RIP - Page 11

Uncwilly · 2012-12-09, 13:59

xilman · 2012-12-09, 19:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncwilly

Very sad.

His first Sky at Night was broadcast when I was less than a month old. I watched the final episode earlier this week, though I did comment at the time to SWMBO that Patrick wasn't looking at all well.

He certainly helped inspire me to take up astronomy. Like him, only in an amateur capacity; unlike him nowhere near as competently or as influential.

Like many other people, I met him on a few occasions, mostly at BAA meetings. He was "eccentric" (nutty as a fruitcake IMO) but generous, likeable and interesting. Despite being rabidly right-wing in his politics he redeemed himself in my eyes by serving as finance minister for the Official Monster Raving Loony Party.

Not long after its publication I picked up a copy of Bureaucrats, And How To Annoy Them by R.T. Fishall. It was obvious at a glance that the work was published under a pseudonym. It was several weeks before I found out that the author was Patrick Moore. The working hypothesis is that it is impossible to beat bureaucrats --- the only way of retaliating is to make their lives miserable. One piece of guidance has stuck in my memory over the years. If officialdom requires that you pay them something, you should pay them slightly more and plausibly so. If, for instance, some tax or fee or other baksheesh comes to £34.47 you should sent them £34.74. Thereafter they will be obliged to write to you to draw attention to your error. Occasionally they will enclose a cheque for 27p but often they will require that you acknowledge your mistake and will give instructions on how to correct it. Even if the former takes place you still have the satisfaction of having wasted at ten minutes of their time and many times 27p. I should dig out the book again and remind myself of other tactics.

Actually, I had fun in similar vein with the Inland Revenue back when I was a student, but that's another story.

Flatlander · 2012-12-09, 21:35

I will miss him.

I was thinking to myself when I watched this month's episode that he looked happy rather than ill. He must have known.

I never met him but I did manage to park briefly outside Farthings in Selsey in 2008 and have a butcher's! Too shy to knock for a cuppa.

Edit:
Then there is the photo of me talking to the waxwork Moore at the planetarium!

Edit2:
These anecdotes are not to be used as evidence in a court of law.

Uncwilly · 2012-12-12, 02:43

Jenni Rivera

She joined the club of American musicians that have perished in flight, many in ill-advised flights or severe lapse of judgement by the pilot.
Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, J.P. Richardson 1959
Bar-Kays 1967
Ronnie Van Zant, Steve Gaines, and Cassie Gaines 1977
Reba McEntire's Band (Chris Austin, Paula Kaye Evans, Terry Jackson, Kirk Cappello, Michael Thomas, Tony Saputo, and Joey Cigainero) 1991
Aaliyah 2001
Bill Chase and band 1974
Buddy Clark 1949
John Denver 1997
Cowboy Copas 1963
Bill Graham 1991
Keith Green 1982
William Kapell 1953
Dean Paul Martin
Glenn Miller 1944
Grace Moore 1947
Ricky Nelson 1985
Otis Redding 1967
Jim Reeves 1964
Randy Rhoads 1982
Philippa_Schuyler 1967
Jud Strunk 1981
Melanie Thornton 2001
Stevie Ray Vaughan 1990

kladner · 2012-12-12, 03:10

That's a long, and very sad list. Stevie Ray Vaughan bought the farm at Ravinia, in the North Shore suburbs of Chicago when his helicopter lifted off and flew into a hill side.

Dubslow · 2012-12-12, 03:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by kladner

That's a long, and very sad list. Stevie Ray Vaughan bought the farm at Ravinia, in the North Shore suburbs of Chicago when his helicopter lifted off and flew into a hill side.

According to Wiki, it was in East Troy, WI. (But don't worry; I've been both to Ravinia multiple times and to two different camp sites in East Troy multiple times. Also, I was born three years to the day after his burial.)

kladner · 2012-12-12, 03:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dubslow

According to Wiki, it was in East Troy, WI. (But don't worry; I've been both to Ravinia multiple times and to two different camp sites in East Troy multiple times. Also, I was born three years to the day after his burial.)

My bad. I wrote from (obviously faulty) memory. Thanks for filling in my lapse.

Xyzzy · 2012-12-12, 04:11

Quote:

Birger Stromsheim, Hero on Skis in an Anti-Nazi Raid, Dies at 101

Sounds like a real-life Norwegian version of Force 10 from Navarone there.

That story sounds very similar to one found in this book about sinking a barge full of heavy water.

Dubslow · 2012-12-12, 06:31

Ravi Shankar

kladner · 2012-12-12, 06:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dubslow

Ravi Shankar

Sigh. What an artist. And what a humorist in explaining his art.

EDIT: RIP with glorious music from you and your peers.

xilman · 2012-12-21, 12:01

I've just learned via David Broadhurst that Richard Crandall died yesterday.

2012-12-09, 13:59	#111
Uncwilly 6809 > 6502 """"""""""""""""""" Aug 2003 101×103 Posts 2638₁₆ Posts	Sir Patrick Moore

2012-12-09, 21:35	#113
Flatlander I quite division it "Chris" Feb 2005 England 100000011101₂ Posts	I will miss him. I was thinking to myself when I watched this month's episode that he looked happy rather than ill. He must have known. I never met him but I did manage to park briefly outside Farthings in Selsey in 2008 and have a butcher's! Too shy to knock for a cuppa. Edit: Then there is the photo of me talking to the waxwork Moore at the planetarium! Edit2: These anecdotes are not to be used as evidence in a court of law. Last fiddled with by Flatlander on 2012-12-09 at 21:51

2012-12-21, 12:01	#121
xilman Bamboozled! "𒉺𒌌𒇷𒆷𒀭" May 2003 Down not across 10,753 Posts	Richard Crandall I've just learned via David Broadhurst that Richard Crandall died yesterday.

2012-12-12, 02:43	#114
Uncwilly 6809 > 6502 """"""""""""""""""" Aug 2003 101×103 Posts 2³×1,223 Posts	Jenni Rivera She joined the club of American musicians that have perished in flight, many in ill-advised flights or severe lapse of judgement by the pilot. Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, J.P. Richardson 1959 Bar-Kays 1967 Ronnie Van Zant, Steve Gaines, and Cassie Gaines 1977 Reba McEntire's Band (Chris Austin, Paula Kaye Evans, Terry Jackson, Kirk Cappello, Michael Thomas, Tony Saputo, and Joey Cigainero) 1991 Aaliyah 2001 Bill Chase and band 1974 Buddy Clark 1949 John Denver 1997 Cowboy Copas 1963 Bill Graham 1991 Keith Green 1982 William Kapell 1953 Dean Paul Martin Glenn Miller 1944 Grace Moore 1947 Ricky Nelson 1985 Otis Redding 1967 Jim Reeves 1964 Randy Rhoads 1982 Philippa_Schuyler 1967 Jud Strunk 1981 Melanie Thornton 2001 Stevie Ray Vaughan 1990

2012-12-12, 03:10	#115
kladner "Kieren" Jul 2011 In My Own Galaxy! 2·3·1,693 Posts	That's a long, and very sad list. Stevie Ray Vaughan bought the farm at Ravinia, in the North Shore suburbs of Chicago when his helicopter lifted off and flew into a hill side.

2012-12-12, 06:31	#119
Dubslow Basketry That Evening! "Bunslow the Bold" Jun 2011 40<A<43 -89<O<-88 3×29×83 Posts	Ravi Shankar