The Pop culture, celebrity world is weird. You sort of think you know people you don't really know. And some of those people you don't really know have a great effect upon you. It's another way to remind us all that we really are all connected. Even if we can't really trace the connections, except in the invisible strings of the Pop Culture Ether.
George Carlin died yesterday. He was one of those people that opened my eyes. He defined (along with Richard Pryor) stand up comedy. He emerged out of the cocktail, Vegas world of Henny Youngman, Milton Berle, Buddy Hackett, Joey Bishop.
He became a real counter-cultural voice in the 70's. There was no one else like him. He was closer in age to my father than to me, but he was closer to me in his long hair, pot-smoking demeanor. He spoke for both of us when he got up onstage and questioned all of our assumptions.
And he made us laugh.