ME and Ophelia

BRITISH BLOGGER TOM COATES
Looking for his long lost father

British blogger Tom Coates of the great plasticbag blog writes a heart wrenching real-time story of what he is going through trying to trace his long lost father. Nobody even knows if Tom's father is still alive.

Tom writes about his quest so well, you can feel for him every step of the way. Read the story from the beginning and put Tom's blog in your newsfeed to follow his news. It's riveting. Nobody can tell how it will all turn out or when, but he sure is brave sharing such personal matters with us all.

In a comment at his blog, Tom explains:

"... a couple of years ago I stopped really writing about stuff going on in my personal life, and I still keep it pretty much contained now. This just seems like a special case. I derive considerable value from writing it down - it helps me work through what I think about the whole deal - and allows me to get the information out to people around me without me directly having to talk about it. Plus you never know how useful these things could be to other people. I don't really think of it as a particularly self-revelatory thing. I hope other people don't view it as self-indulgent wallowing or melodrama, although I suspect people will."

It is difficult to imagine anyone viewing Tom's story as self-indulgent wallowing or melodrama. Quite the contrary. It is heartbreaking. And endearing. Makes you want to give him a big hug. Good luck, Tom. Hope it all works out for the best.

Here is the story so far ...
May 17: Another step in finding my father?
May 18: A brief aside about filling in forms.
May 21: In which time passes too quick, too slow...
June 20: A month has passed with no news...
June 21: Three phone calls that form a loop...
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Edward Balderrama's suicide note

Another true story, by British blogger Geoffrey Roberts about his American friend the late Edward Balderrama, is very sad indeed.

My sympathy goes to anyone suffering from depression. It has to be the worst illness on this planet because, unless you get the right doctors and treatment, nothing and nobody can help you snap out of it, not even yourself. The pain and suffering is so great you can't see the wood for the trees when it is happening. It must feel like hell on earth.

God bless and RIP Edward Balderrama +++
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Saddam prison fare: Doritos, Raisin Bran -- but no Froot Loops
'He'd always tell us he was still the president,' guard says

Associated Press report June 21, 2005 via CNN says Saddam Hussein loves Doritos, hates Froot Loops, admires President Reagan, thinks Clinton was "OK" and considers both Presidents Bush "no good." He talks a lot, worries about germs and insists he is still president of Iraq. Full Story.