Fear And Loathing In Saigon

"The devotion of the greatest is to encounter risk and danger, and play dice for death." ~Friedrich Nietzsche

It's been quite a year, but I'm not making any more excuses for why I haven't been updating this blog. It is what it is, so here you go, the first blog entry of the decade for Post Traumatic Sound Disorder, and it's not about black metal, punk rock, or french Pop.

"Gonzo" journalist, Dr. Hunter S. Thompson (1937-2005), the man who lived and wrote, Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream, was more than just a brilliant writer and comic-genius with a superhuman tolerance for drugs. In, The Gonzo Tapes: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson, his compelling first hand accounts of events that occurred during, in, and around the evacuation of Saigon at the end of the Vietnam war remind us of his important contributions as a journalist, and historian.

In the face of uncertain danger, and a political climate at it's boiling point, Thompson reveals himself to be a man without fear, guided by a sense of purpose. His perspective is logical and his composure is calm. The Gonzo King Of Cool.

"I've been pushing it for awhile... about 10 years now... 15, or 20 and, I'm not looking for the end, but, I'm not that worried about it either. I've had a good time, and... I've made a few points. I don't know if that really justifies doing... kill-crazy things, or suicidal things. If I really thought it was suicidal, I wouldn't go back in. But, the fact is that it's... not safe. There are a lot of people who know the situation better than I do, would call it suicidal. They've all left and admitted they didn't want any part of a suicide orgy. I don't think many of the people over there do, though I'd say there's an easy 10 or 20 percent, who welcome it for reasons their own. I don't know those reasons. I sort of like my life, and enjoy it. But I've come this far, and it's my story, and I blew the last one over in Africa, and I think... it all has relevance to me. Which means going right back into the eye of the storm. And it will be a storm, we don't have much doubt about that."

Released in concurrence with the Magnolia Pictures film release of, Gonzo:The Life And Work Of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson, directed by Academy Award-winning director Alex Gibney, Gonzo Tapes is a fascinating treasure trove of insight for fans of Hunter S. Thompson and basically the raw data,the genesis, for all his most important works.

Based on a prediction that Ford's speech is going to be so rudely received in Saigon.Mp3

And if the worst happens, well, it just happens.Mp3