7:51 p.m. | 2002-12-10 A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words. I see a billboard every day advertising a hotline phone number for victims of child abuse and featuring a picture of a child who�s about 5 or 6 years old. Just one little problem with this marketing attempt. The child has Eddie Munster�s hair and Damien�s (The Omen) eyes. Seriously, he looks like the son of Satan. I can�t imagine what the marketing folks were thinking when they chose that picture. It kinda disturbs me. The billboard says: �Child abuse hurts everyone�, but the child�s eyes say: �lay one hand on me and you�re dead�. I mean, if looks could kill, thousands of motorists would already be dead. In fact, that child looks more like a perpetrator than a victim. Frankly, I�d be scared to even go near him. Were all the cute, sweet-looking kids unavailable or something? I just don�t get it. Anyway, I�ll leave you with some workplace quips. (Boss:) Come on Cruel-Irony, let�s go say goodbye to Outcast Colleague. (It was his last day today.) (CI:) Do I havta? (Boss:) Yes. (CI:) (I was talking to Another Colleague at the time so I turned to her.) If I havta, you havta too. (Boss:) Yeah AC, you too. Come on you guys. So we went over to Colleague�s and Outcast Colleague�s office on the other side of the building. This is what happened when we walked in. (Colleague:) Look, it�s Three Wise Women. (AC:) (To me.) Did he just say what I thought he said? (She�s got her hands on her hips and about to break into some serious head rolling.) (CI:) I don�t know. What do you think he said? (AC:) �Look, it�s three wide women�. (Colleague:) No, no, no! I said Three WISE Women� you know, like the Three Wise Men� (AC:) Oh, okay. We�re very narrow wise women. (Colleague:) Yes, of course you are. Then Boss was saying goodbye to Outcast Colleague who, by the way, is THE smartest person on the face of the earth� just ask him and he�ll tell you all about it. (Boss:) Well, I know I�m not the SMARTEST boss you ever had� (Outcast Colleague:) (Turning beet red.) I never said that! Colleague said that! (Boss:) Really? Hmmm. (Looking at Colleague who�s fire engine red now.) (Colleague:) I NEVER said that. Honest. I didn�t. (Boss:) So now I�m wide and stupid?! (Colleague:) Honestly, I never said that. And, I said �wise� not �wide�. (CI:) See how he is? Please. What�s really funny is that Colleague is �as offensive as a Peep� to quote Boss� Former Boss. The absolute last thing he would ever do intentionally is hurt someone�s feelings. On the other hand, Outcast Colleague is mean, nasty, condescending, arrogant and unpleasant. Really, we all tried not to make him an outcast but he just doesn�t play well with others. And, to be honest, I am ecstatic that he�s gone now. your thoughts? seed flower