Just Another Deadline

Posted on | August 4, 2010 | 19 Comments

“It’s not at all good when your cancer is ‘palpable’ from the outside. Especially when, as at this stage, they didn’t even know where the primary source was. Carcinoma works cunningly from the inside out. Detection and treatment often work more slowly and gropingly, from the outside in. . . . The word ‘metastasized’ was the one in the report that first caught my eye, and ear. The alien had colonized a bit of my lung as well as quite a bit of my lymph node. And its original base of operations was located — had been located for quite some time — in my esophagus. My father had died, and very swiftly, too, of cancer of the esophagus. He was 79. I am 61. In whatever kind of a ‘race’ life may be, I have very abruptly become a finalist. . . . To the dumb question ‘Why me?’ the cosmos barely bothers to return the reply: Why not?”
— Christopher Hitchens, in Vanity Fair

Category: Neutral Objective Journalism

Comments

19 Responses to “Just Another Deadline”

datechguy
August 4th, 2010 @ 1:53 pm

yet he had time to throw one more shot at the Pope.
datechguy
August 4th, 2010 @ 9:53 am

yet he had time to throw one more shot at the Pope.
Joe
August 4th, 2010 @ 2:07 pm

I like Christopher Hitchens, a lot, even if I disagree with him on many things. I hope and pray he gets better to continue being a gadfly for years and years. I liked that the Vatican actually used Hitchens as the Devil’s Advocate for Mother Teresa’s beautification/sainthood review.

Oh and Christopher, that was not the cosmo answering about your health. That was the very predictable result of some hard drinking and smoking for decades. Still, I like people who live on the edge and enjoy life.

And here is a funny post on a drink named for Christopher Hitchens.
Joe
August 4th, 2010 @ 10:07 am

I like Christopher Hitchens, a lot, even if I disagree with him on many things. I hope and pray he gets better to continue being a gadfly for years and years. I liked that the Vatican actually used Hitchens as the Devil’s Advocate for Mother Teresa’s beautification/sainthood review.

Oh and Christopher, that was not the cosmo answering about your health. That was the very predictable result of some hard drinking and smoking for decades. Still, I like people who live on the edge and enjoy life.

And here is a funny post on a drink named for Christopher Hitchens.
Count Vikula
August 4th, 2010 @ 2:08 pm

I love Christopher Hitchens, yet I despise neoconservatives, am a believer in God and disagree with all his personal attacks on people like the Pope or Christians.

That aside, I’ve met with few with a rapier wit such as his, and I will miss his scathing attacks.

My mind gets bored reading stuff with which I agree. Sometimes I need to read something and get boiling angry, to stir the brain pot of negative creativity, and Hitchens’ writings often fill that order.
Count Vikula
August 4th, 2010 @ 10:08 am

I love Christopher Hitchens, yet I despise neoconservatives, am a believer in God and disagree with all his personal attacks on people like the Pope or Christians.

That aside, I’ve met with few with a rapier wit such as his, and I will miss his scathing attacks.

My mind gets bored reading stuff with which I agree. Sometimes I need to read something and get boiling angry, to stir the brain pot of negative creativity, and Hitchens’ writings often fill that order.
KingShamus
August 4th, 2010 @ 2:11 pm

Reading Hitch-22 now.

Sorta sad, knowing what we know about Hitchens’ health.
KingShamus
August 4th, 2010 @ 10:11 am

Reading Hitch-22 now.

Sorta sad, knowing what we know about Hitchens’ health.
Kojocaro
August 4th, 2010 @ 2:32 pm

don’t like hitch’s uncalled for shot at the pope but he better beat the cancer or i will be disappointed by the way 34 billionaires are willingly giving away their wealth that’s the way it should be not the gubernmint forcing people to spread the wealth around
Kojocaro
August 4th, 2010 @ 10:32 am

don’t like hitch’s uncalled for shot at the pope but he better beat the cancer or i will be disappointed by the way 34 billionaires are willingly giving away their wealth that’s the way it should be not the gubernmint forcing people to spread the wealth around
Dave C
August 4th, 2010 @ 4:41 pm

Not to self. Do not write book called ‘God is Not Great’.

Just saying.
Dave C
August 4th, 2010 @ 12:41 pm

Not to self. Do not write book called ‘God is Not Great’.

Just saying.
Dave C
August 4th, 2010 @ 5:09 pm

dammit. Note to self.
Dave C
August 4th, 2010 @ 1:09 pm

dammit. Note to self.
pgg
August 4th, 2010 @ 6:07 pm

“God is dead.” – Nietzsche

“Nietzsche is dead.” – God

And history repeats itself.
pgg
August 4th, 2010 @ 2:07 pm

“God is dead.” – Nietzsche

“Nietzsche is dead.” – God

And history repeats itself.
Hitchens and St. Jude « DaTechguy's Blog
August 4th, 2010 @ 3:49 pm

[…] Via Robert Stacy’s post titled Just another Deadline: […]
Taxpayer
August 5th, 2010 @ 4:38 am

My dad had the same cancer as Hitches (esophageal). It’s a really, really nasty kind–survival rate of 18%. My dad’s doc put it this way: “You’re toast.” However, with excellent treatment, my dad lived a good-quality 3 years after his diagnosis. It wasn’t easy, but he was thrilled to be around to see his herd of grandkids grow, to spend time with his loving wife, travel, have parties–all the things he loved.

Hitch, when you lose the rest of your hair, you can borrow my dad’s line: “I look like a damn pen|s!!”
Taxpayer
August 5th, 2010 @ 12:38 am

My dad had the same cancer as Hitches (esophageal). It’s a really, really nasty kind–survival rate of 18%. My dad’s doc put it this way: “You’re toast.” However, with excellent treatment, my dad lived a good-quality 3 years after his diagnosis. It wasn’t easy, but he was thrilled to be around to see his herd of grandkids grow, to spend time with his loving wife, travel, have parties–all the things he loved.

Hitch, when you lose the rest of your hair, you can borrow my dad’s line: “I look like a damn pen|s!!”