I've never really been a gonzo kinda guy, but I am sort of pissed off. Douglas Brinkley edited the letters of my second cousin, Hunter S. Thompson, so I don't so much object to his becoming the public spokesman for cousin Hunter's estate. But he's been systematically ignoring me as the official family historian. I've got the family bible's record of his Grampa Thompson's birth sitting in my dining room.

Now, I see that Brinkley has announced that the public memorial service for cousin Hunter has been canceled in favor of a private memorial service on 20 August, six months after his suicide. Apparently, they still intend to blow cousin Hunter's ashes out of a cannon over the ranch out in Aspen. You'd think that they'd have sent me an invitation to attend this last chance to say farewell to cousin Hunter. But, no-o-o. Maybe it's just as well. I can't recall having met the old boy in life. Why should I expect to say farewell to him in death?

Ralph E. Luker - 5/27/2005

Nope. Cousin Hunter's ashes are to be fired off on 20 August. You can check the link up there now. I changed it to a story that is not behind a firewall.

Jonathan Dresner - 5/27/2005

...has died down already, I believe. I have a strong recollection that the scattering (a most vigorous scattering, indeed) has already been reported in the press. I could be wrong, though.