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It's World AIDS Day. Other diarists, particularly Seneca Doane, noweasels and GLBT and Friends at Daily Kos, have shared their memories of other days and long-gone friends.
I wanted to call your attention to one more digital remembrance, "an online searchable database of obituaries that have appeared in the Bay Area Reporter (the weekly newspaper published in San Francisco for the LBGTQ community, as the database describes it) since it began publishing them in 1979." The database, a creation of the GLBT Historical Society of Northern California and the Bay Area Reporter, contains approximately 10,000 listings.
10,000.
From one newspaper.
The database's "About" page says that "(t)he online obituary project began as an attempt by Tom Burtch to locate the published obituaries of the members of the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus (currently 268 members have died) in time for the Chorus’ 30th anniversary in 2008. In looking for the Chorus-specific listings, Tom realized that there was a much larger audience that would benefit from a complete listing of all the obituaries that have appeared in the Bay Area Reporter."
Burtch, who volunteers at the GLBT Historical Society in San Francisco, and Dan Leifker, Web designer, spent countless hours assembling the database. I was touched by Burtch's words, explaining why he decided to expand and share his own research: "I felt that the greater community also needed an opportunity to mourn ... an ability to remember people and keep their memories alive."
(Found via MetaFilter).
Spencer, your name isn't there. But I still remember you, all these years later. Be at peace, my friend.
***
We Get Letters
The Top Comments mailbox was fairly full tonight. What was in it? Here you go...
From Land of Enchantment:
A real winner of a comment from Sara. Interesting, informative, and much more substantive than a lot of diaries. (With a 4-digit UID, the commenter has never posted a diary. I think I'd love to see that change.)
From carolita:
*bellatrys* posts the ONLY thing Obama needs to understand about Afghanistan. I hope it didn't go the way of single-payer, but I'm afraid it was off the table before the discussion even started.
From virgomusic:
NonnyO speaks from the heart on Afghanistan, and I'm left speechless.
From bronte17:
ivorybill posted an astute and knowledgeable comment on Afghanistan that should be shared widely. In my opinion, Obama understands this concept that ivorybill details and that's where the US policy in Afghanistan will head.
From Angie in WA State:
this comment by daulton in this diary Want Maddow and Olbermann? Then this can not happen. by Wade Norris
From annetteboardman:
There are a lot of worthy comments in Seneca Doane's diary. Here are just two:
On what living with HIV is like today (good medicine, better prognosis, uncomfortable social circumstances, even with family):
and on what being a doctor was like in the early days
but there are other comments there, some not as long or detailed, that are well worth reading.
From sardonyx:
Last night, our fearless leader, Markos Moulitsas, tweeted the following:
Holy shit -- big news coming tomorrow or Wednesday. GOOD news, for a change. And yes, I'll remain annoyingly vague about it.
pontificator noticed this fact, and diaried about it. Needless to say, speculation was rife (431 comments as of mid-afternoon), and many comments tickled the funny bone. raboof has a fun guess, and Tomtech's theory is more potentially rewarding (as is the thread that ensues).
In related news, from phonegery:
Ed. Note: phonegery suggested a thread on Kos's big announcement. It begins with this prediction from socratic.
From virgomusic:
grannyhelen answers the question, "Why can't we have a debate on the merits of the policy?"
From Mnemosyne (?):
This by Rip Van Mongo
From all circuits are busy (?):
This by tiponeill
***
BeninSC was kind enough to provide tonight's Top Mojo. Thank you!
Top Mojo, excluding the tip jars and usual high mojo comments:
>1 Fuck em by MillieNeon - 191
2 Be safe young soldier by tazz - 142
3 not so young anymore by aaraujo - 129
4 It doesn't need to be Vietnam. by MrJayTee - 125
5 OR by ruscle - 112
6 Now that was a call worth making by jazzyjay - 105
7 They call them by david mizner - 99
8 On the internet we're all young. by Bindle - 99
9 History can indeed be harsh. President Obama ... by Meteor Blades - 85
10 I think it is a great "diary" by tazz - 84
11 No! We MUST Stay! by jeremybloom - 83
12 I think of by TomP - 82
13 Indeed. by Mannabass - 81
14 askew, a couple of things... by icebergslim - 76
15 Just got the inside dope. by Bob Johnson - 74
16 Good Luck, aaraujo by JekyllnHyde - 71
17 The photo doesn t say this but it needs to by quiet in NC - 70
18 The MAN is keepin' me down at DKos! by Bob Johnson - 70
19 Thanks Warrior Queen by amazinggrace - 70
20 AIDS Didn't Become an Issue for the Reagans by CityLightsLover - 69
21 it'd be nice if we all could converse by terrypinder - 67
22 Yeah, I knew his position when I voted for him. by Frank Palmer - 66
23 "get out of my valley" by MD patriot - 66
24 It comes down to this for me by skywaker9 - 65
25 It's my Pony!!! by Reetz - 64
26 Clear Channel already cleared out radio in Ohio by daulton - 63
27 Do we have a fuzzy connection? by JesseCW - 63
28 Please Speak Up & Speak Out by marcy winograd - 63
29 opinions by phenry - 63
30 Banks suck. by miasmo - 61
31 Kudos to Color of Change. This organization by flitedocnm - 61
32 I do understand and share your concern by Eileen B - 61
33 Hey Tom by aaraujo - 61
34 And attractive with a normal weight. :-) nt by Aspe4 - 61
Top Mojo, everything included (of 30025 comments in the past 24 hours)!
1 Tip Jar by aaraujo - 562
2 Tips for peace by droogie6655321 - 479
3 Tip Jar by TimRusso - 423
4 Tip Jar by ColorOfChange - 406
5 Tip Jar by Cenk Uygur - 353
6 Tip Jar by blackwaterdog - 343
7 Tip Jar by wade norris - 296
8 Tip Jar by aramis - 234
9 Tip Jar by david mizner - 221
10 Fuck em by MillieNeon - 191
11 Tips? Flames? by Something the Dog Said - 158
12 Tip Jar by icebergslim - 152
13 As, on World AIDS Day, we by Seneca Doane - 149
14 Be safe young soldier by tazz - 142
15 cornell west by Turkana - 132
16 not so young anymore by aaraujo - 129
17 It doesn't need to be Vietnam. by MrJayTee - 125
18 Tip Jar by Dallasdoc - 122
19 OR by ruscle - 112
20 Welcome back to Sistah Amazing Grace by Black Kos - 110
21 Tip Jar by marcy winograd - 109
22 Now that was a call worth making by jazzyjay - 105
23 They call them by david mizner - 99
24 On the internet we're all young. by Bindle - 99
25 Tip Jar by John Campanelli - 98
26 Tip Jar by dedmonds - 91
27 Quilt messages for One Bite At A Time here: by Bill in Portland Maine - 87
28 History can indeed be harsh. President Obama ... by Meteor Blades - 85
29 I think it is a great "diary" by tazz - 84
30 No! We MUST Stay! by jeremybloom - 83