#1961557 - 06/22/08 11:50 PM
George Carlin R.I.P.
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steadyb
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just heard.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-carlin23-2008jun23,0,4144791.story
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Comedian-actor George Carlin, know for his raunchy, but insightful humor, died Sunday in Los Angeles, his publicist said. He was 71.
Carlin performed as recently as last weekend at the Orleans Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas.
Jeff Abraham says Carlin went into St. John's Health Center on Sunday afternoon, complaining of chest pain. Carlin died at 5:55 p.m. PDT, the Associated Press reported.
Carlin, who had a history of heart trouble, performed as recently as last weekend at the Orleans Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas.
Carlin was best known for his routine "Seven Words You Can Never Say On Television," which appeared 1972's "Class Clown" album.
When Carlin uttered all seven at a show in Milwaukee in 1972, he was arrested for disturbing the peace, the AP reported. The comedy sketch prompted a landmark indecency case after WBAI-FM radio aired it in 1973.
The case was appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court where the justices ruled on a 5-to-4 vote that the sketch was "indecent but not obscene," giving the FCC broad leeway to determine what constituted indecency on the airwaves.
"So my name is a footnote in American legal history, which I'm perversely kind of proud of," Carlin said. "In the context of that era, it was daring."
"It just sounds like a very self-serving kind of word. I don't want to go around describing myself as a 'groundbreaker' or a 'difference-maker' because I'm not and I wasn't," he said. "But I contributed to people who were saying things that weren't supposed to be said."
Carlin, who was also an author, was slated to receive the 2008 Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in November.
"In his length career as a comedian, writer, and actor, George Carlin has not only made us laugh, but he makes us think," Stephen Schwarzman, Kennedy Center chairman, said in a statement. "His influence on the next generation of comics has been far-reaching."
In a typical wry response, Carlin said: "Thank you Mr. Twain. Have your people call my people."
Carlin hosted the first broadcast of "Saturday Night Live" in October 1975.
He played the character of Mr. Conductor on the PBS series "Shining Time Station" and starred in more than a dozen HBO specials. Carlin was also a regular on The Tonight Show.
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#1961566 - 06/23/08 12:53 AM
Re: George Carlin R.I.P.
[Re: Sven Golly]
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steadyb
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He was my #1 favorite stand up comic since I was a kid. My mom introduced him to me by letting me stay up whenever he was on Carson. Then I discovered his albums, later his HBO specials, and was fortunate enough to see him live in concert several times before he died.
Feeling pretty bummed tonight, though.
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#1961585 - 06/23/08 04:30 AM
Re: George Carlin R.I.P.
[Re: wmp]
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ITGITC?
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Al Sleet
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May he rest in peace.
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#1961594 - 06/23/08 04:57 AM
Re: George Carlin R.I.P.
[Re: ITGITC?]
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Joe Muscara
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Carlin saw how Pryor deteriorated and said, "f^@& that, I'm havin' another heart attack!"
Thanks for the laughs, George.
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#1961599 - 06/23/08 05:07 AM
Re: George Carlin R.I.P.
[Re: Joe Muscara]
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tonysounds
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Yeah, what a drag. His routines became intensely angry at the end, but he was still an insightful f@cker. He is missed.
T
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#1961611 - 06/23/08 05:51 AM
Re: George Carlin R.I.P.
[Re: wmp]
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latchmo
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Carlin, counterculture comedians' dean, dies at 71 (AP)Counterculture.  I'm just guessing that would annoy George. He understood and used language with such precision to illustrate what is wrong the official purveyors of culture. He annoyed a lot of people who deserve to be annoyed more and more often.
I thought the same thing when I read that. It's too bad that anyone with such intelligence and insight is considered counterculture. RIP GC
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#1961657 - 06/23/08 07:02 AM
Re: George Carlin R.I.P.
[Re: steadyb]
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Dave Bryce
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He was my #1 favorite stand up comic since I was a kid.
Mine, too.
RIP, George.
dB
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#1961658 - 06/23/08 07:12 AM
Re: George Carlin R.I.P.
[Re: latchmo]
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Griffinator
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Carlin, counterculture comedians' dean, dies at 71 (AP)Counterculture. I'm just guessing that would annoy George. He understood and used language with such precision to illustrate what is wrong the official purveyors of culture. He annoyed a lot of people who deserve to be annoyed more and more often. I thought the same thing when I read that. It's too bad that anyone with such intelligence and insight is considered counterculture. RIP GC
They called him "counter-culture" because back when he was just getting started, comedians were clean cut - and he wore long hair and a beard.
Thin, granted, but it's worth noting.
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#1961669 - 06/23/08 07:45 AM
Re: George Carlin R.I.P.
[Re: latchmo]
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MikeT156
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Everyone was "counterculture" back in the Woodstock generation, unless you were over 30 and a registered Republcian, or worse, voted for Richard Nixon. I doubt that George would have a problem with being labeled as a counterculture comedian. Like the rest of the Woodstock generation, he smoked dope, made up funny bits about it, and felt that the heavy handed sentencing of "light" drug use back in the sixties and early seventies were totally out of date, as well as out of line.
I have a number of George Carlin albums, and I can personally appreciate his bit about "stuff". I always laughed at some of his off the cuff remarks. He use to say "How stupid is it for me to get paid for sitting around and thinking up all this crap that I put in my comedy routine". Or something like that. George never took himself too seriously.
George is/was my all time favorite comedian. RIP man.
Mike T.
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#1961685 - 06/23/08 08:17 AM
Re: George Carlin R.I.P.
[Re: steadyb]
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SilverDragonSoun
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He was my #1 favorite stand up comic since I was a kid. My mom introduced him to me by letting me stay up whenever he was on Carson. Then I discovered his albums, later his HBO specials, and was fortunate enough to see him live in concert several times before he died.
Feeling pretty bummed tonight, though.
This is something we absolutely agree upon. Man I was bummed when I heard this last night. RIP George!! 
_________________________
Begin the day with a friendly voice A companion, unobtrusive
- Rush
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#1961686 - 06/23/08 08:18 AM
Re: George Carlin R.I.P.
[Re: MikeT156]
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Jeff Klopmeyer
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My all-time favorite.
I just mentioned on another forum that as a kid, we'd cue up George's comedy albums every bit as often as we would Aerosmith, Zeppelin, and the Stones.
When my friend (and our esteemed moderator) dB is "on", I could see the George Carlin influence in him. And George was a huge influence on me as well; I'd like to think that some of my irreverence, my hesitance to put any sacred cows on pedestals and so on was a direct result of my exposure to him.
George certainly didn't believe in God or any kind of afterlife, so as opposed to RIP, I'll just say it was a great run, and thanks.
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#1961687 - 06/23/08 08:20 AM
Re: George Carlin R.I.P.
[Re: Jeff Klopmeyer]
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SilverDragonSoun
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In Memory of George:
GEORGE CARLIN'S NEW RULES FOR 2008
New Rule:
No more gift registries. You know, it used to be just for weddings. Now it's for babies and new homes and graduations from rehab. Picking out the stuff you want and having other people buy it for you isn't gift giving, it's the white people version of looting.
New Rule:
Stop giving me that pop-up ad for classmates.com! There's a reason you don't talk to people for 25 years. Because you don't particularly like them! Besides, I already know what the captain of the football team is doing these days --- mowing my lawn.
New Rule:
Don't eat anything that's served to you out a window unless you're a seagull. People are acting all shocked that a human finger was found in a bowl of Wendy's chili. Hey, it cost less than a dollar. What did you expect it to contain? Lobster?
New Rule:
Stop saying that teenage boys who have sex with their hot, blonde teachers are permanently damaged. I have a better description for these kids: 'Lucky bastards.'
New Rule:
If you need to shave and you still collect baseball cards, you're a dope. If you're a kid, the cards are keep sakes of your idols. If you're a grown man, they're pictures of men.
New Rule:
Ladies, leave your eyebrows alone. Here's how much men care about your eyebrows: Do you have two of them? Good, we're done.
New Rule:
There's no such thing as flavored water. There's a whole aisle of this crap at the supermarket; water, but without that watery taste. Sorry, but flavored water is called a soft drink. You want flavored water? Pour some scotch over ice and let it melt. That's your flavored water.
New Rule: Stop screwing with old people. Target is introducing a redesigned pill bottle that's square, with a bigger label. And the top is now the bottom. And by the time grandpa figures out how to open it, his ass will be in the morgue. Congratulations, Target, you just solved the Social Security crisis.
New Rule:
The more complicated the Starbucks order, the bigger the asshole. If you walk into a Starbucks and order a 'decaf grandee, half-soy, half-low fat, iced vanilla, double-shot, gingerbread cappuccino, extra dry, light ice, with one Sweet-n'-Low, and One NutraSweet,' ooooh, you're a huge asshole.
New Rule:
I'm not the cashier! By the time I look up from sliding my card, entering my PIN number, pressing 'Enter,' verifying the amount, deciding, no, I don't want cash back, and pressing 'Enter' again, the kid who is supposed to be ringing me up is standing there eating my Almond Joy.
New Rule:
Just because your tattoo has Chinese characters in it doesn't make you Spiritual. It's right above the crack of your ass. And it translates to 'beef with broccoli.' The last time you did anything spiritual, you were praying to God you weren't pregnant. You're not spiritual. You're just high.
New Rule:
Competitive eating isn't a sport. It's one of the seven deadly sins. ESPN recently televised the U.S. Open of Competitive Eating, because watching those athletes at the poker table was just too damned exciting. What's next, competitive farting? Oh wait, they're already doing that. It's called 'The Howard Stern Show.'
New Rule:
I don't need a bigger mega M&Ms. If I'm extra hungry for M&Ms, I'll go nuts and eat two.
New Rule:
If you're going to insist on making movies based on crappy old television shows, then you have to give everyone in the Cineplex a remote so we can see what's playing on the other screens. Let's remember the reason something was a television show in the first place is that the idea wasn't good enough to be a movie.
New Rule:
And this one is long overdue: No more bathroom attendants. After I zip up, some guy is offering me a towel and a mint like I just had sex with George Michael. I can't even tell if he's supposed to be there, or just some freak with a fetish. I don't want to be on your webcam, Dude. I just want to wash my hands.
New Rule:
When I ask how old your toddler is, I don't need to hear '27 months.' 'He's two' will do just fine. He's not a cheese. And I didn't really care in the first place.
New Rule:
If you ever hope to be a credible adult and want a job that pays better than minimum wage, then for God's sake don't pierce or tattoo every available piece of flesh. If so, then plan your future around saying, 'Do you want fries with that?'
_________________________
Begin the day with a friendly voice A companion, unobtrusive
- Rush
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#1961693 - 06/23/08 08:43 AM
Re: George Carlin R.I.P.
[Re: SilverDragonSoun]
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Jeff Klopmeyer
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SDS, that's not by George.
Here's what George had to say about all the fake stuff that's incorrectly credited to him:
Floating around the Internet these days, posted and e-mailed back and forth, are a number of writings attributed to me, and I want people to know they're not mine. Don't blame me.
Some are essay-length, some are just short lists of one and two-line jokes, but if they're flyin' around the Internet, they're probably not mine. Occasionally, a couple of jokes on a long list might have come from me, but not often. And because most of this stuff is really lame, it's embarrassing to see my name on it.
And that's the problem. I want people to know that I take care with my writing, and try to keep my standards high. But most of this "humor" on the Internet is just plain stupid. I guess hard-core fans who follow my stuff closely would be able to spot the fake stuff, because the tone of voice is so different. But a casual fan has no way of knowing, and it bothers me that some people might believe I'd actually be capable of writing some of this stuff.
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#1961723 - 06/23/08 09:36 AM
Re: George Carlin R.I.P.
[Re: Jeff Klopmeyer]
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JohnH
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Darn....I kept saying "No Room For Your Stuff" alot yesterday...I had no idea when I was saying it he was in his final hours. Was sorry to hear that when I grabbed the paper today.
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#1961733 - 06/23/08 09:49 AM
Re: George Carlin R.I.P.
[Re: JohnH]
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S_Gould
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In memory of George, I'm going to have a good laugh at all the stupid sh*t going on around me. I'm lucky to have caught him last Nov. while he was working out new material. He was as funny as ever; I'll miss him.
Scott
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#1961755 - 06/23/08 10:16 AM
Re: George Carlin R.I.P.
[Re: Geoff Grace]
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Mr. Nightime
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I'll have to put on the "Toledo Window Box" album tonight in his honor. Another great one gone.
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#1961769 - 06/23/08 10:43 AM
Re: George Carlin R.I.P.
[Re: Mr. Nightime]
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Legatoboy
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I'm speechless, I adored him. He grew up in the Bronx just over the East River from me. As I got older I realized what that meant to who he was, he had the Bronx in his blood!
I'm so glad I saved his 'last' HBO special on my DVR/Cable box. His image of the Statue of Liberty 'Stroking' Uncle Sam from the last HBO gig was pure George.
He will live on for many!
Bye George!  
Edited by Legatoboy (06/24/08 07:12 PM)
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#1961776 - 06/23/08 11:13 AM
Re: George Carlin R.I.P.
[Re: Geoff Grace]
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Dave Pierce
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He was the best. The words "one of" were not omitted by accident.
Like many others, I often think that people should move their shit to make room for my stuff. 
I'll echo Jeff in saying -- "it was a good run, George. Thanks for the laughs."
--Dave
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#1961802 - 06/23/08 11:48 AM
Re: George Carlin R.I.P.
[Re: Dave Pierce]
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steadyb
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Every standup comic of the last 30 years, whether they realize it or not, was strongly influenced by George Carlin. If not directly (as most of the really successful ones would be quick to acknowledge), then for sure second hand by being influenced by someone who was directly influenced by him.
My absolute favorite. Genius.
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#1961901 - 06/23/08 03:09 PM
Re: George Carlin R.I.P.
[Re: steadyb]
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Dan South
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Despite the fact that Carlin was about the same age as my parents, I considered him to be the first great comedian of "my" generation, or at least of the "hip" generation.
Before Carlin, comedians wore suits with pants that crept up to their kneecaps when they sat in the chair next to Johnny Carson's desk. They were clean shaven, portly men with wet-combed hair. They looked like our uncles, our teachers, our grandfathers. They seemed to be hard drinkers, but otherwise they were rather "square." Their jokes were square as well, stale leftovers from a by-gone era, an era that only our parents, some historians, and professional paleontologists seemed to remember.
Carlin changed all that.
Carlin was hip. He was cool. He was ONE OF US. He wore blue jeans and let his hair grow. He had charisma and loads of energy. His comedy was fresh, fascinating, and tantalizingly tawdry. His jokes sparkled with a combination of brilliant associations, dry wit, and zany absurdity. He wasn't putting on an act; he was the consummate class clown and he was darned proud of it.
Carlin loved to make us think. He didn't turn our assumptions on their heads; he made them do cartwheels.
"Honesty is always the best policy. But it's important to remember that apparently, by elimination, dishonesty is the second best policy."
"Do this sometime. Walk into a gift shop and ask for your gift. Tell 'em you saw the sign and you decided to stop by to pick up whatever they've been saving for you."
"Ever notice how anyone driving slower than you is an idiot, while anyone driving faster than you is a maniac?"
Such a brilliant, transcendent wit!
I was lucky enough to see George live on several occasions, including a taping of one of his MTV specials. He was a professional and a perfectionist, and every one of those shows ROCKED. He'd slink effortlessly across the stage with catlike movements as he mezmerized the audience with his quizzical stare, his smoothly urgent baritone voice, and his unassailable logic. He never rested on his laurels, he always introduced new material, and if you had tickets to one of his shows - ANY of his shows - you got your money's worth.
I'm gonna miss ya, George! Thanks for decades of happy memories!
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#1961958 - 06/23/08 05:14 PM
Re: George Carlin R.I.P.
[Re: Dan South]
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SK
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Dan, that description of Carlin deserves to be in print.
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#1961967 - 06/23/08 05:39 PM
Re: George Carlin R.I.P.
[Re: SK]
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NoahZark
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I'd be lying if I said Carlin was my favorite stand-up comedian (that honor belongs to Steve Martin, back in the day), but Carlin was a close second. His marriage of wit and intelligence was truly extraordinary, but he could also do "plain ol' silly" pretty darn well, too. He's also responsible for one of my all-time favorite comedy bits: his comparison of baseball vs. football. Enjoy . . . .
CARLIN ON BASEBALL AND FOOTBALL
Noah
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#1961970 - 06/23/08 05:44 PM
Re: George Carlin R.I.P.
[Re: SK]
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suraci
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He was a tres funny, pissed at the Catholics, kind of wordologist
But I never "got" his joke about while being on TV ( he did the Tonight Show for Carson)
'It's ok to "prick your finger" but not ok "to finger your prick"??????? ( Where the F$% are those F#$%ing smileys when ya need 'em? Darn it all, shoot, shazam!!
One funny smart dude
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#1961973 - 06/23/08 05:46 PM
Re: George Carlin R.I.P.
[Re: NoahZark]
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MidLifeCrisis
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George was one of the all time greats. Definitely one of my top 3 favorites every. He will be missed.
RIP George
Here are a couple of my favorite one liners of his in his memory:
Do infants enjoy infancy as much as adults enjoy adultery?
If God dropped acid, would he see people?
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#1961976 - 06/23/08 05:50 PM
Re: George Carlin R.I.P.
[Re: NoahZark]
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suraci
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[quote=NoahZark]I'd be lying................., but he could also do "plain ol' silly" pretty darn well, too.
I am gonna get in trouble if no one backs my back on this, but......
He recently ( recently for me means the last 10 15 years or so )
was saying some completely absurd but far out funny stuff.
I faintly but definitely recall him making reference, in total "theatre of the ridiculous" mode, of his Dad being butt f$%. But it was just for the sake of the absurd sound of the words, nothing more!!
Does anyone round these parts concur- recall, or am i really screwed around here, even worse than already?
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