Its a watch-setable event, really. Something momentous happens in the world of politics and evil rears it's mop-headed maw to chime in with "scathing" wit and a "biting" retort or 7. Nothing anymore on the contribution front save the odd tangential story about a river save from chin deep in the house's *******.
Mention another's name and, regardless of the time that has passed since his last meaningful contribution, he is there in an instant, called by the great bat light that is a reference in the Asylum to add yet another auto-erotic ****** of a post to the lexicon of bored lore.
The un-holy trinity wouldn't be complete without Di[/b]ck. Tom and Hairy are fun to play with sometimes, but Di[b]ck's the one that can really do some damage, right? I mean, if you really have to get your movie reviews from a gaming site's Way The F[b][/b]uck Off Topic board, it may as well be from someone who has proven in the past that they once had something relevant to say, right? How can you argue with artistic criticism from a man (?) whose claim to fame is calling himself an Alabama negro for 2 years and inciting a board riot out of 12 year old FFXI players?
Yet these are the three that are singled out as the great heroes of the OOOT/Asylum hierarchy. They are immortalized in the sentimental manner we reserve for people like Mohammed Ali and Christopher Reeve. Their accomplishments so mythologized in our selective memories that they are unassailable.
The sad truth is that they are no more immortal than Joe Montana, taking a last run at glory with the Kansas City Chiefs. No more potent than Ricky Henderson tripping from one minor league club to the next, refusing to give in to what the rest of us have known for some time now: that the careers of distinguished warriors can be tarnished by not leaving at the top of their game.
Watching the shell of a great competitor is just painful. Find the chunk of ice and push yourself off in to the sea. Stake yourself in battle when you are no longer able to contribute to the tribe. Retire and let the lore of your deeds grow. Don't saddle us with the burden of watching you fade out like a spent fire's last glowing ashes.