Ideas and possibilities for 2007

[in eternum+ 22]

He's 96 years old and I'm told he looked very frail indeed at a recent anti-fascist meeting.

Were you at the anti-fascist meeting, or was he?

[Alphonsin 1]

Auschwitz survivor Leon Greenman OBE, author, market trader and activist. He wrote the books "Leon Greenman, Auschwitz Survivor 98288" and "An Englishman in Auschwitz"

 

Here he talks about his funeral:

 

 

10 June 2001

The Mail on Sunday

 

Holocaust survivor Leon Greenman hopes that, after death, he'll be reunited with his murdered wife and son

 

Before my body is buried, I'd like the area of skin on my arm with my Auschwitz identification number branded on it to be removed and exhibited in a museum. I haven't approached a surgeon about this procedure yet, but I would definitely like it done. I have friends, most of whom are dead, who had their numbers surgically removed. I have never contemplated doing that. I have grown fond of my number - 98288. Above all, it is proof that I was there.

 

I think the man who wrote my birth certificate must have been drunk and made a mistake because I don't feel 91. If someone had told me, during the three years, from 1942 to 1945, that I spent in Auschwitz, that I would still be alive at 91, I would not have believed them. With the exception of my knees, which ache from time to time, I feel fine. I hope I will live for a long time yet, though I am not afraid of death in the way I was at the beginning of the war.

 

During the Holocaust, I saw piles of bodies burned until all that was left of them was a heap of bones. These were ground into ashes and buried deep in the ground. There were no plaques then. The marble memorials came after the war. Seeing hundreds of people being given no funeral of any kind changed the way I looked at death, and particularly the way I thought about my own.

 

I deliberately don't think about it now. All I hope is that I have a gravestone which can be read as a testimony of my life and a plea for peace and an end to racism.

 

I should not have been sent to the camps in the first place because I was a British subject. My wife Esther, our baby, Barney, and I were waiting for a letter that would prove our nationality but it did not arrive in time. We pleaded with the Nazis before boarding the train and tried to explain that a mistake was being made, but we were ignored.

 

Months later, I met a Dutchman at Auschwitz. He had been working in administration at the time we were mistakenly taken away. He told me he would never forget the name 'Greenman'. 'Why?' I asked, puzzled. He said that 15 minutes after the train had taken us off to Auschwitz, a letter was opened by the officials which acknowledged my British nationality and exempted us from being taken away. If the clerk at the station had opened his morning post a little earlier, we would have been saved.

 

Our journey to Auschwitz took 36 hours. That was 36 hours without food or drink. During that time my wife and I took it in turns to hold the baby. I said to her: 'If I should not come back, you should marry again. If you do, marry a man who will be good to our baby.' She asked me to do the same. We were thinking of our little son.

 

When we arrived at Auschwitz, we were forced to leave our blankets behind, although it was snowing. I remember spotting piles of suitcases embedded in the snow. I didn't realise that they had been brought by people who were no more. Women were told to go to the right and men to the left. Some of the young women were taken off separately - at the time, I did not realise why.

 

Of the 700 people who had arrived, 50 men, of whom I was one, were chosen for slave labour. Only two of us returned home.

 

Inside the barracks, we had to empty our pockets. I held out my birth certificate, which proved that I was a British national, but it was torn from my hands. A voice from behind me cried out: 'Where are our wives and children now?' The SS guard pointed wordlessly upwards. Later, we understood that he meant 'through the chimney'. Our wives and children were gassed shortly after they arrived. They were then cremated and their ashes and smoke passed through the chimneys and up to heaven.

 

We teetered on the brink of death for three years in the camps, so there was plenty of time to think about it. Hunger, beatings and 'selection' were our most feared enemies. Every three or four weeks, we were taken into a room and stripped naked. If you appeared physically weak, you were directed to the left: that meant the gas chamber. If you were directed to the right, you were allowed to live. Luckily, my body never gave up - it is still going strong to this day.

 

There were moments when I wanted to die. Some threw themselves at the electric fence, if they got close enough. When the British and Americans began bombing, I hoped that I would be killed.

 

Once, when I saw a man being beaten, I started praying to God. I promised that, if spared, I would tell the world what happened in those camps. I have tried to do this and, in 1998, the Queen awarded me an OBE for my efforts. I am glad to be alive now; there is so much more to do.

 

I would like a religious funeral, held in a synagogue, though I was a much better Jew before the war than I am today. I am not afraid of death any more. If God wants me to die in five minutes' time, or next week, then I am ready. If he wants me to live, then he will have his own idea why.

 

Many people have asked me, 'How can you believe in God after all that has happened to you?', and I have no answer to that question. The war robbed me of my wife and our child, and it stripped me of my trust in others - but I still believe.

 

I am unsure about the existence of an afterlife or what that word might mean. But I do believe that I am being looked after from above, and I feel a certain spirituality. More than anything, I would very much like to believe that I will be reunited with the loved ones I have lost.

 

I once discussed my funeral with my sister-in-law, telling her that I would like to be cremated and have my ashes scattered at Auschwitz, where I last saw my wife and child. She was shocked. She managed to persuade me that Jews should not be cremated, and so I have revised my plan.

 

I think that I would like to be buried beside my synagogue in South Woodford, east London. I have no preference for music, or who shall attend; I only ask that I am not forgotten.

 

'An Englishman at Auschwitz' by Leon Greenman is published by Vallentine Mitchell on June 28, priced at 11.95.

[DevonDeathTrip 2,356]

He's 96 years old and I'm told he looked very frail indeed at a recent anti-fascist meeting.

Were you at the anti-fascist meeting, or was he?

 

He was. I was told by someone else who was there.

[DevonDeathTrip 2,356]

The Mayor of Pittsburgh has cancer of the brain

 

 

His chemo has failed to remove the tumours from his brain and now he's got to undergo radiotherapy.

 

I'm just thought I'd mention it for the benefit of The Guardian obits editor, who I am sure will read this.

 

Mr/s Guardian Obits Editor, please will you make sure he gets a mention when he snuffs it next year, as he's going on my DDP.

 

Thanks.

 

Damnation! He never made it. But the Guardian obit followed, as requested.

[maryportfuncity 10,613]

Helen Suzman veteran anti-aparthied campaigner sounds old, frail and ready to fail in this article. Makes a strong contrast with the suprisingly chipper F W De Clerk.

[Madame Defarge 21]

Sixty-nine year old Prince Victor Emmanuel is suffering from an unspecified ailment. I wonder what

it is. I also read that he chose the slammer over house arrest. Curiouser and curiouser.

 

http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=...50555500572R131

[Magere Hein 1,399]

Sixty-nine year old Prince Victor Emmanuel is suffering from an unspecified ailment. I wonder what

it is. I also read that he chose the slammer over house arrest. Curiouser and curiouser.

 

http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=...50555500572R131

I have no problems with locking up royalty, or pseudo-royalty, but in this case I'm a bit confused. Don't say that running an escort service is illegal in Italy. It isn't in my country.

 

The money laundering is, of course, a serious allegation.

 

regards,

Hein

[Guest Guest]

I'm surprised no one has put any Al Qaeda names up. America is in kind of a shoot first, ask questions later mood. And shooting with large ballistic missiles.

 

Lauren Bacall, Leslie Phillips, Ron Moody, Sir John Harvey Jones, Charles Aznavour, George Bush sr, Sidney Lumet, Eva Marie Saint, George Sewell and Rosamunde Pilcher are all 78/79. Found them all on IMDB, if you look under the year for birth. you can find all the people still alive. Unfortunately the wonderfully named Baroness Lips von Lipstrill died in 2005.

 

Kirk Douglas is now 90 years old (And shares a birthday with me) as are Olivia De Havilland and Walter Cronkite.

[Octopus of Odstock 2,180]

Lauren Bacall, Leslie Phillips, Ron Moody, Sir John Harvey Jones, Charles Aznavour, George Bush sr, Sidney Lumet, Eva Marie Saint, George Sewell and Rosamunde Pilcher are all 78/79. Found them all on IMDB, if you look under the year for birth. you can find all the people still alive.

 

No they're not.

They were all born in 1924, making them 82 years of age.

 

Either imdb is wrong (probable) or you can't count.

 

Some good suggestions, though, but I don't think many of these will be dying just yet.

[Guest Guest]

Sigourney Weaver's mum is still alive and 93 years old. She used to be an actress herself.

[Madame Defarge 21]

Sixty-nine year old Prince Victor Emmanuel is suffering from an unspecified ailment. I wonder what

it is. I also read that he chose the slammer over house arrest. Curiouser and curiouser.

 

http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=...50555500572R131

I have no problems with locking up royalty, or pseudo-royalty, but in this case I'm a bit confused. Don't say that running an escort service is illegal in Italy. It isn't in my country.

 

The money laundering is, of course, a serious allegation.

 

regards,

Hein

 

There are several activities which are illegal in my country, including prostitution, which

are likely to remain so. Probably because the gangster-politicians stand to lose too much

loot if these er..crimes were to become legal.

 

Italy may have the same sort of arrangement, I reckon.

[maryportfuncity 10,613]

Apart from Sigourney Weaver's mum, is the woman who gave birth to Clint Eastwood still around, he's in his early seventies. He thanked her for the 'good genes' he'd inherited giving his oscar speech for Million Dollar Baby.

[Alphonsin 1]

Apart from Sigourney Weaver's mum, is the woman who gave birth to Clint Eastwood still around, he's in his early seventies. He thanked her for the 'good genes' he'd inherited giving his oscar speech for Million Dollar Baby.

 

She died in February, aged 97

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_...02/ai_n16337603

[maryportfuncity 10,613]

Jon Barron b 1920, looked very frail when interviewed as part of the Comedy Connections programme on Reginald Perrin last night. His IMDB page indicates he hasn't 'worked' on screen in a decade.

[maryportfuncity 10,613]

Bernard Archard another ageing thesp who's done nowt in a long long while, a mere 84 this year mind, a youngster in the company of some of the actors we discuss hereabouts.

[Octopus of Odstock 2,180]

Jon Barron b 1920, looked very frail when interviewed as part of the Comedy Connections programme on Reginald Perrin last night. His IMDB page indicates he hasn't 'worked' on screen in a decade.

 

MPFC, John Barron died in 2004. His IMDB page says as such. That interview was just weeks before his death, by the way.

 

 

As to your other suggestion of Bernard Archard, his last work was not "long long ago" - it was 2003. He is now retired, and living in Somerset. Again this is on the imdb page.

[maryportfuncity 10,613]

Sorry Octi, that'll teach me not to hold conversations, crank up the radio and post at the same time.

[Phantom 2,530]

Excellent instincts DDT. Whomever picked Steve Irwin for the DDP should win the title for best pick of the year. An inspired, risky, yet not ridiculous, selection, completely in the spirit of celebrity dead pools, as opposed to happening to know in late December of last year that some third rate US sitcom actress had terminal lung cancer.

 

As for your proposed 2007 candidate, I remember him as a fresh faced Olympic hopeful from what must be 20 or so years ago. Sounds like things have really gone downhill for him lately.....

 

One person on our Dead Pool put Steve Irwin on their list a couple of years ago and was laughed at by the majority of participants. I thought it was an inspired selection.

I have to say, those that laughed at that person aren't laughing now, but more kicking themselves.

[maryportfuncity 10,613]

Another place worth looking for inspired selections might be amongst the worlds leading mountaineers. Despite better gear, sat nav systems and dietry knowledge their predecessers would have killed for those climbing major mountains are in trouble from global warming. Weather in the worlds highest mountain ranges has always been a bit hard to call but now winds are fiercer and the gradual warming makes glaciers more like minefields in terms of the danger they present for unwary steppers.

[Canadian Paul 97]

Some recent deaths got me thinking about some Ideas and Possibilities that I researched while in airports yesterday.

 

Earlier this year Elden Auker, the last pitcher to face Babe Ruth, died at age 95. I thought that might have been the last link to Ruth, but it turns out that he has one teammate left: Billy Werber.

 

He's not known to be sick, but he is ancient. In fact, he's the third oldest living major-league baseball player, the oldest living World Series player and the oldest living former player for both the Yankees and the Red Sox. None of this, of course, guarantees him a UK obit, but the Babe Ruth link could certainly help.

 

Also, with the recent death of Glenn Ford, I was reminded of the man I almost picked in his stead: Van Johnson.

 

Aged 90, and not known to be in particularly bad health but did have a bout of skin cancer and, interestingly enough, has a metal plate. An obit is fairly likely in the UK, but by no means guaranteed.

 

Also, for those risk takers among you, German actress Mady Rahl, the last surviving UFA actress, is nearly blind and suffering from dementia according to Wikipedia (not credible) and IMDB (not much better, but could be worse). Perhaps someone who speaks the language would be better equipped to search for confirmation of this news. Wouldn't know if she'd get an obit, but sounds in poor health.

[Godot 149]

Of course if we can't have Steve Irwin anymore there is always Austin Stevens.

 

Austin's long goodbye part one, to be continued.....

[Phantom 2,530]

Of course if we can't have Steve Irwin anymore there is always Austin Stevens.

 

Austin's long goodbye part one, to be continued.....

 

That's uncanny, I was just describing that to my wife after we'd heard of Irwin's death.

I remember sitting at home one day just flicking through the channels and saw Irwin intimidation a cobra to get it to spray it's milk. There was also one where he put on what appeared to be lab safety specs just to capture the cobra in action.

[Magere Hein 1,399]

Another place worth looking for inspired selections might be amongst the worlds leading mountaineers. Despite better gear, sat nav systems and dietry knowledge their predecessers would have killed for those climbing major mountains are in trouble from global warming. Weather in the worlds highest mountain ranges has always been a bit hard to call but now winds are fiercer and the gradual warming makes glaciers more like minefields in terms of the danger they present for unwary steppers.

Every year mountaineers die, few are celebrities, though. There's certainly room for a few unique DDP picks there.

 

A few other sports that kill one or more participants every year:

• Gliding. About a decade ago a Dutch former World Champion glider pilot was killed in a hang-gliding accident in the Dutch dunes.
  
• Parachuting.
  
• Dakar Rally
  

The problem of course is to predict who exactly will die in an accident. Look for the best and most daring.

 

regards,

Hein

[Cowboy Ronnie 78]

Of course if we can't have Steve Irwin anymore there is always Austin Stevens.

 

Austin's long goodbye part one, to be continued.....

 

not the Six Million Dollar Man. Surely they can rebuild him....?

[maryportfuncity 10,613]

Just discovered that it's Michael DeBakey's birthday. A famous heart surgeon, made several key breakthroughs in his day. I remember reading he'd been hospitalised - ironically with heart trouble - earlier this year. Thought no more of it but his birthday has appeared in the press today so he's still alive, he's got a dicky ticker and - the really good news - he's 98 today and he has a Wiki page. A passable candidate for next year methinks.