News from Jay Lake; not unexpected, but awful.

"The dead monarch, Richard Plantagenet, was called for a reassessment of his fitness for work by ATOS – which carries out disability assessments on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) - after it was discovered the deposed King had spent years lying in a Leicester City Council car park doing absolutely nothing."

Jeepers. I met him last April, we had a great conversation about Mali.

Remember yesterday, when we were all crowing about the wonderfully geeky White House response to the tongue-in-cheek “build a Death Star” petition? Just remember that the same people were in charge of the Federal prosecutors who destroyed Aaron Swartz.

I hate the @telegraph's line on the EU, but its obituaries are often very good.

Rebutting the Daily Mail.

Relative of Fletcher Christian one of two fatalities.

Jacques Barzun died this week at 104. This is a 2007 interview with the great historian and writer.

Died 35 years ago today.

On being with the dying.

A grim actuarial reflection.

The best so far, with the great picture taken just after they left the Moon.

Andrew Hickey's tribute to Mary Tamm.

Only 62.

:-(

Sad news.

I you know anyone ho supports capital punishment, get them to read this.

Essential.

Heartrending. #fb

Includes War Lord and Solon (but not Eelek, Fenner or Brockley)

Great obituary, with videos. #fb

Read to the end.

"We got a phone call just after seven. Something had happened. A bang. We laughed. My grandmother didn’t."

So far, most of the eulogies of Christopher have come from men, and there’s a reason for that. He moved in a masculine world, and for someone who prided himself on his wide-ranging interests, he had virtually no interest in women’s writing or women’s lives or perspectives.

"We all — in the end — die in medias res. In the middle of a story. Of many stories... What I learned from my brother’s death was that character is essential: What he was, was how he died."

Matthew Kilburn looks at a strange media life.

"goodbye all"

Originally posted in February.

parenting a dying child.