The Internet Sucks Today

The shirt I got from Bartcop.com

This is what greeted me when I got online this morning and went to Bartcop.com, my all-time favorite blog:

We are deeply saddened to report the passing of Bart on the morning of March 5, 2014. He died peacefully due to his flu, pneumonia and his Leukemia. His last word is below as well as opportunities to communicate what he and his Tequila Tree House have meant to you over the years.

As we grieve the loss and celebrate Bart's life we will consider our options for the future of the page in the days ahead. Send us your thoughts.

Donations to help Mrs. Bart cover Bart's medical expenses are greatly appreciated.

I’m very, very sad about this.

Bartcop was one of the first sites that I stumbled across years ago when I first started spending time online. I found his honesty and bluntness wonderful and refreshing and almost immediately became addicted to his site. Dubya was smelling up the Oval Office and ruining the world at the time and I found it cathartic and comforting to read Bart’s no-holds-barred, well-deserved attacks on Bush, Cheney et al. My first bookmark was probably Bartcop.com.

I didn’t always agree with him – especially on gun control – and I didn’t share his fondness for Shirley Manson or gambling but this was all part of what made Bart Bart so I always scrolled from top to bottom no matter what. His many short posts, images and links were perfect for someone with a short attention span like me. Later, when he started featuring special pages like ‘Mystery Celebrity,” “Mystery Car” and “Don’t Look Down,” I clicked every time and e-mailed my guesses when I had ‘em.

When I followed in his huge footsteps and started blogging, I occasionally sent him links with my request that he consider sharing them with his readers. And he did, more than once. It was so exciting to see a link to “What’s the Diehl?” at his site. It was guaranteed to cause a huge, albeit brief, spike in my readership. People who came to my blog from Bartcop didn’t become regular “What’s the Diehl?” readers, though, because “What’s the Diehl?” wasn’t Bartcop. There was only one Bart.

I didn’t learn until today that Bart’s real name was Terrence R. Coppage. I didn’t know that he was born on September 12, 1953 in St. Louis or that he had attended the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. I didn’t know that Mrs. Bart’s – that’s how he always referred to his wife – real name is Debby. I didn’t know that he used to play drums. And I didn’t know that he had worked in the restaurant and vending industries before becoming the sharp-witted, perceptive, provocative and generous political blogger on whom I relied to inform and motivate me and validate my disgust at politicians, pundits and panderers who sullied public service and kept us in the dark about what was really going on.

I just knew that he was smart, funny and cool and he made the Internet better.

Rest in peace, Mr. Coppage. Although we never met, I will miss you tremendously.

A shot of Chicano for Bartcop