Obituaries

[pbrower2a]

Kenneth George "Kenny" Baker (24 August 1934 – 13 August 2016) was a retired English actor and musician. He was best known for portraying the character R2-D2 in the highly successful Star Wars science fiction movie franchise.

Baker, who stood 3 ft 8 in (112 cm) tall, was born and educated in Birmingham, Warwickshire, and at boarding school in Kent. He was the son of Ethel, a pianist and dress maker, and Harold Baker, an artist, musician, and draftsman.[1] His parents were of average height.[2] He went to live with his father, stepmother and half-sister in Hastings, Sussex, and in 1951 was approached on the street by a woman who invited him to join a theatrical troupe of dwarves and midgets. This was his first taste of show business. Later, he joined a circus for a brief time, learned to ice skate and appeared in many ice shows. He had formed a successful comedy act called the Minitones with entertainer Jack Purvis when George Lucas hired him to be the man inside R2-D2 in Star Wars in 1976.[3]

Baker appears as R2-D2 in six of the episodic theatrical Star Wars films, and played an additional role in 1983's Return of the Jedi as Paploo, the Ewok who steals an Imperial speeder bike. He was originally going to play Wicket, but he fell ill and that role was handed over to Warwick Davis. Baker is featured on Justin Lee Collins's "Bring Back Star Wars". He revealed a feud between him and his co-star Anthony Daniels. He claimed Daniels had been rude to him on numerous occasions, and states that Daniels is rude to everyone, including fans.[4]

Baker's other films include The Elephant Man, Time Bandits (also with Jack Purvis), Willow (also with Purvis and Warwick Davis), Flash Gordon, Amadeus and Jim Henson's Labyrinth. On television, he appeared in the British medical drama Casualty. He also had a part in the BBC production of The Chronicles of Narnia.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenny_Bake...ish_actor)

[Dan '82]

http://thehill.com/media/291635-tv-host-...dies-at-89

Quote:Longtime TV host John McLaughlin dies at 89

John McLaughlin, host of the television show “The McLaughlin Group” for 34 straight years, died Tuesday morning at the age of 89, according to a post on the show’s Facebook page.

“As a former jesuit priest, teacher, pundit and news host, John touched many lives,” the post reads. “For 34 years, The McLaughlin Group informed millions of Americans. Now he has said bye bye for the last time, to rejoin his beloved dog, Oliver, in heaven. He will always be remembered.”

On Monday, McLaughlin was absent from the show, breaking his hosting streak of 34 years, seven months and one week.

"I am under the weather,” McLaughlin said in a note at the beginning of this week’s episode. He added that his voice was “weaker than usual,” but "my spirit is strong and my dedication to the show remains absolute!”

[Eric the Green]

Will miss him. I wonder who if anyone will take over his show. Pat Buchanan?

[Marypoza]

Another GI gone- Barbara Gibb, Mama to Barry, Robin, Andy, & Mo-reece passed this week @ age 95, surviving 3 of her 4 famous sons

[Eric the Green]

Mort Zuckerman pays tribute to John McLaughlin.

http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/morti...-1.2755389



I note that in the last few years Clarence Page frequently added a second liberal voice to the show.

http://www.mclaughlin.com/thegroup.htm

[pbrower2a]

Machali (Hindi for "fish"; Code name: T-16;[2] born ca. 1996 – 18 August 2016), also known as Machli or Machhli, was a tigress who lived in Ranthambore National Park in India. She played a key role in the regeneration of the tiger population in the park in the early 2000s, and was celebrated with titles such as Queen Mother of Tigers, Tigress Queen of Ranthambore, Lady of the Lakes, and Crocodile Killer. She was considered India's most famous tigress, and on her death was considered the world's oldest tigress living in the wild.[3][4]
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Machali was born in 1996 or 1997, the dominant cub in a litter of three females.[url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machali_%28tigress%29#cite_note-:1-5][5] She inherited her name from her mother, Machali I, who was also named fish due to a fish-shaped mark on her face.[5] In her first two years, she started hunting on her own and took over a part of her mother's territory.[5]

Tigresses generally have two or three litters, however over a period of seven years, from 1999 to 2006, Machali had four litters and gave birth to eleven cubs - seven females and four males.[6][7] Machali's offspring increased the tiger population in the park significantly - from 15 tigers in 2004, to 50 tigers in 2014. Eventually more than half of the tigers in the park were of her lineage.[5] In 2008, two of her female cubs were shifted to Sariska Tiger Reserve and successfully boosted the tiger population in that park as well.[8]
In early 2014, Machali disappeared from her usual area, sparking a search by over 200 park staff. She was sighted after about a month, and appeared to be in good health. She had survived in dense forest by hunting her own prey, despite having been fed by park staff prior to her disappearance.[8][9]

She was known for her hunting skill and strength, in particular in an incident in 2003 when she fought with and killed a 14-foot long mugger crocodile.[10] As a result of the fight, she lost two canine teeth.[1] She was also known for her ferocity in protecting her cubs from threats such as male tigers and other animals.[11]

India reportedly earned about USD 10 million per year due to tourists attracted by the tigress.[12] She won the "Lifetime Achievement Award" of Travel Operators For Tigers due to her contribution to conservation and as a tourist attraction that earned significant income for India.[12][2][13]

In 2013, the Indian government issued a commemorative postal cover and stamp to honor the tigress for her ecological and economical contributions.[14][15][16]

Machli is considered the most photographed tigress in the world.[10] She was featured in a number of wildlife documentaries, including a 50-minute documentary about her life, titled Tiger Queen, which was aired on National Geographic and Animal Planet channels.[17][18] In 2012, the story of Machli was aired on the BBC's Natural World in an episode titled "Queen of Tigers: Natural World Special".[19][20]

Towards the end of her life, Machali lost almost all of her teeth, the use of one eye, and much of her strength due to aging. She also lost her territory, as her daughter Sundari from her last litter drove her out of her territory.[5] As she was unable to hunt and kill for herself, park staff provided her with food.[11] This intervention became somewhat controversial; tiger expert K Ullas Karanth commented that it resulted in Machali living longer than she should have, and that truly wild animals should be born, live and die naturally.[21]

In August 2016 she became critically ill. Due to her great age, it was considered risky for Ranthambore's rangers and staff to treat and aid her as the medications required could be harmful or fatal.[5]

Machali died on 18 August 2016.[11][22] She was 20 years old, higher than the average 10 to 15 year lifespan of tigers in the wild.[23] She was cremated in observance with traditional Hindu rituals in a public ceremony.[24]


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machali_(tigress)

I've known some critters much like her except for their size.  You probably have too. Meow!

[Eric the Green]

Oh indeed. Meow!

http://philosopherswheel.com/Winky.html

[pbrower2a]

Joel Bergman (c. 1936 – August 24, 2016)[1] was an American architect who has designed several landmark casinos.

Bergman was born in Los Angeles. He graduated from the University of Southern California in 1965.[2]


Stern and Associates

In 1968 he joined Martin Stern, Jr.[2]

• Las Vegas Hilton (then called the Hotel International)'
  
• Kings Castle Resort & Casino, Lake Tahoe, Nevada
  
• The Cottages at The Kuilima Resort, Oahu, Hawaii
  
• MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Reno & Las Vegas, Nevada
  
• Little America Hotel Tower, Salt Lake City, Utah
  
  

Atlandia Design (1978–1994)

In 1978 he went to work exclusively for Steve Wynn through the firm Atlandia Design. Wynn had a chair adjacent to his drafting table and together they played an important role in transforming the Las Vegas strip from a low rise strip to the modern theme-oriented casino with high rise buildings.

• Golden Nugget Las Vegas - 1977 renovation; 1980 North Tower
  
• Golden Nugget Atlantic City 1980 original design/in 2009 he is doing renovations for the Atlantic City Hilton (its current name)[3]
  
• Golden Nugget Laughlin - 1986 renovation
  
• The Mirage 1989
  
• Treasure Island Hotel and Casino 1993
  

Bergman Walls & Associates (1994–present)
In 1994 he and Scott Walls, who had also worked for Wynn, started their own firm.[4]

• Mystic Lake Casino, Prior Lake, Minnesota 1994[5]
  
• Caesars Palace (1997 tower)/tower/2004 Convention Hall, Multiple Restaurants, Suites & interior renovation.(1994 thru current)[6]
  
• Paris Las Vegas 1999
  
• Sahara Hotel and Casino 1999 renovation/Speedworld addition
  
• Barona Casino, Lakeside, California 2001
  
• Resorts Atlantic City (27-story "Rendezvous Tower) opened in 2004[7]
  
• L'Auberge du Lac Resort, Lake Charles, Louisiana 2005[8]
  
• MGM Grand Las Vegas (3 38-story towers called the Signature at MGM Grand) built in 2005 and 2006
  
• Trump Hotel Las Vegas 2008
  
• Rivers Casino, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, primarily built in 2008 and 2009 (opened August 9, 2009)[9]
  
• Fontainebleau Resort Las Vegas (scheduled opening in 2009)
  
• Pure Night Club, Las Vegas Nevada (at Caesars Palace) 2005
  
• River City Casino, St. Louis, Missouri 2007
  
• Golden Nugget Resort & Casino Riverboat, Lake Charles, Louisiana (Scheduled to open December 2014)
  
• Snoqualmie Casino, Snoqualmie, Washington 2009
  
• Gilley's Saloon, Dance Hall & BBQ at Treasure Island, Las Vegas, Nevada 2010
  
• Gaudin Porsche Jaguar, Las Vegas, Nevada 2002
  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joel_Bergman

[pbrower2a]

Jerome Silberman (June 11, 1933 – August 29, 2016), known professionally as Gene Wilder, was an American stage and screen comic actor, screenwriter, film director, and author.

Wilder began his career on stage, and made his screen debut in the TV-series Armstrong Circle Theatre in 1962. Although his first film role was portraying a hostage in the 1967 motion picture Bonnie and Clyde,[1] Wilder's first major role was as Leopold Bloom in the 1968 film The Producers for which he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. This was the first in a series of collaborations with writer/director Mel Brooks, including 1974's Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein, which Wilder co-wrote, garnering the pair an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay. Wilder is known for his portrayal of Willy Wonka in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) and for his four films with Richard Pryor: Silver Streak (1976), Stir Crazy (1980), See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989), and Another You (1991).[1] Wilder directed and wrote several of his own films, including The Woman in Red (1984).

His third wife was actress Gilda Radner, with whom he starred in three films. Her death from ovarian cancer led to his active involvement in promoting cancer awareness and treatment, helping found the Gilda Radner Ovarian Cancer Detection Center in Los Angeles[1] and co-founding Gilda's Club.

After his last contribution to acting in 2003, Wilder turned his attention to writing. He produced a memoir in 2005, Kiss Me Like a Stranger: My Search for Love and Art; a collection of stories, What Is This Thing Called Love? (2010); and the novels My French Whore (2007), The Woman Who Wouldn't (2008) and Something to Remember You By (2013).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_Wilder



as "Willy Wonka"



From the zany The Producers

...another great Silent comedian... no longer with us. Without them we get stuffy and self-righteous.

[gabrielle]

[Odin]

Oh no, not Wonka!

[pbrower2a]

I recall the first movie role in which he  played a hostage in Bonnie and Clyde. Exploiting the superstition of the criminal gang he announced that he was an undertaker -- and they chose to let him go. It was hilarious.

[pbrower2a]

Ever been on a Boeing 747?

Joseph F. "Joe" Sutter (March 21, 1921 – August 30, 2016) was an American engineer for the Boeing Airplane Company and manager of the design team for the Boeing 747 under Malcolm T. Stamper, the head of the 747 project.[3] Smithsonian Air and Space Magazine has described Sutter as the "father of the 747".[4][dead link]


In 1940, Sutter took a summer job at Boeing Plant 2 while studying aeronautical engineering at the University of Washington. He eventually ended up becoming the "father of the 747".[6] Aside from his work at Boeing, Sutter served as a junior officer aboard the destroyer escort USS Edward H. Allen (DE-531) in the U.S. Navy during World War II.

Sutter served on the Rogers Commission, investigating the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. He was also selected as a recipient of The International Air Cargo Association's 2002 Hall of Fame Award and was an engineering sales consultant.[7][8] As of July 2010, he was a member of the Boeing Senior Advisory Group which is studying a clean sheet replacement of the Boeing 737 or to re-engine the current design.[9] For decades, he resided in West Seattle. In 2011, on his 90th birthday, Boeing's 40-87 building in Everett, WA, the main engineering building for Boeing Commercial Airplanes division, was renamed the Joe Sutter building. Sutter died on August 30, 2016 at the age of 95.[10]

Aviation author and historian Jay Spenser worked closely with Sutter for 18 months to write his autobiography, entitled 747: Creating the World's First Jumbo Jet and Other Adventures from a Life in Aviation (ISBN 0-06-088241-7). It was published by Smithsonian Books/HarperCollins as a hardcover in 2006 and as a paperback in 2007. This book tells of Sutter's childhood and describes his life and 40-year career at Boeing.

The book details Sutter's tenure as chief engineer of the development of the 747 and elaborates on its design, manufacturing, testing, certification, and delivery to the world's airlines. The book also describes subsequent models of the 747 and the two major-derivative updates to the type, the 747-400 of 1989, and the 747-8.[11]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Sutter

[pbrower2a]

(08-31-2016, 09:51 AM)X_4AD_84 Wrote: Millies are starting to give some technical progress, and we X have certainly built lots of apps and infrastructure, however, it was really the Silents and GIs who gave us the true building blocks of the technological age.

It is worth remembering that Boomers gave little technological progress. Boomers have been more adept at concentrating  economic, political, and economic power in fewer hands to the detriment of all but those who did the concentrating. That will be significantly undone in the Crisis.

The oldest members of the Millennial Generation are entering their mid-30s, when the earliest achievers  start to get recognition.

We need remember that America during the GI childhood was primitive and hardscrabble in contrast to what we know now. The GIs did much to make America what it is, at least in material achievements. I predict that Millennial adults will subvert the nastiness of America that we now know, an economic order dedicated largely to the enrichment and pampering of elites at the expense of everyone else. X will create niches that the economic elites consider beneath themselves.

[pbrower2a]

In the most charitable words that I can say of this monster....

GOOD RIDDANCE AND ROAST IN HELL!

Taha Subhi Falaha (Arabic: طه صبحي فلاحة‎‎; born 1977 – August 30, 2016), known as Abu Muhammad al-Adnani al-Shami (Arabic: أبو محمد العدناني‎‎), was the official spokesperson and a senior leader of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (also called the Islamic State or ISIS).[5][6] He was described as the group's leader in Syria and the chief of its external operations. He was the second most senior leader of the Islamic State after its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.[3] Media reports in August 2016 suggested he was in charge of a special unit, known as the Emni, that was established by ISIL in 2014 with the double objective of internal policing and executing operations outside the ISIL territory.[7][8]
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On May 5, 2015, The U.S. State Department Rewards for Justice Program announced a reward up to US$5 million for information leading to his capture.[2][9]

The United States killed Abu Muhammad al-Adnani in a Tuesday strike on a vehicle traveling in the Syrian town of al-Bab.[10]
On 31 August 2016, the Russian Federation claimed that Adnani had been killed in a Russian airstrike in the Aleppo province.[11][12] A day prior, an unnamed U.S. defense official said, "coalition forces conducted an airstrike in al Bab, Syria, targeting an ISIL senior leader" and were still trying to confirm whether he was killed.[13]. A U.S. defense official called the Russian claim to have killed al Adnani "preposterous" and "a joke" and said they stand by the statement made on August 30 that U.S. forces conducted the strike that targeted al-Adnani.[14][15]

According to a biography penned by Turki al-Binali, Adnani began life as an Islamic militant in the year 2000. His primary teacher was Abu Anas al-Shami. He swore allegiance to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi along with thirty-five others while in Syria with a plan to fight the government of Bashar al-Assad. However, the American's invaded Iraq, and Adnani became one of the first foreign fighters to oppose Coalition forces in Iraq.[4]

He was highly respected by his fellow fighters throughout his time in jihad, with [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abu_Omar_al-Baghdadi]Abu Omar al-Baghdadi saying about him, "It will be for this man the whole affair (of jihad)". Abu Musab al-Zarqawi trusted him so much that he allowed him to make executive decisions independently, saying "Do not consult me on matters, just brief me." He was also the teacher of Manaf Abd al-Rahim al-Rawi.

According to German Harry Sarfo, a former member of the group. “The big man behind everything is Abu Muhammad al-Adnani,” he said. “He is the head of the Amni, and he is the head of the special forces as well,” Mr. Sarfo added. “Everything goes back to him.”[18]
On 18 August 2014, the US State Department listed al-Adnani as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist.[4] On 15 August 2014, he was sanctioned by the United Nations Security Council.[3]

On January 4, 2016, Abu Mohammad al-Adnani was reportedly severely injured by an Iraqi airstrike on Barwana, near Haditha, Iraq and was moved to Mosul for recovery.[19][20]

As spokesman of the Islamic State, Adnani made a considerable number of speeches. His rhetorical style received attention. Abu al-Waleed al-Salafi, a researcher, comments, "I have analysed the speeches of Baghdadi and Adnani psychologically more than once, and I found a result: that Adnani's speech seeks to inspire zeal in the soul, while Baghdadi's speech seeks to inspire calm."[21] Adnanis vitriolic speaking style has established his reputation as the 'attack dog' of the Islamic State, especially for his denunciations of al-Qaeda.

On 22 September 2014, al-Adnani gave a lengthy speech entitled "Indeed, Your Lord Is Ever Watchful", which was significant because it was the first official instruction by the Islamic State for its supporters to kill non-Muslims in Western countries.[citation needed] Among other things, Al-Adnani said:

Quote:If you can kill a disbelieving American or European – especially the spiteful and filthy French – or an Australian, or a Canadian, or any other disbeliever from the disbelievers waging war, including the citizens of the countries that entered into a coalition against the Islamic State, then rely upon Allah, and kill him in any manner or way however it may be. Smash his head with a rock, or slaughter him with a knife, or run him over with your car, or throw him down from a high place, or choke him, or poison him.[22][23][24]

On August 30, 2016, the Islamic State announced that Adnani was killed (or 'Martyred') in Aleppo Province.[25]


You can understand why I say this of him:

GOOD RIDDANCE AND ROAST IN HELL!

[pbrower2a]

Věra Čáslavská (Czech pronunciation: [ˈvjɛra ˈtʃaːslafskaː]; 3 May 1942 – 30 August 2016) was a Czechoslovakian artistic gymnast and Czechian sports leader. Attractive, cheerful and possessing impressive stage presence, she was popular with the general public and won a total of 22 international titles between 1959 and 1968 including seven Olympic gold medals, four World titles and eleven European championships. Čáslavská is the most decorated Czech gymnast in history and is one of only two female gymnasts, along with Soviet Larisa Latynina, to win the all-around gold medal at two consecutive Olympics.[1]

In addition to her gymnastics success, Čáslavská was known for her outspoken support of the Czechoslovak democratization movement and her opposition to the 1968 Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia. At the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, she took this protest to the world stage by quietly looking down and away while the Soviet national anthem was played during the medal ceremonies for the balance beam and floor exercise event finals. While Čáslavská's actions were applauded by her compatriots, they resulted in her becoming a persona non grata in the new regime. She was forced into retirement and for many years was denied the right to travel, work and attend sporting events.

Čáslavská's situation improved in the 1980s after the intervention of members of the International Olympic Committee, and following the Velvet Revolution her status improved dramatically. During the 1990s she held several positions of honor, including a term as President of the Czechian Olympic Committee.


Born in Prague and originally a figure skater, Čáslavská debuted internationally in 1958 at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, winning a silver medal in the team event. Her first international title came the following year at the European Women's Artistic Gymnastics Championships where she won gold on the vault and silver on the balance beam. She first participated in the 1960 Summer Olympic Games, winning a silver medal with the Czechoslovakian team, and then won bronze in the all around event at the 1961 European Championships. She fought for the all-around title at home in the 1962 World Championships, held off only by Larisa Latynina, and managed to win her first world title, in the vault. She did not compete at the 1963 European Championships in Paris.[2][3]

Between 1964–68 Čáslavská won 19 individual gold medals in the major international competitions. Čáslavská was at her peak at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, winning the overall title and taking gold medals in the balance beam and the vault, in addition to another silver medal in the team event. At the 1966 World Championships, Čáslavská would defend her vault title, win a team gold – breaking the Soviet monopoly in that event – and become all-around world champion. Čáslavská dominated the 1965 and 1967 European Championships, taking all five individual titles[2][3] and scoring two perfect scores of 10 in event finals in 1967.[4]

Prior to the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, Čáslavská lost her training facility due to the Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia. Instead, she used potato sacks as weights and logs as beams whilst training in the forests of Moravia.[5] She was again dominant at the 1968 Summer Olympics, winning medals in all six events. She defended her all-around title and won additional gold medals on the floor, uneven bars and vault, as well as two silvers, for the team competition and balance beam.[2][3] Her use of the "Jarabe tapatío" as the music for her floor routine and her subsequent marriage in the city made her immensely popular with the Mexican crowd.[5]

Čáslavská's wins at the 1968 Olympics were particularly poignant because of the political turmoil in Czechoslovakia. She had publicly voiced her strong opposition to soviet-style Communism and the Soviet invasion, and had signed Ludvik Vaculík's protest manifesto "Two Thousand Words" in the spring of 1968. Consequently, to avoid being arrested, she spent the weeks leading up to the Olympics hiding in the mountain town of Šumperk, and was only granted permission to travel to Mexico City at the last minute.[6][7]

At the Olympics, where she once again faced Soviet opposition, Čáslavská continued to subtly voice her views. After she appeared to have won the gold medal on floor outright, the judging panel curiously upgraded the preliminary scores of Soviet Larisa Petrik, and declared a tie for the gold instead. All of this occurred on the heels of another very controversial judging decision that cost Čáslavská the gold on beam, instead awarding the title to Soviet rival Natalia Kuchinskaya. Clearly disheartened and angered by the politics that favored the USSR, she protested during both medal ceremonies by quietly turning her head down and away during the playing of the Soviet national anthem.[1][8]

Čáslavská's countrymen revered her for her brave demonstration on the world's biggest stage, and she was awarded Czechoslovakia's Sportsperson of the Year award in 1968 (for the fourth and final time). Her federation, however, was none too pleased. For her consistent support of the Czechoslovak democratization movement (the so-called "Prague Spring") in 1968, and during the purges which followed the Soviet-led invasion in August 1968, she was deprived of the right to travel abroad and participate in public sport events both in Czechoslovakia and abroad. Čáslavská was effectively forced into retirement, and was considered a persona non grata for many years in her home country.[9]

Czechoslovakian authorities refused to publish her autobiography, and insisted that it be heavily censored when it was released in Japan.[7][10] She was granted leave to work as a coach in Mexico, but reportedly only when the Mexican government threatened to cease oil exports to Czechoslovakia.[9][11] In the late 1980s, following pressure from Juan Antonio Samaranch, the then president of the International Olympic Committee, who had presented her with the Olympic Order, Čáslavská was finally allowed to work as a gymnastics coach and judge in her home country.[1][9]

After the fall of Communism, the Velvet Revolution in November 1989 Čáslavská's status improved dramatically. She became President Havel's adviser in questions of sports and social matters and Honorary President of the Czechia-Japan Association.[9][10] Later, after leaving the President's Office, she was elected President of the Czechian Olympic Committee.[6][7] In 1995, she was appointed to the IOC membership committee.[3]


Čáslavská received numerous accolades for her contributions to the sport of gymnastics. In addition to the Olympic Order, she was awarded a 1989 Pierre de Coubertin International Fair Play Trophy by UNESCO and was noted at the ceremony for her "exemplary dignity".[12] In 1995, she was honored with the Czech Republic's Medal of Merit[3] She was inducted into the International Women's Sports Hall of Fame in 1991[13] and the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 1998.[8] In 2010, she was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, 3rd class. She was also presented a 17th-century katana[14] and a ceremonial kimono from the Japanese emperor.[15]

In 2014, she was the joint recipient (with AP Journalist Iva Drapolova) of the Hanno R. Ellenbogen Citizenship Award, awarded annually by the Prague Society for International Cooperation and Global Panel Foundation, for outstanding civic courage.[16][17]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V%C4%9Bra_...avsk%C3%A1

[pbrower2a]

Islom Abdugʻaniyevich Karimov (Cyrillic Uzbek: Ислом Абдуғаниевич Каримов; Russian: Ислам Абдуганиевич Каримов, Islam Abduganijevič Karimov) was the first President of Uzbekistan, in office since 1990.

Karimov was placed in an orphanage in Samarkand at birth, growing up to study economics and engineering.[2] He became an official in the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, becoming the party's First Secretary in Uzbekistan in 1989. On 24 March 1990 he became President of the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic. Karimov's election to the Uzbek Communist Party resulted after his predecessor Rafiq Nishonov failed to quell inter-ethnic clashes and instability in the Fergana Region.[3]

He declared Uzbekistan an independent nation on 31 August 1991 and subsequently won Uzbekistan's first presidential election on 29 December 1991, with 86% of the vote. The election was called unfair,[citation needed] with state-run propaganda and a falsified vote count, although the opposing candidate and leader of the Erk Liberty Party, Muhammad Salih, had a chance to participate. Karimov permitted the participation of the opposition organizations Birlik ("Unity") and the Islamic Renaissance Party until his efforts to consolidate power over Shukrullo Mirsaidov, a former Communist Party elite who had originally supported Karimov's rise to the Party presidency. The period of political thaw was brief; Karimov began to complicate the registration process of opposition parties during elections. As Birlik grew in strength as a "popular movement", it was denied the ability to register as a "political party" without the required 60,000 signatures. The Karimov government allowed Birlik one day to gather these signatures, 25,000 of which they rejected. Karimov effectively took authoritarian measures to block any meaningful opposition.[4] Since approximately February 2014, Karimov has imprisoned his elder daughter, Gulnara. She and her daughter live under armed guard and surveillance cameras.[5]

As of 29 August 2016, he is reported to be in intensive care, after suffering a stroke.[6][7][8] On 2 September, Reuters reported that Karimov died, citing senior diplomatic sources in the Uzbekistan government,[9] however, reports remain unconfirmed by Uzbek media or the government.[10]
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(my comment) The electoral process in Uzbekistan is much as it was in the old Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic, as shown here:

Karimov sought another term in the [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uzbek_presidential_election,_2007]December 2007 presidential election, despite arguments that he was ineligible due to the two-term limit on the presidency. On November 6, 2007, Karimov accepted the nomination of the Uzbekistan Liberal Democratic Party to run for a third term.[28] On November 19, the Central Election Commission announced the approval of Karimov's candidacy,[29] a decision that Karimov's opponents condemned as illegal.[30]

Following the election on 23 December, preliminary official results showed Karimov winning with 88.1% of the vote, on a turnout rate that was placed at 90.6%. Observers from groups allied to the Karimov administration such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and the Commonwealth of Independent States gave the election a positive assessment.[31] However, observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe criticized the election as lacking a "genuine choice," while others deemed the election, a "political charade,"[32] given that all three of Karimov's rivals began their campaign speeches by singing Karimov's praises.[33]

Karimov was reelected for a new term in the 2015 presidential election.[34] He won 90.39% of votes from a voter turnout of 91.08%. This is his third term under Uzbekistan's current constitution.[35] The election has been widely criticized by the western media and observers as being rigged even though monitoring missions sent by the Commonwealth of Independent States and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, which include nations from the former USSR and China, deemed the election open and democratic.

More here, and much of it is disgusting as one would expect from a political leader who stops at nothing to prevent any opposition to his despotic rule:


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_Karimov

[Dan '82]

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2...rm=nprnews

Quote:Conservative Icon Phyllis Schlafly Dies At 92

 
 
Conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly, best known for being the voice of opposition to the Equal Rights Amendment, died on Monday. She was 92.
Her death was confirmed by her son John, who said she died of cancer at her home in St. Louis.
According to The Associated Press, Schlafly's self-published book, A Choice Not an Echo, brought her into the national spotlight in 1964. The news service reports the book, which sold 3 million copies, became a manifesto for many conservatives and boosted Sen. Barry Goldwater's bid for the 1964 GOP presidential nomination.
Yet Schlafly's legacy is perhaps most tied to her outspoken criticism of the Equal Rights Amendment, a proposed amendment to the Constitution that would have explicitly prohibited gender discrimination. It was passed by Congress in 1972 but defeated in the years to come, when it failed to be ratified by enough states — partly because of Schlafly's fierce opposition.
"Since the women are the ones who bear the babies and there's nothing we can do about that, our laws and customs then make it the financial obligation of the husband to provide the support," she said in 1973. "It is his obligation and his sole obligation. And this is exactly and precisely what we will lose if the Equal Rights Amendment is passed."
When Schlafly spoke to NPR's Michel Martin in 2014, she explained her motivations for opposing the amendment.
"When I went to the hearings for the Equal Rights Amendment and I heard what they were saying, and they had absolutely no benefit to offer women, but we could see a lot of disadvantages in it," Schlafly told Martin. She added:

Quote:"What that amendment would do is to make all laws sex-neutral. Well, the typical, classic law that is not sex-neutral is the draft registration law. And we were still in the Vietnam War in 1972.
"I had sons and daughters about age 18. My daughters thought this was the craziest thing they ever heard. You're going to have a new amendment for women? And the first thing is they'll have to sign up for the draft like their brothers. Now, that was an unsalable proposition."

When the amendment failed to get the 38 states it needed — it fell short by three states — many people gave Schlafly credit for its demise.

Women opposed to the Equal Rights Amendment sit with Phyllis Schlafly (left), national chairman of Stop ERA, at a hearing of the Republican platform subcommittee on human rights and responsibilities in 1976.
AP
According to Gloria Ross of St. Louis Public Radio, Schlafly "led a movement that for decades successfully thwarted liberal and feminist causes ... and helped uber-conservative candidates win elections."
But Schlafly called politics her "hobby."
"I really spent 25 years as a full-time homemaker before I did any particular traveling around," she said in 2014. "And by that time, the children were well along in school or college. And they were very supportive. My husband was very supportive. I told the feminists the only person's permission I had to get was my husband's."
Despite the key role she played in championing conservatism and helping to defeat the Equal Rights Amendment, Schlafly told The Associated Press in 2007 that perhaps her greatest legacy was the Eagle Forum, the conservative group she founded in the 1970s.
In a statement, the group's vice president called Schlafly the "sweetheart of the silent majority."
Schlafly held three degrees — a bachelor's in political science from Washington University, a master's in government from Radcliffe, and a law degree from the Washington University School.
She was preceded in death by her husband, John, and is survived by six children and 16 grandchildren.

[pbrower2a]

...Phyllis Schalfly got the curse of living long enough to see her agenda discredited. The female auxiliary of the most reactionary part of the GI generation, the anti-feminist cause, she got to live long enough to even see same-sex marriage become lawful and even mainstream.

[Odin]

(09-05-2016, 08:38 PM)Dan Wrote:

Quote:Conservative Icon Phyllis Schlafly Dies At 92

Hell just got a new resident.