Still Laughing at Us All: Vince Pollock 1986-2010

Our friend that we knew as Vinnie Sunshine passed from us this week.

What can I say about Vinnie that could honestly do him justice? Nothing, really. Vincent Pollock was, in his short time here, simply too much.

Vinnie was a complex and multi-faceted man, despite his chronological youth. None of us REALLY ever fully knew him, there was just so much to know. He would call you up in the middle of the night to get together and talk about nothing in particular, which would usually end in a philosophical discussion of some sort.

A tall Canadian, he could hold his liquor like nobody else I've ever known, supported the local music scene, and rarely passed up an opportunity to have fun with friends.

His constantly-rotating collection of snarky, rude, or simply insulting t-shirts was his fashion trademark, and to his friends, seeing him in a suit was like landing on an alien planet. He pulled that of beautifully too though, always looking like he had been made to wear whatever it was that he dragged from his closet that day.

Vinnie was a self-professed asshole, and he had incredible skills at convincing everyone that that's who he was. He was fully uncensored, all the time, and nearly always went straight for the shock value, regardless of the situation. It was second-nature to him to be an insensitive jerk on the outside, where everyone could see, and that's just one of the multitude of reasons why we all loved him.

He had a huge, honest smile and amazing wit that he shared openly with nearly everyone he met, and a strong, warm hug that encompassed those he cared for.

A graduate of MSU, Vincent Pollock helped a lot of people, donating his hair to Locks of Love, and donating to several charities, one of his favorites of which was Operation Smile.

He was wise beyond his years at times, a great conversationalist with a huge vocabulary, and an avid student of human nature.

A comic to the finish, very few of us knew that he had experienced trouble with depression for most of his life, and when we learned that he had shot himself, we didn't know what to think. A good majority of us expected him to pop out of the closet, come out from behind or underneath something at any moment, laughing his balls off about how he fooled us and we were such "pussies" for crying about him being gone, so that we could then proceed to kick his arse...

But that never happened.

Many of us have changed our Facebook avatars to photos of him, in honor of his passing. His friends threw multiple impromptu gatherings in honor of his life, and a local bar held a memorial for him as well, with all profits and donations being given to a charity in his name. His private, family funeral is tonight.

He had great taste in friends, and a huge "fan-base". His friends ranged widely across the spectrum of humanity, from geeks and freaks, to DJs and bar owners, businesspeople to high society, and he both wooed and insulted them all, somehow, endearing himself to everyone in the process.

His last words to the world, posted Tuesday, June 8th, at 2:39am: "dial q for quintessence".


Vinnie, you have irrevocably imprinted yourself onto out hearts and souls. We could never forget you even if we wanted to, and for that, I thank you. Your short time here, and your massive intelligence, enlightened the world. You made an impact that can never be erased. You may not be here in body, but your spirit lives on strong in all of us, and you will never be far from our thoughts.

Egregious!

Obituary

Advertising poster for one of his memorials

Vinnie's Online Ghost

To offer condolences to his family

"Death is inevitable. Pregnancy is a sexually transmitted parasite with a 100% mortality rate. Pregnancy kills
everybody involved. The nurse, the doctor, everybody. That shit's worse than ebola!" -Vince Pollock

The Passing of a Friend: Rajean Franzman (Capler)

My dear friend Rajean Franzman (Capler) has passed on to the next world, leaving her mortal shell behind. She was a devoted wife, a loving mother, and as I knew her best, a fantastic friend.

Always there for her friends and family, her strength of will and powerful spirit bolstered her through even the toughest times, and she often shared that strength with those she held close.

There is so much to remember, so many tales that could be told, that there is nothing that can be said that would even come close to properly honoring the amazing woman that we have lost.

Take a moment now to tell your friends and family how much they mean to you. You never know when it might be too late.

Rajean, you will be sorely missed by the many whose lives you touched. We will never forget you.

American Icon 1918-2009

Paul Harvey passed from this world on February 28th, 2009, in a hospital in Phoenix, AZ, near his summer home. He was surrounded by his family when he left this plane of existence.

If you are one of the rare few who has never heard of him*, Paul Harvey was America's most beloved and well known radio personality. He popularized the idea of the 10pm news, and through his creativity and conversational style, captivated a nation for generations.

Though we never met, he had a profound impact on my life; my strange mix of extremely conservative thoughts & ideals, mixed with staunch support of personal freedoms for all individuals, I learned from him through my radio.

Paul Harvey was an integral part of my childhood, and my favorite, and surely the most entertaining teacher I have ever had. A pillar of integrity, he never endorsed a product that he didn't personally believe in, and he taught me, by example, how to live many of the things that I still hold and value to this day; strength of will, assurance, trust, courteousy, manners, and always calmly yet firmly standing up for what you believe in, no matter the consequences.

I still think of him every week, and always will.

I am sad for the loss that all Americans have suffered by his passing. I had always hoped that my children would learn to love him as I have.

I offer my sincerest condolences to his family during this tough time, and my most heartfelt thanks to them for sharing this wonderful man with the rest of us.

The world is truly an emptier place without him.

*For more information on the soft-spoken man who helped to shape our nation, one story at a time, visit his website.

Pooooor Eeyore

We took our beloved little car to the shop yesterday, and had him checked out.

Today we got a call from the mechanic telling us that it's be best to knock it in the head and put it out of it's misery.

Yeah. *sigh*

The car needs a new radiator, and at the very least has a busted head gasket. To get him running again, it would cost a minimum of $900. It could be worse than that, and the head could be cracked, which is really a need to buy a new car, even if our Eeyore was pretty new and worth several thousand dollars.

He's not worth that much, even with his intrinsic sentimental value.

I bought my little workhorse back in 2000 for $500 from a dealership. A great deal and fantastic achievement to say the least. He's worked good for me for many years and served us all well.

He has moved several households, carried conduit and building supplies, a washing machine, a 17'cu upright freezer, tons of furniture, lots of camping gear, pets, hundreds of miles of adventure, and much love on his little rusting frame.

Tomorrow, Eeyore, our dear and loyal friend, will make his final journey, ending his travels at the local salvage yard.

His last trip was to take us to visit far-away friends.

We will miss him greatly. Rest well Eeyore, you've earned your peace.

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Setting Sail

William H. Becker ceased his suffering at 9:35pm March 27th 2007.

A pragmatist, he wanted us all to get on with our lives once he was gone instead of sitting around getting all soggy-faced.

He goes on to join his son in watching over the family, and will spend many carefree days playing with the many dogs that have gone ahead of them and reminiscing about old times with friends and family that I never got the chance to know.

My first thought was "Oh thank Gods it is over, his trials are over". My second thought was "Now I'll never get another chance to take a picture of him making faces at the camera as soon as he sees it aimed at him.", then I started to cry. Wisdom aplenty, and silliness galore, my grandfather was a great and powerful man who strengthened and enlightened all who had the honor of knowing him.

He leaves behind his wife, two daughters, three grandchildren, four grandchildren, and a toy poodle named Buffy.

Ladybug asked me to wake her when I got the call if she was asleep, so after dragging her up out of sleep and telling her, she said her silent goodbyes and told me she needed to get back to sleep so that she could dream about him.

Grandpa is finally unbroken again, whole and hale. the transformation from broken body to whole spirit is a magnificent and beautiful thing to behold. I have never seen him so happy, healthy, and painless. Finally, he is free.

We had the viewing this morning, and it was truly a beautiful thing. My grandmother was angry this morning, and this afternoon, she cried. It is good that she is allowing her grief to flow through her. The healing process has begun.

Priscilla Louise Rogers

Priscilla Louise Rogers, 86, of Battlefield, Mo., passed away Friday, March 16, 2007. She was born December 27, 1920, in Greene County, Missouri, and was united in marriage to Harold Rogers on October 7, 1939, in Ozark.

They were blessed with two children, Patricia and Barbara. She had a great love for children, was devoted to her husband and family, and was a fabulous cook. She goes onward to meet her husband; her brother, George; and her sister, Gloria.

She is survived by her daughters and their husbands, six grandchildren; seven great grandchildren, including our Ladybug; two sisters; and many other close relatives and friends.

Funeral services will be 10 a.m. Wednesday, March 21, 2007, in Meadors Funeral Home, Republic, Mo. Burial will follow in White Chapel Memorial Gardens, Springfield. Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, in the funeral home.

Online condolences may be made at www.meadorsfuneralhome.com

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Ladybug handled the news of her great-grandmother's passing quite well, as she had been preparing for this inevitability for the last year. I took her over to her father's house last night, and we told her as a family. I wanted for us both to be there to support her if she felt she needed it. Instead she simply closed her eyes and smiled softly, saying a silent goodbye and giving thanks that Grandma Priscilla wasn't hurting or confused anymore. She sighed one deep sigh and opened her eyes, thanking us for telling her. She will go to stay with her father tomorrow morning and will go with him & his fiancee' to the viewing and the funeral.

I am proud of my little girl, she has endured several loved ones passing, and shows such strength for one so very young, yet still she moves forward with a determination to never forget those who have touched her life, and to continue to honor and respect them, and celebrate their lives, despite their lack of an earthly body. She brings great honor to our family with her wisdom.

Tearstained

At 6:52pm on Sunday, October 29th, our dear friend Hidiki crossed over the rainbow bridge.

He joins his brother Lafarga in eternal play until the time comes for their rebirths. He is survived by 4 sons and 6 daughters. Now they have more time to snuggle together like they did in life.

Hidiki was my baby, my first rat, the one who claimed me from birth and hung on for dear life while I protested "I will not have a pink eyed, white rat" and "white rats are ugly". His first time snurffling someone's ear was my ear, and his first hair-burrow was in my hair. Every ratty first I had was with him. I quickly fell in love, not that I had much choice. *smile*

He was a stubborn one, proving to me over and over that I was destined to be his person, even to the point of turning into a cream colored Himalayan at puberty. He shoulder-rode in the St Patty's day parade this past spring "painted" green with spirulina powder and served as an emmisary for rats everywhere he went, wriggling into many a heart with his expressive eyes, adorable wiggly pink nose, and gentle manner.

When I started, these, my second set of dreads, he was there to share in the experience and heped teach me patience. I love him dearly, and we all miss him greatly.

We shared so much together in his all-too-short time on this earthly plane. Now I understand why there are so many rat lovers who swear they will never have a rat again after loosing one. They are so precious and precotious. So wonderful, full of personality and love... I could never have had enough time with him.

Tears for Pearl

Last evening we went over to Lovelife's house. It was great to see them, as usual. There was much chatting and happiness while Littlebit wandered off to play with the exceedingly tolerant cats, and Ladybug played with her knitting. (I wouldn't usually call it playing, but she wasn't knitting. It was more like she had the yarn and needles in her hands and was dragging them around on the floor trying to see how much cat fur wool could collect from a clean floor). Littlebit wandered back and forth several times checking in, begging for drinks and such, then she came in and her eyes were puffy, red, and wet.

We asked her if she'd been crying.

She said no.

We asked her if the kitty had scratched her.

She said no.

We asked her if she was okay.

She said no.

Someone else asked her if the kitty had scratched her.

She said yes.

So I told her to rinse her face and hands with some cool water and come back in to us. (we all figured maybe she had had an allergic reaction to the cats, maybe. Sudden allergies have happened to other people *shrug*) The rest of the visit went allright with Lovelife making macrame' bracelets for the girls, and us making some lighting modifications for her videoblogging.

We asked Littlebit where the kitten was.

She said she was in the living room... Playing. (pause included)

We chatted for a bit more and Lovelife fed the girls a snack before it was time to leave. We have the hardest time leaving their house when we get a chance to go over and visit, we have so much fun.

When we actually did get up to leave, we smelled bleach on the way out. Seems Littlebit had decided it was a good idea to spray bleach that was in a squirt bottle on Lovelife's curtains. I'm thinking "At least it isn't too hard to find green drapes, I can get her some new ones". I talk to Littlebit (AGAIN) about touching things that are not hers without permission and about spraying things inside. She acts polite and somewhat subdued. She played (and argued) pretty hard, she was probably tired.

After we got home, I'm getting the meals ready for the next day when the phone rings. Keebler says "Oh god no" and I stop what I'm doing to see what the matter is. It's Lovelife. The kitten wasn't playing, but she was in the livingroom. The kitten is dead. Littlebit killed her by spraying her down with bleach and then hid the body under a pillow so she wouldn't get caught.

We went to tell Littlebit that the kitten was dead.

She nodded, said the kitten tried to bite her.

No tears, no nothing.


Remember that last nerve from the other post?

Yeah, me neither.

I cracked. I became an instant "bad mommy". I started crying, screeching, and yelling. Littlebit was a bad girl, a horrible child, and a murderer. I told her between gritted teeth that she'd better stay in her room until morning, no argument allowed. Shaking and hyperventalating, I shut myself into my bedroom and rocked as the tears flowed.

I WAS ENRAGED. It's what shock and devistation does to some people.

After about an hour, Littlebit was asleep, and I was calmer. Still traumatized that I am harboring a murderer in my home, but calmer. Keebler and I talked about the situation. I cannot handle this type of behavior from someone in my house. We discuss getting a psychaitrist, and putting her in a mental facility for a while so she can get help.

We peice together the evening into a more feasable rendition of what happened.

Littlebit went to play with the kitten.

The kitten was in a playful mood, and kittens play with claws and teeth.

Littlebit had seen or heard somewhere about people spraying naughty cats.

She saw the spray bottle and grabbed it, and sprayed the kitten. A bunch.

The kitten died.

She cried silently for a while, alone.

We called her to check in.

She quickly hid the kitten under a pillow on the couch in the living room.

She came to our call.

The red puffy eyes weren't allergies.

I stayed up most of the night bawling over the senseless loss. Would have gone to work with nearly black circles under my eyes had it not been for the Snake Oil.

That poor poor kitten. And Lovelife, who had just decided to give the little foster a forrever home in her heart. Knowing littlebit's predisposition for the excesses of a 5yo, the kitten was probably soaked with bleach and died quickly of fume inhalation. We can pray as much anyway. That she didn't suffer too much before she left this plane. (I asked her today, and Littlebit said that she did indeed spray her a lot. It will take her a while to get over this as well. She despairs deeply every time she thinks about what happened or remembers that the kitty is gone. I can only be thankful that she is so young and has such a short attention span. I don't want her to forget by any means, but constantly dwelling on the experience will do her no good either. Today she thought about Pearl about 15 times that I saw. She will never forget.)

Pearl was a really good kitten. Affectionate and cuddly, she played gently even when her claws were extended. Tolerant to a fault, she would put up with being carried all over the house with no tushy support without complaint.

Commonly found sleeping on electronics or people, with her hymalayan-colored fur sticking up at all angles, she was adorable and well loved. She even did a special little dance sometimes. The night she passed, she was playful and energetic. I didn't know her as well as I would have liked to, but all who met her fell in love instantly.

She left behind several furry friends, Lovelife, Storm, and her kitty mother.

Mayhaps she plays even now on the rainbow bridge with my Lafarga.

Lovelife and Storm were kind enough to send me this picture and this link to a video introducing her to the world before she passed. May she live forever in our hearts, be remembered only with joy, and may the lessons she taught us in her short time here never be forgotten.


We'll miss you baby girl.

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Lafarga Has Passed

Lafarga never knew any strangers. He was a great friend, and a loving companion. A father to many and a friend to many more, he taught people not to fear rats, taught rats how to get along without fighting, and even trained his people to recognize the signs and let him down when he had to seek relief. He was a very stately, dignified rat who loved to go on car rides, either on the dashboard or on a shoulder, and enjoyed tearing up fabric of all sorts, especially handmade hammocks.

His favorite foods, treats, and toys were greenies dog treats, M&Ms, dandelion greens, toilet paper rolls, doggy biscuits, and peanut butter. We set him in a padded shoebox and surrounded him with a few of his favorite things. His little casket currently sits in the freezer awaiting the building of the raised garden bed so that he may forever sleep under some of his favorite things; fresh greens.

At the time of his passing, he was nearly three years of age, and his skin was beginning to show age spots. He lived a long and happy life.

He is survived by his brother, Hidiki, his four people, six sons and four daughters. Those he left behind miss him dearly, but we all have eachother to help us carry on without him.

May our dear Lafarga run, play, and brux merrily with new friends on the rainbow bridge until we all meet again.

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