Sad News Guys - We have lost one of our own. :(

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python

python

Sep 25, 2009
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I already posted this hours ago when publicus broke the news in the general news thread...:eek:

a very sad news !

i thought theswordsman was one of the more intelligent and passionate fans of cycling on this forum...always, adding content and always being honest about his feelings.

i am very sad.
Click to expand...

nothing to add except that john was one of the 2-3 very special posters i was ALWAYS looking out to read specifically...informative, intelligent, civil, ethical and in some cases, very sensitive and humanly vulnerable.

thanks for opening this thread.
 
Cobblestoned

Cobblestoned

Mar 8, 2010
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RIP John

theswordsman.....I remember him. His nickname first caused a little fear, but he turned out to be a fine, fine man delivering informative and sometimes very emotional or honest posts.
Like a sword - sharp, but also fine art. When his avatar turned up, you knew that this was a post worth reading.

It's really awesome that his funeral was managed by the "Renner"-family.
I don't think its a coinsidence. Perhaps destiny.
btw, "renner" or "renners" - this is how they call race-cyclists in the Netherlands.

Anyway, I wonder what happend, meaning his last tweets. Sad. :eek:
Was he feared of doctors or hospitals ?
Problems with health-care system or procedures ?
I don't get it.
 
mewmewmew13

mewmewmew13

Aug 9, 2010
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Cobblestoned said:
RIP John

theswordsman.....I remember him. His nickname first caused a little fear, but he turned out to be a fine, fine man delivering informative and sometimes very emotional or honest posts.
Like a sword - sharp, but also fine art. When his avatar turned up, you knew that this was a post worth reading.

It's really awesome that his funeral was managed by the "Renner"-family.
I don't think its a coinsidence. Perhaps destiny.
btw, "renner" or "renners" - this is how they call race-cyclists in the Netherlands.

Anyway, I wonder what happend, meaning his last tweets. Sad. :eek:
Was he feared of doctors or hospitals ?
Problems with health-care system or procedures ?
I don't get it.
Click to expand...

I was thinking along those same lines...:confused: :(
 
B

Beech Mtn

Oct 6, 2009
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RIP to The Swordsman. I will miss his contributions to the forum and over twitter. I always looked forward to reading what he had to say, and I often felt that I had learned something from the information he presented. I hope that he has found peace, and that his family will too.

Cobblestoned said:
<snipped>

Anyway, I wonder what happend, meaning his last tweets. Sad. :eek:
Was he feared of doctors or hospitals ?
Problems with health-care system or procedures ?
I don't get it.
Click to expand...

mewmewmew13 said:
I was thinking along those same lines...:confused: :(
Click to expand...

The Swordsman had been unemployed for a fairly long time. It's my understanding that he lost his job at some point after suffering a car wreck and some lingering issues from that. He had written about himself as a 99-weeker probably a year or so before his untimely death. In the US, health insurance is generally tied to one's job, so John would have long since been out of health insurance. I would assume he was avoiding going to the hospital out of concerns about cost - it is very, very expensive to spend any time in a hospital without health insurance to help cover the cost.

We do have free clinics in many cities in the US that treat those with no/little money, and the emergency room at any hospital does have to treat those who are seriously ill regardless of their insurance status, but the care one gets is not always going to be the best. The system is just kind of a mess. I'm trying to avoid getting too much over into the politics thread, but for those of you from Europe reading the Swordsman's tweets and wondering why he didn't just see doctor - he would have had no insurance and no money to pay a giant medical bill. He was probably hoping the problem would resolve itself on its own. A lot of Americans avoid going to the doctor/hospital out of financial concerns, even people who have some form of health insurance. It's just a different system over here.
 
Berzin

Berzin

Aug 6, 2009
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R.I.P. to a fellow brother-in-arms.

We all have our different viewpoints about cycling and life, but I think it's is fair to say that regardless of opinion The Swordsman always brought dignity, class and intelligence to the proceedings.

I always enjoyed reading his posts. John J. Calliott, will be missed.

Beech Mtn-you are right about our health care system. There is no excuse for this country to treat health care as if it's a credit default swap to be manipulated by corporations out to make a buck at the expense of the most valuable commodity in the world-our health.

I really despise where our country is going politically.
 
A

Adamastor

Jul 8, 2010
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I'm not very good at this, but I will miss "l'homme à l'épée" in the Clinic. Sometimes threads there **** me off because so many of us cannot stay on topic. The swordman's posts were an exception end always informative, even if I didn't always agree with his views. Good luck in your new world
 
craig1985

craig1985

May 6, 2009
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One thing I liked about John is that he was always up to date and up to the minute when it came to posting news scoops. I remember after Landis confessed he said he had a google news search on Armstrong etc. so he would never miss anything.

I just hope my sig never has to get bigger.
 
B

bianchigirl

Mar 18, 2009
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So terribly sad to hear about the Swordsman - I didn't know him personally but he always struck me as a passionate, intelligent, informed man and I'll miss seeing his avatar and reading his ever interesting posts and tweets.

That he is asked to be remembered in random acts of kindness is entirely fitting. That the system failed him - and millions of others - at his moment of greatest need is deeply saddening.

RIP John
 
Stingray34

Stingray34

Feb 16, 2011
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Agree with others, theswordsman was a poster whose posts were obligatory reading.

Regards to his twitter feed, is there a link? I can't find it on google. What made them so heartbreakingly prescient? He knew he was ill?

I'm with Berzin...what becomes the USA?
 
mewmewmew13

mewmewmew13

Aug 9, 2010
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I happened to spot a photo yesterday and in the corner I caught a glimpse of the logo that 'the swordsman' used....
made me sad even though I never knew John..:(
I wish there had been someone around who could have helped him out..
 
pedaling squares

pedaling squares

Jul 23, 2009
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Berzin said:
We all have our different viewpoints about cycling and life, but I think it's is fair to say that regardless of opinion The Swordsman always brought dignity, class and intelligence to the proceedings.
Click to expand...

Adamastor said:
The swordman's posts were an exception end always informative, even if I didn't always agree with his views. Good luck in your new world
Click to expand...

Well put, you two. Exactly my sentiments.
 
A

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