My favorite author, Christopher Hitchens, died today. He was among my greatest inspirations. When I agreed with him, he made my opinions so much stronger and phrased them better than I ever could.  He spoke with genuine passion, wit, clarity, and fearlessness. When I disagreed with him, I was almost always so glad he was there to improve my arguments by making me think in ways nobody else could. My heart goes out to his family, especially his 18 year old daughter, Antonia.

Read his books and articles. Watch his videos. Think often and honestly. Quit smoking.