Idiot of the Week IV

So, I'm not sure why I have harder times posting a blog on certain days, but I'm working on it. Also, watch for changes in layout to the page as I try to make it more user friendly.

So today we start our installment of Idiot of the Week with the runners up. From mysterious changing numbers to technological mishaps.

First of all, we have the illustrious journalists from the Rocky Mountain News. The Associated Press released a story about a cat that was scared, by a house fire, and found 240 miles away from its Albuquerque, NM home, to Pueblo, CO. And while their competitor, the Denver Post, was able to accurately copy the article and the land distance, it seems the ever illustrious Rocky Mountain News knows better than to think a cat would travel over land, why it must stick to the road ways only. At least, that's the only way I can figure their idea that the cat traveled 340 miles, instead. Check Google maps. You'll see what I mean. I suppose it makes sense. After all, cat is only one letter away from car.

Next, an honorable meantion goes to Microsoft, how saw fit to really embody the reality of gaming by debuting at GDC with an Xbox 360 with the Red Ring of Death.

Our next story shows stupidity on both ends of the story. A man was accidentally given $5 million dollars in their account when the bank mistook him for a customer of the same name. The man, excited by his new windfall, withdrew $2 million and did what anyone would. Spent it. Unfortunately now he is paying for it. Let this be a lesson to you all. If you happen to find a lot of money in your bank that shouldn't be there, either by bank error, or your employer errs on your check, DO NOT USE IT. You are liable to return that money and it will be considered theft or fraud if you take advantage of it.

For our first runner up, showing outstanding integrity of investigative journalism, I bring you piece from Cosmic Variance about a recent news article by the National Review Online. It would appear that the fine journalist writing the piece calls memory to her childhood in New York City in the late 50's and early 60's and how the mixed families their were often made up of Jewish women who had been hoodwinked by Communist Black men. And due to this fact, Hawaiian born political candidate Barack Obama must also, surely, be Communist. Didn't the Red Scare die with Flock of Sea Gulls hair cuts and sweat band? Please, read the article. By the end we see that through other sources, the good Senator has been accused, by association, of being a Commie/Nazi/Muslim revolutionary. Thank you Cosmic Variance for this satire on the sad state of journalism.

And now for our big winner. I was really trying not to include this man. But when one person shows up 4 seperate times, well you can only ignore it so much. Jack Thompson, you are our Idiot of the week. Now, if you don't know who Jack Thompson is, you live under a rock, go look him up. I'm not about to send all the various news articles about his rampages on this article. No, I'll stick just with what has gone down this week and this week alone.
We start with a little tete-a-tete that Thompson started with a fellow gamer at the beginning of the week. See, Thompson read a blog by Samuel L. Jackson in regards to Thompson's statements about video games and school shootings in Illinois. Thompson reacted by challenging the "bad-ass" actor to a golf game, and a public debate about the issue, complimented him on his acting in "Black Snake Moan", and then left him a phone number and email address to contact him back. Only problem is, Thompson seemed to have missed the large print on the blog that stated that this was FAKE Samuel L. Jackson and that "These Blogs Are Not Real". And then Jackson shoved all this over to Kotaku... as a press release. Brilliant. Put your phone number and email up on the internet on a site challenging a celebrity to a debate on a website that has nothing to do with that celebrity. I sometimes wonder if Thompson Googles himself daily to see who talks about him. We'll find out if I get served any papers by the good lawyer this coming week or not.
Speaking of serving papers, the lawyer has gone sue happy this week, as he threatens MSNBC with civil action in the Florida court on charges of libel for a piece they ran in regards to his quick reaction and blame-throwing in regards to these same shootings. However, look at the piece, and you have to wonder what libel Thompson is seeing. The American Heritage dictionary describes libel as "A false publication, as in writing, print, signs, or pictures, that damages a person's reputation." (ref.)
Shortly after this, we find out that Thompson was challenged BACK by Fake Samuel L. Jackson to a public debate, spent all day planning it out, and then backs out.
Okay... so those three in and of themselves, I was going to ignore, leave alone, walk away from JT... but then we get the kicker. Not content with the Hat Trick, Thompson goes for four in a week when Florida State Supreme Court served Thompson with a "show cause" order. This basically means that he has to show good cause for all of the fillings he has been submitting to the court system, that the court it self states seems to be "frivolous and inappropriate". They also tell him that if they find him guilty of abusing the legal system he will not be allowed to submit any other requests to the court unless another Barred Florida attorney also signs off on it. And how does the illustrious Jack Thompson, attorney, respond? By thanking them. By stating he had just been given "the weapon" he needed. Careful Thompson. Running around with a weapon of such magnitude may push you to some strange school shooting. He also goes on to state that the court is trying to repel his first amendment rights, calling himself a whisleblower who is gaining retribution for bowing his whistle (ever heard a 4 year old who has for the first time found a whistle to blow and thinks its a great toy?), speaks in third person about how he does not threaten, and then calls himself Briar Rabbit. I can't think of more this man could have done to better earn this award this week. Congradulations to all our contestants, good show, but ultimately, there can be only ONE, Idiot of the Week.