Dang.

This dude wasn't on my radar, but his bio is awesome and makes me want to read his stuff.

Yes, he's a great and unique writer. We need about 100 more of him, not one less.

Boy! Not much positive one could say about that situation and what's worse is the only advice I could give is "don't go to the VA in Cheyenne".

Thanks very much for the heads up, Jon.

The news brings tears to my eyes, as does this brief video interview from two years ago. Joe is one of the people who make me proud to be a Virginian.

Departure and return dept. cont'd:

Moon of Alabama is back (since about a month ago).

Joe's voice is recognised and admired around the world! Although he writes from a strictly American perspective (as what he calls a 'Leftneck') his writing has universal appeal, as is of course the case with all the truly great writers. Perhaps best of all is his honesty. I'm from the Netherlands: even for me reading Joe is like listening to somebody very close. Really bad that he has this damned illness. Let's hope the chemotherapy works out well.

This is wretchedly awful. I found Joe to be an absolute blessing to the U.S. public even in those rare moments when I thought his views were wrong. There is, seriously, no one on the public scene to replace him. And, selfishness aside, I think he deserves way better. I'm telling the odds to go fuck themselves and I'm fervently hoping he ends up cured.

Yes, bad news. But I'm sure he'll keep on keeping on as long as he can, as should we.

“Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world’s grief.
Do Justice, Now!
Love Mercy, Now!
Walk Humbly, Now!
You are not obligated to complete the work,
but, neither are you free to abandon it.”
(The Talmud)

P.S. Nell, thanks for mentioning that Moon of Alabama is back.

Most cancer stories don't end with recovery, but
I've seen a couple of good surprises too, so I really hope he gets one. I haven't read him, but one thing he said in "About Joe" on his website made me like him a lot:

. . ."Then back to hometown of Winchester VA to settle some scores with the bigoted, murderous redneck town I grew up in. I love'em but they need a good ass kicking."

Taking that particular message home is never easy.

I discovered Joe late in life. He certainly does have a way with words. I hope he can get back to his online postings soon. (I also wonder how the rest of his family is doing - his wife and at least one son I believe?)

To "mistah charley, ph.d." you nail it, as usual. Where else do you hang out besides A Tiny Revolution? (Your links, wonderfully, go all over the place!) And to "No One of Consequence," you have a way with words that could fill in the void of an absent Joe. Where else do you post or hang out?

I LOVED THIS VIDEO.

That is all.

Grandpa -- I hang out here, kinda sorta, when real life isn't smacking me around. Someone did invite me to join a blog, but that was awhile ago and real life swept in again. I probably need a formal "home" online, if only to keep from going crazy, though.

Ken, thanks for the kind words. I sometimes will throw something into the pot at The Automatic Earth, Some Assembly Required, The Distant Ocean, Empire Burlesque, or Fafblog! My best comments tend to be here, though - I enjoy and appreciate our host and the usual suspects. Whether or not this blurging process will ever have any useful results, without a community of discourse one feels one might be in Bradley Manning's unfortunate position.

May the Creative Forces of the Universe stand beside us, and guide us, through the Night with the Light from Above - and have mercy on our souls, if any.

Ah, forgot to thank Ken for the compliment, but to also issue a correction: I can't replace Joe for purely demographic reasons. The issue isn't our politics, which I'd bet money are extremely close, but the fact that he came from and was able to represent a group of people treated with contempt by our Powers That Be with an unmatched authenticity. Even if I could say what needed to be said (and that's not terribly likely), I could not be what I'd need to be.

I am encouraged, "No One of Consequence" and "mistah charley, ph.d.," to hear back from both of you. Thank you. I will endevor to follow up on sites suggested and things said.

"May the Creative Forces of the Universe stand beside us," indeed. I love it! What more can we possibly hope for or expect?