Carlin had, for lack of a better term, a way with words. He once said “I want to tell you something about words that I think is important. They’re my work, they’re my play, they’re my passion.” I believe that they were also his art.  He was a word artist of the highest caliber.  The way he thought and talked was amazing.  Sometimes he came across as coarse or possibly offensive, but he was always funny.  Using his words as a rapier to pierce thought the absurdness of life and point out the funny truth.

 A true comic legend, George Carlin will be sorely missed.

I’m sure he’s having some good laughs wherever he is.

R.I.P George

The Article, which I must admit I did not read the whole thing (more about that in a minute), is about  how there is apparently a serial killer in the north-east and north-central(?) who is killing white male college students and leaving the smiley face somewhere at/near the body.  Since I figured my curiosity was as morbid as the next persons’ (unless that next person is Candy, which is usually the case, who has shelves of books on serial killers and crime) I clicked on the link and started to read the article.  Near the top of the article was a link (the second link next to a picture showing one of the victims in the prime of his life) Interactive Map of victims possibly linked by the investigation. It’s using Google maps as the basis for the interactive map, and they have added pictures of the victims to it.  But, and here’s what gave me the creeps, it also has (and I don’t know if it is just something they could not turn off, or if they put on there intentionally) driving directions to the locations the bodies were found.  I didn’t read any more once I realized that you could plan a whole trip around visiting sites where a serial killers victims were found. Not that this has not been thought of before… anyone else remember that movie in the early 90′s with David Duchovny, Brad Pitt, and Juliette Lewis… Kalifornia?  Where Duchovny’s character and his girlfriend were trekking across the US to sites of famous serial killings for a book or something and Pitt and Lewis joined them as the result of some paper thin plot device, only to find out that Pitt was a serial killer.  That was the first movie I remember seeing Brad Pitt in, and I thought "What’s the big deal? Why are the women so crazy for him?" But I digress…

Maybe I’m getting soft in my old age or something, but I just found it distasteful that you could use a website to get driving directions to where murder victims were found.

Some of the interesting parts of the article:

British forces operating around the southern Iraqi city of Basra are being blamed for the arrival of a plague of vicious badgers that stalk the streets at night, attacking livestock and even humans.

Local farmers have caught and killed several of the beasts, but this has done nothing to dispel rumours of a bear-like monster that eats humans and was, according to the local rumour mill, released into the area by UK forces to spread panic.

“They are native to the region but rare in Iraq. They’re nocturnal carnivores with a fearsome reputation, but they don’t stalk humans and carry them back to their lair,” Major Gell said.

So far neither the scientists nor the soldiers have been able to calm the populace’s fears.

“I was sleeping at night when this strange animal hit me on my head. I have not seen such an animal before. My husband hurried to shoot it but it was as swift as a deer,” said Suad Hassan, a 30-year-old housewife. “It is the size of a dog but his head is like a monkey. It runs so quickly.”

Sattar Jabbar, a 50-year-old farmer from Abu Sakhar north of Basra, believes the badger can tackle even large prey. “I saw it three days ago at night attacking animals. It even ate a cow. It tore the cow up piece by piece. I tried to shoot it with my gun but it ran away into the orchards. I missed it,” he said.

Major Gell said: “We have not released giant badgers in Basra, and nor have we been collecting eggs and releasing serpents into the Shatt al-Arab river.”

What the Hell? I can possibly see someone describing a badger as “the size of a dog with a head of a monkey” if they have never seen one. I can even believe that a badger would attack animals, but a cow?! Unless it was a small cow, I just can’t imagine a badger tearing across a field and taking down a cow. Well, I couldn’t imagine it until now.

Of course when I first read this, I thought that the badgers would be eight feet tall, and eating humans exclusively. That sounds like a really cheesy sci-fi movie “Attack of the Giant Badgers!” But I digress… Honestly I sort of figure that soon someone will come out and say that this is a hoax. What the hell did that British Major meant about releasing serpents into the river? If somewhere in the story it mentioned mushrooms, I’d say for sure it was a hoax that was tipping its hat to that flash animation badger, badger, mushroom, snake.

From the article:
Police spokesman Hal Dalton said something must have gone amiss in the briefing beforehand. “We don’t know how the mistake was made,” Dalton said.

Silvia Bernal, 30, told The (Annapolis) Capital that about 15 officers burst through the front door of her apartment while she was cooking dinner about 8:20 p.m. She said the officers kicked her husband in the groin while she fled into a bedroom and barred the door with her body.

Then she said both of them were taken to the ground and handcuffed. The Capital said a police officer went outside and realized they had raided the wrong residence.

Dalton said they were supposed to have raided a different apartment and said the incident was regrettable.

What kind of threat do you have to pose to a police officer for him to kick you in the nuts to take you down?  My guess is that the cops were so pumped up that anyone in the apt was a threat in their minds, so the took everyone down and asked questions later.  At least they didn’t shoot first, then ask questions. 

Also from the article:
When officers and the city’s tactical squad went to the right unit, they said it was empty.

No shit? What criminal would see their neighbors apartment getting raided, and say “Sucks to be them, I wonder if they meant to come here?”  I bet they took off as soon as they saw the police cars gathering in the parking lot.

I know not every police officer is represented by this behavior, some really are here to serve and protect, but it seems that more and more often we are seeing stories about police doing things like this… 

As they said in Hot Fuzz “there is no way you can perpetrate that amount of carnage and mayhem and not incur a considerable amount of paperwork.”

On Wednesday afternoon, a Buccaneers’ spokesperson apologized for the song, calling it an oversight and saying it was not their “intent to offend anyone.”

The team officials noted the song was part of a dance routine the cheerleaders have performed to all season. He says the song, “Rock You Like a Hurricane” will no longer be played at games against the Saints.
I don’t think the song was the cause, but the Saints lost the game.

“I feel that Michael Jackson probably has molested boys. But that doesn’t make him guilty of the charges that were presented in this case, and that’s where we had to make our decision. That’s not to say he’s an innocent man. He’s just not guilty of the crimes he’s been charged with” – Raymond Hultman, juror

Reading the whole article (the quote is a link) it looks like 3 of the jurors thought he had molested boys, as does 51% of the American public (read as some sort of poll extrapolated this from asking 50 people. )

My 2 cents, not that it matters, is that he did it. He got away with it since he’s rich and will most likely do it again. Even though his lawyer says he’ll never do it again. You know that sounds a lot like when you have a hang over and say “Oh, GOD! I’ll NEVER drink again!” and 17 hours later you’re doing tequila shots.

And that’s all I have to say about that.

On a minor note, those that “subscribe” to the blog will notice that I have that working again. (I think) Also there have been minor changes to the blog, and a small currently reading bug has been fixed.

Here are some random quotes from Mitch’s routines…

I’m against picketing, but I don’t know how to show it.
Someone handed me a picture and said, “This is a picture of me when I was younger.” Every picture of you is when you were younger. “…Here’s a picture of me when I’m older.” Where’d you get that camera man?
I was at this casino minding my own business, and this guy came up to me and said, “You’re gonna have to move, you’re blocking a fire exit.” As though if there was a fire, I wasn’t gonna run. If you’re flammable and have legs, you are never blocking a fire exit.
I like cinnamon rolls, but I don’t always have time to make a pan. That’s why I wish they would sell cinnamon roll incense. After all I’d rather light a stick and have my roommate wake up with false hopes.

I found these at Mitch Hedberg Quotes

Mitch Hedberg, gone but never forgotten

I don’t smoke, ok when I’m drunk with a bunch of smokers, I do a little, and when I’m on fire (pubic hair puts out more smoke than you would believe, but I digress…). But this is ridiculous. I mean what is next? No hairbrushes, as they might be a blunt weapon? No toothbrushes, as they might be filed into a shiv using a concealed piece of sandpaper?
Will you have to show up at the airport checkpoint 4 hours before your flight so you can go through a strip search and body cavity search before you get on a flight?
I know that living in a civilized society means giving up some freedoms, but this is a bit overboard.