Saturday, June 02, 2007

Steve Gilliard, 1966-2007

Steve passed away this morning.

I'd say how important Steve was to me, except he wasn't. We were on opposite coasts, we started out in a similar vein as news bloggers with a military history bent for a similar reason (9/11/2001) but he kept on with it and ran with it and I didn't, I went in other directions. In his early years I read his blog daily, but after it became popular, I went elsewhere. That is similar to my pattern with other blogs such as Jesus's General, Eschaton, Daily Kos, etc... I just don't like popular blogs because they end up turning from a tight-knit community where everybody knows each other (or at least their respective blogging personas) into this gigantic blob of strangers.

That said, unlike some other bloggers whose blogs became popular, Steve never forgot that he was just a guy with a blog. He didn't grow an ego the size of a zeppelin like a blogger whose name rhymes with Mack, or delude himself into thinking he was some kinda mayja playa like another blogger whose name rhymes with "Charcoals", or otherwise turn into an asshole. He was Steve, and kept pretty much the same attitude to the end.

Regarding what killed him: Diabetes. There will be something else on his death certificate. But diabetes is what killed him.

If you have not had a physical recently with a blood sugar assay, get one. Diabetes is some evil shit. You don't even know you have it until it destroys pieces of you that you need to live. That's all I'll say on that subject.

I don't know what Steve's religion was. Figuring him for a Vonnegutian humanist, I guess I'll repeat Kurt Vonnegut's favorite joke: Steve is in heaven now.

-- Badtux the Medical Penguin

Posted by BadTux at 6/02/2007 11:28:00 PM
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3 comments:

  1. The Truffle4/6/07 6:00 AM

    From what I've read, Steve wasn't diabetic. But still, he was young. So sad.

    Yeah, I have an image of him chatting it up with Mr. Vonnegut in heaven.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous4/6/07 8:03 AM

    Everyone should periodically get checked for diabetes (Yes, I mean EVERYONE!). It will usually sneak up on you and will do significant damage before you even know it. Plus, the tests for it are cheap, easy, and mostly painless (How's that for an unusual medical procedure?). So, unless you want parts of your body falling off that had best not fall off (feet, legs, arms, eyes, kidneys, heart, p*nis, etc.), get checked for it and treat it if you have it.

    Dave

    P.S. I get the syrup that passes for my blood checked every 90 days.

    ReplyDelete
  3. azgoddess5/6/07 1:01 PM

    and get tested for celiac disease...

    ReplyDelete

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