Back in August, I announced my cancer diagnosis. Last week an examination by cystoscope showed no ghastly tumour had returned to my bladder.
It’s not remission. It’s a little early for that. I’ll get the histology and cell counts in January and then we’ll know more. I suspect there’ll be more treatment, perhaps even more sessions with the dreaded catheter and a squirt or two of bovine tuberculosis just to keep me on my toes.
The post-surgery treatment entailed six of these immunotherapy sessions in all. Every Monday morning I’d be catheterised and have my bladder pumped full with attenuated bovine tuberculosis. It’s not the sort of thing you’d do for extracurricular fun voluntarily but all things being equal, it wasn’t exactly waterboarding at Guantanamo.
Full column here.
AA Gill gorn. Suddenly, but clearly it was brewing. More bloody cancer. Sad.
Yes, vale AA. Whilst in London I read him religiously at a pub with the laundry going on across the road. A wonderful writer, wit, polemicist, and an innovator (?) that suggested that the food is superfluous to restaurant reviews . There’s an obvious point there – …?
A huge loss to informed, acerbic, humorous commentary on an experience that transcends food.
yes, sad, gee he could write a bit.
Congratulations on, inter alia, giving up cigarettes.
What you may well find is that if you haven’t burnt out your taste buds (!!), you will become resensitised to more delicate tastes and flavours, improving your palate experience generally.
Both my parents smoked heavily (ie each in excess of 80 cigarettes a day) for more than half a century but have kicked the habit successfully, so it can be done (didn’t stop my mother trailing/stalking a smoker for a period so she could sniff the stuff….).
FWIW they both said teh hardest thing is to ensure you don’t succumb to ” just having the one ” even after you have been off for a couple of years.
More power to you – and your wife has my sympathies : like living with a bear with a sore head (my wife failed smoke-enders 5 times before giving up – but that was before she was my wife!
The adage ” Kiss a non-smoker and taste the difference” is apt (and your wife will appreciate it ….in the end!
Couple of blogs ago about the book-keeper of Auschwitz: in one sense it is important that crimes against humanity have no statute of limitations – but by contrast he appeared to hpossess remorse for his limited role, actively campaigned about the truth and extent of the holocaust – and while not a posterboy, appeared to be a very good counterbalance to the Irvings & Toebens of this world.
I think it is important that all views – including the most repugnant – see light of day and are exposed to criticism. It is only remorseless logic coupled with the application of facts which will change attitudes. That may not be comfortable but it is necessary.
Hence the Toebens and the irvings should not be censored – but neither should they be supported obviously. I say this as someone who lost the vast majority of my relatives in the camps….
The simplistic cannot see the difference between tolerance and support.
The same principle applies to minorities: you can tolerate all sorts of practices (LGBT and the rest of teh alphabet soup) without actually supporting themm or increasing thteir constituencies. Equality is tolerance – but it does not mean you have to actively support a lifestyle or elicit converts!
The pendulum always swings too far
cheers
This is tremendous news, Voltaire. Best wishes.
Voltaire, about not “silencing” David Irving, may I recommend the book “the case for auschwitz. Evidence from the Irving trial”. That was a defamation case brought by David Irving that backfired on him spectacularly. Irving has been relatively silent for the last few years because of the complete defeat he suffered in this case and the bankruptcy that resulted from the costs order against him, from which he is unlikely to be discharged any time soon. The case has attracted a lot of attention in expert areas not because of the subject matter but because of irvings behaviour throughout the case., which was erratic, to put the most charitable interpretation on it. The general expert view is that Irving suffers from some form of mental disorder. Regardless of that his conduct as a “historian” (which he isn’t, by profession) was found to be grossly dishonest.
The same thing happened to the other infamous holocaust denier. Can’t remember his name but he was the leading “expert” on execution methods in the USA. He made a screwy film analysing bricks from auschwitz and then destroyed himself in the brouhaha that followed.
Not the Canadian (?), Ernst Zundel? Or one of those similar organisations with a very banal name that belies its real, evil purpose?
Fred A Leuchter, Rhys. Googled him.
I had a bit more of a think about this, Voltaire. I guess the question is not so much about “silencing” people like Irving but more about determining when someone really doesnt have anything useful to say about a subject, and then making the decision not to hear that person any further. In any sensible discussion there has to be a point where – if you want the discussion to advance – a decision like that has to be made. I guess that with the democratisation of opinion brought about by social media – and the new “dirty tricks” of manipulation of public opinion – the question of when that point is reached with respect to some people in public debates is nowadays a lot more fraught.
As always a great post, Voltaire but as a smoker I would love to know how old the olds are (and I hope they are still with us)?
And as far as repugnant views are concerned, I hear them often. That doesn’t mean they are repugnant to all. But I believe it is better to have those repugnant views out there (and exposed for the nonsense they are) rather than be silenced and have repugnant actions fill the void.
ps. Bassman – geez I hope Rodent was the bands spokesman!
Milton,
Father aged 93 has gien up playing tennis (actually 2 years ago!) but still walking, driving & solving physics problems for himself (annotates new books & papers with comments and calculations and passes them to me but complains it is taking him longer these days!). He gave us skiing after an horrendous accident a couple of decades ago (afraid that it would interfere with his tennis post-recovery).
Mother who is considerably younger (almost a decade), suffering from heart and blood disorders: they don’t bounce so well at that age but VERY feisty.
I have an overdeveloped sense of smell and cigarette smoke is anathema to me – but parents offered me a cigarette while I was still in primary school (4th or 5th class) and of course I choked on it and had no desire to smoke them again. Did fall for nice cigars – with XO cognac – for a period about a decade later, but worked out that I enjoyed it more when someone else was smoking it (Davidoffs if they were paying).
BTW thanks for the compliment: susceptible to flattery as anyone else!!
Darren,
Written by one of the participants, so hardly objective, but Deborah Lipstadt’s “History on Trial”is a pretty good account of both the historical errors and the case (but best read in conjunction withthe judgment).
JTI,
With AA Gill’s demise there is no need to get competitive about cancer). Never met the gentleman but enjoyed his columns over the years: the writing was biting with a certain old world charm. A friend of mine was something between a very good friend and a close acquaintance of AAG’s in London ….knew his first wife quite well (now a member of cabinet) and remembers his earlier phase of drinking like a fish….
He was a ripper, Voltaire. This one his magnum opus, I reckon: http://www.vanityfair.com/style/2011/04/lami-louis-201104
JTI……superbly written I agree……and if I’m not mistaken , we have been to a similar restaurant in Paris, but not quite as expensive. The waiters were almost as bad as those in Lygon St or dare I say in New York. All other eateries we visited in Paris were superb, quite nice waiters and just fabulous food….pity really, not quite up to scratch in the attitude stakes.
Penny, currently reading Anthony Bourdains Kitchen Confudential it’s rather amusing…….until the next time you want to eat in a restaurant.
Voltaire, that book wasnt written by one of the participants in the trial. Its a summary of the expert evidence given by the author at the trial. And an expert in a trial is not allowed to be biased in favour of their “side” of the trial. They are there purely to assist the court (and before you say it, if the expert has been “loaded up” then that will show up at trial. In fact even an expert who hasnt been coached in any way will be subjected to a lot of fire at trial in that regard. Thats exactly how the court determines whether the evidence is independent and worth accepting. In this case Irvings attacks on the experts were, to put it mildly, pretty bizarre.
I highly recommend this book.It is definitive on the subject and it was evidence accepted by the court AFTER being subjected to the best hostile fire that Irving (and his supporters) could throw at it. Thats exactly why you should read it.
Great to hear you are doing so well Jack. I had the same treatment for something different prostatitis. I only had one serve and it is a place I do NOT want to visit again! You are a brave man fronting up like you have for multiple treatments. It is painful as well as inflicting prolonged discomfort. Ditching the gaspers. Now that IS a feat considering nicotine is more addictive that heroin. Did you go cold turkey?
&
DEBT UNDER THE LOOTERS IS NOW ASTRONOMICAL:- Government debt keeps on rising under The Looters: Now $463.2 billion: Up a neat $190 billion since September 2013 election when Labor was in government. Nothing in The Oz or the Telly about this but they pursued Labor every day for 6yrs on and STILL bagging them even when Abbott was handed a AAA credit rating that Morrison is shedding. Truly this is a government of fools, knaves, poltroons and liars.Turnbull is weak and hollow, all show and no go-a climate denialist controlled by the goose-stepping right .I’m struggling to understand the argument that Scum Morrison’s floundering incompetence as Treasurer is somehow the fault of the Labor Opposition. Does Turnbull actually believe in anything ? Does he have any principles left ? Or is he just totally gutless? He once said “I could never lead a party that took no action on climate change”. In the Oz, 2011… “SENIOR Liberals have declared that Malcolm Turnbull will never again lead the party after he questioned the Coalition’s direct-action climate change policy, undermining Tony Abbott’s attack on Julia Gillard’s carbon tax.” Sid Maher must be choking on this! In 2010 Turnbull crossed the floor to support carbon pricing. He also said the Looters Direct Action would bankrupt the nation.
It’s what happens when the cost of things like the NDIS etc are pushed out past the forward estimates.
…and the $55billion tax cut to business when there is not ONE shred of evidence that will rescue the economy. The benefit? A guess of a 1% increase in GDP in 15yrs time. Now who can look down the tunnel that far and make a fair assessment. Do we need to sp3nd $200billion on Defence over the next few tears (Brian Toohey in the FIN Review). There is plenty of money but we spend it on rubbish.
55 billion Bassy? where did you get that figure from
The ALPBC said the figure was 48.5 billion over 10 years or 4.8 billion a year but you know what liars they are.
Business employs people. Those people pay tax. Simple really even for you.
I see you support unfunded tax cuts for corporations whose profits mostly go overseas or don’t pay tax here and will help foreign investors over Australian investors, the IRS and will not grow the economy will not produce jobs or investment according the coalition own modelling. But you begrudge investing in people who have disabilities. Says everything anyone needs to know about you. You really are a just s sheep of the ideology you have dishonestly had fed to you your whole life.
NDIS Fully funded since inception. Continually repeating false information is the conservative way but still does not make it true.
https://www.ndis.gov.au/about-us/governance/federal-funding
http://www.budget.gov.au/2013-14/content/glossy/NDIS_policy/html/NDIS_overview_02.htm
The below breaks it down so even you can understand it.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/federal-election/budget2016/federal-budget-2016-ndis-fully-funded-with-introduction-of-savings-fund/news-story/40f9834bb4e24304ae7c18300e451b70
Revisionist rubbish..
The money from increasing the Medicare levy was just smoke and mirrors. The rest had to go on the deficit……..
NDIS Fully funded since inception your continual pathological dishonesty will not change facts.
The actual costs were pushed out past the forward estimates. It was NEVER fully funded and you know it idiot.
Yes bassy the debt is crippling the country and that is what the PEOPLE voted for because the do not trust mainstream politicians. They have given us a senate that care nothing about the future only cares about themselves. The IQ of most of the cross party senators equals that of a dead stump.
When this country dives into the bottomless abyss of penury will the penny drop from these dropkicks who oppose any measure to repair the budget. Not on your Nellie it wont. My German Shepherd dog has more intelligence than the majority of idiots that infest us like a virulent dose of pox in parliament. As for shortons idiots they are deliberately going out of their way to destroy this country in the mistaken belief that they can by some Uber Magic fix the economy by a wave of Harry Potters wand if the misbegotten idiots in this country ever are stupid enough to give the keys of power back to them. As for the idiots on the treasury benches they selected a political idiot who could not organise a chook raffle to misrule the roost.
Australia is heading for something I am beginning to think they deserve
“The IQ of most of the cross party senators equals that of a dead stump” – love it Robin a classic and so damn rue sadly!
Labor had some good saving measures during the last campaign-the Libs pinched them if you have a look. In fact Labor was policy driven during the campaign whereas the Looters stuck with slogans and Jobson Growth who seems to have gone missing. Can you list the items caught up in the Senate that should be passed? You will find most of them hit the poor, the unemployed and the sick….not the 500 companies that paid no tax last year, some of them with billions in turnover. Here are some that DID pay tax-not much! The Com Bank paid $3b tax on a $44b turnover;Westpac $2billion on a $36b turnover;Rio Tinto $2b on a $31b turnover and I could go on. Norway (with a trillion dollar sovereign fund) does not let big business get away with tax dodges like this. The economy has contracted a full half 0.5% in the last quarter. The best Morrison can do is offer a dubious 1% boost in 15yrs if his unfunded $50billion tax package is let through. Not one economist I have read supports this clanger.
Bassy you are confusing revenue with profits
if a company does not make a profit then it does not have to pay tax
read this
http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/programs/hack/a-third-of-top-australian-companies-pay-no-tax-ato-figures-show/7038232
My solution to this would be a financial tax by corporations
Tax all monies transferred in and out at 1%, cancel company tax and companies would be forced to pay tax on revenue and expenditure, so all the creative accountancy would not be necessary and they would not need the retinue of lawyers and accountants to fiddle the numbers
Bassy, Razor & Robin
I share your pessimism. Over the years I have often said that the ALP, in particular, should have allowed Abbott and Turnbull to legislate their program, while criticizing mightily and if needs be abstaining on the vote. ‘Be it on your own head’ type philosophy.
There then would be nowhere to hide and unlike now no ‘half-legitimate’ excuse re obstructionist Senate etc.
While not an excuse, perhaps a reason for both the national and parliamentary ignorance and malaise is that the last ‘Recession we had to Have’ was circa 1992 / 93. Anyone 25 or younger has never known the social trauma and disruption such brings – indeed if you add another 15 years or so for those being in school, then most if not all around 40 years of age have no or little experience.
If you look at the current crop of active politicians and their operatives and minders a very large number fit this demographic.
But let’s be honest the ignorance and wilful denial is not for want of being told. Secretaries of Treasury & Finance, Governors of Reserve Bank, Economic commentators of various political persuasions, even Treasurers and some Prime Ministers have been banging on about the dangers of Budget Deficits and increasing National debt.
We collectively are being deliberately and willfully self-indulgent. Our political representatives are even more so.
Nothing is going to change until collectively we fall into the fiscal and monetary hole!! Businesses will close, people will lose their jobs, interest rates will rise, debts will be called in; people will suffer.
Even after the coalition have Blown out debt to 20% of GDP it is still manageable. BUT the coalition must stop running on ideology and Subsidising Corporations and the wealthiest individuals. Removing Negative Gearing for anything but new builds, reducing Capital Gains tax concessions, Removing Private Health Insurance Subsidy for those earning over $100K and removing Family Tax Benefits for those earning over $80K will make a massive difference each year in the vicinity of $30 billion a year to be invested in debt reduction along with Nation Building Productivity enhancing infrastructure not just roads and dams in marginal coalition seats. the economy can not afford further Subsidisation of Corporations further tax cuts will not be effective. the Government own modelling shows this and the proposed tax cuts are not funded.
I think modern medicine is pretty amazing. Amazing how researchers discovered this treatment & how the patients own immune response destroys the cancer cells without chemotherapy. I wonder if they’re able to use BCG on other cancers too.
I’m hoping your body has kicked those cells to the kerb JTI.
Thinking positive for you, Bella
Bella, with me it’s more carpentry or autobody work. Another aftermarket hip is next. Bit by bit, I’m becoming Steve Austin.
“We can rebuild him; we have the technology.”
I try my best to be a natural therapies kinda girl and we all have our own story when it comes to medicine but when you get down to it, if replacement parts keeps you moving without pain then it’s a wonderful thing.
Kindest regards, Bella
Bella, with me it’s more the wonders of modern carpentry or autobody repair. Up for another hip. Getting to be Six Million Dollar Man-ish: “We can rebuild him; we have the technology.”
Interesting to discover in todays paper that emergency workers may not, in emergency situations, be taking into account individuals gender. It would seem that some in the LGBTIetc community (that sounds a bit elitist, or is it divisive and discriminatory?) having escaped being consumed by fire immediately turn their thoughts to whether their gender or sexual proclivity (or both?) are recognised and catered to. Passing strange, or what? Anywho I would bet London to a brick that fires/floods/ the plague are equal opportunity killers, mowing down anyone regardless of their toileting requirements. Good God, spare me.
I was gobsmacked when I read it to Milt.
Me too. What a load of crap – ooops, no pun intended.
Milton
Check out Leak’s cartoon in Monday’s (today) Aus. Nailed this farce brilliantly!
Out of curiosity though none of my business but is your youngster still enjoying la dolce vita in the old world?
Recently returned and had a wonderful time, thanks Milton.
JTI and Dwight check your e-mail. Uncle Razor has a present in there for you!
I think I’ve been a slow to get to this, Razor. Apologies to you and Dwight.
You were lucky then……
Jack, as I wrote when you first disclosed your illness my father had the then experimental TB treatment (I didn’t know it was bovine) around age 60 and is still going strong at 82. Best wishes. Now, about giving up the smokes – what’s the secret? Any help from you and the usual suspects welcomed. And I’ve never been into cigars (no Bill/Monica jokes here please). Keep strong.
PS. posted when Travis Head had his spectacular T20 innings last year. Yes I was lucky to see it as you said. Nice to see him in the ODI Team and doing well all-round.
Talk to your GP about a drug called Champix, Nick. It’s an inhibitor which means the neurones demanding nicotine go quiet, reducing the physical addiction to virtually nothing. You’ll still have those moments when you want a cigarette (over a drink or whatever) and you might have a moment or two of weakness but stick with the Champix and you should be all right.
My doctor keeps recommending champix to me but i’m a bit scared to take it due to the possible side effects (though they may be rare). I’m in the process of giving the nic the flic and have cut down a lot and am thinking if anything I may give the chewing gum a go. But it’s good to see its the right fit for Jack and no doubt could be the right stuff for Nick. You’ll both have lots of extra coin to throw around this xmas. Where the f*#k has this year gone?
Problem with gum is that you still chase the nicotine. Take away the gum and you seek nic from other sources (like the smokes)
Personally, for me I tried Champix a few times and slipped at about the 2-3 month mark every time. Side effects seem to be limited to some pretty vivid dreaming.
Then I was given a copy of ‘The easy way to quit smoking’ by Allen Carr.
I read it as I started another round of champix, stopped the champix and tabs after 1-2 weeks (when I finished the book) and haven’t slipped since. Not sure why or how, but everything just dropped into place – I hated his reading his writing but it worked! I Still consider myself a smoker – just haven’t had a tab since April 2012.
At the end of the day, if you’re not 100% committed to quitting then you won’t.
From a report just released by McKinsey.
Sobering stuff!
“This translates into some 850 million people in the United States, the United Kingdom,
Germany, Japan, Brazil, China, and India alone. Most attention is paid to the unemployed portion of this number, and not enough to the underemployed and the inactive portions, which make up the majority of untapped human potential. Almost 75 million youth are officially unemployed.”
http://www.mckinsey.com/global-themes/employment-and-growth/technology-jobs-and-the-future-of-work
Glad it is all going well for you JTI. Hope it keeps heading in that direction.
Guess what we are number one at (apart from producing Australians)? http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/map-reveals-what-worlds-nations-best-at-a7462711.html
Cheers, COHD. Speaking of Australia’s notoriety for cyber incidents, how scary is this bit of tech news: http://boingboing.net/2016/12/07/for-two-years-criminals-stole.html