[Nicola_Red]

I know, I'm so shocked. Something about drug and alcohol related deaths always really touches me. I think it's having an addictive personality - I didn't even know he had been an addict, but I just get this sudden rush of empathy. Anyway, yeah, he was a great actor. RIP.

[The Deadly]

Without wanting to sound deliberately callous I don't have a lot of sympathy for people who die in this way. That's not to say it isn't sad though. If you inject herion then you're playing with fire. It's a lifestyle choice.

[Nicola_Red]

Well yeah, when people are adults, they know the risks. It's understanding addiction as a disease that is the crucial thing.

[Zenon]

Stuart Hall - not the paedo presenter - but the cultural theorist has died.

http://www.theguardian.com/education/20 ... -hall-dies

[swaddon1903]

Former child star and the youngest ever Academy Award winner Shirley Temple has died aged 85.

[swaddon1903]

Actor and film director Harold Ramis, probably best known for playing Egon in Ghostbusters, has died aged 69.

[Topher]

At the age of 52, Bob Crow has died - so young, very sad.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-26527325

[dimtimjim]

Does this mean the trains will get better now?

[Topher]

Well I think it's sad - I agree with what Ken Livingstone said: "His members are one of the few groups of working class people who have still got well paid jobs." He stood up for his members passionately. He's also Boris' worst enemy, ergo a good bloke.

[The Deadly]

I won't speak ill of the dead but let's just say I'm not too upset.

[chrysostom]

I'd bide my time to see who replaces him.

The thing is, this could mean a softer (more diplomatic) touch coming in that could actually lead to progressive discussions between unions & government (perish the thought!) - or it could mean one of his disciples could step up and raise the stakes, widening the gap of understanding & expectation.

His experience meant he'd know how far he could push it without losing the majority of public sympathy - but someone more gung ho could easily overplay their hand in an attempt to make a statement.

[Topher]

I want to echo what Yudster said (she might put it on here anyway, but...)

"Controversial character but huigely important in terms of employment rights and keeping employment legislation balanced and not tipped totally in favour of the employer like it mostly is in America."

"Trades Unions are organisations that every employed person in theis country owes a huge debt to whether they know it or not."

[Yudster]

You could have edited out my typos....

[The Deadly]

Veteran Labour MP Tony Benn has died. Fantastic politician.

[Bonanzoid]

Bad few days for leftism.

[swaddon1903]

Clarissa Dickson Wright, one of the Two Fat Ladies from TV, has died aged 66.

[Nicola_Red]

Fashion designer L'Wren Scott has been found dead at her home, aged 49. I just heard it on whatever crappy commercial radio station we have on in the office and they didn't even say her name, only identifying her as "the girlfriend of Mick Jagger". Ugh.

[Topher]

I'd never heard of her, but the Star, Mirror and Mail ran the same particularly classy* photo on it the other day:

* by which I mean completely tasteless.

[Bruvva]

Tasteless of them to print the picture but not of you to post it on the internet?

[Topher]

Hmm.. point taken. 'Twas not meant as such and I thought as so many people had seen them it would be okay, but I do see where you're coming from - I'll remove.

[The Deadly]

I don't think you should remove them. You're drawing attention to what a bunch of heartless wankers the Daily Mail are. It should be applauded.

[Topher]

Well, the readership of all three papers, plus the Twitter followers of The World at One editor Nick Sutton (who posts the #tomorrowspaperstoday front pages) have seen them already - basically it's a picture of Mick Jagger apparently at the moment he'd discovered she died.

[dimtimjim]

bit like the O.P. trial currently running in the news... Yes its shocking, and yes its newsworthy, but the way it all being dealt with in the media is pish.

"Wife commited suicide? Say cheeeeeeese!"

Wrong.

[chrysostom]

Anyhow, the picture is very unpleasant. Says a thousand horrible words.

[Nicola_Red]

Yeah, that's grim. I know lots of people who aren't interested in fashion hadn't heard of L'Wren Scott, (I had), but seeing any woman only identified as "wife/girlfriend of [famous successful man]" is not very nice. It reminded me a lot of the way many news reports didn't (and sometimes still don't) name Reeva Steenkamp, Oscar Pistorius' girlfriend. She wasn't famous at all in this country, but she was still a person in her own right with parents and other family, and deserved to be named.