Wise Words from comedian George Carlin

This insightful message deserves a wide readership.
George Carlin
SOMETHING TO PONDER: George Carlin
George Carlin’s wife died early in 2008 and George followed her, dying in July 2008. It is ironic George Carlin – comedian of the 70’s and 80’s – could write something so very eloquent and so very appropriate.  An observation by George Carlin:
The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.
We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.
We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.
We’ve learned how to make a living, but not a life. We’ve added years to life not life to years. We’ve been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbour. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We’ve done larger things, but not better things.
We’ve cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We’ve conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We’ve learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.
These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete.
Remember to spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever.
Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.
Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn’t cost a cent.
Remember, to say, ‘I love you’ to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you.
Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again.
Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.
And always remember, life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by those moments that take our breath away.
George Carlin

Ed Miliband lacks direction and fails to set agenda, says former Labour whip

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/aug/01/labour-leader-miliband-lacks-direction

I am not a member of the Labour Party but I do want them to do well because they are the Party of the People.  This thread came up in the Guardian on  Thursday 1 August 2013 so I responded to say what I think are the important issues for the Party to address if they want to stand any chance of returning to power or at least be an effective opposition, which I don’t think they are at the moment.

I can see the electorate voting a Big Brother winner in as PM the way things are going very soon. With wide scale Government incompetence, trivialisation of the important issues, politicians blaming everyone else for failures, bickering and bullying in the House of Commons, all these things are resulting in an attitude amongst voters that they are all as bad as each other so what’s the point voting for any of them. It’s just like the school playground!

What Labour has to do is stand up and be counted. The leader must lead not just float downstream with the current. If they cannot generate some of that famous or infamous ‘clear blue water’ the Tories used to talk about between them and the other parties they will sink and be forgotten as an insignificant also ran before long.

No to privatising the NHS, No to the destruction of state education, No to Bankers excesses, No to private greed and commercial exploitation. Yes to fairness for all our vulnerable people and dignity in old age. Yes to a decent minimum wage and Yes to renationalise public utilities. You are supposed to be the Parry of the people for goodness sake, start standing up for Labour values.

I don’t know if Labour realises how important it is for them to effectively counter this dangerous slide towards total domination by the global private sector, we need a Labour party that will fight hard to counter the tide which will see us all as modern day slaves if we are all not very careful: Internships, zero hours contracts, dilution of working people’s rights and entitlements all to serve the profit master and convert us all into servants of the rich and powerful..

Labour needs a leader that will fight for what is right to her last breath. I am not sure if the current leader can do that but he needs a lot of help from his team that’s for sure. Your PR strategy is ineffective and the Coalition is waking all over you. Get smart and then get even!

Holy crap I went and wrote a whole speech

Welcome to my Blog

This is my first try at blogging so I am still feeling my way.

I would like to use this platform to share my views on lots of things, many of this will relate to issues concerning disability and access to appropriate services. We are in a period of much rapid change in the UK and I fear that disabled people are getting abandoned or facing institutional discrimination along the way. For me I feel the need to build up a reference of my writings for my own purposes but am very willing to share these if my views stimulate similar or alternative views