Mike Luckovich sometimes hits a home run when he does his editorial cartoons, but sometimes he just plan screws up... and this is one of those screw-up moments.
Luckovich has it in his head that anyone who dies should be at the Pearly Gates.
Sorry Mike, but apparently you never saw Carlin's material... because if you did you wouldn't be picturing him in heaven. You'd probably just have an empty microphone. And what the hell is with the suitcase? You don't have time to pack when you die, and you wouldn't need anything if you DID believe in a hereafter anyway. Carlin didn't believe in it. That's part of his material.
I know, I know, it's just a way to squeeze in one more Carlin moment.
This week's show is a very special broadcast, dedicated to the memory of the late George Carlin.
So why is this week's show special, besides dedicating it to the loss of a funny man that made us all think? Well because it is a subject that I have been itching to get into for months now. What is it? Well if you've been listening to my show for any length of time you can probably guess what that subject is.
And as a bonus, I'll be including a blast from the Brutally Honest past that fits right into the subject matter. If you've never heard any of my pre-ShockNet material, you'll be in for a treat.
All of that is THIS SATURDAY from 7-8pm Eastern time on ShockNet Radio, and simulcast on Freethought Radio and Apple's iTunes radio player under both the "Talk/Spoken Word" and "Classic Rock" categories.
George was one of the first people that got me to think about things. Sure he was funny, but he also had a point in his monologues. Most of us can rip at society to get a cheap laugh. Carlin ripped at society in a way that made you laugh, and then two seconds later you'd say "Holy crap, he's got a point!"
Actually you'd say something stronger than that, but I do try to keep this blog page FuCC-clean. My radio show, of course, is a different story. And that too was directly because of George Carlin. My desire to get people to think came from Carlin's monologues, as was my decision to let loose with the words when needed.
Carlin ripped everything. Carlin ripped feminism, government, politics, parents, children, colleges, war, fear, religion... nothing was safe. And that was the point of it all... nothing was safe!
And here's the thing... even when he wasn't on stage, even when he wasn't trying to make you laugh, even when he was dead serious, he was making you laugh and making you THINK. Here's a clip from MSNBC's Countdown in 2007....
But perhaps the best was his ripping on religion. If there was anyone who could rip religion a new one and do so in a way that made perfect sense, this was it!
George Carlin made you think. And the scary part was that he made you think about what kind of hamster cage we're all in.
George Carlin's comedic clips have always been a favorite in my sound files, giving him his own special category. He will be missed.
So... you think you're an avid supporter of the U.S. Constitution? Well guess what? Now's the perfect time for you to put your money where your mouth is!
Just in time for the peak of the Faux Patriot's Season, we have the Updated Brutally Honest Constitution Quiz! Six situations that your elected members of Congress have to deal with at any given time, and three options to choose from. Can you tell the difference between a REAL supporter of the Constitution and someone who just claims to be one for election purposes? Find out THIS SATURDAY!
Plus we have an Oil-dominant "Off the Wire" segment, some really despicable people getting their well-deserved "Unflushed Awards", and a little talk about what a futurist is and how their efforts are often underutilized.
All of that is THIS SATURDAY from 7-8pm Eastern time on ShockNet Radio, and simulcast on Freethought Radio and Apple's iTunes radio player under both the "Talk/Spoken Word" and "Classic Rock" categories.
Actually you can blame a squirrel-faced Republican by the name of Phil Graham.
But wait! It gets better!
In fact what Enron did, which helped to oust Governor Gray Davis of California, was just the tip of the iceberg of the problem. But Olberman explains it in a way that puts all of the pieces together.
This needs to be shared, replayed, broadcast as often as possible. PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW!
Tim Russert, the head political guy at NBC, not to mention the host of “Meet the Press”, died suddenly yesterday of a heart attack. He was only 58.
I wish I could say something mournful about it. Yes, his death was sudden and shocking. I’m sure everyone over at NBC were in shock about it. Watching Tom Brokaw come out of retirement to make the announcement of Russert’s passing was sad.
I wish I could say something to the effect of “I’m shocked and saddened” or something to that effect. Even the neo-con talking heads like Hannity and Limbaugh are mourning his passing and treating this like a great tragedy to the world. But for the life of me, I can’t.
Yes, I’m shocked that he died, especially since he was only 17 years older than me. But I can’t really mourn his passing.
Maybe it’s because he was more than just a talking head. He was also the guy in charge of the whole political department at NBC. If it involved politics, he had the final say on it.
And I’m sorry, but in the past few years, he lorded over the political side of NBC and MSNBC like Dan Rather did for CBS News. And the operative word here is LORDED. And because of some of his decisions, including his pronouncement that third-party groups weren’t worth mentioning at all, and the deliberate and systematic blackballing of candidates like Ron Paul and Mike Gravel, I have to say that I became somewhat jaded of people like him. Lord Acton was right about power corrupting, and even members of the media are not exempt from that basic fact.
And so you get what you give. I’m sorry for his family, but I can’t say that I’m sorry that the KING of NBC and MSNBC political news is gone. It just means that NBC has to find someone else to take over his throne in Washington and decide which issue and which political candidate is “worthy” of attention.
I've got it all over the place this week on "Brutally Honest".
First, it's all-politics in "Off the Wire"... court cases, censorship, oil taxes, stupid quotes, impeachment, and the last real holdout gives up the ghost.
Then it's the all-new "Unflushed Awards". Which is worse? A dictatorial school principal? A dangerously ignorant member of the US Senate? A college professor looking to steal your air? Religious leaders looking to outlaw sports? Or a former mayor looking to get out of jail early? Which one made the worst mess? Tune in and find out.
Then I've got some Dad-talk and some talk about a new group of environmentalist that aren't the same as the ones you've seen before, and if they get their way, the status quo is doomed.
All of that is THIS SATURDAY from 7-8pm Eastern time on ShockNet Radio, and simulcast on Freethought Radio and Apple's iTunes radio player under both the "Talk/Spoken Word" and "Classic Rock" categories.
Flags, Cults, and Something that will make you say "Oh MY!"
That is what on tap for this week's show!
First, we have all the news "Off The Wire", including the latest update of what is going on in Texas with the polygamists. Plus a quick message to Senator Obama about his historic victory.
Then the debut of a NEW award designed to reflect that which REEKS in society! What is it? You'll have to listen in to find out, and to find out who gets them and why.
Plus, I know it's a week away, but I decided to go ahead and get a jump on Flag Day with my own special rant about the flag and how we need to truly respect it. Longtime Brutally Honest supporters will know where I'm going with this, but for the rest of you, you'll just have to listen in and hear what I'm talking about.
All of that is THIS SATURDAY from 7-8pm Eastern time on ShockNet Radio, and simulcast on Freethought Radio and Apple's iTunes radio player under both the "Talk/Spoken Word" and "Classic Rock" categories.
Sorry folks, but it appears that the host of my radio archive has had a crash over the weekend. They're still not able to bring everything up, so the iTunes podcast feed is not working. I can't even file a bug notice with them because it goes through the screwed-up area. Hopefully someone will give them a kick in the butt and get the site working.
I'll keep you guys updated.
BTW, the show archive files themselves are safe. They are actually part of the US Internet Archive, which is still working just fine.
Update: Looks like everything is back up and running again.
I am a freelance writer, online commentator (both written and audio), techno-geek, Libertarian, Trekker (have the uniform, just don't wear it), amateur disc jockey, and (unfortunately) an all-around nice guy. I'm also the author of various fan-based comics at Battlerock Comics.
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