Carrie Fisher

I saw this on the BBC and thought you should see it: Star Wars actress Carrie Fisher dies -

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-38446753

Good Gods!

I’ve got the news on ... and the BBC’s news channel has just announced the death of Star Wars star, Carrie Fisher.

I don’t know about you, but that film, and her part in it, were a big part of my childhood.

AND, I think, the reason why science fiction are now so huge.

I’m quietly shocked and saddened to hear the news: after all, I — like many, I suspect — were hoping she’d recover from her recent heart attack.

The woman who touched so many, AND help change the face of science fiction … ?

Will be missed.

The Daily Teaser — 11-1-2016

JESUS!

I don’t know if I was ever a music fan.

Or a fan of David Bowie.

I DO know I, like many of us, had grown up on the man’s music: and thoroughly enjoyed the singles he’d put out over the years.

AND the few albums of his I’d bought.

I’ve woken up, this morning, and been shocked when I turned on the news.

David Bowie died, overnight, after an 18 month battle with cancer.

Someone who’d only released his most recent album on Friday — his 69th birthday.

I’m … 

Shocked.

Wilko Johnson survived pancreatic cancer: one of the nastier forms of the disease.

How on EARTH could David Bowie not?

Either way … ?

My condolences go to his family.

I know I’m in shock: their grief will only be greater.

~≈Ê≈~

Sir Terry Pratchett — 28 April 1948 to 12 March 2015: Oh … Fuck …

Yes … 

I know … 

I don’t USUALLY swear in title of a post, here on Nik Nak’s Old Peculiar.

No, really … 

But I’ve just LITERALLY got home from my mothers.

I’ve been mowing her lawn, today, so you know.

There’s ALSO very few days when a piece of news makes me feel physically sick.

Today’s the day both happened.

Today is the day Sir Terry Pratchett — Alzheimer’s sufferer, Assisted Death campaigner, writer, ex-journalist, former publicity man for three nuclear generators, and, frankly, my literary hero — died.

And believe me, writing the word ‘died’ is possibly the most hideous word I can imagine writing.   And the most difficult.

Today, Terry Pratchett died.

And, right now … ?

I, along with many others, feel as if I’ve lost a friend.

~≈®≈~

BBC News - US astronaut Neil Armstrong dies, first man on Moon

BBC News - US astronaut Neil Armstrong dies, first man on Moon 

Oh … 

Now THAT’S a tragedy, that really is.

Not the fact that I’ve missed catching a movie, tonight: I can do that at any free moment.

But the reason I thought I’d not.

Quite simply … ?

The fact that news just started to filter in — initially via Stephen Fry on Twitter — of the death of possibly the world’s — certainly the USA’s — most private hero.

Neil Armstrong.

Oh … My … Lord … 

I think in this day and age, there are very few people who could claim to be genuine world shakers.

He and Yuri Gagarin were.

Simply by being the men they were, doing the things they did, they showed us we could go out there.

The world and its people cannot be the same, because of Neil Armstrong.

The rest of us?

Can only be his followers.

RIP
Neil Armstrong
August 5, 1930 - August 25, 2012

The Daily Teaser — 20-08-2012

Oh, now that’s sad, that really is.

I’ve got to admit, I’ve got the news on, in the background.

And was mildly shocked to hear that director, Tony Scott, has died.

It seems Mr Scott — director of Top Gun, amongst other films — jumped from the Vincent Thomas Bridge in Los Angeles, late at night..

Like I say, that’s both saddening … and shocking … 

And, I think, shows how NOT stigmatising mental health issues can help the sufferer seek some form of help for whatever troubles them.

Let’s move on, shall we … ?

Before I make everyone’s day worse, telling them about the death of Scott McKenzie … 

☱☲☴☲☱

Yesterday’s Teaser saw Debbi* putting in her answers: along with complimenting my DJ’ing skills, the day ALSO saw her bagging 5 out of 5.

Let ’s see how she — and you — do with today’s Teaser, shall we?   Here they are, along with the ‘How To’, License and video … 

Q1) 20th August, 1926, saw the founding of Japan’s public broadcaster, the NHK: what does NHK stand for … ?

Q2) More to the point, what’s the English translation of that company’s name … ?

Q3) 20th August, 1920, saw American Football’s NFL established: what does NFL stand for … ?

Q4) More to the point, how many teams were in the NFL, in that first year … ?

Q5) 20th August, 1975, saw NASA launch the Viking 1 probe at Mars: what’s the name of NASA’s recently landed Mars rover … ?

Q6) And finally … 20th August, 1960, saw which country break away from the Mali Federation … ?

And here’s yesterday’s question’s and answers …

Q1) 19th August, 43 BC, saw Augustus Cæsar elected as Consul of Rome: was this as part of the First, Second or Third Triumvirate … ?

A1) The Second Triumvirate.

Q2) More to the point, name either of the other two members of that Triumvirate …

A2) Mark Anthony, also known as Marcus Antonius and Marcus Aemilius Lepidus.

Q3) 19th August, 1612, saw the start of of the Samlesbury Witch Trials: in which English county is Samlesbury … ?

A3) Lancashire.

Q4) 19th August, 2012, will be marked by British Muslims as Eid al-Fitr: the formal end of which celebratory month … ?

A4) Ramadan.

Q5) And finally … 19th August, 1945, saw the Viet Minh take power in which Vietnamese city … ?

A5) Hanoi.

Enjoy those, everyone: I’ll leave you with this tune from Kraftwerk, as a nod to founder member, Ralf Hütter … 

And this quote from a certain Mr Howard Phillips Lovecraft …

“The frontier of the unknown can never do more than scratch the surface of eternally unknowable infinity.”

H. P. Lovecraft, August 20, 1890 – March 15, 1937

In light of the news, today, I’ll ALSO leave you with this interview with the late Tony Scott … 

And a last word from the equally late Scott McKenzie …

*        Naaaah … I’ve no-where to put the kit … !   Besides, I’d REALLY not want to end up like these two … 

R.I.P. Anne McCaffrey, Creator of Pern and The Ship Who Sang

R.I.P. Anne McCaffrey, Creator of Pern and The Ship Who Sang

Oh … Now THAT’s another sad one …

Lifelong science fiction fan that I am, I’ve got to admit, I’ve read a certain amount of Anne McCaffrey, in my time.

Mostly her Dragonriders of Pern series, which had both one of the strongest female characters I know I’ve ever seen, Lessa of Bendan Weyr.

So you can imagine my saddest in hearing that Ms McCaffrey had died on Monday, just gone, at the age of 85.

That’s sad.

I know I once met fantasy writer, Storm Constantine who called Ms McCaffrey ‘inspirational’.

I’m also fairly convinced there’s who’d say the same.

All I can do … ?

Is offer my condolences to her family.

AND did up my old copy of Dragonflight …

In Memorium: Nan

You know, that is strange, that …

Strange …

And sad, as well …

You see, I’ve just had some rather sad news.

Do you ever remember me telling you about a little pub called The Sir Charles Napier?

I don’t know if you will or you won’t, frankly.

But just to fill you in … ?

The Napier was a tiny little community pub at the unfashionable end of Brentwood High Street.

And run, up until the day it was shut down and demolished, by the woman officially remembered in her obituary in this weeks Brentwood Gazette as Elvina Leber.

But I think that I and many others only ever knew as Nan: that’s her in the top photo.

Well …

I’ve got to admit, I found out today — on the day of her funeral — that she’d died.

Which will probably tell you several things.

For a start … ?

Well, for starters, how well I read that part of the Gazette.

And, secondly, quite how private her and her family are.

I can’t say I blame them: I think this day and age, when everyone and their parrot are on Facebook, Twitter and Google+, it’s sort of refreshing.

»»·««

But … ?

But I’ll be honest, finding out Nan had died, did leave me feeling shocked … !

Although I do know Nan had been seriously ill for some time, she like one or two others I’ve known, had seemed so alive.

Alive …

And bloody stubborn, actually …

You see, Nan had been the person who — outside of Denise, at the Hutton — been the first person to hire me to do a pub quiz.

The first to hire me to do a quiz at a pub I wasn’t working at.

And … ?

Well, I know this, Nan was a damn hard woman to pitch to.

But also a very good landlady.

And very protective: of her pub, customers, workers and those she’d hired as entertainment.

I’m pleased to have been one of the latter.

Oh, she could be difficult: and give you a hard time …

But on the upside … ?

It’s very rare to have found an employer that could be wise AND offer good advice …

AND be fun.

Which Nan definitely was.

RIP Nan.

RIP Amy Winehouse

Oh …

That’s …

Well, quite a few thing’s, actually …

Calling it a shame seems to be understating things.

Yeah see, the only thing that’s knocked the news of the attacks on Oslo off the metaphorical front pages … ?

Is what’s scrolling down the metaphorical screens, as I write …

Sadly … ?

Sadly, today see’s the death of singer and song-writer, Amy Winehouse.

There’s no official confirmation, as I write …

But plenty of indications, going by the BBC’s news channel.

««·»»

Including reports that Amy’s label, Island, weren’t happy with the progress of her third album, both in terms of how long it was taking … and the quality of the material they’d received, thus far …

Hmmm …

Now …

««·»»

Gosh, isn’t it surprising how much you can think of to say, when something like this happens … ?

Says I.

I’ll be honest, I’m sort of struggling for words, here.

You see …

I was never much of a fan of hers.

Oh, don’t get me wrong, I liked what I heard of her songs.

And, although I don’t know if I’ll go as far as calling her a genius — it hasn’t taken long for reporters and commentators to start throwing the word around — I was certainly impressed with what I heard of Back to Black, her seminal second album.

So, yes, I’ll happily say this is a loss: to her fans and family.

But I have a very strange view of these things.

««·»»

You see …

Well …

The main thing I’m thinking, here, is that Amy famously had substance issues.

Or possibly I should say notoriously.

But that’s what gets me, here.

You, I’ll happily confess to having my own issues with the booze and fags over the years.

I’ve also known people who’ve had more serious substance abuse issues, as well.

People who’ve — in various ways — come through them.

And I’ll stress come through them.

And I’m thinking, here, that that’s where the tragedy really lies, in a way.

The recovering substance abusers I’ve met — are for the most part — the first people to admit that their drug use has given them problems, and that it’s taken a long time for them to get into recovery.

And they’d ALSO admit that they’re happier, now, they have been whilst using.

And — here’s the key part — that they’re generally grateful to be where they are, today: in spite of their past.

That’s kind of what I’m thinking, here.

Amy Winehouse is now dead.

And what I’m thinking is the tragedy …

Is that she’s not alive to say “In Spite Of Her Past”, for herself.

Hmmm …

I think that’s where I’ll leave this …

But as a last couple of thoughts … ?

Well, I can’t help but play this to you, only a few weeks after she’d announced she’d changed her mind about this …

And …

Well, leave you with the question, from Valerie … “Why don’tcha come and see me … ?”

BBC News - Columbo star Peter Falk dies aged 83

BBC News - Columbo star Peter Falk dies aged 83

Good lord … !

I’ve got to admit, I’m mildly surprised, I really am.

Well.

Surprised …

Not not necessarily shocked.

You see, I’ve just seen a Tweet from actor, writer and comedian Stephen Fry float past in my timeline.

Saying he’d heard the news that actor — and star of Columbo — Peter Falk had died.

At the age of 83.

Now, I’m not sure if old age was the death of him …

But I do know he’d Alzheimer’s, in the past few years.

Bizarrely …

Bizarrely, I’m pretty positive I’d’ve hated to have been his family, these last few years.

»»·««

I’ve a reason for saying that, before you interrupt …

You’ve probably worked put I’m a Terry Pratchett fan, haven’t you … ?

I am …

And part of what made the news Terry Pratchett being diagnosed with a form of early on-set Alzheimer’s was the simple fact that the disease had killed a much loved grandmother of mine, in the end.

I know this is going to sound harsh: but I’m really not that worried, having seen what Alzheimer’s can do.

But Peter Falk’s death … ?

I’m thinking Peter Falk’s death, after a struggle with possibly one of the nastier diseases this world can throw at a person … ?

I’m going to be contentious, here, and tell you what I think I and many others would have said, not long after losing a relative to this condition …

I’m thinking Peter Falk’s family will feel a certain measure of relief.

After all, what died today … ?

Was only his body.

Alzheimer’s would’ve killed his mind — a mind that entertained so many — a long time ago …

»»Ω««

Smiley Culture: In Memorium

Good lord … ?

I’ve got to admit, I’ve just come across a sad bit of news.

Depending, of course, on whether you’re a fan of reggae, or not.

Actually, I’ve got to admit, I’m not.

But I’m also honest enough to admit that I — like a lot of people my age — have listened and enjoyed plenty of it, over the years.

Including to a couple of tracks by the now late David Emmanuel.

Better known to my generation as Smiley Culture.

Who died, earlier today, during a police raid.

Smiley only had two really big hits here in the UK, Police Officer and Cockney Translation.

But in so doing … ?

Introduced Britain to the Jamaican-style sound-system, the basis for more forms of Jamaican music than I think anyone’s got time to list.

And, at least in my case … ?

In releasing Police Officer put a HUGE smile on my face.

Here.

Enjoy … !

In Memorium.

David Emmanuel, AKA Smiley Culture.

c. 1962 – 15 March 2011.

Leslie Nielsen, RIP

Oooh …

Now that’s sad to hear.

I’ve just heard on the news that actor, Leslie Nielsen has died.

So, before I go to work, I thought I’d post up a couple of videos with the man himself.

«•»