The Dumbing Down of English

Misplaced Participle - Say What?

English is one of the most prevalent languages and citizens of many counties learn and speak it. I never forget however that it is indeed the ENGLISH language. It is not Canadian, American, Australian etc. So when it comes to one aspect of any spoken language - pronunciation - they are always right and we are not. WE have the accent and not those from over the pond.

It is natural that over time any dictionary grows and changes because of new terms and words. These are often slanged or technological terms that have simply become so commonplace that the great institutions like Oxford and Webster have accepted them. To me, sometimes this is good, sometimes not.

One I have heard frequently recently is nucular. Presidents and spokespeople for the industry have said it. The word is nuclear and I hope it is not accepted simply because many people are wrong in its use. More acceptable are viral as in a video "going viral" or Facebook "friends" even though you will never meet them.

There are lots of others but I am straying from my point.

What IS sad to me is the apparent total lack of focus on vocabulary and grammar the way they were taught years ago. Vocabulary was not taught per se but those who tended to read more possessed more extensive vocabularies.

Grammar is another matter. Perhaps this is because it used to be one of my better subjects and I remember a lot of it. Example: It is a topic most people won't relate to. Did you catch it? That should read "… is a topic to which most people won't relate." I speak this way and people look at me like I am from another planet - even those of my generation. Here is another: "As far as grammar most people don't care." It should be "As far as grammar is concerned …"; "As far as grammar goes …"; "When it comes to grammar … ."

At this point I have probably lost half of my readers. I am not trying to be snobby, it just means something to me. It's a bit like those who still send real snail mail cards and acknowledge emails or gifts - just a case of old habits not dying because we don't want them to die.

In the late 1980's I took a business writing course at work. I was dressed down a few times because they were teaching that one should write at a grade 11 high school level. You were supposed to avoid words of more than three syllables. Really? So why did I finish school?

Do they even teach grammar? I know spelling is gone and script. What about basic math or arithmetic?

Too bad. I will continue to offend the sensitivities of some I suppose. After all, I is smart!

The Brewster

Trump and the Ukraine

Hold That Thought … No PAUSE It!

There is one point I would like to make before I address today's post. 

At some point the White House et al decided that the controversial hold on aid to the Ukraine was not a hold at all but a pause! Did everyone catch that? It was back in the House. A determined effort was made but occasionally one of them slipped and said hold again. Read these words guys: If it smells like a hold, walks like a hold, looks like a hold, and has the same negative effects on the Ukraine as a hold, IT PROBABLY IS A HOLD! Having noticed that weeks ago, now that I am hearing the Republican Senate Managers' arguments, their words have more substance. (Even though I heard both "hold" and "pause" today.)

I am not a Trump fan and agree with the Dem's efforts to oust him. However as I said in a recent post I think they have blown it.

Thursday and Friday we got to see the best that the President and the GOP could put forward. I must say I was impressed. One of the things I mentioned in the past was that the strategy of having seven Democratic managers effectively give the same old story seven times was bad. One Republican presenter whom I watched made reference to that. 

He also made a point of saying that he was not going to repeat what a prior speaker had said or what someone yet to come would say. Now THAT is the kind of coordination the Democrats lacked.

The 3 men I saw made great cases! They made really effective use of the very same witnesses we saw in the house but included segments the Democrats left out AND they mentioned the omissions. Very effective and I gather the Dem's won't have a chance to fire back. The third one explained quite effectively why certain witnesses were not permitted to address the House. This was a very different and new perspective never explained by the Democrats. The reasons were supposedly sound and legitimate.

But none of this matters because the majority of voters will vote on emotions, not facts. Unfortunately the Republican lawyers so far have much more expensive looking suits, ties, and hairdos so they will win regardless.

Perhaps the Dumbos (elephants) are going to nudge out the Jackasses (donkeys) in the home stretch.

The Brewster

Senate Trial

I'll Huff and I'll Puff and I'll Blow Your House In

Day 2 now and I think the Democratic Managers have already blown it.

If I were Schumer or whoever is in charge of these seven people now in the Senate to make their final case, I would make sure that the world did not get just the same old story over and over again seven times.

Not so. This is like some kind of public speaking contest where the rules say you have to recite the same script and can only get points by differing your facial expressions, dramatic gestures and gesticulations, voice inflection, and poignant pauses. Even the videos we've seen before. They all want their 15 minutes of Warhol fame.

A big problem here is also the fact that we have been hearing this for months now on CNN. They have been Trump bashing 24/7 since the election. Same stuff. Saying the same thing a hundred times does not change the facts or substance one little bit, even if the story is true. It just turns people off and it has. Too bad many of them voters who might have been persuaded to switch but now have been bludgeoned too much and will not.

I want to see DJT gone as much as anyone but I fear that after the two years of Mueller's efforts which failed to meet expectations, the last big opportunity is being blown. CNN has to share the blame. They flogged us to death with this stuff. There is no drama left. The man will get away with it

When the subjects of forbidden witnesses and documents come up the Republicans and all the White House team keep saying that the Dems should have taken them to court to get them. That is apparently standard practice. Maybe now is the time to finally respond that nobody should be put in a position that they have to do that. The Republicans have always moaned that the House process was unfair. Talk about unfair! If the witnesses and documents could bring an early finish to all of this, and they want fair then don't say "you should have taken us to court."

Will somebody on the Dem. team please make this point? Enough of phone calls, Giuliani, and Latin.

It might be your last hope.

The Brewster

Senate Impeachment Olympics

Super Trial Tuesday

I have watched more American politics on TV in the last two years than I have any other programming. As a Canadian that is hard to admit. It is also silly.

So I might as well go all the way. I think there should be a new logo designed for this whole impeachment undertaking that is on prominent display both in the House and the Senate. Given the coverage and duration the Olympic rings would be good but they are taken and God knows we have enough lawsuits ongoing with you know who so better not go there. We need our own.

How about those three monkeys that depict "Hear No Evil", "See No Evil", and "Speak No Evil". Now that is more like it. Instead of monkeys however appropriate that might be we should use baboons. Better yet let's use the Democratic Donkey mascot (i.e. Jack Ass) and the Republican Elephant mascot (i.e. Dumbo).

In the House with a Democratic majority it could be two Jack Asses and one Dumbo. In the Senate the reverse. That is just one more thing for them to argue about but what the hell, it would at least be entertaining. Now a Jack Ass is stubborn which is very apropos. Unfortunately an elephant never forgets and the current GOP seem to selectively forget anything. Still with the name Dumbo, I can live with it.

I could take this to an even higher height of the ridiculous. Instead of dress code we could have dress up! You get extra time on the floor for the most extravagant outfit. Picture the bar in the first Star Wars with all those creatures. Members should have to wear head coverings. Not only would this make ethnic practices more acceptable but everyone including those speaking would have to concentrate on their message alone if they wanted to get the listener's attention.

Instead of a gavel sound, a recording of assault weapon fire would make everybody snap to it! Then they might also experience the horror of such a moment. Now for the top gun in the place. Headwear would be good. A crown is out of the question in America. What about a joker's, jester's, or dunce's hat?

One final morsel of food for thought. Sessions open and close to the Micky Mouse Club theme song!

Stay tuned for updates.

The Brewster

Are Parents Facing Up or Copping Out?

Parental Teachings Extinct?

I like to start something like this with a few declarations. 

1. I am a baby boomer.
2. I don't have kids but once upon a time I was one (still am!)
3. I said sure, sure, sure when my parents said stuff like this. 
4. Now I am saying it just the same

How many of you in my generation are tired of seeing nostalgic pictures and videos somebody Emailed you about old commercials, TV shows, cars, sayings, gadgets, games, and things you can't even recognize? They get a little boring so this is a different list.

This one is about teachings that were usually part of a parental responsibility to make sure their kids were going to grow into strong, respectable offspring who could face the world and make them proud grandparents. The list is random. Do today's parents even try?

1. Don't use that kind of language in my presence. Today parents use it themselves. 
2. No you can't have this or that until you get a summer job and buy it yourselves. We don't make as much as Jimmy's / Sally's parents.
3. Just to throw in a positive, praising your kids' accomplishments is always a good idea. Hard to do today when the kids are so self-absorbed that you don't know what those accomplishments are, especially if they are some score on their phone or game box.
4. No more TV. Outside and play! Good luck with that today. 
5. Get off the phone. Now they all have their own VERY expensive ones.
6. No sex. Well at least late high school. Now I suspect it happens in primary school. 
7. You are not leaving this house looking like that. Today the problem is that the parents often look like "that". 
8. Call your grandmother (aunt; uncle etc.) and thank them for that gift. Say what?
9. Eat your dinner - all of it. We did. Does anyone now? Dinner is usually fast food for the whole family. 
10. Turn down that music. OK this is a good thing. Now parents can't hear it but the kids' ears are damaged even more.

Many more could be in the list. I know that for years both parents have had to work so there is less time to be a positive influence. 

This is the modern day generation gap. The kids I see were born to parents who themselves were raised without hearing any of the above. These parents don't see any problem. If they do they are too busy worrying about how they are going to pay off their credit card or get another one.

The Brewster