A legitimate democratic political hero, and of course his passing is ignored by the world media in favor of a psychotic (& wacky) brutal dictator.

He pissed off just about everybody off over the decades.

He must've done something right.

(Reading again his criticisms of Mother Teresa...I think he's right.)

Vaclav Havel is dead.

So

Havel -- A lit
Hitchens A wit
and Kim - A S*it

all died more or less the same time.

I actually submitted a list for next year and had Kim Jong Il on the list for 2012. They never heard of life support systems in North Korea? They couldn't keep him breathing for 2 lousy weeks?

A great man. He did as much to stem the spread of communism in Europe as anyone.

Some quotes about his life from the Associated Press.

Reactions to the death of Vaclav Havel, who led Czechoslovakia's 1989 anti-communist "Velvet Revolution":

—"A great fighter for the freedom of nations and for democracy has died . . . His outstanding voice of wisdom will be missed in Europe, which is going through a serious crisis. I am praying for the peace of his soul" — Solidarity founder and Poland's former president Lech Walesa.

— "His peaceful resistance shook the foundations of an empire, exposed the emptiness of a repressive ideology, and proved that moral leadership is more powerful than any weapon. ... He also embodied the aspirations of half a continent that had been cut off by the Iron Curtain, and helped unleash tides of history that led to a united and democratic Europe." — President Barack Obama.

— "His dedication to freedom and democracy is as unforgotten as his great humanity . . . We Germans also have much to thank him for." — German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who grew up in East Germany and went into politics as communism crumbled.

— "No one of my generation will ever forget those powerful scenes from Wenceslas Square two decades ago. Havel led the Czech people out of tyranny. And he helped bring freedom and democracy to our entire continent. Europe owes Vaclav Havel a profound debt. Today his voice has fallen silent. But his example and the cause to which he devoted his life will live on" — British Prime Minister David Cameron.

— "The most subversive act of the playwright from Prague was telling the truth about tyranny. And when that truth finally triumphed, the people elected this dignified, charming, humble, determined man to lead their country. Unintimidated by threats, unchanged by political power, Vaclav Havel suffered much in the cause of freedom and became one of its greatest heroes." — President George W. Bush.

—"Amid the turbulence of modern Europe, his voice was the most consistent and compelling — endlessly searching for the best in himself and in each of us." — Former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright.

"Havel was a brave and powerful voice against totalitarianism and an inspiration for dissidents everywhere struggling for freedom." — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

— "He was a true European and has been a champion of democracy and liberty throughout his life . .. He was also a source of great inspiration to all those who fight for freedom and democracy around the world. The man has died but the legacy of his poems, plays and above all his ideas and personal example will remain alive for many generations to come." — Jose Manuel Barroso, European Commission president.

— "With the death of Vaclav Havel, the Czech republic has lost one of its great patriots, France has lost a friend, and Europe has lost one of its wise men." — French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

— "Vaclav Havel is the figure that represents the Velvet Revolution and the reunification of Europe. He will be sorely missed." — Jerzy Buzek, president of European parliament and a former Polish prime minister and activist in Solidarity.

"Barbara and I join in mourning the death of Vaclav Havel, a gentle soul whose fierce devotion to the rights of man helped his countrymen cast aside the chains of tyranny and claim their rightful place among the free nations of world," said former U.S. President George H. W. Bush. "His personal courage throughout that twilight struggle inspired millions around the world, including those of us who worked with him during a historic period of transformation for Europe."

"Vaclav Havel believed in freedom, and had the courage to speak out about the evils of communism," said Nancy Reagan, widow of ex-U.S. President Ronald Reagan. "He will be remembered as a hero to the people of the Czech Republic and to lovers of freedom around the world."

Copyright © 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved

I,ve submitted a list for 2012, lets hope they can hold out few more days before passing on..

The same thing happened a few years back with Gerald Ford (he died in the last week of the year). You can always send a PM to Geoff with a "substitute" person for your list.

did he die on the 30th or something? but, yea i won't submit mine in till the 30th-31st.

Cheetah, the monkey from many of the Johnny Weismuller "Tarzan" movies has died. He was 80 something years old.

R.I.P. funny monkey.

He was an imposter monkey!

RRA is correct - this particular Cheeta was, more than likely, a pretender to the throne.

Cheeta at Wikipedia

The chart and comments are most revealing.

Signor V.

Oh too bad, I loved Cheetah. Tarzan to Cheetah: "Ungowa". Remember that? I think that meant just about everything.


I didn't realize monkeys (chimps) lived so long.




TIS

i thought this was a joke at first. RIP cheeta (mike)
also too is CJ still alive? (orangutan from Every Which Way But Loose)if so i might have to put him on the list lol.

The word "Ungowa" has an interesting history: It's a fabricated word which, according to Hollywood legend, was invented by some MGM studio writers in 1932. (1932 was the year Johnny Weissmuller's first Tarzan film - Tarzan the Ape Man - was shot at MGM.) They used to have their lunch at a bar on Gower Street, so, as an inside joke, "on Gower" became "Ungowa." It sounded just "foreign" enough that they got away with it, and it became an accepted part of the cinema Tarzan's rather limited vocabulary.

Signor V.

That's made up..... don't step in Vitelli's ungowa.

CJ is still alive, Bam. He, along with Bubbles the chimp, Curious George, Magilla Gorilla & Grape Ape will be pallbearers for Cheetah.

Less than 2 days 'til your 2012 lists need to be in (before midnight, Eastern Time, before the ball drops live in Times Square). See Post #1 here for the rules.

I received PMs with lists from: TIS, DT, DM, DN, and I have mine. If I didn't mention your name, let me know. Anyone else, get those lists in!

Jazz great Sam Rivers passed away. He was 88 years old.

Oh, yeah...

Final 2011 Standings


Congrats, Mig!

I did not audit anyone else's lists, so if you have any changes, let me know.

Please don't post anything else here related to 2012

My total should be 9. Heesters wasn't added to the total PLUS Barbara Kent died in October, so my count goes up by two. Add one to Mig's total.

Ahh, I updated the original list but forgot the final standings. Done.