It's confirmed: HST was "in pain" and that was motive for suicide. One last blast reportedly in store.

There will, apparently, not be a final message from Hunter S. Thompson. According to this article, which went out on Associated Press and is probably many other places as well as ABC News, the author left no suicide note. He also kept his intentions from his family, although he had spent the entire weekend at home with his son, daughter-in-law and young grandson, apparently as preparation for the act. This was not an act taken "in a moment of haste or anger or despondency," according to historian Douglas Brinkley who has stepped forward as a Thompson family spokesman.

He did have one last wish: that his ashes would be shot out of a cannon after cremation. A Colorado-area fireworks company wants to go that one better, and give him a sendoff as part of a fireworks display. Somehow that makes sense...he set off figurative fireworks everywhere he went. I'm not sure if the fireworks guy could replicate the huge hairy bats and electric dragons that HST shared his hallucinogenic life with, though.

In other news: have I mentioned here before that I hate math? I partially have myself to blame...I was going to keep acclimated to math by doing work every day during Winter Vacation and the Winter Intersession. I didn't and I am paying the price now. My next math test is March 7th. I don't have a hell of a lot of confidence about it. [sigh]