RIP indeed. This sucks in a way I can't hope to convey. This is a
dark day for cycling.
Not just a dark day for cycling but for humanity as a whole. He and I had
been corresponding lately and he didn't give me the slightest hint that the
illness he was suffering from was possibly fatal.
I first encountered Sheldon on the technical group. We seemed to agree with
each other on most things until I started discussing French bikes. We got
into an argument about the tubing and he really pissed me off since he
passed it off so easily without even bothering to look anything up. Reynolds
made 531 tubing in a special "French" size though it was only a tiny
difference you had to use different lugs, different components in some cases
and certainly a lot of failures on French bikes turned out to be using
English sized components on the French size tubes.
Eventually he sent me an email apologizing after he got around to checking
out what the argument was about and finding out that I was correct.
That was the only disagreement we had and it was only a tiny little thing.
Sheldon started early building websites pertaining to cycling early and
became very good at it. He also handled other website development and showed
a lot of people the effects of web advertising.
Sheldon was a humanitarian and leaves behind a wife and two children. I'll
miss him and I think that a large number of cyclists will.
This is a sad day for cyclists. Condolences to Sheldon's family.
Art Harris
From the MichBike list:
"This came over a few of the Boston area lists today:
Sheldon's wife Harriet sent out mail this morning saying that Sheldon
Brown died of a massive heart attack last night."
RIP Sheldon!
--Karen D.
Well I'll miss the old mans postings. He was helpful, considerate with
a great sense of humour and an ambassador for cycling. An example to us
all.
A mighty large pair of shoes to fill.
--Tom Paterson aka Dustoyevsky
His was a voice of unfailing helpfulness and good humor. No newcomer
in need of advice can ever forget Sheldon Brown's web site and his
many contributions to the internet cycling dialogue.
--
Paul Turner
Interesting. For those just catching up, Sheldon has been suffering
for some time from a degenerative illness that was eventually
diagnosed as Multiple Sclerosis. I'm no medical professional, but it
sounds as if this heart attack wasn't really related to his illness.
There's far too much about Sheldon that is worth memorializing, but
his sense of humor (manifest in both the great "Carapace Completed
Umber" series and the even greater April 1st ShelBroCo offerings)
stands out:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/carapace.html
http://sheldonbrown.com/chainclean.html
However, the massive volume of practical cycling pages (mostly
revolving around bike mechanics) he assembled endures as, simply, the
most useful bike-related website on the planet. Although it is now
arguably so comprehensive as to verge on being complete, I hope that
somehow, either within Harris Cyclery or otherwise, someone can step
up and maintain the service.
Alas, it's not a trivial endeavor.
> http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/
>
> RIP.
The man will be remembered.
--
Not a tremendous loss for the cycling community only.
But for all men and women of good will.
Thanks for so much you taught us, Captain.
Sergio
Pisa
Definitely a huge loss, and we're all a lot poorer for it, but a whole
lot richer as riders, and people from what he gave to all of us out
here.
Just a wonderful, eccentric, real, human being, and someone we all
could be a bit more like.
Bill Crowther
- JR
Why didn't you spend more time remembering his good qualities instead of
, again, pontificating on how smart you (think you) are ?
I really found your post to be completely out of line. Even for you.
Bill
What a nice guy.
I certainly feel like he is gone too soon. It's hard to say what
choice you would make until you're actually at the fork in the road,
and I can't imagine that Mr. brown had any choice in the matter... but
I think I would rather go quickly than to struggle with MS for years
on end.
Yet, strangely, you do precisely the same thing you accuse of others.
Saddened J.
>http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/
I will always remember him.
My love of bikes and bike mechanics was mentored by him through his
r.b.t postings and his website. I find myself tearing up even though I
only knew him through his writings.
There are few people you meet in life who are almost always right.
Sheldon was one of those people.
I think his website sums it up really well:
Sheldon wrote:
Some Things I Believe In
* Democracy
* Duty
* Equality
* Exogamy
* Family
* Freedom
* Justice
* Kindness
* Law
* Love
* Loyalty
* Mathematics
* Science
* Space Exploration
* Truth
Some Things I Do Not Believe In
* Angels
* Astrology
* Death Penalty
* Devils
* Elves
* Faeries
* Faith
* Gods
* "Intelligent Design"
* Leprechauns
* Luck
* Magic
* Racial Purity
Here's to Sheldon.
== Rob Perkins
A sad day. He was an adult in a land of children, both in his
knowledge of things bicycle, and his behavior in Usenet.
We have lost twice today.
E.P.
Exactly.
He was one of a kind, but there should be many others like him.
oh dear, a friend lost.
Man, does this bite. Sheldon saved me SO MUCH money. His website taught
me how to confidently approach the kids behind the counter in the LBS
and talk sense to them.
I really wonder if I would be biking as much if not for Sheldon.
Me, too.
This is really a shame. Harris Cyclery is nominally local to me and
one of the things that gets me to schlep out there (besides excellent
service, inventory, knowledge etc) is the possibility of running into
Sheldon, or even asking him about whatever it was I was in the shop
for. I unfortunately never managed to meet him, though his coworkers
never disappointed.
It seemed that he was dealing with his illness well and more or less
enjoying his forced semi-retirement and convalescence. I hope that
was accurate and that he went more or less comfortably with family
around him.
He'll be missed.
-Gabriel Ytterberg
I have been educated by his pages, amused by his writings and inspired
by his knowledge.
My prayers for his family.
No, it's not a trivial endeavor.
I didn't know Sheldon Brown personally, but he would seem like the kind of
man who would want his web pages to continue and grow and serve as a
resource. But this will be a big helmet to fill, even without the eagle on
the top.
At a time when websites are becoming more standardized and corporate, his
was not only a treasure-trove of information but a personal treasure-trove.
You were not only getting good advice, you were getting it from a person --
a person who cared deeply about the topic he was writing about.
He not only invented the real man saddle
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/real-man.html
he was a real man.
--
Mike Kruger
Say not always what you know, but always know what you say.
Claudius; 10 BC-AD 54, Roman Emperor
In all seriousness, Bill, take the story as Tom offered it, as a tribute
to Sheldon's humility.
Heaven knows Usenet could use a lot more humble people, and rb* will
miss this one terribly.
--
Ryan Cousineau rcou...@gmail.com http://www.wiredcola.com/
"In other newsgroups, they killfile trolls."
"In rec.bicycles.racing, we coach them."
I know first-hand how time-consuming it can be to create relevant, original
content that's personal, not cookie-cutter stuff. Sheldon will certainly be
missed. Obviously, his content will be yet one part of his legacy that will
live on.
--Mike Jacoubowsky
Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReaction.com
Redwood City & Los Altos, CA USA
"Ryan Cousineau" <rcou...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:a5fe3ab5-90fe-4627...@1g2000hsl.googlegroups.com...
> <Dan...@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:f750414b-cdd6-474c...@v4g2000hsf.googlegroups.com.
> .. On Feb 4, 2:43 pm, Robert Chung <rech...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/
> > >
> > > RIP.
> >
> > RIP indeed. This sucks in a way I can't hope to convey. This is a
> > dark day for cycling.
>
> Not just a dark day for cycling but for humanity as a whole. He and I
> had been corresponding lately and he didn't give me the slightest
> hint that the illness he was suffering from was possibly fatal.
In the short term, it wasn't. On another mailing list, Sheldon's wife
Harriet Fell sent a note to a participant that Sheldon suffered a heart
attack. He had even posted an entry to his journal that evening on his
decision to vote for Barack Obama in the Massachusetts primary.
I am very sad and shocked. Even though I had never met Sheldon, his
presence on the Internet was so warm that I felt like I knew him. That
seems to be the sentiment for many today.
It's a reminder that there is not much point in being petty because,
well, any minute might be our last.
Tailwinds always, Sheldon!
Which was indeed the way it was meant. It was an argument about a
vanishingly unimportant detail save among specialists. That he was incorrect
in that case was important merely to demonstrate that it was about the only
point he was ever wrong about that I detected. The value of that is that
Sheldon was a reference point on the web that was essentially always correct
and didn't charge you a penny for his knowledge.
Indeed it is a sad day.
I had hoped to meet him in person this summer. Now I won't get the
chance.
Jeff
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
| If I have seen further it is by standing upon the shoulders of
giants. |
| Isaac
Newton
|
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
> http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/
>
> RIP.
The Eagle has landed. 8(
that's sad news. condolences to friends and family.
for the rest of us, we have a lot to be grateful for. a real giver.
--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
I shall aspire to have as positive a web presense as you did.
JG
Sheldon had a generous spirit. Which is not to say
he was a pushover, because he wasn't, but in crotchety
times and a sometimes unfriendly medium, he was
always a gentleman.
Ben
If anyone wondered what sort of impact Sheldon had - here's something from
the San Francisco Craigslist:
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/bik/563230363.html
And at the same time, kept the essential child's perspective - an
invaluable thing for which there is no substitute.
I kid you not: I introduced my own children to Sheldon on the World
Wide Web only yesterday. Needless to say I too was stunned today. He
lived, though, as well as anyone ever could, I believe - a great
example thoroughly par excellence+
Sheldon Brown lives forever - that is for sure. When you spread it
around for the benefit of others, your impact is multiplied. With all
that he touched (... oh crap - now I'm getting all verclempt)... and
all that he documented... Well, there never was and never will be
another like the amazing Sheldon :-)
Those are some good thoughts.
--
tanx,
Howard
Whatever happened to
Leon Trotsky?
He got an icepick
That made his ears burn.
But I've already got a pitchfork...
remove YOUR SHOES to reply, ok?
> http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/
>
> RIP.
That's a real loss, for his family, his friends and for the bicycling community at
large. I'm sorry to hear this news. He was always a nice guy and a gentleman.
We are all truly blessed to have had Sheldon as part of the community. His
lithe spirit and ability to convey knowledge in a way that built pride,
returned us all to simplicity. In doing so brought a hearty dose of reality
to a world where hype sells. He changed us all for the better.
May we all dedicate ourselves to carrying these ideals.
There will never be another Sheldon, let us honor him through our own
simplicity and good humor.
--
Dave Reckoning
Noblesville, Indiana
=v= I lived in a different part of the state and never met him
in person, but we kept in email contact for 20 years. What a
guy. He has a posse, you know:
http://bikeblog.blogspot.com/2008/02/rip-bicycle-guru-sheldon-brown-1944.html
<_Jym_>
________________________________________________________________
* I was not a voice of sanity in those days. Or these days.
| "Ryan Cousineau" <rcou...@gmail.com> wrote in message
| news:rcousine-177BD0.18145204022008@[74.223.185.199.nw.nuvox.net]...
| >
| > In all seriousness, Bill, take the story as Tom offered it, as a tribute
| > to Sheldon's humility.
|
| Which was indeed the way it was meant. It was an argument about a
| vanishingly unimportant detail save among specialists.
http://azurservers.com/sagr/olympics.jpg
--
Davey Crockett
-
Driving a Stake through the
Heart of the Politically Correct
Sad news. Sheldon Brown and Ken Kifer were the first two cyclists
(back in 1997) that I exchanged views and opinions with via
newsgroups. These were the pre broadband days of dialup connections
when rec.bicycles.* was the central hub of activiity for cycling on
the Internet. I got to know Ken quite well, and remember being
enlightened by Sheldon on many a occasion.
When Ken was Killed in 2003 I wrote the following
"If I have one regret it is that I never met the man himself, but
perhaps that is testimony to the cycling community on the web. We know
each other through words and views and that is the very essence of how
and why we know each other. It suffices. "
Those words are equally true of Sheldon Brown.
RIP
Garry Jones
English Cyclist in Sweden
Nice summary, and he lived his life by those beliefs.
There was a nice story about him on
"http://www.bicycleretailer.com/news/newsDetail/927.html".
> http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/
> RIP.
I did not know him, except through his words. I always found him to be
generous with his knowledge, time, humor, and patience.
He will be missed by many, but part of his legacy will live on as long
as the Internet exists. I can only imagine how those who knew him
personally must feel right now.
Would that we were all as good as him.
Tearily,
alan
--
Alan Hoyle - al...@unc.edu - http://www.alanhoyle.com/
http://orion.neiu.edu/~jbollyn/temp/sb-family.jpg
J.
><Dan...@gmail.com> wrote in message
>news:f750414b-cdd6-474c...@v4g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...
>On Feb 4, 2:43 pm, Robert Chung <rech...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> > http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/
>> >
>> > RIP.
>>
>> RIP indeed. This sucks in a way I can't hope to convey. This is a
>> dark day for cycling.
>
>Not just a dark day for cycling but for humanity as a whole. He and I had
>been corresponding lately and he didn't give me the slightest hint that the
>illness he was suffering from was possibly fatal.
>
>I first encountered Sheldon on the technical group. We seemed to agree with
>each other on most things until I started discussing French bikes. We got
>into an argument about the tubing and he really pissed me off since he
>passed it off so easily without even bothering to look anything up. Reynolds
>made 531 tubing in a special "French" size though it was only a tiny
>difference you had to use different lugs, different components in some cases
>and certainly a lot of failures on French bikes turned out to be using
>English sized components on the French size tubes.
>
>Eventually he sent me an email apologizing after he got around to checking
>out what the argument was about and finding out that I was correct.
>
>That was the only disagreement we had and it was only a tiny little thing.
>
>Sheldon started early building websites pertaining to cycling early and
>became very good at it. He also handled other website development and showed
>a lot of people the effects of web advertising.
>
>Sheldon was a humanitarian and leaves behind a wife and two children. I'll
>miss him and I think that a large number of cyclists will.
dumbass (a cliche that truly fits),
Why does every single thing you write in this NG have to be co-opted
by yourself into proving just how "right" you are all the effin' time?
I'm amazed that you've just managed to somehow do it yet again -- this
time in a thread about someone's untimely death.
Thank god every one in R.B.__ now knows that even SB, before he
passed, bowed down before your immense cycling knowledge, re: French
bikes, and was 'wrong'. And thank god that we also know that he
even acknowledged your "correctness".
Unbelievable. You truly are a conceited buffoon of absolutely epic
proportions-- even to us long time NG lurkers.
Are you really that inconsiderate? After all, that's whats
really important here, right...
...as long as TK saves face from a prior NG discussion, that's what
has to be addressed first -- even in death.
STFU for once in your life, and simply say: "SB was a really great
guy I met and got to know though emails. He'll be missed". That's
plenty. Really. It is.
adios, wtm(permanent)kf,
g.
http://www.myspace.com/captbike
--Karen D.
Very sad. Sad for his family, sad for the cycling community and sad
that I never got a chance to say Hi and shake his hand. Here's a thank
you to Sheldon, because I was able to learn and grow as a cyclist
(and human) because of his knowledge and experience.
I was much too bummed out yesterday to post a response to the sad loss
of one of cyclings' best. My thoughts and condolences go to his family.
That said, I say we all raise a glass (Ryan?) and celebrate Sheldon's
contributions to cycling and humanity. Life is short and now is the
time for all of us to try to offer even 1% of what Sheldon gave the
world. Let his example be a benchmark for all of us to strive for.
Dave Andersen
I was stunned to hear this unbearably sad news. I consider Sheldon to be
a mentor because I have learned so much from him. Though I never met him
personally (he was out of the shop on the day I visited Harris Cyclery)
I feel like he was a friend, because he gave of himself so freely and
completely. My stable of bicycles (and those of my friends and family)
runs smoother because of him.
Whatever higher power there may be, please be kind to our friend. His is
a great soul, and he will be sorely missed.
I believe that tonight I will raise a glass of wine (French, of course)
to the memory of Sheldon, and hope that I can in some small way live up
to his example.
How much harder this must be for his family, who knew him best and must
therefore love him more completely than the rest of us can. Harriet,
George and Tova, my thoughts are with you. Please accept my condolences
on your loss.
Michael Johnson
Gorham, ME
I'm pretty surprised at the numbers of people Sheldon touched.
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fgPL-w8ny0
> I'm pretty surprised at the numbers of people Sheldon touched.
Apparently you didn't know him.
Jobst Brandt
A thought occurred to me this morning: how many people ever find a true
passion in life, and of those how many manage to make a very successful
livelihood from passion? Sheldon was truly blessed, which is why he was
able to bless so many others.
Bill S.
My deepest and most heartfelt condolences to Sheldon's family and
friends. My heart skiped a beat when I saw the notice of his passing.
His knowledge, passion and humor will be sorely missed by many
thousands of cyclists who, like me, never met the man in person, but
considered him a good friend.
You know, I met you a couple of times as well Jobst and my guess is that you
remember nothing whatsoever of those meetings.
Sheldon and myself met in a similar manner - an internet argument about some
insignificant detail about a size of tubing - and yet he became a pretty
good friend with whom I shared a lot.
The really surprising thing is that Sheldon became so widely loved for
little more than the same sort of thing that you've become pretty widely
despised. And the main difference between you two is only your attitude.
Add to that the kind of person he was, thoughtful, caring, and a real
student, as well as teacher. Most people who have that depth of
expertise seem to have the ego problems to go with it. I never got
even a hint of that from Sheldon, or heard any of that about him.
Bill C
When you look at that picture, what do you see?
Sheldon saw the little bits of red and white underneath
the aerobar clamps. At the time Coke was a Tour sponsor.
Because of Sheldon I know that Lemond used shims from an
aluminum soda can to get his leading edge equipment to
work with his existing bike before what is certainly one
of the most famous Time Trials in the history of the
sport.
Screw mourning. Don't tell me how sad you are, how much
he'll be missed. I don't care. Fuck that.
Tell me about one of the millions of ways he reached out
and did something that made you feel like a little kid
while riding your bike. And leave the weepy sad crap
out. Riding a bicycle is a joyful act.
Bob Schwartz
I will go out of my way to do business with someone who is
honest and helpful: Sheldon was all that, and more.
Tom Ace
Maybe somebody who knows what they're doing should snag all the
pages and archive them against the day when whoever is hosting
them now removes them.
I think there's something out there called "SiteSnagger" that
claims to do that kind of thing.
--
PeteCresswell
Since the Harris site forwards to his domain, the store will probably be
sure to keep the pages around.
Awwwwwww, fuck.
That just sucks.
He wasn't having much fun since the medical stuff started. I visited
him in West Newton, and exchanged a few e-mails since -- mostly about
our respective medical battles.
I can only hope that this is -- in that weirdest of ways -- for the
best.
He will be missed.
Now there is a legacy that we can all aspire to. Well put, Bill.
More good discussion over at uk.rec.cycling.
Bill C
--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
I talked with him at the shop a number of times. Pleasant, helpful,
funny. My condolences to his family.
BC
Sheldon appears to have been fond of wheat beers and beer in general:
http://sheldonbrown.com/org/journal/journal-9907.html
Though he commented on the low cost of wine in France:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/france-wickersham.html
If one wishes to consume a mixed drink in his honor, I can only
recommend the Radler ("rider," idiomatically a cyclist, in German) which
is a 50/50 mix of beer (pilsner, usually?) and lemon-lime soda (aka
Sprite or 7-Up). I believe some use lemonade instead of soda.
http://www.csulb.edu/~parayner/Radler.html
For myself, I strangely have no beer in the house, but I do have half a
bottle of Sumac Ridge's Black Sage Vineyard 2005 Meritage, and requiring
no other excuse, I shall raise a glass to the memory of Mr. Brown.
And then I will clean my chain in the proper fashion:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/chainclean/index.html
--
Ryan Cousineau rcou...@gmail.com http://www.wiredcola.com/
"In other newsgroups, they killfile trolls."
"In rec.bicycles.racing, we coach them."
Yours is the most obnoxious and inappropriate post I believe I have ever
encountered on Usenet. Certainly nothing we would have ever seen from
Sheldon.
bill
[1] <http://www.gooseisland.com/beers/pop-ups/5_312.html>.
--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
The weather is here, wish you were beautiful
Calm down Bill, not everyone reacts to situations the same as everyone else.
Davey might have a thorn in his butt about something right now but usually
he is the voice of reason.
since you started it, i have to say how struck i was by brandt's earlier
comment:
"NO! The trees in my forest are not allowed to fall."
/his/ freakin' forest??? it takes a truly a narcissistic blockhead to
embitter a time for reflection such as this.
Just let me reiterate - Jobst is also one of the massive contributors to
cycling throughout the years. If he had a more sociable manner like Sheldon
he would be spoken of in the same quiet sort of voice. I'm an engineer like
Jobst and I have been around a lot of people like him so he sort of rolls
off of my back without bothering me too much. But people not used to that
sort of communications sometimes react badly to it.
Let's remember that The Bicycle Wheel was a giant step forward in bicycling.
And his intelligent designed components for Avocet was really important to
all of us. Jobst started a lot of real intelligent thinking about bicycles
and a good deal of it was picked up by the MTB crowd in his area and built
upon. And that has added greatly to what we see as bicycling today.
| Yours is the most obnoxious and inappropriate post I believe I have
| ever encountered on Usenet. Certainly nothing we would have ever seen
| from Sheldon.
| bill
|
100 Bragging Points for Davey
Cry me a firkin river
i don't agree with you. "the bicycle wheel" is a hideous travesty of
mistake and misconception. the only thing it has going for it is lacing
instruction, but beyond that, it misleads and deceives in subtle ways at
pretty much at every page. and lacing instruction is available from
multiple other sources.
is the intention worthy? arguably. but that is probably its biggest
deception. like a cathedral with no roof and no buttresses, it looks
interesting from a distance, but closer examination reveals it to be a
wet, windy and dangerous edifice to ego and stupidity. and after no
less than four editions, the fact that its original errors continue
uncorrected, simply blows any worthiness of original intent clear off
the horizon.
so what then /is/ jobst's greatest achievement? illustration of how
shameless self aggrandizement and bullying of critics can bamboozle the
proles pretty much most of the time. that so many can be taken in for
so long is actually rather impressive. in a perverted kind of way.
HOLY COW ! DID JOBST GO TO HIS REWARD ?
or was he deported?
say. why don't all of us chip in $5 in Sheldon's memory to a Boston
Charity?
I didn't think you could deport Americans from the USA, even under
GWB.
But your other idea is a splendid one.
Good call, Gene.
I asked the San Diego County Bicycling Coalition if, by chance, they'd
heard of one via the grape vine or Sheldon's family.
I'm on vacation, but ... when I get home ... I'll reach out to Harris
to see if they know who might be worthy.
This thread reminded me of another Sheldon story. A few years ago, I was
involved in a rather sharp exchange on a local (Boston) bike list. I
don't remember who brought it up when I next visited Sheldon's shop, but
I started to go on about how rigid, etc. I thought the other guy was.
Sheldon only looked pained. "You both are good guys," he said "you
should be friends." He was right, as usual. He couldn't see the sense of
two people with so much in common getting petty over some trivial issue.
It genuinely bothered him that two people he liked could fail to like
each other.
We are in this group because of our connection to cycling, and on this
thread because of our connection to Sheldon. The things that bring us
together are deep, those that divide us, shallow. I feel a little
awkward, he'd never sermonize like this, but I know that's the way he felt.
not strictly true - some of his fights with brandt, while civil on
sheldon's side, yielded no result - for obvious reasons. but sheldon
was smart, could reason, and was open minded. /that/ was his gift.
> Just let me reiterate - Jobst is also one of the massive contributors to
> cycling throughout the years. If he had a more sociable manner like
> Sheldon he would be spoken of in the same quiet sort of voice. I'm an
> engineer like Jobst and I have been around a lot of people like him so
> he sort of rolls off of my back without bothering me too much. But
> people not used to that sort of communications sometimes react badly to it.
>
> Let's remember that The Bicycle Wheel was a giant step forward in
> bicycling. And his intelligent designed components for Avocet was really
> important to all of us. Jobst started a lot of real intelligent thinking
> about bicycles and a good deal of it was picked up by the MTB crowd in
> his area and built upon. And that has added greatly to what we see as
> bicycling today.
Gosh, I think Jobst now has an obit he can use when the time comes!
SMH
--Karen D.
It takes a pretty self-obsessed misanthrope to hijack a tribute thread
to Sheldon Brown!
Java
Don't nibble on this one, please. Let it go, in honor of Sheldon.
Don't nibble on this one. Let it go, in honor of Sheldon.
I say this as a self-proclaimed borderline narcissist - who has
never felt even a twinge of sorrow or even regret at any other
stranger's passing.
I've never met, never even talked to Sheldon.
But when I heard the news, I felt an immediate sense of loss that
hasn't gone away.
In Sheldon's case, the bell really does toll for us all.
--
PeteCresswell
Geez Pete, how many of the wankers here would have read Hemingway?
Maybe not "never", but at least "seldom". One might specifically recall the
"party doll" thread of 2000,
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.bicycles.tech/browse_frm/thread/ef777f172afe58e6/3d0742d3f819d3d6?hl=en&lnk=gst&q=sheldon+brown+doll#3d0742d3f819d3d6
in which Sheldon's seemingly innocent SIGNATURE before the 2000 election:
>Sheldon "Epicyclic" Brown
>+---------------------------------------------------------+ | West Coast
>Nader fans: Please vote late in the day. | | Your vote may turn out to
>be crucial, and the early, | | returns from the east should make this
>clear. |
>+---------------------------------------------------------+
turned into a thread of 1072 archived posts lasting seven weeks.
Sheldon Brown's contribution to this thread was as follows:
"I have no interest in being an Internet cop, and personally, I have a
fast enough connection that I don't much mind off-topic threads, within
reason.
"I could, and would, easily enough ignore the current political thread.
Unfortunately, it has my name on it. I'm becoming concerned that people
will lose sight of the fact that I've not been involved in this thread
(and its vulgar "subject:" line) with the exception of a single
humorous, _bike-related_ posting using my Carapace alter ego.
"I do have strong opinions on the topics being discussed, but I respect
the charter of these newsgroups, and have refrained from taking part in
this inappropriate thread.
"I care about my reputation, and want to make sure that folks understand
that, despite my name being attached to off-topic vulgarity, I had
nothing to do with it.
Sheldon "Don't Blame Me!" Brown "
and, hundreds of posts later, this humorous reply:
"[NAME] wrote:
> I just think his [Sheldon's] political/religious tags are innapropriate in
> this forum.
"What about the ones where I recommend music, books or films that I've
enjoyed?
"How 'bout the ones that deal with philosophy or various collected
aphorisms neither political nor religious?
"How about the odd poem now and then? The jokes?
"Where would you have me draw the line and practice self-censorship?
Sheldon " " Brown
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--
Mike Kruger
On the other hand, it's probably best if we forget all about the "party
doll" thread.