We have a tendency to mourn death in America. Of course, it’s the loss of someone very meaningful to other people, but though I tend to fear death myself because life can be so glorious, a person’s death can also be a time to celebrate that person. Such could be said of Henry Allingham, the world’s oldest man, at 113, who just passed away. He was one of three surviving British First World War veterans. Read about him here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/5856015/Worlds-oldest-man-Henry-Allingham-dies.html At TVN, for instance, there’s about a 4 or 5 to 1 (or steeper) ratio of women to men, so biologically speaking, to live to 113 truly is remarkable. When Sam first came to visit TVN and then came down to dinner on the first evening, he recalls being immediately struck by the sheer number of women all around him. For Sam, maybe it was heaven. Sounds similar to Mr. Allingham in some ways, who (to quote directly from the article): “He jokingly attributed his longevity to ‘cigarettes, whisky and wild, wild women’.” Rest in peace, Henry.

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