Christopher Hitchens RIP

Sadly, the great polemicist died yesterday from cancer. While he had a strong opinion about everything, including issues of international law, and thus not infrequently came across as a dilettante, he was still an unparalled debater and public speaker with a superb sense of humor. He was also utterly fearless – think only of his Missionary Position book challenging the myth of mother Theresa. His last article in Vanity Fair, written only a few weeks before his passing, is above all a very human look at the imminent prospect of death. And he’s left us with gems like these:

UPDATE: And in the humor department the On the Limits of Self-Improvement series (here, here and here) can hardly be topped.