The Curator: VCs & Startups, Founderitis, Stronger SMBs, Weak ...

December 28, 2012

The Curator

Here?s our weekly link roundup of small business buzz, musings and muchness. A curation of the best small business talk around the web.

How VCs Deploy Operating Talent To Build Better Startups
?Most venture-backed startups fail. Shikhar Ghosh, a senior lecturer at Harvard Business School, estimates that 30-40% of high-potential startups liquidate their assets and lose all their investors? money. About three-quarters don?t recoup the invested capital. And roughly 95% never reach the projected revenue or breakeven point.? (Forbes)

Why All Entrepreneurs Have Founderitis, and How to Control the Green Monster Within
?I don?t know if the disease known as ?founderitis? is an angel term or just a broad term across the industry. If you are a venture capitalist who comes from a fund or MBA background, you probably don?t understand it. But most angels have it, and certainly all entrepreneurs pitching for money have it.? (TechVibes)

A five-point plan to add strength to any small business
?When you consider that small business accounts for nearly 50 percent of private-sector jobs and 64 percent of net new jobs in the private sector, it makes sense to formulate a sound plan to strengthen those companies. I?m not a politician, but as a small business owner with significant experience in human resources, I devised my own five-point plan.? (Biz Journals)

The 10 weakest small business sectors for 2013
?A look at the industries where small business sales are growing the slowest (and in one case, shrinking), according to financial data collected from thousands of small employers by Sageworks, Inc.? (Washington Post)

How to network with people you can?t stand
?Most experienced networkers know that it?s nearly inevitable, especially in established business-networking groups, that you wind up in situations with people whom you simply just ? can?t stand to be around? Several reasons exist why you might wind up in a business networking situation with someone you?d rather not encounter. Here are three of the most common and suggestions for navigating them gracefully.? (The Globe and Mail)

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Photo: Alexander McQueen

Source: http://yfsentrepreneur.com/2012/12/28/the-curator-vcs-startups-founderitis-stronger-smbs-weak-business-sectors-networking/

Dedication 4

Health of George H.W. Bush 'improving'

HOUSTON (AP) ? Former President George H.W. Bush remains in intensive care at a Houston hospital, but he's improving.

Bush family spokesman Jim McGrath said Friday that the 88-year-old former president is continuing to improve. He says Bush is "alert and, as always, in good spirits."

McGrath says Bush's conversations with doctors and nurses at Methodist Hospital now include singing.

He says physicians remain "cautiously optimistic that the current course of treatment will be effective."

Bush has been hospitalized since Nov. 23. He was moved into intensive care on Sunday for treatment of a fever following a bronchitis-related cough.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/health-george-h-w-bush-improving-185119942.html

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Mayor Arakawa signs isle plan, 'framework' for future of Maui

WAILUKU - Mayor Alan Arakawa signed the Maui Island Plan on Friday, a week after the Maui County Council passed the guide for island planning by a 5-4 vote.

"We now have the framework which will allow us to move forward, striving as always to balance the many current and future needs of Maui and our people," Arakawa said, following the signing. "To all of those involved in the process, whether they saw eye to eye on every detail of the plan or not, your efforts are much appreciated."

Now, Community Plan Advisory Committees for the county's community plan regions will draft plans for their areas and, depending on the area, those will be reviewed by the Maui, Molokai or Lanai planning commissions.

After years of review, the Maui Island Plan was criticized in its final phases as being too pro-development by allowing too much land to be included in urban-growth boundaries. Critics also were concerned about provisions allowing the Olowalu Town development, which calls for building 1,500 homes on 600 acres both mauka and makai of Honoapiilani Highway. Project supporters were in favor of its affordable housing while opponents were concerned about the development's impact on the reef and other marine life offshore of Olowalu.

Council members voting in favor of the Maui Island Plan were Gladys Baisa, Bob Carroll, Don Couch, Joe Pontanilla and Mike White. Council Members Elle Cochran, Riki Hokama, Mike Victorino and Danny Mateo voted no.

Source: http://www.mauinews.com/page/content.detail/id/568392.html

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Obama invites congressional leaders to cliff talk

WASHINGTON (AP) ? A deadline looming, President Barack Obama will meet with congressional leaders at the White House on Friday in search of a compromise to avoid a year-end "fiscal cliff" of across-the-board tax increases and deep spending cuts.

The development capped a day of growing urgency in which Obama returned early from a Hawaiian vacation while lawmakers snarled across a partisan divide over responsibility for gridlock on key pocketbook issues. Speaker John Boehner called the House back into session for a highly unusual Sunday evening session.

Adding to the woes confronting the middle class was a pending spike of $2 per gallon or more in milk prices if lawmakers failed to pass farm legislation by year's end.

Four days before the deadline, the White House disputed reports that Obama was sending lawmakers a scaled-down plan to avoid the fiscal cliff of tax increases and spending cuts.

Administration officials confirmed the Friday meeting at the White House in a bare-bones announcement that said the president would "host a meeting."

An aide to Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said the Kentucky lawmaker "is eager to hear from the president."

A spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner issued a statement that said the Ohio Republican would attend and "continue to stress that the House has already passed legislation to avert the entire fiscal cliff and now the Senate must act."

While there was no guarantee of a compromise, Republicans and Democrats said privately elements of any agreement would likely include an extension of middle class tax cuts with increased rates at upper incomes as well as cancellation of the scheduled spending cuts. An extension of expiring unemployment benefits, a reprieve for doctors who face a cut in Medicare payments and possibly a short-term measure to prevent dairy prices from soaring could also become part of a year-end bill, they said.

That would postpone politically contentious disputes over spending cuts for 2013.

Top Senate leaders said they remain ready to seek a last-minute agreement. Yet there was no legislation pending and no sign of negotiations in either the House or the Senate on a bill to prevent the tax hikes and spending cuts that economists say could send the economy into a recession.

Far from conciliatory, the rhetoric was confrontational and at times unusually personal.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., accused Boehner of running a dictatorship, citing his refusal to call a vote on legislation to keep taxes steady for most while letting them rise at upper incomes. The bill "would pass overwhelmingly," Reid predicted, and said the Ohio Republican won't change his mind because he fears it might cost him re-election as speaker when the new Congress convenes next week.

Boehner seems "to care more about keeping his speakership than keeping the nation on a firm financial footing," he said in remarks on the Senate floor.

A few hours later, McConnell expressed frustration and blamed the standoff on Obama and the Democrats. "Republicans have bent over backwards. We stepped way, way out of our comfort zone," he said, referring to GOP offers to accept higher tax rates on some taxpayers.

"We wanted an agreement, but we had no takers. The phone never rang, and so here we are five days from the new year and we might finally start talking," McConnell said.

Still, he warned: "Republicans aren't about to write a blank check for anything the Democrats put forward just because we find ourselves at the edge of the cliff."

Brendan Buck, a spokesman for Boehner, responded in a similar vein to Reid's comments. "Harry Reid should talk less and legislate more if he wants to avert the fiscal cliff. The House has already passed legislation to do so," he said, referring to a measure that extends existing cuts at all income levels.

Addressing the GOP rank and file by conference call, Boehner said the next move is up to the Senate, which has yet to act on House-passed bills to retain expiring tax cuts at all income levels and replace across-the-board spending cuts with targeted savings aimed largely at social programs.

"The House will take this action on whatever the Senate can pass - but the Senate must act," he said, according to a participant in the call.

Boehner told Republican lawmakers the House would convene on Sunday evening. Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., an ally of the speaker, quoted him as having said "he didn't really intend to put on the floor something that would pass with all the Democratic votes and few of the Republican votes."

The risk of higher milk prices stems from the possibility that existing farm programs will expire at year's end, and neither chamber of Congress has scheduled a vote on even a temporary extension to prevent a spike. There have been unverified estimates that the cost to consumers of a gallon of milk could double without action by Congress.

The president flew home from Hawaii overnight after speaking with top congressional leaders.

Before leaving the White House last Friday, the president had called on lawmakers to pass scaled-down legislation that prevents tax increases for the middle class, raises rates at upper incomes and renews expiring unemployment benefits for the long-term jobless. He said he still supports a more sweeping measure to include spending cuts to reduce deficits, but said they could wait until the new year.

That capped an unpredictable week in which Boehner pivoted away from comprehensive deficit reduction talks with Obama to an aborted attempt to push legislation through the House that retained existing tax levels except above $1 million. Anti-tax Republicans rebelled at raising rates on million-dollar earners, and Boehner backpedaled and canceled the planned vote.

Without congressional action, current tax rates will expire on Dec. 31, resulting in a $536 billion tax increase over a decade that would touch nearly all Americans. In addition, the military and other federal departments would have to begin absorbing about $110 billion in spending cuts.

Failure to avoid the "fiscal cliff" doesn't necessarily mean tax increases and spending cuts would become permanent, since the new Congress could pass legislation cancelling them retroactively after it begins its work next year.

But gridlock through the end of the year would mark a sour beginning to a two-year extension of divided government that resulted from last month's elections in which Obama won a new term and Republicans retained their majority in the House.

The tax issue in particular has been Obama's first test of muscle after his re-election in November. He ran for a new term calling for higher taxes on the wealthy, and postelection public opinion polls show continued support for his position.

Boehner's decision to support higher rates on million-dollar earners marked a significant break with long-standing GOP orthodoxy, but the resistance among his rank and file so far has trumped him as well as any mandate the president claims.

___

Associated Press writers Alan Fram and Jim Kuhnhenn contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-invites-congressional-leaders-cliff-talk-003155101--finance.html

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Years later, new owners still owe for old transgressions ? Business ...

Townsend Oil and Propane bought Nichols Oil & Gas in Macedon seven years ago. Turns out, the company also bought liability for harassment committed more than a decade ago by the former owner.

Under the terms of a just-reached settlement, Townsend must pay $150,000 to women who claim they were sexually harassed by the man who owned and ran Nichols Oil & Gas.

According to the women?s complaint to the EEOC, the owner routinely grabbed their breasts and buttocks and lewdly propositioned them. Although the incidents occurred between 1999 and 2003, they weren?t settled until earlier this year. Nine women filed EEOC complaints before the company was sold in 2005.

The court judged Townsend Oil & Propane, as the new owner, an ?innocent purchaser? that was nonetheless a ?successor defendant? liable for the harm the women suffered.

Note: When purchasing a business, always ask about pending complaints or litigation.

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RevLocal's web view expands in community | RevLocal

In just several months of working with Tilton's listing we have seen much improvement with highly competitive keywords such as "Auto Repair", "Car Repair", "Auto Service", and "Radiator Repair". Tilton's Automotive Service

Source: http://www.revlocal.com/local-marketing-blog/Internet-Marketing-News/12579_RevLocal-s-web-view-expands-in-community/

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Mattel and Hasbro: Terrified By Kids' High-Tech Christmas Lists?

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/12/mattel-and-hasbro-terrified-by-kids-high-tech-christmas-lists/

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Tigers roar back: Great news for big cats in key areas

Dec. 26, 2012 ? The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) has announced significant progress for tigers in three key landscapes across the big cat's range due to better law enforcement, protection of additional habitat, and strong government partnerships.

The successes are much-needed good news as tiger numbers worldwide continue to hover at all-time lows due to the combined threat of poaching, loss of prey, and habitat destruction. WCS estimates that only 3,200 tigers exist in the wild.

The news begins in southwestern India where WCS research and conservation efforts that began 25 years ago now show a major rebound of tigers in the Western Ghats region of Karnataka State. Over 600 individuals have been identified to date from camera trap photos during the last decade in this mountainous landscape. In Nagarahole and Bandipur National Parks, tigers have actually reached saturation levels, with surplus young tigers spilling out into forest-reserves and dispersing using secured forest corridors through a landscape that holds over a million human beings. The combination of strict government-led anti-poaching patrols, voluntary relocation of villages away from tiger habitats, and the vigilant local presence of WCS conservation partners watching over tigers has led to the rebound of big-cat populations and their prey. In newer tiger reserves including Bhadra and Kudremukh, numbers have increased by as much as 50 percent after years of neglect and chronic poaching were tackled.

In Thailand, WCS conservationists report a tiger comeback in Huai Kha Khaeng (HKK) Wildlife Sanctuary -- a 2,700 square kilometer (1,042 square mile) protected area in the vast Western Forest Complex. WCS has worked closely with Thai authorities to beef up enforcement and anti-poaching patrols in the region. Last year, a notorious poaching ring was busted, and this year the gang leaders were given prison sentences of up to five years -- the most severe punishments for wildlife poaching in Thailand's history. Since their capture, there have been no known tiger or elephant poaching incidents in the park. Tiger numbers have been rising steadily in the park since 2007, with a record 50-plus tigers counted last year.

Meanwhile in Russia, government officials are drafting a new law that will make transport, sales, and possession of endangered animals a criminal offense rather than just a civil crime. This will close a loophole that currently allows poachers to claim they found endangered species like tigers already dead and thus avoid stiffer criminal penalties for poaching.

Russia is making progress in creating additional protected areas for tigers, too, declaring a new corridor called Central Ussuri Wildlife Refuge on October 18. The new refuge acts as a linkage between the Sikhote-Alin tiger population in Russia, which is the main population of Amur tigers, and some of the best tiger habitat in China's Heilongjiang Province in the Wandashan Mountains. The creation of the new refuge ensures that tigers have the capacity to move across the international border between Russian and China in this region. WCS first identified this key corridor in 1999 after conducting joint wildlife surveys with Chinese and Russian scientists there. WCS President and CEO Cristi?n Samper said: "Tigers are clearly fighting for their very existence, but it's important to know that there is hope. Victories like these give us the resolve to continue to battle for these magnificent big cats. While the news about tigers has been bleak, these recent developments clearly show how smart strategies and strong partnerships are ensuring tigers are saved for centuries to come."

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Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/R4fMvR8-z6Q/121226153034.htm

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Former reindeer farmer? 10 facts about 10 new members of Congress

Which new member of the House is a former reindeer farmer? Who is the biggest new Tea Party name in the Senate? Here?s a look at 10 new members of Congress with unique backgrounds.

The 113^th Congress is sworn in on January 3, 2013, and it?s a diverse bunch.

There will be 90 new members of Congress to start the New Year, with 13 new senators and 67 representatives making their appearances in Washington.

The biggest names are in the Senate, with a superstar of the left and of the right getting top billing.

Elizabeth Warren defeated Scott Brown in Massachusetts in one of the most publicized races in 2012. Warren is seen as a new leader of the left, but the former Harvard Law professor was a Republican until 1995.

Ted Cruz is already being talked about as a 2016 presidential contender, even before he sets foot on the Senate floor. The Republican from Texas has Tea Party roots. He has also argued nine cases in front of the U.S. Supreme Court.

Tammy Baldwin is another high-profile name from the 2012 election making her Senate debut. Baldwin served 14 years in the House and is the first openly gay candidate elected to the Senate.

Maine?s new senator, Angus King, isn?t a Democrat or a Republican. King is a former governor who ran as an independent candidate in 2012.Since the 1980s, King has been involved with alternative energy products.

And Deb Fischer, the new senator for Nebraska, has a hands-on business background. She?s been in the ranching business since the 1970s, which could come in handy if votes need to be wrangled on the Senate floor.

The House has some interesting new members, including that professional reindeer farmer.

Kerry Bentivolio from Michigan is a newcomer to politics. Yes, he has reindeer and has worked as a Santa Claus portrayer, as well as a school teacher and engineer. He replaces Thaddeus McCotter in the House.

A better-known name is Joseph P. Kennedy III of Massachusetts. Just 32 years of age, Kennedy is the son of Joseph P. Kennedy II and the grandson of Robert Kennedy. He will represent Massachusetts?s 4th congressional district.

Florida?s Ted Yoho will represent the state?s 3^rd district in Congress. Yoho?s career prior to politics was being a large-animal veterinarian and he used a grass-roots campaign to defeat incumbent Cliff Stearns in a primary.

And there will be two doctors in the House ? literally. Dr. Ami Bera will represent California?s 7^th district. He is the former chief medical officer for Sacramento County. Raul Ruiz, also of California, has three graduate degrees from Harvard and has worked as an ER doctor in the past.

Recent Constitution Daily Stories

Will Congress have a New Year?s Eve cliff countdown?
The Constitution in 2013: Gains or losses on rights?
Newspaper?s Freedom Of Information use questioned
Five things to fear most about the fiscal cliff

Also Read

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/10-facts-10-members-congress-140021028.html

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Winter Weather Advisory Remains In Place Through Early Morning Commute

Christmas Day started with rain and thunderstorms, producing lightning and small hail. By midday the rain changed to snow, which fell sideways in many cases due to the strong winds.

Before all was said and done, most areas north of I-20 saw 1-3? of snowfall?with some seeing even more than that?up to 4?!

There is a Winter Weather Advisory still in effect for the areas that saw snow today thru 9am Wednesday. No more snow is expected, but any water on the roads will freeze overnight into the morning, especially on bridges and overpasses. Driving will be difficult.

On the right column you can read the latest tweets from the CBS 11 Storm Team as they cover our Christmas Day Winter Storm.

Source: http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2012/12/25/winter-weather-advisory-remains-in-place-through-early-morning-commute/

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Santa delivers Christmas gifts to stingrays (Americablog)

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Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/273279539?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Bendyogagirl: Just Friends

Have you ever used the phrase, "we're just friends"? ?or perhaps you reframed a relationship recently and "decided to just be friends"? ?or maybe someone you were with observed two people you know with each other as Partners, and you responded with "oh no. ?They're just friends".

I know I've said all of those phrases and more, and this is something I am working on removing from my vocabulary, because to me, the phrasing connotes a relationship that is somehow less than others (like partners, spouses, and intimates).?


I'm here to suggest something to you - and to remind myself of it too - Friendship can be one of the deepest, most meaningful commitments you and I can make to another. ?

Friend is a very VERY big word.

My grandmother used to tell me that I would be one of the luckiest people in the world if I could count my true friends on just one hand, and I believe her words to be true. In my world view, a Friend is someone with whom I share mutual love and?respect?and whose personhood I cherish so much, the exterior construct of our relationship is secondary our commitment to Knowing?each other. ?These are relationships in which there is a give and take of support offered and accepted in many forms (time, resources, holding space, moving, etc.). ?

Not all platonic relationships are friendships in my perspective. ?I mean, I'm platonic with my biological family, and I would call 3 of the 7 of them my Friends. I would also suggest that romantic love and friendship can co-mingle beautifully and successfully. ?Of the couples I know who have been together over 40 years, all have talked with me about the quality of their friendship having a great deal to do with the success of their marriages. ?

For me, Friendship is the deepest commitment I make, because it comes with the promise that, no matter how our relationship is structured (lovers, D/s, co-workers, collaborators,etc.) I will show up for you again and again. ?I will hold a mirror for you and ask for the same. ?I will be inconvenienced for you - and not ask for payback or hold a grudge. ?I will do my?damnedest?to see you as the YOU who you are and not the you who I wish you to be.

Am I friends with my romantic partners? This is something for which I strive, and it is the thing that has empowered me to transform romantic relationships into platonic relationships with minimal 'collateral damage', so yes. I would say that I hold an intention towards friendship in romance. ?

Having recently moved to Seattle, my primary need in relationship is Friends. I also need and want romance and sex and M/s and play and?camaraderie, of course. The person I moved here to be near is a Friend of over 20 years (also my Sister)... ? That's the relationship that was so strong I left the East Coast. ?

Here are some questions about friends to get some thoughts rolling - these are the kinds of questions I ask myself about people I am considering calling Friends.....

• Who in your life is safe enough for you to be around when you're at the bottom of your barrel - when your life is blowing up - when you look like crap, have bad breath, and are wearing ill-fitting clothing?
• Who in your life saw something you posted on a social network and reached out to you to lend a hand (even and especially if you didn't ask for it)??
• Who in your life can you call for 'sanity checks' if someone?criticizes?your behavior or calls into question parts of your character?and will tell you the truth as they see it - even if it's not what you want to hear?
• To whom do you listen?
• Who in your life is truly happy for your successes and not?threatened?by your brilliance, your beauty, or your talents?
• Who challenges you to be bigger and better day by day?
• Who asks you how you're doing and sincerely wants?to know the answer?
• Who can you not see for a year or more, and with whom you can get into a room, and it's like no time has passed?
• Who doesn't really care how famous you are (or are not)?
• With whom can you cry?
• Who trusts you with their car keys? House keys? Pets??
• Who are the people around whom your heart sings?
• Whom do you Trust?
• Who would show up for your intervention?
• Who knows you?
• With whom can you disagree and not have that threaten the foundation of your relationship?

You can turn all of these around as well - to see the people in your life towards whom you are offering friendship.

If your relationships aren't fulfilling, perhaps you could change how you are in them? ?Try it - you might surprise yourself.

I recall a woman who was about to marry a male friend of mine freaking out in my specific direction about my relationship with her?fianc?'. ?I mean - she was really upset about it. ?She knew that he and I had a platonic relationship - that we had no intention of broadening the context of that to anything sexual or romantic, and yet she was so unbearably?threatened?by our friendship, it was causing strife and conflict.

I asked her one day why?she was so afraid of my friendship with him, and her response (paraphrased) was "It's possible that Bob and I won't be married forever, and yet I know that you and he will be together until one of you dies". I didn't really have a response to that, because it was true. ?Instead, she and I had a conversation about friendship - and it came up in the conversation that she could be his spouse/lover as well as his friend.?Even with their divorce, they were and remain close friends to this day (my timeline with him goes back 30 years - their timeline is about 25 years long). ?My big bonus from that shift was that she and I became friends as well. ? So the next time you and I use minimizing language like "just friends" for such powerful and empowering relationship contexts, maybe we could stop a moment and consider the power of our words. ?

Just some food for thought on a grey Wednesday afternoon in my perch in Seattle.

Namaste,

Bendy

Source: http://bendyogagirl.blogspot.com/2012/12/just-friends.html

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Pilgrims mark Christmas in Bethlehem

At midnight mass in the Church of Nativity in Bethlehem, the cradle of Christianity, the message was of peace, love and goodwill to all mankind. NBC's Martin Fletcher reports.

By The Associated Press

Pilgrims and locals celebrated Christmas Day on Tuesday in the ancient Bethlehem church where tradition holds Jesus was born, candles illuminating the sacred site and the joyous sound of prayer filling its overflowing halls.

Overcast skies and a cold wind didn't dampen the spirits of worshippers who came dressed in holiday finery and the traditional attire of foreign lands to mark the holy day in this biblical West Bank town. Bells pealed and long lines formed inside the fourth-century Church of the Nativity complex as Christian faithful waited eagerly to see the grotto that is Jesus' traditional birthplace.

Duncan Hardock, 24, a writer from MacLean, Va., traveled to Bethlehem from the republic of Georgia, where he had been teaching English. After passing through the separation barrier Israel built to ward off West Bank attackers, he walked to Bethlehem's Manger Square where the church stands.

"I feel we got to see both sides of Bethlehem in a really short period of time," Hardock said. "On our walk from the wall, we got to see the lonesome, closed side of Bethlehem ... But the moment we got into town, we're suddenly in the middle of the party."

Bethlehem lies 6 miles south of Jerusalem. Entry to the city is controlled by Israel, which occupied the West Bank in 1967.

Hardock's girlfriend, 22-year-old Jennifer Gemmell of Longmont, Colorado, compared the festive spirit in Manger Square on Christmas Eve, saying "it's like being at Times Square at New Year's."

Boy's Christmas wish: Adoption of little brother caught in US-Russia spat

The cavernous church was unable to hold all the worshippers who had hoped to celebrate Christmas Day Mass inside. A loudspeaker outside the church broadcast the service to the hundreds in the square who could not pack inside.

Paul J. Richards / AFP - Getty Images

In churches and bus stations, on water skis and bicycles, people from the Middle East to middle America celebrate Christmas.

Pope's prayer for peace
Tourists in the square posed for pictures as vendors hawked olive wood rosaries, nativity scenes, corn on the cob, roasted nuts, tea and coffee.

An official from the Palestinian tourism ministry predicted 10,000 foreigners would visit Bethlehem on Christmas Day and said 15,000 visited on Christmas Eve ? up 20 percent from a year earlier. The official, Rula Maia'a, attributed the rise in part to the Church of the Nativity's classification earlier this year as a U.N. World Heritage Site.

Christians from Israel ? Arab citizens and others ? also boosted the number of visitors.

Germany's latest big export: Christmas markets

On Christmas Eve, thousands of Christians from all over the world packed the square, which was awash in light, resplendent with decorations and adorned by a lavishly decorated, 55-foot fir tree. Their Palestinian hosts, who welcome this holiday as the high point of their city's year, were especially joyous this season, proud of the United Nations' recognition of an independent state of Palestine just last month.

On Monday evening, Pope Benedict XVI prayed that Israelis and Palestinians live in peace and freedom, and asked the faithful to pray for strife-torn Syria as well as Lebanon and Iraq.

He urged people to reflect upon what they find time for in their busy, technology-driven lives.

A family's Christmas wish: Healthy heart for girl

"The great moral question of our attitude toward the homeless, toward refugees and migrants takes on a deeper dimension: Do we really have room for God when he seeks to enter under our roof? Do we have time and space for him?" the pope said.

"The faster we can move, the more efficient our time-saving appliances become, the less time we have. And God? The question of God never seems urgent," Benedict lamented.

Later Tuesday, the world's Christmas focus will shift to Vatican City, where the pope will deliver his traditional "Urbi et Orbi" speech ? Latin for "to the city and the world" ? from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica to thousands of pilgrims, tourists and Romans gathered in the piazza below.

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? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/25/16141352-like-times-square-at-new-years-pilgrims-mark-christmas-in-bethlehem?lite

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This new bicycle accessory is for the birds!

If you got a new bicycle for Christmas (or already have one) and like a touch of whimsy, this is the perfect bike accessory for you! ?This cute bluebird attaches to your handlebars and serves as both a warning bell and a light. ?The Tweeting Bird Bike Light and Horn from Perpetual Kid has a [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2012/12/26/this-new-bicycle-accessory-is-for-the-birds/

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larajhonson: 3-Step Parenting: Holiday Cheer / Last Minute Gifts ...

It's a wet nasty day here in the Hudson Valley, but that's not going to bring me down.? After a quick run in the rain, I'm ready to deliver for you.? Now that the?holidays are here we often get busier than ever.? Running from school event to school event, The infamous work party to friends parties, to shopping and getting our nails, hair done to look?our best for?those we love.?(ok, not me)??With?all this madness,?don't let the holidays pass you by without remembering the reason you decided to start a family.??Allow yourself to go back to the roots of your relationship.? Spending time with loved ones,?visiting family and friends that you have not seen in awhile,?partaking in special fun activities with your children to?carrying on traditions or starting new ones. Whatever your cup of cheer is just do it with your family.??

As my oldest is now 11 it really hits home to how fast the years are flying by.? I have loved them all and hope you do as well.
Happy Holidays
Todd

PS:? Looking for that last minute gift to give to a loved one.? If so then don't miss out on giving the gift that will give back day after day.? And to think it will cost you less than a cup of coffee at Starbucks.? SO STOP READING and click below for your copy of Three Step Parenting. located on the right hand side of the page.? Only $2.99 during the time of giving.

http://threestepparenting.blogspot.com/

Are you still reading, go now and enjoy your holidays that much more.

http://threestepparenting.blogspot.com/

Source: http://threestepparenting.blogspot.com/2012/12/holiday-cheer-last-minute-gifts.html

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Source: http://bdpykeok.posterous.com/3-step-parenting-holiday-cheer-last-minute-gi

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Source: http://larajhonson59.blogspot.com/2012/12/3-step-parenting-holiday-cheer-last.html

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Source: http://ipuryp.posterous.com/larajhonson-3-step-parenting-holiday-cheer-la

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Wii U Gamepad Is Region Locked | Video Game Blog, Video Games ...

By Francesco De MeoPublished: 26 December 2012 2:58 AM UTC

Posted in: Nintendo News

Tags: francesco de meo, gamepad, News, nintendo, region lock, Wii U

Among the supporters of region locking for consoles, Nintendo has always been first: while Microsoft has left the choice to region lock games to publishers and Sony pushing a region-free policy on all their recent consoles, Nintendo has actually gone further in their region locking, making the Nintendo 3DS locked, a first among handhelds.

The new Wii U has been recently released worlwide but it was no mystery that the console was going to be locked, given Nintendo?s recent efforts to region lock all its latest products. What was unexepcted is that peripheliars are locked as well: some news floating on Japanese blogs state that the Gamepad is region specific as well!

A simple fact probably confirms these news: there?s a region code on the Gamepad itself and there wouldn?t be any reason to do so if the Gamepad was region free. It?s a real bummer for players who wanted to buy a spare Gamepad in the future and save some money by buying it from other regions: this holds especially true for Japanese players who could save quite a bit by buying the Gamepad from the States, thanks to the current Yen-Dollar exchange rates.

If you?re uncertain if a Gamepad works on your console be sure to check the region code, hoping that the Gamepad will be the only thing that?s region locked alongside the console.

Article from Gamersyndrome.com

Related posts:

1. StarCraft II Region Lock Woes
2. Wii U Release Date And Price
3. See the Original Wii U GamePad Design Here
4. Shigeru Miyamoto Speaks About His Future And Wii U
5. SocioTown ? River Creek Region

Source: http://gamersyndrome.com/2012/news/nintendo-news/wii-u-gamepad-region-locked/

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S.Africa's Mandela to remain in hospital for Christmas

On Sunday morning, Wayne LaPierre, CEO of the National Rifle Association, told the world that armed guards stopped school shootings in Israel. Israel begs to differ. "Israel had a whole lot of school shootings until they did one thing," LaPierre said sitting calmly on Meet the Press. "They said, 'We're going to stop it,' and they put armed security in every school, and they have not had a problem since then."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/africas-mandela-remain-hospital-christmas-080706785.html

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Press Play? Gamification and Talent Communications - mslgroup blog

By Jason Frank, Director, SAS, MSLGROUP EMEA

Scientists point out that we?re neurologically programmed for gaming. The concepts of ?flow?, being ?in the zone? and ?fiero? (the instant ?high? of achievement) all feed our need for status and reward.

Using gaming techniques to drive participation is nothing new. Global brands such as Volkswagen (The Fun Theory), and even the World Bank (Evoke game) have all addressed sustainability and social challenges in so-called ?serious games?.

This growth also reflects the move towards social and mobile ? tapping into ready-made communities. Marriott Hotels, for example, migrated their existing ?MyMarriott? hospitality game, where participants become managers of their own virtual hotel, to their recruitment Facebook page.

MyMarriott Facebook game

Talent testbeds

Young professionals and graduates, who may lack business connections to get head hunted but are gaming-savvy, can use platforms like GILD to get noticed. This offers both online testing and job posts from the likes of Oracle, eBay and PayPal, to demonstrate individuals? skills before they?ve even submitted their CVs.

It?s also all about creating the right type of challenge and ?filters? for your audience as well as understanding the ground rules ? from leaderboards and badges to solid game mechanics. It?s no good having a fantastic game idea when there?s no visibility for the high scorers to build their own personal online brand.

Harry Trevelyan, Head of User Experience at SAS, sums up the challenge:

?Creating a successful game is hard. To make it work, you need a deep understanding of what?s going to motivate your audiences to engage, a genius game idea to push those buttons, plus meticulous planning and testing.?

Although gaming may be edgy right now, the usual rules apply ? do your research, find what makes people tick, assemble a crack team and build a compelling experience. Then you?ll be on to a winner.

Originally posted on SASLondon.com

Jason Frank, MSLGROUP

?

Jason is joint Managing Director of leading design and communications agency SAS. Jason has worked in communications for over fourteen years. His experience encompasses research, strategy and implementation. He has been responsible for evolving SAS?s talent offer over the last seven years to reflect audience and client requirements. Clients Jason has worked with include Unilever, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, KPMG, Sainsbury?s and Ernst & Young. He is a regular speaker at industry events and publishes ongoing research and benchmarks.

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Also read our latest report Behaviour Change Games: The Future of Engagement

Source: http://blog.mslgroup.com/press-play-gamification-and-talent-communications/

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Gunman who ambushed firefighters killed grandma in '80

Webster Police Chief Gerald Pickering says the gunman, who he identified as William Spengler, was a convicted felon who served 17 years in prison for killing his grandmother more than three decades ago.

By Jason White, NBC News

Monroe County Sheriff's Office

Undated booking photo of William Spengler, who shot and killed two firefighters Monday.

Updated at 11:20 p.m. ET: The gunman who ambushed four volunteer firefighters, killing two, in upstate New York had spent 17 years in prison for beating his grandmother to death with a hammer in 1980, police said.

William Spengler opened fire on the volunteers as they responded to a blaze just before 6 a.m. ET in a small cluster of homes along Lake Ontario in Webster, N.Y., police said, rocking this close-knit community.

The 62-year-old convicted felon had apparently set a trap, luring in first responders and then firing on them from atop an earthen berm.

"It does appear that it was a trap that was set,"?said Webster Police Chief Gerald Pickering,?his voice breaking at times.??People who get up in the middle of the night to fight fires, they don?t expect to get shot and killed."

---

Pickering lost a colleague in the incident: Police Lieutenant?Michael Chiapperini, who was a volunteer firefighter. The other firefighter killed by Spengler was?Tomasz Kaczowka.

Despite being shot, one of the injured firefighters was able to flee from scene under his own power. But the others remained pinned down on the narrow strip of land between Lake Ontario and Irondequoit Bay until a SWAT team arrived.

Webster Police Lt. Michael Chiapperini.

As police closed in, Spengler took his own life with a gunshot wound to the head, Pickering said. He was convicted of manslaughter in 1981 after the death of his grandmother, Rose Spengler, 92, and was paroled in 1998. He remained under parole supervision until 2006, the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reported.

Spengler's 67-year-old sister Cheryl Spengler is unaccounted for, Pickering said.

Spengler lived in the house with his sister and mother, Arline, who died in October at the age of 91. Arline Spengler's obituary asked that memorial donations be made to the West Webster Fireman's Association.?

Firefighter Tomasz Kaczowka in an undated photo.

A former neighbor told The Associated Press that Spengler "loved his mama to death" and that he "couldn't stand" his sister. The neighbor said he thinks Spengler "went crazy" after his mother died.

Prior to Monday's shooting, Webster police had not had any run-ins with Spengler since he was paroled, they said.

Although Spengler could not legally own firearms as a convicted felon, investigators told NBC 10 News in Rochester that he was equipped with four whiskey bottles of gasoline, a pistol and an AR-15 type rifle with 30-shot magazine capability. One of the four magazines had been used. ?

The two injured firefighters, Theodore Scardino and?Joseph Hofstetter,?were being treated for "significant injuries," according to Dr. Nicole Stassen, a surgeon at the?University of Rochester Medical Center. She said both were awake and alert and not on ventilators.

An off-duty police officer was also injured when he was hit by shrapnel after his car took bullets to the windshield and engine block, according to the?Democrat and Chronicle. His condition is unclear at this time.

After the shooting, the fire grew to engulf at seven homes and one motor vehicle.?

?These firemen are part of our family. You go into a fire with these guys. To see them go down with something like this is totally unexpected. We are in shock,? Billy Gross, fire commissioner for West Webster, told the?Democrat and Chronicle.

Dozens of area residents were evacuated, with police searching them as they left, the newspaper reported.

"Miserable thing to happen this time of year," Mark Johns, a state assemblyman who represents the area, told?local NBC station WHEC. Johns said he knew some of the firefighters who were shot.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued a statement after the shooting, offering his "deepest condolences."

?All of our thoughts and prayers go to the families and friends of those who were killed in this senseless act of violence," Cuomo said.??New York's first responders are true heroes as they time and again selflessly rush toward danger in order to keep our families and communities safe."

NBC's Tom Winter and Rosanna Arlia contributed to this report.

Volunteer firefighters responding to a massive house fire Monday morning were fired on by a gunman who had spent 17 years in jail for killing his grandmother with a hammer. NBC's Ron Mott reports.

More content from NBCNews.com:

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Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/24/16125861-gunman-who-ambushed-firefighters-killed-grandmother-in-1980-police-say?lite

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The Most Popular Scientific American Stories of 2012

Here are the stories you clicked on the most on our site

By The Editors

3 Comments

Add Comment

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1. 1. hanbroekman 07:38 AM 12/24/12

   The link for #1 is wrong

   Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this

2. 2. Chryses 07:56 AM 12/24/12

   Yes. #4. How Hollywood Is Encouraging Online Piracy, was n eye-opener for me.

   Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this

3. 3. Stagnaro 10:20 AM 12/24/12

   Admittedly, all most popular American Sceintific Stories are really interesting and fascinating. However, I find both enlightening and preoccupaying that readers showed to be no interested in papers suggesting new road, clinical in nature, in the war against today's growing epidemics, as CAD, type 2 DM, and Cancer.

   Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=6292bd4a1901c30ae6fbf7b1c3daf858

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Adventures in Country Living at Shalom Engedi Farm: 2012 Merry ...

It`s early morning on Christmas Eve at Shalom Engedi Farm. ?I`m sitting in the soft glow of a look-a-like oil lamp wrapped up in a blanket. ?It`s still dark outside and the house is quiet - except for the dog snoring softly on the couch beside me.

I embrace this early morning peacefulness while anticipating the busyness that`s still coming over the next few days with a house full of family. ?Laughter and fun, board games and card games, shuffle board and too much food... talking over tea and cookies and munching on chocolate letters...seeing the new fallen snow... watching Home Alone 1, 2 and 3 - again. ?This year we`re squeezing in a scrapbooking day as well.

Our family Christmas traditions are like the ribbon on the package of family. ?Those are the things we do at this time of year that say I love you, I value you and you are part of our FAMILY.?

Christmas matters. ?It colors our lives through the rest of the year - not because we have such great traditions or because we always get along perfectly but because it`s a time to say in words - we are family - through thick and thin - For Ever For Always No Matter What!

Those words ring true for us because someone else said them long ago. ?At Christmas we celebrate ?the coming of Christ the King - born in a manger as a tiny baby - who completely rocked this world. ?He came for us who had no-family-and-no-friends-and-no-place-to-belong and opened His arms and His heart and then gave His life for us so we could be part of HIS family For Ever For Always No Matter What.

Every day is different for me because I am part of His family. ?it changes everything. ?That little baby - that?Saviour?King - He changed my life - He GAVE me LIFE. ?He came for us.

?This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn?t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again.`John 3:16 (The Message)

So I`m sitting here on this Christmas Eve morning - in the quiet - remembering and being so grateful that I belong to His family and that I can experience the love of my family and friends this Christmas. ?

Merry Christmas from Shalom Engedi Farm

Source: http://adventures-in-country-living.blogspot.com/2012/12/2012-merry-christmas.html

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Last-second gifts that won't make you look desperate

10 hrs.

Rosa Golijan , NBC News

Look, we've all had that instant in which we realize we forgot to get a gift for someone, the deadlines for online orders have passed, and all the stores are closed because Christmas is practically here. It's a particularly?miserable moment, but there's help?? so don't sigh and order yet another digital gift card just yet.

While digital gift cards can be what people want, they tend to scream, "I forgot about you, so here's a token that took about as much thought as pouring myself a glass of wine."

So what can you do? Why, you go for the last-second gifts that haven't become as cliche as those things.

If you've got a gamer on your hands, you?top off his or her Xbox Live Gold?subscription. It's a simple, yet thoughtful?gesture. Extra credit if you throw in some Microsoft Points. Does your gamer favor the PlayStation? Not to worry, Amazon sells PSN points with digital download codes.?But if you are not sure what the recipient is into, consider browsing through Steam for some games to gift him or her. The selection is huge and there are plenty of popular titles mere clicks away.

For the music lover in your life, a Spotify?or Rdio?subscription is the way to go. With unlimited Web and mobile?streaming music of most back catalog and?newly released albums for $10 a month, these services have become favorites among the NBC News tech reporters. They're a?great way to avoid buying any music you'll be sick of in two months. The only downside is, you might get your friend so hooked that you will have to keep paying for the subscription, year after year!

If you happen to be dealing with a particularly social media savvy pal, you might get away with sending him or her a Facebook Gift. You can select a real physical gift?? ranging from silly toys to cosmetics to food???for which the recipient will instantly receive a notification. Just practice smiling convincingly and telling your friend that you thought Facebook Gifts are the trendy way to celebrate Christmas and that you absolutely did not put shopping off until the last minute, no siree!

Now, we did slam digital gift cards, but there are a few exceptions. One is Amazon.?We wish there was a way to give someone the gift of an?Amazon Prime membership since?any online shopper would appreciate the year of?free two-day shipping, and would probably enjoy the streaming movies and TV shows, too. As of now, Amazon won't let you give someone Prime, though, so your alternative is a $79 Amazon?digital gift card.

Lucky for you, Amazon has taken digital gift carding to never-before-seen heights. By partnering with JibJab, the company lets you star in a goofy video that plays when the recipient receives the email notification. If you aren't ready for stage and screen, maybe you want to upload a picture of yourself instead. A third non-lame option is suggesting a gift ? it's a little like the Facebook Gifts, where you select a real genuine object, but?recipients?can spend their Amazon credit on something else if they?think your judgment is flawed.

Speaking of Amazon Prime's streaming?flicks and TV shows, there two other services that do?let you gift subscriptions, Netflix and Hulu. Netflix has a huge selection of movies (and older?TV shows) while Hulu's premium Plus lineup gets the latest TV?shows much sooner.

What about last-second gifts that aren't digital in nature?

For those lucky enough to have a local florist who isn't completely slammed for the holidays, a pretty bouquet or center piece may be the way to go. Just be sure to triple-check that the order will be delivered on time?? and maybe throw in some balloons or candy if available.

What if none of these last-second gifts fit your almost-forgotten friends and family? Well, then consider going old-school: Write. Folks are so unaccustomed to receiving touching, handwritten (perhaps even handmade)?holiday cards and letters that they sometimes value them more than random one-size-fits-almost-all gifts. The thought still matters,?so you can use this as an opportunity to remind your loved ones of?how much you care about them ? even if you did almost forget about them during this crazy?holiday season.

Want more tech news?or interesting?links? You'll get plenty of both if you keep up with Rosa Golijan, the writer of this post, by following her on?Twitter, subscribing to her?Facebook?posts,?or circling her?on?Google+.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/technolog/last-second-gifts-wont-make-you-look-desperate-1C7660247

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Best apps, books, and games to enjoy this Holiday season

It's Christmas Eve! And in the mass craziness that comes with the holidays, sometimes a nice break with a good app, game, or book is what you need. That's where iMore is here to help! We've rounded up some of our favorite Holiday apps and games for you to enjoy during the holidays and your time off work and school.

Santa Rockstar

Santa Rockstar is a Guitar Hero-style game featuring rock 'n roll versions of popular Christmas songs and Santa Clause. You must help Santa deliver presents in the Merry Christmas Stage sled by touring around the world with the Reindeer Band. If you like Guitar Hero and Tap Tap Revolution type games, rock music, and Santa Clause, then Santa Rockstar is a must-have.

• Free - Download now

Cut the Rope: Holiday Gift

Who doesn't love the adorable little Om Nom -- in a Santa Hat? Cut the Rope: Holiday Gift is the popular game with a fun, festive twist. If you're not familiar with the game, you simply cut ropes just the right way with the goal of delivering candy to the cute little Om Nom. But be careful, you must avoid spiders, spikes, and other obstacles in order to successfully get that candy to Om Nom.

• Free - Download now

Angry Birds Seasons

Here's another popular iPhone and iPad game with a holiday twist -- Angry Birds Seasons. In this version of Angry Birds, a new level was unlocked every day this month with Christmas Day revealing the last level. But even if you haven't been playing these levels since Dec 1st, you can still enjoy playing through them all now. Angry Birds Seasons marathon during Christmas Eve? Sounds like a plan!

• $0.99 for iPhone - Download now
• $0.99 for iPad - Download now

Doodle Jump Christmas Special

And here's yet another popular game with a special Christmas edition just for the holidays -- Doodle Jump Christmas Special. In this special version of Doodle Jump, the goal is still the same, to get as high as you can, but the surrounding and enemies are now Christmas related. For example, you must watch out for the chill-breath monster that will freeze you, and avoid other scary monsters dressed up in Christmas gear. You can also purchase other festive characters with coins that you earn in the game (or buy as in-app purchases).

• $0.99 - Download now

A Charlie Brown Christmas

A Charlie Brown Christmas is one of the most classic Christmas stories and you can enjoy it right on your iPhone and iPad as an interactive story. This flip-style book is extremely well made, fun, and engaging for kids and adults alike. In the story, you must help Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and the rest of the Peanuts gang as they try to find the true meaning of Christmas.

• $2.99 - Download now

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Here's another great book too add to your interactive-iOS-books collection -- How the Grinch Stole Christmas! Embark on the tale of the grouch Grinch who hates Who-ville's holiday celebrations and plans to steal all the presents to prevent Christmas from coming with professional narrations and beautiful, enlarged artwork. For the little ones in your life, the words on the page will highlight as they are read so that

• $0.99 - Download now

ElfYourself

You're sure to create some holiday cheer with your family by creating fun videos with ElfYourself. Just watch the video above... enough said!

• Free - Download now

TextPics

Don't be one of the boring mass-texters that sends out a "Merry Christmas!" text to everyone in their contacts list. Instead, pick up TextPics and be the mass-texter (or not) that sends out a fun little text graphic in celebration of the holiday. TextPics includes many different options for Christmas and Hunukkah as well as other holidays and special occasions.

• $0.99 - Download now

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/PK2dU9jqOkE/story01.htm

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Final goodbye: Roll call of some who died in 2012

Neil Armstrong would always be taking that first step onto the moon, and Dick Clark was forever "the world's oldest teenager." Some of the notables who died in 2012 created images in our minds that remained unchanged over decades.

Sadly, for others an established image was shattered by a fall from grace. Whitney Houston ruled as a queen of pop music, but years of hard living harmed her voice while erratic behavior and a troubled marriage took a toll on her image. And Joe Paterno, Penn State's longtime coach, won more games than anyone in major college football, but was ultimately fired amid a molestation scandal involving an assistant coach that scarred his reputation.

Some whose deaths we noted weren't known by image or even name but by contributions that changed our lives ? like Eugene Polley, inventor of the first wireless TV remote control, and Norman Joseph Woodland, co-inventor of the bar code that labels nearly every product in stores. Other scientists who died in 2012 included Lowell Randall, Martin Fleischmann, F. Sherwood Rowland, George Cowan and Bernard Lovell.

Among the political figures who died were George McGovern, Democrat presidential nominee who lost to Richard Nixon in a historic landslide, and ex-Sen. Arlen Specter, the outspoken Pennsylvania centrist. Others from the world of politics: Bill Janklow, Norodom Sihanouk, Charles "Chuck" Colson, Warren B. Rudman, Andrew Breitbart, Robert Bork and Miguel de la Madrid.

The year also saw the deaths of a number of TV stars including Larry Hagman, who played oil baron J.R. Ewing on "Dallas."

Others in entertainment and the arts who died included: Etta James, Andy Griffith, Ernest Borgnine, Sherman Hemsley, Maurice Sendak, Donna Summer, Robin Gibb, Doc Watson, Richard Dawson, Nora Ephron, Phyllis Diller, Michael Clarke Duncan, Don Cornelius, Jan Berenstain, Ravi Shankar and Dave Brubeck.

Here is a roll call of some of the people who died in 2012. (Cause of death cited for younger people if available.)

JANUARY:

Kiro Gligorov, 94. First democratically elected president of Macedonia who shepherded his nation through a bloodless secession from the former Yugoslavia and narrowly survived an assassination attempt. Jan. 1.

Bob Anderson, 89. Olympic fencer and movie sword master, he donned Darth Vader's black helmet and fought light saber battles in two "Star Wars" films. Jan. 1.

Keith Little, 87. One of the most recognizable of the remaining Navajo Code Talkers, whose code helped confound the Japanese duirng World War II. Jan. 3.

Lowell Randall, 96. Pioneer rocket scientist who helped launch the U.S. space program and tested intercontinental ballistic missiles. Jan. 3.

Jessica Joy Rees, 12. She became a nationally recognized face of child cancer with a blog that chronicled her fight against brain tumors. Jan. 5. Brain cancer.

Don Carter, 85. Bowling great who flourished as a genuine sports celebrity during the game's golden age on TV. Jan. 5.

Bill Janklow, 72. As South Dakota's attorney general, governor and congressman, he dominated the state's political landscape for more than 25 years. Jan. 12. Brain cancer.

Manuel Fraga Iribarne, 89. Blunt-talking politician who founded Spain's ruling conservative party and was the last surviving minister from Gen. Francisco Franco's right-wing regime. Jan. 15.

Hulett C. Smith, 93. Former West Virginia governor who signed bills in the 1960s that abolished the state's death penalty and implemented its first strip mining laws. Jan. 15.

Edward Derwinski, 85. He represented Chicago's south side and adjoining suburbs in Congress for nearly a quarter-century before becoming the nation's first secretary of veterans affairs. Jan 15.

Jimmy Castor, 71. Funk and soul saxophonist, singer and songwriter whose tune, "It's Just Begun," morphed into an anthem for generations of musical acts. Jan. 16.

Johnny Otis, 90. He wrote and recorded the R&B classic "Willie and the Hand Jive" and for decades evangelized black music to white audiences as a bandleader and radio host. Jan. 17.

Etta James, 73. Blues singer best known for her performance of the enduring classic "At Last." Jan. 20. Complications from leukemia.

Jonathan "Jack" Idema, 55. Former Green Beret convicted of running a private jail in Afghanistan. Jan. 21. AIDS.

Roy J. Britten, 92. Pioneering molecular biologist who discovered the crucial fact that humans and animals have multiple copies of some DNA segments. Jan. 21.

Joe Paterno, 85. Longtime Penn State coach who won more games than anyone in major college football but was fired amid a child sex abuse scandal that scarred his reputation for winning with integrity. Jan. 22.

Theo Angelopoulos, 76. Award-winning Greek filmmaker known for his slow and dreamlike style as a director. Jan. 24. Killed in a road accident.

Mary Duke Biddle Trent Semans, 91. Heiress to a vast Gilded Age fortune built on tobacco and a member of the family that endowed Duke University. Jan. 25.

Robert Hegyes, 60. Actor best known for playing Jewish Puerto Rican student Juan Epstein on the 1970s TV show "Welcome Back Kotter." Jan. 26.

Kevin H. White, 82. Former Boston mayor who led the city for 16 years including during racially turbulent times in the 1970s and was credited with putting it on a path to prosperity. Jan. 27.

Oscar Luigi Scalfaro, 93. Past president of Italy who held the post during the sweeping corruption scandal of the early 1990s that reshaped the country's political landscape. Jan. 29.

Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua, 88. Retired head of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and an uncharged central figure in a child sex-abuse case that involves the alleged shuffling of predator priests to unwitting parishes. Jan. 31.

FEBRUARY:

Don Cornelius, 75. As host of "Soul Train," he helped break down racial barriers and broaden the reach of black culture with funky music, groovy dance steps and cutting edge style. Feb. 1. Self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Angelo Dundee, 90. Trainer who helped groom Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard into world champions. Feb. 1.

Jimmie Begay, 86. Navajo Code Talker who in World War II transmitted messages in a code based on the then-unwritten Navajo language. Feb. 1.

Zalman King, 70. Actor and filmmaker who became known for his erotic work after writing and producing his breakthrough film "9 1/2 Weeks." Feb. 3.

Ben Gazzara, 81. Actor who brought intensity to roles in such iconic productions as the original "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" on Broadway and the film "The Big Lebowski." Feb. 3.

Florence Green, 110. Last known veteran of World War I. Feb. 4.

John Fairfax, 74. First known person to row alone across the Atlantic Ocean. Feb. 8.

Jill Kinmont Boothe, 75. Skiing champion who became a painter and a teacher after she was paralyzed during a race and was the subject of a book and two Hollywood films. Feb. 9.

Whitney Houston, 48. She ruled as pop music's queen until her majestic voice was ravaged by drug use and her regal image ruined by erratic behavior and a tumultuous marriage to singer Bobby Brown. Feb. 11. Accidentally drowned in a bathtub.

Mohammed Lamari, 73. General who led Algeria's military during a decade of civil war that crushed Islamic rebel groups. Feb. 13.

Charles Anthony, 82. Character singer who set the record for most appearances at the Metropolitan Opera ? 2,928 ? during a career that spanned from 1954 to 2010. Feb. 15.

Gary Carter, 57. Star catcher whose single for the New York Mets in the 1986 World Series touched off one of the most improbable rallies in baseball. Feb. 16.

Katie Hall, 73. Former Indiana congresswoman who was a key sponsor of the 1983 legislation that established a national holiday for Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Feb. 20.

Remi Ochlik, 28. Photojournalist who covered riots in Haiti and the upheaval sweeping across the Arab world. Feb. 22. Killed in a shelling attack in Syria.

Marie Colvin, 56. Journalist, recognizable for the eye patch that hid a shrapnel injury, who covered conflicts from Sri Lanka to Syria in her quest to bring stories about the world's most troubled places to light. Feb. 22. Killed in a shelling attack in Syria.

Jan Berenstain, 88. With her husband, Stan, she wrote and illustrated the Berenstain Bears books that have charmed preschoolers for 50 years. Feb. 24.

Dennis Gomes, 68. Co-owner of the Resorts Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, N.J., and a former mob-busting Las Vegas prosecutor whose exploits were chronicled in the movie "Casino." Feb. 24. Complications from kidney dialysis.

Erland Josephson, 88. Swedish actor who collaborated with legendary film director Ingmar Bergman in more than 40 films and plays. Feb. 25.

Lynn D. "Buck" Compton, 90. Veteran whose World War II exploits were depicted in the HBO miniseries "Band of Brothers." Feb. 25.

Edna Milton Chadwell, 84. Last madam of the Chicken Ranch brothel, which inspired the movie and Broadway show "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas." Feb. 25.

William Hamilton, 87. Theologian who was a member of the Death of God movement of the 1960s that reached its peak with a Time Magazine cover story. Feb. 28.

Davy Jones, 66. Actor turned singer who helped propel the TV rock band The Monkees to the top of the pop charts. Feb. 29. Heart attack.

MARCH:

Andrew Breitbart, 43. Conservative media publisher and activist who was behind investigations that led to the resignation of former Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y. March 1.

James Q. Wilson, 80. Political scientist whose "broken windows" theory on crime-fighting helped launch a nationwide move toward community policing. March 2.

Ralph McQuarrie, 82. Artist who developed the look of the first "Star Wars" trilogy's signature characters, sets and spaceships. March 3.

William Heirens, 83. Dubbed the "Lipstick Killer" after three murders in Chicago in the 1940s, he became Illinois' longest-serving inmate. March 5.

Robert B. Sherman, 86. Songwriter who wrote "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" in "Mary Poppins" and other songs for Disney classics. March 5.

James T. "Jimmy" Ellis, 74. As frontman for The Trammps, he belted out the refrain "Burn, baby burn!" in the 1970s-era disco hit "Disco Inferno." March 8.

Minoru Mori, 77. Property tycoon who was one of Japan's most influential developers and built China's tallest building. March 8.

Harry Wendelstedt, 73. Longtime umpire who worked five World Series and made a call involving Don Drysdale that became one of baseball's most disputed plays in the late 1960s. March 9.

Jean Giraud, 73. French comics artist known by fans from Hollywood to Japan as Moebius and the creator of unsettling, eye-opening fantasy worlds in print and on film. March 10.

F. Sherwood Rowland, 84. Nobel prize-winning chemist who sounded the alarm on the thinning of the Earth's ozone layer and crusaded against the use of chemicals that were harming earth's atmospheric blanket. March 10.

Michael Hossack, 65. Longtime Doobie Brothers drummer whose work is heard on the hits "Listen To The Music" and "China Grove." March 12. Cancer.

Censu Tabone, 98. Former Malta president who hosted a U.S.-Soviet summit that declared an end to the Cold War. March 14.

John Demjanjuk, 91. He was convicted of being a low-ranking guard at the Sobibor death camp, but his 35-year fight to clear his name made him one of the best-known faces of Nazi prosecutions. March 17.

Pope Shenouda III, 88. Patriarch of the Coptic Orthodox Church who led Egypt's Christian minority for 40 years during a time of increasing tensions with Muslims. March 17.

Chaleo Yoovidhya, in his 80s. Self-made Thai billionaire who introduced the world to "energy drinks" and co-founded the Red Bull brand. March 17.

King George Tupou V, 63. Tonga's king, who gave up most of his powers to bring a more democratic government to his Pacific island nation. March 18.

Lincoln Hall, 56. Mountaineer who was rescued a day after being given up for dead near the summit of Everest in 2006. March 21. Cancer.

Abdullahi Yusuf, 78. He rose from guerrilla warrior to president of Somalia only to watch his administration crumble under an Islamic insurgency. March 23. Complications from pneumonia.

Bert Sugar, 75. Iconic boxing writer and sports historian who was known for his trademark fedora and ever-present cigar. March 25.

Larry Stevenson, 81. Skateboard maker who helped take the pastime from an early 1960s kids' gimmick to a professional sport. March 25.

Earl Scruggs, 88. Bluegrass legend and banjo pioneer who profoundly influenced country music with Bill Monroe in the 1940s and later with guitarist Lester Flatt. March 28.

APRIL:

Miguel de la Madrid, 77. Former president of Mexico, who led his country from 1982 to 1988 during an economic crisis and a devastating earthquake. April 1.

Giorgio Chinaglia, 65. Italian soccer great and former New York Cosmos star. April 1. Complications from a heart attack.

Neslisah Osmanoglu, 91. Ottoman princess who married an Egyptian prince and was twice forced into exile when both royal households were abolished. April 2.

Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, 76. He designed Porsche's classic 911 sports car, the sleek model that evokes power, wealth and envy among aficionados. April 5.

Bingu wa Mutharika, 78. Malawi's president who was hailed as an economic hero and decried as an autocrat.. April 5.

Thomas Kinkade, 54. Artist whose paintings of idyllic landscapes, cottages and churches have been big sellers for dealers across the U.S. April 6.

Mike Wallace, 93. Dogged CBS reporter who took on politicians and celebrities in a 60-year career highlighted by on-air confrontations that helped make "60 Minutes" the most successful prime-time television news program ever. April 7.

Raymond Aubrac, 97. One of the last major figures of the French Resistance who got away from the Nazis' grasp in a now-legendary escape. April 10.

Ahmed Ben Bella, 95. Algeria's first president and a historic leader of its bloody independence struggle from France. April 11.

Julio Aleman, 78. Mexican television and movie actor who starred in the first telenovela ever produced in the country. April 11.

Arnold Maersk Mc-Kinney Moeller, 98. Denmark's richest man who created the country's largest enterprise, a shipping and oil conglomerate. April 16.

Dick Clark, 82. Ever-youthful television entrepreneur who helped bring rock 'n' roll into the mainstream on "American Bandstand," and later produced and hosted game shows and the year-end countdown from Times Square. April 19.

Levon Helm, 71. Key member of the rock group The Band who lent his voice to classics like "The Weight" and "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down." April 19.

George Cowan, 92. Manhattan Project scientist who also helped found the Santa Fe Institute. April 20.

Charles "Chuck" Colson, 80. Special counsel to President Richard Nixon who went to prison for his role in a Watergate-related case and became a Christian evangelical helping inmates. April 21.

George Rathmann, 84. As founding CEO he helped turn Amgen Inc. from a small company with an unclear mission in a strange new field into the world's largest biotech drugmaker. April 22.

George Vujnovich, 96. Intelligence agent who organized a World War II mission to rescue more than 500 U.S. bomber crew members shot down over Nazi-occupied Serbia. April 24.

Patricia Medina, 92. Actress who became a Hollywood leading lady in the 1950s opposite Glenn Ford, Alan Ladd, Karl Malden and Fernando Lamas. April 28.

Thomas Austin "Amarillo Slim" Preston Jr., 83. A poker champion whose brash style, fast talking and love of the spotlight helped broaden the professional game's appeal. April 29.

Tomas Borge Martinez, 81. Last surviving founder of the Sandinista guerrilla movement that overthrew Nicaragua's U.S.-backed right-wing dictatorship in 1979. April 30.

MAY:

Junior Seau, 43. Homegrown superstar who was the fist-pumping, emotional leader of the San Diego Chargers for 13 years. May 2. Apparent suicide.

Lloyd Brevett, 80. Renowned double bassist who helped carry ska music from Jamaica to the world as a founding member of the band The Skatalites. May 3.

Adam Yauch, 47. Also known as MCA, the gravelly voiced rapper helped make the Beastie Boys one of the seminal groups in hip-hop. May 4. Cancer.

George Lindsey, 83. He made a TV career as a grinning service station attendant named Goober on "The Andy Griffith Show" and "Hee Haw." May 6.

Dennis Fitch, 69. Airline pilot who helped save 184 people during a plane crash in Sioux City, Iowa. May 7. Brain cancer.

Maurice Sendak, 83. Children's book author and illustrator who saw the sometimes-dark side of childhood in books like "Where the Wild Things Are." May 8.

Vidal Sassoon, 84. Celebrity hairstylist whose 1960s wash-and-wear cuts freed women from endless teasing and hairspray. May 9.

Baby Andrei, 9 months. Romanian baby born with virtually no intestines who confounded doctors by tenaciously clinging to life and captured international attention and offers of medical help. May 10.

Gunnar Soensteby, 94. World War II resistance fighter who earned Norway's highest military decoration for daring raids against the Nazis. May 10.

Evelyn Bryan Johnson, 102. Known as "Mama Bird," she was a pioneering female pilot and Guinness world record holder. May 10.

Carroll Shelby, 89. Legendary car designer and champion auto racer who built the Shelby Cobra sports car and injected testosterone into Ford's Mustang and Chrysler's Viper. May 10.

Donald "Duck" Dunn, 70. Bassist who helped create the gritty Memphis soul sound at Stax Records in the 1960s as part of the legendary group Booker T. and the MGs. May 13.

Jim Abdnor, 89. Former Republican U.S. senator who ousted George McGovern from the Senate only to lose his seat after one term. May 16.

Chuck Brown, 75. Widely acclaimed as the "Godfather of go-go" for styling a unique mix of funk, soul and Latin party sounds. May 16.

Mary Richardson Kennedy, 52. Estranged wife of Robert Kennedy Jr.; her life's highlights and troubled moments played out publicly because of the famous political family she married into. May 16. Apparent suicide.

Doug Dillard, 75. Banjo player who helped shape rock 'n' roll and introduce the nation to bluegrass music during a run on "The Andy Griffith Show." May 16.

Donna Summer, 63. Disco queen whose pulsing anthems such as "Last Dance," ''Love to Love You Baby" and "Bad Girls" became the soundtrack for a glittery age of drugs, dance and flashy clothes. May 17.

Warda, 72. Algerian singer known by just one name whose sultry voice and range helped make her one of the giants of Arab song. May 17.

Frank Edward "Ed" Ray, 91. California school bus driver who was hailed as a hero for helping 26 students escape after three kidnappers buried them underground in 1976. May 17.

Katie Beckett, 34. Her struggles with disease and bureaucracy brought landmark changes to the federal-state Medicaid program allowing children with disabilities to live at home. May 18.

Abdel Baset al-Megrahi, 60. Libyan intelligence officer who was the only person ever convicted in the 1988 Lockerbie bombing. May 20.

Robin Gibb, 62. One of the three Bee Gees whose falsetto harmonies powered such hits as "Stayin' Alive" and "Night Fever" and defined the flashy disco era. May 20.

Eugene Polley, 96. Inventor of the first wireless TV remote control. May 20.

Eddie Blazonczyk, 70. Grammy Award-winning polka great who earned the nickname "Polka King" after starting his own band and label. May 21.

Wesley Brown, 85. First African-American to graduate from the U.S. Naval Academy. May 22.

Klaas Carel Faber, 90. Dutch native who fled to Germany after being convicted in the Netherlands of Nazi war crimes and subsequently lived in freedom despite attempts to try or extradite him. May 24.

Johnny Tapia, 45. Five-time boxing champion whose turbulent career was marked by cocaine addiction, alcohol, depression and run-ins with the law. May 27.

Doc Watson, 89. Grammy-award winning folk musician whose lightning-fast style of flatpicking influenced guitarists around the world. May 29.

JUNE:

Kathryn Joosten, 72. Character actress best known as Karen McCluskey on "Desperate Housewives" and the president's secretary on "The West Wing." June 2.

Adolfo Calero, 80. He led the largest force of U.S.-backed rebels against Nicaragua's Sandinista government in the 1980s and found himself entangled in the Iran-Contra scandal. June 2.

Richard Dawson, 79. Wisecracking British entertainer who was among the schemers in the 1960s TV comedy "Hogan's Heroes" and later the contestant-kissing host of the game show "Family Feud." June 2.

Herb Reed, 83. Last surviving original member of 1950s vocal group the Platters who sang on hits like "Only You" and "The Great Pretender." June 4.

Ray Bradbury, 91. Science fiction-fantasy master who transformed his childhood dreams and Cold War fears into telepathic Martians, lovesick sea monsters, and the high-tech, book-burning future of "Fahrenheit 451." May 5.

Bob Welch, 65. Former member of Fleetwood Mac who went on to write songs and record several hits during a solo career. June 7. Self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Ann Rutherford, 94. Actress who played the sweetheart in the long-running Andy Hardy series and Scarlett O'Hara's youngest sister in "Gone With the Wind." June 11.

Henry Hill, 69. Associate in New York's Lucchese crime family, a mobster and FBI informant whose life was the basis for the Martin Scorsese film "Goodfellas." June 12.

William S. Knowles, 95. Chemist who shared the Nobel Prize for discoveries that led to a treatment for Parkinson's disease and other medicines. June 13.

Crown Prince Nayef, late 70s. Interior minister who headed Saudi Arabia's fierce crackdown crushing al-Qaida's branch in the country after the 9/11 attacks and rose to become next in line to the throne. June 16.

Rodney King, 47. Black motorist whose 1991 videotaped beating by Los Angeles police officers was the spark for one of the most destructive U.S. race riots. June 17. Accidentally drowned.

Richard Adler, 90. Composer-lyricist who won Tony Awards for such Broadway musicals as "The Pajama Game" and "Damn Yankees" and who produced President John F. Kennedy's birthday celebration featuring a breathy Marilyn Monroe. June 21.

Barry Becher, 71. Infomercial pioneer best known for introducing American TV viewers to Ginsu knives, the miracle kitchen tool that sliced through tin cans and chopped wood. June 22.

George Randolph Hearst Jr., 84. Board chairman of Hearst Corp., oldest grandson of media titan William Randolph Hearst. June 25.

Nora Ephron, 71. Essayist, author and filmmaker who thrived in the male-dominated worlds of movies and journalism and was loved, respected and feared for her wit. June 26. Leukemia

Doris Singleton, 92. Actress who played Lucy and Ricky Ricardo's neighbor on "I Love Lucy." June 26.

Don Grady, 68. One of television's most beloved big brothers as Robbie Douglas on the 1960s hit "My Three Sons." June 27.

Norman Sas, 87. Mechanical engineer who created electric football, a tabletop game with a vibrating metal field and unpredictable plastic players that captivated children and grown-ups. June 28.

Doris Sams, 85. Pitcher and outfielder from Knoxville who helped inspire the movie "A League of Their Own." June 28.

Yitzhak Shamir, 96. Former Israeli prime minister who maintained that Israel should hold on to territory and never trust an Arab regime. June 30.

JULY:

Andy Griffith, 86. He made homespun Southern wisdom his trademark as a wise sheriff in "The Andy Griffith Show" and a rumpled defense lawyer in "Matlock." July 3.

Ernest Borgnine, 95. Beefy screen star known for blustery, often villainous roles, but who won the best-actor Oscar for playing against type as a lovesick butcher in "Marty" in 1955. July 8.

Eugenio de Araujo Sales, 91. Rio de Janeiro's former archbishop who provided shelter to thousands opposed to the military regimes that once ruled Brazil, Argentina and Chile. July 9.

Marion Cunningham, 90. Home-cooking champion whose legacy can be found in the food-spattered pages of "Fannie Farmer" cookbooks in kitchens across America. July 11.

Donald J. Sobol, 87. Author of the popular "Encyclopedia Brown" series of children's mysteries. July 11.

Dara Singh, 84. Bollywood action hero best known for his TV portrayal of the Hindu monkey god Hanuman. July 12.

Celeste Holm, 95. Versatile actress who soared to Broadway fame in "Oklahoma!" and won an Oscar for her portrayal of a lonely secretary in "Gentleman's Agreement." July 15.

Stephen R. Covey, 79. Author of "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" and three other books that have all sold more than a million copies. July 16. Complications from a bicycle accident.

Jon Lord, 71. British rocker and keyboardist whose driving tones helped turn Deep Purple and Whitesnake into two of the most popular hard rock acts in a generation. July 16.

Kitty Wells, 92. Singer whose hits such as "Making Believe" and "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels" made her the first female superstar of country music. July 16.

William Raspberry, 76. He became the second black columnist to win a Pulitzer Prize for his widely read syndicated commentaries in The Washington Post. July 17.

Forrest McCartney, 81. Retired Air Force lieutenant general and former director of Kennedy Space Center who was crucial in getting NASA's shuttles flying again after the Challenger tragedy. July 17.

Rajesh Khanna, 69. His success as a romantic lead in scores of Indian movies made him Bollywood's first superstar. July 18.

Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, 102. He was revered by Jews worldwide as the top rabbinic authority of this generation for his scholarship and rulings on complex elements of Jewish law. July 18.

Oswaldo Paya, 60. Cuban activist who spent decades speaking out against the communist government of Fidel and Raul Castro and became one of the most powerful voices of dissent against their half-century rule. July 22. Car crash.

Sally Ride, 61. She blazed trails into orbit as the first American woman in space. July 23. Pancreatic cancer.

Sherman Hemsley, 74. Actor who made the irascible, bigoted George Jefferson of "The Jeffersons" one of TV's most memorable characters and a symbol for urban upward mobility. July 24.

John Atta Mills, 68. He was elected president in the closest vote in Ghana's history and then led the West African country amid newfound oil wealth. July 24.

Chad Everett, 75. Star of the 1970s TV series "Medical Center" who went on to appear in such films and TV shows as "Mulholland Drive" and "Melrose Place." July 24.

Suzy Gershman, 64. Her "Born to Shop" travel guides have helped readers find where to browse and buy from Paris to Hong Kong. July 25.

Gore Vidal, 86. Author, playwright, politician and commentator whose novels, essays, plays and opinions were stamped by his immodest wit and unconventional wisdom. July 31.

AUGUST:

John Keegan, 78. British academic whose studies of men at war are counted among the classic works of military history. Aug. 2.

Martin Fleischmann, 85. British chemist who stunned the world by announcing that he had achieved nuclear fusion in a glass bottle. Aug. 3.

Chavela Vargas, 93. She defied gender stereotypes to become one of the most legendary singers in Mexico. Aug. 5.

Ignacy Skowron, 97. Last known Polish survivor of the opening battle of World War II. Aug. 5.

Mark O'Donnell, 58. Tony Award-winning writer behind such quirky and clever Broadway shows as "Hairspray and "Cry-Baby." Aug. 6.

Bernard Lovell, 98. Pioneering British physicist and astronomer who developed one of the world's largest radio telescopes exploring particles in the universe. Aug. 6.

Judith Crist, 90. Blunt, popular film critic for the "Today" show, TV Guide and the New York Herald Tribune whose reviews were at times so harsh that director Otto Preminger labeled her "Judas Crist." Aug. 7.

Carlo Rambaldi, 86. Special-effects master and three-time Oscar winner known as the father of "E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial." Aug. 10.

Joe Kubert, 85. Groundbreaking comic artist and educator best known for co-creating DC Comics' iconic Sgt. Rock character. Aug. 12.

Gregory Powell, 79. He was convicted of killing a Los Angeles police officer during an infamous kidnapping that inspired the true-crime book and movie "The Onion Field." Aug. 12.

Johnny Pesky, 92. Player who spent most of his 60-plus years in pro baseball with the Boston Red Sox and was beloved by the team's fans. Aug. 13.

Nellie Gray, 88. Founder and chief organizer of an annual anti-abortion march in Washington and a leader in efforts to overturn the Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion. Aug. 13.

Ron Palillo, 63. Actor best known as the nerdy high school student Arnold Horshack on the 1970s sitcom "Welcome Back, Kotter." Aug. 14.

Svetozar Gligoric, 89. Legendary Serbian and Yugoslav chess grandmaster who was the national champion 12 times and one of the world's top players in the 20th century. Aug. 14.

Tony Scott, 68. Director of such Hollywood blockbusters as "Top Gun," ''Days of Thunder" and "Beverly Hills Cop II." Aug. 19. Died after jumping from a bridge.

George Hickman, 88. One of the original Tuskegee airmen and a longtime usher at University of Washington and Seattle Seahawks games. Aug. 19.

Phyllis Diller, 95. Housewife-turned-humorist who aimed some of her sharpest barbs at herself, punctuating her jokes with her trademark cackle. Aug. 20.

Dom Mintoff, 96. Former prime minister of Malta who was in power when the island nation became a republic. Aug. 20.

Meles Zenawi, 57. Ethiopia's long-time ruler who held tight control over the country and was a major U.S counter-terrorism ally. Aug. 20. Undisclosed illness.

James Fogle, 75. He wrote "Drugstore Cowboy," an autobiographical crime novel that led to an acclaimed 1989 film starring Matt Dillon. Aug. 23.

Jerry Nelson, 78. Puppeteer behind a delightful menagerie of characters including Count von Count on "Sesame Street" and Gobo Fraggle on "Fraggle Rock." Aug. 23.

Neil Armstrong, 82. He became a global hero when as a steely-nerved astronaut he made "one giant leap for mankind" with a small step onto the moon. Aug. 25.

Juan Valdez, 74. Land grant activist who fired the first shot during a 1967 New Mexico courthouse raid that grabbed international attention and helped spark the Chicano Movement. Aug. 25.

Shulamith Firestone, 67. Feminist writer who published her influential "The Dialectic of Sex" at age 25 and then retreated into isolation and mental illness. Aug. 28.

Chris Lighty, 44. A hip-hop mogul who helped the likes of Sean "Diddy" Combs, 50 Cent and Mariah Carey attain hit records and lucrative careers outside music. Aug. 30. Apparent suicide.

SEPTEMER:

Hal David, 91. Stylish, heartfelt lyricist who teamed with Burt Bacharach on dozens of songs for movies, television and a variety of recording artists in the 1960s and beyond. Sept. 1.

Rev. Sun Myung Moon, 92. Self-proclaimed messiah who turned his Unification Church into a worldwide religious movement and befriended North Korean leaders as well as U.S. presidents. Sept. 3.

Michael Clarke Duncan, 54. Hulking character actor whose dozens of films included an Oscar-nominated performance as a death row inmate in "The Green Mile" and such other box office hits as "Armageddon," ''Planet of the Apes" and "Kung Fu Panda." Sept. 3. Heart attack.

Joe South, 72. Singer-songwriter who performed 1960s and '70s hits such as "Games People Play" and "Walk A Mile In My Shoes" and penned songs including "Down in the Boondocks" for other artists. Sept. 5.

Art Modell, 87. Former owner of the Baltimore Ravens and longtime NFL stalwart who incurred the wrath of Cleveland fans when he moved the team from Ohio. Sept. 6.

Verghese Kurien, 90. Engineer known as "India's milkman" who helped revolutionize the country's dairy industry despite his own dislike for milk. Sept. 9.

Stanley Long, 78. British filmmaker whose cheap and cheerful soft-core romps saw him dubbed the "king of sexploitation." Sept. 10.

Edwin Wilson, 84. Former CIA operative who was branded a traitor and convicted of shipping arms to Libya but whose conviction was overturned after he served 22 years in prison. Sept. 10. Complications from a heart valve replacement surgery.

Chris Stevens, 52. U.S. ambassador to Libya and a career diplomat. Sept. 11. Killed during an attack on a U.S. consulate in Libya.

Peter Lougheed, 84. As Alberta's premier, he turned the province into an oil-powered modern giant and an equal player in Canada's confederation. Sept. 13.

John Ingle, 84. Actor who for two decades played a scheming patriarch on the daytime drama "General Hospital." Sept. 16.

Andy Williams, 84. Silky-voiced, clean-cut crooner whose hit recording "Moon River" and years of popular Christmas TV shows brought him fans the world over. Sept. 25.

Avalanna Routh, 6. Her love for Justin Bieber ? she called herself Mrs. Bieber ? encouraged physicians and nurses at a Boston hospital to organize a pretend wedding to the pop star as she battled a rare brain cancer. Sept. 26.

Herbert Lom, 95. Czech-born actor best known as Inspector Clouseau's long-suffering boss in the "Pink Panther" movies. Sept. 27.

Barry Commoner, 95. Scientist and activist who raised early concerns about the effects of radioactive fallout and was one of the pioneers of the environmental movement. Sept. 30.

Turhan Bey, 90. Actor whose exotic good looks earned him the nickname of "Turkish Delight" in films with Errol Flynn and Katharine Hepburn before he left Hollywood for a quieter life in Vienna. Sept. 30.

OCTOBER:

Robert F. Christy, 96. Former California Institute of Technology professor who helped design the trigger mechanism for the atomic bombs used in World War II. Oct. 3.

Keith Campbell, 58. Biologist who worked on cloning Dolly the sheep. Oct. 5.

Eric Lomax, 93. Former British prisoner of war whose moving tale of wartime torture and forgiveness was being turned into a film. Oct. 8.

Paddy Roy Bates, 91. He occupied an abandoned fort in the North Sea and declared it the sovereign Principality of Sealand ? with himself as its prince. Oct. 9.

Sam M. Gibbons, 92. Former U.S. congressman who served 17 terms in Congress and rose to head the powerful Ways and Means Committee. Oct. 9.

Alex Karras, 77. Feared NFL defensive tackle who went into acting, playing the lovable dad in the 1980s sitcom "Webster" and the cowboy who punched out a horse in "Blazing Saddles." Oct. 10.

Basil Plumley, 92. Veteran whose unit's actions in Vietnam were turned into a book and then the movie, "We Were Soldiers." Oct. 10.

Arlen Specter, 82. Outspoken ex-U.S. senator from Pennsylvania whose switch from Republican to Democrat ended a 30-year career in which he played a pivotal role in several Supreme Court nominations. Oct. 14. Complications of non-Hodgkins lymphoma.

Norodom Sihanouk, 89. The revered former king who was a towering figure in Cambodian politics through a half-century of war, genocide and upheaval. Oct. 15.

Koji Wakamatsu, 76. Japanese director who ruthlessly challenged authority with the grotesque and sexual. Oct. 17. Traffic accident.

Sylvia Kristel, 60. Dutch actress and star of the hit 1970s erotic movie "Emmanuelle." Oct. 17. Cancer.

E. Donnall Thomas, 92. Physician who pioneered bone marrow transplants and won the 1990 Nobel Prize in medicine. Oct. 20.

Paul Kurtz, 86. He founded an international center devoted to debunking psychics and UFO claims, promoting reason over what he viewed as myths. Oct. 20.

George McGovern, 90. Former U.S. senator and a Democrat who lost to President Richard Nixon in 1972 in a landslide. Oct. 21.

Yash Chopra, 80. Bollywood movie mogul whose classic love tales made him the Indian film industry's "King of Romance." Oct. 21. Dengue fever.

Antoni Dobrowolski, 108. Oldest known survivor of the Auschwitz concentration camp, he was a teacher who taught defiance of his native Poland's Nazi occupiers. Oct. 21.

Russell Means, 72. Former American Indian Movement activist who helped lead the 1973 uprising at Wounded Knee and also appeared in Hollywood films. Oct. 22.

Eloy Gutierrez-Menoyo, 77. He went from commander fighting alongside Fidel Castro to a foe launching commando raids against Cuba before settling there as a pro-dialogue dissident. Oct. 26. Heart attack.

Letitia Baldrige, 86. The White House social secretary during the Kennedy administration, an authority on etiquette. Oct. 29.

Teri Shields, 79. She launched daughter Brooke's on-camera career when she was a baby and managed the young star into her 20s, sometimes with controversy. Oct. 31.

NOVEMBER:

Milt Campbell, 78. First African-American to win the Olympic decathlon in 1956, he went on to play professional football and become a motivational speaker. Nov. 2.

Frances Hashimoto, 69. Little Tokyo business and civic leader whose Los Angeles company popularized the Japanese-style treat known as mochi ice cream. Nov. 4. Lung cancer.

Patriarch Maxim, 98. He weathered a revolt over his communist-era ties to lead Bulgaria's Orthodox Christians for more than 40 years. Nov. 6.

Carmen Basilio, 85. He wrested the world middleweight boxing crown from Sugar Ray Robinson in 1957 and lost an epic rematch six months later. Nov. 7.

Darrell Royal, 88. Former Texas football coach known as much for his folksy approach to life as for his creative wishbone offenses and two national championships. Nov. 7.

Lee MacPhail, 95. Longtime baseball executive who ruled in the celebrated Pine Tar case and later became part of the only father-son Hall of Fame pairing. Nov. 8.

Bill Tarmey, 71. Actor who for 30 years played lovable rogue Jack Duckworth on the British soap opera "Coronation Street." Nov. 9.

Bernard Lansky, 85. Memphis retailer who helped a young Elvis Presley establish his flashy, signature clothing style in the 1950s. Nov. 15.

Bal Thackeray, 86. Hindu extremist leader linked to waves of mob violence against Muslims and migrant workers in India. Nov. 17.

Warren B. Rudman, 82. Former U.S. senator who co-authored a budget balancing law, championed ethics and led a commission that predicted the danger of terrorist attacks years before 9/11. Nov. 19. Complications of lymphoma.

Art Ginsburg, 81. Delightfully dorky television chef known as Mr. Food. Nov. 21.

Ewarda O'Bara, 59. Miami woman who spent 42 years in a coma. Nov. 21.

Larry Hagman, 81. Actor whose predatory oil baron J.R. Ewing on television's nighttime soap opera "Dallas" became a symbol for 1980s greed. Nov. 23.

Hector "Macho" Camacho, 50. Puerto Rican boxer known for skill and flamboyance in the ring as well as for a messy personal life and run-ins with the police. Nov. 24. Gunshot.

Joseph E. Murray, 93. Doctor who performed the world's first successful kidney transplant and won a Nobel Prize. Nov. 26.

Marvin Miller, 95. Soft-spoken union head who led baseball players in strikes and legal battles that won free agency, revolutionized sports and turned athletes into multimillionaires. Nov. 27.

Zig Ziglar, 86. Motivational speaker who wrote more than 30 books and focused on positivity and leading a balanced life. Nov. 28.

Inder Kumar Gujral, 92. Former prime minister who sought to improve India's relations with its neighbors during a term in office of less than a year. Nov. 30.

DECEMBER:

Jack Brooks, 89. Longtime Texas congressman who was in the Dallas motorcade in 1963 when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. Dec. 4.

Besse Cooper, 116. She had been listed as the world's oldest person. Dec. 4.

Dave Brubeck, 91. Jazz composer and pianist whose pioneering style in pieces such as "Take Five" caught listeners' ears with exotic, challenging rhythms. Dec. 5.

Ignatius Hazim, 92. Patriarch of a Damascus-based Eastern Orthodox Church. Dec. 5.

Oscar Niemeyer, 104. Architect who recreated Brazil's sensuous curves in concrete and built the capital of Brasilia as a symbol of the nation's future. Dec. 5.

Jenni Rivera, 43. California-born singer who became a superstar adored by millions in a male-dominated genre of Mexican-American music. Dec. 9. Plane crash.

Mary Ann Darling Fischer, 79. She gave birth to the U.S.'s first known surviving quintuplets in 1963 in an event that brought intense media interest in her family life. Dec. 9.

Norman Joseph Woodland, 91. He was the co-inventor of the bar code that labels nearly every product in stores and has boosted productivity in nearly every sector of commerce worldwide. Dec. 9.

Galina Vishnevskaya, 86. A world-renowned Russian opera diva who with her husband defied the Soviet regime to give shelter to writer Alexander Solzhenitsyn and suffered exile from her homeland. Dec. 11.

Ravi Shankar, 92. The sitar virtuoso who became a hippie musical icon of the 1960s after hobnobbing with the Beatles and who introduced traditional Indian ragas to Western audiences over an eight-decade career. Dec. 11.

Joe L. Allbritton, 87. He became one of Washington's most influential men through a media conglomerate of newspapers and television stations and a financial empire that once included Riggs Bank. Dec. 12.

Sheikh Abdessalam Yassine, 84. He was the charismatic religious leader of Morocco's largest opposition movement and longtime opponent of two Moroccan kings. Dec. 13.

Jack Hanlon, 96. He had roles in the 1926 silent classic "The General" and in two 1927 "Our Gang" comedies. Dec. 13.

Maurice Herzog, 93. He became the first person to scale an 8,000-meter peak but lost all his fingers and toes to frostbite on the way down. Dec. 14.

Daniel Inouye, 88. The Hawaii senator and influential Democrat who broke racial barriers on Capitol Hill and played key roles in congressional investigations of the Watergate and Iran-Contra scandals. Dec. 17.

Amnon Lipkin-Shahak, 68. A former Israeli military chief who later became a Cabinet minister. Dec. 19.

Robert H. Bork, 85. He stepped in to fire the Watergate prosecutor at President Richard Nixon's behest, and his failed 1980s nomination to the Supreme Court helped draw the modern boundaries of cultural fights over abortion, civil rights and other issues. Dec. 19.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/final-goodbye-roll-call-died-2012-215857723.html

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