The Upsetting News Thread

[WarpGirl]

Sorry.

[Linda]

Thanks, WarpGirl.

[WarpGirl]

You're welcome.

[enterprikayak]

I just found out one of the members of the Robert Burns Club of Milwaukee passed away a few days ago. While he was not a close friend, and he lived near Green Bay, not in Milwaukee, so I didn't see him often, it is still very sad and I am glad I was informed.

It also brought to mind a subject I have been thinking about. While none of us expect to pass away anytime soon, still, it is a good idea to have a list of email address and chat boards with your important papers so that relatives can send an announcement to your online friends. It took a few days for the son of my Robert Burns Club friend to reach everyone he thought should know and that was a very kind and thoughtful thing to do in his time of grief. I know this is not a subject that younger people want to think about, but leaving a contact list in case of death or seious injury is a very considerate thing to do. Just thought I would mention it.

Yeah, I agree....if there's a place you spend a lot of time at, it sure would nice if the peeps there knew you'd disappeared for a reason!

[Distracted]

Believe me. My husband knows I hang out here. So do all my kids. They gripe about it regularly.

[Aquarius]

This kind of thing comes up from time to time at the Yahoo Star Trek and Star Wars groups I belong to, people who've been in fandom for a long time. I remember a particular instance when a couple of members were suddenly aware of the fact that there was a member that hadn't been heard from for a long time. After some asking around, they broke down and did the Google thing, and found her obituary. It was really sad. I didn't know the member in question, but even online communities are communities.

[WarpGirl]

In my SW's community, I left a notice before my opperation and said "If I die, my mom will post a message on my thread" I'll just do the same thing here.

[Alelou]

I wonder if Jaime would figure out how to do that even if I asked him. I figure JT or Bether would know eventually, since we know each other in RL too now.

It happened in the XF fanfic crowd, I remember -- one of the most talented young authors died of melanoma, if I recall correctly. (Leyla Harrison? I may be getting that confused.) Plenty of people knew her in RL and could report what happened. Of course, there were also the occasional scammers who'd claim that they were dying or that their husband had died or whatever, and surprisingly enough people would also figure out it was all just a hoax.

(You guys are so calm compared to that group!)

The smaller group I'm still friends with from there, though we've all left XF behind, congealed around a fanfic writer whose husband really was dying, though she didn't talk about it to the general group -- we went through the whole process with her as online buddies, and finally started actually traveling to get together for real with her after he was gone. It may sound bizarre, but the fact of his obituary finally made it clear to me that this was a real person and I should go see her. (But Jaime still wanted me to call as soon as I got there and confirm that she wasn't actually a homicidal maniac posing as a middle-aged college professor.)

[WarpGirl]

Oh my sister is convinced someone here will try to kill and/or rape me. My very first Beta in SW's KOTOR had a tragedy her husband was killed new years day 2008 in Iraq. That was just the worst.

[enterprikayak]

Oh my sister is convinced someone here will try to kill and/or rape me.

I know, hey? Some of my fam too. BOO! IT's ME! I'M THE MANIAC!


Here's some "bad news"....check out this awful question someone posted on Yahoo ?'s asking
"how to get rid of the 'fag club' at her daughter's school"...the Gay-Straight Alliance.

Funny thing though....cause her question is kind of really backfiring on her. I've been watching people school her for being a bigot for an hour now.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index ... 557AA1hLNF

[Silverbullet]

I for one think about this subject. At mmy age waking up at times is a victory.

One can be in seemingly good health and be at deaths door.

While stationed overseas at a Post the Station chief was retireing. He passed his retirement physical with flying colors. He was asured he would have a long, healthy, happy retirement. Dropped dead the next day. So, you never know what may lurking in your body ready to get you.

Believe me I have seen enough death to be very famiiar with it but that doesn't make the prospect of a demise any easier. Sometimes making those little preparations seems to be tempting Fate, if you are Old(er)

[Alelou]

Which brings us to the eternal debate: would you rather have a lingering illness with lots of time to prepare for the inevitable, or just drop dead?

[Aikiweezie]

I'd like to drop dead of very, very, very, very, very old age.

[honeybee]

I'll cop out. I think I ideally it would be good to have some time to prepare - but not good to have a horrible degenerative disease that robs you of your faculties. I'd rather drop dead. So, I split the difference, so to speak, But I do always take comfort in the fact that we're all heading in the same direction.

Loved your vision of the afterlife in "Having His Baby", by the way.

[Alelou]

I'd like to drop dead of very, very, very, very, very old age.

LOL. This sounds perfect to me, too!