"If the good Lord had intended me to live in L.A. he'd given me a machine gun. Still, here I am, just another worried little citizen of this modern-day Pompeii waiting for the melt-down, the show-down, the great American close-down. When that fault-line that runs right through society's fabric finally snaps and the whole damn thing starts unravelling. Why watch the sports channel when you can watch C.N.N.? Ladies and Gentlemen, the greatest race in history, the race to end all races, in fact the race to end history. In lane one - the San Andreas Fault, in lane two - Global Recession, in three - El Nino, in four -Chemical War, lane five - Inter-Racial Conflict, lane six - Auto Immune Deficiency Syndrome. On your marks. Get Set. Wait for it.......... Go!"

Neil Hannon (The Divine Comedy) - Fin de Siècle - Here comes the flood (excerto).