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Why Such a Sad Title?
A couple years ago I wrote a Bad Year blog. The System was busy in 2021, what with the plague and all, and I took the liberty of whining about it. This year has been even worse. In just this July, I've had three old friends die, and a fourth earlier this year.
Dear The System:
Get lost!*
Sincerely,
Richard
This may not be the most appropriate time to be tweaking The System, which is more than capable of taking its revenge. Nonetheless, when one is sad, vexed, and frustrated, one can do inappropriate things with or without prior consideration.
Bob (Robert L.) Deitsch-14 February 2023 (79)Bob was a co-worker at WABC in the '60s. This picture was taken on the "WABC Radio Cruiser." Bob has the sunglasses, I have the hair. In addition to being a good friend, he contributed his initials to several Eventide products! Bob was a philosopher. Really! Degree from Columbia University in philosophy, so of course he became a broadcast engineer, a field in which he had a long and mostly satisfying career. After dating a different good friend of mine, one still extant and healthy, he married Janet Parker, and had children (one of each) who all survive him and whom I believe are doing well. Although I hadn't seen Bob in person for years, we did keep in touch. One of the last times we spoke he told me, with astonishing good cheer, "I'll be dead within the year." He did better than that by a few months.
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Suzanne Langle-18 July 2023 (81)I like my photo much more than I do the one in the linked obituary. I'm pretty sure she would, too and if I'm wrong, well... I met Suzanne in the mid-'60s. She was at the time the partner of my late college roommate Joe Shapiro, the subject of this blog's first obituary. When I met her she was artistic and acerbic. She remained both, leaving behind a remarkable legacy of 2D and 3D arts. (Two of the 3D ones—suzanimals as I call them—have been guarding my house for a decade.) She met Nick Rose in England about 30 years ago, I think it was Joe who introduced them. They have been partners ever since. Oddly, I knew Nick casually before he met Suzanne, and much better since then. He's a wonderful (and remarkably tolerant, in some respects) fellow. I think I mentioned above that Suzanne was acerbic. I purchased a small airplane in 1986. By way of congratulation, she purchased a book for me: "How to Avoid Probate."
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Stephen M. Katz-15 July 2023 (78) |
Pictures and story on yesterday's blog |
Muriel Hykes-28 July 2023 (67)Muriel was the wife of Paul Shuch and, as he put it, the SETI League Den Mother. Paul was the Executive Director of the SETI League and remains thus, with an emeritus added to his title. I met Muriel around '95. She was a very practical person. Here's a quote from the obituary Paul wrote for her: “let me get this straight. You’re being asked to give up a tenured Full Professorship, a job for life backed by the taxing authority of the State, in order to pursue fringe science on soft money. How can you possibly pass up a deal like that?” I'll let Paul tell the rest of her story. |
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It is still 2023
I still have some old friends. Be Careful! All of you!
* Family friendly
| © 2023 |
| Richard Factor |
NP: "Shadows Breaking Over My Head" The Left Banke |
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ToTD If I remember correctly, The Robot Mart was colocated with the Computer Mart, run by Stan Veit at Polk's Hobby Shop. Unlike the others memorialized in this blog who died in 2023, Stan left us 2010. |
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