Friday says nice things about you

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Thad
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Re: Friday says nice things about you

Postby Thad » Sat Aug 10, 2019 12:38 am

Friday: You're a fundamentally decent person. Not only do you see the good in everybody, you do stuff like this where you make sure they know how you feel.

Romo: Friday's right. When I saw you last month, I just marveled at how different you were from that kid I met in 2004. We've all grown up, but you've gained a real comfort in your own skin, and you're a kind and generous man to boot. In '06 you guided me through the streets of LA at 2 AM when Mapquest steered me wrong (and then gently ribbed me for using Mapquest even though I knew better). Last month when I thanked you for hosting the party, you said "I live for this." It's a pretty great thing to live for, and I hope it doesn't take me another 13 years to take you up on your generous hospitality again.

Upthorn: I don't know you too well; I don't do the IRC thing. But every time we've talked I've thought "Hey, this is a cool dude," and it was cool hanging out last month. I assure you, I am not the sort of person who pretends to like somebody when he actually doesn't; you're good people, and I mean that.

Brent: Christ, 25 years. I could write a Billy Joel parody. Hedgehog Zero, Amaroq, Scar and Craptists talkin' smack, Mountain Dew and 3D Blast, take the Epoch to the past, Dammit Janet, KateStory, Thundercats on Toonami, forty-two and twenty-three, Snowbase Box, the Trinity, WE DIDN'T START THE FIRE

Anyhow, you've been there for me when I needed someone to talk to, and you've been there for me when I needed someone to tell me I was being an asshole. Thanks for that.

Sharkey: You said something to me once that helped put my anal retentive bullshit into perspective. It went something like, "I oppose bad grammar because it hurts effective communication. I oppose constantly correcting people's grammar because it's like a fucking bullet to the brain of effective communication." Anyway, today I tore into a guy for constantly derailing conversations to make irrelevant corrections to people's word choice. I mean, I started off by pointing out he'd used "less" instead of "fewer", so I'm not completely cured of my prescriptivist tendencies, but I like to think you've helped me use them sparingly and for good.

Paco: You've got a real gift for considering perspectives that aren't your own, and showing compassion for people who hold them. We agree on most things, but you've got insights that I don't, and you're a lot more diplomatic than I am.

Me: Well, hell. I've known Brent since '94, started exchanging e-mails with Sharkey around '99, and poked my head into #finalfight for the first time on December 31, 2000. It's been a long time. I'll accept my Most Improved Odor trophy with gratitude and humility (if you can call a post like this humble). I used to be a real asshole, but I never meant to be; I thought I was Sharkey or Don Rickles or somebody and not just some dumbass kid saying mean stuff and thinking it was funny. I picked up some bad habits growing up, I've spent a lot of years unlearning a lot of them, I think I've gotten better at recognizing my own privilege and learning to listen to other people's perspectives, but I'm still a work in progress. It's been a bumpy couple of decades but this community's a bright spot in my life. I love you all.

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Thad
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Re: Friday says nice things about you

Postby Thad » Sat Aug 10, 2019 1:50 am

(On further review, my favorite part is that I was going to go with "high school crush on Nina T" but decided on "Thundercats on Toonami" instead.

I haven't talked to Nina in...probably over a decade? But I think she'd be amused by my decision to prioritize Thundercats over her.

I was talking about her the other day. Went to a Weird Al concert, reminisced a little about all the shows I've been to, including the first one I went to, which was also the first time I ever asked a girl out. ...I'm almost certain she did eventually go to a Weird Al concert with me, years later; funny I didn't mention that in that blog post.)

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Blossom
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Re: Friday says nice things about you

Postby Blossom » Sat Aug 10, 2019 5:07 am

Friday wrote:TA:
You are like the epitome of "fighting the good fight." You'd be a terrifying enemy to have because of how tenacious and determined you are to improve the world and fuck up evil. I'm really glad I'm on your side.

You can be coarse and acidic and that pisses people off sometimes. But you don't really do it to be mean, exactly? I used to think you did but then I looked a little deeper and realized you just don't give a shit and speak what you mean without sugar coating anything. But you're a good soul and you're on the side of the angels, and thank god you are because again, wouldn't want to be your enemy. I have a lot of respect for you and the work that you do in your life. Keep it up brother.


I really appreciate this. Thank you.

It's been "sister" for a couple of years now, but even so.
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Esperath
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Re: Friday says nice things about you

Postby Esperath » Sat Aug 10, 2019 5:39 am

pisa katto

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pisa katto

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Friday
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Re: Friday says nice things about you

Postby Friday » Sat Aug 10, 2019 9:56 am

It's been "sister" for a couple of years now, but even so.


Oh, hey, awesome, good for you.
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mharr
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Re: Friday says nice things about you

Postby mharr » Sat Aug 10, 2019 5:41 pm

I absolutely relate to Newbie's imposter syndrome, y'all are a bunch of 2000 era internet legends, artists, warriors and creators and I'm just this aging brit awkwardly hanging out on the edge of the garden because it's just so nice to find a living bit of the real internet from back before the masses piled on and turned the fucking thing Nazi.

Friday wrote:
It's been "sister" for a couple of years now, but even so.
Oh, hey, awesome, good for you.

I mean, just look at that. This exchange fell through an alternate timeline portal from the proper future where you don't even think to mention these things unless the subject comes up and everyone's like "nice one, what's for dinner?"

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IGNORE ME
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Re: Friday says nice things about you

Postby IGNORE ME » Sat Aug 10, 2019 8:44 pm

I'm just this aging brit awkwardly hanging out on the edge of the garden because it's just so nice to find a living bit of the real internet from back before the masses piled on and turned the fucking thing Nazi.


Yep, me too. Well, except for the Brit part.

Oh uh this thread, right. Uhhh...

I don't hate any of you. No, not even you. Get back here.

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François
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Re: Friday says nice things about you

Postby François » Sat Aug 10, 2019 8:59 pm

Predictable as it may be, there's really only one way I can respond to this.



You're a source of light and warmth, Friday, tough, wise, and big-hearted. The world is better for having you in it.

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Friday
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Re: Friday says nice things about you

Postby Friday » Sun Aug 11, 2019 1:02 am

holy shit I thought that was just a link to the normal track
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François
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Re: Friday says nice things about you

Postby François » Sun Aug 11, 2019 2:32 am

Well hey, I'm not quite as predictable as I thought then. :3

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fanboymaster
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Re: Friday says nice things about you

Postby fanboymaster » Sun Aug 11, 2019 3:06 am

Just noticed this thread and wanted to say the kind words are a pick-me-up Friday. I still feel like a recent addition to this community even 6 years in so it felt nice to be mentioned. I understand having a hard time making this kind of thread, though for me it's that I often worry compliments I give come off insincere, so thank you for putting this sort of positivity out there anyway. I'm not a great judge but I feel like you, Friday, can underestimate your own positive influence on the community, you bring a lot of warmth and energy that it feels like we need and you shouldn't forget it. Perhaps my initial concern is a misread but it comes to mind so it feels worth expressing.
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Mongrel
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Re: Friday says nice things about you

Postby Mongrel » Sun Aug 11, 2019 5:17 am

Friday wrote:holy shit I thought that was just a link to the normal track

Isn't his voice just the most soothing, pleasant voice to listen to?

I mean, I'm not actually exaggerating in that I really do think that you have a broadcast-quality voice, Zed.
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mharr
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Re: Friday says nice things about you

Postby mharr » Sun Aug 11, 2019 5:28 am

Brentai wrote:Yep, me too.

... okay then, I'm just going to leave this here.

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Thad
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Re: Friday says nice things about you

Postby Thad » Sun Aug 11, 2019 1:12 pm

Brentai wrote:
I'm just this aging brit awkwardly hanging out on the edge of the garden because it's just so nice to find a living bit of the real internet from back before the masses piled on and turned the fucking thing Nazi.


Yep, me too.

You were never Sharkey-famous, but you were Sharkey-adjacent enough that people actually joined the community to get to know you. "2000 era internet legend" is perhaps a bit of an exaggeration, but "recognizable member of a legendary 2000-era community" ain't so far from the truth. (Thor once told me he'd always meant to get to know you better from the quotes he'd read. Come to think of it, that was in the context of you making a joke about how you'd never be as famous as Thor.)

Somebody recognized me in City of Heroes once, asked if I was the same Frivolous Suit from Memoirs of an Urban Vigilante. That and the time Kurt Busiek linked to my blog are pretty much the pinnacles of my Internet popularity.

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Re: Friday says nice things about you

Postby Blossom » Sun Aug 11, 2019 4:59 pm

mharr wrote:I absolutely relate to Newbie's imposter syndrome, y'all are a bunch of 2000 era internet legends, artists, warriors and creators and I'm just this aging brit awkwardly hanging out on the edge of the garden because it's just so nice to find a living bit of the real internet from back before the masses piled on and turned the fucking thing Nazi.

Friday wrote:
TA wrote:It's been "sister" for a couple of years now, but even so.
Oh, hey, awesome, good for you.

I mean, just look at that. This exchange fell through an alternate timeline portal from the proper future where you don't even think to mention these things unless the subject comes up and everyone's like "nice one, what's for dinner?"


Actually, with that in mind.

There. Last place I hadn't done that.
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beatbandito
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Re: Friday says nice things about you

Postby beatbandito » Sun Aug 11, 2019 5:15 pm

Saying 'ta' to your old moniker?
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Mongrel
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Re: Friday says nice things about you

Postby Mongrel » Sun Aug 11, 2019 6:53 pm

I don't actually remember what TA even stood for anymore. :P
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Upthorn
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Re: Friday says nice things about you

Postby Upthorn » Sun Aug 11, 2019 8:39 pm

I always just assumed it was Total Annihilation.
How fleeting are all human passions compared with the massive continuity of ducks.

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François
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Re: Friday says nice things about you

Postby François » Sun Aug 11, 2019 8:45 pm

Mongrel wrote:I mean, I'm not actually exaggerating in that I really do think that you have a broadcast-quality voice, Zed.


Well, dang, is mighty kind of you to say. Ah, if only I had something to broadcast.

Hmm...

It'd sure be something to do!

Blossom wrote:There. Last place I hadn't done that.


Bien le bonsoir, mademoiselle Blossom.

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pacobird
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Re: Friday says nice things about you

Postby pacobird » Mon Aug 12, 2019 3:31 pm

This was a very kind thing to do and say, Friday. Thank you! We've all known each other forever now, and as someone who's drifted in and out of the community I'm always struck with how cohesive it's been over the years and I think you deserve a huge amount of the credit. I'm the living avatar of not putting work into things, so watching you put in the time to just keep everyone going, everyone talking, is almost mortifying for me. I wish I were more like you.

Thad, I think back a lot on that road trip from Flagstaff to San Diego. I have a hard time reminiscing about that time in my life because I consider that version of me to be so unbearable now, but I remember talking about something I had done a few weeks prior that in retrospect I should not have, and you said something so simple and obvious it's stuck with me a lot more than whatever rationalizations I'd cooked up for it: that you wouldn't have wanted anybody to do that to you.

The point is not that I needed to be told about the Golden Rule, but that there are people out there, like you, who take the sort of casual cruelty I accepted those days - and seems to be all over the place now - as so self-evidently wrong. Everybody knows it's a bad look, but I forget that all the time; you never do. You were a full decade ahead of the rest of us on politics - full marks for that, by the way - and as I get caught up I find it really easy to slip into the kind of despair I ways always afraid I would if I saw things the way you did back around 2004 or so. But here you are, still being Thad while a generation slides into nihilism! I know this sounds backhanded but that is no-bones uplifting! Thank you!
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