I don't know where my smart-aleck nature came from, but it's always been my habit to take a few potshots at the targets that our technology industry seems to regularly provide. At various speaking opportunities, I make sure to infuse my talks with my best attempt at a Saturday Night Live news homage.

On InformationWeek's Valley View, our new monthly live Web TV show, we begin the program with such a monologue. In our most recent episode, the monologue--which you can watch in the video embedded below--included some fun at the expense of Citrix (or more specifically its well-named VDI-in-a-box), Microsoft, Research In Motion, and Iowa State University researchers' discoveries.

Additionally, I rehash some complaints about the way mobile device manufacturers are marketing their products--complaints I initially lodged about a month ago from Mobile World Congress, specifically around the unveiling of the HTC One.

All of this is, of course, just in good fun; but as always, behind any sharp barb, there's some element of truth. There's really nothing more funny than real life, is there?