Compare that to:

When John Lennon died, at least one fan, Colleen Costello, committed suicide.

When Elvis Presley died, “some” fans killed themselves. Does anyone know how many?

When Kurt Cobain, the Nirvana frontman died in 1994, at least one fan killed himself.

When Hide of top Japanese band X-Japan committed suicide on 2nd May 1998, 3 fans died in copycat suicides.

When Arsenal lost the 2009 Champions League tie to Manchester United on 6th May, Gunners fan Seuleiman Alphonso Omondi of Kenya killed himself while wearing an Arsenal shirt.

At least one fan of Japan’s national football team killed himself over its failure to qualify for the 2006 World Cup.

Paula Abdul’s fan, Paula Goodspeed, 30 killed herself in 2008.

Some milestones:

Robert Duncan (1919-1988), poet, the first important American to come out, in 1944.

Sam Adams, first openly gay mayor of a major city (Portland, Oregon, USA), who was elected in May 2008. He came out in 1993.

Jane Addams (1860 – 1935), a founder of the U.S. Settlement House movement, awarded Nobel Peace Prize in 1931, probably the first openly gay person to win a Nobel Prize.

Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir (b. 1942), Iceland Prime Minister since 1 Feb 2009, the world’s first openly gay head of government of the modern era.

Waheed Alli, Baron Alli (b 1964), British multimillionaire media entrepreneur and politician, the youngest and first openly gay peer in the British Parliament in 1998, aged 34. One of world’s very few out gay Muslim politicians.

Justin Fashanu (1961 – 1998), the first English professional footballer to come out (1990) & Britain’s first GBP1 million black footballer. Hanged himself in May 1998.

Sir Elton John (b. 1947), British musician, probably the world’s most famous living gay person. One of the most successful artists of all time, has sold over 200 million records, 5 Grammys & an Oscar. Came out as bisexual in 1976 and a homosexual about a decade later.

Greg Louganis (b. 1960), American diver who won back-to-back Olympic titles in both the 3m and 10m diving events (1984 & 1988), probably the most famous gay athlete of all time.

Axel Axgil (b. 1915) and Eigil Axgil (1922 – 1995), Danish gay activist, the world’s first gay couple to enter into a civil union on 1st October 1989. They had been an item for 40 years.

Gene Robinson (b. 1947), the first openly gay, non-celibate priest to be ordained a bishop (in 2003) in a major Christian denomination believing in the historic episcopate.

Rembert Weakland (b. 1927), the former Roman Catholic Archbishop of Milwaukee (1977 to 2002), who, in May 2009, in the process of writing a memoir, came out as gay.

Edward II (1284 – 1327?), probably the first gay English king?

Rob Halford (b. 1951), lead vocalist for the heavy metal band Judas Priest, probably the most famous gay classic hard rock / heavy metal frontman. He came out in 1998.

For those old enough to have seen her in the original Charlie’s Angels, you’d surely remember this poster sporting THAT hair. That hairstyle was copied by millions of young women. She was an international sex symbol in the 1970s and 1980s:

Heck, I can even remember this poster being displayed in my house in the village!

The photo shoot for the original poster was held in 1976 by Pro Arts Inc., and first published in Life magazine the same year.

Her husband at that time was another hugely popular star, Lee “The Six Million Dollar Man” Majors.

RIP, Ferrah Leni Fawcett.

Reported sequence of events leading to his death on 25th June 2009:
(i) morning: collapsed at a house in Los Angeles.
(ii) 12:21pm: The Los Angeles Fire Department got a 911 call.
(iii) 12:30pm: The Los Angeles Fire Department arrived. Jackson was not breathing, no pulse detected. Someone was performing CPR, the paramedics took over while at the same time…
(iv) Rushed to UCLA Medical center. Jackson fell into a coma, died shortly after. There is a large crowd outside the hospital.
(v) 2:26pm: pronounced dead. Cause of death: cardiac arrest.
(vi) 26th June: autopsy scheduled.

He is survived by 3 children. The news of his death overshadowed the death of another cultural icon, one of the original Charlie’s Angels, Farrah Fawcett who died a few hours earlier, at 9.28am at another hospital in Santa Monica, also in the state of California.

Achievements:
(i) One of the biggest names in entertainment history, on par with the Beatles and Elvis Presley.
(ii) His album Thriller (1982) is the world’s top selling album of all time: 109 million copies sold worldwide.
(iii) His other albums are also among the world’s best sellers of all time: Off the Wall (1979): 20 million, Bad (1987): 30 million, Dangerous (1991): 32 million & HIStory (1995): 20 million.
(iv) one of the few artistes to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame TWICE.
(v) multiple world record holder, including:
- most number of Grammy Awards: 13
- most number of US Hot 100 number one singles as a male solo artiste: 13
(vi) more than 750 million albums sold worldwide.

It’s only natural that his death made headlines around the world, not least amongst bloggers.

Earlier this morning:

He was in not one but FOUR of the top 10 stories in Google Blog Search.

He was in not one but FIVE of the top 10 stories in Alexa.com, a web stats tracking company.

He was the top story in Technorati.

He was the top story in Digg, and already one of the most dugg of all time, at more than 14,000. Probably only Kevin Rose’s DVD key posting at almost 50,000 diggs got more.

That corresponds to the time that modern humans began colonising Europe.

The most well-preserved of the flutes was assembled from 12 pieces of griffon vulture bone scattered in a small plot. Together, they made a 8.6 inch (22 cm). It has 5 finger holes and two “V”-shaped notches on one end: apparently the mouthpiece:

Fragments of 2 other flutes were also found, believed carved from mammoth tusks.

The total number of flutes found is 8: 4 made of mammoth ivory and the others from bird bones.

This would suggest that music-playing was part of daily life as far back as 40,000 years ago!

I wonder what melodies they played!

The scientists wrote why music is important:

Music could have contributed to the maintenance of larger social networks, and thereby perhaps have helped facilitate the demographic and territorial expansion of modern humans relative to a culturally more conservative and demographically more isolated Neanderthal populations.

Even more tantalazingly, Prof Chris Stringer of the Natural History Museum in London said:

I think the occurrence of these flutes and animal and human figurines about 40,000 years ago implies that the traditions that produced them must go back even further in the evolutionary history of modern humans - perhaps even into Africa more than 50,000 years ago.

We might well be on the path to discover the music Adam and Eve sung to!

Source
The BBC, 25 June 2009

- 1 in 4 men in South Africa *may* have raped someone.
- Even more shockingly, almost half of that have attacked more than one person.
- 73% who admitted rape have attacked for the first time while still in their teens.
- 1 in 20 men said they had raped a woman or girl in the past year.
- Perhaps most shockingly, 1 in 10 men said they had been raped by other men.
- About 3% said they had raped another man or boy.

Practices like gang rape were common because they were considered “a form of male bonding.”

South Africa has a total population of about 48 million, hence there could easily be millions of rapists there.

According to a survey for the period 1998–2000 compiled by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, South Africa was ranked first in the world for rapes per capita. The rate has shown no signs of abating, resulting in country being referred to as the “rape capital of the world”.

Source
The BBC, 18 June 2009

Rinto and Charles were members of the legendary band The Mercy’s (1972-1978).

However even these two combined could not produce an album whose musical standards surpassed everything (at least in Indonesia, or even Malaysia) that has been done before or since. Produced in 1973, it is still my favourite album in the Malay-Indonesian language.

As soundtrack to a film of the same name, all the songs there were written by A Riyanto (1943 - 1994).

Here’s a list of songs from that album and other songs he’s written:

Angin Malam- Broery Marantika

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohc4FtdzSF4

Cari Kawan Lain- The Favourite’s Group

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PVNkmPAoLw

Malam Minggu Yang Mesra- Broery Marantika (the video is Jamal Abdillah’s version)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UstvtgjvLRU

Rinduku Tiada Yang Tahu - Endang S Taurina

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edYM_MKd9uU

Bunga Dan Kumbang - Endang S Taurina

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTPUNPrmDMQ

Hati Lebur Jadi Debu - Jamal Mirdad (a cover version by Hetty Koes Endang is arguably the more popular version)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUmcLIs-w30

Kau Yang Sangat Kusayang - Rano Karno

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMLVwybvGys

Biarkan Bunga Berkembang - Broery Marantika

Kasih Sayang- The Favourite’s Group (video shows 6ixth Sense’s version)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvVNLb8VD_U

Nasib Pengembara- Emillia Contessa

Mimpi Sedih- Emillia Contessa

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qZphPfF-9s

Penghibur Hati- Emillia Contessa & Benjamin S.

Layu Sebelum Berkembang- Emillia Contessa

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVkIK79PBtI

Setangkai Anggrek Bulan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zVKTCYtBzk

Tetty Kadi - Senandung Rindu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7dQz3nyFkk

Others

Kecoak Nungging - sung by Benjamin S (Akhir Sebuah Impian OST)
Bertamasya (instrumental number) (Akhir Sebuah Impian OST)
Endang S Taurina - Apa Yang Kucari
Endang S Taurina - Dia Yang Kucari
Endang S Taurina - Kejamnya Manusia

Both members of the legendary Indonesian band The Mercy’s, they shared songwriting duties, and in fact, I think he wrote the bulk of the band’s greatest and most popular songs, such as:

Tiada Lagi [quite possibly their signature song]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLYzMaIxOcU

Usah kau harap lagi

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYFB4wE-wJ0

Jauh Disayang

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KX_HKf9pr-c

Semua Bisa Bilang

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-G4OrrU_Pk

Dalam kerinduan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0t0hZlXkm8I

Untukmu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-lrt5lmdK0

Biarku Sendiri

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwrgE7oGB1s

Baju Baru

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSgnkv5UxRc

Hidupku sunyi

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYXC2h5HK1I

Penebus Dosa [I just heard this for the first time just now, and was absolutely smitten]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72-WpjlYPO4

Well, what do you think? Who is the better songwriter?

Of course he’s got stiff competition - Indonesia has many excellent songwriters, like Charles Hutagalung, Obbie Messakh, Bartje Van Houten, Ebiet G Ade, Arie Wibowo and more recently, Ahmad Dhani (Dewa19). And it has to be mentioned that A Riyanto composed all the songs in the monumental Achir Sebuah Impian soundtrack, not even Rinto could top that.

Rinto was a member of the legendary band The Mercy’s, of which the late Charles Hutagalung was also a member.

Here are some of his best compositions, you can bet you can find these in all karaoke bars in this region:

Betharia Sonatha - Kau Tercipta Untukku

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtE8FWIov0g

The Mercy’s - Oh Adinda Sayang

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENhdVeLLKfY

Diana Nasution - Benci Tapi Rindu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRJcF5tnNyc

I’is Sugianto - Nasibku Nasibmu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7WAbj3G0ZM

I’is Sugianto - Jangan Sakiti Hatinya

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fk0HmbuV9Tg

Christine Panjaitan - Tangan Tak Sampai

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQPKzOmDEaE

Diana Nasution - Aku Tak Tahan Lagi

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X53QLMj5WIw

Rita Butar Butar - Seandainya Aku Punya Sayap (probably the greatest ever Indonesian female vocalist)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k67DbY9YO-4

Betharia Sonatha - Aku Ingin Cinta Yang Nyata

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UFOcsBcVAs

Hetty Koes Endang - Dingin
Christine Panjaitan - Jangan Simpan Tangismu
Betharia Sonatha (?) - Masih Adakah Rindu
The Mercy’s - Dendang Melayu
Nur’Afni Octavia - bila kau seorang diri
The Mercy’s - Ayah
The Mercy’s - Love
The Mercy’s - Tak sedetikpun

The mother of 2, who had only given birth to her second son, a premature baby on 1st June while having been critically ill for weeks, died in intensive care on 14th June 2009.

She had “underlying health problems.”

If it was any consolation, the baby does not have the virus.

The death rate is now 1 in 200 infections.

There have been almost 500 people in Scotland infected, mostly in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, 9 now being hospitalised.

As for England, 752 have been infected, mostly around Birmingham.

As for the whole of Great Britain, more than 1,000 have been infected.

As for the rest of Europe, 680.

Worldwide, there have been 145 confirmed deaths, mostly in Mexico and the US.

Now this is getting scary, you could get infected even while shopping for home lighting in your local supermarket!

Source
The Guardian (UK), 15 June 2009