Tim Russert and George Carlin, R.I.P.

What's up blogiens? I've been offline for a spell, but I've been busy. I'm probably the last blogger to write something about the two giants we lost recently, but I've been in denial about them for a while. I wouldn't be doing my part if I didn't say something about them so here goes.

First, we lost the great Tim Russert to a sudden heart attack. This hit me and my wife like a silent freight train in the darkness. Every Sunday morning, we looked forward to hearing the truth from a man who gave it to us unfiltered. My wife was especially devastated because it was the way she started every Sunday, watching Russert interview politicians, hanging them with their own words and deeds, yet doing it in a way that they had to respect him for doing his job.

With Tim Russert, you always got it straight, always the truth, and always for the benefit of all Americans. If you said one thing and changed your opinion to pander to what's in this week, Russert would call you out. He was the guy on our side, our voices sang from him in the questions he asked and the statements he made. Now, when we need him at this most important time, he's gone; we'll have to do it on our own. Mr. Russert, if your still watching out for us, know that we will do our best to reach the end and we'll have your fair and unyielding example to guide us.

How ironic that we lost another giant in his field a few days later, who shared something in common with Tim Russert; truth. George Carlin, how I wish I could have met you and thanked you for what you did for us. You showed the world that comedy could be beautifully anarchistic, shockingly candid, and challenge the drone of what is common. We saw you morph from suit-and-tie to long hair and beard, reaching your comfort zone.

From George Carlin, I learned that I could be myself and it was alright. I didn't have to walk in step, go with the flow, just because they said so. He showed us our reflections, in the best and worst times, and we saw what we really were. For all the trouble he might have caused to the conservative types, Carlin helped us grow up. We realized that we shouldn't be afraid of where we came from by trying to hide behind some silicone mask.

We aren't always proper beings and we needed someone to check us when we did step over the line; Carlin called us on those occasions, too. His comedy grew from a world where we hack the language up to fit our needs, not always careful of how we use it. I'll miss how he commented on everything from politics to business. Those of us who were and are fans will miss thinking of how he would let us know how we could fix our self-imposed problems. We'll miss you forever, George.

Obama wins again!

Another day and another win for Barack Obama! I checked out the numbers here and it appears that Obama had a 59% to 40% advantage over Clinton in a state with roughly ten registered voters. I guess we can thank six of them for pushing him to victory and hope the other four will vote Obama when he gets the nomination. Hi-Lo.

Obama and Hillary, what round is it Mic?

What's up y'all? I haven't been scribbling online for a while because I've been doing a lot of reading. See, I gave up videogames for Lent and I've had nothing to do except read and write and keep an eye on the happenings of the World.

So, what haven't I plastered words about online in the past few weeks? Well, for one, Obama's win streak came to an end with Hillary taking Ohio and Texas. Congratulations, you're not drowning anymore. Hey, we all knew this wasn't going to be the Lakers vs. the Clippers. We're not blind to how much they both want it and how much their campaign-folk are willing to do to deliver that job. This one won't be quick and it's already gotten nasty, but we'll hang in there 'til the end.

At this point, the Hillary camp has gone from moderate, to defensive, to wicked, and back to moderate after the blood transfusions this past Tuesday. The question is how much more bleeding will occur and who's got the pints left to take it? Hi-Lo.

Lookin' for dirt by playin' in it

Here comes more crap. The niceties come easy when we're face to face, but the mud gets tossed from a distance, doesn't it? Now, the Clinton campaign, having nothing to dig up on Obama, are clinging to some words that Obama borrowed from a colleague for a rally. Has it really become this desperate for Hillary?

In you're usual campaign for office, the object is to get the dirt on the other guy and show it to the voters, even if it's only alleged. This time, we have Obama, who's the cleanest candidate we've ever seen. So what's a professional crap-slinger to do when faced with this challenge? Search for an invisible needle in an imaginary haystack I guess.

This reminds me of Don Quixote and the Windmills; there are no dragons to slay because they're not there! Good luck trying to find a dust particle here, Hillary! Hi-Lo.

School shooting

I've been away for a couple of days due to illness. These days, it's always something I guess. Watching the news hasn't made me feel any better.

First off, I have to say something about this tragic event at NIU. I can't fathom what was going through that young man's head before he did what he did and it doesn't matter now. We get caught up in the plight of the shooter every time one of these shootings happens, but we need to focus on the victims. It's human nature to try to understand why such a tragedy occurs and the questions follow a connect-the-dots method to the time of the event, but does all of this back-tracking do us any good?

Yes, there's always a sign or two about the mental instability of one of these guys before they go on a rampage, but dissecting it afterwards is of little concern to the families of the loved ones lost. Maybe someday, all of this detective work will lead to one out of a dozen tragedies being averted and maybe it won't.

The thing to remember is this; it's also human nature to pick on the weak, or the perceived weak, either to gain dominion over them, to prop ourselves up, or just because we can.Until you eliminate that human trait, you will always have an individual who seemingly flips and commits an act of violence against other people to prove he or she isn't weak. Hi-Lo.

STRIKE OVER!! YAYYY!!! OBAMA!! YAYYYYY!!!!

YIPPEEEE!!! I've been waiting a long time to type those first two words and do so guilt-free! After over three months of getting nowhere, the Writer's Strike is finally over. It looks like the Oscars will be a Red Carpet event after all. The best news about the new deal is that the Writers will get a share of the New Media and they will get to go back to work doing what they were born to do.

Barack Obama had a big day again, shutting Hillary down and making it eight states in a row. YES WE CAN!!

I wouldn't be a real Laker fan if I didn't say how glad I am that the road trip is over. They went 7-2 during that time, plus they added a 7-footer who actually can play. GO LAKERS!! Hi-Lo.

Ohhh-bama, McCain Mc-DOH, Writers mulling it over, Lakers win again

Man, what a weekend! If things go the way I hope they do in November, this weekend may come to be known as "Obama Shutout Weekend". Obama won all of the state primaries, roaring into another Tuesday of primaries coming up, prompting Hillary to dismiss her Campaign Manager. Meanwhile, McCain might be up on the judge's cards, but he can't get the knockout on Huckabee. Pundits be damned!

The WGA Leaders held a Press Conference addressing the new offer from the Producers, saying that it is a "good deal" and that the Writers should approve it. They also pointed out that they didn't get everything they deserved, leaving a few things on the table, but that it was the best deal they've had in over thirty years. So, in the next few days, we'll see if the Writers lift their pencils or break them in half.

And finally, LAKERS WIN AGAIN! Was that Pau Gasol trade like getting free money or what? Still, I would've liked to see the Heat with Shaq one more time. Oh well, a win's a win. Hi-Lo.

Obama Clocks Clinton, Writer's Strike ending?

I just checked the results from today's primaries and do y'all smell that? That's Hillary getting barbecued! Obama won handily in all of the primaries and it wasn't even close in the Virgin Islands. The margin between them is only twenty-five delegates, that includes Super-Delegates. We still got a ways to go but it sure feels good to see those numbers.

Also, the Writer's Strike may be closing out this weekend depending on whether the Members vote to accept the new deal. I don't have too many specifics, but I did read that there is language that provides for compensation to Writers for "new media" usage. It works out to about $600 for the first two minutes of programming viewed and a smaller rate for the rest of the time viewed, not to be less than the total of the first two minute total... I know, it seems confusing, but that's actually the easy part of the formulas mentioned! Anyway, it is progress and a damn sight better than nothing.

Could they get more if they held out longer? That's the hardest question to answer. It does make you wonder just how much money the Producers are pocketing if $600 is them being stingy. We'll see what happens. GO OBAMA and GO WRITERS! Hi-Lo

Lakers Win, Hillary and Obama separated by a whisker

Whew! Whenever I watch a Lakers game, I have a few moments when I feel like jumping out of a window and tonight's game was one of those times. They were able to dodge a loss with the help of Pau Gasol and Kobe each scoring over 30 points, the first time that's happened since the glory days of Caron Butler.

Now, all we have to do is win a few more before we come back home and cash in the frequent flyer miles.

Also, I checked the latest delegate count and Hillary and Obama are separated by two delegates, not counting the Super Delegates. I hope y'all are ready to lose a few hairs in the coming weeks because this will be like a good movie 'til the end. Hi-Lo.

Mitt, get gone!

What's up y'all? If you don't know by now, when I predict something big, carve it in stone! Mitt Romney officially threw in the towel, saving his family's inheritance and himself further embarrassment.

It couldn't have happened any other way. As bad as it is these days, no one's ready to hand the country over to a member of a cult. So, who's gonna be the next one to fall? I don't think Ron Paul will be next; he's sticking around to get every last dollar to stash in that retirement nest egg. Hi-Lo.

News Overload

Wow, folks, what a day! SO much happened today my mind is in over-expansion mode, so let me unload for a minute. First off, pray for all the folks down South who were affected by the group of tornadoes that hit. I got family there and I'm praying already, but they sure wouldn't mind your prayers, too. I saw the pictures of Lafayette and Jackson, Tennessee, and they were heartbreaking.

Second, or actually 1A, Obama and Hillary are in a virtual tie in the race for delegates. If you thought this race was almost over, grab some popcorn and get a comfortable chair.

Third, the coroner released the results of the Heath Ledger autopsy and, as expected, they found that he died from an accidental overdose. The proof is there, now let him rest.

Fourth, Shaq passed the physical and the Suns now have a 20-million-a-year Diesel, cab-minus-the-trailer, in purple and orange. This was an expensive, dangerous deal for Phoenix and it won't put them over the top, on the court anyhow. Sorry Suns, but we had Shaq during his glory years. Sad as it will be to watch him Barney up and down the floor, I won't feel sorry for him or his new team. All parties signed off on this trade, yes Marion too, so they'll have to live with it. Speaking of The Matrix, if he was miserable on a high-powered team, I don't want to see him when he heads off the court after a tenth loss in ten games!

Fifth, though it could move to second in the coming months, McCain took command of the GOP race yesterday by gangster-slapping Romney in the primaries. At this point, Romney needs to freshen up that resume because he's not gettin' this job. Huckabee is sitting pretty since McCain will most likely draft him as his running mate. Yes my people, if that happens, the rich get dinner and we all get plenty of desert.

One last thing... GO OBAMA!! YES WE CAN!! Hi-Lo.

Heath Ledger, politics, burning in the Brain

First up, can we all agree that the death of Heath Ledger is a tragedy on infinite levels? A two-year-old daughter left behind, an atmospheric career cut short, and an emerging talent we'll never see reach maturity. Everyone wants to focus on how he died, what was his state of mind so that he can be judged, but does anyone want to focus on how he lived? Let's celebrate a life that brought entertainment and awe for millions. Let's revisit the performances to be remembered throughout his career. People will believe what they want to believe about his death, but let's all be bigger than that; spin it as the media might, it won't change that he's gone. Do not judge this young man, not for his death, not for his life, not at all. Just marvel at another miracle we were witness to.
Speaking of not judging, can people not belittle his existence by saying things they wouldn't have said to his face? I mean, this guy for Fox News, who I won't give the courtesy to name in my space, makes fun of him on the air to start some controversy and boost his ratings? Well done, sir, way to show how much we've grown as a species. Should this guy even be on the news? Should his stunt have even made the news, rewarding a heinous act of disrespect? Let Mr. Ledger rest in peace and let his family know that he meant more than gutter-quality headlines and cheap-shot antics.
As for the politics of the day, do the Democrats really need to follow the Repugnantcans plan of stabbing each other in the back with attack ads? Come on y'all, are you going to let us be taken again because you don't want to rise above the B.S.? Barack, Hillary, y'all are bigger than that. No hitting below the belt, costing America points and pull the race-gender-family cards out of the deck along with the Joker in the Crack House. We need a hero y'all and heroes don't play in the pigpen. We're all hurting and you can't build a solid new foundation out of shit. Hi-Lo.

Common Enemy

I've wandered this Earth,
A million years,
Before my birth,
To the no colors,
I have no worth,
I built the chair that,
Holds your girth!

We embraced you,
"Welcome brother",
Stole our land,
Attacked the Mother,
You caged us,
And bruised our soul,
Liquored our bodies,
BUT WE WON'T FOLD!

Your words mean nothing,
A promise, a lie,
Noise to my ears
My people still die,
Seconds are years,
The metal sears,
Mind overturned,
My village is burned,
Home is no more,
Now it's Our turn!