connecting*the*dots

Steve Gilliard passed away today after a long recovery battle following open heart surgery.

If you weren’t a reader of The News Blog, let me give you a sense of Steve’s voice.

He wasn’t a fucking apologist.

Steve took a concrete position on practically every issue that came across his desk, and more often than not he was spot on, bulldozing double-talk, bullshit policy and spin across the board.

I never met Steve in person, yet it feels like I lost a close friend today.

You’ll be missed, Steve.

R.I.P.

I never lived in Texas and I’ve only visited a handful of times, but somehow, each time I passed through I got a taste of the love that Texans had for Ann Richards.

The last time was during SXSW 2006.

As we settled into the legendary Alamo Drafthouse to catch the first film of the festival, the lights dimmed and a promo for silence during the film came on:

The entire crowd went nuts.

Ann Richards spoke from the heart. She was real. We could use a helluva lot more of what she brought to the table from our politicians these days.

From the Democratic National Convention in Atlanta, Georgia, July 19, 1988 — remembering…

Chris Penn, RIP

He always played the right-hand man, the bit part, even the little brother in real life, but he made every moment onscreen a memorable one. As a tribute, here are my all-time favorite Chris Penn moments:

• Footloose: For taking one on the chin (professionally) by letting Kevin Bacon teach him how to dance, in a montage sequence, to the cheesiest song of all time (check the title of this post)
• All The Right Moves: For being a dumbass by getting his girlfriend pregnant, thereby giving up his only chance to escape SteelTown USA on a football scholarship.
• True Romance: For being the no nonsense vice-cop that hilariously scared the living shit out of Cousin Balki
• At Close Range: (One of my all-time favorites) For looking his father in the eyes as he’s about to be put down for good. Just thinking about that scene makes the hair on my body stand on end.
• Reservoir Dogs: Favorite lines from a film chock full of great dialog:
  Nice Guy Eddie: The chick got tired of him beatin’ her so one night she walks in the guys bedroom and super glues his dick to his belly. Ambulance came and had to cut him loose.
  Mr. Pink: That ain’t all that bad.
  Nice Guy Eddie: Oh yeah, how would you feel if every time you had to take a piss you had to do a hand stand?
• GTA San Andreas: For being the epitome of a punk ass cop and letting me chase him down, run him off the road and waste his ass.

You are missed.

When I checked my mail the other day and saw a note from Ethan Zuckerman, a smile instantly came to my face. While at Tripod, Ethan radiated a whirlwind of energy and smart ideas constantly spilling out of his large frame and bare feet. Ethan was, and still is, good people. And then I read the email.

Dick Sabot, Ethan’s mentor and my indirect benefactor (without Dick, Tripod would never have been born), had passed suddenly due to a heart attack. My heart dropped a few inches in my chest. While I can’t say I had the pleasure to work closely or develop a strong personal relationship with Dick, the man was inspiring on numerous levels.

More than anything, I remember Dick as a generous person. I can’t tell you how many times he opened his Oblong Road home to "the kids" of Tripod (we were all 20 - 35 years old, living and working in a 3,000 person town with a limited social scene), throwing pool parties and backyard barbeques. And while Dick was refined, he was also extremely laid back. I like to remember him standing poolside donning his casual afternoon attire, enjoying a refreshing drink while two 28 year-old developers chased each other in dripping wet swimsuits, just missing knocking him and his non-Tripod guests over. The non-Tripod folks’ expression dipped for a few seconds; Dick just smiled and continue his conversation.

This weekend, a bunch of ex-Tripoders are migrating up to Williamstown to pay their respects, sampling a tasting of Cricket Creek Cheese, Dick’s most recent entrepreneurial project, and holding a gathering in the muddy fields of a nearby meadow. While Tripod will be remembered by outsiders as the first homepage building and community service, this weekend is an example of the real community aspect of my Tripod experience.

My condolences to the Sabot family; blood and otherwise.