I had a bit of work tonight, but I still planned to write something afterward. Then Alan turned on George Carlin’s latest special on demand, and I think I’m going to be pretty worthless from here on out.
Man, he’s funny.
But here’s a treat, much more amusing than me: The baby panda in Washington made his press debut today. I highly recommend the photo gallery, although I suspect that if people can die of exposure to cuteness, this critter might be the one who finds out.
More tomorrow, I promise.
Claire said on November 30, 2005 at 12:24 am
Adorable! On a related note, just tonight on the news I saw a story about a man who dyes dogs to look like pandas! He made an average stray look more cute and thus more likely to be adopted. I found a related news story link w/pics here: http://www.nbc10.com/news/5418893/detail.html
Did you go see the baby polar bear at the Detroit Zoo this summer? He/she is pretty cute as well.
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Mindy said on November 30, 2005 at 6:51 am
George Carlin came to the Fort early last year, and my husband and I took a much needed break from renovating our house to enjoy an evening out. His first bit was that sharp and insightful humor that we were hoping to hear. The rest of the evening was just foul pettiness, sort of like spending time with a boorish old uncle who had drunk too much cheap beer. People started leaving about half way through the show. We hung in there hoping for a return to the famous wit. It never came back. We walked out, too.
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Carmella said on November 30, 2005 at 7:01 am
Exactly, Mindy!!! I can’t get through his show anymore, ir IS “like spending time with a boorish old uncle who had drunk too much cheap beer.”
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Dorothy said on November 30, 2005 at 8:15 am
My oldest sister saw George Carlin in concert in the last year or so and her reaction was the same. She hated it. Sad, cause I used to think he was pretty damn good.
However, thanks for sharing the story about the panda. He is cuter than cute! I had a stuffed panda when I was a little girl and seeing those photos just made me wish like mad that I still had it!
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basset said on November 30, 2005 at 8:19 am
our family unit has built our last few vacations around pandas… DC, San Diego, Memphis, see the pandas and then do other local stuff.
actually that’s the only reason I can think of to go to Memphis, there are plenty of other places to experience urban decay, racial tension and bad barbecue.
so all we need now is Atlanta to complete the great American panda tour.
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Nance said on November 30, 2005 at 8:48 am
I heard one of George’s recent shows, and I know what you’re talking about. This one last night was a bit sharper, although it declined quickly from a strong start.
He mentioned he had 300-and-some days of sobriety, so that may explain his crappy performance previous.
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Connie said on November 30, 2005 at 10:00 am
I only made it through the first few minutes. Loved the opening bit, hated the rest. I too blamed it on the 340 days of sobriety.
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mark tk said on November 30, 2005 at 10:34 am
Carlin strikes me as a walking example of someone whose act has been so caustic for so many years — that he’s said these bitter words so many thousands of times — that he’s absorbed them into his psyche and become worn out and bitter by them. It is like an old, drunken and bitter uncle spewing his particularly twisted view of the world in a way that just isn’t humorous; you might laugh at the first few outbursts, but eventually your effort not to offend that uncle wears thin and you just want to move on and talk with someone else.
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brian stouder said on November 30, 2005 at 10:59 am
hippy dippy weatherman!
seven words you can never say!
We used to have Carlin’s vinyl 33rpm lp records – and my parents howled with laughter as they listened…’course, the picture of George on the dust jacket was classic ’60’s – short hair, necktie, goofily contorted face…
Mark tk is right though – no one can maintain that pitch for 40 years!
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Nance said on November 30, 2005 at 11:53 am
I heard him doing an interview with NPR, maybe two years ago, and he was hysterical. He was just riffing on this and that, and any random 30 seconds was side-splitting, compared to the whole of the most recent special. Too bad — he’s still got it, but it’s not finding its way out.
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mary said on November 30, 2005 at 12:08 pm
Off topic: Anyone else enjoy the prez’s new word today for the enemy in Iraq? He used it repeatedly in his speech this morning. “Rejectionists.” These are people who have a hard time with the US coming into their country and helping them.
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Bill said on November 30, 2005 at 2:03 pm
“Rejectionists” is certainly a stupid term for terrorists, Mary, but also stupid and shallow is your description of terrorists as “people who have a hard time with the US coming into their country and helping them.”
Ugh, it’s no wonder Bush was elected twice when his opposition is so weak and twisted.
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alex said on November 30, 2005 at 10:19 pm
That’s once, Bill. And I think Mary’s glib assessment of the new word for terrorist sailed right over your sweet little head.
Ah, George Carlin. He does seem like a grouchy old fart these days when he’s on Maher, etc. It really grated on me during one recent show where he wore his atheism on his sleeve every bit as repugnantly as the in-your-face-about-it faithful. I expected better from him.
Always enjoyed his humor when I was a wee lad, although I must say it was lost on my father. Actually, I can’t remember if it was vinyl of George or Cheech my dad busted over his knee upon its discovery, but if memory serves I think we struck up some sort of compromise whereby I could listen to George as long as we listened together. Needless to say, that took the fun out of it.
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mary said on December 1, 2005 at 2:11 am
Alex, remember Firesign Theatre?
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