Some of the people you can't believe you hang out with

Some of the people you can't believe you hang out with
Michael Geslani
Issue date: 3/19/07
Section: Opinion

The past weekend I was thinking of the people who make things difficult and wanted to add to my list from my Feb. 12 column. So my friends and I came up with three more to add to the list.

Remember, these are the people who make things awkward when they hang out with you, and I'm sure everyone can relate. Usually my friends who are close to me make it known when these people are around by saying "AK-ward" has stepped in the house. Usually we say it out loud but in a manner where the person won't it.

Let me start off with "Major Inconvenience" - this is the person who you have to change plans for when you've already mapped out your day. We have to go to a certain place, lets say the mall and he is the person who you have to accommodate and take to the bank.

He doesn't tell you until you reach the parking lot of the mall when his bank is out of the way.

"Yo, sorry to say this but I need to go to the bank."

As I park, I'm thinking, "Why couldn't you have told me this before we got here?"

The second person is "Wikipedia Wonder," because this person will only answer your questions using the Web site Wikipedia.org. Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia where regular "Joes" are the sources of the information. Most of the information on the Web site may be true, but there is no credibility because anybody can change the information and make stuff up.

Well, now this guy is an information database because of Wikipedia. He pops up when you start to question something and he gives you an answer to it after checking the Web site.

In your head you just want to tell him that Wikipedia isn't a good source of information but he believes that all the information is good. It may be but he uses it like his bible and he lives and dies by Wikipedia.

The last person is "Gullible Guy." He believes anything that just doesn't seem right at times. He usually hooks up with "Wikipedia Wonder," or sometimes it's just the same person.

"I heard that Sinbad passed away."

Which actually was reported by the Associated Press over the weekend that someone made an entry on Wikipedia that he had passed away from a heart attack.

As he tells everyone, "Wikipedia Wonder" comes along and tells everyone that he saw it on the Web site.

This wasn't true but "Gullible Guy" tells everyone about it and says to check Wikipedia. Next thing you know you are watching the 6 o'clock news and they report that all the rumors aren't true and now he feels like a moron for believing it.

Just like I said, these two can actually be seen together at times.

Add those three to the list. Those people don't really make life difficult but they just make things too awkward.

Try and avoid people like the ones I listed but if you can't, then be prepared to be the victim of the "AK-ward."