Back in the early days of my college career, I used to surf the political forums on Usenet. Hunter Thompson posted on many of them quite a bit, and it was a real joy to get to read his political musings hot off the fevered press. The popular myth of him masked a serious journalist with a whole lot of heart. I think he wanted it that way. Better to hide one’s light under a bushel. Charles Kuralt said that he and Hunter were friends since one night at a bar in Cuba when Hunter observed a man beating his dog outside the bar. Hunter beat the correct (two-legged) dog, and thus made a friend for life in Kuralt. I can’t help but admire him, for all his shortcomings. Jann Wenner’s book _Gonzo_ provides an excellent rendering of something like the non-mythic Hunter, warts and all. I highly recommend it.