Comedian George Carlin, a counter-culture hero famed for his routines about drugs and dirty words, died of heart failure at a Los Angeles-area hospital Sunday, a spokesman said. He was was 71.

Carlin, who had a history of heart problems, died at St. John’s Health Center in Santa Monica about 6 p.m. PT after being admitted earlier in the afternoon for chest pains, spokesman Jeff Abraham told Reuters.

Sigh…His routine on the seven words you couldn’t say on the air was groundbreaking. From Wiki:

Carlin and his “Seven Dirty Words” comedy routine were central to the 1978 U.S. Supreme Court case F.C.C. v. Pacifica Foundation. The words are (with examples):

1. Shit – The bird shit on the statue.
2. Piss – I have to piss like a race horse.
3. Fuck – Fuck you.
4. Cunt – She has a nasty cunt.
5. Cocksucker – Go to hell, you cocksucker.
6. Motherfucker – You are a motherfucker.
7. Tits – Hey, nice tits.

He was a friend of Lenny Bruce and he continued the Bruce traditions of being a non-conformist. He is with Lenny now perhaps, one can hope anyway.

He was to be honored Nov 10th with the Mark Twain award for American Humor. It will be posthumously accepted now I presume. The infamous routine can be viewed here..

Yes, it cost $450 million, but when you consider the millions we throw away each month in Iraq, which is a better return on our investment?

Here is the website for the mission. There are more pictures on their site.

Way back in 1985 I wrote a parody of David Lee Roth’s version of “Just a Gigolo” for the Bob and Tom Show. It was about getting stuck in the heavy traffic on the way to the Indianapolis 500. The song appeared on Bob and Tom’s first charity project, “Bob and Tom’s White Album”. From that point forward, the song became a staple in the Indianapolis region during the month of May. I still recall driving to the race one morning and hearing the song on the radio while I looked around at other drivers singing along with my song. A great memory for me.

This is no joke. From the Associated Students at UCSB website:

Meet Gregory Pike and his furry entourage: Booger, Kitty, and Mousey. Every day he walks around State street with Booger, the dog, on a leash. On top of Booger sits Kitty, who holds on to the harness around Booger like a saddle. On top of Kitty sits Mousey (who is really a rat), wrapped closely around Kitty’s neck. Its obvious the bond between these animals is deep – they all accept one another as members of the same family, regardless of their species. Greg has been spreading this message of peace, respect, and tolerance for eight years, and has become an integral member of Santa Barbara society, known and loved by our community.

How do you handle it? Do you ignore the fact that a bunch of elderly men with walkers could beat them?

When friends bring up how lousy they are, do you just sling a nasty retort their way or beat the living shit out of them?

When they are on, do you sit and silently watch them suck or do you get drunk and scream obscenities at the tv?

These are burning issues for me. My team can’t find their collective ass with both hands. Its killing me. I might need to start medicating myself before and after each game.

1. Hampton, $121 million, Rockies (and Braves). The deals for him and Denny Neagle ($55 million, five years) set the Rockies back five years. On the other hand, the complicated trade to send him away and get the Rockies on the path to the World Series was a stroke of genius. The Braves, who got him from the Marlins in November 2002, two days after Colorado dumped him, are known for wise pitching decisions, but this has to be their worst.

2. Carl Pavano, $40 million, four (long) years, Yankees. Never really looked interested. Changed agents more times than he actually pitched.

3. Albert Belle, $65 million, five years, Orioles. Brought surly mood, diminished power and bad hip to Peter Angelos’ brand of bad baseball.

4. Chan Ho Park, $65 million, five years, Rangers. Poor Tom Hicks. Or should I say, rich Tom Hicks. Park showed up without much zip on his pitches, then delivered almost zip for the money.

5. Jason Giambi, $120 million, seven years, Yankees. He apologized for who knows what but hasn’t yet apologized for taking all this money, which is, of course, obscene. He’s still got $26 million to go in this the final year alone, assuming the Yankees decline the option year for a measly $5 mil.

My personal favorite Kevin Brown is on the list too..Dodgers got hosed in that one..big time

Trevor Hoffman is done..stick a fork in him Black. We can not afford to let Hoffman keep blowing saves..we are UNDER five hundred as it is, you stupid sumbitch..