Happy Birthday to the Good Doctor, Hunter S. Thompson

July 18th is the day we received the gift of the Good Doctor, Hunter S. Thompson. Hunter was a mad genius that could make anything his own. Hell, he took the revered profession of journalism and turned it into a drug and alcohol fueled roast of all the scumbags trying to ruin this great country of ours.

Whether it was Richard Nixon, George “The Man-child President” Bush or Disco, Hunter was not afraid to question, challenge or impeach anything he felt threatened the freedoms we all enjoyed.

He was flamboyant, charming, and brutally honest (even when he was lying or exaggerating).He was the living embodiment of Rock n Roll.  He was a rebel with a cause; not necessarily living outside the law, but rather carving out his own area within it and doing what he thought was just by any means necessary. He stood for truth, justice, and the pursuit of happiness; he was the guiding light in our twisted search for the American Dream.

Hunter has been called everything from a bastard to the greatest comedic writer since Mark Twain. No matter what side of the fence you fall on, today should not only be a celebration of the Good Doctor and his life, but a celebration of life in general!

And to get you in the proper mood for a good time, here are some great quotes from the man himself:

• “Yesterday's weirdness is tomorrow's reason why.”
  ― Hunter S. Thompson, The Curse of Lono
• “Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow! What a Ride!”
  ― Hunter S. Thompson, The Proud Highway: Saga of a Desperate Southern Gentleman, 1955-1967
• No sympathy for the devil; keep that in mind. Buy the ticket, take the ride… and if it occasionally gets a little heavier than what you had in mind, well… maybe chalk it off to forced conscious expansion: Tune in, freak out, get beaten. ― “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas“
• We are all alone, born alone, die alone, and — in spite of True Romance magazines — we shall all someday look back on our lives and see that, in spite of our company, we were alone the whole way. I do not say lonely — at least, not all the time — but essentially, and finally, alone.
• This is what makes your self-respect so important, and I don't see how you can respect yourself if you must look in the hearts and minds of others for your happiness. ― “The Proud Highway: Saga of a Desperate Southern Gentleman,” 1955-1967
• Every now and then when your life gets complicated and the weasels start closing in, the only cure is to load up on heinous chemicals and then drive like a bastard from Hollywood to Las Vegas… with the music at top volume and at least a pint of ether. ― “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas“
• “A man who procrastinates in his choosing will inevitably have his choice made for him by circumstance.”
  ― Hunter S. Thompson, The Proud Highway: Saga of a Desperate Southern Gentleman, 1955-1967