Gonzo Journalism at Its Weirdest

Bizarre craze behind smuggling of pills containing the powdered flesh of babies

2012-05-09T16:51:00.003-07:00

Published May 07, 2012

FoxNews.com

SEOUL, South Korea – South Korean authorities have seized thousands of pills containing the powdered flesh of fetuses and babies that were smuggled in from China to be used as Viagara-style performance enhancers, according to multiple reports.

Nearly 17,500 of the bizarre capsules have been grabbed from tourists' luggage and international mail since last August, the state-run Korea Customs service said in a statement Monday. The capsules were made in northeastern China in a stomach-turning process in which dead babies' bodies were chopped into small pieces and dried on stoves before being turned into powder, the Korea Customs Service said. Customs officials refused to say where the dead babies came from or who made the capsules, citing possible diplomatic friction with Beijing. China ordered an investigation into the production of drugs made from dead fetuses or newborns last year.

The pills, which are typically smuggled in by ethnic Koreans living in northern China, aren't just creepy, they contain "super bacteria" that is hazardous to human health, the statement said. South Korea began cracking down on the drugs last year after a television network aired a documentary accusing Chinese pharmaceutical companies of collaborating with abortion clinics to make the pills from human fetuses and the remains of dead infants, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Twisted myths about the medical powers of dead babies have long persisted in parts of China. Consumption of human placentas is believed to help revive blood supply and circulation, and many believe the fetus is a "tonic" for disease has kept the pills in demand, according to the China Daily. But the latest use of fetal tissue is as a sexual performance enhancer, according to a report in the Global Times, a tabloid published by the official People’s Daily.

Some among the approximately 35 smugglers who have been caught told customs officials they believed the capsules were ordinary stamina boosters and did not know the ingredients or manufacturing process. Ethnic Koreans from northeastern China who now live in South Korea were intending to use the capsules themselves or share them with other Korean-Chinese, a customs official said. They were carried in luggage or sent by international mail.

The South Korean customs announcement came weeks after Health Ministry regulators in China suspended sales of 13 drugs after finding they were encased in gelatin capsules that contained excessive levels of chromium. According to China’s state broadcaster, CCTV, the toxic drug capsules were believed to originate from factories in China’s coastal Zhejiang province and had been made using scraps of leftover leather.

Click for more on this story from The Wall Street Journal

Bigfoot trip leader forgets one thing, a park permit

2012-03-26T14:26:00.000-07:00

Post by Jeff Mayor / The News Tribune on March 23, 2012
The News Tribune

This story came from Buffalo National River in Arkansas. It’s a reminder to make sure you’ve got everything you need, especially when you’re hunting for Bigfoot.

On Feb. 24, National Park Service rangers received information from a concessionaire who reported that there were visitors in the park who were on a “Bigfoot hunting expedition.”

Rangers Billy Bell and Ben Henthorne proceeded to the Steel Creek Campground to investigate. After questioning numerous people associated with the group, they discovered that approximately 30 people had paid Matt Pruitt, who is affiliated with The Bigfoot Field Researcher’s Organization, to lead them on a hunt for the creature. Several participants said that they had paid $300 to $500 each to be lead on a three-day expedition.

Pruitt was cited for a violation of the regulation on engaging in a business without a permit or written agreement.

Brazilian city hires Batman to help fight crime

2012-03-09T14:24:00.000-08:00

MSN Now
March 9 2012

People who are looking for better jobs are always told to dress for the job that they want, not the one that they have. That tip worked for André Luiz Pinheiro, a retired soldier who used to dress as Batman and now has a job as...Batman. The police in the Brazilian city of Taubaté have hired Pinheiro to wear his Bat-costume as he helps them patrol one of their most dangerous neighborhoods.

According to the newspaper Ovale, the cops hope their caped coworker can "help to combat crimes such as murder and drug trafficking which have increased in Taubaté." Murder might be a tough assignment for an amateur crimefighter, but Pinheiro is ready. "I am eager to know how we can work together," he said.

Thieves walk off with giant boot

2012-03-07T15:12:00.000-08:00

KATHLEEN MERRYMAN; Staff writer
The News Tribune
Published: 03/06/12

Pacific Avenue’s giant boot has gone on a forced march into Tacoma’s netherworld of purloined icons.

The bronze Boy Scout, Humpty Dumpty, the Soul Salmon of Gateway Park and now Syd’s Boot have languished there with dozens of other small treasures over decades of thievery.

Humpty made that netherworld a vacation destination during his career as Never Never Land’s mascot. Sometimes, in the night, North Enders hear the eerie wail of the salmon, moaning its fate as a trophy that must remain hidden. The unfortunate Boy Scout hasn’t said much since evil thieves likely sold him as scrap metal.

But as for Syd’s Boot, there is evidence it might still be kicking around somewhere.

For some 30 years, it upheld medieval craft traditions, planted proudly on the sidewalk in front of Syd’s Shoe Repair at 4605 Pacific Ave.

In the neighborhood near Connie’s Donuts and Stewart Middle School, the message of the 4-foot-tall boot was plain: “Hey, if the cobbler in this shop can deal with me, he can fix whatever’s wrong with your shoes. Yes, the parking is inadequate, but the workmanship is worth a short walk. Just ask your feet.”

The boot didn’t mention that it had been crafted by a Russian immigrant named Sergei, a friend of shop owner Syd Aitchison. Aitchison had helped Sergei master American business practices and set up his own shoe repair shop in Bremerton. As a thank-you gift, Sergei made a wooden frame in the shape of a work boot, covered it in vinyl with leather accents, and mounted it on wheels.

It had its own footprint on the sidewalk in the old-fashioned, walkable business district. Eventually, it became a landmark for men and women who work on their feet and don’t jettison good shoes that still have some life in them.

A fairly pedestrian landmark, mind you. The owners took it for granted so much, they don’t even have a photo to remember it by.

The Aitchisons – Syd, his wife Frances and their shoe-repairing son, Gary – have earned loyal customers and grateful neighbors. After Syd died in 2003, Gary and Frances continued with the shop.

Gary repairs shoes for Nordstrom by day and fixes his own customers’ clogs, stilettos and hikers by evening. Frances runs the shop and charms the clientele, some of whom are from all over the state.

Susanne Marten of the Pacific Avenue Business District said the walk-ins are steady. Syd’s is a draw to the neighborhood and a great asset.

“They always have insight into what’s going on in their immediate area,” she said of Frances and Gary. “They understood the value of the business district and continue to contribute to it.”

“He’s a great neighbor,” said Zachary Hilmo, who works next door at Pacific Ave Auto Spa.

They’ve all had metal thefts, but Gary and Frances provide reliable eyes on the street by day. By night, however, the bad guys make off with everything that’s not chained down, and some stuff that is.

Frances remembers the day near the end of 2011 when a neighbor stopped in to say metal thieves had taken her free-standing advertising frames. Frances looked outside. The boot was gone, too.

Gary had mixed feelings. A member of the business district had spoken to him about the boot recently. Gary’s first impression of the conversation was that district members thought it was tacky. Thinking back now, he says, the person only suggested that he display it differently.

But at the time, he went with the first impression. He decided not to chase the boot, even when he got two phone calls from a woman saying it was rolling around the neighborhood at 76th Street and Golden Given Road.

“Oh no! No! Not at all!” Marten said Tuesday when she heard about Gary’s chat with the business district member.

“Oh no, no,” she said when she learned he’d ignored the calls and let the shoe drop. “I’m going over there to do a walk-around and see if I can find it.”

The shoe, she said, is a neighborhood emblem. If it still exists, she will bring it back. Because it’s always worth saving a shoe that’s a perfect fit.

Kathleen Merryman: 253-597-8677

kathleen.merryman@thenewstribune.com

Read more here: http://www.thenewstribune.com/2012/03/06/2055757/thieves-walk-off-with-giant-boot.html#storylink=cpy

American father shoots his daughter's laptop in YouTube hit

2012-02-19T15:11:00.000-08:00

The Telegraph
Sunday 19 February 2012

The clip, posted last week, has become a surprise hit, with millions viewing the footage of Tommy Jordan firing his gun into the computer.

Mr Jordan, from Albemarle, North Carolina, aired his feelings in the video. Sitting in a chair on an expansive stretch of grass, Mr Jordan is wearing jeans, a checked shirt and a wide-brimmed hat; a lit cigarette between his fingers.

Then he launches into his diatribe, quoting from his daughter's Facebook post, in which she told her parents "I'm not your damn slave," "I'm tired of picking up after you," and "You know how hard it is to keep up with the chores and schoolwork? It's freaking crazy."

Mr Jordan is clearly infuriated by his daughter's suggestion that she be paid for her chores and disturbed by her decision to go public with her criticism.

"You don't have to worry about buying a new laptop battery. You don't have to worry about buying a new power cord. You don't have to worry about buying a new camera. Because you won't be using any of them till probably college," he says in the video.

"I don't know how to say how disappointed I am in you and how disrespectful you were to every single adult in your life. But, kid, you've got it easy, way easy. It's about to get harder."

Rising from his chair and picking up the video camera, he settles the image on the laptop, set on a patch of dirt among the grass. He shows his .45-calibre gun for the camera, then fires nine rounds into the computer.

"I hope it was all worth this," he says to her.

The bizarre incident has touched a nerve with other parents tired of their children's attitudes. But it has also drawn a backlash from parents who believe the father is the one being childish.

"It represents a fantasy scenario for parents," said Anthony Rotolo, a professor who specialises in social media at Syracuse University in New York.

"Most parents would not respond in this manner ... but many parents have certainly felt unappreciated and imagined taking similar action."

Hunter S. Thompson’s Hangover Cure

2012-02-15T13:48:00.000-08:00

Playboy's published its entire correspondence with the late journalist Hunter S. Thompson, and while most of it's not quite as fascinatingly deranged as the various letters (and other documents) from Thompson that have surfaced over the years, the cache does contain this amazing hangover cure, undated and scrawled on the stationery of the Beverly Hills Hotel:

P.S. — inre: Oui's request for "my hangover cure" — it's 12 amyl nitrites (one box), in conjunction with as many beers as necessary.
OK H

Playboy doesn't say what request the letter is in reference to (Update: as commenter SidandFinancy points out, that "Q" is probably an "O," and Thompson is talking about Oui magazine), or what it's post-scripting. It's also sort of unclear to us that hair of the dog plus a dozen poppers will really cure a hangover. But it sounds a lot more fun than coffee and aspirin!

[Playboy; image of Hunter S. Thompson with Johnny Depp and Matt Dillon in 1996 via AP]

Gonzo journalism defined by its fans. Should it be emulated?

2010-11-28T15:26:00.000-08:00

Hunter S. Thompson Books

With the decline in popularity of newspapers I believe something should be done to shake up the way news is written. The problem with this is that some (if not a lot) journalists tend to play it safe with their writing for fear their editor will butcher their work. I’m not talking about the usual mundane 100 word articles about a fender-bender in the high street or a local Mayor caught with a mistress. I’m talking about feature articles that require a lengthy, investigative or research process.

This is something HST did best, he investigated to the point of becoming part of the story. He got to the juice of the story, hence the beginning of Gonzo journalism. Should it be emulated? I’m reluctant to give a yes or no answer.

Let me put it like this. Like regular people every journalist is his or her own person. They have their own personality, wit and opinions, although some argue opinions have no place in an journalists’ work. (The opinion factor is one of the prominent features in Hunter Thompson’s work.) Most journalists will only share their opinion if it tends to fall into line with popular opinion. Case in point- Marty Beckerman has no qualms about sharing his opinion be it popular or not, which is why a lot of folks consider him to be of the Gonzo journalist ilk. But he is no HST nor would he claim to be.

I would define a Gonzo journalist as an unpretentious writer who writes as he or she feels, or what he or she sees without thoughts of popularity, or fear of the editor’s delete button.

Looking back on this as I write it maybe I should have used the title Hunter S. Thompson: Should his writing style be emulated? The answer to that would be NO. For my money a Gonzo journalist is just a writer being themselves.

Below are the contributors to this topic. To get to their sites just click their names. Many thanks to all concerned for taking the time to share their thoughts and expertize.

Marty Beckerman. Author of Dumbocracy: Adventures with the Loony Left, the Rabid Right, and Other American Idiots. Generation S.L.U.T. (sexually liberated urban teens): A Brutal Feel-up Session with Today’s Sex-Crazed Adolescent Populace, and Death to All Cheerleaders: One Adolescent Journalist’s Cheerful Diatribe Against Teenage Plasticity. HST called him “a morbid little bastard.” He has written for Playboy, Discover, Reason, and many more. Click on his name above and get the full whack. You can see my review of his book Dumbocracy here. And buy it here.

William McKeen is the man behind my favorite HST biography, Outlaw Journalist. You can see my review of McKeen’s book and an interview I did with him here. McKeen first met Hunter in the 70s and has written two books about him. He’s one of the folks we can learn something from. You can buy his books here.

David S. Wills. Scholar, editor, writer, and publisher is currently writing a book about Hunter S. Thompson the man and his relation to Duke the fiend (David’s words) to see one of his many sites just click on his name.

Simone Corday. Spent time with Hunter during his time at The Mitchell Brothers O’Farrell Theater. She’ll give a unique perspective on the ins and outs of Gonzo Journalism. Always an interesting read from Simone. You can see my review of her book and interview here. You can buy Simone’s book here.

Peter Richardson. Author of A Bomb in Every Issue: How the Short, Unruly Life of Ramparts Magazine Changed America. He teaches California Culture at San Francisco State University. He also wrote American Prophet: The Life and Work of Carey McWilliams. He is also editorial director at PoliPointPress, which publishes trade books on politics and current affairs. See my Q+A and review of Peter’s book here. You can buy his book here.

Peter W. Knox. Gonzo Beat reporter at Washington College, Peter went to Woody Creek to cover Hunter’s “Blastoff service” for the premier issue of Five magazine . Peter also did his undergraduate thesis on the theme of The American Dream throughout the life and literature of Hunter S. Thompson.

So in no particular order. Enjoy.

“Buying the Ticket” by Simone Corday

Early in the warm, distant October when I started grad school in English, our fledgling pack met, trying to look our hippest. One veteran grad student in his late thirties stood out—he was dressed in nineteenth century working-class looking clothes, loose shirt and vest with a slouchy hat and beard–distinct from a hippie, back to-the-land look that would have blended in more at the time. Cold Mountain comes to mind, although this was long before Charles Frazier wrote it or it became a Hollywood distortion. When I asked why he was dressed that way, someone explained he was doing his dissertation on the poet Walt Whitman, and to get into the spirit, decided to dress like Whitman. Even in a more hang-loose era, this was eccentric, and his intense focus set him apart, too. Talk about emulating your favorite author. . . . I don’t know how his experiment panned out, but he was clearly committed. Did he get closer to the spirit of Whitman by trying on his style?

But who am I to point a finger? Fast-forward some years later, when Hunter Thompson was honorary night manager at the O’Farrell Theater and I was a stripper, I chose even more outlandish costumes: gorilla, shark, fencer, horse/cowboy, prom queen, the mayor of San Francisco. . . . “Your shows are so different from what she’s doing. From what everyone else is,” Hunter said, glancing at the dancer onstage posing in a negligee, “Why?”

I digress. We are talking about whether or not a genre of writing, gonzo journalism, should be emulated. And in looking into this, I was most curious about what Hunter’s own view would be. In Wayne Ewing’s documentary Breakfast with Hunter (2005), P.J. O’Rourke asks Hunter, “There have been a lot of kids out there for the past 25 years, trying to write like you. It’s always struck me that there are certain artists, Jackson Pollock is an example, that are absolute geniuses that it’s fatal to imitate.” Hunter answers, “Particularly if you imitate the style without the reality.”

Like it or not, we are each stuck in our own skin, with our own limitations and promise, as writers and otherwise. It’s impossible to escape our exposure to books we’ve read and techniques we have absorbed–but it’s a principle tested by time that to create original work it’s crucial to rely on our own experiences and perspective.

I am not a student of journalism, so I’ve been reading The Gang That Wouldn’t Write Straight by Mark Weingarten (2006), that gives a detailed view of how new journalism, and Hunter’s gonzo journalism, developed and were so innovative while the social history of the 60s and 70s evolved. And as I began to read, journalism as a topic expanded, and I came across so many intriguing books and side issues. I also found a cache of Hunter’s thoughts in Conversations with Hunter Thompson edited by Beef Torrey and Kevin Simonson (2008). But after all this exposure, emulating gonzo journalism seems as complex as reading it is fun.

Hunter didn’t identify with new journalism: “Wolfe and Talese go back and recreate stories that have already happened, where I like to get right in the middle of whatever I’m writing about—as personally involved as possible.” In sending Tom Wolfe the first part of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Hunter wrote to him, “What I was trying to get at in [this] was the mind warp/photo technique of instant journalism: One draft, written on the spot and basically unrevised, edited, chopped, larded, etc. for publication.” quoted in William McKeen’s Outlaw Journalist: The Life and Times of Hunter S. Thompson (2008).

But the technique sounds deceptively simple: “All you have to do is drink a little whiskey, smoke a joint, eat some acid, and you too can write like this! . . . That’s as stupid as it sounds.” HST quoted in “Man of Action: Hunter S. Thompson Keeps Moving,” by Jesse Jarnow, from Relix (2003), in Conversations with Hunter Thompson.

For those new to Hunter, the Las Vegas book started in March 1971, with his infamous drug-fueled trip with Oscar Acosta to cover the Mint 400 motorcycle race, and a second trip to cover a convention on drug abuse. Much of the writing took place that summer, when Hunter wrote for 12-hour stints at Owl Farm. After Las Vegas became a hit, and Hunter’s gonzo reputation was secured, he rarely did rewriting.

Originality and talent are great gifts, but Hunter had augmented his with keen instincts, boldness, experience, hard work—by the time he developed gonzo, he had been a working writer for ten years. “It took me about two years of work to be able to bring the drug experience back and put it on paper. . . . to retain that and to do it right. One of the hardest things I ever had to do in writing. That’s what Vegas is about–about the altered perceptions of the characters. It’s the bedrock of the book,” Hunter explained to P.J. O’Rourke in Breakfast with Hunter.

Douglas Brinkley asked Hunter,” Almost without exception writers we’ve interviewed over the years admit they cannot write under the influence of booze or drugs—or at the least what they’ve done has to be rewritten in the cool of the day. What’s your comment about this?” Thompson: “They lie. Or maybe you’ve been interviewing a very narrow spectrum of writers. . . . Did you interview Coleridge? Did you interview Poe? Or Scott Fitzgerald? Or Mark Twain? Or Fred Exley? Did Faulkner tell you that what he was drinking all the time was really iced tea, not whiskey? Please. Who the fuck do you think wrote the Book of Revelation? A bunch of stone-sober clerics?” (quotes from “The Art of Journalism: An Interview with Hunter S. Thompson,” by Douglas Brinkley, from The Paris Review (2000), in Conversations with Hunter Thompson.

Although drugs enhanced Hunter’s perceptions and were part of his gonzo reputation, when it came to writing he acknowledged being straighter. In a 1974 Playboy interview, Craig Vetter asks, “When you actually sit down to start writing, can you use drugs like mushrooms or other psychedelics?” “No. It’s impossible to write with anything like that in my head,” Hunter answers. “Wild Turkey and tobacco are the only drugs I use regularly when I write. But, I tend to work at night, so when the wheels slow down, I occasionally indulge in a little speed—which I deplore and do not advocate—but you know, when the car runs out of gas, you have to use something. The only drug I really count on is adrenaline. I’m basically an adrenaline junkie. I’m addicted to the rush of the stuff in my own blood, and of all the drugs I’ve ever used, I think it’s the most powerful.” also in Conversations with Hunter Thompson.

A few years ago, in a long glass case, the San Francisco Public Library exhibited the scroll of the text of Jack Kerouac’s On The Road. The scroll is 120 feet long, but in the case at least twelve readable feet sprawled before me—this roll of taped sheets the writer fed through a typewriter since the story was spilling from his mind so fast. When I leaned closer, On the Road was there in its magnificence, plus extra material, some different word choices—this stream of consciousness masterpiece had clearly been through some revision, more than one previous draft.

Kerouac scholar Paul Marion said: “Kerouac cultivated this myth that he was this spontaneous prose man, and that everything that he ever put down was never changed, and that’s not true. He was really a supreme craftsman, and devoted to writing and the writing process. . . . In truth, Kerouac heavily reworked On the Road — first in his head, then in his journals between 1947 and 1949, and then again on his typewriter.” Between 1951 and 1957, Kerouac reshaped as many as six drafts, desperate to get his work published. But when television host Steve Allen asked how long it had taken him to write On the Road, Kerouac answered “Three weeks.” (Quotes from “Jack Kerouac’s Famous Scroll, ‘On the Road’ Again,” by Andrea Shea, on NPR’s “All Things Considered,” July 5, 2007)

“Jack Kerouac influenced me quite a bit as a writer,“ said Hunter. “. . . Kerouac taught me that you could get away with writing about drugs and get published. It was possible. . . . I wasn’t trying to write like him, but I could see that I could get published like him and make the breakthrough, break through the eastern establishment ice. That’s the same way I felt about Hemingway when I first learned about him and his writing. I thought, Jesus, some people can do this.” (quotes from Douglas Brinkley, in Conversations with Hunter Thompson.)

The world has turned. Now media and journalism are in flux, with social media and “citizen journalists” playing a part. New technology has added an immediacy and a broad range of input, while newspapers struggle and diminish. We have moved beyond even the new new journalism, it seems. Now that there are fewer newspapers and fewer journalists employed to report on corruption, it is expanding into a cesspool. We need journalists who are skilled at investigation, as well as journalists who master narrative and are developing new techniques. Let us hope they also possess respect for the truth and a sense of ethics. Muckraking can be a masterful tool for social reform, while propaganda can cover up evil-doing, usually by the rich and powerful.

How would Hunter want to influence aspiring writers? He was asked:
“If you found yourself teaching a journalism course—Dr. Thompson’s Journalism 101—what would you tell students who were looking to go about covering stories?” HST: “You offering me a job? Shit. Well, I wouldn’t do it, I guess. It’s not important to me that I teach journalism classes.

“But if you did, what would your reading list be?

HST: “Oh, I’d start off with Henry Fielding. I would read writers. You know, I would read Conrad, Hemingway, people who use words. That’s really what it’s about. It’s about using words to achieve an end. And the Book of Revelation. I still read the Book of Revelation when I need to get cranked up about language. I would teach Harrison Salisbury of the New York Times. All the journalists who are known, really, have been that way because they were subjective. . . . I think the trick is that you have to use words well enough so that these nickle-and-dimers who come around bitching about being objective or the advertisers don’t like it are rendered helpless by the fact that it’s good. That’s the way people have triumphed over conventional wisdom in journalism.”
—from “Writing on the Wall: An Interview with Hunter S. Thompson,” by Matthew Hahn, in the Atlantic Online (1997), in Conversations with Hunter Thompson.

While becoming part of the story can get you to the heart of some substantial material, drugs and liquor in themselves aren’t inspirational. Hunter’s process and mystique won’t necessarily unlock creativity for other writers. His gonzo journalism can’t be pinned down—it retains mystery and power. The world doesn’t need would-be Hunters posing with cigarette holders and glasses of Chivas, mimicking Hunter’s exterior style. What is truly needed? Originality; talent; timely, well-chosen material; insight; ethics; and a power of expression in synch with our new time of challenges and unpredictability.

I—Copyright 2010 by Simone Corday

Simone Corday is the author of 9 ½ Years Behind the Green Door, A Memoir: A Mitchell Brothers Stripper Remembers Her Lover Artie Mitchell, Hunter S. Thompson, and the Killing That Rocked San Francisco

William McKeen

Gonzo: May it Unrest in Peace

It’s not hard for me to recall my life as a college freshman. When I was a young and impressionable writer, I fell under the spell of Hunter S. Thompson.

It was the early 1970s and after reading Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and his presidential campaign coverage in Rolling Stone, I became a committed fan.

I worked for a small daily newspaper in the Midwest then, and we passed around the newsroom a tattered and disintegrating Fear and Loathing paperback and spoke of it as Holy Writ.

I once tried to write like him. I went to Naked City, Indiana, one of the Midwest’s largest nudist colonies, to cover the Mister and Miss Nude America contests.

It was a disturbing and weird day, ripe for the gonzo-journalism treatment, with pantsless grannies and nudist master sergeants weary of the voyeuristic mobs that came to watch strippers strut and body builders romp naked.

But after two long Saturdays struggling with the story, I came to this important conclusion: only one person could write like Hunter S. Thompson. And it wasn’t me.

As I said, I was young (17) and impressionable. I’m glad I figured that out then, rather than wasting a few years of this short life imitating someone else.

Since becoming a teacher, I’ve faced the same problem from the other side of the table. Young people, enamored of Thompson (or Vonnegut or Foster Wallace or Didion . . . fill in the blank) say they want to write like their hero. “You want to write gonzo?” I ask the Thompson fans. “Sure, go right ahead.” When they fail miserably, I tell them, “See, only one person could write like that and he’s dead.” Pause. “But only one person can write like you.”

Hunter S. Thompson may be the best friend a writing teacher can have. He gives us an example of writing with wit, grace and a unique style. And those who try to imitate that style soon learn how much work went into creation of those masterpieces of non-fiction writing. Through trying and failing to write gonzo, students learn how to unmask their own (pardon the redundancy) style.

So don’t write gonzo. Write what you write.

In another context and speaking of another great artist, Johnny Cash once wrote this:

There are those who do not imitate,
Who cannot imitate
But then there are those who emulate
At times, to expand further the light
Of an original glow.
Knowing that to imitate the living
Is mockery
And to imitate the dead
Is robbery
There are those
Who are beings complete unto themselves
Whole, undaunted, — a source
As leaves of grass, as stars
As mountains, alike, alike, alike,
Yet unalike
Each is complete and contained
And as each unalike star shines
Each ray of light is forever gone
To leave way for a new ray

Johnny was writing about Bob Dylan for the liner notes for Nashville Skyline, but these words might just as well have been written about Hunter.

Peter Richardson

Gonzo is usually considered a species of New Journalism, which grafted literary techniques (first-person narration,dialogue, etc.) onto the usual conventions of magazine reporting. The taxonomy is good as far as it goes, but it masks some important distinctions among practitioners. Joan Didion and Tom Wolfe never visited Planet Gonzo, for example, and though Hunter Thompson would probably appreciate the comparison to Norman Mailer, the labels take us only so far.

What distinguishes Thompson’s writing at its best is the tension between the experiences he describes–savage is a favorite adjective–and the extraordinary control and precision of his prose. Those little sentence-level decisions create devastating and sometimes hilarious effects. When combined with the unique persona Thompson created, through which the world reveals its perverse meaning, this style precludes imitation. Only a fool would try to emulate it for any purpose besides satire.

Which isn’t to say that Thompson has no progeny. The first place to look is Thompson’s old stomping ground, Rolling Stone magazine. Having hired Thompson after the decline of Scanlan’s, which first matched Thompson with illustrator Ralph Steadman, Jann Wenner is now publishing Matt Taibbi, whose work invites comparison with Thompson’s.

Like Thompson, Taibbi is profane, outlandish, scornful, and funny. He covers politics but also writes about sports, and he makes no pretense of objectivity, at least in the now discredited sense of reflexively seeking out an opposing perspective, no matter how absurd. He also has Thompson’s ability to penetrate and dismiss the bullshit that permeates our political discourse. A major difference is that he hasn’t created a literary character called Matt Taibbi, which is probably wise. This should keep him out of Doonesbury, at least for now, and it allows him to focus more on the scandal at hand. His analysis of Goldman Sachs and the health care debate, for example, can’t be dismissed as the ravings of a celebrity provocateur.
Privately, Thompson complained about writing for a magazine preoccupied with what the Jackson Five had for breakfast. Taibbi could probably say the same thing, perhaps substituting the Jonas Brothers. But you have to hand it to him–and Rolling Stone. They’re doing some of the most interesting and hard-hitting political journalism in the country, and the gonzo parallels are irrefutable. If this is emulation, I say bring it on.

David S. Wills

“Gonzo” is an annoying word. I happen to have it tattooed on my left arm as a tribute to everything I consider as itsdefinition, but that definition varies wildly from person to person. It’s one of those strange words that mean everything and nothing; it even exists in multiple languages, meaning strength, stupidity and drunken courage.

Gonzo Journalism thus logically takes its cue from these meanings. It means something weird and different, and maybe even dangerous. Gonzo Journalism is by some definitions the sum of the parts of its creator, Hunter S. Thompson: integrity, suspicion, talent, madness, intoxication, and much more.

I would argue, however, that Gonzo Journalism is a one man genre. It can be emulated, and it should be emulated, but it will never be repeated. Gonzo Journalism was born with, and died with, Hunter S. Thompson.

The problem is Gonzo Journalism was so unique to Thompson that any piece of writing that incorporates more than one or two its features ends up looking like a parody. Thompson so deftly marked his own literary territory that no writer since has been able to write anything “Gonzo” without looking like a thief.

Marty Beckerman

HST is one of those authors—like Bret Easton Ellis, Stephen King, Dave Barry and Charles Bukowski—whom amateurs cannot resist emulating. (I know because I have emulated all of them.) Fittingly enough Thompson owed much to Hemingway early in his career, a natural part of the process, but nobody loves Thompson’s writing because “it’s just like Hemingway!” With the Kentucky Derby article and especially Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Thompson stopped aspiring to the title of The Next _____ _______ (Faulkner/Fitzgerald/etc.) and instantaneously evolved into The First Hunter Thompson.

People who dream of glory as The Next Hunter Thompson are missing the point, kind of like how right-wingers impose fascism to defend freedom, or how teenage nonconformists all dress exactly the same and slash their wrists with the exact same corporation-manufactured razorblades while listening to the exact same moody songs, those whiny f*****g pussies.

All writers have influences, and you can learn a lot from your heroes. (Thompson evoked Hemingway, Hemingway evoked Twain, Twain evoked Shakespeare, Shakespeare evoked Homer, Homer evoked Ray Charles, etc.) The problem is that readers can tell when you imitate another writer’s voice, even if they have never read the original. They might not know enough to say “this sounds like _____ ______ ,” but they inherently know “this does not sound like you.” When you put 100% of yourself into your work—which requires unique life experiences, most likely unpleasant ones—the readership automatically recognizes the birth of an original voice, and that is why people will love you, not because you copied (excuse me, “gave tribute to”) another guy’s mannerisms and catchphrases and techniques and opinions.

If you covet the crown to the gonzo kingdom, your writing will suffer from an inherent and malignant dishonesty. If you really want to emulate the great writers, then deliver the truth in your own way. The footsteps of giants can lead us to the mountain, but we must reach the pinnacle ourselves. Mahalo.

Peter W. Knox

The photo below by Peter W. Knox. The portraits of eight great writers line the black tent containing HST’s blast-off August 2005 funeral. For more of Peter’s great photos see here.

The son of a librarian, Hunter S. Thompson found himself surrounded by books at a very young age and would keep those influential writers close to him throughout his life, as eventually the portraits of F. Scott Fitzgerald, Samuel Coleridge, Joseph Conrad, William Faulkner, John Steinbeck, Henry Miller, Mark Twain, and Ernest Hemingway would hang along the entrance of the tent to his incredibly gonzo funeral.

Thompson was fond of saying “He that is taught only by himself has a fool for a master,” and served as living proof. Long before Thompson successfully developed his own (now infamous) style, he would copy The Great Gatsby word for word (among others) to better integrate Fitzgerald’s rhythms into his own (and to experience, he admitted, just how it would feel to write something that great). Thompson was a well-studied scholar and never stopped reading, admiring, and pondering the greats that paved the way for him to join them.

While Thompson certainly labored over the texts of these literary greats, he harbored no delusions of emulating them. He wanted to write, as they had, the Great American Novel and wanted their fame, but not necessarily to take their style. Instead, like any to-become-great writer, Thompson wrote non-stop for years, taking what he appreciated from each and rolled them into his own style, born of necessity, deadlines, chemicals, and yes, fear and loathing. Look hard enough at any of his work and you will see its inherited literary DNA, but pull back and the piece as a whole becomes its own animal, one the likes of Library of Congress had never seen, and some say, never will again.

I stood outside Owl Farm’s security patrolled wooden fences that hot August day and could see just far enough into the large black tent containing the funeral party to see the start of the black and white portraits eager to welcome Thompson to join their ranks in the great library in the sky. As whiskey bottles got passed around the other outcasts, this very debate was taking place. Among a group of such loyal admirers and gonzo enthusiasts, there was not one of us that wasn’t guilty of several cheap attempts to channel the Good Doctor into our own writing, just as every late 90s guitarist cops to playing a few bars of Nirvana when they first started playing, and the ‘Gonzo Beat’ was currently working out for several Thompson fans present, myself included.

If imitation is indeed the highest form of flattery, there was more than enough smoke to blow Thompson’s ass out of the cannon that night, as the bottles were drained and the boasting grew louder to challenge the Japanese drummers counting down the fireworks. But as the opening chords of Dylan’s “Mr. Tambourine Man” began to echo across the Woody Creek valley following the colorful and loud explosions of the blast-off, a quiet reverence, and with that a humble sense of loss and enlightenment, settled in the fields.

The question of whether Thompson’s writing style, ‘Gonzo’ or otherwise, should be reproduced, emulated, copied, or even attempted no longer mattered. He was gone, like the greats before him, and try hard as we might, fan writing won’t come close to replicating that magic. As the ashes mixed with the Aspen dirt, so must those writers influenced by Thompson take from his style what speaks strongest to them and make it their own—tis far better to learn from many masters than just one.

Nabbed! Man boards flight in 'elderly' disguise

2010-11-05T12:20:00.000-07:00

Officials probe 'unbelievable case of concealment' on Canada-bound jetliner

msnbc.com staff and news service reports
Nov. 5 2010

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — A young Asian man who boarded an Air Canada flight elaborately disguised as an elderly white male was intercepted after emerging from a toilet mid-flight without his silicone mask, according to reports.

Officials were notified of a "possible imposter" on an Air Canada flight originating from Hong Kong on Oct. 29. After arriving in Vancouver, the man was escorted off the flight and he subsequently made a claim for refugee protection.

According to an intelligence alert issued by the Canada Border Services Agency, officers later recovered a "disguise kit" — which included "a silicone-type head and neck mask of an elderly Caucasian male, a brown leather cap, glasses and a thin brown cardigan."

The statement described the case as an "unbelievable case of concealment."
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"The passenger in question was observed at the beginning of the flight to be an elderly Caucasian male who appeared to have young looking hands," the bulletin added. "During the flight the subject attended the washroom and emerged an Asian male that appeared to be in his early 20s."

After being detained at the airport, officials asked the passenger to put on the clothing and mask found in one of three pieces of luggage linked to him.

"The subject donned the 'disguise' for Border Services Officers and they noted that he very much resembled an elderly Caucasian man, complete with mimicking the movements of an elderly person," the alert added. "The subject admitted at this time that he had boarded the flight with the mask on and had removed it several hours later."

The statement said the young Asian man had swapped boarding passes with a 55-year-old U.S. citizen before getting on the plane. He had later used a frequent flier card as ID to board the flight, the alert added.

"As neither boarding passes nor Aeroplan (frequent flier) cards reflect dates of birth, it may not have been very difficult for the very elderly looking imposter to present himself as a 55-year-old man," the bulletin said.

Chris McCluskey, a spokesman for Public Safety Minister Vic Toews, said a man is in detention and the matter is before Canada's Immigration and Refugee Board. A spokeswoman for the Immigration and Refugee Board declined comment.

Air Canada also confirmed a passenger on board flight AC018 had been met by border services officials in Vancouver.

"It should be noted that there are multiple identity checks before departure at the Hong Kong international airport, including Chinese government-run Hong Kong passport control, which Hong Kong originating passengers must undergo," Air Canada spokeswoman Angela Mah said.

John Babcock, a spokesman for Canada's Transport Minister, declined to release details but said airlines have the responsibility to verify the identity of all passengers who appear to be 18 years of age or older.

"That means air carriers are supposed to look at a passenger's entire face to determine if they appear to be over 18 and if so, compare their physical appearance with their travel documents," Babcock said.

The security bulletin was originally obtained by CNN.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Hunter S. Thompson: His Final Hours

2010-09-17T14:20:00.000-07:00

DVD Verdict Review

Judge Gordon Sullivan rather likes fear and loathing, thank you.

"These are psychological detective stories attempting to uncover the mystery of why a celebrity died."

Hunter Stockton Thompson, the doomed poet of gonzo journalism, took his own life with a pistol on February 20, 2005. Despite decades of hard living, what ultimately did him in was the constant pain and limited mobility caused by two different hip surgeries and a poorly healed broken leg. He did not end, as many expected, by driving his famous red convertible off a sheer cliff, nor did he overdose on some newly discovered narcotic. No, the famous writer died alone in his study, his son and grandson just rooms away, and that final pistol shot fit like the last piece in the puzzle of Hunter S. Thompson's life. Despite the lack of a truly sensational story, the Final 24 series decided to take a look at the last day of Thompson's life, combining re-enactment footage with interviews of those who knew him. The result is an odd document, the corpse of Thompson's genius revived to sell DVDs, but even Thompson's reanimated self has something to offer longtime fans.

Because Hunter S. Thompson: His Final Hours is such a strange film, I'm going to break down my review by probable audience:

• The Ignorant. If you've never heard of Hunter S. Thompson before, this documentary will do very little to convince you of his genius or his import. His writing is featured only fitfully, and those who comment on his importance do so with the assumption that everyone knows why Hunter is famous, so there's not much hard evidence.

• The Initiate. If you're one of those who has just inherited a worn paperback of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and Hunter S. Thompson's drug-fueled tale of decadence and depravity has changed your life utterly, then this is a surprisingly good place to start. Although much of the talking-head stuff might seem opaque without deeper knowledge of his other books, this documentary does a very effective job presenting Thompson's biography, from his upbringing in Louisville, through his rides with bikers and presidents, to his eventual decline and death. It largely skips over his military service, and like most documentaries wants to pretend that nothing of interest happened to the writer between 1982 and 2002, but for a 50-minute feature this is understandable. The show itself intercuts between Thompson's final 24 hours and his past, including interviews from relevant individuals in those time periods, including Hunter's first wife, and some of his editors at Rolling Stone.

• The Casual Fan. Honestly, if you own a couple of HST's books, like Fear and Loathing and The Great Shark Hunt and have done any reading at all of his numerous biographies, or even the eulogizes published after his death, then the small bits of new info contained here probably aren't going to be worth your time. This is a pretty straightforward rehash of the usual biographical details, but without as many of the famous commentators other documentaries have dug up. It's hard, as a casual fan, to lend credence to a documentary on Thompson that features no input from Ralph Steadman, Jann Wenner, Juan Thompson, Anita Thompson, Douglas Brinkley, etc. I'm not saying that all of those individuals are shining examples of journalistic integrity and would ensure the accuracy of the film. Rather, they are the major figures in Thompson's story, and their absence, to the casual fan, might appear suspicious.

• The Geek. You're like me, and you've got all of Thompson's books, the numerous biographies, all the documentaries, and you celebrate every February 20th with a glass of Wild Turkey in Hunter's honor. For you, this is probably worth at least a rental. While none of the biographical stuff will be new, this is the first time I recall anyone getting such an extended response from Hunter's first wife Sandy on living with her husband during those years. In fact, I almost wish the entire documentary had instead been one long interview with her. The input from Rolling Stone editors is also likely to be interesting to hardcore fans, even if the stories they relate aren't surprising.

Now, on to the bad: this series is obviously trying to be sensational, and the most sensational aspect is obviously the use of re-enactments. I'm not entirely against the use of re-enactments, but the gentleman who plays the older Hunter looks like somebody's pedophile uncle when he's dressed in Thompson's costume, he has none of Thompson's energy, and he mumbles poorly. The attempts to recreate Fear and Loathing look like a bad film-school ripoff of Terry Gilliam's fantastic film of the book. Together, these re-enactments give the film a sleezy air, like robbing Thompson's grave to sell his bones. This isn't helped by the kind of "eh" looking video on this disc. It has a very smooth, shallow look to it, although there are no compression artifacts worth mentioning. The audio is a stereo track, keeping the dialogue and music balanced with ease. There are no extras on the disc.

Ironically, when Hunter S. Thompson took control of his life (and death) by shooting himself, he finally lost control completely of his image. Although the process had started with the Doonesbury strips decades ago, only after his death were the vultures allowed to circle and rip the flesh from his literary body. Some of the post-death cash-in attempts seem to be animated by a genuine desire for Thompson's spirit to live on, while others—like this Final 24 documentary—look like a straight cash grab. Although there are reasons for some fans to see this DVD, it will likely leave viewers with a bitter taste.

It's not my place to pass judgment on Thompson's suicide, but the jury is hung in the case against His Final Hours.

IFJ Condemns Murder of Journalist in Rwanda

2010-07-09T18:55:00.001-07:00

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today strongly condemned the killing of Jean Léonard Rugambage, journalist of the independent newspaper UMUVUGIZI suspended in Rwanda, who was shot dead on 24 to 25 June, 2010 in front of his residence in Kigali, capital of Rwanda.

“We are deeply shocked by this dreadful crime committed by cowards, whose only goal is to intimidate the journalists in order to hide the truth,” said Gabriel Baglo, Director of IFJ Africa Office. “We firmly condemn this murder which should not remain unpunished and urge the authorities to quickly launch a thorough investigation to track down and punish the perpetrators,” he added.

Jean Léonard Rugambage, also known as Sherif, was killed in the night of Thursday 24 to Friday 25 June, 2010 around 11 p.m. local time, by unidentified armed men who coldly shot him dead in front of his residence as he was returning home.

According to local sources, the journalist whose newspaper was recently suspended by the High Council for Media for “incitement to hatred and revolt” was investigation a story to be published in another independent newspaper in which he was highly critical of the government.

The assassination of the journalist occurred one month before the presidential elections and in a context of rising political tension.

IFJ calls on Rwandan authorities to investigate, identify, arrest and punish severely the murderers. It further demands that all political forces respect the freedom and the independence of journalists, particularly in this electoral period.

For more information, contact +221 33 867 95 87
The IFJ represents over 600,000 journalists in 125 countries worldwide

Cavan's going Gonzo!

2010-02-03T19:57:00.000-08:00

The Anglo-Celt
Feb 3 2010
By Sinead Hogan

"Cavan needs a new space to give new ideas a voice," says Philip Doherty of Gonzo Theatre, which will open in the loft of the Imperial bar and nightclub on Cavan's Main Street next Wednesday. "Young people need something to do other than go to the pub or the cinema, or watch Cavan play in Breffni Park (which is depressing!)."

Philip tells how the theatre takes its name from the style of subjective journalism, which often includes the reporter as part of the story. The word 'gonzo' is broadly accepted as having been first used in connection with Hunter S. Thompson by Boston Globe magazine editor Bill Cardoso in 1970. Cardoso wrote of Thompson's "pure gonzo journalism", "gonzo" being South Boston Irish slang describing the last man standing after an all-night drinking marathon.

Philip lists a thesaurus of associations with the name of the new performance space: bizarre, crazy, eccentric, weird, non-conformist, hyperactive, off-beat and left-of-centre are among them. Gonzo Theatre is a new independent theatre, which Philip describes as "a dedicated space for theatre, comedy and music in keeping with the 'gonzo' ethos".

Sick of talk of recession, lack of funding and so on, Philip approached the owner, Donal Keogan, with a view to starting up the theatre in the loft of the night-club where Philip first performed his award-winning play Mysterious Ways last summer.

Now a 90-seater venue, the loft has been fully renovated and boasts a newly built stage, air-conditioning system, raised seating, lighting and a sound system. There are plans to develop the loft space further over the coming year.

See full story on page 6 of print edition.

Gonzo students

2010-01-21T17:22:00.001-08:00

Commenter sUNEEL drew my attention to London Student, the "gonzo jounalism website" (his description) he edits. Here's a fragment of its content:

Sam, the peroxide blonde, with ice blue eyes under bangs, is an experiment in hilarity. As we slowly ascend the three staircases to the interview room, she tells me about herself, a lot about herself, actually. She's from Melbourne and has spent a lot of time working around in odd jobs. She wants this job to make a quick buck and then head off back to Oz, or LA which is like her favourite place, her being a rock chick and all. She really has an LA look, what with the headband. She tells me she has a short skirt that she's bought from American Apparel and I tell her my boxer shorts are from there too and I'm like the biggest fan of the store ever, even though I'd never heard of it before seeing the job advert. She laughs weirdly.

I like it. There's more. And then there's more and more and more...

Gonzo Journalism

2009-11-14T14:33:00.000-08:00

Journal "Ism" genre associated with Hunter S Thompson

aka [New Journalism]? (term associated more with Tom Wolfe)

...is a highly subjective and extremely personal form of reporting...Gonzo is really an Italian word for absurdities - "gonzagas".

A rambling rolling style of writing that sucks in the audience and makes the reader feel as if he or she is actually experiencing the action.

Thompson's writing technique requires hands on experience. He lives what he writes. The technique compares to the acting technique known as [Method Acting]... The beating is unfortunate, but Thompson could not cover the story of the Hell's Angels without becoming personally involved. He never lies to the Angels about being a reporter, and they seem to respect him for his honesty; although the Angels hate reporters for all the bad press they receive. He tries to avoid conflict by blending in with the group and living their lifestyle. He becomes like a fly on the wall Observ Ing everything, but not interfering. The style allows Thompson to do something unheard of previously, report truthfully about the Hell's Angels.

Thompson wrote The only thing I ever saw that came close to Objective Journalism was a closed-circuit TV (CCTV) setup that watched shoplifters in the General Store at Woody Creek, Colorado.... So much for Objective Journalism. Don't bother to look for it here - not under any byline of mine; or anyone else I can think of. With the possible exception of things like box scores, race results, and stock market quotations, there is no such thing as Objective Journal Ism. The phrase itself is a pompous contradiction in terms.

Some people will say that words like scum and rotten are wrong for Objective Journalism - which is true, but they miss the point. It was the built-in blind spots of the Objective rules and dogma that allowed Nixon to slither into the White House in the first place. He looked so good on paper that you could almost vote for him sight unseen. He seemed so all-American, so much like Horatio Alger, that he was able to slip through the cracks of Objective Journalism. You had to get Subjective to see Nixon clearly, and the shock of recognition was often painful.

Crazy man in peroxide jetpack makes Guinness World Record attempt

2009-11-12T13:42:00.000-08:00

By Tim Stevens
May 15th 2009
engadget

Scotland's Knockhill Racing Circuit is a little too small for setting land-based speed records, but there's apparently plenty of room above it for some airborne attempts. It was the site of a new Guinness World Record attempt for the fastest man in a jetpack, with pilot Eric Scott scoring a maximum speed of 68mph, verified by a police radar gun. His propulsion is basically the same hydrogen peroxide-based tech that enabled Bond to make a daring escape in Thunderball in the '60s, which sadly still means 30 - 40 seconds maximum flying time -- faster, but a little less impressive than the 30+ miles offered by the competition. It's now up to the officials at Guinness to decide whether the record is worthy of inclusion, but you can watch the video and decide for yourself.

Inside the ASPCA ER: Dog Ingests Toxic Pennies and Survives

2009-11-06T13:02:00.000-08:00

From the ASPCA Newsletter
November 6, 2009

On September 29, when Keiver Guacane of Manhattan brought his five-month-old Cockapoo, Gordo, to ASPCA Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital, his beloved pup was in dire straits. The fuzzy, light-brown pooch was in critical condition, suffering from severe anemia and dangerously low blood pressure. ASPCA veterinarian Dr. Geruza Paiva examined Gordo, and immediately suspected the cause of the pup’s distress. “She was worried he may have eaten coins because he had hemolytic anemia—anemia due to red blood cell rupture—which can be caused by zinc toxicity from eating pennies,” says Dr. Louise Murray, Director of Medicine at the ASPCA. “Dr. Paiva took an x-ray and saw the coins in his stomach.”

Pennies minted after 1982 contain a zinc core surrounded by copper and are the only U.S. coins in circulation that pose a toxicity hazard to pets. Unfortunately, these toxic, late-model pennies are commonly ingested by our furry friends. The stomach provides an exceptionally acidic environment and aids in the rapid distribution of zinc into the blood stream, which can cause life-threatening anemia and kidney failure.

Luckily, Gordo was in good hands. He immediately received a blood transfusion, and then ASPCA veterinarians passed an endoscope (fiber optic technology attached to a tiny camera) through the dog’s mouth, down his esophagus and into the GI tract to locate the pennies and retrieve them with a long, grabbing instrument. The non-invasive procedure was a success, but the evidence was startling. The handful of retrieved coins included several gnarly, partially decomposed pennies and others that appeared almost new.

“If you look at the pennies we took out, the pure copper ones from before 1982 are perfect, intact and shiny,” reports Dr. Murray. “The newer, zinc ones are all eaten away.”

Of course, this interesting disparity in coin metals is probably of little consolation to mischievous little Gordo. His pet parent, too, was just relieved to see his furry friend recover well, and no doubt will forevermore watch what Gordo eats!

As always, if you suspect your pet has ingested pennies or any other toxic item, please contact your veterinarian immediately or call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center hotline at (888) 426-4435.

Kansas couple’s trash bin tryst takes wrong turn

2009-09-16T11:09:00.000-07:00

The couple wanted to be alone - but were held up at knifepoint instead.

Tues., Sept. 15, 2009
Assoiated Press

WICHITA, Kan. - A tender moment in a trash bin went all wrong for a couple who found themselves being held up at pocket knifepoint.

Police said two 44-year-olds had climbed into a dumpster to be alone just after 6 p.m. Saturday when two men interrupted them and demanded their belongings. Officers said the man and woman were engaged in "an intimate moment" when they were robbed of their shoes, jewelry and the man's wallet.

Police said one of the robbers was a 64-year-old man who egged his 59-year-old companion on during the robbery.

The suspects were found a short time later and the stolen property was returned.

Turtle whose front legs were amputated gets around with the aid of furniture sliders

2009-09-10T14:23:00.000-07:00

September 9, 2009
Los Angeles Times

Make all the jokes you want about the ironically named Lucky, the box turtle whose front legs were amputated following what his owner believes was an attack by a rampaging raccoon. Lucky won't hear you; he's too busy skidding about on his furniture-slider "legs."

Lucky's owner, Sally Pyne, had created a veritable wonderland for Lucky and her other box turtle, Lovey, in the yard of the Petaluma home she shares with a roommate. For the summer months, Pyne gave the turtles an outdoor enclosure measuring 12 by 16 feet, complete with a pond and surrounded by a short fence. Unfortunately for Lucky, the fence was designed to keep the turtles in rather than to keep other, more athletic animals out-- and Pyne suspects that one of these, a raccoon she'd seen in the yard previously, was drawn by the cat food she'd left out for another pet. It came for the cat food and stayed for the dessert: box turtle.

"In most countries, when a raccoon bites a turtle’s front arms off in a vicious inter-species attack, that little hard-shelled fella would be all out of luck, assuming turtles understand the concept of fortune caused by accident or chance and/or Billy Zane," Best Week Ever's Michelle Collins quipped of Lucky's unfortunate run-in.

Pyne found Lucky seriously injured July 31. Lovey hadn't been hurt in the attack, causing both Pyne and veterinary surgeon Dr. Robert Jereb to speculate that something -- perhaps a shell deformity or overly portly front legs -- prevented him from being able to withdraw his legs into his shell. Jereb performed surgery to remove what was left of the turtle's legs, and Lucky was bandaged and given a slew of medications to prevent infection and ease his pain.

Pyne gave serious consideration to having the turtle euthanized. "I was ready to let little Lucky go home," she told Sonoma County's Press-Democrat newspaper, "but Lucky, he was not ready to give up. His eyes were open, and he was shoving himself around on his two back legs. He was not going to quit." Jereb, who'd previously read about a tortoise whose similar problem was solved with the aid of a billiard ball cut in half and affixed to its shell, decided what Lucky needed was a prosthetic of some sort.

After some deliberation, he decided on using furniture sliders, doubled up in order to match the length of his amputated legs and stuck to the bottom of his shell. The solution seems to have worked, although the casters may need to be replaced periodically. We bet he won't be locomoting on a grass surface any time soon, but Pyne says Lucky now ambles around the house like a champ.

-- Lindsay Barnett

Conspiracy Theorist Convinces Neil Armstrong Moon Landing Was Faked

2009-09-03T12:26:00.000-07:00

August 31, 2009
Science & Technology
the ONION

LEBANON, OHIO — Apollo 11 mission commander and famed astronaut Neil Armstrong shocked reporters at a press conference Monday, announcing he had been convinced that his historic first step on the moon was part of an elaborate hoax orchestrated by the United States government.

According to Armstrong, he was forced to reconsider every single detail of the monumental journey after watching a few persuasive YouTube videos, and reading several blog posts on conspiracy theorist Ralph Coleman's website, OmissionControl.org.

"It only took a few hastily written paragraphs published by this passionate denier of mankind's so-called 'greatest technological achievement' for me to realize I had been living a lie, " said a visibly emotional Armstrong, addressing reporters at his home. "It has become painfully clear to me that on July 20, 1969, the Lunar Module under the control of my crew did not in fact travel 250,000 miles over eight days, touch down on the moon, and perform various experiments, ushering in a new era for humanity. Instead, the entire thing was filmed on a soundstage, most likely in New Mexico."

"This is the only logical interpretation of the numerous inconsistencies in the grainy, 40-year-old footage," Armstrong added. Amstrong was swayed by OmissionControl's use of bolding and capital letters to highlight NASA's many blatant fallacies.

Although Armstrong said he "could have sworn" he felt the effects of zero gravity while soaring out of the Earth's atmosphere and through space, he now believed his memory must be flawed. He also admitted feeling "ashamed" that he had failed to notice the rippling of the American flag he and Buzz Aldrin planted on the surface, blaming his lack of awareness on the bulkiness of the spacesuit and his excitement about traveling to the "moon."

"That rippling is not possible in the vacuum of space," Armstrong said. "It must have been the wind from an air-conditioning duct that I didn't recognize because you can't hear a damn thing inside those helmets."

"This is all just common sense, people," he added. "It's the moon. You can't land on the moon."

In a symbolic display of his newfound skepticism, Armstrong then grabbed a collection of moon rocks he had kept as souvenirs and dramatically dumped them into a trash can.

One of the main arguments posited on Coleman's website—that America could not, in 1969, have realistically possessed the technological capabilities needed to put a man on the moon—was reportedly one of the first things to cause the legendary astronaut a pang of doubt. Despite having spent thousands of hours training for the historic mission under the guidance of the world's top scientists, technicians, and pilots, Armstrong said he knew the conspiracy theories were true after learning that website author Coleman was "quite the engineering buff."

"Yes, at the time I thought those thousands of NASA employees were working round the clock for the same incredible goal, but if anyone would know what was really going on, it would be Ralph Coleman," Armstrong said of the 31-year-old part-time librarian's assistant. "He knows a lot more about faked moon landings than I ever could. He's been researching the subject on the Internet for years."

"Literally years," he added.

Addressing another inconsistency brought to light by OmissionControl, Armstrong explained he was probably so focused on piloting the lunar module that he failed to notice that one of the moon rocks visible in footage of the landing appears to have the letter 'C' stamped on it. An emotional Armstrong said that the only possible explanation for this detail was that the rock actually came from NASA's prop department.

"They forgot to turn it over," Armstrong said, removing his eyeglasses to wipe away tears. "Those lying bastards at NASA went through all the trouble to fake the moon landing, but they forgot to turn over one little prop rock. And now the whole damn thing's blowing up in their faces."

Although Armstrong initially questioned why the U.S. would attempt such an elaborate cover-up, he cited one overarching explanation provided by Coleman: that it was a ploy to defeat the Soviet Union and fulfill the Illuminati's plan to unify the world's banks and control the dissemination of information.

"Just ask Ralph Coleman," Armstrong said. "He'll answer any questions you have."

To conclude the press conference, Armstrong showed reporters footage of his first steps on the moon to demonstrate that the most daming evidence was "right under our noses." Speeding up the tape and replaying the graceful moonwalk several times in a row, Armstrong explained that the iconic images of humanity's triumphant dance with the cosmos was actually just a film of him walking backwards, slowed down, and played in reverse.

"What other explanation could there be?" Armstrong asked. "It's all right here. Everything is all right here if you'd just open your damn eyes and see!"

Added Armstrong, "I suppose it really was one small step for man, one giant lie for mankind."

Man fires shotgun at a stray cat, hits two people

2009-08-23T13:36:00.000-07:00

August 21st, 2009
By Anne Forester
ksl.com

LINDON -- Lindon police arrested a man for firing a sawed-off shotgun in his own backyard. When the man missed his original target, the stray pellets hit two people.

A driving instructor and a student were filling up at a gas station when they were hit. Luckily, no one was seriously hurt.

When police investigated, they tracked the stray pellets back to 52-year-old Kay Fotheringham. Police say Fotheringham told them he was actually aiming for a stray cat that was chasing birds in his yard. The cat escaped, apparently unharmed, but the stray pellets hit a nearby trailer, then the driving instructor, his student and the car, all several yards away.

Police say Fotheringham had been heavily drinking.

Chief Cody Cullimore, with the Lindon Police Department, said, "Alcohol and firearms never go together. This situation, luckily, wasn't tragic, but could have been a very serious problem."

Police say at first Fotheringham denied firing the gun but later admitted to it. He was booked into the Utah County jail for reckless endangerment, criminal mischief, disorderly conduct and discharging a firearm in the city. Fotheringham has since been released from jail. Police say he has no prior history.

Police say the sawed-off shotgun Fotheringham used wasn't legal; that'll mean a federal felony charge.

E-mail: aforester@ksl.com

Man uses behind to catch laptop, in a leotard

2009-08-17T14:09:00.000-07:00

Friday, August 14, 2009
Metro.co.uk

You're miserable. You have to trundle into work. Or maybe you don't have a work to trundle into and that's why you're miserable. Either way, you are about to be cheered up. By a guy catching a laptop. With his bum.
It's not something you see every day, is it?

This genius video features a very athletic young man in a leotard throwing an equally athletic young man in a leotard a laptop. Which he then catches. Between his butt cheeks.

Cleverly titled 'Guy Catches Laptop With His Butt', the new video is already turning into something of an internet sensation (bringing the 'internet sensation' tally to 175,600,486,426,893) hitting the one million views mark on that site with You and a Tube.

The video is a viral advert for a new X-Series laptop from MSI (Micro Star International) and is designed to show just how thin their contraption is. Thin enough to fit in a guy's bum, it would appear.

In fairness to him, he does catch the laptop with his ass in a variety of angles – hanging on a climbing bar, doing a cartwheel and somersaulting through the air. He also manages to catch it after it is thrown over a house. Nice.

The video is a take on the very popular 'Guy Catches Glasses With Face' clip that was an, er, internet sensation a few years ago.

MSI is holding a competition for people to come up with their own weird videos in the same vein. But please, don't try to catch a laptop in your bum. At least not on our account...

Legion Of Terra-Cotta Mouseketeers Found Beneath Disney World

2009-08-11T16:01:00.000-07:00

Science and Technology
August 7, 2009 | Issue 45•32
the Onion

More than 8 square miles of perky, rosy-cheeked soldiers were found buried deep beneath the theme park.

ORLANDO, FL — A Disney World maintenance crew performing routine electrical work below Cinderella Castle last week accidentally stumbled upon a mysterious underground chamber believed to contain more than 8,000 terra-cotta Mouseketeer statues dating back to 300 B.C.

Within days of the discovery, the nation's top archaeologists had begun excavating the massive subterranean army of fresh-faced clay youths, already considered the finest collection of relics from the Early Disney Dynasty ever unearthed. The opulently decorated mausoleum—suspected to be the final resting site of Emperor Retlaw I—houses row upon row of life-sized ceramic sculptures modeled after clean-cut teenagers, their faces forever frozen in a mix of joy and wonder.

"Very little is known about the early history of the Disney civilization, so this is quite a significant find," said lead archaeologist Dr. Robert Moore, adding that it may take years to fully explore the labyrinthine system of tunnels and pits that surround the burial chamber. "By analyzing the crude markings above the doorway to the tomb, we've concluded that it was likely constructed during the Pre-Eisnerian period, one of the bloodiest and most chaotic eras in the history of the Magic Kingdom."

"These eternally wholesome soldiers stand watch over the body of their ironfisted leader, poised to ensure his reign over children's entertainment continues into the afterlife," Moore continued. "Or so the legend goes."

According to photographs surfacing from the dig site, the terra-cotta Mouseketeers are arranged according to rank, from Annette to Cubby, and appear to be marching or tap-dancing in place. On the walls of the tomb, archaeologists have discovered a large fresco that depicts thousands of the mouse-eared foot soldiers bowing before what appears to be a large reptilian figure wearing a crown. The apparent king is shown seated upon a throne of skulls and bears a striking resemblance to Walt Disney.

"The statues were placed in what was once known as 'Roll Call' formation, no doubt a fearsome sight to any intruders who foolishly opposed their spunky will," said noted Disney historian Margaret Weaver, who has written several books on the elaborate burial practices of the ancient Imagineers. "One look into their lifeless blue eyes is enough to send chills down your spine. Of course, that's only if you get past the heaped remains of thousands of costumed Goofy slaves whose bones now litter the very catacombs they constructed."

Added Weaver, "I also noticed the faintest smell of cotton candy."

Because only a few hand-drawn animated cells from the reign of Retlaw I have survived to the present day, the extensive carvings found in the necropolis will provide reams of new information about the powerful Mouseketeer army. Scholars first determined the statues were intended to accompany the dead into the next life after deciphering a tablet that read 'Akman al Luad H'Beth," or "See you real soon."

"These relics have so much to tell us about the formative years of the Disney empire," said Smithsonian head G. Wayne Clough, who has already made attempts to acquire the 13-foot jade Big Roy found inside the mausoleum. "And we can finally put an end to the ridiculous rumor that these soldiers can be awakened from their centuries-long slumber and unleashed upon the greater Orlando area to mercilessly trample their enemies underfoot and reclaim the Magic Kingdom for their immortal ruler simply by some bozo saying the phrase 'Meeska, Mooska, Mouseketeer' while holding this amulet I've got here."

While surveying the massive dig site, the expedition also uncovered the foundations of an ancient Epcot Center that accurately depicts life in the Middle Ages, and the ruins of three previous Space Mountains.

Man convicted of groping Minnie Mouse

2009-08-11T13:41:00.000-07:00

Disney employee says she tried everything to keep his hands off her breasts.

Associated Press
August 11 2009
MSNBC

ORLANDO, Florida - A 60-year-old man has been convicted of groping a woman in a Minnie Mouse costume at Walt Disney World.

John William Moyer of Cressona, Pennsylvania, told the judge he is innocent. His son said before sentencing that his father would never inappropriately touch a woman, the Orlando Sentinel reported.

He was convicted Tuesday of misdemeanor battery and sentenced to write the victim an apology, serve 180 days probation and complete 50 hours of community service. Moyer must also pay $1,000 in court costs and possibly undergo a mental evaluation.

The victim says she had to do everything possible to keep Moyer's hands off her breasts.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Report says police taunted, Tasered handcuffed man

2009-07-27T13:18:00.000-07:00

This is not exactly "gonzo journalism," but I couldn't find any of my other blogs that had a topic which would cover running this article. So I decided to feature it here. It might relate to "Serious World Politics," though, in that it shows clearly the direction the authorities are willing to head into when it comes to arresting suspects - and potentially other people - and the utter misuse of the harsh and potentially lethal (it has so far caused hundreds of deaths) taser gun.

July 24, 2009

The AP on Google News

BOISE, Idaho — Boise police officers used excessive force when they taunted and threatened a handcuffed man and then Tasered him in the buttocks, a report from the city's police ombudsman said.

The actions of one of the involved officers — called Officer No. 3 in the report — were "not appropriate, not condoned and not professional," Boise Police Chief Michael Masterson said in reaction to the release of the report on Wednesday.

The February incident was captured by an audio recording made by one of the police officers at the unidentified man's home.

"If you move again, I'm going to stick this Taser up your (expletive) and pull the trigger," one of the officers said. "Now, do you feel this in your (expletive)? — I'm going to Tase your (expletive) if you move again."

Police violated the department's use-of-force policy when the officers Tasered the man once in the back before he was handcuffed, and then in the buttocks after he was handcuffed, Boise Community Ombudsman Pierce Murphy concluded in the report, which was based partly on the audio recording.

"Officer No. 3 punctuated his offensive speech language by pushing the Taser between the complainant's buttocks and against his anal and genital areas," Murphy wrote. "Such speech combined with these actions was especially offensive."

The ombudsman, established by the city council in 1999, carries out independent reviews and investigates complaints made against the police department.

Eight officers responded to the home in February on what police said was a potentially violent situation, with the safety of a woman and child thought to be at risk. When officers pounded on the door the man inside shouted profanity back at them, then pushed against the door to keep police out, police said.

Murphy wrote in the report that police didn't identify themselves, and that the man feared that a friend of the woman had arrived to beat him up. But once police came through the door, the subject quickly went down on the floor, Murphy wrote.

Police officials said an officer and supervisor have been disciplined, although they wouldn't say how, citing state law on personnel matters. The names of the officer and supervisor haven't been released, and they are identified only as Officer No. 3 and Officer No. 10 in the ombudsman's report.

Officer 3's behavior is the exception, not the rule for the department, Masterson said.

"This was the first time either employee had been before the discipline board," he said. "They have not been involved in serious policy violations throughout their career."

The supervisor, an 18-year veteran, also erased an audio recording of an interview with the suspect at the jail and neglected to write a report on the use of force in the arrest, according to the ombudsman.

Ron Coulter, an attorney in nearby Eagle, said he was retained by the man earlier this year and plans to file a lawsuit against the police department.

Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Reinventing Gonzo Journalism in a digital age Part 1

2009-07-19T15:03:00.000-07:00

May 8th, 2009
Dutchproblogger.com
Ernst-Jan Pfauth of Amsterdam

Hunter S Thompson is a hero of many. The writer of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and the most honest book about the Hell’s Angels appeals to thousands of young journalists. He invented Gonzo Journalism. A journalism genre that finds its roots in New Journalism, where the old distinctions between journalism and creative writing were blurred. Tom Wolfe and Truman Capote are two of the most famous New Journalism-writers.

Gonzo Journalism took things a little further. It’s more colorful, wilder and more extreme. As the BBC puts it: ,where Tom Wolfe politely declined an acid tab in his iconic Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, Hunter S Thompson denied himself nothing. (..) The writer became the story. Structure was thrown out of the window, replaced by a shambolic, yet magical, rollercoaster ride of artless hedonism.”

So Thompson died in 2005. You’ve read all his books. What’s left? Pointless nostalgia? Or can we reinvent this genre? Give it a twist and adapt it to the digital revolution which took place? Let’s find out.

What’s there to write about?
To get an idea how we can reinvent Gonzo Journalism we should come up with some ideas for stories first. After that we can brainstorm about how we could cover these subjects in a new and rocking way. I posted the following message on Twitter yesterday:

Want to experiment with Gonzo Journalism (coined by Hunter S Thompson) and thinking about spectacular subject. Who has an idea?

Some stories that need Gonzo style reporting
Olaf Koens, a Dutch correspondent in Moscow suggested to send a reporter to war-zone, since that’s one of the subjects where Hunter S Thompson had flaws. A few hours later, he added:

Antonie Fountain from the band Little Things That Kill suggested to investigate trafficking and forced prostitution on the Red Light District.

Tom Rovers said that we should go to a music festival since most festival reports are boring and can use some Gonzo style reporting.

Twitter user Gumbah said we’ve to investigate coffeeshop suppliers by posting outside their doors. ,,Gonzo style would be to infiltrate their system,” I replied. Then he came up with the brilliant idea to start our own shop.

Journalistic talent Loek Essers has sent me a direct message with two story ideas and even mentioned who should write them. Firstly a story by Antonie van Campen about the world of the Roma in Europe and secondly Adriaan Alsema should write a Gonzo story about gang wars in Colombia.

Last but not least, Sjeltur had a gonzo tip that sounded somewhat familiar: ,,Start a political party. Make a weird movie. Get elected and become THE new politician! ”

Those ideas make a great start, what’s next?
So the idea of reinventing Gonzo Journalism has been coined, the first story ideas have been submitted, what’s next? Well, I’d say two things:

Let’s come up with even more story ideas! Let’s think about how we can use new technology for the reinvention of Gonzo! I can’t wait to see your comments and ideas and write another post about them. Gonzo style!

(Anybody who says Gonzo 2.0 must buy the other commenters a bottle of whiskey!)

Gonzo journalism about cats?

2009-07-04T16:27:00.000-07:00

Gonzo journalism about cats?
Posted by Kerry Grens
[Entry posted at 26th July 2007 05:07 PM GMT]
Comment on this news story by clicking on the title link above!

This week one of my sources sent me a recent newsletter from Allerca, a "lifestyle pets" company now headquartered in Delaware that claims to have developed hypoallergenic cats. I was interested to read a rant by the company's founder, Simon Brodie, about the "gonzo journalists" who "trumpeted absolute falsehoods and downright lies" regarding the company.

I imagine Brodie might be referring to yours truly. Not because I lied in my investigation of Allerca, but because what I found out about the company was not exactly favorable, and, as far as I can tell, The Scientist and the San Diego Union Tribune are among the few outlets that actually reported with skepticism the wonders of these miracle cats. I left a message with Allerca's press office, asking if The Scientist was included in this gonzo bunch, but did not receive an immediate response.

Brodie claims that these gonzo journalists "went very quiet (surprise, surprise!) once ALLERCA began delivering kittens. They didn't write about ALLERCA when our cats appeared on live national television with allergic individuals who failed to have any allergic reaction (talk about a "trial by fire"!); and they failed to report that ALLERCA had won a TIME Magazine Best Inventions of 2006 award."

But the only customers I've heard from were those who were denied cats because of their particular allergic profiles, and who complained that their refunds did not come back. Shortly after they contacted me, both customers received their refunds. And as far as silence goes, I had called Allerca months ago to ask them about the progress of their cats, and received no word.

Hunter S. Thompson's somewhat autobiographical adventures in gonzo journalism highlight the fact that no reporter can completely divorce himself from his own way of viewing the world. As a science writer, trained in science, I admit to being skeptical of claims that have no vetted data to support them. To me, bringing a cat on a TV show is not scientific proof that its Fel d1 protein has been disabled. A scientific publication is a start, and anything less I consider gonzo.