I find that I miss George Carlin. Over the years, I have found that his insights and comedy had a depth to them that wasn't fueled by a desire for a cheap laugh or for some kind of promotional deal. He had a cynical view to life as well as an honest and straightforward approach to the world that made him wickedly funny in that he could point out some of the habits (good and many bad) of humanity that made us the perfect source material for his routines. I find that in the various eras of Carlin's act, there is something to be found in all of them. His early "hippy, dippy" weather man routines were great, but so were his much later scathing criticisms of politics and the American psyche. Especially airport security. That one, which aired just a few years before 9-11 in his special "You Are All Diseased" has an eerie ring to it in retrospect. So much so, you can hear Carlin himself sounding a little unsure about his opening remarks in the n...
If there is a phrase that has been over-used during the last year, it is "double down." Throughout much of the election cycle the phrase was used to mean one of two things: (1) to become more tenacious, zealous, or resolute in a position or undertaking or (2) to engage in risky behavior, especially when one is already in a dangerous situation. Usually these definitions were used in the reverse order - someone makes a claim that is patently false and puts themselves in a dangerous situation politically, then becomes more tenacious in defending the initial position, no matter what the actual facts might be. The term works, but it worked too well and too often and it has lost its power. The term itself comes from blackjack, and was used when a player would double the original bid against the house in exchange for only one more card. A risky move. The fact that a gambling term has come to be the common phrase utilized to describe the political behavior ...
I have long been a fan of science fiction. Especially when it comes to science fiction movies. I would characterize that fandom as relating to movies that were more of the 2001 persuasion as well as Star Wars than, say, Predator or, perhaps more to the point, Plan 9 From Outer Space . While I do love a good space drama, I would point out that that sci-fi need not leave the planet or have aliens to be good sci-fi. In fact, while it is often considered a romantic drama, Somewhere in Time is, in fact, science fiction - the whole story is predicated on time travel! It is a wide genre, to be sure. As a fan of science fiction, what I often enjoy the most are stories that deal with hypothetical situations that focus on the contemporary in the guise of science fiction. Parables, in other words. I really enjoy those that effectively call ideas, ideologies, or commonly held beliefs into question. 2001, Contact, and most of the episodes of ...
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