I just read that George Carlin died last night of heart failure.
I had a lot of respect for Carlin, I watched a couple of his HBO specials and I remember watching him host the very first episode of Saturday Night Live. I was 17 that year I remember thinking that I was watching something completely new and revolutionary.
Carlin morphed himself from nightclub comedian to counter culture hero to senior curmudgeon. He managed to pass through the 70's without getting typecast in the Cheech and Chong mold. He was profoundly anti-religious and not afraid of power.
Surely he won't get the attention that Tim Russert got, but in his own way he was an important contributor to the modern culture.
