Rolling Obituary Thread: 2018

I can't in good conscience RIP a dangerous animal, that in desperate times would chomp on a baby's head like it was a satsuma, and then try and blame someone else in sign language.

That baby was Robin Williams.

I saw Pantera on their first national tour in the US, opening for Exodus and headliners Suicidal Tendencies in 1990. Saw them again in 1997 with Neurosis and Clutch as their openers. Anselmo's a dickhead, but they were a good band at times. Reinventing The Steel is their best album.

Sorry, guys, I guess my grief caused me to forget that Koko's inability to communicate in sign was a thing that regularly came up in conversation during her lifetime. People were always like, 'hey, while this gorilla is still alive and in the public eye, we really should discuss the media's skewed perception of her ASL skills.' I honestly don't think more than a week would go by without someone making that very germane point in attempt to maximize awareness of the controversy. And so, yes, of course this point would once again arise naturally upon the occasion of Koko's passing. I was unfair in treating this as an isolated and unfortunately-timed incident. And as the days go by, I find it increasingly difficult to remember who Koko was and what those constant conversations were about. I fear that by the time a week has passed, I will have no recollection of the situation whatsoever and, if prompted, will reply with a sad and simple, 'who's Koko?' I blame the Walkmen and the Gameboys for so tragically shortening our attention spans that we could ever fail to remember this magnificent...I want to say horse. Was it a horse? Anyway, once again: RIP Cocoa.

When the bit isn’t working but you press send

I hope I'm able to experience that just once before it's my time to be featured itt.

Someone else died, Koko discussion over

yeah guys maybe make a koko thread

Koko thread post joke bad banana banana

People discuss Koko's understanding of language (of lack of) a surprising amount. As a vegan people bring up her inability to use language quite often - even though none of my beliefs rest on the claim that she did.

Wait were ppl seriously arguing to you that since gorillas can’t acquire language, therefore being vegan is unreasonable?

Yeah - when you try to argue about sentience/consciousness/capacity to feel pain, people tend to blur the concepts together. So, people argue that because animals aren't 'intelligent', because they don't use 'language', they're not moral subjects.

(I am delighted and amazed this is still going on.)

Remember when Farrah Fawcett died on the same day as Michael Jackson and no one talked about her? That happened to Charles Krauthammer with a gorilla.

— Joe McAdam (@joemcadam) June 21, 2018

Wait Farrah Fawcet died?

huh. Proves that post right, I guess.

Aldous Huxley died the same day JFK got shot. Gotta plan these things, try to die on a slow news day.

Lol that Tweet

There's a doc about Koko on BBC4 in a minute but fuck watching that big phoney

Can we start a dead people thread and leave this one to the dead animals.

There was a dead crow outside my work this morning

I saw a pigeon fly into a window and probably die yesterday morning

Crows, now they are intelligent animals, not sure what their language skills are like though tbf.

I know next to nothing about Fawcett but could people have talked at good length about her?

Without repetition or hesitation?

People and apes.

Fawcett was in Logan's Run, one of the finest sci-fi films of all time.

NV - hopefully without resorting to the word "iconic" repeatedly.

iconic nipple

What would Koko say if she saw us arguing like this? (trick question, she could not say anything, she did not understand language)

Aldous Huxley died the same day JFK got shot. Gotta plan these things, try to die on a slow news day.

― Leaghaidh am brón an t-anam bochd (dowd), Saturday, 23 June 2018 17:53 (one hour ago)

CS Lewis died that day as well.

Lewis and Huxley canceled each other out I guess

Yeah! I remember reading that! x-post. Don't know why I remember AH but not CSL who is arguably more famous.

y'see you only use 10% of your brain, right?

well that explains dowd's comment on Logan's Run

Ouch.

https://eu.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2018/06/25/pawn-stars-richard-harrison-old-man-death/730665002/

https://wcbs880.radio.com/articles/new-york-radio-legend-dan-ingram-dead-83

Donald Hall, one of the last of the late-1920s-born big American poets.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2018/06/24/donald-hall-former-poet-laureate/hGJudegZ2p6DkzIshiWvpO/story.html

daaaan IN-gram

damn

daaaan IN-gram

Jackson family patriarch Joe

Steve Soto, bass player for the Adolescents, etc. at 54.

https://www.ocweekly.com/steve-soto-of-the-adolescents-and-manic-hispanic-dead-at-54/

Susan Ellison has asked me to announce the passing of writer Harlan Ellison, in his sleep, earlier today. “For a brief time I was here, and for a brief time, I mattered.”—HE, 1934-2018. Arrangements for a celebration of his life are pending.

— Christine Valada (@mcvalada) June 28, 2018

Harlan Ellison, 1934-2018.

Kind of disappointed Ellison didn't go down mid-rant.

lol yeah going out peacefully seems v un-Harlan Ellison

I suppose he's worthy of an RIP, he had some good stuff

Even just for making sure Octavia E Butler got the boost she needed, he's a legend.

But, as Elvis T has noted, a heavily flawed one beyond the usual kvetching:

https://www.adweek.com/galleycat/at-long-last-harlan-have-youleft-no-sense-of-decency/3778