Breaking News Before Coffee

We can't bust heads like we used to. But we have our ways. One trick is to tell stories that don't go anywhere. Like the time I caught the ferry to Shelbyville. I needed a new heel for m'shoe. So I decided to go to Morganville, which is what they called Shelbyville in those days. So I tied an onion to my belt. Which was the style at the time. Now, to take the ferry cost a nickel, and in those days, nickels had pictures of bumblebees on 'em. Gimme five bees for a quarter, you'd say. Now where was I... oh yeah. The important thing was that I had an onion tied to my belt, which was the style at the time. You couldn't get white onions, because of the war. The only thing you could get was those big yellow ones...

--Grampa Simpson

Hubby and I had a stupid argument this morning about what the term "Breaking News" means. A topic too stupid to discuss at 6:30am, when one of us was just waking up and the other was just about to leave the house for the day; certainly a topic too stupid to discuss before either of us had any coffee. So up front, sorry Hubby for wearing an onion on my pants and taking the ferry to Shelbyville before coffee.

If you're like me, you see the TV screen flash "Breaking News" and you think you're going to hear something important. You stop and listen.

I've noticed that the breakfast TV news I watch in the morning has been having a lot of "Breaking News" lately. As usual, I stop to listen, only to find out that the "Breaking News" is just a regular news story, and not anything really important, or not important enough for me to miss my bus and be late to work for.

I brought this up to Hubby this morning. My complaint was that my preferred breakfast TV news source was using the term "Breaking News" too loosely and almost becoming a crying wolf situation where I wasn't going to stop and listen to them whenever they said some story was breaking.

Now I trust Hubby. I understand his position. I trust that his definition of "Breaking News" is the correct one. He's dedicated his professional life to journalism. If I were to trust any source regarding the definition of newsy-type terms taken at his word, without demanding any documentation, it would be Hubby.

His definition of "Breaking News" is news happening now; news that is happening and being reported or revealed at this moment. I completely understand the definition and agree with him.

My argument was that the general public doesn't view the term "Breaking News" the same way that a reasonable person would.

At 6am, before my coffee, I think of "Breaking News" the same way I think most of the general public does. I'm guessing that this is the way the general public thinks because I got my definition from about.com, the premier source for pedestrian definitions;  "Breaking news usually refers to events that are unexpected, such as a plane crash or building fire. Breaking news can also refer to news that occurs late in the day, close to a news outlet's usual deadline."

When I hear the term "Breaking News" on the news I expect to hear something that's going to affect my day; something like a big crash on Muni that will keep me from getting to work on time, some giant fire, a really famous or well-known person dying or getting badly hurt, a natural disaster like an earthquake over 7.0 or a 30 mile long cyclone brush fire filled with robots, killer bees and siafu ants making its way across the plains states. I don't want to hear about a policeman who shot a burglar in a small city 500 miles away from me, or that some former presidential candidate had some sun spots removed from his face and he's recovering nicely at his vacation home somewhere fancy, gated and exclusive. Save those stories for the regular news rotation and leave the "Breaking News" stories for things that will have an impact on my day, especially at 6am.

As annoying as it is, it seems that my preferred breakfast TV news source honors the true definition of "Breaking News" and not that of the general public. I'll have to remember that and not hurry to the TV every time I hear the musical cue followed by the phrase "Breaking News."

Hope I don't miss anything important. I really don't like siafu ants.

On Overlooking the "h" - An Open Letter to Noosa Yoghurt

There's a little market across the street from my office. I don't go there very often because it's super expensive. I usually only go there when my boss sends me out to go get him lunch. I hardly ever go there when I have to do the paying. At first, I didn't go there on my own because the manager was always standing around and he had a perfect manicure and he seemed to be channeling his inner Gavin Newsom because his hair was always perfect, just like The Gav's always is, but his employees were always rushing about working super hard. The manager seemed like he didn't want to be there, like his father in law gave him the job to keep him busy and the workers didn't seem very happy. Then I got over it when I discovered the BLAST sandwich (bacon, lettuce, avocado, swiss cheese and tomato, people!). I'm sure I just made up everything about the former manager of that store. I didn't know him personally. I'm only guessing based on observation that he didn't work. Maybe he was just really great at keeping clean. I wasn't making up the part about his hair, though. I think he really did like to model his hair on the former SF Mayor turned Lieutenant Governor of California. Call The Gav what you want, he does take care of his personal hygene.

Anyhow, even with the BLAST sandwich, the store is pretty expensive. I'm guessing it's because it is the only market around. I could walk to Safeway but that's about 1/2 a mile away from my office. Not a far walk, but not conducive to grabbing a quick bite.

So anyways, not wanting to eat at the cafeteria in my office complex and because there wasn't enough food to pirate from the meeting that was going on in the office today, I walked over to the little market for some lunch.
I should note, that even though the store is needlessly expensive, the quality of the products are really yummy. They have a fairly comprehensive selection of specialty items and are always getting in new things. And, because it's worth mentioning again, they sell a BLAST.


Today I noticed a new yogurt. Noosa Yoghurt. While the "h" in the word "Yoghurt" bugs me just as much as the backwards "R" in Toys "R" Us, I decided to give it a try.
Two things stopped me at first from doing so (three if you count the "h"). First, this market only carried fruity varieties of the yogurt. I love yogurt, but I'm a plain yogurt kind of girl. I like my plain yogurt. Most of the time fruity yogurts are too sweet and it's like eating candy. Second was the price. This little market was charging $3.49 for the yogurt (maybe it was $3.99, I forget. My point is that the 8oz tub of yogurt was over $3).
Two things made me pick up the yogurt and buy it anyways. First, the flavor. One of the flavors was Strawberry Rhubarb. I like Rhubarb, but hadn't had any in a while. It sounded good. I used to work at a bakery and I had to make Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp every single day. I never got sick of it. It was so delicious. Second, and what really got me to purchase the yogurt was that the little market had an introductory price of $1.99. Sold. $1.99 is a totally reasonable price for yogurt in the FiDi in San Francisco.

So here's what I liked.
1. The packaging. I liked that the container has a lid and not just a foil top. I understand why some yogurt makers did away with the top (less plastic) but without the top, the yogurt container is renered useless. This one has a top. I'm able to use the container again and again. Also, it's packaged in a flat 8oz container, not the standard yogurt cup that stands 3.5 inches high.
2. While I stated a few lines above that I'm a plain girl. I like my plain yogurt and will choose that over flavored 87% of the time, I did like the Strawberry Rhubarb flavor. It wasn't to sweet. I like the tangyness of yogurt and am always disappointed when that flavor is masked with sugar.

What I didn't like
1. The "h" in the word "yoghurt"
2. The price of the yogurt at this little market. Over $3 is too much for 8oz of yogurt. Even the Old Chatham isn't over $3, and Old Chatham plain yogurt is so yummy, and there's no "h."

Overall impression
1. I would definately eat this again, but once the introductory price goes away at this little market, I'll only get it if someone else is paying.
2. I wish they had plain. Plain might get me to pay full price.

Conclusion
Good enough yogurt for me to overlook the "h."