Remembering Peter Bocking - PUK, RIP

To the rest of the world Peter Bocking was a rock and roll guitarist from Great Britain.  Here at Just One Minute he was a reliable and reliably entertaining commenter.  Regrettably, PeterUK, aka "PUK" passed away last week.

Jeff Dobbs has put together a "Best Of" tribute.  This could be dangerous in large doses (and do set down anything you're drinking), so I will pick just one for flavor:

""I forgot to mention last night that following World War II war crime trials were convened. The Japanese were tried and convicted and hung for war crimes committed against American POWs. Among those charges for which they were convicted was waterboarding," he told reporters at a campaign event"

One tiny little detail is ignored - the Japanese lost!

This is probably a historical first,the victorious side leads itself off in chains.

This is a real loss.

I CAN STOP ANYTIME:

" Whadda buncha idiots. What are these people doing on television?"
forget television,what are they doing off a sex offender's register?

Comments

[It does make me feel a little better.]

Sob.
===

[Mike Huggins]

Oh No! That's awful news!

Rest in Peace, PeterUK.

[Puk he was, doing his mischief in the night.]

And then the whole quire hold their hips and laugh,
And waxen in their mirth and neeze and swear.
A merrier hour was never wasted there.
========================

[narciso]

I was reading those first two rows ofquotes,
it's become to say " I laughed I cried,"but that's how I felt, even though I recall almost every single quote at the time, but
they have more poignancy now. And it makes
most of these editorialist on either shore, except for present company excepted

[Extraneus]

"using a non-threatening approach that outwitted the detainee - even getting him to talk by using his childhood nickname."

Which means they have captured his mother."Oh Ali was so cute he used to have this little stuffed goat called Moomoo,used to take it to bed with him". "I remember the time when he was........" "Mother! For the Love of Allah......All right I'll talk".

Posted by: PeterUK June 11, 2009 at 02:54 PM

[Cecil Turner]

Good job. I was struck upon hearing of Peter's passing that I didn't know of his many accomplishments, nor of his health challenges, and that I hadn't properly appreciated him while he was here. It was all terribly depressing.

However, on reflection that response is exactly wrong, and we should be celebrating his life and applying well-honed snark to worthy targets in his memory. As I'd like to think he continues to do, wherever he is.

RIP PeterUK, you'll be sorely missed.

[Extraneus]

"I don't think Obama is a black Lincoln."

There is some European socialist in him,perhaps he is a Lincoln Continental?

Posted by: PeterUK March 20, 2008 at 08:19 PM

[Thomas Collins]

As a politics junkie, I thoroughly enjoyed every morsel of political commentary provided by PUK. My favorite PUK post, however, is not strictly a political one, but one showing his sensitivity to the bonds between a family's younger and older members:

"QALYs are used to measure quality of life as judged by by doctors,scientists. They don't ask you if you are enjoying the glorious sunset with your family. Qalys are used here!"

[Porchlight]

So many great ones:

Zero's idea of bold is wearing his shirt outside his underpants.

Posted by: PeterUK October 20, 2009 at 09:18 PM

********************

[Extraneus]

Jor,"However, you can sleep easy knowing that I'm in a top profession, sub-specializing in a very competitive area."

You're a hooker doing S&M ?

Posted by: PeterUK November 29, 2008 at 08:18 PM

[Porchlight]

Captain.

The left has been absolutely gagging for another Vietnam,in Obama they have found a president who will give them one – hard.

Posted by: PeterUK October 24, 2009 at 12:32 PM

********************

[saveliberty]

RIP, PeterUK.

[Porchlight]

Damn it all, I cannot shake the sensation that PUK himself is going to show up at any minute and comment.

Thank you, hit, for compiling these lists...and thanks TM for the thread, and of course for providing the forum for them/him in the first place...

[Neo]

I thought I just saw one of his comments.
This "getting old" thing really ...

[centralcal]

The Obama years without PUK's humor are just gonna be miserably intolerable.

[Jack is Back!]

Posted this on the other thread not realizing TM started a new one.

Video of PUK playing with Lonnie Donegan. He is the tall balding guy with red beard playing lead guitar. You will see him from time to time on Lonnie's right. I wonder if inhaling second hand smoke from the myriad audiences of the 50's thru the 90's had anything to do with his heart-attack?

[Neo]

In the late fifties when most guitarist ...

His first band the Jets, was formed in 1958

Takes makes him what ? 8 or 9 ?

[matt]

central;

then we shall have to strive to keep his spirit alive here. He would have expected nothing less.

[Neo]

In the mid seventies he made a decision, ..

Excuse my error, I thought it said he was in his late 50's

[clarice]

He died days before his 67th birthday which was Oct 31.He began playing professionally when he was about 16 or 17.

[Perhaps cantering down a dark defile.]

Neo, I believe he was born on 10/31/42, and his father died in WWII, so he probably never knew him.
==========================

[Jack is Back!]

Clarice is right.

I found his birth record - he was born in Manchester Oct to Dec 1942. Peter J. Bocking. His mother's maiden name was Jones (makes her Welsh:)

That is the way birth records are recorded in the UK. To get exact info we need to find his baptism - but have no idea if he ever was and what parish.

Also, found a record of a Peter J. Bocking marrying an Ann Caunce in April-June 1969 in Rochdale (near Manchester) but that cannot be confirmed. Could be another Peter J. Bocking.

[Ann]

Elliott thought this snapshot of posts captured PUK's roguish sense of fun and asked me to post it for him:

[jimmyk]

To get exact info we need to find his baptism

I recall someone mentioning that his birthday was October 31st. Make of that what you will.

One of the most remarkable things about him was his deep knowledge of America from across the pond, and how passionate he was in his hopes that we not follow the European path to ruin.

[jimmyk]

oops, sorry, didn't see Clarice's earlier post mentioning his date of birth.

[Appalled]

PUK. RIP. Where there is no Gordon Brown to bother you, and where the reiging deity is not Obama.

[Jane]

"Yes, remember my symbol".

Will do PUK.

[Jack is Back!]

May I suggest that TM consider retiring PUK's symbol and electing him the first member of the JOM Hall of Fame.

[Ann]

Sorry, Elliott

I shouldn't of added the frame. :( It looked pretty in preview.

[MayBee]

Everybody waste a little extra carbon in his honour.

[Rocco]

I haven't felt like this since my own mother passed a few years back.

From his tribute page, "One can only imagine the thrill the Beatles had finding they were booked at the Oasis on the same bill as Pete Bocking."

And another by Phil Roberts, "Didn't Pete steal the Beatles thunder at the Oasis one night?" The real deal! (Nice pic of PUK on the Pete Maclaine and the Clan link also)

And a poem by Pete Maclaine

"It's Manchester 1961,

Manchester, havin' a whole lot of fun

Manchester, and the Beatles yet to come."

And I loved the way he called Rick Ballard, "Mr Ballard"

[centralcal]

I know, Rocco. I keep waiting for the sadness to pass, but instead it just keeps returning.

[tea anyone]

He did not know me at all but I would laugh at all his commentary and listen as to a good natured older brother. I miss him very much. RIP PUK

[cindyk]

His sense of humor and stinging responses always made my day. He definitely was one of the "Shining Stars" that God supplies the world. He will be missed.

[Dave (in MA)]

RIP PeterUK...

One testament to how good a commenter he was is how frequently his handle was forged by the Ø-Bots, Trolls, Mobys and other visitors from the Dickhead community.

[narciso]

Yes but they were terribly inept at actually
carrying out the subterfuge.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

Hit deserves a special thank you for pulling all those PUK quotes. So THANK YOU!

I, too, can't shake the feeling that this is all a dream and I'm going to scroll down and see a comment from PeterUK, appropriately irreverent, regarding this tribute to him.

Do you all think he realized how much he meant to all of us?

[lonetown]

A really enjoyable poster. He will be missed by me as well.

[fdcol63]

I couldn't care less what all those superficial, groupthink, talentless hacks in Hollyweird believe.

But to know that I shared many of the same values and political ideals as someone of PUK's calibre, well ..... that warms the cockles of my heart. LOL

[Barbara]

No!

I so enjoyed his comments, his intelligence, his biting wit that had me laughing out loud. I will miss him.

God Bless You and Keep You, PeterUK, our friend.

[Lulu]

I'm an ex-pat who has been coming here daily since the Wilson/Plame fiasco. I've never posted before but have always felt among dear friends and family when I visit this site. For obvious reasons I'd search out PUK's comments - he clearly and succinctly stated what I thought and his rapier wit when dealing with trolls was truly delightful. My heart is heavy today.

[Extraneus]

Please post again sometime, Lulu.

[Jim Ryan]

Since I'm a jazz musician I was intrigued by Peter's having had a student who is now a pro jazz guitarist in London. Wrote him and got a reply:

...A sad loss. He was a complete one of a kind.

Pete was my teacher for around three years when I was 15....I've got lots of memories of the stuff he showed me and how methodical and detailed he was. He really took me under his wing and showed me loads of stuff and was very encouraging and motivating....

The man was still in email contact with Peter recently.

I know what it means to have a one-of-a-kind music teacher at 15. This kid was lucky in many ways that his was Peter.

[Captain Hate]

Hit deserves a special thank you for pulling all those PUK quotes. So THANK YOU!

Hear, Hear (or is it Here, Here? PUK would know that...)

I think the best way we can honor PeterUK is to mercilessly mock Il Douche, Whorf, Bleeding-Brain-Stem Joe, Muffer Stalin-Rodham et al until they're removed from office, preferably being led to the stockade.

[PaulL]

I miss him.

R.I.P., Peter.

[Dave (in MA)]

There was a thread somew months back in which we were making guesses as to his identity, knowing only that he was somehow connected to the 1960s English music scene, but my Google/Bing skills are apparently unable to uncover the thread.

[clarice]

Yes--I think someone found and posted it on an earlier thread. He emailed me using his real name and because he sounded so theatrical, I figured he'd been on the stage in some capacity. I googled and found the stuff we've posted here--his flikr pic, the video, etc. I talked to him about it but never did more than hint he was a famous musician because he did not want me to disclose his identity.

[Uncle Pinky]

Those born on Halloween tend to have an unusual take on the world. This was readily apparent with PUK. Before they made him, they broke the mold.

Dreadful news. I'll light a candle.

[TexasIsHeaven]

I am so sad - I will miss him. He encouraged me more than once and made me laugh a lot.

Thanks for those posts H&R - I appreciate them.

[Extraneus]

Heh. I bet Mr UK would have something to say about this.

David Frum renames "The New Majority" after himself

[daddy]

Anyhow know if Peter gave a hoot about UK Soccer?

I am totally ambivalent, but if he was a yob for Manchester United etc, I'm ready to start a rumble against Arsenal.

[Buford Gooch]

I will say again, the commenters here are the best of any of the blogs I read. And PUK was at the top of the list.

[Old Lurker]

Post again, LuLu. After the first time, it's easy! Honest.

And ditto the thanks to Hit for his work. We should all take turns reposting one of those from time to time. So many are timeless, it would be as if he is still with us.

[centralcal]

A certain thread has been referenced over the last few days - where JOMers try to guess PeterUK's identity.

The thread begins on December 21, 2008 and ends December 23rd, 2008 and runs well over 400 comments. Coming after the election of Obama we were all a little pensive about what was coming. A fabulous thread, politics, literature, music, the Tudors, Clarice recipes, WHO is PeterUK?, JMH writing a complex epic poem, the holidays.

All the regulars are there, coming and going. Hit how do we save a whole thread? It is a classic - and PUK features prominently.

[Captain Hate]

Anyhow know if Peter gave a hoot about UK Soccer?

If he did, daddy, he was much more reticent about it than you and I are about ACC basketball; I would say no but perhaps JiB can find out during his excellent adventure...

[Extraneus]

Hey, Sara, how did you change your avatar in that thread?

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

Moi? I didn't do a thing. Whoa! I just looked. My goodness, that is my driver's lic pic from 5 years ago. My hair is halfway down my back since that was taken. I think I must have posted it in the Typepad settings, back when I first set up my own Typepad blog. Check to see if you have a pic in your Typepad profile page. I can't think of any other reason. Funny how an image shows up there but not in a current post.

[glasater]

Now I'm worried about Pagar........

Always terrific links that I've tweeted frequently.

[verner]

Oh My God. My heart is breaking.

[clarice]

Join the crowd, verner.

[Janet]

centralcal - from that linked thread! Ha ha, some things never change!

((Joe Biden is really an unmitigated ass.

Posted by: Jane | December 21, 2008 at 09:26 AM ))

[clarice]

I thought I'd seen him here or on the Manchester thread.
And Sunny Day?

[Greybeard]

Oh, I SO enjoyed PUK!
Thank you Peter, for making my life better.

[Janet]

This exchange is too funny too!

Àâòîð ìîëîäåö))))õèõ

Posted by: Helmenade | December 21, 2008 at 02:33 PM

Helmenade,

I sense you are trying to make contact,please let us know.One rap for YES,two raps for NO.

Posted by: PeterUK | December 21, 2008 at 02:50 PM

[Extraneus]

For anyone reading the VIMH link, he posted a second compendium of Peter's JOM comments:

Celebrating Peter Bocking

[Jane]

We should all take turns reposting one of those from time to time. So many are timeless, it would be as if he is still with us.

I doubt that will take any prodding at all. He is one of us, and always will be. We will be leeching on his memory forever.

(Is "leeching" the right word PUK?)

[centralcal]

Janet: That is one of my favorite PUK comebacks too! It still makes me laugh out loud.

Plus, no one could bop Cleo around better than PUK.

[centralcal]

Also, on the thread I link to above, the conversation got around to Obama and what his taste in music might be. Commenters started posting short (snarky) lists of songs, and then along came PUK with . . .

He's a real nowhere man,
sitting in his nowhere land,
making all his nowhere plans,
for nobody.

He posted the full song's lyrics and it was dead on the best guess and said everything about Zero.

[Janet]

That thread is great centralcal. At 12:33 Soylent Red guesses "PUK is one of the Monkeys isn't he?"
...and the avatar next to Soylent is a monkey! Either that, or Soylent is quite homely. In which case I apologize.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

"1. Poland is totally screwed."

Not at all,Poland is a member of the EU.There will be a discussion about fixing a date for a consultation about a meeting of the European Council,when the the holidays are over,weather permitting.There the wording of a stiff letter of disappointment at the actions of the Russians will be thrashed out.This will then be left until the French no longer have the rotating presidency and no odium can be attached to France.Poland is safe.

Posted by: PeterUK August 11, 2008 at 02:49 PM

[Ranger]

I'm at a total loss for words. But I hope he understands that my silence in this time honors him.

[Ann]

Does Soylent know?

cc, you just flooded both my eyes again. :(

And I just checked my email and there is no news. However, I admitted that I was a Midwest Yank, so I might not ever here from his friend again.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

Oh Puk, you and the trolls, what a delight.

"I have noticed the spirit of brotherly love and human kindness that illuminates this board. Nothing says 'love thy fellow man' quite like discussions of fat asses, guns, and blackhawks"

I feel I must contradict your statement,JOM is the very fount of brotherly love and human kindness.Now piss off!

Posted by: PeterUK October 06, 2008 at 10:31 AM

[Ann]

**hear from*** (blurry stupid) I blame cc. :)

[Captain Hate]

Funny how an image shows up there but not in a current post.

One of the wonders of Typhus; purely random of course but, for an extreme rarity, a somewhat positive enhancement.

[centralcal]

Extraneus - careful what pictures you choose to insert into comments. lol!

During the day, I am at work (like, right now).

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

And has there ever been a man on this blog more supportive and gentlemanly protective of the JOMettes or as he called all we ladies: the JOM Babes.

"So somebody send me the Rosetta on who are the females in the group,"

Didn't you get the "JOM Babes" Christmas Calendar? Phaww!! It put me in intensive care for a week.

Posted by: PeterUK February 21, 2009 at 01:45 PM

[centralcal]

sbw, Sara, JMH's carpe diem sign, Soylent as a monkey in a tuxedo - are some of the avatar pictures I have seen in older threads.

[centralcal]

Ann, I wondered about Soylent too. I suspect he doesn't yet know.

[Extraneus]

Heh, sorry about that, cc! (You should see some of the other ones.)

[clarice]

I thought I'd seen Soylent on one of these threads, but it might have been my imagination so I just emailed him.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

Where's Cleo? I know PUK used him for his own personal punching poking bag, but I think Cleo enjoyed the jousting.

[Jim Ryan]

I just emailed Soylent.

By all accounts Peter was much, much more of a character even than we knew. Hearing all sorts of "one off" "broke the mold" "one of a kind".

[Jim Ryan]

I've been singing "Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavor on the Bedpost Overnight" for a few days now.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

OT, but for the Texans among us:

Via Power and Control:

Libertarian Republican reports.

Libertarian Republican has just learned that 73 elected officials on the county level throughout Texas have just switched, are in the process of switching, and will be switching by the end of the week, from the Democrat Party to the Republican Party. The news comes to us from Bryan Preston, Communications Director for the Republican Party of Texas out of Austin.

And the reason given?

"Obama's name is becoming poison here in Texas."

[Jim Ryan]

If you haven't seen this 1971 Australia photo of Pete Bocking, click.

[clarice]

Pajamas Media:"Decision ‘09: 1% Reporting in NJ: Christie 51%, Corzine 40%; GOP Sweep in VA

CNN exit poll: independents 58% for Christie. FoxNews exit poll: 31% say most important issue is economy, 18% say health care.z'

[clarice]

The Dems can spin tonight's results all night, but tomorrow Geithner better be packing up to spend more time with his family.

[Extraneus]

Do you think anyone will really be packing their bags, Clarice?

[Extraneus]

Aides: Obama not watching election returns :-)

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

There is an election night thread.

[cathyf]

Does anyone remember the thread, perhaps from the end of August, where PUK talked about how his mum was treated by the NHS during her last days? I can't seem to track it down...

It showed yet another side of him, and it was meant as a gift to us yanks of the "don't let this happen to you!" variety.

[Captain Hate]

I agree Sara; this thread shouldn't be sullied with references to Il Douche other than to say that I wish PUK would be celebrating with us tonight.

[Extraneus]

Which is why I posted the peopleofwalmart site, which I hope he would have found amusing. Sorry if anyone found it in bad taste.

[clarice]

I am afraid we crashed the manchesterbeat server.
I think Obama will blame others for everything that goes wrong and (a) his economic policies have been stupid and counterproductive and (b) eection analysis will show people unhappy about the economy and (c) Geithner had a lot to do with it.
Maybe not today,maybe not tomorrow, but soon he's under the bus.

[centralcal]

Extraneus - PUK would have loved that site. No apologies necessary. I was mostly (only mostly) teasing you about that picture, because I was at work and my boss walked by with a client! ::fast on the clicker::

[Captain Hate]

Ext, no problems for me; I thought PUK would've loved it.

Clarice, 100% correct; particularly because the recent spin has been that Odummy has been spending his time, not campaigning (LOL @ that), but trying to fix the economy. It must be Turbo's fault.

[Jim Ryan]

It showed yet another side of him

Incredibly hurt, to the core. Beyond outraged. Rather than pervading joy as usual. Don't know where the thread it, but its impression is deep.

[unɹ puɐ ʇıɥ]

Cathy,I saw your comment at thevimh. I am going methodically,but randomly through JOM and haven't come across it yet.

But if someone else has,that would be great.

There will be a new PUK greatest hits post at some point tomorrow.

And just know,these are the greatest hits comments according to me. It's not like I'm picking up every one or anywhere close. Others may have other favorites,and if you do, I'd love to know.

I'm focused,obviously,hello,consider the source,on his humor. I have to. I just have to right now.

[centralcal]

Hit - we love you too! And, you are doing a favor for all of us - an anthology of PUK's greatest hits. (no pun intended)