RIP

Not a judgement just an observation that heroin use often leads to death and tragically often also accidental death.

Shirley Temple dies at the age of 85.
Sad news, loved her films when i was a kid

I never knew until the obits came out that she was ambassador to Ghana and then Czechoslavakia when communism was overthrown!  There were also a few films made with her as a teenager, looking quite scrumptious - but the audience passed and she left hollywood for good at the age of 21. I like that she compared herself to Rin-tin-tin (the dog star at the same period), saying the country needed cute little stars to cheer them up at the time, and "it will never happen again". It hasn't.

"it will never happen again". It hasn't.- Halfwise

I would'nt bet on that- in Hamlet Shakespeare puts a lengthy complaint in the mouth of the Player about adult actors being put out of work by the public clamour for 'eyries of children'. And goes on to ask who will look after them and what will they do when their voices break? Will they be trained up as proper actors or discarded? Fads always come round again, eventually.

Pettytyrant101 wrote:Not a judgement just an observation that heroin use often leads to death and tragically often also accidental death.

Aaron Sorkin wrote a wonderful obituary for Time.  It turns out that he too was an addict.  In conversation about their mutual addiction Hoffman said that if one of them dies from it, they could take comfort that perhaps 10 lives would be saved by the publicity.  Sorkin went on to note (a foreshadowing of Petty's statement) that it was wrong to say a heroin overdose killed Hoffman. As if it were possible to use it in a controlled manner.  It should be said that heroin killed him - no qualifiers.

RIP Tony Benn

Former cabinet minister and veteran left-wing campaigner Tony Benn has died at home, his family has said.
Mr Benn became an MP in November 1950 and served in the cabinet under Harold Wilson and James Callaghan.
A major figure on the left of the party, he narrowly missed out on the deputy leadership in 1981 and was a popular public speaker, anti-war campaigner and political diarist
Aged just 25 when he first entered Parliament, Mr Benn subsequently renounced his peerage, which he inherited on his father's death, to remain in the House of Commons.

He served as an MP for more than 50 years, becoming secretary of state for industry in 1974 under Harold Wilson and going on to become secretary of state for energy, keeping his post when James Callaghan became PM in 1976.
Labour leader Ed Miliband led the tributes to an "iconic figure of our age".

"He will be remembered as a champion of the powerless, a great parliamentarian and a conviction politician," he said.

"Tony Benn spoke his mind and spoke up for his values. Whether you agreed with him or disagreed with him, everyone knew where he stood and what he stood for."

Sad. The House and country have lost a unique voice.

RIP the Independent MSP Margo MacDonald.
One of the strongest and most respected voices in the Scottish Parliament.
She suffered from Parkinson's and remained an active MSP to the end, campaigning for both independence and a right to end life bill.
Such a shame she did not live long enough to see the independence she fought all her career for.
But whatever side of politics you were on she was in every way an admirable figure and Scotland is a poorer country for her absence.



You will be missed.

well on the upside, her grandkids probably wont see Independence either.   

Did she die legally, I wonder? But jokes aside - sad.

I found this rather touching- the Scottish TV Political editor reporting on Margo Macdonalds sad passing-



There are few politicians the people genuinely mourn the passing of, but Margo is definitely one of them.
She was every inch the peoples politician.

RIP Mickey Rooney

http://myfox8.com/2014/04/06/mickey-rooney-dead-at-93-according-to-tmz/

http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2014/04/06/88420-in-memory-of-shadowfax/

Blanco aka. Shadowfax has died the link has a letter from the owner.
and here's a tribute video http://www.gofundme.com/7yljv4

Excellent choice of Mickey Roonie, Bungo! A real tour de force of his acting chops, and a nice reminder of how great that series could be.

halfwise wrote:Excellent choice of Mickey Roonie, Bungo! A real tour de force of his acting chops, and a nice reminder of how great that series could be.

One of the few really great episodes from the fifth season, entirely due to Rooney's performance (but partly the work on the scale sets as well). Watched it again tonight, it was heartbreaking not only because of what happens to the character, but also because we lost such an amazing talent.

Norc wrote:http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2014/04/06/88420-in-memory-of-shadowfax/

Blanco aka. Shadowfax has died :(the link has a letter from the owner.
and here's a tribute video http://www.gofundme.com/7yljv4

thats made me really sad. He was such a beautiful creature, still he is immortal on film and in our hearts.

i know ..  but everything has an end ..

Peaches Geldof died also, daughter of Sir Bob Geldof. she was only 25. he must be feeling so sick. He lost his wife, paula, years ago, not only to Mick Hutchence but she died to, then, his daughter ? I dunno  

I know its a horrible thing to say but theres only so much sympathy I have got for super rich privileged people who use drugs if thats what killed her. Its a terrible waste of young life. Bob Geldof must be devastated.

RIP Sue Townsend, author of the Adrian Mole books.

I read the first few as a teenager, and was in the odd position of enjoying the stories and the writing whilst developing a quite deep seated crabbit dislike of Adrian himself!

But another architect of my childhood has departed the stage.   

Just read that Rubin Carter died sunday. I didn't know much about him other than what I learned from watching the 1999 movie Hurricane (Denzel Washington as Carter) and what I read after I watched it. I'm guessing his story is well known to most. A great athlete, and judging by his work and efforts for others who were wrongly convicted, a great person as well.

I guess it's only fitting (however close to a cliché it might be) to post Bob Dylan's famous song about Carter

Bob Hoskins passed away, he was said to suffer from Parkinson's, 71yrs old.
I liked him  

http://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2014/apr/30/bob-hoskins-dies

Rick Mayall died. thats a shocker he is too Young, but he had had a bad quad bike accident in 1998 so maybe it was connected to that.