Site Information: August 2003 Archives
I'm going to Missouri for a few days for Frank Williams' funeral -- my grandfather. He passed away this week at the age of 81, peacefully.
Frank Williams was a pilot, and he said that he never expected to die in bed at a ripe old age. He survived two plane crashes, and he thought that's how he'd go. His wife, my dad's mother and my grandmother, was a pilot herself and died in a plane crash when my dad was 12 years old. (My grandfather remarried to a wonderful woman, who I have always thought of as my grandmother, and who I love very much.)
My grandfather was a pretty amazing man. He was a construction contractor and invented a revolutionary kind of quick-drying cement. He was also a farmer, a rancher, and a businessman. He worked hard, with his hands and with his mind; he raised a good family.
I was never as close to him as I would have liked to have been because he lived so far away, but a couple of years ago my brother and I spent a week with him and grandma at their house outside Springfield, Missouri, and I got the chance as an adult to get to know how incredible he was. There's a difference between knowing your grandparents when you're a child and they're just a vague mental concept -- people you visit every year or so who like to show you pictures of your parents when they were young. But as an adult I could really appreciate my grandfather's years of experience, his intelligence, and the solid determination he brought to every aspect of his life.
I'll miss him, but he's encouraged me to be an awesome grandfather, if and when I have the opportunity.
I'm going to add a few new blogs that I've been reading for a little while to the roll on the left. I'm sure that a link from me won't increase their traffic a great deal, but I'd like to call attention to some of the good stuff I've seen recently.
The Tocquevillian Magazine -- A good "radical right-wing reactionary" site based on the philosophies of Alexis de Tocqueville. Today they've got pics up of the UN bombing in Baghdad.
The Blog of Chloë and Pete -- I found them before Glenn did, so there. I was searching on the name "Chloë" because I think it's cool, and if I have kids I want to give them names with umlauts. There doesn't actually appear to be a Chloë on the site, but the author (Jessica) is is pretty entertaining.
Opinions You Should Have -- Brilliantly titled, and quite funny. Parody and satire, delivered fresh to your door, and aimed at my favorite targets.
The Noble Pundit -- Writes about looking for a job and how the internet really has changed the job market significantly. Lots more good stuff.
Stupid Evil Bastard -- Good commentary on tech-related news, and a name that's fun to say!
Ghost of a Flea -- Moved to Movable Type a couple of months ago and I kinda lost track, but stupid me! He's from Canada, but it's ok because he likes guns. I want to learn that, too.
Ok, more later. The Batphone's ringing and I've gotta run. To the lab!
I'd like to retract my previous assertion that Glenn Reynolds hates me, and note that he has generously given me a permalink on his sidebar. Thanks Glenn!
Hey, thanks to whomever dropped the fins into the tip jar a couple of days ago! Every bit helps defray the costs of hosting, &c. It's much appreciated. Don't feel shy to leave your email address or website when you tip!
Because I'm such a helpful, good-hearted person, I've performed an arduous service for Glenn -- despite his cruelty towards me. I'm sure it can be quite burdensome for someone of his stature to sort through his permalinks and remove the detrius, so I took it upon myself to do so for him (with the aid of a little scripting).
I found 14 blogs in his sidebar that have either not updated for over a month, or have announced their retirement. I didn't include sites that merely moved to new locations, or whose servers didn't respond. To the best of my ability, I can guarantee that these 14 blogs are no longer maintained. (Apologies in advance if that's not the case, for any one of you.)
Armed Liberal
Dan Hartung
Junius
Sarah Eve Kelly
Brink Lindsey
LousDay
MediaMinded
Allen Prather
Joel Rosenberg
The Safety Valve
Sour Bob
Will Warren
Tony Woodlief
Jay Zilber
If Glenn needs help finding new blogs to replace these, I'm sure I can help him think of some.
I've made my first $4 blogging! From someone who really shouldn't be tipping me at all; but thanks!
So, I put in a tip jar. So what? Does that make me a greedy, selfish, presumptuous, pompous, fool? Hardly! It makes me a good little capitalist! In fact, I dare say that if you don't have a tip jar on your blog you're a filthy dirty communist, or maybe even a hippie.
Really though, if anyone ever actually drops me a dime (minimum contribution $1 -- Ed.) I'll probably feel so warm and fuzzy inside that my physical form will convert directly into 6.5x10^18 joules of energy.
I decided to add a new category to Master of None: *Best Of*. Note the stars -- they're important because they highlight exactly how great these posts are.
This new category is necessary because most of what I write is nonsense. Many readers don't seem to mind consuming the mental equivalent of watered-down soda-fountain Diet Coke, but for my more discerning guests I recommend checking out *Best Of*. It wasn't easy selecting just a handful of the uh... 584 posts I've written in the past three months to feature so prominently, but I went through all the archives and used my best judgement. Until I got tired of watching MT rebuild over and over, at which point I stopped.
I'm going to Palm Springs for two days, and will return Sunday. Blogging will resume then, or Monday. My brain is just about empty, so hopefully this little vacation will give me some new things to think about. I pour out my soul for you people!
Meanwhile, check out the "More Blogs" section on the left. There are probably some folks there you haven't heard of, but that doesn't mean they aren't any good! Go try something new.
