LOLOMFGROFLBS

I've been noticing a problem getting increasingly worse for the past several months, so I feel its time somebody say something about it.

I'm no fuddy-duddy, but considering how 90 percent of today's youth are butchering the English language, I've often found myself shaking my fist in the air while yelling, "Damn kids."

Now I'm not too far removed from the "youth" of today, but my generation occured just before the wide-spread use of computers, cell phones, fizzy pop and goofballs. (I think I'm going to use fizzy pop and goofball references wherever possible in future posts.)

I appreciate the evolution of a language. However, I think there's a time and a place for it. If you wanna say "wanna," or "I'm tired of this shizz. Y'know what I mean?" or perhaps "I'm a student, irl" or even "Octomom ftw!" online or in text conversations, I'm fine with that. Blogs, texts and the interwebs are appropriate places for words like "interwebs" or "rofl." Made up words and abbreviations that are a part of a generation's dialogue are dandy in these cases.

Now, most would assume I'm going to go on a rant about how some kids these days are using such "words" in school work or elsewhere in the real world. I'm not going to rant on that because I'd never shut my mouth about it. In short, if I were a teacher and a student turned in a test with "IDK" for an answer to a question, I'd rip up the test and ask them to retake the whole damn thing. Maybe that's a bit extreme, but the line has to be drawn somewhere.

No, my gripe today is not with Generation ?'s use of such things in inappropriate places. My gripe is primarily with the fact it's gotten so bad, even the people who use the stuff aren't using it correctly.

You know that guy who tells you "There seems to be a stigmata attached to artists these days where everyone assumes they're half-crazy?" You know how something like that makes you want to scream? (Note: If you don't know what the fuss is about, I'm saddened for whichever facility claims responsibility for your education.)

Well, crap like that is happening in the blogosphere, on posts and in message boards quite a bit these days.

Just today I read a post that stated "OMG my God. Can you guys believe that?" But that's not what's been bothering me the most lately. No. What I've seen at least a dozen times a week is the use of "lol" in the most unnecessary places.

It's not a damn period, people. Nor is everything you say funny. So what gives with using it so often?

Example: "Yeah, I'm looking forward to this game. I might pick it up later today. LOL."

Another example: "Who here is going to see this movie? LOL. I know I am."

And another one: "I thought their fourth album was the worst. LOL. But hey, that's just my opinion, imho."

When you type "lol," ask yourself, if you were talking out loud, would you actually laugh where you put that "lol?" If the answer is no, remove it. It's for attaching to the end of jokes or responding to something funny. I just don't get why it's being used 80 percent of the time I see it these days.

These people are driving me insane. You want to know why my teacher-tearing-up-a-test scenario is not extreme? Because this has proven if we as a society give an inch, the artards are going to take a mile. If you're going to say something, even if it is "made up," you better damn well know what it means and how to use it. The ignorance is baffling.

LOL