...but not forgotten. Ever. A savage provider of insight, a vicious purveyor of wit. Equally at home expertly expounding on politics, football, society, the foibles of the individual egotist and the folly of the American Dream (it was called that, he said, because you'd have to be asleep to believe it).

the loss of such a brilliant and wickedly hilarious critical mind is hard enough in itself, but is compounded by the addition of ammunition to the Anti Evolution, Fun & Freedom Forces (Nancy Reagan Chapter); Hunter showed us that you could be a serious loadie, supposedly out of your fucking mind on shit - yet still be sharp as a tack and succesful in a highly competitive field. he partied harder than all the Kennedys and young Bushes put together yet still lived to a fairly ripe old age of 67. that his time ended by (apparently) his own hand will only play into their 'all (non-gov't-taxed...) drugs are bad' argument, and that's fairly tragic in itself, because its "truth" is extremely tenuous on a good day.

then again, perhaps HST was merely a secret CIA pawn to destroy the counter-culture: http://www.capital.net/~phuston/HSThompson.html

in later years, no, his was not the most graceful of lifestyles, but the sheer genius edge of his output will live on and on and on. i for one lament his passing, am glad he graced us with so much honesty and flair and humor, and wish him the best of luck in getting through the turnstiles of that great big Circus Circus in the sky. i haven't seen the toxicology report but still have a feeling he'll need it.

so long, Doc. thanks for everything.