Now he was a Socialist!

Former Labour Party leader Michael Foot has died at the ripe old age of 96. He was a marvelous orator, a writer, a fervent opponent of nuclear weapons and a Plymouth Argyle supporter. And yes, he was a real Socialist. A true lion of the left.

He will be missed.

Going, going, gone

The great Phillies broadcaster, Harry Kallas, is dead at 73.

Sad, sad, sad

Nicholas Hughes, the only son of the poets Ted Hughes and Sylvia Plath, has committed suicide in London. His mother famously committed suicide when Nicholas and his sister Freida were both infants.

In memorium

Today is the 50th anniversary of the Day the Music Died.

A great man passes

Fellow Pennsylvanian and chronicler of the Poconos (who didn't want to be Rabbit at least for a minute) John Updike has has died at the age of 76. No Nobel for him now.

R.I.P.

The Christmastime carnage continues as South African anti-apartheid activist Helen Suzman has passed away at the age of 91.

R.I.P.

It seems as if every year someone the world will miss dies at Christmas. This year there were two: Nobel Prize winner Harold Pinter and my favourite Catwoman Eartha Kitt.

A great and important American voice falls silent

The great America folk singer and activist Odetta has died at 77. Sadly she was hoping to be able to sing at Obama's inagguaration next month.

For Mitch

Inconsolable

At the age of thirteen I snuck off, with my mate John and his older sister Sarah into Philly to see the Jimi Hendrix Experience. My parents thought I was bowling. Now the last member of the Experience, drummer Mitch Mitchell, is dead.

How am I supposed to deal with this?

Rest in Peace

The great South African singer and activist Miriam Makeba has died at the age of 76.

A great man passes

The great writer and great American Louis "Studs" Terkel has died in Chicago at the age of 96. He will be missed.

R.I.P.

Paul Newman - 1925 - 2008. He shall be sorely missed.

R.I.P.

The animator of Peanuts, Bill Melendez, has died at the age of 91.

R.I.P.

Mahmoud Darwish, Palestinian poet, 1942 - 2008.

R.I.P.

Isaac Hayes - 1942 - 2008.

R.I.P.

I was certainly never a fan of enabler par excellence Tony Snow but it is nonetheless sad that he has succumbed to cancer at the tender age of 53.

Gone but not forgiven

Former Senator and legendary racist Jesse Helms has died at the age of 86 and, no President Bush, he was not a great patriot!

R.I.P.

George Carlin, 1937 - 2008. Surely at least some of his words are allowed now, right?



Meanwhile you should probably be aware that the enlightened and cuddly Reverend Fred Phelps knows where Mr. Carlin is now!

R.I.P.

Frank Blackmore; traffic engineer, inventor of the mini-roundabout and designer of Swindon's famous (infamous?) Magic Roundabout (see below); 1916 - 2008.