July 12, 2006
Remembrances
I only met Rob once.
He wasn't in the best of shape at the Wreckyll in Jeckyll, and I missed the Meet in Helen later that year, when he was in really bad shape. Well, he and I chatted for about four minutes. We covered BCs (1 each), Guns We Don't Own, Guitars (he allowed as how a Martin from the late '60s was a pretty good axe, for a mass-produced piece of crap), and the English language (marvellously flexible, and heinously misused and abused).
But... I read his stuff every day.
I have not removed his link from my Favorites - why, I don't know, exactly. I go back and read his old stuff, and then I swear a bit.
It's kind of like an itch I can't scratch.
I'll never be as nasty and bad, or as evil and good as he is/was.
Which is probably a Good Thing. But only "probably". He had an eye/ear for creative invective (Go look it up, booger-brain!) that few can match.
But here and there... I'm gonna try.
Posted by ward at 10:34 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 05, 2006
More Blog Housekeeping
I love the way that Moveable Type lets me control the look and content of Swamp Gas. What I don't like is the sheer amount of attention I have to give the damned thing!
In the beginning of my blog-residence here, I should have:
1. Turned comments OFF by default, only opened them up when I wanted.
2. Turned track-back pings OFF by default and opened them only when I wanted to, and...
3. Turned both of them OFF after 5 days anyway.
Just to avoid the drudgery of going back through 150+ posts to delete comment and track-back spam.
What a PITA.
I'm gonna find out who at least one of these 'tards is, and then I'm going to talk to Godfather, Inc., to see about a permanent solution...
Posted by ward at 04:38 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 04, 2006
Site Maintenance
Finally got a brand-new RoundToIt, and cleaned all the comment spam out.
I've re-enabled comments, and will close a post's comments after 5-7 days.
All comments will be reviewed before posting. Yeah, it's "censorship". But, as the masthead proclaims, this is MY place, so it runs by MY rules.
ALL of the stuff I just finished deleting was "ad-spam" for various personal, ummmmm, "enhancement" products, with a dash of pay-day loans, and Great Mortgage Rates NOW!
There will be a few occasions in which comments for a post will be disabled - and they will be obvious.
Now, I'm gonna get out there and enjoy the 4th!
Posted by ward at 09:14 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 02, 2006
Acidman Obits
Rob Smith, "The Acidman", generated three kinds of visitors - those who loved him, those who hated him, and those who also stare with fascination at a train wreck, and say "Thank Gawd that ain't me!"
Here's three links that reflect two of those varying view-points on the Life and Doings of Rob Smith, aka "The Acidman".
Juliette sorta loved him: "...Our relationship went pretty smoothly for a bit—always with him extending the occasional invitation to visit him at his home in Georgia. Wining, dining and gentlemanly behavior were always promised along with the honest admission that he would do his best to talk my clothes off."
This guy likes train wrecks: "...A drug-abusing wastrel whose honest sweat earned him an early retirement. A libertine with more human decency in him than an Easter church. A total fuckup, whose example would be wise to follow."
SemiTotal Admiration: "..."Hey, Homer," Plato said, "did you see The New Guy?"
Homer straightened his sunglasses, and rubbed his chin. "Well, that depends," he said. "You mean when he was clearing y'all out at the poker table? Or do you mean maybe when he was leadin' a hootenanny with my lute at all hours of the morning? Or maybe when he, Elektra, and Scheherazade were out playing Twister by the hot tub?" He waved his hand frantically in front of his black shades. "'Cause no, I didn't see him."
Posted by ward at 05:29 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
June 26, 2006
Legacy and Promise
Rob Smith's legacy to the Blogosphere is not hard to define.
"Call 'em like you see 'em, and Devil take the hindmost."
That means, to me, taking up his style, as much as I am personally able to do so.
If you're trying to run a line of bullshit, I will "call bullshit" on you.
If you're more full of shit than a Christmas turkey, I'll say so.
If I think that you're a shit-head, I'll say so.
If I think you're a brain-dead loser, with a room-temperature IQ and questionable parentage, I'll let the whole world know about it.
If I think that you're a superior type, worthy of my own personal admiration, I'll say that too.
Annnnd...if you're some combination of the above attributes, you'll get slammed where you deserve it, and praised where you deserve that.
And for my extended and extensive family.....
...Sorry folks, but I think y'all are about to get peeved at Old Wierd Ward from time to time.
Posted by ward at 09:03 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
A Death in the Blogosphere
One of our own has died.
Rob Smith, The One and Only Acidman, has gone to meet his Maker.
Rob detested most politicians, all cats, many bugs, illiterate commenters, many (but not all) ruffians, rap "music", and gratuitously rude people.
He was a "gentleman" as I understand the term.
He could party like you wouldn't believe, and could play guitar AND sing well enough to be considered a professional musician of note - all at the same time. (I know. I was there - at the Wreckll in Jeckyll.)
Rob, in person, was polite and softly spoken, unless and until you were rude to him.
In his "blog persona", he was polite and softly written, unless and until you were rude to him, OR unless you hung a big "aw crap" out there for all the world to see, at which time he'd abso-damn-lutely flay you, with great relish, and then pour salt on the wounds. And laugh while you moaned in agony.
The "conservatives" will miss him, for his pungent commentary on events and social trends.
The "liberals" will miss him, because his pungent commentary won't be there to hate.
I'll miss him, because I met him once, and liked him. I read his posts, and liked THEM, even if I didn't agree with his views. And much more than once, I laughed my buns off!
Presuming that St. Peter is guarding the gates, Rob is arguing with him, probably about bringing one of his beloved guitars into Heaven. Of course, once he's in, he'll argue with the Big Guy about the content of the songs, the content of the bottle that's in the guitar case, and the intentions of the darlin' with red toe-nails that's standing to Rob's left, waiting to run-'n-fetch....
Posted by ward at 07:49 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 21, 2005
Whither Kim and Connie du Toit?
So.
For the last two or three days, Kim du Toit's site has been saying "page not found" or some such.
Today it says "site is permanently closed". Mrs. du Toit's site says "server off-line".
INT WTF?
update: From the sloop New Dawn:
A message for everyone from them both, as related by me:
All is well. Connie will soon publish, (and may have by time you read this), a brief explanation of their circumstances, and what it will mean to any future writing/blogging from either of them. I can tell you that they are under no duress, save for the imperative of having to make a living and keep a roof over their heads.
I can also tell you that I am de-linking to the archives which I had pointed to, yesteday. It is their earnest request that you all do likewise, and that, immediately.
Kim and I are discussing ways for me to host his essays, in such a manner that the KdT name does not keep popping up in Google searches. Expect a delay of at least one month for this to transpire.
When Connie publishes her update, I shall copy it in full here, and any of you who host a interested blog ought to do likewise. Please to that, rather than hotlinking to her site. Again, the purpose is to lower their Google visibility as much as possible.
Be assured, Connie will give as much detail as is suitable to make public.
Watch this space for further Kim & Connie developments.
Posted by ward at 08:08 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack