GOODBYE, GONZO

The man who taught us that drugs and irresponsible handling of firearms are cool and that presidential candiates are all on drugs, Hunter Thompson, is dead at 67.

As a young politico and reader of Fear and Loathing: On the Campaign Trail 1972 (it's the book that I won over my wife with, go figure) and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, I cold never stop thinking back to Hunter's observation of the "high water mark" attained by the progressive movement, sometime just before Nixon's decisive rout of McGovern--especially in this era of W (g-d I thought we had hit neap tide on November 1, 2004). After all that man had lived through and subjected himself to, I can only think that the age of Bush was too much for him to stand. He was always ahead of the curve.

Here is his last column: Shotgun Golf With Bill Murray.

UPDATE**: Now the NYT is reporting HST was 65 at the time of his death. Denver Post is also reporting HST as 67.