ANNOY-A-TRON: MY TOP TEN OF THE INSIPID – PART TWO!

Hey folks,

So, I’ve been pondering this week and it has allowed me to choose a truly fitting final five of my top ten. Funny enough, the first of these, number five happened after I started this list and bumped another idea off… but it is just too good to leave off this list. Thus, without further adieu or flourish, let us begin!

5.) Getting Misquoted.

I don’t know about you, but I really hate people putting words in my mouth, even good ones. I have a pet peeve with people taking my words and running with them in any sense. Twisting what I meant or even simply wrongly conveying what it is I was getting at are all a quick trip to a minefield of glares and gnashing of teeth on my part. Now, this happens often with family who inaccurately summarize my meanings on my behalf to others, leading to confusion or simple misinformation. However, at times, such things are spread far beyond and lent false credence due to their source.

Such is the case with Larry King.

What?! You wonder what it could be that I mean. Yes, I am talking about the stalwart Larry King of nightly CNN fame. For you see, I replied to a twitter post of Mr. King’s a few days ago, calling his show lineup (Spencer & Heidi from the Hills, Jeff Foxworthy and David Cook) insipid and in all truth they are.

However, on the show that night apparently they were having Twitter comments run along side their bottom screen news ticker. And… guess who got on LKL?

Screenshot

As you can see, the text was edited when compared to:
RT @kingsthings: “David Cook, Heidi & Spencer, and Jeff Foxworthy tonight. wouldn’t that make for an…” No Mr. King, they are just insipid.

Haha, Oh well. Tis interesting indeed.

4.) MLA Style.

Now a lot of people love this style, whereas I used to at one time for my academic work. However, my love affair with this style ended of late, as I’ve been working for the past two years in Chicago-style or a mutant-variant of Harvard-style.

My issue with MLA is not over complexity, as it is simple to use and
un-intimidating to the highest degree. However, it is somewhat restrictive. At least with Chicago-style, once you get over your fear of footnotes (ie: Stop being a namby-pamby wuss) as many students seem to have, then you are honestly golden.

Why?

Simple, footnotes are used as much for commentary on the source and your use of it as for an actual citation. Now come on, what can really be better than that for a student? A chance to truly clarify why they are using such a source and further the purposes, by these comments, of why you used it in the first place. Really, that is basically improving the chances that the reader will understand your choice and logic, and could improve your grade.

MLA is restrictive in this regard, as is APA and true Harvard. So just remember kiddies, footnotes are your friends!

3.) Reality Television and Dull-witted Game Shows.

Now while I could, honestly, write a separate section for each one here, I think it would be easier for us all if I didn’t. My first issue with such things is they give people like Jeff Foxworthy and the pair of Heidi-Spencer work. As a rule, unfunny comics and unworthy stars should not be encouraged… However, in both cases this occurs quite often.

As for game shows, I’m really tired of the belittling yet redneck funny some of them have taken on and while this is not just a stab at Forworthy’s most notable routine, it does fit for a lot of the new shows. Like those lie-detector based ones that were popular for a while… Come on people, those were simply stupid, crass and largely entertained mostly those who live off the sensationalism and misery of others.

As for reality television, similar statements apply. Still crass and sensationalistic, the shows build faux celebs who really have done even less than the regular folks who garner such honours. Equally, the shows run like a whiny, live version of a blog (one which is not like this one, which is based on high-minded ideas. haha…) Equally, like my complaints on new media, this kind of thing just pacifies people from legitimate thought on important matters and clouds us from the things which really effect our lives.

And really… the people on both shows are turned into caricatured marionettes, flung about for our amusement rather than actually being shown as human beings.

2.) Anyone who questions the sheer greatness of Don Newman.

If you don’t know Don Newman, then you don’t know Canadian politics. He is, by most accounts, the supreme amongst Canada’s political commentators and journalists. In truth, this is exactly right. Don, and no joke here, is the man when it comes to putting politicians and other guests in line with.

Check out the Rick Mercer Report video which attests to this, lol.

But seriously some people are questioning Mr. Newman, but not in terms of legitimate attacks on his own views. No, instead some comments reflect beliefs of the left-bias of the CBC (a blatant lie when considering some of their other more right-ish commentators). Others focus on how they need an outsider or a young person to fulfill the needs of Canadian politics.

Well, I dispute this as both an outsider and a younger person! Don Newman was someone I felt I could trust with my news politically. He wasn’t an American-style ideologue or a CTV hack… No, Don forced all people to account no matter the political stripe and asked, in truth, the right questions 99% of the time.

Above all Canadian newscasters, Don Newman was the best of them and the most neutral.

1.) DIAL UP INTERNET

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Gah, this is truly the most annoying thing a blogger and tech-nut can deal with. The infrequent and generally god awful quality of any dial up is bad enough, but of late my Bell Sympatico Dial Up has been hell to deal with. I really don’t even know why dial up is still supported by carriers as it is, in truth, utterly useless with the Internet as graphics and bloat heavy as it is.

Now, I have no real say in this matter, as I’m living back home for now… So I kinda have to deal with it. Still, really in more remote areas there needs to still be put in place better alternatives so that even those who are geographically disadvantaged or otherwise are not hindered in truly being able to use the services they choose to pay for.

I mean, it has taken me an hour just tonight to get Live Messenger working at all… it’s just excessive effort for things which won’t work well under the restrictions of Dial Up. Oi, and the resulting computer lag with all of this loading going on can be killer…

C’est la vie, so they say… eh?

Well folks, I’ll be back tomorrow with a view on my politics and the recent events in Ottawa.

Enjoy folks,
- Brad.