I was all ready to mention the Huffington Post when I read down. I usually agree with what they have to say, it's just so hard to follow it.

I think you need to adjust your pop-up blocker. I don't have most of the problems you describe, on the same sites. I do, however, hate the new WashPost front page, which jumps around as you describe.

All I do when I see things like pages of politics or the revamped "Opinions" in Newsweek is get angry. I don't have time left in my life to be angry.....so I ask informed friends and vote with only a fraction of the information. Right now I am dealing with dying friends and don't have time for dying politics.

Soon NYT and others will start charging for online content. At that point we should all feel free to contact them and complain vociferously --about moving ads. Right now, a good deal of their economic support must come from companies that design and place these ads. I, like many others, am very good at ignoring most stationary ads. And the companies know it. As for the mobile headlines--ugh!

Ronnie, I want to thank you for again pointing out that its okay to be cranky with cause.

I've stopped visiting several sites because of this very annoying twitch. Very annoying.

Ah, the good old days (just a mere few years ago) when ads were few and far between; when text ALONE ruled the internet as a source of information. When it began to really become irritating was when every site started having video/audio, some of it coming on automatically without even a click. I usually just keep the sound turned off on my computer, never have to hear it. Most videos from the media are preceded by a long commercial. I prefer to read...that is, when the script isn't moving or jumping around!

I have pop-up blockers/Firefox, but still get sideways boxes creeping or flashing across my line of reading text. I don't know why the ad folks think this is effective, instead of what it is: IRRITATING. And I'm NOT likely to click on an ad that is irritating me!

As for the "cult of optimism" I think it can be detrimental to society and people sometimes. It's one thing to be hopeful, something else to deny reality. A good book on that topic is: "Bright-Sided: How Positive Thinking Is Undermining America" by Barbara Ehrenreich.

Probably one of the most pitiful things I've heard was from a man who'd just lost his entire livelihood due to the BP disaster, say, "Yeah, it's...bad. But I don't want to sound negative..."

Jeez!

You've nailed it again on the issue of being seen as negative (or cynical) when you're unhappy (and vocal) about the myriad problems facing our world. I also see no reason to keep up a sunny false front, or to be apologetic about not doing so. “Cynic, n: a blackguard whose faulty vision sees things as they are, not as they ought to be.” - Ambrose Bierce.

As for the extremely irritating animated/audio advertising now rampant on internet web sites, it bothers me so much that I avoid the worst offenders. For news, I listen to the radio (NPR, BBC, etc.) and still get three REAL newspapers, the kind that arrive with a thump in the drive and after reading can be used for lighting the fire and mulching the garden. Including the daily NY Times. The loss of that cherished institution will be deeply mourned. Unless major changes are made to the online version, I doubt I'll make the transition, especially if one must pay for the privilege.

I have an ad blocker but I do realize that the newspapers are trying to stay in business and need that ad revenue. If it's a piece I really want to read, - and the paper doesn't have the "print" option which cuts out a lot of the annoying visual clutter, I will save the page to my HD. It's saved in two parts (on my Mac) with page for the print and a folder which contains all the ads, etc. I throw away the folder and then, can read the type on the saved page without all the distractions.

If, like me, your bank and other places where you do online business use pop ups, you cannot block them without having to constantly change the setting again and again.

Years ago (60 or so to give you an idea), I was physically uncomfortable watching the jerky images of a movie screen. Eventually, the same discomfort was attendant to watching TV screens. Both, I attributed to my propensity toward migraine. Now, I find that web screen razzle-dazzles and color combinations give me the same effect.

Bottom line: My propensity toward migraine has kept me from becoming an avid viewer of any such media. I rely upon the radio for my news. When (as they are prone to do) they overdo reportage on a given story, I turn off the radio. Ah....How do you spell relief? Silence and dead screens.

I might mention, also, that many individuals I serve who have had, stroke, brain injury, numerous other neurological problems find the rapid video changes difficult or even impossible to follow. Sadly, I've had avid sports fans having to give up viewing games due to these video changes, inability to keep up with the incessant replays -- all this when they're acquired physical limitations and long for activities to engage their senses, thoughts and time.

Eric Idle (of Monty Python et al) wrote a song called "Always Look on the Bright Side" it was a very clever satirization of thr Positive Thinking Cult that Barbara Ehrenich did a though and devastating expose of in her "Bright Sided" book published recently. Briefly stated, the whole thing is a scam! Putting a smile on your face and whistling a happy tune (can you smile while you whistle?) isn't going to make this Great Recession go away or provide jobs for the 15% of our American young people who can't find jobs (and maybe never will).
Maybe the the "Tea Pots" have something, maybe it's time to get mad-mad as hell and go out and do something about the obscene mess that the whores in Washington have created.

A relative of mine often calls me negative. I call him gullible. An old saying is "One 'no' can prevent seventy troubles."

Rapid, flashing images in movies or on TV bother me so much I simply can't watch them. And those ads that block what I'm trying to read make me very negative indeed!

I have no problem with people grumbling. I think it is appropriate to vent. These are "interesting" times. I think there is an addiction to complaining that diffuses the thrust of a conversation with rallying a misery that loves company, however. I wonder if something of this sort of activity is not the foundation and life blood of wing nuts, in fact.

What I love is intelligent debate with all of its taking us out of our comfort zones. I lament that this process has been virtually eliminated from decision making and, it seems to me, that commiserating and blowing the blue bird of happiness up everyone's a$$ can threaten the prospect of keeping the point.

I perhaps should read more printed media but I can't help but wonder if the point of these constant advertising distractions isn't there to utilize our critical thinking muscles and turn to researching the blogs of the internet to seek and harvest the intelligent leaders speaking their minds and share what we find. How can we trust the foundations of the media that is beginning to look more than a bit desperate and suspect from the get-go? I mean REALLY! It seems to me a better use of our internet savvy would be to be sharing interesting leaders who are on the internet speaking their peace on subjects of effectual importance that can impact our lives. Somehow I think that these people would have to fight to be in the Huffington Post or the NYT for their lack of advertising cache.

As I said, I don't subscribe so maybe I should shut up but I have found that sometimes when things are turning south where we don't want to go it is indicative of needing to let go and seek the possible alternative and reevaluate why we are tolerating this. Sometimes things become annoying because they truly stink and that is the point.