The 2010 election was staged with Meles Zenawi’s regime in full control of the Election Board, the media, the judiciary, and the security forces. In fact, the whole purpose of the election was to gain symbolic legitimacy and to look clean in front of donor nations than satisfying the growing democratic appetite of the Ethiopian people. This basic fact underscores the point that Zenawi’s regime, in order to satisfy the demands of the timid international community, will continue to hold ritual sham elections that are totally meaningless to the effort of building democracy in Ethiopia.

Time and again, the dictatorial regime has shown its contempt for the ballot box and lack of respect for its own Constitution. Rather, it seems hell bent on maintaining the status quo through brute force no matter how much clamor for change there is among the Ethiopian people.

The international community, for its own sake, needs to break its “conspiracy of silence” and vehemently condemn this sham election and seriously look at the damage its hypocracy will cause to its long-term interests in a geopolitically important Ethiopia. Its turning a blind eye to the intolerable repression and to the incessant rigged elections is viewed by the Ethiopian people as a measure of the West’s collusion with a despised regime ruling at the barrel of a gun. The “stability” over freedom stance of the EU and the U.S. has given Zenawi’s regime the green light to obliterate the hunger for democracy that Ethiopians showed to the world during the 2005 election.

Additionally, the misguided notion by the West that the Meles regime is a force for stability in the volatile Horn of Africa region is patently false and has further emboldened the regime to be more repressive and commit egregious human rights violations and extra-judicial killings. Today, more than ever, Ethiopians have become convinced that the only way to defend themselves and their rights against a terrorist regime that is brutalizing them is to fight for their rights by any and all means necessary. A spiraling conflict in Ethiopia will, of course, have dire consequences for the stability of the strategically important Horn of Africa.

Meles has concluded that the West is satisfied with the status quo and is going to give him a free pass, intermittently issuing the same old tired statement of “concern” while never forcefully condemning his repressive actions. This cynical attitude will certainly run its course and in the long run prove to be a costly mistake and inimical to the vital interests of the West. It is time for the West to wake up before it is too late. Dictators are neither reliable nor very good allies against the forces of extremism. It is absolutely impossible to stabilize the Horn of Africa without first restoring peace and stability in. Ethiopia.

There have been so many tragic loses from the Entertainment Field, however a few that I recall taking note of whether they were something that I should not have been shocked about due to their age or just the impact that they held on the world.

Sonny Bono, Jett Travolta, George Burns,Bob Hope, the little girl that played in Poltergeist I’m ashamed to say I don’t know her name as well as the little lady that played the Psychic, Christopher Reeve, Left Eye of TLC,Johnny Carson, Taxi, Selena, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valance, Marvin Gaye, the Dad of Everybody Love’s Raymond, The Daughter on Different Strokes, Mr. Miyagi, John Belushi, Mr. Clean, the singer from Queen, Sid Vicious, of course we must include certain classics, Marilyn, James D. Sal Mineo, I could probably keep going it just goes to show how volatile an industry this is..

Ironic that the man stuck his hands in crocodiles mouths, wrangled gators, and swam with sharks, yet the most docile of animals did him it. Freak accident. His daughter was very brave about the whole thing, though.

By LIZ SIDOTI
The Associated Press
Monday, June 30, 2009 1:00 AM

Berlin — Known for his 80′s pop hit “Never Gonna Give You Up,” the 43-year-old Rick Astley has been pronounced dead today. Astley’s body was found at the Angleterre Hotel in Berlin after an ambulance responded to an emergency call from his hotel room.

Astley was found unconscious in his hotel bedroom and was unable to be resuscitated. He was pronounced dead on the scene.

Astley was in the middle of a concert tour that would have ended in late August of 2009. He was to return to the United Kingdom at that time.

© 2009 The Associated Press

Also, from what I understand, Dale always wore an open faced helmet – he refused any other type. His head injury was caused by his chin hitting the steering well, causing the fracture. Since then, I can think of only one driver that I have ever seen with an open helmet since.

The reasons it was shocking, was (1) yeah he did drive 150 mph for a living, but he had escaped wrecks that looked much, much worse. (2) He was Dale-freaking-Earnhardt. He was the first to market himself the way he did, he was a rebel, a strong personality, the elder statesman of NASCAR. He was THE Man in the sport. Love him or hate him, he had stature. I watched his funeral and balled my eyes out. I surprised myself at the reaction. It still makes me sad from time to time.

The pp is correct – NASCAR has never “retired” a number. Richard Childress (the #3 car owner) does purchase the number so that no one else can use it.

No, it IS Sterling Martin. Yes, he was quite hated for a while by ignorant people.

She had a wonderful voice, and I was an avid fan of the Mamas and the Papas back in the day. It was quite a shock to me when I heard she’d passed away.

Now only he was a great driver, he was a great human being, the kind that makes a difference in the world. Even before he died, he created several institutions that help unprivileged children. These institutions still exist and are maintained by Senna’s family.

One of the worst sides of his death is that it isn’t entirely solved, even ‘though 15 years have gone by. Frank Willians never got what he deserved for his part in Senna’s death.

I used to waked up every Sunday morning to watch F1 races, to watch Senna drive and win, since Senna’s very first F1 race.

and jim henson. holy crap. i was seven or so, and the labyrinth was my favourite movie. i sat in my bedroom window and really thought about death for the first time in my life.

weird experience, that.

And I remember exactly what I was doing when I learned about Princess Diana. My two brothers were moving my piano from my parents’ house to mine, and as we all sat down to cool off afterward, one of them casually mentioned the news.

Phil Hartman is one that I still lament to this day. He was an awesome talent.

I miss them all

And Steve Irwin still trumps any race car driver, I’d wager.