RSS2006 List of those who passed Away … We Say Good bye and Rest in Peace
As we say good bye to 2006 this evening and enter into a new year; we also say good bye to 
so many that passed away this past year. Many that I look back on that I had not even realized that they had passed. Take a look at the full list here.
Let us first say that we give respect and say a special prayer to those that have died in our armed forced. It is too bad that the media refers to them as numbers instead of individuals and names. We also say a prayer for those in the police, fire and rescue who have died in 2006. These people put their lives on the line so that we may have the freedoms, protection and safety that we experience every day. We also say a special prayer for their families and loved ones that they leave behind. God Bless.
We also say a prayer for all those missing persons and families we covered in 2006 who’s loved ones were found deceased. A special prayer also goes out to those families who still have not been provided answers. God be with you all.
Please add any one else you wish including those who have passed this year who have touched your lives, whether they be family, friends or those on this list.
Here are some of my personal favorites that have passed that will be missed.
- Wilson Pickett, 64. Fiery soul music pioneer (“Mustang Sally.”) Jan. 19. Wilson Pickett … just one of the greatest soul singers ever. It doesn’t get any better than ‘Mustang Sally’.
- Coretta Scott King, 78. Civil rights leader; carried on work of her martyred husband. Jan. 30
- Al Lewis, 82. Grandpa on “The Munsters.” Feb. 3. Who didn’t like Grandpa? Even following his political run was amusing when he ran for the Governor of NY in 1998 for the Green Party and actually got over 50,000 votes. He was laid to rest on 18 February 2006 in his favorite cigar box.
- Curt Gowdy, 86. Sportscaster; called 13 World Series and 16 All-Star games, first Super Bowl. Feb. 20. One of my favorite broadcasters of all time. There was nothing better than Curt Gowdy and Al DeRogatis covering an old AFC game and it heading into The Wonderful World of Disney on NBC. Curt also covered the infamous Heidi Game between the NY Jets and Oakland Raiders.
- Don Knotts, 81. Won five Emmys for playing bumbling Deputy Barney Fife on “The Andy Griffith Show.” Feb. 24. Was there anyone funnier? This man just put a smile on your face. No matter what the show, one just had to laugh.
- Darren McGavin, 83. Tough-talking actor; grouchy dad in “A Christmas Story.” Feb. 25. One of my favorite actors of all times. Most know him as Ralphie’s dad from a Christmas Story; however, Darren Mc Gavin will always be known as Kolchak from “The Night Stalker”. One of the best mystery shows ever made.
- Dana Reeves, widow of actor Christopher Reeves, passed away at age 44 after losing the battle with lung cancer.
- Kirby Puckett, 45. Baseball Hall of Famer; carried Minnesota Twins to two World Series titles. March 6. Stroke.
- Buck Owens, 76. Flashy rhinestone cowboy who shaped country music (“Act Naturally.”) March 25. Who didn’t watch Hee-Haw?
- Red Buttons, 87. Actor-comedian; won Oscar with a dramatic turn in “Sayonara.” July 13. One of the funniest men ever and the last of a dying breed. Red’s BIO.
- Buck O’Neil, 94. Negro Leagues batting ace; star of PBS’ “Baseball.” Oct. 6. One of the greatest players of the Negro Leagues. Shame on the Baseball Hall of Fame to never honor this man by inducting Buck O’Neil while he was alive. Buck O’Neil never made it into baseball’s Hall of Fame. He missed it by one vote just this year. A star of the Negro leagues, first as a player and then a manager, he became the first black coach in the major leagues.
- Red Auerbach, 89. Basketball Hall of Famer; guided Boston Celtics to 16 championships. Oct. 28. The greatest professional basketball coach of all times. Known for his trademark victory cigar, Red did more for professional basketball than anyone ever. It would be a shame if the Championship trophy is not renamed after him.
- Ed Bradley, 65. TV journalist who created a powerful body of work on “60 Minutes.” Nov. 9.
- Jack Palance, 87. Hollywood heavy (“Shane“) who turned to comedy, winning Oscar for “City Slickers.” Nov. 10. Jack Palance was a pip. From his Oscar performing push ups to his no nonsense, fun loving characters.
- Bo Schembechler, 77. One of college football’s great coaches, compiling 194-48-5 record at Michigan. Nov. 17. Not only one of the greatest college football coaches of all times, but one of the finest men to walk the sidelines. Bo conducted his programs the way all colleges should.
- Peter Boyle, 71. The curmudgeonly father on “Everybody Loves Raymond.” Dec. 12. Peter Boyle was one of my favorite and funniest actors of all time. Better known for his unforgettable role as Frankenstein in ‘Young Frankenstein’. He will be missed.
- Lamar Hunt, 74. Owner of football’s Kansas City Chiefs; coined term “Super Bowl.” Dec. 13. One of the original founders of the AFL and influential owners of the AFL/NFL merger. One of the true pioneers of the NFL.
- Joe Barbera, half of the Hanna-Barbera animation team that produced such beloved
cartoon characters as Tom and Jerry, Yogi Bear and the Flintstones, died at the age of 95.Yogi and Boo Boo Bear, enough said. Joe Barbera was one of the most brilliant cartoonists ever. The team of Hanna-Barbera will never be matched. There successes included: “Tom & Jerry”, ”The Flintstones,” “The Jetsons,” “Yogi Bear,” “Scooby-Doo” and “Huckleberry Hound and Friends.” Hanna previously died in 2001, marking the end of the greatest duo of cartoonists we shall ever see.
The Detroit Lions … the Worst team in the NFL … Even In Victory they Lose … Lose 2007 #1 Draft Pick
Only the Detroit Lions can create a loss from a victory. That’s how the 2006 season has 
ended for the Lions.
How bad have the Detroit Lions been this season? One might say beyond terrible. Prior to todays finale in Dallas the Lions had a 2–13 record. The only bright spot to a truly pathetic season was the fact that they were poised to pick first in the 2007 NFL draft with a loss to the Dallas Cowboys. The Detroit Lions and Oakland raiders were battling for the dubious distinction of futility for 2006.
A funny thing happened on the way to Detroit having the worst record in football and securing the number 1 pick in next years draft and picking Brady Quinn of Notre Dame or in this mock 2007 draft … they actually won todays game, 39–31. Proving the Detroit Lions can do nothing right in 2006.
Rebecca Arnold Dawson, 34, Charged With Malicious Castration During a Christmas Party
‘Tis the season to be careful. 34 year old Rebecca Arnold Dawson was charged with 
malicious castration during a holiday Christmas party. What ever happened to “Peace on Earth, Good will towards men?”
A woman was charged with malicious castration for allegedly attacking a man during a Christmas party, police said. Rebecca Arnold Dawson, 34, is accused of grabbing the genitals of a 38-year-old man during a fight that erupted early Tuesday morning at a party hosted by the man’s girlfriend. All three were heavily intoxicated, Lillington Police Chief Frank Powers said.
“I believe he needed more than 50 stitches to repair the damage, but he is back home at this point,” police Cpl. Brad Stevens said Friday. “All we can tell you is that the injury was done with her hands. There were no weapons used.” (Breitbart)
Aruba: No White Bread for You … The economic effects keep coming
Just how bad is it getting in Aruba? No white bread to be made available? Forget about “No Soup for you” … Aruba, “No white bread for you”. The BBO strikes 
again. Talk about desperate for tax revenue. And why is Aruba scraping for tax revenue? Who wants to admit the one thing that occurred in Aruba that has caused all of this to occur? Can anyone in Aruba state that white bread would be off the menus prior to the disappearance of Natalee Holloway?
Are you beginning to understand the far reaching implications of what this botched investigation and cover-up by Aruban officials has done? The affects of individuals boycott to vacation in a place they deemed unsafe and worse yet, a place where tourists knew they would never get any help from authorities was never going to occur overnight. The deep effects of a downward economy are like turning an ocean liner. It takes time; however, when the effects finally do take place … they take even longer to correct. Aruba, was it worth it?
ORANJESTAD – If it is up to the association of bakeries, there won’t be white bread (kipashi) on the shelves starting this January 1st. The minister of Finance and Economic Affairs has announced the new price for white bread, which includes the bbo, but the association doesn’t agree with the price increase, because the bakers say that it is not enough to cover the costs.
Read the full story, Amigoe; December 31, 2006: No white bread due to bbo
Booking Your Own Travel? Make Sure You Go To The Right Sydney
If you are like me, you buy many things online. And occasionally you make an error, wrong size, wrong color, maybe standard delivery when you needed things in a hurry. Well, do not feel bad, read this tale of the young man who ended up on the wrong continent when purchasing his tickets online. 
A 21-year-old German tourist who wanted to visit his girlfriend in the Australian metropolis Sydney landed 13,000 kilometers (8,077 miles) away near Sidney, Montana, after mistyping his destination on a flight booking Web site.
Dressed for the Australian summer in T-shirt and shorts, Tobi Gutt left Germany on Saturday for a four-week holiday.
Instead of arriving “down under”, Gutt found himself on a different continent and bound for the chilly state of Montana.
“I did wonder but I didn’t want to say anything,” Gutt told the Bild newspaper. “I thought to myself, you can fly to Australia via the United States.”
Gutt’s airline ticket routed him via the U.S. city of Portland, Oregon, to Billings, Montana. Only as he was about to board a commuter flight to Sidney — an oil town of about 5,000 people — did he realize his mistake.
The hapless tourist, who had only a thin jacket to keep out the winter cold, spent three days in Billings airport before he was able to buy a new ticket to Australia with 600 euros in cash that his parents and friends sent over from Germany. via CNN.com.
George Lucas of Star Wars Fame to be Grand Marshal of 118 Tournament of Roses Parade
Pasadena, California welcomes George Lucas as the Grand Marshal of the 118th Tournament of Roses Parade. From Star Wars to Indiana Jones to Grand Marshal, George Lucas has done it all. 
For a man accustomed to working behind the camera lens, Lucas embraces his latest challenge as the public face of the 118th annual Tournament of Roses on New Year’s Day.
“There’s nothing like being a grand marshal. It’s a completely unique experience,” said Lucas, sitting in the posh Beverly Wilshire hotel. (Yahoo News)
The 118th Rose parade themed “Our Good Nature”, will take place on Monday, January 1, 2007 at 8:00 a.m. (PST)
Check out the 2007 Rose Parade Floats, Marching Bands and Equestrian participants.
Make sure to watch on HGTV uninterrupted coverage of the 118th Tournament of Roses Parade. They do they best coverage far and away.
From Tournament of Roses Parade circa 1890’s
To The Tournament of Roses Parade 2000’s
Kidnapped NC Twins Tyler Lee and Holly Ann Needam Found Safe in Canada
The 17 month old twins, Tyler Lee and Holly Ann Needham have been found safe in Canada after having been kidnapped by their biological mother. Allison Lee Quets has been arrested.
For the full story go to Missing & Exploited.
Joseph Biden Set to Join the Crowded Political Field for the Democratic Nomination for President
Add one more to the crowded list of Democratic candidates
(Vanderbilt – ‘06)
With goals of not increasing Forces and Citing his Sources, it appears
that Senator Joe Biden wants another crack at the President’s job. He will
fight President Bush’s decision to to send additional troops to Iraq. No
1988 replay for Joe this time around?
Biden Enters Race for 2008 Democratic Presidential Nomination
“It is my intention to seek the nomination, and it’s my intention sometime in the month of January to set up the appropriate mechanism to be able to raise money for that purpose,” said Biden.
Biden Vows To Fight Troop Surge In Iraq
Incoming Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Joseph Biden, a potential Democratic presidential candidate, said Tuesday he would oppose any effort by President Bush to increase U.S troops in Iraq as part of a new war strategy.
Biden has spoken candidly of his desire to run for president and has made repeated visits in the past year to early voting states like Iowa and New Hampshire. But he is trying to find room on a crowded stage of Democratic contenders that includes Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois.
North Carolina DA Association Calls for Nifong to Step Down
It looks like the alleged misconduct by Durham County District Attorney Mike Nifong is raising the ire of other District Attorneys in the state, and the association they belong to is making a public call for Nifong to step down from the Duke Rape Case.
In yet another moral blow to Durham County District Attorney Mike Nifong, the North Carolina Conference of District Attorneys called for the prosecutor to step down from the Duke lacrosse case.
The group, which represents district attorneys from across North Carolina, said in a statement that “it is in the interest of justice and the effective administration of criminal justice that Mr. Nifong immediately withdraw and recuse himself from the prosecution.”
“It’s extraordinarily unusual and it means a great deal,” said Joshua Marquis, a district attorney in Clatsop County, Ore.
The district attorney group also called for the case to be reassigned and handed over to “another prosecutorial authority.” via ABC News
Typically Attorneys stick together in these situations. It is very hard to find one attorney to publicly rebuke another attorney outside of the courtroom. For an association of District Attorneys to publicly come out against Nifong one knows that he has tainted the process and the reputation of all District Attorneys by his actions, and they need to distance themselves from him.
Update: For an outstanding wrap up of the Nifong Mess, visit Durham in Wonderland as KC Johnson lays out how the case has turned from the Duke Lacrosse Team to the misconduct of Mike Nifong.
Al Arabiya TV Reports Saddam Hussein Is Officially Pushing Up Daisies
It is official according to Al Arabiya via Fox News … Saddam Hussein will not be down for breakfast. Saddam has been executed.
More from Rusty at The Jawa Report. And here as well.
Arab TV stations report Hussein hanged
This is rather official and stately looking from CNN. Go figure.
Former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein has been executed, according to two Arabic language media outlets. Earlier, an Iraqi judge told CNN Hussein would be hanged before dawn on Saturday in Iraq. (CNN)
As Michelle Malkin is wondering, so are we … “How long before it’s on YouTube?” Not Long, Tess Found it on Google Video.
The Gateway Pundit has a fantastic array of coverage of the death of “the butcher of Baghdad” and his final hours.
Dictator Who Ruled Iraq With Violence Is Hanged for Crimes Against Humanity
In a statement written in advance, Mr. Bush said Mr. Hussein “was executed after receiving a fair trial — the kind of justice he denied the victims of his brutal regime.” (NY Times)
You Tube video of Saddam Hussein Hanged
UPDATE: Now for the more graphic video of the Saddam hanging (Hat Tip: Vinnie)
(Pic Hat Tip Klaas)
For those questioning whether Saddam Hussein was really hanged, he is looking rather dead in this picture. Saddam Hussein will not be down for breakfast.
