I have decided to launch a new venture. A blog.
A blog that contains my thoughts and ideas, observations and opinions. Ho hum, I know, seems like everybody and their grandmother is blogging these days and many of their readers would agree that a lot of the bloggers should just stick to the PlayStation, watching I love Lucy reruns or baking secret family recipe cookies. Well that's their fault, and I am going to do this despite them. I hope that many of you will read on as well as check back in the future.
This new venture obviously encompasses the use of words and I expect that my forthcoming prolixity will bore some, possibly rile some, but also hopefully intrigue and even befriend some. Whether you agree, disagree or are indifferent, please sign the guest book and give me some input.
I call my first blog Words Matter!!!
Thankfully I don't argue much these days with my wife, but on those occasions when it does happen, nothing will stir up my ire or elevate my blood pressure more than some of her misuses of words. Whether she does it consciously or not, she can say things that misrepresent the truth and create an exaggerated perspective for her side of the argument. The best example that stands out in my mind is when she loudly, and in a very unpleasant voice, proclaims that "you always do this or never do that". Of coarse, 99% of the time the actual meaning behind her words is intellectually misleading, and excessively accusatory, and words matter.
The kid asks you for something and you say maybe. Somewhere down the road you haven't or just plain can't and the next thing you know the kid is making a big stink about how you said that you would and is adamantly claiming that you promised. Well, no you didn't, and words matter.
I could write a thousand words about this one, but for now, I will simply generalize and therefor somewhat fetter my thoughts. However, I do feel strongly compelled to make it a principal element of my blog with a theme of words matter. To lead in to the topic let me just create a fictional and shortened version of a basic scenario.
The news anchor is in studio, interviewing the reporter in the field. The news anchor asks the reporter whether or not he or she has witnessed any violence at the scene? The reporter replies that they have seen a small amount of violence but not all that much. After the interview, the news anchor wraps up the story by stating that their sources on scene are reporting a staggering amount of violence.
No they didn't and words matter! Especially when it comes to the news media.
Some of the most trusted, relied upon and influential conveyors of public information these days are corrupt and impulsively pimping out their integrity. They endlessly endeavor to steer political, social and moral perspectives, popular opinion and the misguided concept of P.C.-B.S. based on a liberal or confirmatory bias. They misrepresent, distort, conceal or ignore truth and facts. They are bias while attempting to portray themselves as honest journalists and the only source for open minded and intelligent insight on any given matter or issue. Much of their audience is not engaged enough to hold them accountable and the pushers of deception and persuasion know it. True journalism is just about dead, but false journalism is unjustly prevalent. The watch dogs of the days of yore, when indiscretions, inequities, misrepresentations or flat out lies, were called out by principled hard working journalists and put on full display for the public, regardless of the political or social banner attached, have become the lap dogs in a twisted game of negative press and assassinations versus preferential treatment and the promotion of ideology. The news media has an important roll to play in a fair and open democratic society. They are the eyes and ears as well as the private investigators for the everyday citizen. They are an important cog in the system of checks and balances between common folk and those who wield influence and power. Unfortunately most of the established news media is scripted and co-opted, usually adhering to a specific slanted agenda. Sometimes it is because they are on their knees in front of the corporate higher ups, special interest groups, political or financial influences, but just as likely it is because they themselves dwell in their own sub grade realm with thoughts and beliefs that have them ideologically and intellectually sully.
A separate and annoying aspect of modern news media is that it always has to be high tide. Today's 24 hour news channels regularly over analyze and sensationalize things in the pursuit of ratings while much of their meaningless airtime has to do with nothing more than their need for self important 24/7 news coverage. The car chase, the human tragedy, the rumors, the verbal gaffe, the skewed and meaningless polls, the peek in the bedroom, the missing body or the down fall of someone famous. (Kind of reminds me of something that my dad used to say, stolen from somewhere, probably Homer and Jethro, "How can I miss you if you won't go away?") Heaven forbid that they have a slow or boring news day. (Sorry, I just couldn't help but suggesting this one.) If all else fails, they could just run the video of the frog farting and then discuss the environmentally destructive consequences while noting how murky the swamp is behind him, without mentioning how delicious his fat back legs look. Words matter and yet sometimes they are over used and over bearing.
Words define people. Words define groups, companies, publications, advertisers, media jockeys, politicians and a wide variety of organizations. They characterize your friends, your neighbors, your religious leaders and even how convincing the pimple faced kid sounds when he asks whether or not you wish to spend fifty cents more for an extra slice of fake cheese. Words provide insights to thoughts, perspectives, scruples, agendas and motivations. Words reveal emotions, passions, beliefs and ideology. Words portray loves and desires but also hatreds, prejudices and biases. Words can be comforting, soothing, encouraging or motivating and words can be destructive, belittling, abrasive and out right malignant. Words can make you sound smart and thoughtful but they can likewise show your ignorance. Words can be genuine and truthful or they can be fallacious and misleading. Words can show confidence and strength or they can show fear and weakness.Words can be incoherent, stumbled over, miss placed, mispronounced, or otherwise just plain missing. Words can lack validity or sincerity and when they do they can be absolutely meaningless. Words can also be abused. One of the worst abuses of words can be the over use of words. Lawyers do it, carnival barkers do it, the class cut up does it, many con artists do it and likewise our current oval office orator does it.
Void of any experience, qualifications, abilities or desire to solve the problems that Americans are mired in, the fabricated political puppet, our Chicago style duly elected community organizer and chief, spends a vast amount of his time, and American treasure, endlessly chasing microphones and cameras all around the country and the world, doing the thing that he was born to do, talking. With a passion that only he feels, he spews endless redundant, tired, worn out, stuffy and inconsequential words, lots of words. Then with another swipe of the American's express card he is off to another destination to do it all over again. After witnessing this for nearly 3 years I can't help but question a few things. For one, doesn't he ever get tired of hearing his own voice or is that just the price that he feels he has to pay for spending his time gallivanting around on the tax payers dime? I also wonder how many foreclosed homes or lost businesses could have been saved or hungry children could have been fed with all those American dimes?
Another question that I have, is there anybody out there, at this juncture, on the right or the left, that is still listening attentively when the impertinent addict of face time, in true self-exalting form, attempts to sway or mold us like snakes being charmed or robots being programmed? Is anybody still listening? After all the destruction that his form of governing has proven to cause, when he claims to be an expert on all things and if George Bush hadn't deposited so many turds in the punch bowl on his way out, he, our new and revised leader, could create for us (his vision of) utopia. Finally, I can't help but wonder how many Americans feel their chests swell with red, white and blue pride as they witness our leader out and about displaying his talents on numerous world stages, and how many just wither and cringe with disgust, dismay and embarrassment?
I swear that if this man wasn't so well connected he would be banished from the planet by his own EPA for exhaling while saying all those millions upon millions of meaningless words. In fact just his use of I, me and mine might do it. I have heard an audio clip several times that I believe comes from the 2008 campaign and is probably being used in a parity or something similar, Barack Obama belittling his opposition, four simple words in a rather disparaging voice "just words" - "just speeches". Ooooh - kay. I wonder if they took all of the TVs, radios and other devises connected to the real world out of the White House just so that he would not get embarrassed over his own non nonsensical buffoonery.
Throughout the centuries and the numerous cultures I am willing to bet that there has to be thousands of Proverbs, Confucius sayings, wise tales and the like, all with the same basic lesson to be learned, true wise men are not braggadocios about it nor are they in your face forcing their wisdom down your throat. True wise men are men of deep thought, experience and observation, men who listen more than they speak and when they do speak they do so in a calculated and well thought out way, and when they do speak others would be wise to listen because their words matter.
Last but certainly not least, lets hope that no American, of any persuasion or stature, ever forgets that words and the use of them is one of the first things our founding fathers saw fit to protect by an amendment to our constitution. Why - don"t get me started.
A blog that contains my thoughts and ideas, observations and opinions. Ho hum, I know, seems like everybody and their grandmother is blogging these days and many of their readers would agree that a lot of the bloggers should just stick to the PlayStation, watching I love Lucy reruns or baking secret family recipe cookies. Well that's their fault, and I am going to do this despite them. I hope that many of you will read on as well as check back in the future.
This new venture obviously encompasses the use of words and I expect that my forthcoming prolixity will bore some, possibly rile some, but also hopefully intrigue and even befriend some. Whether you agree, disagree or are indifferent, please sign the guest book and give me some input.
I call my first blog Words Matter!!!
Thankfully I don't argue much these days with my wife, but on those occasions when it does happen, nothing will stir up my ire or elevate my blood pressure more than some of her misuses of words. Whether she does it consciously or not, she can say things that misrepresent the truth and create an exaggerated perspective for her side of the argument. The best example that stands out in my mind is when she loudly, and in a very unpleasant voice, proclaims that "you always do this or never do that". Of coarse, 99% of the time the actual meaning behind her words is intellectually misleading, and excessively accusatory, and words matter.
The kid asks you for something and you say maybe. Somewhere down the road you haven't or just plain can't and the next thing you know the kid is making a big stink about how you said that you would and is adamantly claiming that you promised. Well, no you didn't, and words matter.
I could write a thousand words about this one, but for now, I will simply generalize and therefor somewhat fetter my thoughts. However, I do feel strongly compelled to make it a principal element of my blog with a theme of words matter. To lead in to the topic let me just create a fictional and shortened version of a basic scenario.
The news anchor is in studio, interviewing the reporter in the field. The news anchor asks the reporter whether or not he or she has witnessed any violence at the scene? The reporter replies that they have seen a small amount of violence but not all that much. After the interview, the news anchor wraps up the story by stating that their sources on scene are reporting a staggering amount of violence.
No they didn't and words matter! Especially when it comes to the news media.
Some of the most trusted, relied upon and influential conveyors of public information these days are corrupt and impulsively pimping out their integrity. They endlessly endeavor to steer political, social and moral perspectives, popular opinion and the misguided concept of P.C.-B.S. based on a liberal or confirmatory bias. They misrepresent, distort, conceal or ignore truth and facts. They are bias while attempting to portray themselves as honest journalists and the only source for open minded and intelligent insight on any given matter or issue. Much of their audience is not engaged enough to hold them accountable and the pushers of deception and persuasion know it. True journalism is just about dead, but false journalism is unjustly prevalent. The watch dogs of the days of yore, when indiscretions, inequities, misrepresentations or flat out lies, were called out by principled hard working journalists and put on full display for the public, regardless of the political or social banner attached, have become the lap dogs in a twisted game of negative press and assassinations versus preferential treatment and the promotion of ideology. The news media has an important roll to play in a fair and open democratic society. They are the eyes and ears as well as the private investigators for the everyday citizen. They are an important cog in the system of checks and balances between common folk and those who wield influence and power. Unfortunately most of the established news media is scripted and co-opted, usually adhering to a specific slanted agenda. Sometimes it is because they are on their knees in front of the corporate higher ups, special interest groups, political or financial influences, but just as likely it is because they themselves dwell in their own sub grade realm with thoughts and beliefs that have them ideologically and intellectually sully.
A separate and annoying aspect of modern news media is that it always has to be high tide. Today's 24 hour news channels regularly over analyze and sensationalize things in the pursuit of ratings while much of their meaningless airtime has to do with nothing more than their need for self important 24/7 news coverage. The car chase, the human tragedy, the rumors, the verbal gaffe, the skewed and meaningless polls, the peek in the bedroom, the missing body or the down fall of someone famous. (Kind of reminds me of something that my dad used to say, stolen from somewhere, probably Homer and Jethro, "How can I miss you if you won't go away?") Heaven forbid that they have a slow or boring news day. (Sorry, I just couldn't help but suggesting this one.) If all else fails, they could just run the video of the frog farting and then discuss the environmentally destructive consequences while noting how murky the swamp is behind him, without mentioning how delicious his fat back legs look. Words matter and yet sometimes they are over used and over bearing.
Words define people. Words define groups, companies, publications, advertisers, media jockeys, politicians and a wide variety of organizations. They characterize your friends, your neighbors, your religious leaders and even how convincing the pimple faced kid sounds when he asks whether or not you wish to spend fifty cents more for an extra slice of fake cheese. Words provide insights to thoughts, perspectives, scruples, agendas and motivations. Words reveal emotions, passions, beliefs and ideology. Words portray loves and desires but also hatreds, prejudices and biases. Words can be comforting, soothing, encouraging or motivating and words can be destructive, belittling, abrasive and out right malignant. Words can make you sound smart and thoughtful but they can likewise show your ignorance. Words can be genuine and truthful or they can be fallacious and misleading. Words can show confidence and strength or they can show fear and weakness.Words can be incoherent, stumbled over, miss placed, mispronounced, or otherwise just plain missing. Words can lack validity or sincerity and when they do they can be absolutely meaningless. Words can also be abused. One of the worst abuses of words can be the over use of words. Lawyers do it, carnival barkers do it, the class cut up does it, many con artists do it and likewise our current oval office orator does it.
Void of any experience, qualifications, abilities or desire to solve the problems that Americans are mired in, the fabricated political puppet, our Chicago style duly elected community organizer and chief, spends a vast amount of his time, and American treasure, endlessly chasing microphones and cameras all around the country and the world, doing the thing that he was born to do, talking. With a passion that only he feels, he spews endless redundant, tired, worn out, stuffy and inconsequential words, lots of words. Then with another swipe of the American's express card he is off to another destination to do it all over again. After witnessing this for nearly 3 years I can't help but question a few things. For one, doesn't he ever get tired of hearing his own voice or is that just the price that he feels he has to pay for spending his time gallivanting around on the tax payers dime? I also wonder how many foreclosed homes or lost businesses could have been saved or hungry children could have been fed with all those American dimes?
Another question that I have, is there anybody out there, at this juncture, on the right or the left, that is still listening attentively when the impertinent addict of face time, in true self-exalting form, attempts to sway or mold us like snakes being charmed or robots being programmed? Is anybody still listening? After all the destruction that his form of governing has proven to cause, when he claims to be an expert on all things and if George Bush hadn't deposited so many turds in the punch bowl on his way out, he, our new and revised leader, could create for us (his vision of) utopia. Finally, I can't help but wonder how many Americans feel their chests swell with red, white and blue pride as they witness our leader out and about displaying his talents on numerous world stages, and how many just wither and cringe with disgust, dismay and embarrassment?
I swear that if this man wasn't so well connected he would be banished from the planet by his own EPA for exhaling while saying all those millions upon millions of meaningless words. In fact just his use of I, me and mine might do it. I have heard an audio clip several times that I believe comes from the 2008 campaign and is probably being used in a parity or something similar, Barack Obama belittling his opposition, four simple words in a rather disparaging voice "just words" - "just speeches". Ooooh - kay. I wonder if they took all of the TVs, radios and other devises connected to the real world out of the White House just so that he would not get embarrassed over his own non nonsensical buffoonery.
Throughout the centuries and the numerous cultures I am willing to bet that there has to be thousands of Proverbs, Confucius sayings, wise tales and the like, all with the same basic lesson to be learned, true wise men are not braggadocios about it nor are they in your face forcing their wisdom down your throat. True wise men are men of deep thought, experience and observation, men who listen more than they speak and when they do speak they do so in a calculated and well thought out way, and when they do speak others would be wise to listen because their words matter.
Last but certainly not least, lets hope that no American, of any persuasion or stature, ever forgets that words and the use of them is one of the first things our founding fathers saw fit to protect by an amendment to our constitution. Why - don"t get me started.
Now was that a pile of words or what.
I'm G Wendell R and I'm Blog Gone Right
No comments:
Post a Comment