This guy shooting himself isn't particularly shocking, but is sad non-the-less, and is a tremendous loss to American Literature. I'm aware many of you probably don't read much any way (lack of reading is an American dilemma right up there with fast food) but some of you may be aware of Thompsons "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" as Johnny Depp popularized it in the movie adaptation. Also, Thompson became a columnist for ESPN of late, so some of you sports fans may have been reading him there.