A recent story at SFWeekly.com has broken the news that James ‘The Amazing’ Randi is fighting intestinal cancer:
Randi has debunked more than 100 psychics and faith healers in a quest to rid the world of hucksters. It also makes him the subject of scorn among purveyors of the paranormal, true believers who say Randi has made himself rich, pulling in nearly $200,000 a year from his foundation, at the expense of others’ careers.
Now, however, Randi’s work may be in jeopardy. His foundation has been hemorrhaging money, and Randi, who has spent his career challenging the notion of an afterlife, now faces his own mortality. He has intestinal cancer and may not have long to live. He has been a commanding presence for four decades, but it’s unclear who could fill his role as the face of the skeptic community.
The article says doctors are giving him a 50/50 prognosis for the next five years. Not that it means much, but my best wishes go out to the old geezer in his battle against the big C, regardless of my criticisms of some of his actions and the merits of the JREF.
The full article is worth a read, there are comments from Uri Geller about his long battle with Randi, and also plenty of material from the recent Amazing Meeting which gives you the feeling there’s a bit of cult vibe with the skeptical minions and the white-bearded father figure who shepherds them.