For some reason it’s nostalgia season at the Big Three of Centrist blogging: Matt Yglesias is remembering Den Beste, Ezra Klein is asking people which bloggers they miss the most and Kevin Drum has just run a contest for the wingnuttiest blogpost ever. That last one is comedy gold, not in the least for the appearance of Kim “I’m an expert on the pussification of the western male because I was too chicken to stay in South Africa after Apartheid collapsed” Du Toit all enraged that people misspell his name and besides, women do agree with him, honest!
All of which made me miss Aaron “Uppity Negro” Hawkins, who was a master in winding up the “special needs children” like Du Toit or Den Beste while making you piss yourself with laughter in a way johny-come-latelies like Tbogg or Sadly, No could learn something from.
And he could write funny about other things as well. That’s all from his time in Uncle’ Sam’s party squad back in Gulf War I. While this is a more domestical tale, but just as funny..
Also Aaron had good taste in music (introduced me to P-funk (as did Palau actually)), pop culture and well, everything.
And then he killed himself. September 3, 2004, more than three years ago now. Why? The usual reasons probably; he didn’t tell and I’d hate to speculate. It’s enough to say he’s missed. And bitter to think that one of the sharpest guys in the blogosphere felt the need to kill himself, when so many mediocre talents do reap fame and fortune from blogging.