Friday, November 13, 2009

Things I learnt listenin to the radio

This morning on my way into work I learned two things I had not known before- I learned that being shot in a drug deal gone south and then having your body burned in a house fire to cover up the crime “could happen to anyone” and the other thing is too long and drawn out to sum up in a sentence.

 

Back to the first issue- a very sad story, and  I not trying to make fun of what happened, merely what was said about it.  Apparently one of the morning shows around here had interviewed some girl who was an “escort”.  They found out over the weekend that this lady’s body was found in a house fire.  The investigators have ruled it a homicide, as the bodies were shot and then the house set on fire to try to cover up the crime.  They had an acquaintance of this lady on to see if there were any new developments, and in the course of the conversation, the acquaintence mentioned that because this happened to her friend, it just goes to show that it “could happen to anyone”.  I suppose that is technically true, but I imagine you drastically lessen your odds this happening by taking certain small measures, such as not dating a drug dealer.  As I said, this is an unfortunate story, and no one deserves this fate, regardless of what your life is like, it was the flippant way in which the chuckleheads on the radio discussed this as if it was a car accident, rather than a homicide.

 

Minutes after this story, the shock jocks had George Carlin’s daughter on, who is promoting the last book Carlin wrote before passing.  If we all remember correctly, George Carlin was Rufus on “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure”, to others he was the comic who became famous in the 70’s for his bit about the F-word.  He was quite the social commentator, much the way Bill Maher is now, always pointing out the sheer ignorance and stupidity of religion and capitalism.  As his daughter related, he was always trying to point out our ignorance, and he happened to do it through comedy.  Ok- so they were discussing his disdain for capitalism, and his awe of socialism, and then all of a sudden the conversation turned to how he made millions and millions in the 70’s, and didn’t pay taxes on it, so the IRS came in and cleaned him out, forcing him to work well into his later years, all the wealth gone, just making ends meet. Now, Isn’t there a certain irony to someone who abhors those “selfish” capitalists, sings the praises of a socialized everything, yet neglects to pay his taxes?