Obituaries for 2019

[jmyrlefuller]

The post did not violate forum rules. However, we would prefer to keep political commentary to a minimum on the Obits thread. Thanks for your cooperation.

Point taken. I will not speak ill of the deceased but I will forever speak ill of those who seek to exploit them for their own personal gain.

[mountaineer]

Point taken. I will not speak ill of the deceased but I will forever speak ill of those who seek to exploit them for their own personal gain.

It would be difficult to avoid speaking ill of those would-be exploiters of the dead!

[Cyber Liberty]

Point taken. I will not speak ill of the deceased but I will forever speak ill of those who seek to exploit them for their own personal gain.

@jmyrlefuller

We appreciate your running this thread for a second year.  You have our continued support for taking care of a sometimes difficult Topic.   

[musiclady]

It would be difficult to avoid speaking ill of those would-be exploiters of the dead!

Amen!

[Gefn]

@Gefn  The problem isn't cancer. It's "CANCERS". Many,many different varieties that all need to be treated differently,and some that can't be treated at all. Medicine has made amazing progress treating the various forms of cancer over the last 20  years or so,but it seems like everytime they get to understand one form and develop a treatment for it,another strain pops up. It's like trying to play "whack a mole".

And for some forms,there are treatments,but there is no cure. They can just delay the inevitable and make life a little more pleasant than it would have been otherwise. LOTS of this often depends on how soon they find it because many types CAN be cured if they find it early enough.

@sneakypete I know my brain says you are right but after all I went through in the last two years with my best friend/fiancé , including my diagnosis of his cancer, my heart is saying I hate this and it was a nightmare of what it did to my best friend. And I hate it for taking him away from me.

@Victoria33 i don’t know how you recorvrd from your losses and I’m so sorry.

If I have more to say I’ll say it on a members only thread. Not here. Mods, I’m sorry if I took away from this thread I didn’t mean to

[TomSea]

Alexei Leonov, first human to walk in space, dies at 85
Oct. 11, 2019, 12:53 PM CDT
By Reuters

Leonov became the first human to conduct a space walk, an episode that lasted 12 minutes and 9 seconds.


MOSCOW - Alexei Leonov, who became the first human to walk in space in 1965, died on Friday at the age of 85 after a long illness, Russia's TASS news agency reported.

Though less well known internationally than Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space, Leonov was a household name in his native Russia and will be remembered in particular for his role in the 1965 Voskhod-2 mission.

During that flight, one of two he made into space in his career, Leonov became the first human to conduct a space walk, an episode that lasted 12 minutes and 9 seconds.

https://www.nbcnews.com/mach/news/alexei-leonov-first-human-walk-space-dies-85-ncna1065131

[TomSea]

Tom Cotton
@TomCottonAR
RIP Michael Uhlmann, a patriot, a teacher, & a fine man.

Matthew Continetti
@continetti
Michael Uhlmann, 1939-2019, was a wit, raconteur, and formidable intellect. I will miss him, and I know I'm not alone. @ClaremontInst

The American Mind

    Claremont Institute

The American Mind
The Struggle Ahead

Michael M. Uhlmann

replying to The Editors’s piece
Features

Michael Uhlmann accepts the Henry Salvatori award after a half-day Master Class on the scholarship of Harry Jaffa.

Thank you, Ryan, for your generous remarks. My thanks, too, to the board of the Claremont Institute for their kindness in bestowing this award upon me. It is a pleasure and a privilege to be associated with all of you.

Anyone who tells you he doesn’t enjoy hearing his virtues being lied about isn’t telling the truth. Encomia of the sort you just heard are usually reserved for wakes, where the corpse, while present, isn’t expected to say anything. Tonight will be different. I tried to beg off when informed that the board had awarded the Salvatori Prize to me. I changed my mind upon learning that the winner was required to make a speech. Now you’re stuck. Get over it.

More: https://americanmind.org/features/2018-fellowship-alumni-retreat/the-struggle-ahead/

So, I'm not familiar with the gentleman but apparently he was well thought of.

[sneakypete]

MOSCOW - Alexei Leonov, who became the first human to walk in space in 1965, died on Friday at the age of 85 after a long illness, Russia's TASS news agency reported.

One of humanities true heroes.

[sneakypete]

Only the likes of you would call someone in the USSR military a hero. 

Thanks for pointing out what we already knew.

@catfish1957

You are obviously a deep thinker. MP? Cook? Cook for a MP unit?

Just out of curiousity,how would you refer to the Russian helicopter crews who flew the loads of cement right over the exploding reactors at Chernobyl to try to seal them off to minimize the spread of the radiation?

[verga]

Only the likes of you would call someone in the USSR military a hero. 

Thanks for pointing out what we already knew.

Anyone, regardless or national origin, that risks their life in the furtherance of of scientific knowledge or exploration is by definition a hero.

[Smokin Joe]

Only the likes of you would call someone in the USSR military a hero. 

Thanks for pointing out what we already knew.

Like it or not, heroic deeds are not confined to those who wear our uniform, nor implied solely by putting that uniform on.
This is something understood by pilots who met in combat in WWII (and even shot each other down) and who met after the war and even became friends.

Yes, I'd call that man a hero, too.

If he had rushed into a burning building to save babies, would you call him a hero, regardless, or defame that act as well?

[Applewood]

Can't we have one thread where we aren't fighting about stupid *bleep*?

Sheesh!  The man is dead.  Say "rest in peace" or don't.  But keep the politics and your malevolent personal feelings out of it.

[Cyber Liberty]

Can't we have one thread where we aren't fighting about stupid *bleep*?

Sheesh!  The man is dead.  Say "rest in peace" or don't.  But keep the politics and your malevolent personal feelings out of it.

Agreed.  We'll be simply deleting comments that disrespect the dead, and other Members.

[PeteS in CA]

From W'pedia's article about Leonov, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexei_Leonov#Early_life_and_education :

Leonov was born in Listvyanka, West Siberian Krai, Russian SFSR. In 1936, his father Arkhip was arrested and declared an "enemy of the people". Leonov wrote in his autobiography: "He was not alone: many were being arrested. It was part of a conscientious drive by the authorities to eradicate anyone who showed too much independence or strength of character. These were the years of Stalin's purges. Many disappeared into remote gulags and were never seen again." In 1948 his family moved to Kaliningrad.

In 1957 Leonov graduated from the Chuguev military pilots' academy in the Ukrainian SSR.

Leonov seems to have had a better grasp on Stalin's atrocities than do many US Libs & Progs. To go from graduating from the pilots academy to being selected for cosmonaut training in just 3 years suggests he was both a good pilot and a good learner.

[Applewood]

Agreed.  We'll be simply deleting comments that disrespect the dead, and other Members.

Thanks.  I was going to suggest locking the thread till certain members sobered up.  LOL

[corbe]

   There seems to be so much strife among the living about the dead, Sad.  What about that old saying your mama use to say 'If you can't say something nice......'.

   I want to take this opportunity to Thank @jmyrlefuller for doing this OBIT thread for these years, I'd be suicidal by now.

[Applewood]

   ...
   I want to take this opportunity to Thank @jmyrlefuller for doing this OBIT thread for these years, I'd be suicidal by now.

Same here.  In fact, I give all the mods props for keeping this whole forum under control. 

To @jmyrlefuller   
 

[sneakypete]

Can't we have one thread where we aren't fighting about stupid *bleep*?

Sheesh!  The man is dead.  Say "rest in peace" or don't.  But keep the politics and your malevolent personal feelings out of it.

@Applewood

To be honest,heroes who advance the knowledge of mankind at GREAT personal risk by leaping into the unknown,are worth fighting over. I can't even begin to imagine the courage it took for him to get into ANY capsule to leave the bounds of Earth and circle the planet,never mind one build and designed by politically-connected committees in the USSR.

People today are still applauding what Christopher Columbus did when he sailed away from Spain a few hundred years ago,that pales by comparison to the risks this man knowingly took. Yeah,by that time they were pretty sure they could get him into orbit,but getting him back to Earth safely was the big deal.

And given the situations that existed in the USSR at that time,we all knew the Soviets would either keep the whole thing quiet if he didn't make it back,or present another astronaut and claim he was the one that reached Earth orbit and returned to make a safe landing. He knew that,too.

If we can't celebrate heroes who risked it all to advance the knowledge and future of mankind,who IS worth celebrating?

[Gefn]

@Applewood

To be honest,heroes who advance the knowledge of mankind at GREAT personal risk by leaping into the unknown,are worth fighting over. I can't even begin to imagine the courage it took for him to get into ANY capsule to leave the bounds of Earth and circle the planet,never mind one build and designed by politically-connected committees in the USSR.

People today are still applauding what Christopher Columbus did when he sailed away from Spain a few hundred years ago,that pales by comparison to the risks this man knowingly took.

If we can't celebrate heroes who risked it all to advance the knowledge and future of mankind,who IS worth celebrating?

Anyone who leaves the world a better place then when they came into it. Anyone who inspires one person. So shines a good deed in a weary world

[sneakypete]

Anyone who leaves the world a better place then when they came into it. Anyone who inspires one person. So shines a good deed in a weary world

@Gefn


I completely agree,but also take note there are different degrees of "shine".

[jmyrlefuller]

Agreed.  We'll be simply deleting comments that disrespect the dead, and other Members.

Thank you.

I was at church this morning so, I didn't catch the offending comments until now.

Unless they're universally recognized as evil or a cause of harm to society, don't speak ill of the deceased. Mr. Leonov was neither.

[Applewood]

@sneakypete
@catfish1957

Can't find a link to it now, but I remember an interview with John Glenn where he said something to the effect that most people have no idea how dangerous it was (and still is) to be an astronaut, especially in the early days of the program, but still today.  He said that for all the great scientific minds behind the program and all the state of the art technology, these guys and gals were and are  literally flying by the seat of their pants.  No one can guarantee whether they or the capsule they are flying in will survive the mission.

Astronauts, cosmonauts -- however we feel about the countries they represent -- and believe me, I am no fan of Russia and wasn't of the former Soviet Union -- these men and women are true heroes for risking their lives for the advance of knowledge. 

[sneakypete]

@sneakypete
@catfish1957

Can't find a link to it now, but I remember an interview with John Glenn where he said something to the effect that most people have no idea how dangerous it was (and still is) to be an astronaut, especially in the early days of the program, but still today.  He said that for all the great scientific minds behind the program and all the state of the art technology, these guys and gals were and are  literally flying by the seat of their pants.  No one can guarantee whether they or the capsule they are flying in will survive the mission.

Astronauts, cosmonauts -- however we feel about the countries they represent -- and believe me, I am no fan of Russia and wasn't of the former Soviet Union -- these men and women are true heroes for risking their lives for the advance of knowledge.

@Applewood

I couldn't agree more,and can't imagine the size of a stick you would have had to beat me with to get me into a 60's Soviet space capsule. You can bet your bippy there would have been fingernail drag marks all over the cement leading to the capsule.

[musiclady]

@sneakypete
@catfish1957

Can't find a link to it now, but I remember an interview with John Glenn where he said something to the effect that most people have no idea how dangerous it was (and still is) to be an astronaut, especially in the early days of the program, but still today.  He said that for all the great scientific minds behind the program and all the state of the art technology, these guys and gals were and are  literally flying by the seat of their pants.  No one can guarantee whether they or the capsule they are flying in will survive the mission.

Astronauts, cosmonauts -- however we feel about the countries they represent -- and believe me, I am no fan of Russia and wasn't of the former Soviet Union -- these men and women are true heroes for risking their lives for the advance of knowledge.

The problem with the Soviet Union is that everyone was part of the apparatchik- even the scientists and cosmonauts.

Not speaking I’ll of the dead- the man was very brave- but keeping in mind the complete evil of the Soviet Union, and that he was part of the system.



Repeating......... this is a criticism of the Soviet system and the power they had over everyone, not of the cosmonaut himself.

[sneakypete]

@musiclady

The problem with the Soviet Union is that everyone was part of the apparatchik- even the scientists and cosmonauts.

It was a much bigger problem that most people realized. The Soviets were so paranoid that their scientists that worked on space ships and sattelites,and all the associated work forces like mechanics,electricians,clerks,etc,etc,etc all had to live in a closed city with no one living there that didn't work in that industry. They needed to get official permission to leave,and anyone who wanted to visit them had to get official permission to come visit.

It was such a closed off little world that after Communism collapsed several former Soviet scientists complained that they weren't even allowed to talk to each other if they had a new idea and some part of that idea was dependent on a field outside their own. The truth is most of their scientific advances came from stolen western technology.

Which means their launch rockets,crew capsules,computers,and everything else right up to their telephone systems were stolen from the west and "hacked together" to work with maybe one part of the system stolen from the US,another part of the same system stolen from the French,etc,etc,etc.

They also live in a nation where ONLY the successful rocket launches were ever announced. Nobody knew about the failures except for the people at the launch site that day,and "Rumor Control". Even the Soviets couldn't stop "Rumor Control".

I'm telling ya,their astronauts had some serious stones. Especially the first few because nobody really knew if it was going to work or not. Yeah,there was a good chance they could launch a rocket into orbit,but it gets VERY tricky once it is in orbit.