I have the sad job of informing everyone that Jake (Kickblast) died in Feb in a car accident at the age of 18. Here is a memorial video on youtube and the forum post on CoX. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.

It really blows my mind that this could happen to someone I was acquainted with. I was not really in touch with him after I dropped from CoX, but I did occasionally chat with him and he was a cool kid. I really regret not being more in touch with him.

I know most of you might not know him, but I know a few of you had the pleasure of knowing him... And I KNOW Greens knew him, so for the sake of those who knew him, Rachel and I felt this needed to be shared here...

KB. Oh, $%@&...

Ah, $%@&, I can't believe it.

Wow. I don't know what to say. KB and me were never close, or anything; he was in that nebulous "gaming buddy" goup, and we had some good times together. His passing upsets me more than I can say. He always struck me as a smart, polite kid. Always good natured, KB was. I can't imagine what his family must be going through...

Moving to announcements. Jake, or KB as most of us knew him, wasn't in this group or anything, but he was a friend and this is too important to be shuffled off into some "other stuff" forum.

I don't have a whole lot to say about KB. I didn't know him much outside of being a gaming buddy, either, but for some reason, this really hits me. I think I know why, though, and as much as I am loath to risk poor taste by using someone's passing to soapbox about something, I think it's important.

What unsettles me about this more than anything is the reminder that, truly and honestly, this could have been a thread about any of us. KB wasn't any different than any of us, and he wasn't ill, or dying any more than any of us are. He died in a car, going somewhere, because someone made a mistake. Now, because of it, never again in this life will you talk to him or play another game with him. He's just gone.

Make peace with the ones you care about, best friends and acquaintances, because tomorrow they may leave you, or you may leave them. Make peace with God if you have even the faintest inkling to believe. Treat everyone with love, and honest, true concern, because next year, next week, or tomorrow, there may be another message posted like this, and you never know who it will be about.



Man. KB. This sucks so much.

Found a screenshot from back when we used to play City of Heroes.

http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/6563/kickblast.jpg

From left to right: Sentai Moss, Nereus (me), Sentai Red (Ben), Sentai Kickblast (Jake), and Sylphee (Mie).

Damn, man. I didn't know him on a personal level or anything, but that's just so young to go. Not even eighteen and gone because, like Matt said, a mistake. You really never know what the next day holds.

My condolences.