George Carlin

George Carlin comes to Washington this weekend on his aptly titled "Still Bringin' It" tour. After five decades in comedy, Carlin is still as relevant, irreverent and unbowed as ever. His legendary list of "seven words you can never say on television" has now grown to a list of more than 2,000 on his Web site. A few of those will undoubtedly appear in his routine. Carlin performs at 7 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. Saturday and at 7 p.m. Sunday at the Warner Theatre, 13th Street (between E and F streets)

For many who came of age in the 1970s, listening to the edgy comedy of George Carlin (ruled indecent but not obscene by the Supreme Court) was an important coming-of-age experience. Like Lenny Bruce a decade earlier, the pony-tailed Mr. Carlin pushed the envelope of humor with profanity, frank discussions of drugs and his Irish Catholic upbringing, and an unapologetically anti-establishment point of view. His "Seven Dirty Words" routine would seem fairly tame by today's standards, but it was groundbreaking then.

Carlin's not a one-dimensional guy, so in honor of his landmark 1978 Supreme Court case -- in which justices ruled, 5-4, that the Federal Communications Commission could ban seven words from television and radio during hours when children might hear them -- here are seven Carlin observations that have nothing to do with war: Civilization began its downhill path the day some guy first uttered the words, "A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do." Guys don't seem to be called Lefty anymore.

He was cool. He was smart. He was dirty. And he was relentlessly funny. Speaking of dead people - the very words the man used in a recent routine on death - George Carlin died Sunday in California. That doesn't sound right or is the least bit funny, but if anyone could riff on death, it was Carlin. No subject was taboo - particularly taboo subjects, such as religion, drugs, sex and death, and sometimes in that order. His trail-brazing social commentary spanned more than four decades, forced a Supreme Court decision on broadcast indecency, and influenced top-shelf comedians such as Chris Rock, Jerry Seinfeld and Jon Stewart.

Imagine a world without George Carlin. Or, more precisely, a world without George Carlin as a celebrated stand-up comedian.That's how Mr. Carlin sees the premise for his first TV sitcom, "The George Carlin Show," which debuts tomorrow at 9:30 p.m. on WBFF (Channel 45)."People talk about alternate lives, about how your life would have turned out if you lived it differently," Mr. Carlin, 56, told reporters at a press conference. "This is what I might've been if I hadn't ever left my neighborhood, if I had never gone on stage."

For many who came of age in the 1970s, listening to the edgy comedy of George Carlin (ruled indecent but not obscene by the Supreme Court) was an important coming-of-age experience. Like Lenny Bruce a decade earlier, the pony-tailed Mr. Carlin pushed the envelope of humor with profanity, frank discussions of drugs and his Irish Catholic upbringing, and an unapologetically anti-establishment point of view. His "Seven Dirty Words" routine would seem fairly tame by today's standards, but it was groundbreaking then.

Way back when, the fool, the court jester, occupied a prime spot on the political landscape. He alone could mock authority with immunity, could walk up to a nobleman and say whatever, could be both brutally honest and fearless, saved by his ability to mix truth with laughter. How appropriate that George Carlin, in town today for a 7:30 p.m. show at the Cavalier Pavilion at Pier Six, titled his third album Occupation: Fool. For the better part of four decades, he's been telling all of us - not just the leaders, but us followers as well - how stupid we all are, how hollow, how ignorant.

THOUGH THE CONCEPT is borrowed, Fox's debut in the television movie business has something unusual in a made-for-TV comedy film: laughs. Not chuckles or warm smiles or wry grins, but actual out-and-out laughs.It also has George Carlin, which accounts for a great deal in the guffaw department."Working Trash," which will be on Channel 45 (WBFF) at 8 o'clock tonight, is a twist on the theme of Mike Nichols' "Working Girl." Then again, that was a twist on the theme of Cinderella, so who's keeping score, anyway?

He was cool. He was smart. He was dirty. And he was relentlessly funny. Speaking of dead people - the very words the man used in a recent routine on death - George Carlin died Sunday in California. That doesn't sound right or is the least bit funny, but if anyone could riff on death, it was Carlin. No subject was taboo - particularly taboo subjects, such as religion, drugs, sex and death, and sometimes in that order. His trail-brazing social commentary spanned more than four decades, forced a Supreme Court decision on broadcast indecency, and influenced top-shelf comedians such as Chris Rock, Jerry Seinfeld and Jon Stewart.

In the News Comedian George Carlin puts himself in rehab George Carlin is entering a drug rehabilitation facility "because I use too much wine and Vicodin [a painkiller]," the 67- year-old comedian said in a statement released yesterday by his publicist, Jeff Abraham. The name and location of the facility weren't disclosed. "I know it isn't easy, but I'm highly motivated, and will do whatever's needed," the statement said. Easy to track A telltale trail of wrapping paper led Columbus, Miss.

FortFest The lowdown -- Early in the 20th century, at a time when UFOs and cryptozoology were unheard of, Charles Fort researched and wrote extensively on anomalous phenomena. The conference in his honor, FortFest, visits Baltimore this year with book sales, activities and seminars on UFOs, ancient religions and more. If you go -- FortFest runs 9:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Saturday at the American Visionary Art Museum, 800 Key Highway. Tickets are $25-$75. It continues 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday at the Days Inn Inner Harbor, 100 Hopkins Place.

Switchfoot -- Rams Head Live / Since the release of its 2003 double-platinum hit The Beautiful Letdown, Switchfoot has been steadily proving itself. Drawing inspiration from talents such as U2, Michael Jackson, the Beatles and Miles Davis, the band prides itself on diversity and instrumental experimentation. The group performs with the Florida band Copeland at 7 p.m. Sunday at Rams Head Live, 20 Market Place, Baltimore. Tickets are $22.50 -$25. Call 410-244-1131 or go to ramsheadlive.com.

In the News Comedian George Carlin puts himself in rehab George Carlin is entering a drug rehabilitation facility "because I use too much wine and Vicodin [a painkiller]," the 67- year-old comedian said in a statement released yesterday by his publicist, Jeff Abraham. The name and location of the facility weren't disclosed. "I know it isn't easy, but I'm highly motivated, and will do whatever's needed," the statement said. Easy to track A telltale trail of wrapping paper led Columbus, Miss.

Way back when, the fool, the court jester, occupied a prime spot on the political landscape. He alone could mock authority with immunity, could walk up to a nobleman and say whatever, could be both brutally honest and fearless, saved by his ability to mix truth with laughter. How appropriate that George Carlin, in town today for a 7:30 p.m. show at the Cavalier Pavilion at Pier Six, titled his third album Occupation: Fool. For the better part of four decades, he's been telling all of us - not just the leaders, but us followers as well - how stupid we all are, how hollow, how ignorant.

Carlin's not a one-dimensional guy, so in honor of his landmark 1978 Supreme Court case -- in which justices ruled, 5-4, that the Federal Communications Commission could ban seven words from television and radio during hours when children might hear them -- here are seven Carlin observations that have nothing to do with war: Civilization began its downhill path the day some guy first uttered the words, "A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do." Guys don't seem to be called Lefty anymore.

In the mind of comedian George Carlin, Baltimore will always occupy a special place. All right, so it's a mostly empty place with low lighting and many unoccupied chairs and the help standing around waiting for a live one to walk in. "My recollection is that there were to be two shows on that night," says Carlin, remembering his appearance at the Blue Dog cafe on York Road on Friday, July 2, 1965. At the time, he was a skinny 28-year-old kid in short hair and a shirt and tie who was experiencing his first success as a solo comedy act. Well, at least in places other than the Blue Dog. "I was standing there at 8:30 at show time," says Carlin, in a phone interview from his home near Los Angeles.

Is there any old, long-ago canceled series that the American Viewing Public can be spared from seeing revived? Apparently not, judging by the offering on the Family Channel today."

Is there any old, long-ago canceled series that the American Viewing Public can be spared from seeing revived? Apparently not, judging by the offering on the Family Channel today."