Maj. Andrew Olmsted was stationed in Iraq and was a prolific blogger. He wrote an entry, left it unpublished and asked a friend to publish it in the event of his death. Maj. Andrew Olmsted's unit was ambushed earlier this week and he became the first 2008 casualty in Iraq.
Here's his final post. After quoting G'Kar from Babylon 5 and Plato, here's his first paragraph.
This is an entry I would have preferred not to have published, but there are limits to what we can control in life, and apparently I have passed one of those limits. And so, like G'Kar, I must say here what I would much prefer to say in person. I want to thank hilzoy for putting it up for me. It's not easy asking anyone to do something for you in the event of your death, and it is a testament to her quality that she didn't hesitate to accept the charge. As with many bloggers, I have a disgustingly large ego, and so I just couldn't bear the thought of not being able to have the last word if the need arose. Perhaps I take that further than most, I don't know. I hope so. It's frightening to think there are many people as neurotic as I am in the world. In any case, since I won't get another chance to say what I think, I wanted to take advantage of this opportunity. Such as it is.
Maj. Andrew Olmsted was in a dangerous position with a higher probability for death, but I recently came fairly close to an early exit and days later lost my uncle to a sudden heart attack. I think Maj. Andrew Olmsted's final post is probably a good idea for all regular bloggers.
A final post and instructions with a trusted friend. It's wise that someone trustworthy has blog management details and passwords regardless. I'm going to do it, and hope it doesn't get published for at least 50 years.
