I’ve been of the belief that a return of the cancer isn’t the problem, since the period of his weight loss has been so protracted and the type of surgery he had can cause it. Plus, if it was a return of the cancer, wouldn’t he have been aware of it for some time now, and therefore unlikely to make a statement one week that a change in diet was all he needed, and another statement a week later where he says things are more complex than he thought and that he was taking six months off. Surely he and his doctors are on top of things enough so that a year wouldn’t go by without their determining that cancer wasn’t causing his weight loss.
On the other hand, how long does it take his particular form of cancer to kill a person if it does return? He made an uncharacteristically plaintive remark when asked by Bloomberg if he was considering a liver transplant, something along the line of “Why is this so important? Why can’t you guys leave me alone?”
Sounds sort of like a guy who wants to be out of the spotlight, spend time with his family and left alone to die.
Well that’s bad fortune. While he didn’t invent the GUI he has had a pretty positive contribution in the development of computing and the world would be poorer without his influence. I don’t have any real wishes of misfortune for him. That was hyperbole.
I certainly cannot identify with the problems TTR has experienced, being pretty much computer illiterate as it pertains to all the the things he has mentioned, but I do understand his frustrations, and here’s why:
In the early 70’s I had just embarked on my student-teaching rotation in high school English, and given all the excuses for why work I had assigned wasn’t turned in - and given the * unbelievable* circumstances, this one would have carried a lot of weight with me : “Mr. Craig! Sorry I don’t have my work, but due to the burglary at our house , all my work is missing! I still do have my notes in my head, so could I please have a little more time to get my paper together?”
If I had heard that, I would have given my student the benefit of the doubt.
More than likely TTR isn’t facing that, being that he’s able to back-track and get that damn thing in on time, but me being that same teacher, I would have understood and given him the time he needed.
My point being, given the differences in the centuries, TTR’s explanation carries more weight than “The dog ate my homework, sir!”
Give 'em hell, Kid, and let me know how it all turns out.
Thanks Got’er in on time. Finished up during lunch right before class. I think the rewritten bits came out much better this time so maybe it worked out for the best. Steve may keep his sex organs intact.
Not really, “I lost the file” or “My computer crashed” are pretty much the equivalent excuses these days. Sure, they happen, but they’re more often just excuses.
On the other hand, I once had one of my favorite instructors hand back an assignment to everybody but me. When I asked if mine had gotten lost, he looked really sheepish, and handed me a Xeroxed copy of my assignment. “My dog ate it this weekend, this was the best shape I could get it back in.” You could still see the teeth marks in the paper, it was pretty funny.
On one hand, you’re right. On the other, the OP has to rewrite his paper this time. Those that write with a pen and paper have to rewrite it every single time. As long as you don’t flub up more than once a semester (and one really good flub up is really all it takes), the advantage still goes to the draft-on-computer camp.
Point taken, thanks. I think my analogy didn’t work because as that “teacher” I was privy to TTR’s information posted here and the frustration he felt, but the real-life teacher would not have that info and would be in the position of having to take his student’s word for what happened.
However, threatening to rip someone’s balls off carries a lot of weight with me!
I almost reached down to cup my two “boys” protectively when I read that!
He’d get an A from me for creative threatening!
And looka here, I’m in the damn Pit again! Jesus! :smack:
Still, I’m happy this all ended well for our friend.
I certainly cannot identify with the problems TTR has experienced, being pretty much computer illiterate as it pertains to all the the things he has mentioned, but I do understand his frustrations, and here’s why:
Got’er in on time. Finished up during lunch right before class. I think the rewritten bits came out much better this time so maybe it worked out for the best. Steve may keep his sex organs intact.