What's your pet peeve?

Yeah true Sozz - journalists just annoy me

We arent professional writers but they profess to be....pfft..

people that step off an escalator then STOP........... arrrrrgggggggghhhhhhhh

The intrusion of political correctness into everyday life. I'm not a religious person, but, because of instances like this, I feel offended for those who are:

www.cathnews.com.au/article.aspx?aeid=12898

Yep George, I agree
After the Pope visit, they should realise that everyone was there in all faiths, not just Christians, so why cause trouble..?

It could've been worse. At least it wasn't "Increase the size of your schlong"

If I had a dollar for every time I've read the phrase in a support forum, "I have the same problem ...", I would be rich beyond my wildest dreams!

"I have a problem," someone writes. "My car won't go! Please help!"

"Have you checked that your car has fuel?" comes the helpful response.

"Oh, sorry, I forgot to fill the car with fuel. Problem solved."

So you think that's the end of the discussion until someone else writes in, "I have the same problem, too. My car won't go. Please help!"

"Have you checked that your car has fuel?" comes the helpful response again.

"No, the car has plenty of fuel, but when I turn the key nothing happens."

"Maybe your battery is flat. Have it checked and get it replaced"

So, they check the battery and, sure enough, it's dead. They replace the battery and they report that their problem is fixed.

Again, you think that is the end of the discussion until someone else writes in, "I have the same problem, too. My car won't go. Please help!"

You ask if they've checked the fuel and checked the battery and they swear that they have plenty of fuel and that the battery works. So you think about it for a while and suggest that maybe the starter motor needs to be looked at. They replace the starter motor and they're fixed. Sure enough, 10 minutes later someone else writes in with - you guessed it - "I have the exact same problem as everyone else. My car won't go, too. I've checked the fuel, the battery, the starter motor ..."

So this is the thing. How do you fix everyone's "same" problem? I read the following in a book the other day:

Ever heard the saying "If all else fails, read the instructions?" It's sarcastic, of course. But it's also somewhat profound, because it touches on our natural desire for immediate gratification. Believe me, when it comes to wanting and expecting immediate gratification, I'm as guilty as the next person.

Unfortunately, there are no one-size-fits-all instructions for using a computer. If all instructions for all types of computers and programs were gathered into one set, it would be bigger than multiple sets of the Encyclopedia Britannica - actually, probably big enough to fill a decent-sized public library. Truth is, you can do so many things with a computer, and such a huge volume of information is available, that no single source of information could possibly exist.

To survive in the digital world these days, you have to be resourceful. And being resourceful means having enough skills to find the information you need, when you need it, wherever that information might be. But being resourceful isn't a skill anyone is born with. You have to learn to be resourceful.

Anyway, vent over, and modern drugs work wonders. By the way, have you checked your car lately?

The recent news about the resignation of Harry Jenkins as Speaker of the House of Representatives didn't really come as a surprise. He's been in a no-win situation ever since the minority Labor Government was elected last year. His replacement by [former Liberal Country Party MP] Peter Slipper isn't much of a surprise either. It shores up federal Labor's position in the Lower House to get its legislation through.

However, I am deeply concerned by the commentary of Liberal and Nationals Party members about the so-called "secret" deal that might have been done to boot Mr Jenkins from his job and to replace him with Mr Slipper. Also, I'm concerned by media commentary that's been running hot over the past 24 hours about shady, secret deals being done behind closed doors without the public's knowledge.

As anyone would know - and I've been there - politics is all about doing deals. If you don't do deals you don't get anything done at all. The floor of a parliament is not the place to air, in the public arena, all the discussions that members of parliament have with one another over what is good legislation or what concessions some members want to obtain in order to allow the legislation to become law. A lot of those discussions need to happen over time, in people's offices or meeting rooms, and a lot of those discussions never become public. To suggest that this way of doing business is "secretive" or "subversive" is a total hypocrisy. Journalists do "deals" with politicians all the time (and politicians do deals with journos, too). Politicians are always doing deals.

To suggest, as today's News Limited media has done, that Peter Slipper has "ratted" on his former Liberal colleagues is just a case of sour grapes fuelled by the media seeking a bit of sensationalism; it's part of what is called "the media cycle." I think Mr Slipper's characterisation as "King Rat" is totally unforgivable. My personal feelings about Mr Slipper are irrelevant; he has the experience, he has the ability, to make a good Speaker and he should be judged on his performance in that job, not on whether or not he's traded favours with any political party in order to further his own ambition.

So, yeah, I'm sick to death of this media cycle about "secret" deals. It's the very nature of politics and I think the media should take a powder and focus on the real stories that matter about what's important for the country instead of how some "business" is transacted in order to achieve those things. "Secret" deals? They happen all the time ... and we all know they do.