Ser Scot A Ellison Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 Sarah,Per Laura our donation is flying through the ether. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Kilmore Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 Mine has also taken wings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AutumnEvenings Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 I'm relatively sure that EHK had no idea who I am. Like so many (everyone?), I 'knew' him. His posts in the multiple election threads were what kept me reading them, though I rarely joined in or commented on how insightful, or how hilarious, they were. I felt I had no real right to post in this thread though, as we'd never spoken outside of threads, and I'm not entirely sure that we'd even addressed each other inside them. (Though with all the atheist threads, it's impossible to know for sure.)But this morning I got an email from an old friend of mine, who lives just outside of Chicago, telling me that a highschool friend of his, Tom Wilcox, had died. I'd met this friend a handful of times, when I was in Chicago visiting everyone, loving the city, contemplating moving there. The last time I'd seen Tom was in 2003, and I never put two and two together. Yes, this Tom could rant like the best of them and had an air of certainty about him. But his political views were rather different (we'd fought about it, once, driving home from a concert, two relative strangers thrown in the back seat of a mutual friend's car). He smoked but never went on about smokers' rights, perhaps because the bans hadn't yet become prevelent. He gave really good hugs, and got overly excited about the WWE 'rounds' we were watching. He had a really great smile. He could outdrink me in a heartbeat. I liked him a lot. I wish I'd kept in touch with him personally, but I didn't. I left the country for a while, but I'd often look back on those nights in Chicago with friends, and he was a part of that. I keep meaning to go back to Chicago, because I love it, love the people there. I'm greatly saddened that I didn't get around to it before this.I wish I'd discovered this connection sooner. I wasn't a member of the board yet, when we met for the last time. But it would have been a small-world moment, to realize it under different circumstances, to send him a message introducing AE as Marissa, and playing remember-when.I don't know quite how I feel. Sad. Cheated, by losing EHK and by never getting to see Tom again. Just horrible for his family and close friends. Bewildered. Angry, that he was only my age, and had so much left to do, to experience. (Though it's not like he was shy when it comes to experiencing the world. He just didn't have enough time!) Guilty for taking an "it's about me" approach to his death by posting this post, but wanting to share. I hug when I get excited, and the first time I met Tom, we went to an amazing show, and I was jumping around like an idiot, hugging everyone even though I only knew one other person there. Tom caught every hug and returned it. I don't know that he entirely enjoyed it, but I felt like he understood my enthusiams and was willing to let me express it, even if it meant touching him. He teased me about it (rather sardonicly) the next time we met. He had a good heart, there was no way around it.I'll miss him, both versions of him, even though I only knew each in passing. Thank you, Tom and EHK, for sharing yourself with us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alarich Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 I only realized it now. He's really gone.Crap.I wish I had admitted that I felt outmatched in the beer discussions. It's too late now and I feel like a cheater. I will miss his contributions to this community. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ran Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 AutumnEvenings,Thank you for sharing that. The world's a smaller place these days, because of the Internet. It's strange, and it's awe-inspiring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iskaral Pust Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 Really? I had no problem paying via CC and did not link my bank account at all. In the screen that asked for my bank account link up, I skipped it by hitting the button below the box with the fill in forms.I have an old PayPal account, for which I never verified the bank account. I haven't used it in years. If I log in to PayPal, it demands a bank account. If I click "cancel and return to other payment options", then it just refreshes the page demanding a bank account. If I log out and try to set up a new account with another email address, it recognizes that my credit card matches an existing account and won't let me. It clearly has my credit card number in my account, but is fixated on getting a bank account from me.This is an example of why I stopped using PayPal years ago.This seems incredibly inappropriate for this thread except that I would like to make a contribution and EHK would be proud of the profanity I have showered upon PayPal today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snuffaluffalee Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 While I'm an infrequent visitor/poster here, I enjoyed reading EHK's posts--fun, interesting and insightful are inadequate descriptions. Sending my thoughts to his friends and family and something towards the flowers. All that's left to be said: This bites. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 eta: sorry, this is Filippa. Forgot to log him off.I remember talking to EHK in Glasgow, shortly before moving to Luxembourg, and he was saying how surprised he was to find a mexican chain restaurant he knew from home there. Since then I've always thought of him when I ate at that place. Next time I'm eating there I'll have a drink in his memory. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matrim Fox Cauthon Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 I have an old PayPal account, for which I never verified the bank account. I haven't used it in years. If I log in to PayPal, it demands a bank account. If I click "cancel and return to other payment options", then it just refreshes the page demanding a bank account. If I log out and try to set up a new account with another email address, it recognizes that my credit card matches an existing account and won't let me. It clearly has my credit card number in my account, but is fixated on getting a bank account from me.This is an example of why I stopped using PayPal years ago.This seems incredibly inappropriate for this thread except that I would like to make a contribution and EHK would be proud of the profanity I have showered upon PayPal today.No, it is okay. I am not a fan of PayPal either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucky Pierre Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 AE-Thanks for sharing that. Your post is still sending shivers up my spine. As Ran said-it is a very small world indeed.:grouphug: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nichole Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 Wow AE, that is amazing. I also just contributed. Its not much, but, even though I never really knew him, it just felt right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xray the Enforcer Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 :grouphug: to AutumnEvenings. Thank you for the story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Relic Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 wow ae... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nathanael Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 Tragedy.I don't even know if EHK would recognize me anymore, as I've been largely lurking for the past four years because of what I can get away with at work. I've been here nearly as long as he has, and to me he was always one of the pillars of the board. He's one of the people that made lurking worth the time - his funny, insightful rants often would say what you would have said, only better. And if you disagreed, the idea of assaulting the tower known as EHK was so daunting you were quite happy to continue lurking.It was much the same when I could post more often - any time EHK was on your side, you felt like you had already won, and when he opposed you, the only thought in your mind was ". . . fuck."Much has already been said about him being the proof that minds can be changed even through internet debate. I went through a similar shift around the same time EHK did . . . while ordinarily I'd balk at the thought of my switch being influenced by someone else I respected switching, I wouldn't mind if that was actually the case of EHK.Truly a titan. Rest in peace.God, for some reason it's really hitting me now that I've written this. It's a bit cheesy, but I've got bits and pieces of that song Ygritte sings about the last of the giants stuck in my head.I'd like my name added as well. I'll PM my real name. I may not have been as close to him as some, but I think the sheer number of people affected by this would mean a great deal to his family. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerol Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 I just found this thread after seeing the sticky on the Entertainment page. My sincere condolences to Tom's family. I hope someone in the family kept that computer up on this site so they could see that there is 19 pages of condolences. R.I.P. EHK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Sun Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 Thank you for sharing your story, AutumnEvening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calibandar Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 I can't believe this. One of my best friends on the board. This cannot be happening. I wish I knew what happened to him. Passed away unexpectedly? Jesus? What happened? Does anyone know? If yes please tell me or PM me.To say that I personally will really miss his presence is a ridiculous understatement. He was someone I would probably have been real life friends with if we had lived in the neighbourhood. Same age as I am, so many of the same interests. I love that he was ( was? I can't understand I'm even saying "was") so outspoken, I agreed with him on most topics and often found myself nodding vehemently. It was great to see him rant, sometimnes you just knew it was coming and it's extra cool if you agree with the rant.He loved books, posted extensively in the Other authors forum. Very down to earth guy I always thought. Loved films. Transformers fan during childhood, that I certainly know he was and another thing we shared. I was always happy when he would stick up for Braveheart again when someone thrashed the film, because it meant I didn't have to pick up the gauntlet again.What a great guy. How in the world could he have passed on this early? I'm glad his brother logged on to tell us though. I would certainly have wondered where he was if he hadn't posted here in a week or two, and certainly when it would be longer.I never knew your first name, which seems absurd now but that's how forums work. I will really miss you Tom. Thanks for the time you spent here, I enjoyed your company greatly. I cannot believe you have passed on, and wished dearly that you would come back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon AS Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 Damn. My condolences to his family.He was one of my favourite posters on this board, very sure of himself but certainly capable to be swayed by reasonable argument. He came across as passionate and full of energy and seemed to be the kind of person I would have liked to meet face to face at some point. Absolutely impossible to believe he is gone. A loss for the entire community. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LacyinTX Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 My thoughts are with his family. So sad... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sio Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 I think the world just became more boring.Rest in peace. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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