I cried when I heard Tim Russert died. I was at work, but it didn't matter. My Sunday mornings didn't start till I had my dose of "Meet the Press". A heart attack felled him as he prepared for another Sunday's show. I still think he had a DVT from the two trans-Atlantic flights he took just before. Does it matter? No Tim on Sunday anymore and Tom Brokaw, while pretty impressive, is just not going to be the same.
But the worst was yet to come...
I woke up this morning and the first thing I heard was that George Carlin had died, also of a heart attack. I busted out crying like a baby. That man was a better measure of the time I grew up in than just about any other icon. His wicked take on the stupidity of the world we live in was spot on. Let's face it, he was right when he said
"I sort of gave up on this whole human adventure a long time ago," he said a couple of years ago. "Divorced myself from it emotionally. I think the human race has squandered its gift, and I think this country has squandered its promise. I think people in America sold out very cheaply, for sneakers and cheeseburgers. And I don't think it's fixable."
My dear, RW wingnut father hated Carlin and tried to keep him away from us kids. Well, I had my OWN money and I bought the LPs despite him. I also watched the HBO specials whenever my dad was out of the house. I knew all seven words and could rattle them off to the admiration of my friends who always managed to stutter on the last two.
Those words are now immortalized in a Supreme Court decision--sort of ironic, don't you think? You'll have to copy/paste the links because the Blogger gods won't let the code work tonight:
http://w2.eff.org/legal/cases/FCC_v_Pacifica/fcc_v_pacifica.decision
http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/conlaw/filthywords.html
I was lucky that I got to see George Carlin in person, back home. I had a front row seat and managed to smuggle a few pictures. I need to dig them out and upload them because it is important to me that I shared a few moments of his life.
My grandmother said George would go to Hell for making fun of God and that I would go to Hell for laughing at him doing so. My take? If a man so intelligent and insightful is going to Hell, then please save me a seat in the audience.
To end this with one of many favorite quotes:
Some people see things that are and ask, Why? Some people dream of things that never were and ask, Why not? Some people have to go to work and don't have time for all that.
You know the most ironic thing of all? On the above album cover, there is a parental advisory. On my original LPs of "Occupation: Foole" and "Class Clown" and his other 1970s albums, there are no such warnings. He fought for our right to use all our words, but we are still being warned that words are bad.
Maybe this quote is better:
"There are no bad words. Bad thoughts. Bad intentions...and WORDS.
