Although we’re probably the last to take note of this tragic event, the blogger known as Jon Swift (actually Al Weisel) died last week in a sudden fashion.
He was a brilliant writer, to say the least. I can’t even imagine what his family and friends must be going through. More here and here.
Shit.
March 4, 2010 at 1:25 pm
If a satirist takes the pseudonym Jon Swift, he better be good. Mr. Weisel was very good indeed. He was no Jonah Goldberg, but who is? (I know, a lame attempt at satire, that’s why I don’t blog).
March 4, 2010 at 2:13 pm
Agreed
March 4, 2010 at 6:04 pm
I loved his (somewhat infrequent) posts.
Let us honor while we can
the vertical man
though we value none
but the horizontal one.
or something like that.
March 4, 2010 at 7:15 pm
Seeing as how yahoos like me never read nor heard of him, how about a brief Best of Jon Swift links?
March 4, 2010 at 9:15 pm
Les shed tears over Chas, and the others… sadness…
Hope they find home in that great skie we don’t B-live in… Amenish…
Dang Amish and thier belifes… Twer4n’t 4? tjhihad ‘em it wood be dif’rent.
Dango.
Must em fill like and idjiot. Bean defand ‘em ijiots…
Er um, Sarah Palin?
Um er, y;all ain’t funny, just sad…
Who votes for tears these days?
Faggotry?
March 4, 2010 at 10:58 pm
How about a nice potato to take our minds off of this tragedy?
March 5, 2010 at 2:31 pm
Best of Jon Swift listed by the late satirists himself. [I kinda think he may have listed all this posts there, though I didn't check.]
His “I did not read this book, but…” Amazon reviews were popular, and his theses regarding the death of Science, and the death of Michael Ledeen – both are on that linked list above – had separate followings as well (might need to read the links, if unfamiliar with the background on those).
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
When a user dies,
their connections time out,
But their screen sessions linger.
The server’s uptime grows
because you can’t bring yourself
to reboot
And wipe out
their last earthly presence.
The Ghost in zshell.
Admin Mourning by xkcd
March 5, 2010 at 7:57 pm
Why thankee sharl. May your potato peeler never need sharpening.
March 5, 2010 at 2:39 pm
Oh, and there’s a Facebook page too, where his family and friends have been posting – link.
Looks like it’s been a big help to his mom, siblings, and companion to hear from everyone, including us fans of the blog who only “knew” Mr. Swift, but not Al Weisel.
March 5, 2010 at 6:38 pm
Voice of reason here. Let’s not make this all maudlin and shit. Even the dead have a sense of humor, or so I’ve heard. Although, I’ve yet to die, in the TECHNICAL sense anyway. Some of those who have to put up with me on a daily basis would no doubt disagree…
And who better to comment:
March 5, 2010 at 7:54 pm
He was funnier before he became a grumpy old man.
March 5, 2010 at 7:57 pm
I was too, but fuck ‘em if they cant take a joke.
March 5, 2010 at 7:58 pm
Also: maudlin can be FUN!!!
March 5, 2010 at 8:35 pm
I was just the opposite. I was never funny at all UNTIL I became a grumpy old man. Even then…
March 5, 2010 at 8:38 pm
You know what I hate? Comedians whose every bit starts with “You know what I hate?”
John Swift the blogger will be missed, that’s about all there is to say when this shit happens. We’ll all go where he’s gone soon enough.
March 5, 2010 at 8:53 pm
Agreed. Death is both an ending and a beginning – a metaphorical and literal turning of the page.
March 6, 2010 at 12:50 am
When I go out of this realm, I wanna go out for some good Italian food.
March 6, 2010 at 12:52 am
What I really love about death is how sudden;y everybody notices you.
I want a funeral where I lie in a casket with my index finger pointing up in rigor mortis and a sign on my dead man’s tux what says PULL MY FINGER.
March 6, 2010 at 5:43 pm
I disagree. Old man Carlin was much better than coked-up 40-something Carlin.
March 6, 2010 at 2:41 am
Death is a sweet relief from Funny or Die. Fucking hate them. Thank Goodness HBO is paying them to rebroadcast their shit-o-vision skits. Fuck You, too.
March 6, 2010 at 2:42 pm
You’re welcome. Now take over and bend it, you crazy mad fool, you!
March 6, 2010 at 5:44 pm
That’s right. And pay that cable bill on time!
March 6, 2010 at 6:00 pm