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Welcome to the official blog of Mac Tonnies.
I'm a Kansas City, Missouri-based author, blogger, Fortean researcher, and occasional speaker. For biographical detail, visit my other website.
Please address all email to macbot [at] yahoo dot com. And yes, I'm on Twitter.
(Masthead by Araqinta.)
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155 comments:
"Oh where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio?" --Paul Simon
No posts or twits for two days!
Hope nothing's wrong. Maybe just concentrating on your book?
Shoulda said/meant "tweets" above.
Since it's now been five days without any new posts or tweets from Mac, only thing I can think of is maybe his computer broke down.
Mac Tonnies passed away earlier in the week. Our condolences are with his family and friends in this time of grief.
I posted the first three anon msgs, above. Whoever posted the fourth, assuming this was some kind of stupid, sick joke, is very irresponsible to leave such a comment.
Since Mac has normally, in the past, noted when he's going out of town, however, it is really odd that he made no notice of planning to do so. And even if his computer was not working, I would assume, since I would guess his cellphone still works, that he would at least be tweeting.
If anyone knows what's going on, please post here. To my knowledge, Mac has never gone so many days without a blogpost or tweet before, especially without some notice he was traveling or otherwise going to be unavailable.
I assure you that I was not joking. I am a friend of Mac's and I know personally the situation. I would NEVER ever make a joke about such a serious thing. I just wanted those who were concerned to know. Im sorry that this has to be the medium used to let you know. But once again I would not disgrace Mac by making something up.
I have a hard time believing this, but in lieu of any recent post or tweet from Mac, could you identify yourself, or at least provide some supplementary or basic explanatory information?
I've seen no posts or comments elsewhere on the net, or comments from other known friends of his such as Paul Kimball, Greg Bishop, or Nick Redfern, which I would have expected to make some comment or announcement before now if what you say is true. It is somewhat mysterious, I'll grant you. But until further info or proof is provided, I will withold further comment.
Do you have an AOL or MSN name? post that and Ill message you.
I don't think it appropriate to post my email address here, since I don't know who you are, and also don't want to be spammed, either. It seems you do not wish to identify yourself for some reason. Could you say why?
If your statements above are true, could you provide some information as to the circumstances of Mac's "death"? Has there been a published obituary anyone might be able to confirm by online link or that you could post as a comment here?
I emailed a couple of Mac's friends tonight, and one has already responded saying he knows nothing about what you have said.
If I hear nothing here more substantive, my next step will be to attempt to contact Mac's parents, whose address I have around here somewhere. Could you please be somewhat more forthcoming with at least some additional details about what you have stated above?
I don't claim to be a friend of Mac's, but I have spoken with him by phone, and we used to exchange email regularly, so I suppose you could say we were acquainted, at least. I also used to post comments here as "Intense," and I'm concerned at the almost total lack of information about Mac so far, as I'm sure many of his other friends and readers are also.
I work with Mac, he hasnt been to work in 4 days, I got concerned and contacted his family, they had not heard from him either. We went to his place at the same time the paramedics were there. I was the 2nd or 3rd person to know as I was there. Mac was a great person and this is a great loss. There is not currently an obituary because he was found this afternoon. In the next several days some of the people you mentioned above will become aware and then you can hear it from one of them. I worked with Mac everyday for the last year and I would honestly never ever do anything to disrespect or hurt him or his family.
Can you tell us how he died?
I dont want to speculate as I did not see him, I was outside the door. Plus the family are the only people who really have the right to discuss that. I can say that it was not self inflicted and it was not a criminal act. I just really want to show respect to Mac and his family and thats really all the details I am comfortable of giving out as there are still a lot of people who dont know.
Well, thank you for that. Frankly, due to the lack of posts and tweets, and without notice he might be either traveling or busy with something else, I began to worry on Tuesday something might have happened to him, due to the lack of his usually frequent communications.
Can you pass on to his family condolences from his readership, and that, when appropriate, could someone from his family please post here whatever further information or obituary they feel is proper? I also wonder about the disposition of his laptop computer and notes, as he had set a goal for himself of presenting a first draft of his book, "The Cryptoterrestrials" to Anomalist Books for sometime in early November.
It is a terrible tragedy that this project was only a week or two away from apparently being submitted. I would hope that someday, as Mac was such a fine writer, that we who followed his blog and other writings would have the opportunity to see and read what he wrote in this regard.
Assuming now that what you say is true, I find myself at a loss, and am deeply saddened by Mac's passing. His was one of the more thoughtful and brighter minds involved in discussing and intelligently considering the ufo phenomenon, what it might represent, and where from and who "the others" might be. He will be sorely missed. This is terrible news.
Intense: Have you confirmed this story with Mac's parents?
No, as having only learned about this late yesterday evening, I haven't had the chance as yet to locate the note I made well over a year ago with Mac's parents' address, let alone try to contact them to confirm what Mac's apparent co-worker (at the coffee shop Mac was employed at as a barrista) has stated above. Assuming this story is true, Mac was only found deceased yesterday afternoon [at the moment it is 1:30 am, west coast time, Friday, Oct. 23rd, for reference--blog comments are time stamped two hours later, as Mac was located in Missouri, on Central Time].
If I can locate his parents address in my paperwork, I will try to find out if they have a listed phone number, and attempt to contact them. It might be best to wait a couple days, at least, considering the circumstances.
I'm hoping that the co-worker who initially reported this turn of events in comment #4, above, will be able and willing to provide some further detail as he feels appropriate.
I left a message on Mac's home phone answering machine with my name, phone number, and email address, expressing condolences, and made a request that someone from the family contact me when appropriate so that his friends and readers may hopefully learn something more about this situation and the circumstances of his passing.
When I know more that is relevant, I will pass on the information here in this thread. That's all I can say for now.
ths must be a joke
Well, all his friends say its not a joke
Ballardian Don't know how to say this, except with terrible sadness: my friend @mactonnies has died: http://bit.ly/2cjqST . Goodbye, Mac.
http://twitter.com/MiscreantDesign
http://twitter.com/KateSherrod
Nick Redfern informed me earlier this evening that my dear friend Mac has indeed passed away.
http://redstarfilms.blogspot.com/2009/10/mac-tonnies-passes-away.html
Greg Bishop writes:
http://www.ufomystic.com/2009/10/22/mac-tonnies-gone/
I am shocked and saddened beyond belief. Mac and I had plans to do so many things, including a feature film that I wrote based on the play "Doing Time" we co-wrote, as well as a television series with Nick and Greg.
He had so much more to do, and to give, but today and in the days to come I'll focus on the memories of the stuff he did get a chance to do, the laughs we shared, and the good times we had.
Paul
aorry to hear...
This was a Special Guy!
Have a happy Afterlife!
http://dailygrail.com/news/vale-mac-tonnies Good Trip
Gracias, Mac. Have a safe journey home.
If someone has the right to find the answers to the mysteries of the Universe, is him. I hope he does.
RIP, Mac. Maybe you're hanging out with John Mack and everything's now answered.
We will miss you dearly, Mac. Safe travels.
Very sad to learn of the death of @mactonnies. Whip-smart young Fortean surrealist dudes are too thin on the ground to begin with. says William Gibson....
twitter search mactonnies
http://twitter.com/#search?q=mactonnies
What a shock to hear of Macs death. I can hardly believe it. I'm really gonna miss him.
Yes, Mac's death is a real shock. He seemed to be in the prime of life with great prospects. I don't know much more than I did last night, and have decided not to try to contact his parents for at least the next several days, as they will need time to grieve in private, and don't need anyone bothering them with further inquiries right now. I'm simply very sad about this turn of events.
I don't know anything about whether he really finished his CT draft, if it was in publishable form, or if Anomalist Books will end up publishing it or not. I still think, regardless of being an unedited, draft manuscript, it would be nice if it did someday appear in some form, as a book or on the net, but that is up to others to decide.
The Daily Grail has published a kind of tribute or eulogy, with links, at: http://bit.ly/Xv9oo
I too will miss Mac a great deal. His unexpected death just goes to show how fragile life can be. We should all try to live life to the fullest, as none of us know when it might, one day, be gone.
Just a followup to my post yesterday, Mac was found in his bed having passed away peacefully in his sleep. The family is not having a public service or visitation. I am sorrowed that Mac's life was cut short but now know that it was a peaceful departure and now all of his questions have been answered.
I'm shocked and saddened by the news - it is a great loss. My thoughts are with his friends and family.
Look out for us down here won't you Mac.
Shocking.
I've felt like I have known Mac through his blog and writings.
What a shame for someone so young to have to leave so soon.
The world will miss you Mac Tonnies
oh mac....
i will miss your insight and intelligence...
i hope now you know the answers to all the questions we have been looking for.
i will miss you.
You will be missed Mac. Go in peace.
Mac, we will miss you.
yeah, Come back
My condolences to the family. I have followed this blog for years, and feel like I too have lost a piece of my life.
Stan
I don Understand how all the other Blogs Continue and His' doesnt?
There is no ufo. Master Fard Muhammad is the one and only God (Allah). alians are not real. He world in the sky. the baby planes as well as the mother plane will never and have never crashed. the black pilots can fly those planes blind folded. Allah will
Hi Mactonnies! Everythings Fine Here. How Ar U? TodayI went to buy Milk and did some cerials for this Daughter. See U later;)
I first contacted Mac after reading his clear-headed, remarkably balanced, but still full-of-wonder website on Martian anomalies, The Cydonian Imperative. I found him to be an original thinker and a terrific writer. At the time, I was the editor of Paraview Pocket Books, published by Simon & Schuster, and offered Mac a contract to write a book on the subject which became After the Martian Apocalypse. I saw Mac as a writer with a brilliant future and did my best to encourage him. Unfortunately, there will be no more quirky blog posts, stark photographs, or trenchant observations from Mac Tonnies anymore. He had promised to deliver his manuscript to us at Anomalist Books at the beginning of November and I will do my best to get his final work published. Mac is now posthuman, no doubt wandering among the stars from which he came. And I, along with his many friends, have a terrible case of the blues.
This is just...wow. I am shocked and deeply saddened by this news. Mac will be greatly missed.
oh Patrick..that was nice!
you will be missed, mac
Goodbye Mac. We never met, but I felt as though I knew you all the same. Thanks for everything.
@JayarLaFontaine
Mac posted a few days back about an iPhone app called the "Universe Splitter". In the comment I posted, I noted "it really works". Unfortunately, as I've continued to split the Universe in the hopes of finding myself in one in which this tragic event has not occurred, I'm am finding it doesn't work as well as I thought. I will however, keep trying.
See you on the other side Mac.
BTW - I do know he is still with us in some mysterious way as the Captcha for this post was "blues".
My deepest condolences to those who called Mac either family or friend.
~Jonah
Dear Tonnies Family and Friends,
In case you weren't on Twitter yesterday and today, I just wanted to take a moment to let you know how special Mac was to me. While we only met 2x and spent maybe a total of 6+ hours together out in the real world, he was a daily presence in my life with this Tweets and his blog.
I am horrified that you had to find him in his apartment, and that he went several days before discovery, he deserved better than that. He deserved to live until the day he could finally be uploaded into a computer or the Mothership landed (which ever came first), but Irony is a cruel motherfucker.
I've seen it out here in the Ether, that dozens, if not hundreds of living, breathing souls are mourning your loss which becomes our loss. And that's the downside of e-friendships and relations: We want to rally to your side, but we are scattered to the four-corners, across the time zones, and most of us can't be there to hug you and provide physical comfort in your bleakest of hours, All we can do is send you our love and support as best we can by honoring Mac with our own rituals, remembrances and tears and hope they are enough.
Mac was a (post)singular mind with a big heart that was able to encompass the dichotomy of the weaknesses and cruelties of human society (which I believe baffled, frustrated and sickened him) with the hope that we could unlearn our suicidal tendencies and make the next big technopowered jump in conscious and physical evolution. He had big ideas, that guy.
He will be missed by many, many people who regret not getting the chance to meet Mac and talk heady, futuristic mumbo jumbo. I do believe he did left a big enough footprint in the world (not unlike the crop circles he loved), that will keep his name remembered forever.
Love Cap'n Marrrrk Plattner
Mac, perhaps somehow, somewhere, you are reading your comments here.
Know that your friends love you and miss you terribly, though we will meet again some "day".
Wishing you joy on your new journey,
Kartott
I've written sonnets for Mac before in the past and he's gotten a kick out of them. This one came out moments after I got the news, at about 2 a.m. Friday.
Mac Tonnies, how I longed one day to meet
And talk with you directly. I've admired
Your books and blog and links. Your ev'ry tweet
Brought strange new wonders. You knew you'd inspired
A lot of my big project. I'm so glad
I told you this and shared with you my plans
Which you refined and cheered on. Now, well, "sad"
Is quite inadequate. Among your fans
Your voice, it will be missed - by ev'ry one
Who wants to take enigmas with more than
A grain of salt and not make woo-woo fun
But really try improving the slight span
Of knowledge that we have of what's beyond.
I'm devastated, Mac, that you are gone.
Try and understand this, but I needed Mac to reassure me that I wasn't delusional or insane. He got some desperate calls from me, late at night, during my moments of darkness. He was enormously supportive of me and my confusing issues.
A little over a week ago he called me out of the blue. We would occasionally have ridiculously long talks about UFOs and the paranormal. This was the first time he ever called me. We talked for about 3 hours (as usual). I shared some deeply personal stuff, and he was supportive and humorous.
Mac and I never met in person, but I considered him a close friend.
mad world
I didn't know Mac that well, but Cap'n Marrrrk did a wonderful tribute.
Mac always struck me as being a gentle old soul, and I can only hope that he's found all the answers to the questions he asked in this life.
I miss you, Hunny...godspeed...
Beautiful Katie, just beautiful.
Rest in peace Mac. Thank you for all the encouragement and inspiration over the years.
I don’t know what will eventually happen to the data contained here or how long the site will be accessible via this web address, so even before those questions are answered I wanted to offer a final comment.
Mac, the news of your passing came so suddenly and so shockingly I still don’t have words to describe my feelings. I tried to imagine if I had one last chance to say something to you, what it would be.
I stumbled into Posthuman Blues a few years back while searching for intelligent life in the universe. I found it, or I should say I found you here. Each day since then I have returned to this site over coffee each morning. You have never disappointed. I am fortunate to have had you call me a friend and my life has been made richer in the process. So if I had only one thing I could say to you now it would be thanks. Thanks for being you, thanks for being here, thanks for everything my friend, just… thanks for everything!
“I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate. All those moments will be lost in time… like tears in rain.”
Farewell Mac Tonnies, farewell…
Michael Garrett
So long Mac. You will be missed.
Aa You guys make one cryi
R.I.P. Mac, didn't know you but was a regular visitor. I hope all the stuff here can get archived somehow.
-Scott
I couldn't bring myself to return to the site until today, so I'm late to the comments. So many heartfelt posts. Just goes to show how many people he touched.
Goodbye, Mac.
My immediate tribute to mac:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8X20ytjxR18
As I wrote on my Facebook page:
"I'll always believe in Mac Tonnies. He trusted in his calling, and made sure it was true. He changed the fault lines, and he changed me, as he changed so many others."
He was one of my closest friends, and there was so much more we had talked about doing. One of those things is a feature film based on the play we co-wrote, "Doing Time," which will be going into production in 2010. I'm sorry he won't see it made, but he'll be part of it, heart and soul, intellect and ideas.
I will always feel his absence as much as I do today.
See you again someday, Mac.
Paul
Just found out, this is so sad, our few communications gave me a great respect for his interesting mind and I hoped one day we might meet up. A real loss, there seemed so much more still to come.
I have the posthuman blues...
Realizing how Mac will no longer be providing dispatches from a world on the cusp of terminal dissolution...
...tears in rain...
I cannot as yet say how I know, due to some pending legal and rights issues, but am very pleased to note that I believe Mac's book, "The Cryptoterrestrials: Indigenous Humanoids and the Aliens Among Us" will see publication in early 2010 from Anomalist Books.
Mac's final legacy of this upcoming book will allow his memory to live on!
:*(
The only blogger in this field I was quite fond of...
well I guess ALL of us Tonnies fans are somewhere between here and Mars anyway....
I hope you have all the answers now Mac.
See you on the other side Mac.... I look forward to having you show me around this strange new place when i get there.... I cannot think of anyone more qualified.
Gods Speed my friend....
Mac, spinning PORTISHEAD'S 'THIRD' and tipping a beer just for you my friend. Though we weren't super close, I always enjoyed the discussions we had, and will be eternally grateful that I got to interview you last year and thank you for the support. We'll all do our best to keep your memory and research alive, and I sincerely hope that 'THE CRYPTOTERRESTRIALS' indeed gets released and is a smash success, perhaps helping to spark a new field of endeavor that the "disclosure community" so desperately needs. You were super cool Mac, and a hell of a dedicated and entertaining blogger... you will be sorely missed.
Mac-
I'm still in disbelief even as I write this. I know you're walking those Martian shores tonight, and smiling at every grain of sand.
We will all miss you.
Until we meet again,
Jeff
parteicleion..yes, thats truth. hi made the subject and it Became..interesting for otherwise not interested piple
Shocking, untimely, unfair. Good-bye, twitter friend. I am so sorry we didn't talk more. Good-bye.
Many people will remember him, its the same over here in Germany. Doktorsblog and Kueperpunk blogposted on Mac. He left a mark not only with his blog. I hope for him there is a posthuman life, that he will experience now.
I see there's a report in a Kansas Newspaper's blog section about Mac's passing.
http://blogs.pitch.com/plog/2009/10/and_were_back_5.php
I'll miss you Mac...
I was aaked to post this on behalf of Mac's parents ------
The overwhelming response received regarding the loss of our son, Mac Tonnies, is very much appreciated. He could never understand our not owning a computer or being internet savvy, but our friends are making sure we see all of your postings.
We spent what was to be the last day of his life together having morning coffee at a favorite neighborhood bakery, which was our weekly custom. He put a note in the suggestion box that day; “Fix your espresso machine!”
Mac was a unique person who will always be in our hearts. Thank you for all of your kind words.
Bob and Dana Tonnies
Independence, MO
(maby) it was the coffee..noo.
im just upset. Thank you..Mcs Parents for these words.
Had to be great to learn more about Him.
How he was as a kid...well we already know of a small actor. Was there any other interestes..how did it start with the ufos. The college was not nice, i remember
I'm heart broken.Mac was a brilliant thinker, very funny and a beautiful speaker. I was crying in a coffee shop in Moab utah when I heard the awful news.
Try and understand this, but I needed Mac to reassure me that I wasn't delusional or insane. He got some desperate calls from me, late at night, during my moments of darkness. He was enormously supportive of me and my confusing issues.
A little over a week ago he called me out of the blue. We would occasionally have ridiculously long talks about UFOs and the paranormal. This was the first time he ever called me. We talked for about 3 hours (as usual). I shared some deeply personal stuff, and he was supportive and humorous.
Mac and I never met in person, but I considered him a close friend.
- About all I can say is
Curae leves loquuntur ingentes stupent.
(Slight griefs talk, great ones are speechless.)
Fair thee well.
Sad to hear about Mac leaving us so abruptly. He left a permanent link on all of us he touched.
I'm so shocked to hear mac has passed - condolences to all his loved ones and mac I hope you have all the answers now.
my deepest condolences to Mac's family and friends. take care all.
@ritajking to whom Mac sent his last tweet on October 18, has produced this video in remembrance of her friendship with Mac. She asked me to share it with you in this forum.
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Jeff Adams
Dear Mr. Adams,
I hate to break the news to you, but Mac Tonnies died suddenly on October 18. You can check this very comment thread for more information. I'm sure he would have been more than happy to link to your site, but alas, to my knowledge, no one has access to the code, nor will Posthuman Blues continue to update. Sorry about that.
Regards,
Cap'n Marrrrk Plattner
This is still a Place to Bii..like a desert Beautifull. I ll be here on these pages
If Nadia "Dia" Sobin reads this, or if someone knows how to contact her, please reach me through Anomalist Books. Mac wanted to use her artwork for the cover of his book and we have no current contact information for her.
I enjoyed reading Posthuman Blues regularly and also enjoyed Mac's book...If Cryptoterrestrials ever gets published I'll buy it without a second thought. Rest in peace Mac, you'll be missed.
Email with her contact information just sent to you, Patrick.
Too young. Perhaps he got a smile out of his post-life observations, but nonetheless, I am sad about his loss. I thought I heard a few notes of "Bladerunner Blues" last night as I drifted off to bed, after reading of his death. I'd like to think he was broadcasting that to his mourners in homage to his Posthuman Blues (and his love of the film!).
I wonder, also -- and this is a more morbid question I expect, but the mind wonders -- if that chair he tweeted about prompted his heart arrhythmia to act up later that night. He didn't mention if it was a heavy chair that he rescued from the dumpster, but I hate to think that a heavy chair versus a thin man may have been the cause.
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why he was so far away from everything, why did he have so difficult life..?
I love the Posthuman Blues blog.
I'll still be coming back to re- read it.
In an attempt at trying to help relieve concerns and answer some of the perplexing questions that have come up regarding how or what Mac died from, I should note, having spoken earlier this week to his mother, Dana, that she told me that Mac apparently had some underlying heart problems.
She mentioned that once, many years ago in high school, Mac had complained about a racing or fast-beating heart, which made him feel somewhat faint. She took him to a doctor, but the diagnostic tests done then did not indicate any obvious or continuing physiological heart or circulatory disease.
Then, about a year ago, Mac again complained that his heart seemed to be going through irregular beats, and intermittently racing faster than normal, which made him feel tired and light-headed, and Dana again drove him to another doctor who ran an EKG on him, which did show somewhat anomalous results.
She said the doctor told Mac that if he didn't know better, the first EKG results alone would seem to indicate he might have had a mild heart attack. Since Mac, when he subsequently underwent additional tests, including extensive treadmill stress testing, did not show further symptoms or problems after the initial EKG, and the later tests seemed to show he was fine, I'm guessing Mac and his mom thought or were advised it was probably a relatively benign, anomalous incident that didn't require further concern, as Mac seemed quite healthy otherwise, got plenty of exercise from walking a lot, was a vegetarian, and the doctor could find nothing wrong after the further testing.
It seems probable in retrospect that his intermittent heart problems may have, over time, led to some accumulated heart muscle damage leading up and finally causing his passing after the arrhythmia symptoms recurred.
I don't know if perhaps his liking for strong espresso, diet, the possible strain from his day job while also trying to complete his book by his proposed deadline of November 1st, or other factors, could have contributed to what apparently was a heart attack, but I've read a couple references on the net that in the few weeks prior to his passing, he again had heart palpitations on a few occasions, and had at times recently felt fatigued or dizzy once more.
Since his last tweet was at 7:49 pm on Sunday, October 18th, which was earlier than he usually concluded sending out tweets or posting to his blog, I can only assume or speculate that he might have felt tired earlier than usual, and because he had to work the next day, might have retired to bed earlier than usual for him.
So, to help put aside some of the more morbid or conspiratorial things I've seen on the net recently, it seems that due to Mac's underlying prior inconclusive history of occasional heart symptoms, the actual nature or seriousness of which may have been mistakenly ascribed by Mac or others to hard work, long hours, maybe too much coffee, or other mundane stress factors and thus overlooked, most likely he simply had an overfibrillated heart attack in his sleep either that night or the following morning, as he was found later that week in bed.
I know it's hard to understand or accept that someone so bright and relatively young could die so abruptly and unexpectedly (and due to the timing, with his book about to be submitted, arousing some suspicions in certain quarters), and with him showing such great promise, it's also hard to wrap one's mind around his sudden absence, but now that you know a bit more about his previously unrecognized serious heart problems, it hopefully will be a little less difficult to let him finally go. It was an unfortuanate but "natural" death, IMHO.
I couldn't believe it at first myself, as some of my initial comments above show, but after having talked to his mom, and learning more about what I have noted above, I find it no less saddening that Mac is gone, but at least more understandable, and I now accept it. I will truly miss him, and what he potentially would have done. He was a real contender. May he happily wander among the stars...
http://brilliantatbreakfast.blogspot.com/2009/10/thursday-alan-grayson-blogging.html his appartment was always cooooold
Thanks Intense for your careful and thorough handling of the subject; it's greatly appreciated.
Michael Garrett
Ack, Aaaack! Mars Attacks! Don't click on the url noted just above--it's a fucking spam site that wants to run a potentially unsafe app, supposedly Windows media player, but you never know.
If Mac were around, he'd damned sure delete this crap, along with the nonsensical comments, and spam from the likes of "Jeff" and "Vijay" etc.
*Sigh* Welcome to the Wild, wild, web. I guess that inevitably, now that this blog is on permanent stasis, this thread, in a Ballardian way, may be overcome with the weeds of spam in the garden of coherent thought.
Does anyone know how or could provide links to how one may be able to archive/backup to a hard drive with enough space an entire 6 1/2+ year blog like Mac's, including all the links, pix, vids, and comments? There ought to be some way, just in case blogger/google takes it down someday, hopefully not soon.
Please help, if you know how. This blog is an essential part of Mac's legacy and mindspace/work.
I'd like to have a copy to peruse the first few years I've never gone back to read, if possible. I tried plugging the web url here into archive.org's wayback machine, but only a very limited, partial copy of this blog has been archived there.
Blurb's blog to book could turn the archive into a book:
http://www.blurb.com/create/book/blogbook
"Imports and maps blog text, images, comments, and links into professionally designed page layouts."
Thanks Intense for your update and information. We really appreciate you taking the time to research and and type this up for us.
A week's gone by and I am still shocked and saddened, though very happy of the love and support shown by Mac's friends and family.
We come in Peace I'm in the process of doing a site rip as I type this and it looks like I'll get it all. The question is...Then What?
no comments for the pics of this last triptych..is that a small mic jackson?
yeh Thank You captain for the rip
Triptych #15 Haiku
--------------------
still smiling robot
mannequin hand shoots from sand
smog masks ride scooter
i am just coming out of a shock-induced stupor. like a small child i keep asking no one in particular: "why won't he answer my emails?" life and death in cyberspace... the virtual nightmare.
i want to thank those of you who have posted here and those of you who have attempted to contact me in the past few days. blessed be to mac and those who love him. bodies expire; love doesn't.
i took down my araqinta site this past year for various reasons, fully intending to resurrect it but never having the time. in ways i feel as if i let mac down because so many of the images were either inspired by him or created for him and PHB. haunted by this, i actually opened a google account last night and started a memorial page to mac - and only he would know how ironic this is - intending to resurrect some of the images that have appeared on PHB in the past few years. i have no idea what i'm doing, so bear with me.
were this only some innovative halloween prank.
missing mac.
peace out,
dia
Thanks for the information Intense.
I copy/pasted your post and posted it in a thread devoted to Mac on the p/cast forums.
I hope that is ok.
If not, reply here (I check it every couple days) and I will remove it.
Thanks.
Garet
well here we are.... biological life on Earth....
I certainly do not subcribe to it.... (I'd rather be with the Martians any day)....
Thank you for the information Intense. In a way it's somehow comforting to know that he passed quickly and quietly into the next realm.
No, I don't mind if others post my summary of Mac's health issues elsewhere, although from a creative commons copyright perspective, it would be nice if a footnote as to the source here and/or linkback be provided for those who may not know of the PHB blog or the tributes and commentaries about Mac here for those interested.
Thanks for your kind words, Cap'n Marrrrk, and others above, and you are all more than welcome. I just thought some summary of Mac's last days, and how they ended, was an appropriate thing to do for those who had any lingering doubts or questions about Mac's demise.
the universe is strange
Triptych#15 has taken on a life of its own.
If you're looking for something to pick you up a bit, I suggest reading a little Mac. Greg, over at the Daily Grail has posted the essay "The Ancients are Watching" that Mac contributed to Darklore Vol. 2. It is online for all to read.
http://www.dailygrail.com/features/the-ancients-are-watching
I think it hints at the crypto book yet to come and I can clearly hear Macs voice as I read it.
The word verification for this post was "rholyhe", jeez that's a little creepy for Halloween.
Michael Garrett
There used to be a plug-in for Firefox called Spiderzilla, which would download an entire website. But it isn't being developed anymore. With it being November 1st, and without knowing whether Posthuman Blues was paid monthly or yearly, the blog may vanish at any moment. So if you have the skills, please save it.
There will be a special episode of the Paracast w/ some of Macs friends airing in a few hours.
And I just read that Greg Bishop is doing a Radio Misterioso show with Paul Kimball & Nick Redfern.
Just FYI in case anyone reading this wasn't aware of those shows.
There is a plaque commemorating Mac Tonnies in Second Life at the Remembering Our Friends Memorial: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Sunset%20Arts%20II/64/11/24/
The Posthuman Blues blog is on blogspot.com, which is a free blog hosting site owned by Google ... so I don't think it's in immediate danger of disappearing.
Was anyone here who tried to listen to the Radio Misterioso show via killradio.org able to hear it? No matter what I tried, I could not get the streaming audio to play.
I thought I might be able to listen to it in a day or two from now, but there's a note on killradio.org that their recent archives aren't available due to some unknown server problem. Kinda frustrating. I wonder if the show occurred or not. Anyone know?
@mactonnies - just came back from the coffee shop. Mac's ashes have been spread around the grounds of Kauffman Garden here in KC.
http://amuckdesign.blogspot.com/2009/11/rest-of-week.html
What a terrible loss for his family and friends.
I've been visiting this blog for a couple years of and on, always finding his outlook on the universe and the big questions we ask ourselves to be insightful and refreshing.
Best wishes to his loved ones.
David in Scotland.
yes, insightful and refreshing. we ll have his books and writings..talks..
and a beautiful memory.
While Mac's PostHuman Blues blog is hosted on a free site, his earlier website The Cydonian Imperative is at mactonnies.com (which he kept as archives when his attention shifted over to PHB).
That domain name is paid up until next fall, but the hosting of it (and renewal of the domain name) most likely is on a credit card, which Bob and Dana have probably canceled. So the survival of the information there, including a lot of his important Mars commentary, is a lot more precarious than the material on his blog.
Bob and Dana, as Mac's next of kin, will hold the copyrights to his work. They will need to be brought up to speed about what their options are regarding Mac's written legacy, and how it will be maintained. Has anyone talked with them about this yet?
Mac may have material in his files (both digital and paper)that would be of interest to others and shouldn't be thrown out (such as correspondence with other writers).
He may have accumulated a library of good science fiction and other material that might have some decent monetary value, now or in the future.
I hope they have not wiped his computer. I have been trying to reach JJ Mercieca regarding the Yahoo Cydonia list which Mac had been moderator of for the past few years, so that we can turn over the
post to one of the regulars who has volunteered to take over. But Mac and JJ were the only two admins.
These questions are not just for Bob and Dana Tonnies -- many of you reading this are writers with an active web presence, and you need to think of these issues regarding your own online activities.
Carol Maltby
Hi Carol.
I've already downloaded both PHB & mactonnies.com. The idea is to host them elsewhere on the "just because" principle. Even though blogspot is free, who knows what will happen one day in the future. I plan on contacting the Tonnies family this week about getting a Creative Commons Copyright for Mac's work on both sites.
I don't know about file rescue, but I'll ask about it when I talk to them. I'm willing to head up a data rescue if no one else in the KC area can.
I'm also on a mission to download the movies and videos he linked to, because those are definitely temporary, and it would suck to have a post and commentary with the video context.
That's all I know for now.
wau! good work, Captain! I knew that U are a special one
I'm really grateful that efforts are being made to save Mac's online presence. It ensures a type of immortality - one that we can safely assume he'd appreciate. Thanks, Cap'n Marrrk!
BTW, if anyone visiting "Area 18" is looking for another place to touch base about Mac, please come visit me.
http://araqinta.blogspot.com/
It is not, as some might assume, a place for my own self-promotion nor is it any variety of commercial blog. I have never done graphic work "for hire" and my artwork has never been for sale.
If Mac Tonnies had never existed, nor would have "araqinta"
Sorry guys, just needed to say that...
My sincerest condolences to Mac's friends and family. He was a truly extraordinary person and will be greatly missed.
Does anyone know what has happened to his beloved cats, Spook and Ebe? I read somewhere that they were taken to a shelter - please tell me that's not true.
Mac, you inspired me. You will be missed.
Bobbi
Anonymous interested about havink Spooky and Eve..if you make this question, then maby you can help?
As I see it" This inspiration will Continue"...
mysterious universe on this Tonnies http://mysteriousuniverse.org/2009/11/anomalist-extraordinaire-mac-tonnies-dead-at-34/
So sorry to hear of Mac's passing. --Mike
Hoe are You Doing
Good luck & Godspeed to you & your family.
Peace
@mactonnies cats were taken to this shelter. http://tinyurl.com/yabhm7g
Spooky and Ebe , without mother and father, maby theyll make it
I posted before about Mac's cats Spook & Ebe. Still trying to track them down.. I can't keep them myself but would gladly foster them til I could find them a permanent home.
Mac loved his cats, and sadly they've been lost in the shuffle it seems.
Id be Happy to read a Mac Tonnies story, a lifestory..in a book. That would be the first one for me. Stories about his childhood, the mind, the theories..beautiful all together!
Greg Bishop did a net radio show with Nick Redfern and Paul Kimball that was somewhat more upbeat than the Paracast show on the life of Mac Tonnies.
See: http://bit.ly/1Gspwz
Mac Tonnies was too much near to the Truth. he Had to go...as did Terence Kenna and his library
http://www.radio4all.net/index.php/program/18406 more radioprograms by Mac
Has anyone noticed how his banner changed to him "exiting" earth/reality before all this..
I wonder what a pattern recognition program will discover about the order of his blog post up until now.
It's all just very strange.. I will study this further
note to Particleion: the masthead currently up on PHB is actually one of a series that he posted sequentially in an "endless loop". I'll be posting all 8 of them at once at some point in the near future, which hopefully will clear things up for you!
http://araqinta.blogspot.com/
Floored. Pointless, misguided dreams of a shy girl to meet the one she has crushed on for years. No hope now of turning those dreams into reality. The tragic loss of his brilliant mind and life will haunt me forever.
Mac Tonnies was the only american i admired until now
Good bye, Mac. I was just an ordinary reader throwing in a right-wing comment once or twice to spice up the discussion. PHB was one of the first blogs I've started to read on a more or less regular basis, coming here through the ways of Cydonia Imperative a few years ago. I will miss it.
Right now I'm listening to "The Birth and Death of the Day" by Explosions In the Sky and thinking of you. Safe travels, Mac.
We'll miss you Mac.
NASA finds lots'a water. So let's go!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DxhqPEJlV4
thinking of you Mac...
Michael Garrett
Ah fuck! What a terrible way to start my day.
Too young, so much yet to do. Yet fuckers like Limbaugh and Orielly live to a ripe old age. Proof enough that there is no God in the classical sense. Good enough reason to pursue a Posthuman cause.
Mac, I hope you're still out there. I hope you're flying through the cosmos untethered. If your intellect vanished into the vacuum...well, that's a great loss. I'll miss your level headed perspective and the doorways you opened for me and my mind.
Here's hoping that all of your causes are vindicated, all secrets are revealed.
-Denny
Interesting post as for me. It would be great to read a bit more about this theme.
By the way look at the design I've made myself A level escort
No intellect ever vanished neither this beautiful heart
haha, Michael Garrett!
That hand out of the sand is an awesome, a little disturbing piece, but still a great photo.
Great stuff.
Still missing Mac something horrible
Atrueoriginall
Indeed. I'm right there with you. Making headway in archiving PHB.
Thanks to whoever made the memorial in Second Life its very nice!
I'm sorry for our loss of Mac. I truly looked forward to his unique perspective and the treasures he would find across the net.
-Mark
Mac, I miss you. You touched more lives than you could have imagined. Sleep peacefully, sweet prince.
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