American George Carlin died on Sunday 22 June 2008, and those of you worried about global warming may want to take heart from George's take on the subject:


It made me smile.

UPDATE:
Here's the transcript from Carlin's monologue:

We're so self-important. So self-important. Everybody's going to save something now. "Save the trees, save the bees, save the whales, save those snails." And the greatest arrogance of all: save the planet. What? Are these fucking people kidding me? Save the planet, we don't even know how to take care of ourselves yet. We haven't learned how to care for one another, we're gonna save the fucking planet?

I'm getting tired of that shit. Tired of that shit. I'm tired of fucking Earth Day, I'm tired of these self-righteous environmentalists, these white, bourgeois liberals who think the only thing wrong with this country is there aren't enough bicycle paths. People trying to make the world save for their Volvos. Besides, environmentalists don't give a shit about the planet. They don't care about the planet. Not in the abstract they don't. Not in the abstract they don't. You know what they're interested in? A clean place to live. Their own habitat. They're worried that some day in the future, they might be personally inconvenienced. Narrow, unenlightened self-interest doesn't impress me.

Besides, there is nothing wrong with the planet. Nothing wrong with the planet. The planet is fine. The PEOPLE are fucked. Difference. Difference. The planet is fine. Compared to the people, the planet is doing great. Been here four and a half billion years. Did you ever think about the arithmetic? The planet has been here four and a half billion years. We've been here, what, a hundred thousand? Maybe two hundred thousand? And we've only been engaged in heavy industry for a little over two hundred years. Two hundred years versus four and a half billion. And we have the CONCEIT to think that somehow we're a threat? That somehow we're gonna put in jeopardy this beautiful little blue-green ball that's just a-floatin' around the sun?

The planet has been through a lot worse than us. Been through all kinds of things worse than us. Been through earthquakes, volcanoes, plate tectonics, continental drift, solar flares, sun spots, magnetic storms, the magnetic reversal of the poles...hundreds of thousands of years of bombardment by comets and asteroids and meteors, worldwide floods, tidal waves, worldwide fires, erosion, cosmic rays, recurring ice ages...And we think some plastic bags, and some aluminum cans are going to make a difference? The planet...the planet...the planet isn't going anywhere. WE ARE!

We're going away. Pack your shit, folks. We're going away. And we won't leave much of a trace, either. Thank God for that. Maybe a little styrofoam. Maybe. A little styrofoam. The planet'll be here and we'll be long gone. Just another failed mutation. Just another closed-end biological mistake. An evolutionary cul-de-sac. The planet'll shake us off like a bad case of fleas. A surface nuisance.

You wanna know how the planet's doing? Ask those people at Pompeii, who are frozen into position from volcanic ash, how the planet's doing. You wanna know if the planet's all right, ask those people in Mexico City or Armenia or a hundred other places buried under thousands of tons of earthquake rubble, if they feel like a threat to the planet this week. Or how about those people in Kilauea, Hawaii, who built their homes right next to an active volcano, and then wonder why they have lava in the living room.

The planet will be here for a long, long, LONG time after we're gone, and it will heal itself, it will cleanse itself, 'cause that's what it does. It's a self-correcting system. The air and the water will recover, the earth will be renewed, and if it's true that plastic is not degradable, well, the planet will simply incorporate plastic into a new pardigm: the earth plus plastic. The earth doesn't share our prejudice towards plastic. Plastic came out of the earth. The earth probably sees plastic as just another one of its children. Could be the only reason the earth allowed us to be spawned from it in the first place. It wanted plastic for itself. Didn't know how to make it. Needed us. Could be the answer to our age-old egocentric philosophical question, "Why are we here?" Plastic...asshole.

So, the plastic is here, our job is done, we can be phased out now. And I think that's begun. Don't you think that's already started? I think, to be fair, the planet sees us as a mild threat. Something to be dealt with. And the planet can defend itself in an organized, collective way, the way a beehive or an ant colony can. A collective defense mechanism. The planet will think of something. What would you do if you were the planet? How would you defend yourself against this troublesome, pesky species? Let's see... Viruses. Viruses might be good. They seem vulnerable to viruses. And, uh...viruses are tricky, always mutating and forming new strains whenever a vaccine is developed. Perhaps, this first virus could be one that compromises the immune system of these creatures. Perhaps a human immunodeficiency virus, making them vulnerable to all sorts of other diseases and infections that might come along. And maybe it could be spread sexually, making them a little reluctant to engage in the act of reproduction.

Well, that's a poetic note. And it's a start. And I can dream, can't I? See I don't worry about the little things: bees, trees, whales, snails. I think we're part of a greater wisdom than we will ever understand. A higher order. Call it what you want. Know what I call it? The Big Electron. The Big Electron...Whoooa. Whoooa. Whoooa. It doesn't punish, it doesn't reward, it doesn't judge at all. It just is. And so are we. For a little while."

Hat tip: Greenie-Watch

With the publication of yet another poll showing Labour trailing the Tories by 20 points in the opinion polls, it is starting to dawn on Labour's acolytes that Gordon is, simply, not up to the job. Over on Labour Home, a poster by name of lulu is calling for Gordon to Go. Frankly, he never should have been PM in the first place. Blair was effectively ousted by a coup d'etat engineered by Brown himself, who then went on to ensure he was crowned leader unnopposed. For all his scheming and conniving to get his shaky, nail-bitten claws on the levers of power he now finds himself deeply unpopular within his own party.

At least one comment shows that some Labour Party supporters are still delusional, such as snowflake who posted this:

Lulu - the poor poll position is down to fuel prices. In 2000 when there was an oil spike to $30+ per barrel from $15 per barrel in 1999, Labour went from 15 points ahead of the Tories to 8 points behind them. And this was a period when Tone was still in his honeymoon period.At the time Labour was rescued by the USA going into recession, which cut demand sharply and sent the oil price plunging back down again....When this current oil bubble bursts, the public will stop being so cross and grumpy and give us a fair hearing again. But changing the leader will not help (unless he can strike oil in Hampshire!)

Clearly this was posted by either Hazel Blears or Harriet Harpy who continue to trot out the same delusional on-message nonsense in interviews and on QT. Sorry snowflake, Hazel or Harriet, the oil price is just a small part of Gordon's problems - now that the price at the pump has reached £1.20 per litre people can work out for themselves just how much they are being shafted by every time they fill up the petrol tank. Gordon's main problem is that we just don't like him.

One comment, for me, at least shows that there are still some honest Labour supporters about (unlike this complete arsewipe), this was posted by someone calling himself dingbat:

I'm afraid to say we're doomed, and frankly we deserve it, big time. Another comment above says that we have to lose to move forwards and that is quite true. We've just gone too far with a lot of the stuff we've done, and now the chickens are coming home to roost. I reckon the biggest issue for the electorate is excessive tax and spend, and now the coffers are empty there's no contingency to fall back on other than yet more borrowing and even higher taxation. A line in the sand was crossed some time ago on tax, and the 10p fiasco simply highlighted this, drew it to the attention of the masses. And the car tax issue is an even bigger ticking timebomb and yet those in charge press on regardless despite the dire warnings. £400+ to tax a £400 car? I don't think so. Also we've not been honest about our true motives in fundraising, and the (actually rather intelligent) public have now seen through this. If we portray a tax as "green" then let's have a green tax and overall revenue neutrality. But oh no, we just keep putting taxes up, and with no visible benefits to those who pay. We've spent more on services true, but much of that has just gone on fuelling public sector wage inflation, with little if any service enhancement. Is it any wonder that we're failing in the polls? We frankly deserve to lose. We spend too much, inefficiently, and we don't listen to what the electorate say. There are issues with the EU too - The irish no should mean no, and the constitution (let's be honest about that - calling it another name was a dishonest fudge) should die now, never to be resurrected. And David Davis has now raised the profile of civil liberties issues that many in our own party have been very uneasy about for a long time now.

Dingbat, although politically we will disagree, I applaud your honesty. You have hit the nail squarely on the head. However, I can't help but feel that the more honest supporters of the Party have lent tacit to support to Blair and Brown purely for the sake of being in government. They have allowed the slime within the party to take control - the unctious Blair with his TV evangelist faux sincerity, the scheming Brown who thinks the Prime Ministership is his birthright, and the evil Mandelson who furthers his own communist-leaning agenda in the corridors of power in Brussels.

Labour are finished. The press know it, the people know it and Labour themselves know it. I would like to bet that at the next general election, if Gordon cannot be prised away from No10., that Labour will find themselves trailing the LibDems and cast into the political wilderness. Good.

We have it within our own grasp, as a democratic people, to rid ourselves of this cancer that has eroded the very fabric of our society over the past 11 years. And we should rid ourselves of it, by any means necessary.

Not done a footie related post for ages - so in the spirit of the European Championships thought I would do one today and preview the Germany Portugal quarter-final.

In short, this match will be like watching The Sound of Music; one of the rare occasions you really want the Germans to win.

Even if it is only to see the big girl's blouse, Cristine Ronaldo blubbing as he leaves the field.

Watching the news last evening, and listening again this morning - it has become apparent that Gordon is clutching at straws on the whole 42 day issue. He must be absulutley bricking it this morning. PMQs looms large and I hope both Dave and Cleggover rip him a new arsehole.

Every fucking favour is being called in by the so-called rebels.

"Is the Post Office closing in your constituency Mr Labour Back-Bencher? It is! Well if you vote with the government, I'm sure we can ensure that the Post Office stays open a little longer - at least until after the next election. Your constituents will be pleased."

"What's that, you say? 42 days is a long time to be locked up without charge. Tell you what if we don't charge Ahmed or can't trump up enough incriminating evidence, how about we pay him a little compo? £3k a day should cover it"

How long was Nelson Mandela held without charge before his treason trial? No doubt the Zanu Labour luvvies and former anti-apartheid activists can't see the irony in introducing this legislation in the same month as inviting Nellie over for his birthday bash.

After months of waiting for completion of an online order from a well-known furniture store and several changes to delivery date, Mrs Gos uttered the words that would bring joy to the heart of every man in the land:

"I'm never going to IKEA again"

Yippee! Hoorah! Calloo Callay!

No more being dragged around a store with it's ludicrous one way in, one way out system to view airfix furniture which you then have to go and collect in the warehouse before paying for it. Only to find it doesn't quite fit in the back of the car even with the seats down so you end up either damaging the upholstery or shove it in and you drive home with the corner of the pack stuck in the back of your neck feeling as if you are being held at gunpoint - although with some of the prices they charge for their laminated chipboard and dowel stick furniture, you may as well have been.

When you get home, there's hours of fun to be had trying to work out the pictogram puzzles on how to put it all together. The only difference between this and the airfix kits bought for your birthday by some well meaning relative is that there is no glue that smells nice nor any decals that fall to bits when you try and stick them on the tailplane.

The hotdogs at IKEA in Nottingham are nice though.