June 2004 Archives

Well, I've seen it, now, and I do have a few minor criticisms. Beyond the dubious political message delivered with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer to the head, that is.

Leaving aside all the other major implausibilities - for a start, the forgiving of all Latin American debt in exchange for letting refugees pass into Mexico; when the world goes that far to hell, I really don't see anyone asking nicely...

And how does one have an Ice Age over only half a planet? It was fairly clear right from the start that both polar caps were melting, and I don't believe salinity is any respecter of boundaries.

But my suspension of incredulity really took a beating with the astronaut looking down on the earth at the end saying "I've never seen the air look so clear."

How about some other suitable sentiments, such as:

"Oh dear, many of my friends and family are probably dead, along with several billion other people. This sucks."

Or:

"Now that the Cape is thirty feet under water and Vandenberg under fifty feet of ice, how the fuck are we going to get down now?"

Really nice disaster porn, though.

...queues are long.

Staff are jobsworths.

Coke is £1 per bottle.

My credit cards, despite working for all of my stay in the US, are all declined now I'm back.

The security people - "Please *do* *not* put your bags in the boxes!" "Oh, look, things have fallen out of it in your machine, which would be why I put it (open-topped bag) in the box in the first place, moron." - are manifesting the assholery of fascism without the ruthless efficiency.

And I haven't even left Heathrow airport¹ yet.

Yes, definitely England.

1. Flight was an hour late out of Chicago, so I couldn't make the morning connection, sigh. Next is at 4pm. Now I have another reason to be glad I put all the books in my hand luggage.