Fifty years ago, as September rolled into October, Hunter S. Thompson was returning to the National Affairs Desk from an extended Aspen respite. Then, as now, the November elections really went into high gear after Labor Day, and the accelerating countdown finds Hunter ignoring his famous gambling objectivity. Instead, his is widely speculating that the Democrats might yet avoid an historic defeat come November. Our hosts revisit all that plus the weird parallels to this election season; they even quote that most wise of political consultants, Sitting Bull.

The famous "Tales of the Cocktail" mixologist & drinks gathering returned to New Orleans, and about half of Louisville showed up for the bourbon tastings. It offered a chance to explore the complicated history between HST and his home town, even with some appreciation of Knob Creek offered in the bargain. Curtis and Christopher record live from NOLA for the first time in years – yes, that's a streetcar in the background noise.

Happy birthday Hunter! Curtis and Christopher discuss the milestone along with that birthday story about a certain A-list celebrity's daughter getting to rub HST's bald spot for luck. Could there be any better foreshadowing for 50 Shades of Gray?

A half-century after Hunter A. Thompson covered the milestone Nixon re-election and later published Fear & Loathing on the Campaign Trail, '72, our C2 (Curtis and Christopher) address the HST affinity for the firebrand activist and organizer Saul Alinsky and also what Christopher learned from his several interviews with Sen. McGovern. It's the best story about blowing up a barn you're likely to hear today... or ever.

The lawman of more than 30 years proved that Hunter & Co. may not have won the 'Battle of Aspen,' but they won the cultural war.

It was May 28, 1972, and Hunter Thompson was having drinks at the bar at the Watergate Hotel. Unbeknownst to him, nearby, the offices of the Democratic National Committee were being infiltrated by the “plumbers.”

It had already been a landmark month in politics, as we remember reading the May chapter of “Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail ‘72.” From the shooting of George Wallace to the anticipation of the national conventions, this is when American politics would be a irreparably changed—50 years ago this month.

Our frequent guest Matt Moseley, author of the book Dear Dr. Thompson about Hunter's successful effort to free a Colorado woman from prison after her strange felony murder conviction, helps kick off our parallel podcast we're calling "District-to-District." Based in the District of Columbia and linked with the Garden District of New Orleans (where the HG studio is STILL under construction!), the podcast will look at how the Capital district connects with others.

In this installment, Matt joins Curtis and Christopher finally recording live at poolside, and it's all about water. Matt has recently returned from swimming the Sea of Galilee (yes, that one) and is visiting Washington to educate lawmakers about water issues. His efforts were part of an American Rivers lobbing day and he also offers insight into the gonzo world of distance swimming, not to be confused with his other passion: endurance lunching.

The first Saturday in May is galloping toward us, which means the Kentucky Derby looms. Hunter S. Thompson's created gonzo journalism with is 1970 coverage of the race. In this episode Christopher and Curtis offer insight into how that happened and just what it cost to send a page of your notes across the early fax machines, aka "mojo wire."

Looking back a half-century into the Hunter S. Thompson masterwork "Fear & Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72" offers odd perspectives. In this episode of our ongoing series, looking at March of 1972, we find the famous violence and disruption on front-runner Ed Muskie's campaign train that landed our hero in hot water. (Spoiler alert: the "Man From Maine" does not fare well in these pages.) Also, Curtis offers some later-day updates on the "wild man" who actually caused all the Muskie train trouble. We also take note that Hunter sees the rise of George McGovern's campaign. Perhaps surprisingly, HST is not that much of an early fan.

It's been 50 years since Hunter S. Thompson went on the road for the articles that became "Fear & Loathing on the Campaign Trail, '72." Attentive readers may recall that the book is organized by months, and Curtis and Christopher begin a new occasional series that compares this election year to those days a half-century ago. The results are both frustrating and oddly comforting.