Herpes chick and the Manipulative Media

I'm trying to turn a new leaf by getting into work around 8:30 rather than 9:30. No prodding on the employers part or anything, it is all me. I'm finding my days to be a bit meeting heavy lately so it gives me time to make up for it before they begin. In addition, in theory (This hasn't been the case so far) I should be able to leave earlier. This will offer me the chance to go to the gym, or just go home and vegetate a bit earlier. So hopefully it will be a rewarding effort.

I was watching the Patriots game this evening against the Colts but I gave up somewhere around 21 to 7 in the third quarter. Last time they were down and I stopped paying attention they began doing better. We'll see if this strategy works again.

I bought myself a pizza this evening, and as I was waiting in the shop, I was smiling to myself in anticipation. I was staring out gleefully at Main St. Melrose in anticipation of the sauce, the pepperoni, the green peppers. MMMmmmmm Mmmm!!
Low and behold this woman and some guy walk by as I'm looking out the window grinning. Full eye contact was made and I knew some sort of misinterpretation of my contentment was immediately perceived. Suddenly the woman turned into the store leaving her partner in the street. Immediately fearing the worst I adopt a frown and busy myself continuing to look out the window at some unseen specter. Unfortunately this woman approaches me and begins to talk to me.
Seeing her now I can tell that she's probably ummm... not of the highest echelon of society. Lets just say I was scared before I saw her come in and when I confronted her, I would have much preferred to peel my own face off. Her description really isn't too important. I will point out this, she had a charming batch of Herpes pustules (either that or an extraodinarily precise acne crop) adorning the right corner of her mouth. I swear a couple of them were pulsating.

Any way she just bee-lines to me, mind you there are several people in the restaurant.
She asks me "Do you have a car?"
I was about to ask why... and my wheels slowly cranked and I caught myself.
"I'm not giving anyone a ride" I responded without ever answering her question. I was surprisingly indignant. I was a little proud of myself, but really was doing all I could not to run and hide under a Formica table.
"Oh come on, We just need to go three minutes up the road"
Apparently it was completely lost on her that I was waiting for food, and that I might actually have somewhere to be.
"Nope, sorry, can't help you"
After she exited as quickly as she entered the owner and a patron were staring out the window like she and her friend had just robbed the bank or something.
"What did she want?" Asked the tired Pizza cook, as he paused midway through evenly distributing meatball-halves on the patron's yet to be baked pie.
"Asked for a ride, looks like trouble if you ask me." replies the man scratching his forehead and rustling the thick mop of curly gray hair beneath his green trucker's cap.
"If its just three minutes up the road, why doesn't she just walk?" I thought out loud.
The trouble with me is I either look like I want to kill everyone, or I look naive. Tonight I was obviously looking like the latter. Perhaps they truly just wanted a ride. Perhaps she took that "pizza smile" I was wearing for friendliness that wasn't there. If I was predisposed to the "old granny" train of thought, perhaps they would have bonked me on the head, taken my car and wallet and left me in an alley somewhere. Unlikely... although its almost a sure bet they'd ask for money. Funny since if anything, they should pay me for being a voluntary chauffeur.

As for my daily news links, this one was quite interesting. An article by the Associated Press on the different ways men and women interpret jokes. The article claims men are less discriminating on what is or isn't funny. It must be true, because I was actually laughing while reading the article. I'm quite sure it wasn't written with the intent of humor. At least not the type that makes you snort milk out your nose.

Who is more likely to enjoy a good joke?

Interestingly enough I'd also like to point out the differences in what is being covered by CNN compared to Foxnews. Typically I find the CNN web page to be more professional and just easier to navigate so I use it. Fox seems to have a tabloid element to it, if not just in the wording of its headlines, but even in it's advertisement sponsors. Anyway today I find that Foxnews has more relevant articles for a change. CNN is reporting on a couple of domestic murder cases, as well as a crackdown on a terrorist cell in Australia. I'll give them the latter... I don't read the national news to hear about some murder trial. It doesn't affect me.

Fox is continuing coverage on the riots in France which may or may not be spreading to Belgium, and a few copy-cat cases in Berlin as well? I'm a little miffed by the whole thing since the Police seemed to be just doing their job by chasing the delinquent youth. I don't get why they deny it, it just makes them look weak and more pathetic. In addition to this they are posting an Associated Press article on the next "smaller" rotation of troops to Iraq. I would think reducing the amount of American troops by possibly 40,000 people would be big news, apparently not to CNN.

Smaller Iraq Troop Rotation Announced

Out of curiosity I had to check the often forgotten dinosaur NBC, or MsNBC as it is called on the web. NBC actually is covering all of the bases. The riots and the Australian terror plot are both front and center. In addition there is also an article on looted Iraqi relics not to mention the unexpected drop in gasoline prices.
Bravo NBC, on beating out the two media giants, if not in #s, at least in principle.