The FBI has released their “file” on George Carlin, after his daughter requested it under the Freedom of Information Act.  One would think this would be one hell of a juicy file on the man who made fun of J. Edgar Hoover on television and, of course, often repeated those seven words you can never say on television.

What muckracking did Carlin get himself into?  What secret data did they store?  What plans did the FBI have to track him, listen to him, and perhaps lean on him?

Turns out, not much.  In his FBI file were copies of several letters that upright, concerned citizens sent the FBI about his appearances on T.V. in 1969 and 1970.  Included in the file were thank you notes that the FBI sent back to those concerned citizens.

And that’s about it.

One note in his file from an agent asks “What do we know about Carlin?”  and another memo notes that they “have no data on Carlin.”

Carlin’s daughter Kelly was quoted as saying that the contents of the file “kind of disappoints me”, implying that she expected that she was disappointed that her anti-government father had not garnered more attention.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28779155/

Khan forever.  Enough said.

I rounded first never thought of the worst
As I studied the shortstops position
Crack went my leg like the shell of an egg
Someone call a decent physician
I’m no Pete Rose, I can’t pretend
Though my mind is quite flexible, these brittle bones don’t bend

I’m growing older but not up
My metabolic rate is pleasantly stuck
Let those winds of time blow over my head
I’d rather die while I’m living than live while I’m dead

Sometimes I see me as old manatee
Headin south as the waters grow colder
Tries to steer clear of the hum-drum so near
It cuts prop scars deep in his shoulder
But that’s how it goes, right to the end
Though his body’s quite flexible, that barnacle brain don’t bend

I’m growing older but not up
My metabolic rate is pleasantly stuck
Let those winds of time blow over my head
I’d rather die while I’m livin’ than live while I’m dead

Now don’t get me wrong
This is not a sad song
Just events that I have happened to witness
And time takes its toll as we head for the poll
And no one dies from physical fitness
So what the hell, we’ll take it right to the end
As the days grow more complicated the nightlife still wins

I’m growing older but not up
My metabolic rate is pleasantly stuck
Let those winds of change blow over my head
Id rather die while I’m living than live while I’m dead
Let those winds of time blow over my head
I’d rather die while I’m living than live while I’m dead

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Better late than never…

LATKES! 🙂

Latkes!

We went to Bubbe and Zayde’s place, and a good time was had by all – the kids, playing and the parents, eating.  Pictures are HERE.

Editors comment: This post is by my brother, Kelly.

It is December 31st, 1988, and still I have no ticket for tonight’s New
Year’s Eve Grateful Dead show, the final night of an abbreviated
three-night run.

Having figured that two shows are better than none, I hopped in the
communal Ford van and (after a detour to a hot tub in Eugene, Oregon) came
down from Seattle for the festivities of the 28th and 29th.  One of the
guys who came down with us (RIP, Daniel) had an extra New Year’s Eve
ticket, but he seemed intent on bartering it in exchange for as much money
as possible.  I had since relegated myself to the possibility of a New
Year’s Eve spent dancing outside while cleaning up bottles and cans in a
vast asphalt jungle.

(more…)

First and foremost, good fricken riddance to 2008.  It was the year that was… and I’m glad it’s over.  2009 isn’t going to magically change things, but at least the year that saw 40% of my retirement fund and equal numbers of my coworkers go away is behind us.

We ate cheeses, meats and drank some desert wine at the hour to ring things in, and surprisingly every kid stayed up this year to watch the fireworks on our HDTV.

Here we are.  Eeyeore hid under the hockey table:

Eeyore Hides In The New Year

Justin actually stayed awake!  We consider him “Baby New Year”:

Baby New Year

And here we are, all ringing in the new year:

Us

After the fireworks, we listened to Blue Man Group ringing in the new year with Auld Lang Syn on the BMG Tubes.

Happy New Year to all!