Last week Tim Russert of NBC died of a Heart Attack, and this week George Carlin passed away from heart problems.

Tim Russert was host of Meet the Press after Marvin Kalb was host and that dates me. I met Mr Russert at a luncheon in RI at the convention center. I wanted to shake his hand because he reminded me of what a real newsman was like. He was part Walter Cronkite and part Charles Kuralt. He told it like it was or is, in a non condescending way and it was straight no tabloid stuff.

He also wrote a great book also about his dad and it became a best seller. He just seemed like a really good news man, a great father and good husband. Perhaps the last of the real good news men. Bob Sheaffer at CBS may be the last one now. For more on Mr. Russert please see http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/06/13/tim.russert/index.html

George Carlin was one of my heroes. He was counter culture I used to play his albums in my house in New Rochelle growing up. He was from Brooklyn I think and swore like a sailor. He was irreverent, bold and funny as hell. His take on baseball vs football, 10 commandments, and stuff all come to mind as I write this. He was very profound and I agree with many of his thoughts about organized religion.

When my mom passed I read from his brain droppings book at her funeral. She loved Carlin also and I knew she was laughing at me from above having the nerve to do so. I suspect George approved of it however and I hope my mom gets to meet him in Heaven, that is if she can break away long enough from Johnny Carson to do so. For more on George Carlin please see

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/24/arts/24carlin.html

George Carlin will be sadly missed.