AMMRL: Passing of Aksel Bothner-By, Remember "There's No Business Like Our Business"

From: Margaret Eastman <meastman_at_chem.okstate.edu>
Date: Fri, 17 Feb 2017 14:16:32 -0600

Extract from ³The NMR Newsletter² (TAMU Newsletter) No. 470 November 1997,
letter from Aksel A. Bothner-By:

10 October 1997
Dear Barry
    On the 20th of September some of my good friends threw a party for me,
and for Joe Dadok, Irving Lowe, and Bob Schumacher, in the form of a
Symposium held at Pittsburgh, celebrating 40 years of work on NMR in
Pittsburgh. We all had a glorious time, and sentimental reminiscences were
flowing like wine. We were treated to some spectacular talks, too, with
impressive new ideas and accomplishments in applying NMR to all sorts of new
things.
    As I am just about to bow out of this business, I was rash enough to
compose some lyrics to an old show tune, and actually sing it to the
assembled multitude at the end of the proceedings. The idea was to convey to
all of them my feelings about the joys, satisfactions, and occasional
problems in spending most of my life working in this field. It went over
pretty well, and in fact, Ted Becker suggested (as you know) that I send the
words to you for the NEWSLETTER. So here they are. I do not expect to get
credit for a technical contribution for this letter.

     THERE¹S NO BUSINESS LIKE OUR BUSINESS
There¹s no business like our business, like no business I know -
There you sit a-staring at the ceiling
Wondering why the damn thing will not go
All at once you get this marvelous feeling
You understand it, and so......

You can do things, all sorts of new things, things that none have ever done
before
You can make those nuclei turn somersaults, do the WALTZ, refocus faults,
You can bring precession to six complete halts,
Then go on with the show.

And Oh! The wonderful feeling, you know you¹ll soon be a star.
You send the nuclei a-reeling, then you¹re talking at Asilomar
You can name it what you find appealing,
(Well camelspin might be too far).

Still there¹s no business like our business
It gives me an inward glow -
Everybody sitting here has seized the chance,
To join the dance, and make them prance.
Just write a few proposals and you¹ll soon get grants
To go on with the show!

Best,
Aksel
Received on Fri Feb 17 2017 - 10:18:46 MST