Tuesday, August 13, 2013

I Sense a Disturbing Trend Here...

You've probably heard the sad -- the latest -- sad news, but TBogg is retiring.  Not from work, to spend more time with his blog, but from blogging, to spend more time with his bassets (and wife and daughter, I suppose).  This outrage probably couldn't come at a worse time, and I was about to register a strong and full-throated complaint, perhaps even gather a rabble and rouse them, but three moral considerations stopped me cold:

(1.)   His reason is actually difficult to argue with:
What tipped the scales this time was the recent loss of the brilliant and greatly missed Doghouse Riley whom, I will note, was younger than moi when he passed so suddenly. As was Jon Swift. And Steve Gilliard. And Jim Capozzola. For me, this was a mortality wake-up call.
(2.)   I'm not sure on what legal grounds I could sue him for discontinuing my free entertainment.  Alienation of amusement?  Or perhaps, since he's been making me laugh for 12 straight years, my attorneys could argue that I have an easement.

(3.)  I can't remember my login at Firedoglake.

Actually, Tom Boggioni (as I assume we may now safely call him without peril of getting a National Security Letter from the FBI) and Doug Case were a lot alike -- each was a smart, jaded, middle-aged dude with a brutal command of the English language and his heart in the right place.

In addition to his other virtues, Tom was extremely generous with his Internet brand of fame and influence.  S.z. thanked him by name (well, by pseudonym) on WoC's first blogiversary, remembering when "a phenomenal blogger named TBogg (if that is his real name) was guilted into linking to this blog, and I knew the thrill of having more than 100 readers".  Other bloggers were also kind enough, back in those halcyon days, to give this blog a leg-up, including Seb of Sadly, No!, Atrios, and the still-missed Jim Capozzola of Rittenhouse Review, who passed away in 2007.  But Sheri always considered TBogg to be WoC's "blogfather" (pending results of the blood test), since he was one of the first and most frequent champions of her writing.

As for his own writing, he should be Knighted for Services to the Blogosphere just for the Nine Million Names of Gurdon he coined in his "America's Worst Mother" series, but when you factor in the thousands of other posts over a dozen years, embracing everything from book and music recommendations to new and exciting sobriquets for Sarah Palin, I suppose he's earned his rest.

Anyway, once a Hobbit has decided to sail off to the Undying Lands, there's no talking him out of it, so really all you can do is carpool down to the Grey Havens and wave a hankie at the dock.  And say thanks.
Happy Trails, Former Cowboy.

11 comments:

David Ezer said...

I will say it again: TBogg's unparalleled masterpiece is Flowers for Goldberg.

http://tbogg.blogspot.com/2005/05/flowers-for-goldberg-nro-post-day-one.html

That was EIGHT years and God knows how many bags of Cheetos for Jonah ago.

heydave said...

Now don't you get any funny ideas, Scott. I'm feeling too fucking delicate these days.

Weird Dave said...

I Sense a Disturbing Trend Here...

Very.

zombie rotten mcdonald said...

Hey, I was ahead of the curve!

Li'l Innocent said...

I, too, have forgotten (lost, actually, along with an attendant hard drive) my FDL login -- so, in hopes that maybe TBogg may hear echoes, I'd like to thank him right here for uncounted laffs and head-shakings at his goddam brilliance. Lord, what a talent. I didn't always agree with every tack he took, but those occasions were pretty minor. The delicious skewerings (it's been like Rightist Shishkebab Night every night, practically), the moral drive behind it all, and the way the blog's community built up too. Not to mention the beloved puppehz, and the admirable presences of Mme. TBogg and young Ms. TBogg in the near environs. Many thanks and don't go away forever, you all.

Li'l Innocent said...

And also besides, what heydave said, Scott. I mean it. A forefinger is being shaken at the screen this very moment.

Woodrowfan said...

well, there goes the only reason to read FDL.

D. Sidhe said...

What HeyDave said. With backup finger-wagging for Lil' Innocent.

FFS, at least give us enough warning to get properly drunk first.

*sigh* And Goldberg still goes on. Lachesis is turning out to be quite the bitch.

M. Bouffant said...

Too damn much change of late, none of it good.

Larkspur said...

Would everyone please stop breaking my heart?

Scott said...

I'll speak to Kiki Dee.

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