Ex-Manson family member Susan Atkins dies at 61

U.S.: Ex-Manson family member Susan Atkins dies at 61

38 number of years Susan Atkins spent in jail for murdering Sharon Tate in 1969; she was the longest-serving female inmate in California source

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Culture: Patrick Swayze in January: I’m not gonna chase staying alive

One thing I’m not gonna do is chase staying alive. You spend so much time chasing staying alive, you won’t live.
Patrick Swayze • In an interview with Barbara Walters in January about his pancreatic cancer. At the time, Swayze said he expected to live two years. “I want to last until they find a cure,” he said in the interview, “which means I’d better get a fire under it.” He didn’t get a chance, sadly. • source

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Culture: Patrick Swayze has died at 57. We reminisce via “Roadhouse.”

This was the best movie from which to get the Patrick Swazye experience. It’s not his best film – in fact, it’s laughably bad – but “Roadhouse,” more than any other, explains the appeal of Swayze. He had other notable roles (he was killer in “Donnie Darko,” for example), but he’s best remembered for the three years between 1987 and 1990. Swayze died of pancreatic cancer. He was 57.source

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Music: RIP DJ AM, a.k.a. Adam Goldstein, dead at 36 of a drug overdose

Dead too soon. Fought off death already. 11 months ago, DJ AM would have been one of the luckiest men alive. Today, he’s a man who couldn’t cheat death twice. Adam Goldstein, initially a member of Crazy Town and later a disc jockey to the stars who played numerous private events, was found dead in his New York apartment of a drug overdose today. It wasn’t supposed to happen this way. Goldstein (and Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker) miraculously survived a plane crash in September in which everyone else died. A shocking and sad story for sure. source

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U.S.: Barack Obama remembers Ted Kennedy as a “great leader”

An important chapter in our history has come to an end. Our country has lost a great leader, who picked up the torch of his fallen brothers and became the greatest United States senator of our time.
President Barack Obama • In a speech regarding the death of Ted Kennedy. Obama was close to Kennedy, even when the Senator was quickly declining in health. “Even as he waged a valiant struggle with a mortal illness,” he said, “I’ve profited as president from his encouragement and wisdom.” Kennedy’s endorsement of the president was seen as a turning point in last year’s campaign, even if it came at a cost of damaging longstanding relationships with former president Bill Clinton. • source

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U.S.: Why Ted Kennedy was truly a significant political force

A Kennedy first Ted Kennedy outlived John. Ted Kennedy outlived Robert. He never became president, but he arguably had just as big a political legacy. He came from a lineage that began with their father, Joe and continued through his son, Patrick (who’s currently a Congressman). The line doesn’t go away with Ted, but it loses its brightest strand with his passing. source

A Kennedy first Ted Kennedy outlived John. Ted Kennedy outlived Robert. He never became president, but he arguably had just as big a political legacy. He came from a lineage that began with their father, Joe and continued through his son, Patrick (who’s currently a Congressman). The line doesn’t go away with Ted, but it loses its brightest strand with his passing.
A liberal second Ted Kennedy was the liberal to end all liberals. He wore that chain around his neck with no shame, despite the connotations that the phrase has earned through years of erosion in the press, on talk shows, and through Fox News. He frequently got vilified for it, much like Nancy Pelosi does now, but it never prevented him from fighting for them. source

A Kennedy first Ted Kennedy outlived John. Ted Kennedy outlived Robert. He never became president, but he arguably had just as big a political legacy. He came from a lineage that began with their father, Joe and continued through his son, Patrick (who’s currently a Congressman). The line doesn’t go away with Ted, but it loses its brightest strand with his passing.
A liberal second Ted Kennedy was the liberal to end all liberals. He wore that chain around his neck with no shame, despite the connotations that the phrase has earned through years of erosion in the press, on talk shows, and through Fox News. He frequently got vilified for it, much like Nancy Pelosi does now, but it never prevented him from fighting for them.
A leader third Fate intervened from making Ted president – in 1969, a car crash in which his passenger died made a run verboten. But over five decades in the Senate, he shaped the political landscape through countless issues, and was well-loved on both sides of the aisle. He was that rare kind of elder statesman that comes along once in a century. source

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Politics: They don’t build journalists like Robert Novak anymore

For a half-century, Novak worked like a wheat thresher, feeding and grooming his sources until they gave him the harvest of news—or he beat it out of them.
Slate columnist Jack Shafer • Describing Robert Novak and what he did to get his scoops, no matter how small. It was a approach that worked for him, but not without imperfection – his methods managed to out CIA operative Valerie Plame, a saga which sullied his reputation late in life. (Though attacks by “The Daily Show” didn’t help his image, either.) All in all, he lived life as the ultimate D.C. insider. This is a great piece on Novak; we suggest you read it. • source

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25 Sep 2009 10:35

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U.S.: Ex-Manson family member Susan Atkins dies at 61

14 Sep 2009 20:32

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Culture: Patrick Swayze in January: I’m not gonna chase staying alive

14 Sep 2009 20:20

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Culture: Patrick Swayze has died at 57. We reminisce via “Roadhouse.”

28 Aug 2009 20:33

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Music: RIP DJ AM, a.k.a. Adam Goldstein, dead at 36 of a drug overdose

28 Aug 2009 20:20

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Music: BREAKING: RIP DJ AM, celebrity disc-scratcher. Twitter’s shocked

26 Aug 2009 10:23

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U.S.: Barack Obama remembers Ted Kennedy as a “great leader”

26 Aug 2009 02:53

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U.S.: Why Ted Kennedy was truly a significant political force

26 Aug 2009 01:48

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U.S.: BREAKING: Ted Kennedy dead. Twitter’s on the scene (and so are we)

18 Aug 2009 23:19

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Politics: They don’t build journalists like Robert Novak anymore

18 Aug 2009 12:23

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U.S.: Twitter’s abuzz with talk of “Crossfire” icon Robert Novak’s death