For half a century, somewhere in America, night in, night out, George Carlin stood on a stage, raging, berating, sniping, griping, purring questions, snarling answers, kicking holes in the polyester pants of hypocrisy, puking down the nice clean tux of conventional wisdom, convulsing audiences and never failing to do “this real moron thing I do: it’s called THINKING!”

The 2009 baseball season is well underway. Nostalgic thoughts arise for baseball fans that grew up worshipping their sports heroes. They used to seem bigger than life to us and we wanted to be like them and play center field for one of our favorite teams. But were they all heroes, and will some become legendary for the wrong reasons? And will more false heroes emerge during the 2009 season?

Sometimes the news is good…..but this time IT’S GREAT! Randi Rhodes is coming back to Radio! May 11th at 4pm, Randi will be filling the airwaves on Green960 Online and the initial response has been more then terrific. Especially here at The Lang Report where our reader have been out of their minds, outraged over her disappearance. If you’ve never heard of Grenn960 Online, it is a community of progressive political thinkers featuring nationally syndicated “talkers.” It is one of America’s most successful brands for time-shifted, on-demand audio venues.

During a comedy performence in NYC last week, comic Jackie Mason referred to President Obama as a “schwartze”, angering several in the crowd. According to TMZ, Mason’s reply was: “I’m not going to defend myself. Chris Rock has told a lot more jokes about whites than I have against blacks. What about the demeaning words Blacks say about Jews?” He went on to say: “I’m an old Jew. I was raised in a family where the word was used. It’s not a demeaning word.” Here’s some more background, and my own editorial analysis on the subject, first penned by me as a columnist in the Tamarac Forum (Forum Publishing Group) several years ago, relevant now, again.

Hey, has it bothered anybody that Bernard Madoff cut such a quick deal with the prosecutors and was squirreled off from the comfort of his multimillion dollar penthouse to the 80 square foot cell without much discussion in between? I mean, up until then, most of the news surrounded whether Madoff was going to be allowed to stay out on bail during his trial. Then…then next thing we are seeing is the media camped out in front of his apartment building waiting for him to come out and be escorted to jail. I was surprised….were you? What has he got to hide and who is he so afraid of? Organized crime otherwise known as “The Mob” perhaps?

Bernard Madoff, accused mastermind of a $50 billion investment fraud, is expected to plead guilty to criminal charges next week, three months after his arrest shocked his customers worldwide. A court document signed on Friday by prosecutors and Madoff’s lead attorney indicated the once-respected Wall Street trader and investment manager would waive an indictment and plead guilty to criminal charges. Madoff is under house arrest. He is also is set to appear at a March 10 hearing on a potential conflict of interest involving his main lawyer, Ira Sorkin.

The Obama administration threw open the curtain on years of Bush-era secrets Monday, revealing anti-terror memos that claimed exceptional search-and-seizure powers and divulging that the CIA destroyed nearly 100 videotapes of interrogations and other treatment of terror suspects. The Justice Department released nine legal opinions showing that, following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the Bush administration determined that certain constitutional rights would not apply during the coming fight.

Researchers said on Sunday they had found a safer way to transform ordinary skin cells into powerful stem cells in a move that could eventually remove the need to use human embryos which should also eliminate any opposition to using stem cells for its full potential. It is the first time that scientists have turned skin cells into induced pluripotent stem cells or iPS cells — which look and act like embryonic stem cells — without having to use viruses in the process. Stem cells are the body’s master cells, producing all the body’s tissues and organs.

Watermelons on the White House lawn! Are you f*cking kidding me? Hey, I think I have a great sense of humor and am all for political satire and cartoons but what the f*ck was the mayoy of Los Alamitos thinking when he broadcasted an email with a picture of watermelons growing on the White House lawn? The mayor of Los Alamitos is coming under fire for an e-mail he sent out that depicts the White House lawn planted with watermelons, under the title “No Easter egg hunt this year.”

The day before President Obama signed the “Stimulus Bill” I interviewed Dr. Robert Watson, Ph.D, Coordinator of American Studies at Lynn University. This meeting turned out to be less of an interview and more of his “stream of conscious” insight into American history, current events and the future of our Democracy. We met at his office on campus and I began with the first question below and what followed was an avalanche of keen insight by Dr. Watson which made for one of the most enjoyable afternoons I’ve had in a long while. It was an amazing afternoon!