Hunter S Thompson

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I'd forgotten he was dead (he died in 2005).

My confusion arises because someone, somewhere, regularly tweets under is name.

These extracts from his books are really potent in tweet form and are also relevant again; Thompson was a critic of Nixon, so when I read "Jesus! Where will it end? How low do you have to stoop in this country to be President?" I assumed he was rallying against the incumbent President.

But Wikipedia shows that he is, indeed no longer with us. It's kind of spooky how peoples identities can be managed beyond the grave.

I liked this quote:

"And beneath his pessimism, his bleak conviction that all the machinery was rigged against him, at the bottom of his soul was a faith that he was going to outwit it, that by carefully watching the signs he was going to know when to dodge and be spared."

Post edited at 01:13
Removed User 26 Jul 2019
In reply to Phantom Disliker:

If you are interested in Hunter S Thompson you might find this Joe Rogan podcast with Timothy Denevi interesting. Denevi wrote a book called "Freak Kingdom: Hunter S. Thompson's Manic Ten-Year Crusade Against American Fascism."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfJUdYp-TPg&t=749s

 wercat 26 Jul 2019
In reply to Phantom Disliker:

Nixon's Presidency was far from all bad and I think he was far from all bad.  Watergate seemed to dominate a lot of 6th form discussions though!  The black-only sumary has always felt to me a bit like history being written by the Tudors.

Trump - can't see any redemption

 Thrudge 26 Jul 2019
In reply to Phantom Disliker:

I like the quotation from the evaluation written by his commanding officer in the US Air Force: "...the most savage and unnatural airman I have ever met".

BTW, for those who haven't read Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, give it a go, it's an absolute blast.  There's a line regarding their drug-addled stay in a hotel room that goes something like, "The next day, the room looked like we'd been conducting an experiment involving whisky and gorillas".

 toad 26 Jul 2019
In reply to Phantom Disliker:

Apparently you can air bnb his former compound and use his actual typewriter 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/books/2019/jul/12/gonzo-hu...

Post edited at 09:58
 Bob Kemp 26 Jul 2019
In reply to toad:

Complimentary stay-enhancers in every room? His dealer's cellphone number? Surely must be part of the deal...

 Hat Dude 26 Jul 2019
In reply to toad:

> Apparently you can air bnb his former compound and use his actual typewriter 

Do you get to check out on a rocket?

 aln 26 Jul 2019
In reply to Phantom Disliker:

Would Hunter be allowed these days? 

In reply to aln:

I don't know, it might be prudish of me but I don't approve of how he lived although maybe his writing wouldn't have been as captivating if he lived a more regular life.

Post edited at 12:49
 aln 26 Jul 2019
In reply to Phantom Disliker:

That's interesting. You don't approve of how he lived, but would you try to stop him doing it?

In reply to aln:

I suppose if he was a friend of mine, yes I would.

As a Liberal, I wouldn't.

Luckily this is a hypothetical question.

 aln 26 Jul 2019
In reply to Phantom Disliker:

Liberal? Surely liberal means being accepting of other people's lifestyle choices? 

In reply to aln:

That's exactly what I mean. In the words of Shaun Ryder - you're twisting my melon, man

 aln 26 Jul 2019
In reply to Phantom Disliker:

But you said you wouldn't accept him?

In reply to aln:

I said nothing of the sort.

 aln 26 Jul 2019
In reply to Phantom Disliker:

You didn't, sorry.

In reply to aln:

No worries

 BnB 27 Jul 2019
In reply to Phantom Disliker:

> I don't know, it might be prudish of me but I don't approve of how he lived although maybe his writing wouldn't have been as captivating if he lived a more regular life.

I strongly approve of the way Hunter S lived. This has only a little to do with the drug-taking and far more with his achievement of living life on his own terms. No one ever expected to tell him what to do and he made his fortune being different instead of following the herd. He used the system instead of it using him. He enriched our culture. He even left by his own hand. Respect.

 Paul Sagar 27 Jul 2019

Thompson’s obituary of Nixon is next level. 

“He was a giant in his way. As long as Nixon was politically alive -- and he was, all the way to the end -- we could always be sure of finding the enemy on the Low Road. There was no need to look anywhere else for the evil bastard. He had the fighting instincts of a badger trapped by hounds. The badger will roll over on its back and emit a smell of death, which confuses the dogs and lures them in for the traditional ripping and tearing action. But it is usually the badger who does the ripping and tearing. It is a beast that fights best on its back: rolling under the throat of the enemy and seizing it by the head with all four claws.“

Strongly recommended reading:

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1994/07/he-was-a-crook/308699/

Post edited at 17:31
 PaulTclimbing 27 Jul 2019
In reply to Phantom Disliker:

Alas, he did die and according to the obituary I read at the time (guardian or times), he was shot off in a giant firework rocket display. Maybe true.. Light the touch paper. DUDE - way to go!?!?


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