George Carlin

1937 - 2008

This is too soon. There's a broad list of famous persons, when they die, you go, "oh, they're dead." and you're sad for a moment. Then there's your heroes. Your idols. The ones who lay psychological and intellectual rails in your mind. Peter Jennings, Carl Sagan, Gene Rodenberry, Jim Henson, and now George Carlin. I got nothing here. He was a master at the use of words, and when trying to write, they, the words feel gone as well.

During the writers strike, I needed some news, to replace the missing Daily Show. I hadn't taken news seriously since the death of Peter Jennings. I was on the phone with a friend, and that friend said; "George Carlin's on MSNBC."



I haven't willingly missed an episode of Countdown since.
Mr. Olbermann, Carlin's endorsement carried a great deal of weight. You owe him, at least one viewer.