What happened to Atticus? Does anyone know?

[KPN]

Looking for for him to give him one of my left over hearts, I ran across this, a classic and one of his last threads in his journal and thougjt I’d share:

3;15 am

I remember how a cigarette I shouldn't have been smoking lit up a dark room with each drag.
And how summer nights smell when the world is asleep except for a distant hound and whatever stirred him.
You can't lie to yourself when it's just you to listen and you stand naked before your conscience.
The dawn may bring a wiser you because of what you've seen in the dark.

[MadameButterfly]

1. Beautiful. n/t

[bif]

2. I saw one of his posts just the other day

So he's around.

[dweller]

3. He hasn't posted

Since April 2023



✌🏻

[GreenWave]

5. I don't think that's true.

When I see one of Atticus's post I think about this:

[Ms. Toad]

6. Then their profile is lying.

It has their last post as April 26, 2023.

[RubyRose]

29. 10 months is a long hiatus

[ProfessorGAC]

35. I See The Same

Statistics
Account status: Active
Member since: Sat Mar 2, 2002, 03:00 AM
Number of posts, all time: 15,124
Number of posts, last 90 days: 0
Favorite main forum: NA
Favorite topic forum: NA
Last post: Wed Apr 26, 2023, 02:48 PM

[onecaliberal]

38. Definitely not true.

He posted a few days ago.

[dweller]

39. Anyone here can do a member search

Under their ‘My DU’ options and view a member’s current profile and posting history.
Atticus hasn’t posted since April 2023



✌🏻

[hlthe2b]

7. Honestly, I thought I saw one too even though it doesn't show in profile. Self-deleted?

or we're both confused. The latter is certainly possible for me lately.

[highplainsdem]

11. You're probably thinking of Aristus.

[bif]

12. Nope. I saw one for sure.

It was in the last couple of days. As I recall, it was something about having a rough night. As I recall, he's a doctor and he usually posted something about having a drink.

[highplainsdem]

14. That's definitely Aristus.

[former9thward]

15. You are thinking of a different poster with a similar user name, I believe.

[bif]

16. I stand (sit) corrected

It was Aristus.

[Elessar Zappa]

18. That was Aristus.

[KPN]

25. His profile shows his last post as April 26, 2023.

I haven’t seen a post from him in quite a long while which is why I searched for him. Could his profile and journal record be wrong?

[Aristus]

30. I'm a Physician Assistant, not a doctor. But thank you for thinking of me. That was sweet.

[highplainsdem]

13. Aristus is still posting, and he's been confused with Atticus.

[pnwmom]

24. There is someone with a similar but not identical name. nt

[CANADIANBEAVER69]

4. wow his words spoke to me today

thank you for posting this and Yes, where is Atticus?

[OAITW r.2.0]

8. AKAIK, he posted an OP last night saying he was going to smoke a dube and was available for consult.

He post quite regularly...usually, hosts a friday drinking thread in the Lounge.

Or is that a different poster?

[highplainsdem]

9. Aristus posts the Friday drinking threads.

[MontanaMama]

10. Are you thinking of Aristus?

He usually hosts a cocktail thread on Friday nights in the lounge.

[OAITW r.2.0]

21. Whoops.

I am indeed! I'll blame it on my age.

[yonder]

17. That's a beautiful bit of prose at top.

I hope to see more sometime.

[Bluethroughu]

19. I'm a little wiser for this poem. Thanks for sharing.

I miss him too.

[MontanaMama]

20. DUer DFW, as I recall, knows Atticus.

Maybe we will see him on this thread? I hope so.

[DFW]

26. I wish I did. We did collaborate on a project, but it never involved an exchange of contact info.

He wrote two parody verses to "Whiter Shade of Pale," and I liked them so much, I asked him if he would be OK with me using them to make a real recording. He said OK, and so I wrote a third verse (which became the second verse of the final recording), and got the band (The Freedom Toast) together in Atlanta and recorded it. I had to supervise it from here in Germany, but these days, you can do that kind of thing. I then got with our usual videographer, Cinebot Video, also of Atlanta (since moved), and we charted out a vague outline, and the final version was put out on the channel of our friends at the Parody Project. I know Atticus saw it, but he soon after ceased posting. If he lived alone and had a medical incident, I fear we might never hear of it. Maybe DU management has his real identity and location, but I wouldn't know, and I don't know their policy on delving further than an email or an address.

Here is the video that has his/our verses (first and third). For the musicians here, we (TFT) do all our own music, but we try to honor the original to the extent possible. Money for Nothing/Rubles Worth Nothing was a challenge, but we got that done, too!

[orleans]

34. i remember that video. great job btw. nt

[mountain grammy]

36. I remember that

It’s great! Hope someone knows about Atticus.

[DFW]

47. So do I!

The long absence does not portend well.

[DFW]

49. The time is dragging on, and I am not optimistic

The long absence does not portend well.

[msfiddlestix]

50. I remember when you finished this and shared it with us,. Simply brilliant!

Thanks for sharing again! I enjoyed it as much as the first time..

[DFW]

51. Thanks! That one was a challenge.

It took quite a bit of work and editing, but I felt I owed it to Atticus for his brilliant inspiration. If he was going to take the time to compose such great lyrics, I was going to do no less to honor his creation. I’m glad it met with approval here on DU, and garnering six figures in views for a bunch of unknowns like us (TFT) is a testament to the song’s connecting with more than a few people out there in the world.

[msfiddlestix]

52. Brilliant work! I am inclined to watch one more time this morning!

By the way is this work copy written (I hope so) and distributed on band camp or other platform?

[DFW]

54. No, we usually don't copyright our work

A parody is protected by law, but we never looked into copyrighting them, or whether that even works.

We have certainly racked up enough material in the last several years!

[Hekate]

22. May the real Atticus show up again one of these days w tales of travels to places w no internet connection

Somewhere beautiful. And may he know his friends here have missed him.

[Harker]

27. Flagged for review.

Last post in October, 2023.

[Scrivener7]

28. This is an interesting post. Effete Snob had his pizza delivered.

[Brother Buzz]

31. I believe pizza is being delivered to this one as I type

[Scrivener7]

33. I kind of figured. When your second post is to ask about your previous posting ID, you're not

going to last very long.

[Alliepoo]

32. Didn't he say a while ago

That he was going to kind of step back and take a break?

[intheflow]

37. Am I the only one who hears a suicide note

instead of a poem, as his last post? I hope he’s safe, wherever he is.

[highplainsdem]

41. Not a suicide note, and for that matter his last post, on April 26, was a thank-you for a thread. But 5 days earlier...

This was the final post: https://www.democraticunderground.com/12299470#post1

But he posted this in the Lounge on April 21, and it makes me wonder if he was very ill:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10181808336

Something you might consider worth the few seconds it will take:

---appreciate something nice or beautiful that you take for granted because you're "busy".

HEAR that birdsong; the smile in a grandchild's voice; that "oldie" love song on the radio.

SEE that glorious sunrise or sunset or face of one who loves you unconditionally.

SMELL that brewing coffee; that lilac blossom; that burger on the grill.

Know that the day will come when each of us would do anything to experience those ONE MORE TIME.

Definitely not suicidal. Intensely aware of mortality and how life should be appreciated.

[orleans]

43. thank you for posting that. i remember reading online the words of a terminally ill person & the last 3 words

really stuck with me
(which is what your post made me think of)

Wolfgang Kotzahn, 57
There are colorful tulips brightening up the night table. The nurse has prepared a tray with champagne glasses and a cake. It’s Wolfgang Kotzahn’s birthday today. “I’ll be 57 today. I never thought of myself growing old, but nor did I ever think I’d die when I was still so young. But death strikes at any age.”

Six months ago the reclusive accountant had been stunned by the diagnosis: bronchial carcinoma, inoperable. “It came as a real shock. I had never contemplated death at all, only life,” says Herr Kotzahn. “I’m surprised that I have come to terms with it fairly easily. Now I’m lying here waiting to die. But each day that I have I savor, experiencing life to the full. I never paid any attention to clouds before. Now I see everything from a totally different perspective: every cloud outside my window, every flower in the vase. Suddenly, everything matters.”

[intheflow]

44. Yes, this is closer to what I was feeling

than I expressed. Wistful and appreciative. Thank you.

[mountain grammy]

45. That's beautiful.

I remember a few “last posts”. Courage and inspiration is what I take away.

[orleans]

42. this wasn't his last post. so there is at least that

i get what you mean though.

here is the last post
https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1229&pid=9471

and a link to his journal
https://www.democraticunderground.com/~Atticus

[KPN]

46. It wasnt his last post ... but you do raise an interpretation that

I didn’t see when i posted. Hmmmm …. lets hope and pray you are wrong.

[orleans]

40. "The dawn may bring a wiser you because of what you've seen in the dark." wow! thanks for posting this nt

[Niagara]

48. We have quite a few members missing.

I noticed a bunch of MIA DU members during DU's Valentine's heart give aways.


Here's hoping that they come back home to DU safe and sound.

[Emile]

53. Anyone know what happened to irisblue?

She has disappeared for 10 or 11 days now.