesha has been in a state of depression ever since.

'Gulf syndrome'

With a rising number of young women in such marriages suffering from depression, the government has appointed health professionals at the district and village levels to counsel them.

Ramlath, a counsellor at a government hospital, sees nearly 10 patients every day.

"These girls are not prepared to live this life of separation and, therefore, they are suffering mentally and physically," she says.

The "gulf syndrome" - as it is called in the region - is also leading to marital discords, resulting in more family break-ups.

More and more Muslim women on the Malabar coast are being forced to live as 'virtual widows' as their husbands seek work in the Middle East

Says Shamsudheen K, a lawyer who is dealing with many divorce cases: "Times are changing and the old custom of getting girls married off at an early age is not working out. The girls don't want to live like widows."

Many of the girls also end up having affairs which lead to separations, he says.

The Jamat-e-Islami Hind, a right-wing political organisation, has been working within the Muslim community for several years on this issue and has been counselling families to discourage such marriages.

Group member Nasiruddeen Alungal says the only "positive side" of such marriages is that a girl learns to manage her life at an early age.

"Usually it is the male who is the one making all the decisions in the family. But girls who do not have their husbands living with them take the reins and are proving to be good managers."

Mr Alungal says his organisation is trying to convince people that they can earn a living staying in India and don't have to travel to the Gulf to find work.

"Our men are exploited a lot in the Gulf. As soon as a man lands there for a job, his passport is taken away by his employers and he cannot return home when he wants to."

Mr Alungal says that in an effort to save money, the men work every day without a break and travel less so they can send more money back home to their families.

Note: There are probably a lot more non-Muslim (as well as Muslim) "virtual widows" in the FB-2 category!

The only thing GZ is guilty of is defending himself against an unremorseful ASBO -- the case bears some similarity to the 1998 Cummings case (where English-born Helen Cummings shot her abusive American-black husband Tyler in self-defence)!

Sorry -- didn't check here for dup topic post

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/433671-two-losses-this-week-jack-vance-sci-fi-alsator-series-and-jean-stapleton-all-in-family/#entry6266746

I'll get them merged.

http://www.thewrap.com/tv/column-post/jean-stapleton-edith-bunker-all-family-dies-90-94866

Jean Stapleton, Edith Bunker on 'All In The Family,' Dead at 90

2013/06/01 14:30

By Brent Lang & Sharon Waxman

Stapleton, born Jeanne Murray, also worked on stage and in film, but was by far best known for her signature wail of "Aaaaaarchie!"

Jean Stapleton, the award-winning actress who played long-suffering Edith Bunker on the landmark 1970s television series of the "All in the Family," has died of natural causes. She was 90.

Stapleton, born Jeanne Murray, also worked on stage and in film, but was by far best known for her signature wail of "Aaaaaarchie!" on Norman Lear's iconic show about the working class family of Archie Bunker, played by Carroll O'Connor. She won three Emmys and two Golden Globes for her portrayal of Edith.

The shrill-voiced, big-hearted Edith, affectionately referred to by O'Connor's Archie Bunker as "dingbat," became synonymous with the actress on a show than ran for nine seasons and had more than 200 episodes.

Sally Struthers played her daughter on the cusp of the women's liberation movement while Edith represented the homespun values of wife and mother, effacing herself for the greater good of her family. But Lear's social message about a changing American society shone through Archie's abuse toward Edith, and Edith's acceptance of her subordinate role.

Though she was not a smart or well-educated woman, Lear would allow Edith to show moments of shocking perceptiveness -- giving her lines that cut through Archie's stubborn bigotry to shame him into offering a human response to a problem or issue.

"Just a lot of love, unselfish love," Stapleton said of her character in an interview with the Archive of American Television.

It was a role she eventually outgrew. Her character was written out of the "All in the Family" follow-up "Archie Bunker's Place" after a single season. For good measure, the show's writers killed her off, explaining she died from a stroke.

Years later, while appearing with O'Connor on "The Donny and Marie Show" in 2000 she refused to reprise her signature voice, saying "I only do it for pay."

In addition to her small screen work, Stapleton was an accomplished stage actress, performing in such notable Broadway shows as "Funny Girl," "Damn Yankees" and "Bells Are Ringing."

Stapleton would win three Emmys and two Golden Globe awards for her "All in the Family" work and the fame that came with the role would lead to guest appearances on shows like "The Muppet Show" and "The Carole Burnett Show."

Though she left the spotlight once she abandoned Edith, she remained active on stage and screen, appearing in supporting roles in films like "You've Got Mail" and "Michael" and on programs like "Everybody Loves Raymond."

William Putch, Stapleton's husband of 30 years, died in 1983. She is survived by their two children, the actor and director John Putch and the actress Pamela Putch.

http://news.yahoo.com/author-jack-vance-dies-home-calif-015005260.html

Author Jack Vance dies at home in Calif

2013/05/27

John S. Marshall, AP

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Jack Vance, an award-winning mystery, fantasy and science fiction author who wrote more than 60 books, has died. He was 96.

Vance died Sunday evening at his home in Oakland, his son John Vance II told The Associated Press.

Jack Vance, whose legal name was John Holbrook, published most of his work as Jack Vance, but he also wrote 11 mysteries as John Holbrook Vance and three as Ellery Queen, as well as books under the pen names of Alan Wade, Peter Held, John van See and Jay Kavanse, according to the Jack Vance website, which is maintained by family and friends.

"This is a complex guy, and (there's) an awful lot to say about him," John Vance told The AP.

In 2009, a profile in the New York Times Magazine described Vance as "one of American literature's most distinctive and undervalued voices," according to the website.

Vance collected a number of awards over the years, including Hugo Awards for "The Dragon Masters" in 1963, "The Last Castle" in 1967, and for his memoir "This is Me, Jack Vance!" in 2010.

"Author, friend, father and grandfather, there will never be another like Jack Vance," his son said.

Born in San Francisco, Vance graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1942. He worked for a while as an electrician in the naval shipyards at Pearl Harbor, leaving about a month before the Japanese attack there, according to the website.

Described as a "blue-collar guy" by his son, Vance worked over the years as a seaman, a surveyor and carpenter. His first book was published in 1945, but Vance did not establish himself as a writer until the 1970s.

Although legally blind since the 1980s, Vance continued to write with the aid of software, including his most recent novel, "Lurulu," his son said. Vance had said "Lurulu" would be his final book, but he completed his memoir, which was published in July 2009.

In his later years, Vance suffered from poor kidney health and diabetes, which he which he maintained by diet control, his son said.

Hahah should be under all your love hearts on your posts

I see the total # of posts -- but where are the warning points?

I guesstimated 9

.... The fact that the U.S. doesn't really mind killing 176+ children in Pakistan gives me nausea when I pay my taxes....

Would the fact that Porkistan has more than once killed far more than that number (and in ways far cruder than drones) mitigate it somewhat?

"Already"? He's been simply lame as POTUS from the get-go!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-22312797

George Jones, American country singer, dies aged 81

2013/04/26 12:09 ET

US country singer George Jones, who had a string of number one songs between the 1950s and 1990s, has died aged 81.

Jones publicist, Kirt Webster, said the Grammy-winning singer was admitted to hospital for fever and irregular blood pressure and died on Friday.

Nicknamed Possum, his signature song was He Stopped Loving Her Today, a track about love and death.

He was married to Tammy Wynette between 1969 and 1975 and the pair recorded several songs together in the 1970s.

Born in Texas on 12 September 1931, Jones played guitar for tips on the streets of Beaumont as a teenager before going on to serve in the US Marine Corps.

He returned to Texas to record for the Starday label in Houston, achieving his first top ten hit in 1955 with Why Baby Why.

Known for his precise baritone and evocative voice, Jones' first number one song, White Lightning, came in 1959, followed by Tender Years in 1961.

Country star Garth Brooks paid tribute to the singer saying: "The greatest voice to ever grace country music will never die. Jones has a place in every heart that ever loved any kind of music."

Jones and Wynette toured and recorded together during their marriage between 1969 and 1975

Cocaine addiction

Jones had a string of top 10 songs during the 1960s and 1970s including If Drinkin' Don't Kill Me (Her Memory Will), Window Up Above, She Thinks I Still Care, Good Year for the Roses, The Race Is On.

But his battle with alcoholism and cocaine addiction frequently derailed his career and at one point his reputation for cancelling performances earned him the nickname No-Show Jones.

Having divorced his second wife in 1968, Jones married Wynette a year later. The pairing was an enormous professional success for both as they recorded and toured together, recording several tracks including We're Gonna Hold On, Golden Ring and Near You.

However as Jones' addiction problem worsened, so too did his marriage to Wynette, who later claimed he once came at her with a gun.

Jones was best known for his 1980 track "He Stopped Loving Her Today"

They divorced in 1975 but later resumed recording together. The couple's only daughter, Tamala is also a country singer under the name Georgette Jones.

(edit: Georgette is her middle-name, she was named after both parents)

Jones recorded the track He Stopped Loving Her Today in 1980. The song, which he said was his favourite, revived a flagging career and won him the Country Music Award's top male vocalist award in 1980 and 1981. He also earned a Grammy for best male country vocal performance.

Paying tribute to the singer on Twitter, Keith Urban said: "‏If I'm blessed enough to make it there, I look forward to you giving me the grand tour. Rest in peace George Jones!!!!!"

Singer Faith Hill wrote: "We lost one of the best voices God created this morning. Our hearts are saddened to hear that George Jones has passed away... Our thoughts and prayers are with Nancy and all of the family."

Jones credited his fourth wife Nancy, whom he married in 1983, with helping him clean up. But in 1999 he was seriously injured after driving drunk and crashing into a bridge, leading to another period of rehabilitation.

Jones was in the middle of a US tour when he was taken into hospital. At the tour's final date in Nashville in November, he was due to be joined by an array of country music stars including Kenny Rogers, Randy Travis, Garth Brook and rapper Kid Rock.

(first time I noticed the change in the font-size and font-colour choosers)

Musharraf was our friend. Remember that!