Bit too expensive (probably up to €1500-2000 all in), total trip time a bit too short (seven days), but there’s not much else wrong with it.
I’ll leave it as one of those things I would do if I’d lots of money. (June 12-19)
See lots of nice cars in London (saw an R34 last week, see a Ferrari about once every ten days, there’s an Aston Martin that lives on my route to Tescos), but this particular one is the most impressive so far. Again, my phone camera is shit, dunno why I didn’t take the snap in landscape:
Not too bad.
The other team on my floor at work have most of their scheduling and stuff facing outwards from their cubicles. It’s quite interesting, you get a quick overview of the progress of the project and timelines every time you walk past. When they’ve a deadline coming up, they pin up specific tasks that need to be done. Most are just plain descriptions, important ones have “High Priority” printed on them in red. And the very important ones?
Made me chuckle.
Flicking through the Sky Magazine (still waiting on my 20mb broadband…) while eating dinner, I saw a feature – “You Ask The Questions – Kim Kardashian”. To the best of my knowledge, she’s one of the Americans with no talent, skills or intelligence, but has her own reality show, so everything’s TOTALLY OK OMG.
Anyway, flick through the questions (I’ve long since stopped hoping to see questions like “DON’T YOU FEEL YOUR SHOW IS A CANCER ON SOCIETY?”), one caught my eye – “What do you do when you visit the UK?”. Not that I particularly care, but I’m curious where the “trendy” parts of London are, seeing as so many rich people live here (moreso than Dublin).
Skim read it as:
“London…favourite cities…Topshop…Peter Pan [Bi-…London Eye”
Oh, there’s some sort of Peter Pan musical on (I walk past a few different shows on the way to work)? Better reread that.
“We saw the clock that was in Peter Pan [Big Ben] and the London Eye”
…
But none of this matters: KATIE MARRIED ALEX IN LAS VEGAS!!!!!
Jesus christ, 24’s writing is so bad. They’ve no concept of subtlety, all the characters are completely one dimensional, they force subplots rather than letting them develop. It’s like a Dan Brown novel – so bad, yet I have to keep going with it.
Here’s what happened verbatim in the season eight pilot.
NEW YORK
———–
Some DIRTY TERRORISTS are trying to kill GUY WHO PROBABLY HAS INFORMATION ON TERRORIST PLOT. He ESCAPES in a CAR INTERIOR IN A STUDIO.
NICE APARTMENT
———–
JACK is SLEEPING, his GRANDDAUGHTER is WATCHING TV. She LIKES BEARS. This will PROBABLY BECOME IMPORTANT LATER, as will the GRANDDAUGHTER. CUTE GRANDDAUGHTER WAKES JACK.
JACK
WTF?!?! ARE YOU A TERRORIST?!?! WHERE’S THE BOMB?!?!!?
GRANDDAUGHTER
*giggles* You’re so silly!
JACK
Hmm, I’d better torture you anyway, just in case. Dirty terrorist.
KIM’s on the PHONE from a CAR INTERIOR IN A STUDIO.
KIM
PLOT EXPOSITION ON WHY JACK’S NOT DEAD DESPITE BEING TOLD THERE WAS NO HOPE AT THE END OF LAST SEASON.
THE UN BUILDING
———–
The PRESIDENT is NEGOTIATING IN PERSON with the head of DIRTY TERRORIST COUNTRY B, who’s played by THE HOST FROM SLUMDOG.
PRESIDENT
Isn’t this a bit weird? Surely all diplomatic negotiations are actually conducted through aides and stuff? I mean like I’ve got my secretary of state here, and you’ve got your brother. Wtf like.
SLUMDOG HOST
Odd the way my bro and your sec’ state are essentially the same character.
NICE APARTMENT
———–
KIM picks up GRANDDAUGHTER and talks some PLOT EXPOSITION about MOVING TO LA. GUY WHO PROBABLY HAS INFORMATION ON TERRORIST PLOT is waiting outside.
UN BUILDING
———–
A SEEMINGLY COMPETENT OFFICIAL gives a quick headsup to the press about the forthcoming PRESS CONFERENCE with the PRESIDENT and HEAD OF DIRTY TERRORIST COUNTRY B. He’ll probably turn out to be THE ENEMY MOLE.
Some BLONDE GIRL has her press pass REVOKED.
BRO OF HEAD OF DIRTY TERRORIST COUNTRY B COMPLAINS about PEACE. BLONDE GIRL RINGS HEAD OF DIRTY TERRORIST COUNTRY B from outside a CG UN BUILDING. HEAD OF DIRTY TERRORIST COUNTRY B wants to SLIP HER WAN.
NICE APARTMENT
———–
There’s a KNOCK at the DOOR.
JACK
A knock at the door in the middle of the day?! TERRORIST!!!
Turns out GUY WHO PROBABLY HAS INFORMATION ON TERRORIST PLOT (let’s call him “GUY A”) has INFORMATION ON TERRORIST PLOT.
GUY A
Someone’s going to try to kill HEAD OF DIRTY TERRORIST COUNTRY B. But the only reason I’m telling you is because they tried to kill me too. If they hadn’t tried to kill me, or had just waited until after the assassination, I would’ve gone along with it. Also, I’ll only give you information about the assassination attempt after I get all these conditions.
JACK
Hmmm. Instead of ringing the UN Building to get it locked down, or even something like calling in a bomb scare to get it evacuated, I’ll go along with your crazy scheme. But I don’t trust everything you say, so I’ll have to torture you first. Dirty terrorist.
NEW CTU
———–
The NEW CTU is totally different. They’ve obviously been LEVELLING UP their MAGIC in the past year or so, as now they have MAGIC UAVS ALL OVER NEW YORK and MAGIC FACIAL RECOGNITION SOFTWARE RUNNING IN REALTIME.
ANOTHER BLONDE GIRL and GUY WHO REMINDS ME OF JOE FIENNES are ENGAGED TO BE MARRIED. This is shown with NO FUCKING SUBTLETY.
THE WORST AND MOST ANNOYING ACTRESS EVER, sorry, I mean CHLOE, is now THE NEW GIRL, despite being considered the absolute best in the world at what she did in previous seasons. JACK RINGS HER.
JACK
I know I’m just a civilian now, so I should really have absolutely no pull at all, but I got some information from a dirty terrorist, put me on with the head of CTU!
The HEAD OF CTU is FEARLESS from BOOMTOWN. It ran on NBC and is far better than 24, you should look it up.
JACK
PLOT EXPOSITION. Pull his file.
14.07 seconds later.
JACK
Do you gots the file?
CHLOE
Gah, the wireless signal on the laptop interferes with my magic casting!
FEARLESS
Despite your claim of an assassination attempt being more credible than most, I’m going to completely ignore it. Cos y’know, that’s how people get to the top of federal agencies.
[Jack threatens to blackmail him]
Oh, ok.
UN BUILDING
———–
The PRESIDENT GIVES UP GROUND to get a PEACE DEAL. She gets respect for this.
PRESIDENT
PLOT EXPOSITION ABOUT WHY THE ACTOR PLAYING HER HUSBAND DIDN’T SIGN ON FOR THIS SEASON.
CHIEF OF STAFF
There’s a possible ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT against HEAD OF DIRTY TERRORIST COUNTRY B, so it’d be a good idea to give him a heads up.
SECRETARY OF STATE
Nah don’t tell him.
CHIEF OF STAFF
Are you fucking serious? If there’s an attempt on him, and he finds out we knew, and didn’t tell him, we’ll be complicit. Can you imagine what would happen if he dies? Fuck me, the shitstorm we’d be in.
NEW CTU
———–
CHLOE and FEARLESS have a PLOT EXPOSITION CONVERSATION ABOUT WHY SHE’S STILL HERE, DESPITE BEING THE MOST ANNOYING AND WORST ACTRESS EVER. Despite giving him every fucking reason for doing so, he DOESN’T FIRE HER.
UN BUILDING
———–
There’s tension between HEAD OF DIRTY TERRORIST COUNTRY B, his WIFE and his DAUGHTER. Nobody really cares.
BLONDE GIRL is let into UN BUILDING, but is THREATENED by BRO OF HEAD OF DIRTY TERRORIST COUNTRY B, cos he thinks she’s an INFIDEL, or something.
The PRESIDENT DOESN’T TELL HEAD OF DIRTY TERRORIST COUNTRY B that he’s a TARGET, which could probably be construed as an ACT OF WAR, as the US is now COMPLICIT in the ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT. Nobody watching can understand why the UN BUILDING hasn’t been LOCKED DOWN yet.
NEW YORK
———–
JACK and GUY A run down a CG STREET. They’re FOUND OUT and ATTACKED by TWO DIRTY TERRORISTS with AUTOMATIC WEAPONS. TWO NYPD OFFICERS DIE. JACK KILLS BOTH TERRORISTS. JACK and GUY A get to the ROOF where a HELICOPTER is waiting. I expect GUY A to get shot by a SNIPER.
The HELICOPTER gets BLOWN UP by a ROCKET.
ME
Close enough.
GUY A gives INCREDIBLY VAGUE INFORMATION about the ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT and DIES.
GUY WHO REMIND ME OF JOE FIENNES
Jack, not meaning to be a dick here, but five people are dead – two dirty terrorists, two cops and this guy who’d information on the terrorist plot. The NYPD is going to want to talk to you for definite. Hopefully you won’t be held for more than 72 hours, but with the two officiers, it’ll be at least be a few hours till they can establish which gun killed who.
JACK
Laws?!?!!? Police?!!? That sounds like terrorist talk, I should torture you to make sure. Dirty terrorist!