Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Crazy Eyes: A Warning Sign or a Post-Psychotic Episode Manifestation?

So, I have been noticing a little phenomenon for say, the past year or so. Every time there is a picture in a newspaper or news site of someone who has just committed murder or some other heinous crime, they have complete crazy eyes. Somewhat recent examples include Christopher Offord, the man who bludgeoned his wife to death with a claw hammer because she wanted to cuddle after sex and he wanted to watch sports on television. He was recently sentenced to death.

Notorious examples include Charles Manson, who has definite incredibly crazy eyes, Timothy McVeigh, with his creepy intense stare, crazy nurse killing Richard Speck, Terry Nichols, McVeigh's accomplice who looks even crazier than McVeigh, and Jennifer Wilbanks, who wins the award for Craziest Eyes of a Non-Killer.

My question has two parts - first, did these people always have crazy eyes, or did their wild-eyed, glass stares of insanity emerge following their arrests? It's also notable that there are many killers who definitely do not LOOK crazy. Of course, many of them are not. Many are simply just evil, or sociopathic, which as I understand is quite different from being psychotic.

Secondly - how did others around them NOT NOTICE the crazy eyes? Honestly. If presumably they looked that way all the time, how in the world did Christopher Offord get his wife to marry him?

Do I have crazy eyes?!!

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

CVS/pharmacy versus Walgreen's

I have noticed that CVS seems to be getting more and more ubiquitous. It is time for me to acknowledge this upstart challenger to that paragon of drugstores, Walgreen's.

I'm not even going to pretend to be unbiased. CVS/pharmacy totally and completely sucks, for many reasons.

1. What is up with the slash? It looks so indecisive. I get that you are trying to include both concepts, that you are both a store that sells convenient items, shampoo and also medicines, etc. Yet ... Walgreen's manages to do this in one word and they look more confident. You, CVS/pharmacy look like a bunch of timid assholes and I hate you.

2. CVS/pharmacy has carpeting, which is totally creepy. Seriously. Ew! I like my pharmacies to have bright, sparkling clean shiny tile floors. Not dreary gray carpeting with red accents. I feel so much less efficient trodding on that thin layer of gray fiber. And it muffles sound! What if a super scary clown came up behind me in CVS/pharmacy?! I would have no idea! That is truly frightening. This carpeting problem is reminiscent in my mind of the problem with Circuit City. Circuit City and Best Buy are almost the same store, except Best Buy I think has more DVDs and CDs. But Circuit City is often cheaper on electronics and less full of annoying teenage boys. But yet it never seems as crowded. I think that is because their gray and red color scheme is totally depressing. Best Buy's yellow and blue makes me feel cheerful and full of delight. Circuit City's gray and red makes me long for death.

3. CVS/pharmacy does not have Pepperidge Farm products. What the eff? Why can't I get some damn goldfish at your stores? What kind of place does not stock delicious Pepperidge Farm treats? Surely such a place is the devil's playground.

4. My parents gave me Walgreen's gift cards for Christmas. If I go there, I am spending their money. If I go to CVS/pharmacy, I am spending mine.