[Socialist_Pig]

Originally Posted by Fanny Cradock

light up a fag in his memory

we dont burn fags in this forum!!

[HUNK]

On the Sam Harris blog.

http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/hitch/

The moment it was announced that Christopher Hitchens was sick with cancer, eulogies began spilling into print and from the podium. No one wanted to deny the possibility that he would recover, of course, but neither could we let the admiration we felt for him go unexpressed. It is a cliché to say that he was one of a kind and none can fill his shoes—but Hitch was and none can. In his case not even the most effusive tributes ring hollow. There was simply no one like him.

One of the joys of living in a world filled with stupidity and hypocrisy was to see Hitch respond. That pleasure is now denied us. The problems that drew his attention remain—and so does the record of his brilliance, courage, erudition, and good humor in the face of outrage. But his absence will leave an enormous void in the years to come. Hitch lived an extraordinarily large life. (Read his memoir, Hitch-22, and marvel.) It was too short, to be sure—and one can only imagine what another two decades might have brought out of him—but Hitch produced more fine work, read more books, met more interesting people, and won more arguments than most of us could in several centuries.
I first met Hitch at a dinner at the end of April 2007, just before the release of his remarkable book god is not Great. After a long evening, my wife and I left him standing on the sidewalk in front of his hotel. His book tour was just beginning, and he was scheduled to debate on a panel the next morning. It was well after midnight, but it was evident from his demeanor that his clock had a few hours left to run. I had heard the stories about his ability to burn the candle at both ends, but staggering there alongside him in the glare of a street lamp, I made a mental note of what struck me as a fact of nature—tomorrow’s panel would be a disaster.
I rolled out of bed the following morning, feeling quite wrecked, to see Hitch holding forth on C-SPAN’s Book TV, dressed in the same suit he had been wearing the night before. Needless to say, he was effortlessly lucid and witty—and taking no prisoners. There should be a name for the peculiar cocktail of emotion I then enjoyed: one part astonishment, one part relief, two parts envy; stir. It would not be the last time I drank it in his honor.
Since that first dinner, I have felt immensely lucky to count Hitch as a friend and colleague—and very unlucky indeed not to have met him sooner. Before he became ill, I had expected to have many more years in which to take his company for granted. But our last meeting was in February of this year, in Los Angeles, where we shared the stage with two rabbis. His illness was grave enough at that point to make the subject of our debate—Is there an afterlife?—seem a touch morbid. It also made traveling difficult for him. I was amazed that he had made the trip at all.
The evening before the event, we met for dinner, and I was aware that it might be our last meal together. I was also startled to realize that it was our first meal alone. I remember thinking what a shame it was—for me—that our lives had not better coincided. I had much to learn from him.
I have been privileged to witness the gratitude that so many people feel for Hitch’s life and work—for, wherever I speak, I meet his fans. On my last book tour, those who attended my lectures could not contain their delight at the mere mention of his name—and many of them came up to get their books signed primarily to request that I pass along their best wishes to him. It was wonderful to see how much Hitch was loved and admired—and to be able to share this with him before the end.
I will miss you, brother.

[Galvasean]

Originally Posted by Fanny Cradock

To clarify. I'm not saying that raising a glass to Hichens is in and of itself wrong. I really don't care what people do with their whiskey. However, in terms of consequences such a private ceremony has very little lasting impact on anyone - possibly even yourself. A donation to charity X (be it involved in research or palliative care) would surely have the potential to make more of a difference.

I agree with you, in a purely logical sense of course, but after that gig in my sig I'm all charitied out

[ironingbored]

Originally Posted by Arcus Arrow

the poison of religion outside the Pro Cathedral next Saturday night when the Cloyne report will be burned.

Sorry, off topic... but are you saying that Catholics will be burning a copy of the Cloyne Report (presumably as a sign of their disdain for its findings) outside the Pro Cathedral on Saturday?

Get me Michael Nugent on the phone...

[MagicMarker]

Originally Posted by The Quadratic Equation

The ironic thing is, going by his alleged favourites, he knew feck all about Whiskey either.

Any recommendations?

[[-0-]]

Originally Posted by MagicMarker

Any recommendations?

Midleton Very Rare Irish Whiskey is one of the nicest on the planet.

Connemara Peated Whiskey is also lovely, as is 12 year old RedBreast.

[strobe]

Originally Posted by Fanny Cradock

To clarify. I'm not saying that raising a glass to Hichens is in and of itself wrong. I really don't care what people do with their whiskey. However, in terms of consequences such a private ceremony has very little lasting impact on anyone - possibly even yourself. A donation to charity X (be it involved in research or palliative care) would surely have the potential to make more of a difference.

Ahh for the love of God Fanny do you really need this explained to you? People saying they are having a glass of whiskey in the man's honour are not doing so to 'make more of a difference'. It's just engaging in a pleasure that someone else had.

Actually you know what, I don't agree with Sean and Shooter, your posts along this line have really fucking annoyed me. You know perfectly well that drinking some Johnny Walker is not related in any way to people 'wanting to make a difference' or any such crap.

If you want to come on here on a high horse and chastise people for what you consider behaviour unbecoming at least be up front about it, rather than cloaking it in faux naivety. Ugghh...

[Fanny Cradock]

Originally Posted by strobe

Ahh for the love of God Fanny do you really need this explained to you? People saying they are having a glass of whiskey in the man's honour are not doing so to 'make more of a difference'. It's just engaging in a pleasure that someone else had.

Actually you know what, I don't agree with Sean and Shooter, your posts along this line have really fucking annoyed me. You know perfectly well that drinking some Johnny Walker is not related in any way to people 'wanting to make a difference' or any such crap.

If you want to come on here on a high horse and chastise people for what you consider behaviour unbecoming at least be up front about it, rather than cloaking it in faux naivety. Ugghh...

If you want to read something into my post that isn't there then go right ahead. But perhaps you could you show me the point at which I chastised anyone?

[Lucy8080]

the paxman interview with hitch is now starting on bbc 2.

a change of schedule.

thought id let ya know. enjoy.

[Lucy8080]

just my own personal input on this thread.

i thought the best post here was the photo of the whiskey bottle and the reason why.

we all know personal loss...and we all know "others" in our life we feel inspired us along the way.

that post combined both...and in that we can all share a commonality of understsanding of what moves us...and to me it seems the best of us.

ill raise a glass..

[Brown Bomber]

Originally Posted by Lucy8080

ill raise a glass..

... to a warmonger.

[Lucy8080]

read about the life thomas paine brown bomber. you will get a feel for hitchens...and what you want and dont want.

i never realised hitch wrote a book about his life( paines) until a while after my own reading. i got his spirit then...and his own inner struggle...played out bravely in public.

none of us want war. ever.

whats ur solution?

[Zillah]

Originally Posted by Brown Bomber

... to a warmonger.

It is quite appropriate that we should be graced by the presence of one capable of making arguments as cutting and lucid as we might expect from Hitchens himself.

[Brown Bomber]

Originally Posted by Lucy8080

read about the life thomas paine brown bomber. you will get a feel for hitchens...and what you want and dont want.

i never realised hitch wrote a book about his life( paines) until a while after my own reading. i got his spirit then...and his own inner struggle...played out bravely in public.

none of us want war. ever.

Hitchens wanted war, by his own account, he didn't try to hide it. He was exhilarated on 9-11 and it's implications. Not only did he want war, he displayed a vile indifference verging on sociopathic bloodlust to the victims of the wars he cheerleaded for.

Originally Posted by Lucy8080

whats ur solution?

Not falling over myself to pay homage to a warmonger, and Bush's pet intellectual.

[Brown Bomber]

Originally Posted by Zillah

It is quite appropriate that we should be graced by the presence of one capable of making arguments as cutting and lucid as we might expect from Hitchens himself.

Is your ad hominen attack some kind of admission that he was indeed a warmonger?