Pope's Demise

UPDATE - I'm sure everyone has already heard (how could you not) that the Pope has finally passed. It is a sad day for Catholics and sort of "ho-hum", if you will, for myself. Although, I think in retrospect by the end of the entire media coverage (I will estimate to be by September 28th) everyone will end up despising the fact that the Pope is dead. The weather in Pennsylvania and the north-eastern states is extremely shitty at the moment...among the most shitty I have EVER seen. Major flooding (as much as eight feet in excess in some counties) is possible and should occur, fog in the valley makes it look like a gigantic mush bowl from the mountain-top, and the incessant rain is unbearable in comparison to that weather which was beautiful yesterday - 62 degree sunny weather. Lately, in the world as well as in my own life, strange and uncanny happenings have been occurring synchronously. First, there's the bout with feeding tubes. In the approximate same time period the Pope's was inserted while Terri Schaivo's was removed. I guess we can also infer that death is in connection with feeding tubes for they are now both dead. Cancer seems to be a growing trend as well. In the last month, I have been informed that my aunt has bone cancer, my grandfather has prostate cancer (which I learned today), my mom's best friend has uterine cancer, and my dad's best friend has yet another tumor (he is a miracle in himself for surviving cancer at least eighteen times before). ALSO, my gram had her cat put to sleep because it had cat leukemia. Enough of that...the flavored water craze has finally hit the mainstream, flowing off the shelves, and cascading into grocery-store-goers carts (puns, all inclusive, intended). I belive it started with the not-so-name-brand Fruit 2o which is fairly tasty. A case of 24 assorted flavors can be had for approximately ten greenbacks. Although, recently, and the most popular so far, Aquafina released their Flavorsplash flavored waters as well as their Sparking Aquafina flavored waters...the latter I refuse to believe exists since it is not in Wegman's. If Wegman's has seaweed, spätzel, four types of prepared hummus, peppadews (new African fruits), and fifteen types of donuts on display, then it would have Sparkling Aquafina if it did, in fact, exist. What does this tell us? Pepsi has lied - aqua-fukin-simple. Following other product trends is the UK-based company, Altoids, who has new flavors of sours, gum, and their original mints. Sour Cherry, Sour Apple, and regular mint chicklet-like gum have hit checkout counters, Tangerine, Apple, Citrus, and the new Raspberry sours are slowly working their way in next to the Tic-Tacs, and the new Ginger Altoids are quite a spicy treat if you're into ginger, or spicey foods in general.