Damn, This Blog's A Mess!

In case you haven't noticed, this blog's a mess. I am still trying to figure out whether this somehow represents my personality and whether that is something I should be worried about.

The TV updates have stopped because all new and returning shows (except Men In Trees, Viva Laughlin and Samantha Who) had already premiered and therefore there was nothing new to add to the already exisiting posts.

The political posts were just things I needed to get off my chest, sorry. Now that the elections are over we can all calm ourselves again and I promise I'll shut up about this topic for a while.

In other news, Olma has just come to an end here in St. Gallen (pictures of my time at the Olma with fellow CouchSurfers from the region are here) and since I live right next to the fair that goes along with it, I'm happy to report I now have got my peace and quiet back.

Also, after struggling with my Thesis topic for a year, I've decided to drop it and completely change my topic and professor (not that the ones I had so far weren't good enough, it's just that I need a fresh start). So I'll be writing some important e-mails today that I should have written days ago but somehow I didn't feel like doing so while hung over...

Hangovers were due to 1. Seeing Berit for the first time since her return from Ghana (Wednesday), 2. 2Many DJs gig in Zurich (Friday) and 3. the aforementioned Olma (Saturday).

This week I'm looking forward to getting everything in order for my new Thesis topic, having my friend Elisa come over to my place on Thursday (to watch Battlestar Galactica together! Yay!) and teaching again on Wednesday and Thursday (ok, that one's more of a chore than a pleasure, but they're good kids and at least I no longer teach on Fridays!).

I am decidedly less excited about having to clean my apartment which is something I really really need to do. On the plus side, the new vacuum cleaner I got for my birthday from my mum is amazing so that takes away some of the dread.

Speaking of my mum, she and her ex (see the photo in this post) are opening a restaurant and bar together on December 7th in Goldach, they've got a preliminary website here, if you're interested. They hired a really nice Hungarian cook and they will be serving Mediterranean dishes. Wish them luck!

Spiegel.de Authors Know Their Stuff

I'm so happy! These articles about the Swiss elections on spiegel.de look like they've been thoroughly researched and the authors actually get exactly how the Swiss political system works! Admiring High Five!

In other news I'm happy for the green liberal party who managed to snag three seats, unfortunately none of which are from St. Gallen though, so my vote was kinda wasted. Probably should have tried to strengthened the FDP a bit, poor election losers.

No More Politics

That should be my motto. It's just so frustrating. The closer our elections get the more I get worked up about superficial statements and knee-jerk, irrational reactions from all political parties and the media. How very naive that it took me 24 years to realize that apparently logic and rational arguments have no place in politics. I find it amazing that countries and governments still manage to kinda sorta work (at least on a day-to-day basis) despite this. I guess we get the politicans and policies we deserve?

At least we get a colourful variety of parties in our executive branch as well as in our parliament. I am really holding on to the belief that seven people probably make better decisions than one in the long run. Plus, they've got power in numbers if there is ever a Politician Deathmatch. Leuenberger, Calmy-Rey, Leuthard, Merz, Couchepin, Schmid and Blocher could totally kick Bush's ass in a fight. Not sure about Merkel though. Chick's tough!

Sigh

Sigh. I wonder how long it's going to take until foreigners living in Switzerland will be asked by their friends and family around the world whether they can leave the house without risking being attacked. We've already had Nazi and Mussolini comparisons - are we burning books and destroying our local Kebab-stands yet? I almost forgot, we're Europe's Heart of Darkness!

In other news, I'll get to vote in Parliament elections in Switzerland for the first time this month! Yay, they gave me one of those precious red passports (well, not literally, I haven't ordered one yet...). I think I'm gonna go with the green-liberal party, so far they seem to be the only ones I even remotely agree with.

Today On (North American) TV: Thursday

Personal favourites:

My Name Is Earl (3x02, find last week's recap here)

Grey's Anatomy (4x02, find last week's recap here) - Yes, I'm still watching this one, though I am definitely not sure why anymore. Last week's season premiere didn't exactly manage to convince me that this show's still "got it".

Also on tonight:

30 Rock (2x01), The Office (4x02, recap), Supernatural (3x01), Smallville (7x02, recap), Without A Trace (6x02), CSI (8x02), Law & Order: Criminal Intent (7x01), ER (14x02), Ugly Betty (2x02, recap), Big Shots (1x02, recap), It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia (3x07&3x08), Mad Men (recap), Survivor (15x03, recap)

Today On (North American) TV: Wednesday

Personal favourites:

Dirty Sexy Money (find last week's recap here)

Gossip Girl (find last week's recap here)

Premiering:

Pushing Daisies - Ned, the pie-maker, can revive the dead with a single touch in this Amélie-like fairy tale. Unfortunately his gift comes with a caveat: if he touches the revived again, they die, this time for good. And if he keeps them alive for more than a minute, someone else has to die instead.

I won't give any more away, but in my opinion this was the sweetest, most colourful and endearing pilot of the entire fall line-up. Creator Bryan Fuller previously had equally peculiar shows on the air, Wonderfalls (college drop-out gift shop employee at the Niagara Falls starts getting instructions from the toys in the gift shop) and Dead Like Me (18 year old college drop-out dies when hit by a MIR-toilet seat and becomes a grim reaper), which both only lasted one or two seasons respectively. Let's hope third time's a charm!

Also on tonight:

Criminal Minds (3x02), Back To You (1x03), 'Til Death (2x03), Kid Nation (1x03, recap), America's Next Top Model (9x03, recap), CSI: NY (4x02), Bionic Woman (1x02, recap), Private Practice (1x02, recap), Life (1x02), South Park (11x08)

Today On (North American) TV: Tuesday

Before we look at Tuesday's tv shows, I have to apologize - I managed to skip over the fact that The Daily Show and The Colbert Report are on every night Monday to Thursday! And now you know. Good.

Personal favourites:

Reaper (1x02, find last week's recap here)

House (4x02, find last week's recap here)

Eureka (2x13, Season Finale!)

Cane (1x02)

Premiering:

Cavemen - Whoever thought it was a good idea to turn a series of commercials into a sitcom about cavemen living as a minority in today's society should be fired. Seriously.

Carpoolers - A sitcom about 4 guys who drive to work together every morning. Since I almost fell asleep just reading the premise, I'm probably not gonna watch.

Also on tonight:

Boston Legal (4x02), Bones (3x02), Law&Order: Special Victims Unit (9x02, recap), Damages (1x10), The Unit (3x02), NCIS (5x02), LA Ink (1x09), The Beauty And The Geek (4x03), Lincoln Heights (2x05)