And so it ends ... for now

I'm bugged by a few things tonight.
First of all, would Brett Favre just make a frickin' decision and retire already?! Jeez, the guy seems to be in some perpetual "I love it, I hate it" cycle with football, and has bent over the Green Pay Packers, even more this off-season than last. He's like one of those guys who just doesn't know when to leave the field. Okay, okay. I don't know the circumstances behind any of his decisions, and maybe he can still play a decent ballgame, but I think that the tearful press conference announcing his retirement at the end of last season was pretty definitive. And I don't think it's fair for him to be constantly pulling the strings of the Packers organization, the backup quarterback who may finally have a shot, or the fans, like Tara, who deserve better. Every time I see his face on my Yahoo! page, or in any of the news outlets, all I can think is, jeez, man, let it go.
Secondly, there's an article, on the Yahoo! homepage tonight, trumpeting, "Brangelina's baby names explained." I click it, of course, because I'm thinking that maybe someone got an actual quote out of the couple, the first since the twins were born. But no, it's a ridiculous puff piece, on loan from US Weekly even, where the source is a name "expert," making her guesses based on historical name meanings and obvious family connections. So our desperation for a piece on the couple has now been reduced to this? Peeps, leave them alone. Cheesy articles will get you nowhere, except on my blog as an object of mockery.
Thirdly, the cover art for the recent issue of The New Yorker. You've all seen it by now, I'm sure. It's just so ... disappointing ... that a periodical with as much high-brow influence as that would stoop to such fear-mongering. Oh sure, it's a "statement" cover. It's about fighting the bigotry and assumptions of the Obamas. It's about making a mockery of the presidential mud-slinging. I say, bullshit. That cover is all about making headlines (check!), and making people believe that Obama and his wife are terrorists bent on destroying the country (sadly, check!). If that was supposed to be funny, it should have been in the comics, or on the editorial page. And if the people behind this cover actually did think that they were making a statement for the good of the Democratic party? Well, that's just naive.

Shingles Watch: Day 10
I am pleased to announce that this will be the last "Shingles Watch" (at least for this particular outbreak). My bumps are smaller today then yesterday, and I can say with great happiness that they don't even itch anymore. Sure, my head's a little sore there from the trauma of the shingles, but beyond that, I'm in good shape. I've only got four Valtrex left to take, and because I'm not stupid, I'm hoarding the leftover Vicodin for when it might come in handy. I enjoy a sigh of relief as this post topic comes to an end. Please, stay tuned for my next random issue. I'm sure it'll be just as ripe with humor as this one.