Anthony Bourdain Dead at 61 of apparent suicide

[WAmuleyHunter]

"Some people hear their own inner voices with great clearness. And they live by what they hear. Such people become crazy... or they become legend."---Jim Harrison

[Blacklab]

Just a reminder.

You can always bring light into darkness. But you can never bring darkness into light.  God speed

[Fl0und3rz]

I've dealt with suicide in my family. It's not selfish. It's total despair and not being able to get out of your own head. Personally, several years ago, I was in a dark, dark place. One month to the day after 9/11, my wife of 15 years announced out of the blue that we were done. I was completely overcome with sadness and confusion. I stayed with a friend for a month who was not compassionate and it got worse. Fortunately, I got out of that place and found a volunteer organization which hooked me up to volunteer in a state-supported nursing home. Ever since, if I feel down, I do something for others and it helps immediately. There are a lot of strong people in the world who never face this and will never understand how someone could do this. They are truly fortunate human beings. For the rest of us, finding someone to help can make a world of difference. In the meantime, if you're considering hurting yourself, call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline. 1-800-273-8255.

Good post. 

[magnanimous_j]

The human mind has all kinds of safeguards in place to keep you from killing yourself. Suicide is what happens when whatever is troubling you temporarily overwhelms your mind's ability to cope. It's a permanent solution to a temporary problem.

Your body gets sick when the disease overloads your immune system's ability to fight it off. No one thinks its selfish to get sick and die. Suicide is really no different than that.

[singleshot12]

People that commit suicide simply have the "weak gene." and people that have the "strong gene" keep fighting till the bitter end. As the population grows expect to see the weak gene grow. Humans are a strange creature. And as with any species that over populate disease usually ends up controlling their numbers. For humans we have figured ways to combat disease. So war, genocide and suicide tend to take over. 

[Angry Perch]

People that commit suicide simply have the "weak gene." and people that have the "strong gene" keep fighting till the bitter end. As the population grows expect to see the weak gene grow. Humans are a strange creature. And as with any species that over populate disease usually ends up controlling their numbers. For humans we have figured ways to combat disease. So war, genocide and suicide tend to take over.

Wow...

[KFhunter]

People that commit suicide simply have the "weak gene." and people that have the "strong gene" keep fighting till the bitter end. As the population grows expect to see the weak gene grow. Humans are a strange creature. And as with any species that over populate disease usually ends up controlling their numbers. For humans we have figured ways to combat disease. So war, genocide and suicide tend to take over.

Wow...

Insensitive comment from singleshot12, but there is kernel of truth to it.  There is a genetic link that pre-dispositions some families to be more prone to this.  I have a genetic predisposition to have high blood pressure and heart attacks so that's something I'll need to keep an eye on, other families have genetic predispositions to be obese, and other families have genetic predispositions to have high rates of cancer...and some have higher rates of suicide than other families, but I stop short of calling them "weak".

[runamuk]

He was the only reason to ever watch tv. I am kinda heartbroken. And have no reason to ever get tv now.

He made sense of a senseless world through food.

Yeah not many celebs I would care to hang out with or follow on the tube, but he was one.  Just had a certain unrefined style that didn't try to blow smoke.  I guess that's the best way to describe it.

Mike Rowe wrote a very moving farwell on his fb page. Mike Rowe is the only other celeb worth following. 

[singleshot12]

People that commit suicide simply have the "weak gene." and people that have the "strong gene" keep fighting till the bitter end. As the population grows expect to see the weak gene grow. Humans are a strange creature. And as with any species that over populate disease usually ends up controlling their numbers. For humans we have figured ways to combat disease. So war, genocide and suicide tend to take over.

Wow...

Insensitive comment from singleshot12, but there is kernel of truth to it.  There is a genetic link that pre-dispositions some families to be more prone to this.  I have a genetic predisposition to have high blood pressure and heart attacks so that's something I'll need to keep an eye on, other families have genetic predispositions to be obese, and other families have genetic predispositions to have high rates of cancer...and some have higher rates of suicide than other families, but I stop short of calling them "weak".

Certainly wasn't meant to be insensitive. Since we were into the psychology behind suicide I was simply stating my opinion as to why.  Strong people don't give up living.

[MADMAX]

I've always told my wife, if they find me dead somewhere and it looks like I committed suicide, dont believe it
somebody did me in

sad that its happening more and more to people that seemingly have a lot going for them
I hope the news lets up on it, personally my 2 cents is, I think that reporting it on TV and social media day after day, story after story has a lot to do with it happening more and more.

[pianoman9701]

  Our obsession with celebrity does contribute. Someone struggling with life sees these people with everything they need or want committing suicide and I'm sure it feels hopeless. The constant media attention makes some feel this is normal. It isn't. Another problem is society's focus on treating problems with one solution - drugs. Although chronic depression and anxiety often should be chemically treated with drugs, we don't emphasize enough the importance of getting involved, getting out of the house, going into the woods, being active socially. Our feelings are hurt, our space is scary, no one cares about me. No one cared about my feelings 50 years ago. What did my parents do? They gave me purpose, responsibility, taught me compassion and caring for others. Sometimes, when you concentrate on others more than yourself, you don't have time to go deep into a black hole and your efforts give you comfort and purpose. This isn't being taught today. Children are being sent to safe spaces where they can stay inside their own heads and the thought that everything around them is bad is being reinforced.

I don't minimize the effects of depression and those things that cause some to hurt themselves. But the huge increase in suicide in the last 20 years shows me that societal changes have had a lot to do with how people deal with challenge and struggle. At a time when fewer people are being murdered, crime is down, wars are taking fewer lives and our way of life is very good, something has to be causing this and I think a lot of it is emphasis on self and not community.

[CaNINE]

I was up backpacking in the Wenaha this weekend and in between rain squalls got a text from my wife informing me of the tragic news.  It hit me like a sucker punch.  I've enjoyed Anthony's work over the years and although our political views couldn't be further apart I felt a certain kinship to him.  I've prepared meals for my family using his recipes...I've watched and rewatched the Montana episode from Parts Unknown many, many times. I'm so sorry he reached a place in life that he felt suicide was the best option.  I feel for his daughter....she now has a deep wound she will never heal from.

[Whitpirate]

Bourdain's show in Montana with Harrison is one of my favorite of all time.

[trophyhunt]

People that commit suicide simply have the "weak gene." and people that have the "strong gene" keep fighting till the bitter end. As the population grows expect to see the weak gene grow. Humans are a strange creature. And as with any species that over populate disease usually ends up controlling their numbers. For humans we have figured ways to combat disease. So war, genocide and suicide tend to take over.

Wow...

Insensitive comment from singleshot12, but there is kernel of truth to it.  There is a genetic link that pre-dispositions some families to be more prone to this.  I have a genetic predisposition to have high blood pressure and heart attacks so that's something I'll need to keep an eye on, other families have genetic predispositions to be obese, and other families have genetic predispositions to have high rates of cancer...and some have higher rates of suicide than other families, but I stop short of calling them "weak".

Certainly wasn't meant to be insensitive. Since we were into the psychology behind suicide I was simply stating my opinion as to why.  Strong people don't give up living.

I never took it as insensitive, it’s a good point. And it seems more and more now days, honesty or ones opinion is taken as insensitive. Suicide is a weakness, especially more for those who have everything but chose the end as an option.   

[bobcat]

I never heard of this guy until after he killed himself, and sorry to say I'm having trouble feeling any sympathy for a guy who hated President Trump, and said that if given the chance he would assassinate Trump by poisoning his food. Joke, or not, I don't find that funny, and from everything else I've read about him recently it's obvious he was a typical anti-American, liberal, just like pretty much everyone employed by CNN. Really surprised to see how many thought he was such a great person.