Watcher of Weasels:

Andrew Olmsted, Rest In Peace

I never really got to know Andrew Olmsted all that well, only from reading his blog and interacting with him during his short time as a Watcher's Council member...  but he always struck me as just an all-around great guy, even when I disagreed with him.  The last thing I can remember saying to him was thanking him for his service and wishing him a safe return from Iraq...  sadly, that wish didn't come true.  While reading Andrew's final blog entry, written to be posted in the event of his death, I was trying to comprehend what it would be like to sit down and write something like that...  all I could think was that mine would probably be a much shorter post than his.  Anyway, here is one of the final requests made in that post:

“What I don't want this to be is a chance for me, or anyone else, to be maudlin.  I'm dead.  That sucks, at least for me and my family and friends.  But all the tears in the world aren't going to bring me back, so I would prefer that people remember the good things about me rather than mourning my loss.  (If it turns out a specific number of tears will, in fact, bring me back to life, then by all means, break out the onions.) I had a pretty good life, as I noted above.  Sure, all things being equal I would have preferred to have more time, but I have no business complaining with all the good fortune I've enjoyed in my life.  So if you're up for that, put on a little 80s music (preferably vintage 1980-1984), grab a Coke and have a drink with me.  If you have it, throw ‘Freedom Isn't Free’ from the Team America soundtrack in; if you can't laugh at that song, I think you need to lighten up a little.  I'm dead, but if you're reading this, you're not, so take a moment to enjoy that happy fact.”

See what I mean?  What a guy.  Ok, Andy...  this one's for you: