later

November 20, 2008 12:05 AM

If you would indulge me, I'd like to say, "Farewell."

I know that exiting posts "usually don't do well", but I wanted to write a few things before I leave. First, I'm not leaving for any bad feelings on my part or any one thing that happened here. Matt's vision for this site, and his and pb's execution is, in my opinion, historic. I have started to understand the difficulties of the work cortex and jessamyn do. I, we, might not always agree with their decisions, but I believe they sincerely strive to be fair, and usually they're right. They have the toughest job and I don't envy them. If I were with you right now, I'd give you both a kiss on the cheek as I say goodbye; well, maybe not you cortex (unless you're cool with that).

Earlier yesterday, I read this post. Tonight, I met with my brother and a childhood friend, who I hadn't seen in 10+ years. I've never had a problem with meaning or purpose. I've pretty much known what's important to me. My friend has made many millions in manufacturing and real estate. During our conversation, I became acutely aware of what was fundamentally important to him, and I realized that though he was being true to his vision, I was not being true to mine. I'm not making any personal or political judgment; I simply saw my own meaning clearer.

I was going to mention, one-by-one, all the people here who I am especially grateful to. If you look at my contacts, that's you. And if I've favorited your comment, that mean's you made me laugh or I learned something from you. There are three people who I want to mention though, sort of like at the end of the Wizard of Oz when Dorothy says that she will miss the scarecrow most of all. languagehat, thanks for being there for me and the knowledge you've shared. vronsky, ditto, and your artistic vision.

I haven't directly communicated with the third person, nickyskye. I've been doing this (bbs, forum, etc.) for a long time, but I have never encountered such a gentle, insightful, intelligent person in all my wanderings. I've learned a lot from you, nickyskye. Thank you.

Cya!

posted by sluglicker to MetaFilter-related at 12:05 AM (153 comments total)

Okay, so you're leaving because a childhood friend of yours made a ton of money?

I think I'm missing something here.
posted by Deathalicious at 12:32 AM on November 20, 2008 [3 favorites]

Yeah, licking slugs maybe isn't really the best vision to be true to. Best of luck to you in your endeavors.
posted by carsonb at 12:34 AM on November 20, 2008 [4 favorites]

So long and thanks for all the slugs.
posted by Cranberry at 12:34 AM on November 20, 2008 [2 favorites]

Hope you find what you're looking for sl.

btw, what did one slug ask its mate after apophallation?

Was it as tasty for you as it was for me?
posted by netbros at 12:35 AM on November 20, 2008

I R confused. You chatted with a buddy of yours who's made millions, and this prompts you to have an existential crisis requiring you to leave your wasteful Metafilter addiction behind?

You're doing it wrong. You're supposed to run into your buddy who's been harrassing Japanese whaling ships with Greenpeace and hasn't worked an honest day in ten years, has nothing saved up for retirement, and who doesn't know what a Tivo is. Then you do the weepy meta post.
posted by bardic at 12:36 AM on November 20, 2008 [8 favorites]

I can assume that at least you won't be closing your account.
posted by Deathalicious at 12:38 AM on November 20, 2008 [3 favorites]

Hope everything goes well for you and while goodbye posts aren't really a good idea, it's nice to see one so gracious. I'm not quite sure how sticking with Mefi conflicts with finding meaning but it's not for me to figure out. That's on you and if this is what it takes then I wish you luck.
posted by lysistrata at 12:41 AM on November 20, 2008

You know I'd have nightmares
And a guilty conscience, too,
If I kept you from anything
That you really wanted to do.

But if you got to go,
It's all right.
But if you got to go, go now,
Or else you gotta stay all night.
posted by Elmore at 12:49 AM on November 20, 2008 [2 favorites]

Fare thee well. Hope you'll be back, but there is no doubt that crack is indeed bad for you.

Still, don't forget: if you do it right, the internet is made of friends.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 12:58 AM on November 20, 2008 [10 favorites]

@Sluglicker: I understand.

@Everybody still around: Somebody check the drawers and make sure all the good silverware is still there.
posted by chillmost at 1:45 AM on November 20, 2008

What a refreshing goodbye post. Enjoy your journey...
posted by Stewriffic at 2:31 AM on November 20, 2008

I wouldn't be being true to my vision if I did not snark on this.
posted by DU at 3:02 AM on November 20, 2008 [9 favorites]

Is your true meaning bloviating dramatically on the interwebs? Because if so, congratulations.
posted by Plutor at 5:04 AM on November 20, 2008 [8 favorites]

So is it "later" or "farewell"? You can't have it both ways.
posted by yhbc at 5:09 AM on November 20, 2008 [1 favorite]

congratulations on finding your purpose, seeing your path, and having the courage to be an active participant in your own life. for too many of us, life really is what happens while we're busy making other plans with a thankful nod to john lennon. no matter how bumpy the ride, enjoy the journey. remember, too, that we'll still be here if your path winds back this way.
posted by msconduct at 5:16 AM on November 20, 2008

I wish you well in all future endeavors, and I hope your actions are motivated by positivity, especially since the thread you linked touches briefly on suicide.
posted by BrotherCaine at 5:25 AM on November 20, 2008

What's strange about sluglicker's announcement is that it implies that Metafilter participation is a lifestyle, something that he must abandon to stay "true to his vision." I have always thought that this was just a group of people that I occasionally stop by and converse with. A group of people with very heterogeneous views.

What could it be about his vision that requires him to announce, "My vision does not allow me to ever come back here and converse with that group of people."

Strange.
posted by jayder at 5:55 AM on November 20, 2008 [10 favorites]

I have a bad feeling about this.
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 6:06 AM on November 20, 2008

I bet he's moving over to Something Awful.
posted by Fuzzy Skinner at 6:08 AM on November 20, 2008 [8 favorites]

I have no idea who you are and do not care.
posted by cellphone at 6:11 AM on November 20, 2008 [17 favorites]

Huh?
posted by Green Eyed Monster at 6:20 AM on November 20, 2008

I can understand the criticism above, but I think that somebody ought to say this:

I get it, dude. I also have a millionaire friend, and it's not about the money. He lives like a normal guy, except that normal guys don't usually buckle down and found $200M companies.

Spending time with that kind of person, who has a really good grip on his/her own personal vision and gets the fuck out there and does something about it, is very revealing about oneself.

So if your personal vision of what you should be doing just came into sharp focus, and things need to change, that's cool. Go do it.

Just come back and tell us about it once you've got your new lifestyle down and there's time for Metafilter again.
posted by SlyBevel at 6:23 AM on November 20, 2008 [5 favorites]

Thanks for the kind words. I'll miss you.

Note to asshats: U R asshats.
posted by languagehat at 6:26 AM on November 20, 2008 [12 favorites]

What a coincidence. I was thinking of quitting MetaFilter, but just ran into an old friend of mind from High School. Turns out he just got out of prison, and is now living in a van down by the river with his buck-toothed wife and eight filthy kids. He smelled like dog food and compost, and kept asking me if I knew anything about becoming a gigilo. I think I'm going to stick around here for a while. Sorry, suckers!

(on preview: proud to be an asshat)
posted by pardonyou? at 6:29 AM on November 20, 2008 [7 favorites]

Asshat here, but good luck or something. I still prefer flameouts, though.
posted by fixedgear at 6:56 AM on November 20, 2008

Sluglicker, if you received some kind of cosmic insight that ties overuse of the internet and Metafilter to all that holds one back from a great new destiny, and with just a few easy steps, the first being this farewell post, you go on to true greatness - - - let us know.

I might consider being fulfilled on every level, too.
posted by readery at 6:59 AM on November 20, 2008

Farewell!
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 7:02 AM on November 20, 2008 [1 favorite]

kthnxbye
posted by Phanx at 7:03 AM on November 20, 2008

Good luck. The Lord loves a working man, don't trust whitey, see a doctor and get rid of it.
posted by pixlboi at 7:07 AM on November 20, 2008 [10 favorites]

I've enjoyed you stuff and will miss the smiles I got whenever I read "posted by sluglicker". See ya around.
posted by and hosted from Uranus at 7:08 AM on November 20, 2008

Wait a minute, so Metafilter is keeping me from making millions in real estate and manufacturing?
posted by M.C. Lo-Carb! at 7:12 AM on November 20, 2008 [9 favorites]

The Wizard of Oz? Seriously?
posted by kate blank at 7:15 AM on November 20, 2008

My god! It's full of slugs!
posted by katillathehun at 7:26 AM on November 20, 2008 [1 favorite]

So, who's gonna miss me if I leave? If I make a goodbye thread will I get a lot of responses? Cuz I don't want to go ahead with it unless I'm sure that y'all will throw me the best going away party ever. It would suck to write a heartfelt and touching goodbye letter and be flamed for it or worse yet - ignored because no one knows who the heck I am.

What do you all think?
posted by Sassyfras at 7:45 AM on November 20, 2008

You know the worst thing about being a young handsome millionaire? I can't sit down and have a beer with someone without their eyes getting wide and then listening to them babble for hours about how they have not been true to their vision and how they want meaning and purpose in their life blah blah blah. And I am sitting there just wanting to ask if they have seen the new Bond movie yet. Jesus! I didn't ask to become a catalyst for existential crises. I just worked hard and got lucky. If I had known that my success would lead to not being able to have a simple conversation for the rest of my life without becoming everyone I talk to's personal road to Damascus I would have just gotten an office job. This constant unrelenting proximity to soul-searching is killing me! This is all starting to make me think about whether or not I have been true to my vision . . .
posted by ND¢ at 7:46 AM on November 20, 2008 [19 favorites]

You can quit metafilter? You don't have to "jump out" or anything?

I think I'll just wait to get banned. I figure another 10 FPPs on masturbating lamps or semen and I am set.
posted by cjorgensen at 7:49 AM on November 20, 2008 [2 favorites]

::sits wide eyed as she listens to ND (where's the cent sign?)::
posted by Sassyfras at 7:50 AM on November 20, 2008

worst. flameout. ever.
posted by found missing at 8:02 AM on November 20, 2008

What would be the reason someone would want to close their account?
posted by roll truck roll at 8:11 AM on November 20, 2008

I have always thought that this was just a group of people that I occasionally stop by and converse with.

Heavily seconded. There have been times in my life where I had no time and/or no inclination for Metafilter (*gasp*) so I didn't show up.

I'd really like us to avoid making coming/going posts on here. Unless you actually want to discuss something about the site, what is there to say?

I know it feels good to spend time talking about and planning out what you're going to do with your life, sluglicker, but in my experience it's much better to just get on with it. Even after all this talk of changing your life and following your vision, here you are, reading Metafilter again.
posted by ODiV at 8:15 AM on November 20, 2008

What a refreshing goodbye post.

Even better are the ones people post in their hearts.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 8:31 AM on November 20, 2008

Bye.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 8:32 AM on November 20, 2008

DTMetaFilterA?
posted by owtytrof at 8:37 AM on November 20, 2008 [3 favorites]

After thinking about it, I won't indulge you.
posted by lee at 8:41 AM on November 20, 2008

It's not the tree that forsakes the flower
But the flower that forsakes the tree
posted by Wolfdog at 8:53 AM on November 20, 2008

Noooooooooooooooo! Don't go!

I love you.





I assume that's what farewell posters secretly want. Don't forget to lock up when you leave. Just drop the keys through the mail slot.
posted by electroboy at 8:59 AM on November 20, 2008 [2 favorites]

What a refreshing goodbye post.

Even better are the ones people post in their hearts.

But Mary kept all these goodbye posts, and posted them in her heart.
posted by ND¢ at 9:01 AM on November 20, 2008 [1 favorite]

This is why I never trust "visions". Yours tells you to go out and do more with your life, mine tells me to chase my pets around the house with a vacuum and spend my downtime conversing with everyone here. Also; drinking and shooting guns at the moon. (Because it's trying to kill us... the North star told me so.)

Sorry to see you go sluglicker, I hope you stop back now and again and tell us where your new direction has taken you.
posted by quin at 9:15 AM on November 20, 2008

If you ruin the moon I will kick your ass!
posted by Mister_A at 9:33 AM on November 20, 2008 [1 favorite]

I have to be true to my olfaction. This is a shitty post.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 9:34 AM on November 20, 2008 [1 favorite]

Ya calls em as ya smells em?
posted by Wolfdog at 9:40 AM on November 20, 2008

If you ruin the moon I will kick your ass!
There are those who are sworn to restore it, if need be.
posted by Wolfdog at 9:41 AM on November 20, 2008

They all come home sooner or later.


Godspeed.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 9:43 AM on November 20, 2008

I'm sorry, who are you again?

*wears asshat badge proudly*
posted by eyeballkid at 9:54 AM on November 20, 2008 [2 favorites]

39786, here I come!
posted by cowbellemoo at 9:55 AM on November 20, 2008 [1 favorite]

asshat isn't a badge, it's a hat
posted by found missing at 9:57 AM on November 20, 2008 [2 favorites]

ND¢: happy to relieve you of your burden & trade places with you.

no, really. you CAN have my office job.
posted by msconduct at 10:09 AM on November 20, 2008

Matt's vision for this site, and his and pb's execution is, in my opinion, historic.

That's a weird thing to say.
posted by dhammond at 10:27 AM on November 20, 2008

Thank you for identifying the one weird thing he said.
posted by found missing at 10:31 AM on November 20, 2008 [3 favorites]

Mister_A: But someone needs to pick up where this guy left off. I miss my mad scientist.
posted by cjorgensen at 10:31 AM on November 20, 2008

Matt's vision for this site, and his and pb's execution is, in my opinion, historic.

That's a weird thing to say.

If Matt's vision for the site included executions, you bet it'd be historic!
posted by atrazine at 10:39 AM on November 20, 2008

My friend has made many millions in manufacturing and real estate. During our conversation, I became acutely aware of what was fundamentally important to him, and I realized that though he was being true to his vision, I was not being true to mine. I'm not making any personal or political judgment; I simply saw my own meaning clearer.

Look at this statement. Look twice. Hell, look a third time. Stare at it like it's one of those magic eye puzzles.

Do you see the ship sinking and the captain rearranging the deck chairs? Yeah, me too.
posted by scabrous at 10:43 AM on November 20, 2008 [1 favorite]

What's strange about sluglicker's announcement is that it implies that Metafilter participation is a lifestyle...

I resent the implication as well. I had always assumed it is genetic.
posted by googly at 10:48 AM on November 20, 2008 [6 favorites]

I signed up last week specifically so I could leave dramatically, as soon as enough time had passed to allow me to post a MeTa thread.

Only two more days. Oh, the exquisite thrill of anticipation! Adrenaline courses through my veins. The tension is unbearable.
posted by Beautiful Screaming Lady at 10:53 AM on November 20, 2008 [7 favorites]

One more down. I will outlast you all.
posted by Astro Zombie at 10:55 AM on November 20, 2008 [3 favorites]

Now that we've taken the requisite round of potshots, I think sluglicker is getting at a few points:

1) He's been involved in Metafilter for a little over two years, with a good number of posts, comments, and so forth. That, coupled with his back-tagging superstar status and high number of personal links indicate that he's spent a substantial effort on Metafilter.

2) Due to the confluence of a chance encounter and an interesting AskMe, he's realized that he isn't where he wants to be in some financial or spiritual sense.

3) There's an unspoken, but implicit enough connection between the two: I am spending time online doing things which are not contributing to my vision of personal growth, financial success, whatever.

4) Therefore, it is time to disengage from Metafilter (and possibly other online avenues), such that he can pursue his enlightenment/goal/etc., because he is smart enough to realize he gets sucked in and cannot do it "just a little bit," and must therefore go cold turkey ...

5) But before he does, he would like to personally thank those in whom he saw wisdom and value, rather than simply either A) closing his account (with which some have expressed disapproval) or B) wandering off and saying nothing (which can lead people to wonder, "Whatever happened to that sluglicker dude, anyway?"), and while it sounds dramatic, it's more of a reverse callout — hey, I think these folks have something important to say.

I'm at a loss as to see what's wrong with this. Perhaps his communication of #3 wasn't especially obvious, but we can all read between the lines here without the need for a blink tag.

Metafilter doesn't do people leaving too well.
posted by adipocere at 11:34 AM on November 20, 2008 [15 favorites]

Metafilter doesn't do people leaving too well.
We need more people to leave. So we can practice.
posted by Wolfdog at 11:36 AM on November 20, 2008

Nice work, adipocere. I absolutely love snark in the right places, but I do wish we could just offer a friendly "Farewell--thanks for your contributions" from time to time.

Hey, sluglicker: Farewell--thanks for your contributions. And best of luck in what comes next.
posted by Pater Aletheias at 11:38 AM on November 20, 2008

Fark subscription as a leaving present?
posted by mandal at 11:48 AM on November 20, 2008

Can I have his account as a sockpuppet? I will, of course, pretend to have written all his previous posts.
posted by cjorgensen at 12:07 PM on November 20, 2008

i would also like to endorse languagehat, vronsky and nickyskye.

and wish sluglicker the best of luck in following his vision, without quite understanding how procrastinating on a website for 14 hours a day somehow defeats any vision.

finally, i'd like to also add this:

If I were with you right now, I'd give you both a kiss on the cheek as I say goodbye

you know who else said goodbye with a kiss on the cheek?

(hint: it's not who you might think)
posted by UbuRoivas at 12:22 PM on November 20, 2008

Note to asshats: U R asshats.

Note to asshat kissers: U R asshat kissers.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 12:23 PM on November 20, 2008 [1 favorite]

If we're being honest here, Backtagging Superstar status is about as hard to get as malaria.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 12:25 PM on November 20, 2008

Hitler? What? Did I get the punchline wrong?
posted by cjorgensen at 12:25 PM on November 20, 2008

adipocere: We're a community of thousands with new users coming in and existing users "leaving"* every day. Can you imagine if everyone posted about it? I realize that talking about the site is what MetaTalk is for, but this seems more like "Let's talk about me." Many popular online discussion sites have bans on "I'm new" and "I'm leaving" posts for exactly this reason.

Sure we might wonder, "Hey, what happened to sluglicker?" But honestly, there are so many people who have "left"* over the years for which there has been no indication of motive and it's not like we're all in a huge amount of angst over it.

Metafilter doesn't do people leaving too well.

Have a look at the amount of users (we're in the 80 thousands now?!) and check out some of the dates on their last comments. We "do people leaving" excellently.

* - either making a conscious effort to not come here anymore or simply stop coming for whatever reason.
posted by ODiV at 12:26 PM on November 20, 2008

Good luck.
posted by juliplease at 12:32 PM on November 20, 2008

Please forgive me if this is already an option and I don't know it, but what if when you pushed the big red "I don't want to play anymore" button, there was an optional box under the button with a message that read "Want to let people know why you are leaving/how long you will be gone/where they can contact you? Please do so here." and then whatever somebody typed would be on their closed profile page after they left. Am I a genius? I think I am.
posted by ND¢ at 12:32 PM on November 20, 2008 [8 favorites]

Goodbye, sluglicker, and best wishes for whatever comes next. I also don't really understand this post, but I wish you good luck and hope you'll come back around some day.
posted by Quietgal at 12:38 PM on November 20, 2008

Hitler? What? Did I get the punchline wrong?

No, not Hitler. It was one of the minor characters in Doctor Zhivago, I think. At the train station, in the rain or the snow. Or maybe I'm confusing it with The Brothers Karamazov. But you know who I mean - that guy who said that stuff about, um, I forget. Him.
posted by UbuRoivas at 12:44 PM on November 20, 2008

*Pushes Big Red Button*

This is just to say

I have left
the site
that you call
MetaFilter

which
you probably know
is filled with
asshats

Forgive me
they are so "ass"
so "hats"
and so, "Bye".
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 12:51 PM on November 20, 2008 [2 favorites]

"If we're being honest here, Backtagging Superstar status is about as hard to get as malaria."

In the Congo.

(Now I kinda wish I had a coherent vision for the future, beyond riding through the ruins of mid-90s LA with Ookla the Mok).
posted by klangklangston at 12:55 PM on November 20, 2008 [1 favorite]

What's strange about sluglicker's announcement is that it implies that Metafilter participation is a lifestyle...

I resent the implication as well. I had always assumed it is genetic.

Metafilterality: Nature or Nurture?
posted by amyms at 12:57 PM on November 20, 2008

What a coincidence. A few days ago I read this post on AskMe. Then today I got a nice email telling me to last all night long like a war stallion with special herbal supplements.

And so you see, I must say good bye.

I'd like to thank my many MeFi friends -- Mark, Cory, Xeni -- I love you guys. You taught me how to be nostalgic over Lego. Stay pimpin.

PEACE OUT!!!
posted by dgaicun at 1:00 PM on November 20, 2008

ND¢'s dad circa 1984: "Quit moderating him so much Laura! You're going to turn him Metafilter."
posted by ND¢ at 1:00 PM on November 20, 2008 [1 favorite]

Eh, he'll be back.
posted by chinston at 1:10 PM on November 20, 2008 [1 favorite]

This is just to say

I am sick
of the parodies
of this poem
on Metafilter

and which
you were probably
thinking
were clever

Forgive me
they are hackneyed
so trite
and so common
posted by dersins at 1:16 PM on November 20, 2008 [11 favorites]

Well good for him. The thread he left behind however has given me pause to reflect upon all the tangible ways Metafilter has made me a better person.

Since joining, I have quit my soul crushing job, have taken a pay cut to work on something that is personally much more fulfilling, I ran a marathon, I have actively volunteered on two political campaigns, I started a blog, I formed a band with two of my best friends and built a sound proof recording studio in my basement, met a totally random guy in Hyderabad, India who turned out to be a wonderful tour guide and friend in a town I'd never been to, and now, my wife and I are on the verge of having a baby without fear or (much) hesitation. All of these things were either directly or indirectly related to my participation in this community.

I'm not saying I wouldn't have done some of these things, but I certainly wouldn't have done all of them, and in each activity there has been support from this community.

I'm sorry, I'm just sort of blown away by this realization.
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 1:17 PM on November 20, 2008 [4 favorites]

Eh, he'll be back.

....when he figures out we have all the slugs.
posted by The Light Fantastic at 1:22 PM on November 20, 2008 [2 favorites]

What's that Dutch word for that feeling? You know the one.
posted by jack_mo at 1:38 PM on November 20, 2008 [2 favorites]

It was one of the minor characters in Doctor Zhivago, I think. At the train station, in the rain or the snow.

That scene in the movie makes Russians laugh like crazy, because none of the characters is acting the least bit Russian. (N.b.: Russians do not do restrained well.)
posted by languagehat at 1:39 PM on November 20, 2008

This is just to say

I have drank
the Kool-Aid Flavor Aid
that is
william carlos williams parody

and which
you were probably
saving
for your scorn

Forgive me
it was low hanging fruit juice
so sweet
and so... ackkkkkkkk!!!!
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 1:46 PM on November 20, 2008 [1 favorite]

Thank you for saying Flavor Aid.
posted by Astro Zombie at 1:54 PM on November 20, 2008 [1 favorite]

Eh, he'll be back.

There are many former members who've been gone for years and will never come back. Let me take this opportunity to quote one of those folks:

"sometimes the people over at metafilter make goatse look like a tight little rosebud"

Take it easy sluglicker, good luck and have fun!
posted by zarah at 2:32 PM on November 20, 2008 [1 favorite]

Slarty Bartfast : Without metafilter I wouldn't have known about this guy, would have never written him a letter, and wouldn't have gotten a response. I can't say they would is a better place, or that my accomplishments since joining have matched yours, but I take what small satisfactions I can.
posted by cjorgensen at 2:44 PM on November 20, 2008

Without MetaFilter, I would never have played bass in Rockband last weekend.
posted by klangklangston at 2:50 PM on November 20, 2008

Have a nice life, Sluggo (you don't mind if I call you Sluggo, do you? well, try and stop me)

If you can comfortably fit some MetaFilter into your life sometime down the road, then know that you will be welcomed back with only a moderate amount of abuse. In the meantime, get to work, you slackoid.

And I hope you're still checking in today to read this thread, otherwise all that asshattery goes to waste.
posted by wendell at 3:03 PM on November 20, 2008

weeds only grow when we dislike them
posted by Meatbomb at 3:10 PM on November 20, 2008

When wgp posted the parody,
I remained silent;
I was not an asshat.

When dersins snarked at the parody,
I remained silent;
I was not an asshat.

When IRFH meta-ed the parody,
I did not speak out;
I had never heard of Flavor Aid.

When they came for me,
It was only an asshat speaking out.
posted by UbuRoivas at 3:10 PM on November 20, 2008 [1 favorite]

Sluglickers' friend is actually a millionare thirty-year-old genius with a penchant for inventing green-tinted alloys and a devil-may-care attitude.
posted by dunkadunc at 3:12 PM on November 20, 2008

One more down. I will outlast you all.

*grips the keyboard tighter, glares*
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 3:58 PM on November 20, 2008 [1 favorite]

boo f%^*^%$# hoo
(heys stavs)
posted by clavdivs at 4:07 PM on November 20, 2008 [1 favorite]

Hey clavs! You do show up at the oddest times!
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 4:24 PM on November 20, 2008

Metafilter does "people leaving" just fine. People leave this place all the time, and some of them come back.

Metafilter doesn't do ego referendums disguised as "I'm leaving" very well.

S'true. It's science.
posted by bardic at 4:27 PM on November 20, 2008

(I mean, if you're really truly leaving, why bother posting in the gray anyways? Since you're, you know, leaving.)
posted by bardic at 4:28 PM on November 20, 2008

..and what is odd my ruffly feathered friend
posted by clavdivs at 4:35 PM on November 20, 2008

...and before you leave have your rich friend spread some dough to use poor
republicans
real estate, jezz, frikkin REAL ESTATE, third estate.
WHO CARES MAN or WOMAN.
so long then...
posted by clavdivs at 4:41 PM on November 20, 2008

Oh, come on, leave him alone. If I were suddenly unable to use Metafilter for the forseeable future for some reason, I'd probably post something here. Because I like you people.
posted by roll truck roll at 4:41 PM on November 20, 2008

i mean why go to all the DRAMA
I MEAN REEEALLLYYYY
posted by clavdivs at 4:43 PM on November 20, 2008

If you would all bear with me, I'd like to say "recalcitrant."

Recalcitrant.
posted by Astro Zombie at 4:58 PM on November 20, 2008 [2 favorites]

"Because I like you people."

That's where you done fucked up, amigo.
posted by bardic at 5:00 PM on November 20, 2008

Sluglicker's farewell post has jolted me into closing this window and finishing off the edits on the horribly-written report drafted by the intern just before she quit to take six months off and find herself.

Farewell, Metafilter. Until 10PM tonight.
posted by KokuRyu at 5:05 PM on November 20, 2008

and i'm heading off for lunch.

farewell, for an hour or so.
posted by UbuRoivas at 5:12 PM on November 20, 2008

I'm betting his millionaire industrialist friend forced him to leave after he saw what we did to Ayn Rand yesterday.
posted by mullingitover at 5:54 PM on November 20, 2008

If you're leaving, can I have your french fries and favorites?
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 5:57 PM on November 20, 2008

I like how threads like these expose the best and worst elements of the community.
posted by oxford blue at 6:05 PM on November 20, 2008

They do flush out the self-righteous among us.
posted by found missing at 6:17 PM on November 20, 2008

Hey asshats! Lay offa slug. He's me boy :)

And I would like to take this opportunity to announce that I am leaving mefi as well. Slug and I have decided to run away together and follow our true dream -- that secret dream that we all have somewhere in our heart, that dream that you only tell to your pillow at night -- the dream to become IB DIFFUSION models. So long, suckas.
posted by vronsky at 6:40 PM on November 20, 2008

Link Here :)
posted by vronsky at 6:49 PM on November 20, 2008

Tiny Dancer plays, fade to black, credits roll.
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 6:58 PM on November 20, 2008

You know what's lame? When you watch a rerun of the WKRP in Cincinatti episode where the Ukrainian hog expert defects to the US, they no longer play Tiny Dancer during the closing credits. In fact, he doesn't even get to say "hold me closer tiny dancer" to Bailey any more.
posted by oneirodynia at 7:32 PM on November 20, 2008 [1 favorite]

> Even better are the ones people post in their hearts.

I'd post in there more often, but I got banned.
posted by shadytrees at 7:58 PM on November 20, 2008

I lick frogs.
posted by longsleeves at 8:25 PM on November 20, 2008

sluglicker - Thanks for navigating these snarky waters.

cjorgensen - I hadn't thought about Alexander Abian since 1999. Ironically, I just came back from a conference on the Moon. Well, about the Moon.

i would also like to endorse languagehat, vronsky and nickyskye

Wow, they filled out Obama's questionnaire?
posted by lukemeister at 8:45 PM on November 20, 2008

SLUGLICKER

In this Monody the Author bewails a
learned Friend, unfortunatly left from our
lov’d MetaFilter on 21st November, 2008. And by
occasion fortels the ruine of our corrupted
Administrators then in their height.

Yet once more, O ye Laurels, and once more
Ye Myrtles brown, with Ivy never-sere,
I com to pluck your Berries harsh and crude,
And with forc'd fingers rude,
Shatter your leaves before the mellowing year.
Bitter constraint, and sad occasion dear,
Compels me to disturb your season due:
For SLUGLICKER is dead, dead ere his prime,
Young SLUGLICKER, and hath not left his peer:
Who would not sing for SLUGLICKER? he knew
Himself to sing, and build the lofty rhyme.
He must not flote upon his watry bear
Unwept, and welter to the parching wind,
Without the meed of som melodious tear.
Begin then, Sisters of the sacred well,
That from beneath the seat of Jove doth spring,
Begin, and somwhat loudly sweep the string.
Hence with denial vain, and coy excuse,
So may som gentle Muse
With lucky words favour my destin'd Urn,
And as he passes turn,
And bid fair peace be to my sable shrowd.
For we were nurst upon the self-same hill,
Fed the same flock, by fountain, shade, and rill.
Together both, ere the high Lawns appear'd
Under the opening eye-lids of the morn,
We drove a field, and both together heard
What time the Gray-fly winds her sultry horn,
Batt'ning our flocks with the fresh dews of night,
Oft till the Star that rose, at Ev'ning, bright
Toward Heav'ns descent had slop'd his westering wheel.
Mean while the Rural ditties were not mute,
Temper'd to th' Oaten Flute,
Rough Satyrs danc'd, and Fauns with clov'n heel,
From the glad sound would not be absent long,
And old Damœtas lov'd to hear our song.
But O the heavy change, now thou art gon,
Now thou art gon, and never must return!
Thee Shepherd, thee the Woods, and desert Caves,
With wilde Thyme and the gadding Vine o'regrown,
And all their echoes mourn.
The Willows, and the Hazle Copses green,
Shall now no more be seen,
Fanning their joyous Leaves to thy soft layes.
As killing as the Canker to the Rose,
Or Taint-worm to the weanling Herds that graze,
Or Frost to Flowers, that their gay wardrop wear,
When first the White thorn blows;
Such, SLUGLICKER, thy loss to Shepherds ear.
Where were ye Nymphs when the remorseless deep
Clos'd o're the head of your lov'd SLUGLICKER?
For neither were ye playing on the steep,
Where your old Bards, the famous Druids ly,
Nor on the shaggy top of Mona high,
Nor yet where Deva spreads her wisard stream:
Ay me, I fondly dream!
Had ye bin there — for what could that have don?
What could the Muse her self that Orpheus bore,
The Muse her self, for her inchanting son
Whom Universal nature did lament,
When by the rout that made the hideous roar,
His goary visage down the stream was sent,
Down the swift Hebrus to the Lesbian shore.
Alas! What boots it with uncessant care
To tend the homely slighted Shepherds trade,
And strictly meditate the thankles Muse,
Were it not better don as others use,
To sport with Amaryllis in the shade,
Or with the tangles of Neæra's hair?
Fame is the spur that the clear spirit doth raise
(That last infirmity of Noble mind)
To scorn delights, and live laborious dayes;
But the fair Guerdon when we hope to find,
And think to burst out into sudden blaze,
Comes the blind Fury with th' abhorred shears,
And slits the thin spun life. But not the praise,
Phœbus repli'd, and touch'd my trembling ears;
Fame is no plant that grows on mortal soil,
Nor in the glistering foil
Set off to th' world, nor in broad rumour lies,
But lives and spreds aloft by those pure eyes,
And perfet witnes of all judging Jove;
As he pronounces lastly on each deed,
Of so much fame in Heav'n expect thy meed.
O Fountain Arethuse, and thou honour'd flood,
Smooth-sliding Mincius, crown'd with vocall reeds,
That strain I heard was of a higher mood:
But now my Oate proceeds,
And listens to the Herald of the Sea
That came in Neptune's plea,
He ask'd the Waves, and ask'd the Fellon winds,
What hard mishap hath doom'd this gentle swain?
And question'd every gust of rugged wings
That blows from off each beaked Promontory,
They knew not of his story,
And sage Hippotades their answer brings,
That not a blast was from his dungeon stray'd,
The Ayr was calm, and on the level brine,
Sleek Panope with all her sisters play'd.
It was that fatall and perfidious Bark
Built in th' eclipse, and rigg'd with curses dark,
That sunk so low that sacred head of thine.
Next Camus, reverend Sire, went footing slow,
His Mantle hairy, and his Bonnet sedge,
Inwrought with figures dim, and on the edge
Like to that sanguine flower inscrib'd with woe.
Ah! Who hath reft (quoth he) my dearest pledge?
Last came, and last did go,
The Pilot of the Galilean lake,
Two massy Keyes he bore of metals twain,
(The Golden opes, the Iron shuts amain)
He shook his Miter'd locks, and stern bespake,
How well could I have spar'd for thee young swain,
Anow of such as for their bellies sake,
Creep and intrude, and climb into the fold?
Of other care they little reck'ning make,
Then how to scramble at the shearers feast,
And shove away the worthy bidden guest.
Blind mouthes! that scarce themselves know how to hold
A Sheep-hook, or have learn'd ought els the least
That to the faithfull Herdmans art belongs!
What recks it them? What need they? They are sped;
And when they list, their lean and flashy songs
Grate on their scrannel Pipes of wretched straw,
The hungry Sheep look up, and are not fed,
But swoln with wind, and the rank mist they draw,
Rot inwardly, and foul contagion spread:
Besides what the grim Woolf with privy paw
Daily devours apace, and nothing sed,
But that two-handed engine at the door,
Stands ready to smite once, and smite no more.
Return Alpheus, the dread voice is past,
That shrunk thy streams; Return Sicilian Muse,
And call the Vales, and bid them hither cast
Their Bels, and Flourets of a thousand hues.
Ye valleys low where the milde whispers use,
Of shades and wanton winds, and gushing brooks,
On whose fresh lap the swart Star sparely looks,
Throw hither all your quaint enameld eyes,
That on the green terf suck the honied showres,
And purple all the ground with vernal flowres.
Bring the rathe Primrose that forsaken dies.
The tufted Crow-toe, and pale Jasmine,
The white Pink, and the Pansie freakt with jeat,
The glowing Violet.
The Musk-rose, and the well attir'd Woodbine,
With Cowslips wan that hang the pensive hed,
And every flower that sad embroidery wears:
Bid Amaranthus all his beauty shed,
And Daffadillies fill their cups with tears,
To strew the Laureat Herse where Sluglick lies.
For so to interpose a little ease,
Let our frail thoughts dally with false surmise.
Ay me! Whilst thee the shores and sounding Seas
Wash far away, where ere thy bones are hurld,
Whether beyond the stormy Hebrides,
Where thou perhaps under the whelming tide
Visit'st the bottom of the monstrous world;
Or whether thou to our moist vows deny'd,
Sleep'st by the fable of Bellerus old,
Where the great vision of the guarded Mount
Looks toward Namancos and Bayona's hold;
Look homeward Angel now, and melt with ruth.
And, O ye Dolphins, waft the haples youth.
Weep no more, woful Shepherds weep no more,
For SLUGLICKER your sorrow is not dead,
Sunk though he be beneath the watry floar,
So sinks the day-star in the Ocean bed,
And yet anon repairs his drooping head,
And tricks his beams, and with new-spangled Ore,
Flames in the forehead of the morning sky:
So SLUGLICKER sunk low, but mounted high,
Through the dear might of him that walk'd the waves;
Where other groves, and other streams along,
With Nectar pure his oozy Lock's he laves,
And hears the unexpressive nuptiall Song,
In the blest Kingdoms meek of joy and love.
There entertain him all the Saints above,
In solemn troops, and sweet Societies
That sing, and singing in their glory move,
And wipe the tears for ever from his eyes.
Now SLUGLICKER the Shepherds weep no more;
Hence forth thou art the Genius of the shore,
In thy large recompense, and shalt be good
To all that wander in that perilous flood.
Thus sang the uncouth Swain to th' Okes and rills,
While the still morn went out with Sandals gray,
He touch'd the tender stops of various Quills,
With eager thought warbling his Dorick lay:
And now the Sun had stretch'd out all the hills,
And now was dropt into the Western bay;
At last he rose, and twitch'd his Mantle blew:
To morrow to fresh Woods, and Pastures new.
posted by exlotuseater at 8:53 PM on November 20, 2008 [2 favorites]

Good luck out there lickerslug, keep a-making them songs.
posted by ageispolis at 8:56 PM on November 20, 2008

lunch was pretty good. i had salmon sashimi, ramen with vegetable tempura, wagyu beef with a steamed egg & a whole bunch of different vegetables & pickles on a big bowl of rice, miso soup, a pot of green tea, and wasabi icecream for dessert. not a bad set meal for a bit over $10.
posted by UbuRoivas at 9:21 PM on November 20, 2008 [2 favorites]

Bye, sluglicker. Best of luck following your vision.
posted by overglow at 9:41 PM on November 20, 2008

There's a Japanese restaurant nearby that has outstanding fried ice cream.
posted by Burhanistan at 10:08 PM on November 20, 2008

"i had salmon sashimi, ramen with vegetable tempura, wagyu beef with a steamed egg"

Yikes. Are you pregnant with sextuplets by any chance?
posted by bardic at 10:24 PM on November 20, 2008

"sometimes the people over at metafilter make goatse look like a tight little rosebud"

Odd, sounds like someone who'd fit right in here.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 10:55 PM on November 20, 2008

I'm not not licking slugs.
posted by kirkaracha at 11:31 PM on November 20, 2008

boy wouldn't it be ironic if tomorrow someone posts a kickass FPP that would point you towards personal salvation?
posted by edgeways at 6:14 AM on November 21, 2008 [1 favorite]

cellphone: I have no idea who you are and do not care.

Aww, you're just mad you're not on his list of Members Who Matter^TM

languagehat:
Thanks for the kind words. I'll miss you.

Note to asshats: U R asshats.

This is what cellphone would have said were he called out by name for being so awesome.
posted by graventy at 6:45 AM on November 21, 2008 [1 favorite]

There's a Japanese restaurant nearby that has outstanding fried ice cream.

There's a bento cart that serves everything out standing.
posted by cortex at 6:53 AM on November 21, 2008

lukemeister: I got to attend a couple of Abian's lectures when I was at ISU. I was an English major, but because of his notoriety people outside his discipline often went. Have to give him credit for bringing attention to his field (even if he was a nutter). A lot of people took him more seriously than he took himself. He didn't think outside the box, he didn't acknowledge the box.
posted by cjorgensen at 6:58 AM on November 21, 2008

The tufted Crow-toe, and pale Jasmine,
The white Pink, and the Pansie freakt with jeat

What is this shit? I see white supremacy, homophobia, mockery of physical deformities... MODS! I want exlotuseater banned NOW! (And I'm not about to google "freakt with jeat," because I DON'T WANT TO BE EXPOSED TO JEAT.)
posted by languagehat at 7:12 AM on November 21, 2008

The tufted Crow-toe. I think that was something that guys in my high school used to do to gross each other out. Yeah, NOT COOL, exlotuseater.
posted by chinston at 7:28 AM on November 21, 2008

Milton:exlotuseater::Treaty of Westphalia:Meatbomb
posted by Mister_A at 8:28 AM on November 21, 2008

Should we balance out the farewells with the notices of who's just waking up & (re-)joining the thread?
posted by Pronoiac at 8:55 AM on November 21, 2008

Hello dear sluglicker. Just went to the MeMail box, vronsky wrote and sent a link to your post. aww. Sharing comments and posts is only fun, rewarding, fulfilling, imo, in relation to the quality of the people one shares with. And I liked sharing with you here.

MeFite friends accompany my offline life, internalized witnesses and companions. I think you'll find that MeFites will be with you, snark and all, which makes life a lot more fun. And yeah, we'll be here if you feel like dropping by.

There have been many times I liked or related to a comment, like this one talking about yourself in relation to MeFites, clicked on the author and came up with that funny photo you use as an avatar. I'd think, oh yeah, that sluglicker guy, he's a sweetiepie, I like him.

wow. Thanks so much for the amazing compliment (it's my 55th birthday today, nice way to start the day I share with Bjork and Magritte :)

Am sending you my phone number in case you feel like calling. I'd like to stay in touch with you in case you're so inclined.

I will miss you but can totally relate to needing and wanting to put a focus on fulfilling your life in whatever way that is. Go for it man. Do it. You can do this. Yes!
posted by nickyskye at 10:15 AM on November 21, 2008

Mister_A: "Milton:exlotuseater::Treaty of Westphalia:Meatbomb"

For years I never really knew what was going on when people on MetaFilter did that 'thing colon other thing colon colon another thing colon a final thing' thing, but now I do! I'm quite dim, clearly. Is it from maths, or what?
posted by jack_mo at 10:24 AM on November 21, 2008

Also, Happy Birthday nickyskye!
posted by jack_mo at 10:30 AM on November 21, 2008

They're analogies in the Aristotelian format.

I learned what they were from Conan O'Brien.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 10:32 AM on November 21, 2008

And happy birthday to nickyskye! You:MetaFilter::Sudden ray of sunshine:Gloomy day
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 10:35 AM on November 21, 2008 [3 favorites]

Everyone in the US used to learn that analogy form in high school, because it was a big part of the SAT test, but I think the test is mostly essay questions now.
posted by team lowkey at 10:46 AM on November 21, 2008

What Alvy said -- happy birthday nickyskye!
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 10:56 AM on November 21, 2008 [1 favorite]

Happy birthday, nickyskye!

cranks up I Can Drive Fifty-Five
posted by lukemeister at 11:19 AM on November 21, 2008 [1 favorite]

Everyone in the US used to learn that analogy form in high school, because it was a big part of the SAT test

I now remember filling out page after page of the bloody things when I was ten, in preparation for a secondary school entrance exam, but the 'is to' and 'as' bits were always written out. I also had to learn hundreds of terms of venery. Ah, memories. Boring ones.
posted by jack_mo at 11:34 AM on November 21, 2008

If you do one of these, "I can no longer remain here due to my deeply held principles," kind of sign offs, is there a presumed cutoff on how long you can keep checking these comments? Or is this last post exempt from visiting restrictions?
posted by StickyCarpet at 1:42 PM on November 21, 2008

*yay* happy birthday, nickyskye! *dances*
posted by UbuRoivas at 2:02 PM on November 21, 2008 [1 favorite]

(And I'm not about to google "freakt with jeat," because I DON'T WANT TO BE EXPOSED TO JEAT.)

Knowing pansies, I'm guessing it means something like "striped with black" or "striped with jet". I'm just talking from a horticultural perspective though, not a languagehatacultural.

And Happy birthday, nickyskye!
posted by oneirodynia at 11:47 AM on November 22, 2008

I miss slug :(
posted by vronsky at 7:38 PM on November 22, 2008

here's a substitute for you, vronno.
posted by UbuRoivas at 2:43 AM on November 23, 2008