I'll Be Seeing You

If you look over to our right sidebar, down a little bit ... a little bit farther, there you go, you'll see a list of blogs we like and Link Exchange with. Jon Swift was one of the best.

He was so talented at satire of the reich wing that people would comment thinking he was serious. Some to castigate him, others (scary people) to congratulate him on his reasoned discourse, but mostly the folks who get it, got it, good.

He didn't post often, but when he did it was choice. But even I, the laziest of bloggers, noticed he hadn't updated for almost a year. I still checked in from time to time because he had one of those blogs that the comments keep coming and keep you coming back.

But I never wanted to see this comment:

I don't know how else to tell you all who love this blog. I am Jon Swift's Mom and I guess I'm going to OUT him. He was Al Weisel, my beloved son. Al was on his way to his father's funeral in VA when he suffered 2 aortic aneurysms, a leaky aortic valve and an aortic artery dissection from his heart to his pelvis. He had 3 major surgeries within 24 hours and sometime during those surgeries also suffered a severe stroke. We, his 2 sisters, his brother, his partner and his best friend since he was 9 years old were with him as he took his last breath. We have all lost a shining start who warmed our hearts, tormented us and made us laugh as he giggled at our pulling something over on us. He passed away on February 27, 2010. My beloved child will live on in so many hearts. I miss him more than I can say. If you are on Facebook, go to organizations and join "Friends of Al Weisel, Unite!" It will give you just a taste of how special he was. Farewell, Jon (Al)

I became acquainted with Jon Swift thru his brilliant writing, and then thru Blogroll Amnesty Day.

Check out his blog, check out his last post, and check out Al Weisel.

If there is a blogger's heaven, a place where one's thoughts in the purest form, (but with all the painstaking revisions magically included), are transformed into images and words then electrons and photons, Al is there.

My sincere condolences go out to his survivors.

Hic depositum est Corpus
IONATHAN SWIFT S.T.D.
Hujus Ecclesiæ Cathedralis
Decani,
Ubi sæva Indignatio
Ulterius
Cor lacerare nequit,
Abi Viator
Et imitare, si poteris,
Strenuum pro virili
Libertatis Vindicatorem.

Obiit 19º Die Mensis Octobris
A.D. 1745 Anno Ætatis 78º.

And I decree that from now until the end of time every day is Blogroll Amnesty Day.

I completely stole this image from skippy's place.