Mourning in the digital age–A Farker’s Farewell

Today I got some sad news.  A friend of mine who I met through Fark.com, as a TotalFarker, passed away yesterday in an automobile accident.  Obviously someone should mourn the passing of someone they knew and liked.  And I am doing so.

My issue with the whole thing is, how do you mourn someone you really didn’t know/never met physically?  I don’t want to do something…inadequate.  To me, writing this is helping me, by making me think of some of the many hilarious conversations we’ve had.

It also makes me feel a bit selfish, though.

I guess I will just say my piece about Thai, and leave it at that.

Thai Williams, known to me and others as his TotalFark handle Arelas, was someone that I talked with on a daily basis for an entire year’s time.  Now that I think back on it, he helped me feel comfortable at a job I didn’t really enjoy.

He didn’t do anything in particular, but, he was just there to talk to.  And that did help me trudge through.  I remember passing a day making a banner for a fictional Presidential Election in which Thai was named President.

It reads: “Vote Arelas for President in 2008.  The candidate with a vision (and the meds to clear it, eventually!).  I was known as Thai’s vice-president in those days.  It’s a position I will always cherish, since he kindly bestowed it upon me.

Though I wasn’t around in TotalFark for a long while, I still thought of Thai (and all the rest of my friends).  I am saddened, though, that I fell out of contact with him.  I wish his family and friends all the best.

I will miss you, my friend, and I will think of you when I see an alpaca!  Good-bye!

R.I.P Billy Mays

Yes, Billy Mays is dead.  He was found unresponsive by his wife this morning.  Why am I posting about Billy Mays, the infomercial host?  Well, I think it’s to detract from everything that has been seen about Michael Jackson since he died earlier in the week.  I know it’s mean spirited, but, I don’t want to hear any more about Michael Jackson.

I was originally writing–and had a draft of–a blog about the sensationalism of celebrity deaths.  And this week was really driving it all home.  First with Ed McMahon, then Farah Fawcett then the “king of all deaths” (according to the mainstream media) Michael Jackson.  Now Billy Mays.  I am rooting for the “underdog” as it were.

So, here it is.  A short blog ranting about sensationalizing celebrity deaths that, in it’s own way, sensationalizes one.  Not that Billy was a celebrity on par with the other famous people that died this week.  Though Billy Mays was seen more often, in my home, than Michael Jackson’s music was ever heard.  And I will keep it that way.

All the best wishes to Billy’s family.