No more 'Situation Room'?

WTF? Suddenly our one hour of The Situation Room on CNN International at midnight went *poof*? It's not on anymore?! F***ers! (Ok, so I was getting extremely sick of Wolf Blitzer's annoyingly raised voice, but come on now!) At first I thought it would just be a week long hiatus until the US went back out of Daylight Savings Time, but no, it's not on after the time change in the coming week either.

So now it's just one hour of AC 360 at 4am and Larry King Live at 11am (when they don't interrupt it with 'Breaking News' because someone sneezed, which strangely happens several times a week between 11am and noon, after which CNN International is compelled to interrupt the program to talk about how they have nothing to show us about the alleged sneeze ..... for 30 effing minutes ... or however long it takes to sufficiently ruin Larry King Live on whatever day I actually find the guests interesting).

Hoppy Halloween

Well, it's Halloween again. We have nothing Halloweeny going on this year. Was going to carve a jack-o-lantern and put it out on the balcony railing just to freak out the neighbors, but no pumpkins in our 'hood.

I'm surprised how each year I feel really bummed out about the lack of a real Halloween here. I always liked this day, maybe even more than Christmas (it's less stress, after all, and only inundates you for a week or two instead of months). It's costumes and candy, but it's also ghosts and goblins, creepy sound effects, Thriller, autumn leaves lighted by the spooky glow of a jack-o-lantern, the unknown and all that gives you a little shiver up your spine. And that stuff freaking rules.

I know that I could create my own little Halloween at home (boring) or try to seek out a party somewhere around here, but it's not the same is it? I'm in Germany. I mean, it's sunset right now at this very moment and it doesn't mean crap to anyone.

What is Halloween evening without little kids in costumes all over the sidewalks with hollow plastic pumpkins in their eager, candy-greedy little hands???? Nothin', I tell ya. Nothin'.




P.S. I guess someday I might actually post again like before. And someday I'll actualy restore all the colors to my blog so the text in the sidebar is visible, etc. Someday. But why mess with the color black on Halloween?

Fourth of July

So, happy 4th for those of you who can celebrate it somehow... barbecues or you're back in the US or something. I really wish I could schedule a vacation back home for July sometime, but airfare is so expensive in the summer. I miss the 4th in Gasworks Park. Hopefully channel 5 will have a video of it up tomorrow, because there's no way I'll be able to be up by 7 in the morning here to watch.

I got my fireworks show yesterday. We had a wicked, slow-moving thunderstorm come through. I mean, Colorado Springs or midwest lighting. It got so dark in the mid-afternoon it looked like it was about 9pm in here. And the lighting...just flash-flash-flash, one after the other for a good hour.

Better On the Other Side

Michael Jackson tribute song from The Game, Chris Brown, Diddy, Polow Da Don, Mario Winans, Usher, Boyz II Men : "Better On The Other Side (Tribute To MJ)". Song available for download via MTV here (link)(Choose 'free user' then wait for countdown to end for download.)

Michael, I will love you forever.

I am devastated.

I have loved Michael Jackson with all my heart since I was 12 years old. In any year since, at any time, whether it was evident at the moment or not, if you had asked me I could have told you that with each breath I have taken, my unconditional love for him was within. Always. I met my husband because of Michael Jackson. And we were going to see his beautiful eyes in person, from the seventh row, in London this August. And now he is gone. Gone far, far too soon. And I have no more words. And the tears on my keyboard can't convey anything to the world. So I end with this poem. This beautiful, horrible poem that only begins to explain the pain so many of us are feeling today...
.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_a-eXIoyYA
Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,

Silence the pianos and with muffled drum,
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.

Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead, Scribbling on the sky the message 'He is Dead.'

Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves,
Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.

He was my North, my South, my East and West,
My working week and my Sunday rest,
My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;
I thought that love would last forever: I was wrong.

The stars are not wanted now; put out every one,

Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun,

Pour away the ocean and sweep up the woods;

For nothing now can ever come to any good.

-W.H. Auden