Is there anybody out there who can tell me what happened to Chris J. Fries, also known as the blogger responsible for the blog ‘The Creative Outlet Of StratPlayer’?
.
Chris
seems to have disappeared entirely without a trace and I KNOW this can’t
be good.
The last
we heard from our fellow ‘BOTB-er’ (‘Battle Of The Bands’ participant) he had
posted his February 1, 2014, ‘Battle Of The Bands’ blog bit BOTB
2/1/14: "All Along the Watchtower".
Right
after that, Chris Fries seemed to disappear; he never responded to any comments
left on his post, he never voted on anyone else’s ‘BOTB’ posts, and he didn’t
emerge again for the February 15TH ‘Battle Of The Bands #14’
edition.
I have
already prayed for Chris because something is really very wrong here. Chris,
being a musician and new to the BOTB-fest was really enthusiastic about it
(unlike some of us older-timers who maybe don’t get quite so excited about it
anymore, and mostly just bicker amongst ourselves and criticize other BOTB-ers’
song selections).
When
Chris never responded to comments left on his ‘All Along The
Watchtower’ contest, I knew it was a bad omen. But when he never posted
a new ‘BOTB’ installment two weeks later, I knew it was worse than a bad omen:
it was a bad reality!
I have
searched through his blog looking for some kind of ‘contact information’ like
an Email address or name of a relative, or anything like that, but I have come
up empty.
Is there ANYBODY
out there – family members, good friends of Chris Fries, or maybe just some
love-struck females – who can tell me what has happened to the man? Damn, I
need an answer to this question! Does ANYONE have an “A” for my “Q”? If
so, speak up now, please!
~ Stephen T. McCarthy
Also
Known As:
D-FensDogg
of the ‘Loyal American Underground’
.
YE OLDE
COMMENT POLICY: All comments, pro and con, are welcome. However, ad hominem
attacks and disrespectful epithets will not be tolerated (read:
"posted"). After all, this isn’t Amazon.com,
so I don’t have to put up with that kind of bovine excrement.
.
I shot you an email with some general info from the web. No specific news, but ways to try to reach him.
ReplyDeleteI started to comment before and then got an idea. Turns out that didn't pan out, SO I have no clue how to find him. I have been worried, too. I will check back here to see if anyone knows anything.
ReplyDeleteSHEBOYGANBOY SIX ~
ReplyDeleteI just now woke up and skimmed through your Email before coming here. I will need to read it again after I've had a cup of coffee, but at first glance, it appears there may be some very helpful stuffs in there.
Thanks! I'll get back to you on that, Brother. (You should be a private investigator, man!)
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
I heard he was kidnapped by a group of thugs in black raincoats, whisked off in a black helicopter, and sent off to some remote, secret government encampment to get forcibly re-educated to learn to appreciate all the positive aspects of change in this country.
ReplyDeleteBut I could be wrong...
It could also be that he fought a battle with the flu and then got swept up in a time-crunch of work, church, and home responsibilities, and in spite of good intentions, irresponsibly let his blogging absence expand from a couple of days to several weeks, causing needless worry and concern to good people simply because he didn't log into his blog to see what had happened.
Nah -- I'm going with the thugs in the black helicopters....
(Seriously -- I'm extremely sorry for causing concern and worry, Stephen. And I'm very touched that you would care enough to express that worry and concern in such a way as this post. I'm just in a phase where my time to blog has become almost null. So I'm going to have to take a step back. I've made a post about it on my blog -- I regret that for the time-being, I am stepping away from the BOTB, as much as I enjoy it. I will still try to visit and comment on yours and all the other BOTB'ers, but I'm afraid that need to get away from any from of blogging 'schedule' for the foreseeable future).
Hokey-Smoke, CHRIS! It’s a relief to have heard from you. Several of us, FarAwayEyes, DiscConnected, and Robin included, were getting very, very concerned about you. And, frankly, I was pretty sure that you had been kidnapped and turned over to three diabolical scientists who had transformed you into a BOWLING BALL.
DeleteGlad to know you’re still AROUND, and not “ROUND” and knocking over pins at the local Bowl-O-Rama (“18 lanes, no waiting!”)
You really shouldn’t worry people like that, StratMan!
~ D-FensDogg
‘Loyal American Underground’
POSTSCRIPT:
DeleteIncidentally, StratMan, I was counting on you to show up to my 'BOTB #13' installment. The music was 'Harlem Nocturne', versions by Duke Ellington, The Viscounts, and Danny Gatton.
I couldn't be sure of it, of course, but I strongly suspected you would have cast your vote for Gatton. And had that been the case, the contest would have been a tie between The Viscounts and Danny Gatton.
I voted for Gatton and was really rooting for him to win. A tie would have been nice too, but...
...NO-ooooo!
Someone didn't...
...SHO-ooooo-W!
[:-)}
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
Stephen-I am going with the first explanation (kidnapped by thugs) and am organizing an A-Team to break in and break Chris out.
DeleteI, too was a little concerned, and am glad nothing is amiss (or would that be awry?)...
LC
Amiss, awry; potato, potahto; tomato, tomahto... let's call the whole A-Team off.
DeleteBesides that, Chris Fries owes me my prayer back! Here I said a heartfelt prayer for him (right at "the heart of Baby Jesus"), and it turns out the StratPunk was just playing hooky the entire time!
I want that prayer back, and I want it back NOW!
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
Arrrgh! I tried to post a reply earlier, but I don't think I was logged in, so my comment appears to have been lost in the vast aether of the innerwebs.
DeleteIf not, sorry for the double post -- you can ignore one of these...
Anyway, I wanted to say thanks again for your post, and also wanted to respond to a couple of points. Sorry for the delay in getting back to you, but like I said -- my schedule is erratic and my time is being pulled in many directions these days. But at least this lag in commenting is less than my last missing-ness that led to your post in the first place, right?
So, some thoughts:
1. Although I lived in the Detroit area for several years and still suffer the occasional Detroit Breakdown, Motor-City Shakedown, I have not (to the best of my knowledge) been turned into any form of human-bowling ball cybernetic organism. I can probably thank a life-long aversion to small, stinky, slimy, smelly fishes in all their forms.
2. Yes, I would have voted for Danny Gatton. But do not dismay over the results of any BOTB poll. It does not detract from the talent and guitar wizardry of the man -- he could make that Tele sing!!! Although the BOTB is a lot of fun, polls and popularity never really decide what is "best". If so, then McDonald's would be considered a gourmet restaurant based on the number of people who vote for them with their money each and every day.
3. Sorry again for worrying you. I really do appreciate the thoughts and prayers. While I might not have been 'playing hooky', it really wasn't anything as bad as you might have feared. I mean, it's not like I'm dying. Well, OK -- I AM dying, but only at the same rate of one-day-per-day as every other living person on this planet.
But while I never consider any prayer to be wasted, I will gladly give you your prayer back:
"Dear Father God, I humbly offer a prayer for my blogging friend Stephen T. McCarthy. I ask that You ease whatever burdens he might have, that You soothe any pain he may be suffering, and that You bring peace to whatever worry he may experience. I pray that you bestow Your favor on him, his family, his loved ones, his friends, and his blog readers. I ask that You fill him with Your grace, Your light, and Your love. Please guide and guard him, and lead him in whatever way best serves Your will. All this I pray in the name of Your son, Jesus Christ."
There -- howzat?
CHRIS ~
DeleteI'm glad you resubmitted this comment because the first did not come through. No repetition to be found.
No worries about the delay. I understand... "Life Happens". And although I am saddened to see you dropping out of the BOTB-fest (because you know music and were a knowledgeable, enthusiastic participant), I realize that we all got stuffs to do, and blogging usually isn't (or at least shouldn't be) very high on that Priorities List.
In fact, I once had two blogs, but because there wasn't enough time to tend to them both, I shut one down. The one I shut down was actually much more popular than THIS one, but because I preferred this one, I killed the popular one and let the outcast blog live. Ha!
Very good point about McDonald's. It's fun to see how the BOTB voting turns out (sometimes it's downright surprising to me), but I don't fret about who others vote for or which song version wins. I have always gone my own way, and the rest of "this world" be hanged.
I am a big fan of the following Mark Twain quote:
"Whenever you find that you are on the side of the majority,
it is time to reform."
I was just joking about wanting my prayer back, of course, but that was a very fine one you put up there for me! I thank you... and may your prayer for me benefit you and yours every bit as well.
Thanks, Brother. I'm just very relieved that you're doing alright. And should things change in the future, and you find you have time to rejoin the BOTB-ers, please don't hesitate to do so. I think I can speak for all of us when I say we'd love to have you back anytime you want to participate again.
Bless And Be Blessed, Chris!
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
No ideas, but you knew that. I have been concerned for some time now. Hope you can find him or at least find out about him.
ReplyDeleteNice dig!
Ya win some, ya lose some...but in the end a guys gotta do, what a guys gotta do. Good luck Chris.
DeleteWell, I am sorry to hear that Chris will no longer be participating in the BOTB, but I am glad he is okay... and not a Bowling Ball.
ReplyDeleteI think I am going to go ahead and find Amelia Earhart - each day that passes I fear the worst for her :-)
ReplyDeleteDOWNSIZERS ~
DeleteHa!-Ha! And while you're at it, see if you can find Glenn Miller, too. (And don't forget to check the bowling alleys!)
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
"In a battle you'd be the first guy I'd pick for my team, because you are loyal to your friends and you NEVER give up." Some really Magnificent guy said that... and no truer (is that REALLY a word?) words have ever been spoken.
ReplyDeleteSHEBOYGANBOY SIX ~
DeleteYou're right, a really magnificent guy DID say that. In fact, I think the guy who said it is much more magnificent than the guy he said it about.
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'