I have some extremely sad news to share with you all. Our beloved moderator, Locutus of Bored, passed away yesterday. I don't know how much personal details I can reveal, but I think I can mention that he succumbed to a health issue that he had been fighting off and on for a while now. Locutus has been with the board for many years, and has made it a better place with his presence. Not only was he a mod here in Miscellaneous, but he also performed those duties in the Discovery forum, and the Kelvin Movies forum. But of course he also posted regularly outside of the forums he moderated, so he was well-known to most everyone who posted regularly here. When I first became a mod here in Miscellaneous back in 2017, Locutus took me under his wing and showed me the ropes. Anything I get wrong in this job is on me, but anything I get right is thanks to his patience, understanding and guidance. He was always there with a kind word, and always willing to offer his support, no matter the situation. In addition, Locutus was a staunch ally to marginalized communities. He was always ready to step in and defend whenever someone attacked, and he was never, ever afraid to speak truth to power. He was a shining example of what it means to be an ally, that few of us are ever able to measure up to. Locutus was such a treasured part of this community, and his loss can't help but be deeply felt. His absence leaves a void that may never be filled, and this place will not be the same without him. There may be a board-wide announcement posted at some point, in which case I will link to that announcement here. But in the meantime, I wanted denizens of Misc to know what had happened. I will leave this thread open in case any of you want to post your tributes to Locutus. Requiesce in pace, dear Locutus of Bored. You brought us so much, and will be truly, deeply missed.
I always looked forward to his posts. I often wished that I could write as well as he did and I regret not telling him that. Rest in peace Locutus.
Patrick was one of a kind. Smart as a whip, funny, insightful, and kind. I envied his intelligence and ability to articulate a position that I shared, but could only grunt out in profanities and sentence fragments. We talked often. Honestly he was a guy who had every right to feel bitter about his lot in life, and yet was just the opposite. He had boundless empathy for people who were struggling or discriminated against. And, of course, he had the most epic troll beatdowns this board has ever seen. Godspeed, Brother.
Thank you for sharing this sad news. :/ I can't immediately recall any meaningful interactions that I might have directly had with LoB, but I definitely saw his name around. My condolences to his family, friends, and loved ones.
I'll post here what I did when I first heard the news. The news regarding the death of Locutus of Bored is so shocking, and just terrible. He and I had been friends on TrekBBS for almost 19 years. We usually agreed on most things, but when we butted heads, we *really* butted heads, but it was never permanent, that obstinate game of loggerheads, because we'd eventually make up, apologize to each other, and move on. It was always funny to me because we'd usually throw down words over something we agreed upon, because in the tradition of leftists everywhere, we never let a good and common cause get in the way of a pointless argument about something no one else really cared to think about. He was such an insightful, intelligent man. Razor sharp wit, a fantastic sense of humor, and enough courage to intimidate the most foolhardy Republican daring to enter his domain. I'd been out of TNZ for a while, but I thought about him often, I thought about the folks in TNZ often. You must understand, none of you are faceless personalities that stop existing when I turn off my computer. You're still here, in my heart, in my mind, I think about you, I wonder how you are, I consider your feelings when I'm talking to myself about an issue I'm working through, because you are very real to me, and I care about you, even when I am so, SO mad about something said or done. Locutus was so good at getting under my skin and making me feel uncomfortable, but he'd always follow up with empathy and all I ever had for him at the end of the day was respect. I'd like to think he felt that way about me. Regardless, He will be sorely missed. Godspeed, my friend. Fair winds and following seas to wherever your journey now takes you.
My condolences. We didn't always see eye-to-eye, but I know his heart was in the right place. He stood up for things that mattered, we largely agreed on social issues, and he was very insightful.
People sometimes like to brag that so-and-so "did not suffer fools" as if impatience was a positive quality, but it is much nobler, I think to help someone acting foolishly. He put up with me a number of times I was stupid and gave some very helpful advice that I won't forget. For all his razor wit, I never saw him lose his cool in the brief time I had to interact with him here in situations almost anyone else would. He was a delight to read on a forum where that's almost the only way we know one another. He will be very missed. He was our conscience.
It's difficult to find words for this. I fully expected (and very much hoped) he'd overcome the latest challenge to his health. Learning otherwise was quite stunning and it's still very hard to believe. How awful for his loved ones. He was much, much too young. He was a remarkable presence at this board. I didn't always agree with him but there was absolutely no doubt about how genuine he was. ...still can't find any words. Requiescat in pace.
Damn! I didn't even know he was ill. This is very sad news. Hell, I wouldn't have even seen this news if someone hadn't posted about it on Facebook since I so rarely visit this forum anymore. I was always a fan of his epic smackdowns of trolls, but I also always loved his thoughtful posts about shows and films. Even in the rare case I disagreed with him, I always respected his insights. I will greatly miss seeing him around the board. Rest in peace.
This comes as a great shock and sad news indeed. While I had limited interactions with him, and didn't always agree, I always appreciated his posts, his wit, and way with words. It is very hard for me to imagine this community without him. Rest in peace.
My condolences as well. I am also very saddened by the loss of Locutus. I was stunned when I logged in this morning and saw the "In Memoriam" note next to one of his recent posts. Words fail me; I can't really add anything that hasn't already been expressed. Kor
Sad news. One of the things I like of this board is the diversity of fans sharing a common thing: a show and its merchandise and other thoughts and stuff and so on.... Sometimes life is too short..... Further words are failing me, too. But they were expressed more to the point here from people knowing him better. I didn't have much interactions with him, but he will be sorely missed.