Songpoet's definitions

Trumpit

The election of Donald Trump to the presidency despite weeks of political opinion polls predicting the election of Hillary Clinton - a phenomenon much like Brexit in the UK where voters called for Britain's exit from the European Union despite weeks of political polls predicting the opposite outcome.

Political pundits and forecasters were shocked when American voters pulled off a Trumpit on election day, sending Donald Trump to the White House despite countless predictions that he would lose the election.

by Songpoet November 28, 2016

TADD

This is an acronym for Technology Attention Deficit Disorder — a condition caused by the excessive use of multiple technologies likely to make it difficult to focus, pay attention or understand anything difficult or challenging.

When Ruth flunked out of college in her freshman year, some of her friends blamed it on TADD - her total immersion in social networking and text-messaging that made it impossible for her to read her course work, pay attention in class or grasp the basics of the courses she was taking.

by Songpoet November 29, 2010

Digital nativism

Mistaken belief that young folks who were born immersed in things digital are somehow in a state of grace and older folks are cursed by their age and lack of digital conditioning. Arrogant and insulting division of generations into different camps first proposed by Marc Prensky but unfounded on any survey data.

With an insulting tone worthy of the original American nativists who hated immigrants (especially Catholic ones), Marc Prensky speaks of pre-iPod humans (digital immigrants) contemptuously. This is simply digital nativism, a kind of generational prejudice that is ill founded and unsubstantiated.

by Songpoet November 1, 2007

wormsquirm

Wormsquirm is the maneuver politicians and leaders sometimes exercise when they find themselves regretting their prior support for a person or policy who has suddenly fallen from grace. Even though the sins of the person or the faults of the policy may be severe, the politician tries to squirm out of "guilt by association" by using weasel words and various excuses.

During the 2016 USA presidential election, when Donald Trump's 2005 video surfaced in which he bragged about grabbing p-ssy, some prominent Republicans like Senator McCain withdrew their support, while others did the wormsquirm, criticizing his words but maintaining support for his candidacy.

by Songpoet October 14, 2016

Tech A.D.D.

Variation of TADD - An acronym for Technology Attention Deficit Disorder — a condition caused by the excessive use of multiple technologies likely to make it difficult to focus, pay attention or understand anything difficult or challenging.

When Ruth flunked out of college in her freshman year, some of her friends blamed it on Tech A.D.D. - her total immersion in social networking and text-messaging that made it impossible for her to read her course work, pay attention in class or grasp the basics of the courses she was taking.

by Songpoet December 1, 2010

Powerpointlessness

The tedious use of flashy transitions, graphics and sound effects while making a slide presentation that is pretty much lacking in thought, meaning and value.

The corporate team stumbled out of the morning meeting after three hours of suffering through powerpointlessness and dry lectures about strategy.

by Songpoet November 21, 2005

photoshopping reality

When the press, public relations firms, government officials and political campaigns distort reality, twist the facts, apply filters like those used in PhotoShop to changes images, that is photoshopping reality. Closely associated with spin, perception management, marketing and propaganda.

When Secretary of State Colin Powell showed photographs to the UN proving the existence of chemical warfare plants, he was photoshopping reality. Also, President George W. Bush's infamous comment to FEMA chief Michael D. Brown while the latter was botching the federal response to Hurricane Katrina: "Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job."

by Songpoet February 7, 2008