Mystery Building - Part III

More just-recorded video of the Leverkusen Mystery Building.

Pützchens Markt

Here's a few photos from two weeks ago when we attended the annual Pützchens Markt in Bonn. It is basically a gigantic carnival or state fair. Lots of food, lots of drinks, and lots of rides that'll make you lose those things. It is billed as a market so of course there's lots to buy as well.

I still have nightmares about the giant Bavarian.

Humongous Ferris Wheel

Fortunately, we did the rides before too much was consumed.

And finally, what family festival wouldn't be complete without the Condom Mobil? "Hey mom, check out these funny balloons I got!"

Mystery Building - Part II

Still haven't made it over to see what the heck the building is all about. Instead of running some test patterns across the screens, it looks like the whole building is changing colors. Last night the building was lit up in a solid white light. The sky was so bright, it was as if we lived near the airport. Tonight isn't so bad, all considering. Here's some fresh video taken about 20 minutes ago.




Some much needed humor and sarcasm was thrown into a political rally today courtesy of a flash mob. Check out this little bit of election fun. Take that, Oprah.

Is it too late to seek asylum here?

I probably had a shot at securing that during the previous administration.  After seeing this video via a friend's Facebook post, I just wanted to crawl under a big blanket of embarrassment. I applaud political activism when there's actual thought behind it. But c'mon people, a little research goes a long way.



Why do I always feel the need to apologize for such ignorance on behalf of my fellow countrymen? CNN International is pretty bad, but I'm glad there's no Fox News available on our system here. 

From the politically challenged we now turn to the politically unenthusiastic. Here's what's going on in advance of Germany's national election. (I want to be tired of all the "Yes We Can" parodies but the one mentioned in that article was pretty good.) We tried watching the debate a bit but my German comprehension is no where near good enough to follow a political discussion. From the looks of it, I didn't miss any fireworks. In the interest of equal time, here's what the other parties had to say. What a mess. You know what? Scratch that thought about seeking asylum.

Everyone I talk to here seems pretty disenchanted with the current government.  That said, they all seem resigned to another four years of the same situation.  The more I think about it, the more this all reminds me of 2004.  It is probably too late but you can change things, people.  Get out there and get organized.  More importantly, get out and vote.  And make sure your friends and family do as well.

On a lighter note, I now make my last mention of FC Köln's season unless there's actually something positive to mention.  They are 0-1-4.  5 games and not a single win.  If I read correctly, one of the local papers are already calling for the firing of the head coach.  I suppose it is only a matter of time.  I'd say "Go Bears" but that's not really working for me either right now.  I hate to repeat myself, but again, what a mess.

U-Bahn ride

For my second attempt at posting random audio from the city, I thought I'd record a bit of my trip back home this afternoon.  Our trip begins here at Rudolfplatz

and ends here in Ebertplatz.

It was mid-afternoon and it seemed to be a pretty quiet crowd.  I started recording when I got in the train.  I stopped recording after stepping off the train in Ebertplatz and watching the train take off. Click below to listen.  
UBahnRide.m4a

Here's a random photo I thought I'd share.  As you are aware, the national elections are coming up at the end of the month.  There's campaign posters everywhere.  To be honest, they all look the same to me.  This one, however, stands out.

Wahl-O-Mat

See how you fit in Germany's political landscape. Answer 38 questions and see your answers compared to various parties thanks to the Wahl-O-Mat. I can't vote (wählen), but it helped me make a little more sense out of the landscape. You can even choose between English and German.

Mystery Building

I can't be the only person to notice this. Then again we live in Merkenich, and that's quite a ways from central Cologne. Nevertheless, for about the last week I've been keeping an eye out on a development just across the river from us. Leverkusen is directly across the Rhine from us. I only know three things about Leverkusen:

1. It is the home of Bayer AG, one of the world's largest pharmaceutical manufacturers, and the reason you probably won't catch me dipping my toes in the river.
   
2. Their football squad, Bayer Leverkusen, is much better than Cologne's.
   
3. They seem to be building a giant video wall.

Check out these images from our 'penthouse' view. This is looking southeast.







I probably started to notice this over a week ago. I've seen the building frame going up since I first arrived. One day while heading home on the U-Bahn I could have sworn I saw it change colors. But I only got fleeting views between trees or buildings. As far as I can tell, it hasn't been lit up at night nor was it on during this past weekend. For now it just appears to be cycling through colors or patterns. Can't wait til I get to look out my window and see ads for aspirin all day and night.

We'll probably make our way across the bridge sometime this week to see what the heck that thing is all about. Until then, feel free to contribute your own theories below.