How about this guy for starters? Dean Karnazes ran 50 marathons in 50 days. Now he does 200 miles just for fun. Here's a guy who trained himself to urinate whilst running! Attaboy!

Tim Berners-Lee:- on the BBC and in the Wiki.

I bet that the Sentinel has recorded the passing of Arthur C. Clarke. A Somerset lad forever to be remembered for his belt!

I feel that we should mark here the passing of Geoff Davies, pacemaker pioneer.

Here's an esteemed gentleman that I've been meaning to get up here for a while. Dr. Joel Nobel, the founder of ECRI. It's amazing (not to mention humbling) how one man has achieved so much. Especially in (what must have been a real minefield back then ...) the area of the regulation of medical equipment, and "best practice" regarding life-cycle aspects of equipment selection, acquisition, and in-service technical support. So much of what we take for granted these days stems back to Dr. Joel.

Here's one that I cannot let passed unnoticed. Humbling. And truly inspirational. And about time the record was put straight!

In the second link, you may like to note what Florence had to say about Mary! Professional jealousy ... or was something else going on?

For those of you who may not know Kevin's story!

How about the great Artist

Looks kind of tired, though, don't he? Must be that all that laying down on the job ain't so good for you after all! A genius in the old-fashioned sense, maybe.

But what about that contemporary genius guy, the other Michael, who has just "left the room" (in the Elvis sense)? A recording artist who brought joy to millions, and who was loved by most. A guy who kept the world amused, bemused and entertained for years, who has now moved on to the next level whilst owing $$$ millions to lawyers, miscellaneous hangers-on, and other such parasites. Yeah, another star shines brightly in the sky tonight, for sure.

RIP Jacko. You won after all!

What about this man whose discovery has taken the medical and technical development of x-ray then in the 20th century to what we see today.

Actually, the list is endless!

I think the love/hate split was about 50/50 actually Geoff.

People have short memories, Mate. As I say, most (unable to think for themselves, perhaps) just follow the fickle daily mood of the Common Herd.

And ... meanwhile Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'!

And ... meanwhile Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'!

Hi Geoff

I recall spending many a long hour removing sand , dust and camel C**p from the inards of those old Walkmans. Our nursing colleagues were always more than grateful for the repair --- happy times!!!

I always wondered how you whiled away the hours down in the Snake Pit (notice that I didn't say Nurses' Quarters)!

Flippin' Heck, Mate. You're off down Memory Lane again! Who do you think you are? Me?

Geoff

Even in the ether of the Dark Side you reach an age when you become a totally boring old f**t and memories are all you've got left. A genius, maybe, interesting , yeh --- if anyone wants to listen!

As to being "You" -- I can only agree with your regular rants on the forum and often consider putting my "oar in" regards Government, NHS, life as an Ex Pat blaa blaaa blaaaa but the forum would become the Hannis / Horton show ( maybe add the Dowman person in for luck!)

Yeah, you're right Old Friend ... time perhaps to step aside and give these young pups their chance. The question is, though, Mate ... are they up to it?

DELUSIONS OF GRANDEUR!!!

Yeah, you're right ... Terry always was a bit of a show-off!

If the passing of the King of Pop does nothing else (apart from divide opinion, remind us to be very careful about choosing our friends, and fuel newspaper and magazine sales, and all that stuff), then surely it gives us pause to address our own mortality?

It is, after all, a somewhat sobering tactic, especially when you're in full-on mode, to ask yourself just what your epitaph (or obituary, if you're likely to warrant that level of attention) is likely to say?

Myself, I find encouragement in that if a guy in the state he was in (physically, "spiritually" and mentally) could still get up there on the set, dance around and belt out (albeit by way of the "lip-syncer", or whatever) twelve songs ... then what excuse do I have not to soldier on in my own modest fashion, with just a few age-related "deficiencies", aches and pains?

"Keep On With The Force Don’t Stop" (?)

Don't know if this link will work, but give it a go. I seeem to find out about the most interesting people only if they have just died and their obituary appears in the paper.

The obit was much more interesting than this dry description. It admitted that at least his first (8? or 14?) patients died despite his attempts at helping, but his designs were real ingenuity and he was constantly working on improvements. He used sausage skins for the first attempts at dialysis!

The other thing that made me smile was that his wife divorced him as they were approaching their tenth decade, because she said he spent too much time on his work. He never really retired...

So here's to someone who really did something amazing. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willem_Johan_Kolff

Nowadays, we'd get nowhere this way, because garden shed engineering is not seen as good enough, but that is pretty much how he started out.

And thanks for posting up Mary Seacole. Nightingale is often portrayed as a sort of comforting angel, but I think she was more likely not to mix too much with the patients, and stick to the cleaner jobs like inventing the pie chart...

A bit like our wonderful "degreed" nurses of the present day, then ( ... sorry, but you really lined me up for that one)!

But, Dr.Pim, yes ... worthy for sure!

I'm pleased that you made that note about Mrs.Pim, by the way. Well, that's women for you. They (most of 'em, that is) just don't get it, do they?

After 60 years, it was bound to prove too much - you have to draw a line somewhere!

Which reminds me of:-

"She was only the architect's daughter, but she knew where to draw the line"!

Steve Jobs ... a true visionary and a man who made a real difference!

RIP.

OK ... it's back to maths (not to mention Genius Guys).

Only two people matter...

James Dean for everything we are, look like, wear, eat and drive..
and..
Buddy Holly for everything we listen to..

Nobody, but nobody, has had a bigger influence on todays western cultures than these two. Without them, our world would be totally unrecogniseable now..

OK ... if you *say so.

Anyway, where have you been all this time? Oh, right ... out polishing the car. To each his own, and all that.

* In your world, perhaps. Each of us inhabit our own version of reality, after all.

Yes ... perhaps that's why she is so often held up as a role model for our present day nurses.

To be honest, I doubt that many would find it easy to live up to the letter of the Nightingale Pledge nowadays.

Not so sure about having invented the pie chart, though. The way I read it, the Lady with the Lamp was really more of an "early adopter".