3/22/05: Just the Facts

You know what trait I value in a friend maybe above all others? More than honesty, loyalty, integrity, humor, thoughtfulness, all that crap? Accuracy. When I am engaged in a dialogue with a friend, it is very important to me that the information this friend is sending my way is accurate. There's nothing I hate more than talking to somebody who's full of shit.  Now when I say full of shit, I'm not talking about people who are outright liars, like Big Jim Lang can be on occasion. On the contrary, one of the best things about Big Jim Lang is that he's full of fascinating information, and for the most part he has vetted it for truth.  Sure, he'll slip in an outrageous lie every now and then, sometimes for no reason at all, but that's part of his charm.

I think I've done a good job of surrounding myself with people like Jim: interesting folks with something to say that isn't bullshit. What I can't stand are people who are either too stupid or too lazy to report information accurately in conversation. There is a guy I work with who has an outstanding rumor or story every time I see him.  He speaks with authority and conviction, and he is absolutely full of shit 88.7% of the time.  It's hard to even have a conversation with him. What makes it even more irritating is his condescending tone, as if he is doing you a tremendous favor by enlightening you.  And then what he says is not just wrong, but often so wrong that you know it's wrong as he says it.

It's amazing the stuff he comes up with. 

If it's work-related, it'll go: "Yeah, (Vice President) Ricky is totally fighting for his job.  They're just waiting 'til the new year to fire him.  He's done."  Within weeks of this pronouncement, Ricky will be promoted to SVP.

Religion: "If the Pope steps down, the Mayor of Rome is acting pope until a new pope is named."

Geology: "The only reason the tsunami didn't destroy New York is because the ice caps protected us."

He's equally deadly on sports, politics, world affairs, and just about anything else.  He'll chime in on any conversation, too. He absolutely HAS to have the final say on every matter.

Just shut up.

I shouldn't complain so much, because I'm probably not the best reporter of facts myself.  For instance, I have read probably 500 pages of information on the Kennedy assassination in various places, but I skim over a lot of details and I end up remembering just enough to pass on some half-truths as fact. But usually I will at least acknowledge that I don't know what the hell I'm talking about.  I won't report it all as top-quality information.

And sometimes I actually have real data to pass along.

Like when I say the following: the HD Magic Box is misbehaving like a Mofo.  Shutting down, pixelatin', freezing up. Any suggestions?

EJ nailed yesterday's but I bet nobody can tell me wheredat?