Yes, it has finally gotten to the point where I can no longer refrain from have a jolly good rant about three words that have been abused so thoroughly by the writers of television programs, movies and by the social media addict generation. I can’t wait to no longer hear: Amazing, Awesome and Complicated—as in the utterly useless, evasive phrase, “It’s complicated.” never ever uttered again.
You’ve heard them all. I know you have because they’re impossible to avoid these days no matter if you’re in a coffee-shop, the grocery store or the hardware store.
Amazing implies a fair degree of wonder and surprise. How many ways can people or things be called amazing? Really? What ever happened to you look very lovely or very handsome? That’s a beautiful dress or a very flattering suit–but I’m not astonished at your appearance. Nope, I’m not, sorry.
Awesome, hmmm, I guess this word conveys open-mouth, drop dead AWE and Shock of that inspiring AWE that has pulled the rug out from under our flat feet. My meddlesome mind associates Awe–some or a little of it–with truly above ordinary events and things. Dresses, food, shoes, hairdos, cars are far too mundane things to be imbued with real awe. Who wants to talk Nuclear Bombs? Hmm? Now those are fully aweinspiring in many ways—from their power of destruction to views of the aftermath of their deployment.
It’s Complicated–wtf? Is this or is this not the most banal evasive phrase ever uttered in response to any inquiry about human behavior?
“Why did you cheat on your significant other?”
“It’s Complicated.”
I bet it is: pheromones and hormones influence humans in very complex ways. Don’t you just adore your nose? The Complicated things it tells your brain are Amazing and Awesome beyond compare.
Language, it’s Complicated.
Or are people simply too damn lazy to go beyond using stock phrases?
For the hell of it:
*
And then there’s :
It’s terribly complicated, dreadfully awesome and downright utterly amazing.
Hello everyone to whom I’ve been AWOL for so long. Just have been pre-occupied with streams of Occupy online and other things offline. Hope everyone is well and is surviving whatever winter is throwing your way weatherwise. It’s COLD here but nothing to complain about. Looking forward to visiting many blogcasas very soon. Something that came up in a recent occupy livestream chat was the lack of comprehension of word ‘play’ on the part of many Americans. Apparently our educational system offers NO appreciation of the finer points of the English language and hence our sense of humor is stunted by our lack of appreciation for clever turns of phrases. Some of you poets will probably beg to differ on this account. But–believe me it is a valid a concern time and time again in many occupy chats where random segments of the global population consort daily. Some humor simply does not come across well in text. Others fail to comprehend multiple meanings of words. And there are many forms of self-expression from individual communities that take time and patience to decipher. This goes beyond the texting genre. Though that also comes into play in the chat stream in various incarnations. Best thing to do when at a loss is to ask for definitions–some are obvious, some bewildering and others very enlightening and useful. It’s an ongoing exercise in communication on a global level. So–when I use the word “wicked” to herald the new year –I have a variety of meanings and associations with “wicked” that vary from slang to formal dictionary traditional meanings–very cool and wonderful to downright evil. While hoping 2012 is indeed a wonderful and exciting new year for everyone in all the possible positive ways this is tempered with the awareness of the president signing the National Defence Authorization Act on New Years Eve when many people were paying NO attention to this potentially evil little legislative ‘delight’. So–while every ‘new’ year brims with creative positive potential it also brims with all sorts of new negative hatchings as well. And so it goes…..
For the moment–Chocolate truffles for everyone! But don’t you dare fall asleep under the table this new year or there may be hell to pay……. Mic Check!
Doing an internet search of NDAA ought to bring you up to speed fairly quickly. You might want to have your favorite libations or comfort foods handy while discovering what’s happened.
As I await email updates from my progressive liberal cronies who reside in Madison, Wisconsin–and who, btw, have NOTHING good to say about Republican Governor Scott Walker who recently cost the state a HUGE chunk of money by killing a light rail project–more money than the project itself would have cost (apparently he does not comprehend which numbers are higher than others)–I am trying to find news updates of the protest which has closed down the public schools. I just read that GAME WARDENS are providing the security for the capital building? (*&^????!! Game Wardens? Are they hoping to bag some teachers’ heads for their office walls or what? Or are they just place warmers until Scott Walker calls out the National Guard to defend his office, car and home from the teachers who are hot on his math challenged Republican tail?
While trying to get news from a Wisconsin online news source I almost died laughing when I read a comment about the “liberal press” not allowing a Walker supporter post his comment. (*&^!!! the LIBERAL PRESS????? Oh yeah, Amy Goodman covered the Wisconsin protest issues on Democracy Now! but I don’t see any other LIBERAL PRESS doing much to prevent the Walker supporter from posting their comment online. I think I have a new DIRTY WORD —> Conservative. Yes, I am fed up with reading and hearing the word Liberal bandied about like a foul smell. I think the word Conservative deserves equal foul smell status at the very least. Let the Game Wardens take pot shots at all the whiners who can’t get their comments posted online. OH, but if the comment wasn’t being posted as the Conservative Republican supporter of Scott Walker claimed, then how in the world did it appear online for me to read? GO Figure that one out! Duh.
Liberal Press in America? Where? When? Who? LOL!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh yes, there is a list of “my” dirty dirty words somewhere on this blog…now where is it? …ooo NO, the Conservative Word Censors have blocked my list from appearing online–whatever shall I do???
Language is a powerful thing because it allows us to communicate. How we communicate is as varied as we are as individuals. Depending on your inclinations the visual, audio and print media you encounter utilizes words in particular ways to achieve certain reactionary ends. Words like “liberal” and “environmentalist” have recently taken on very negative connotations in some contexts–including some generally considered “mainstream”. I, and anyone reading this post, could make a long list of words that by themselves are neither good nor evil, clean nor dirty, and are yet employed in very negative manners to suit certain agendas. A few months back I had an exchange with someone on another blog regarding particular political events. One person discussed the word “peace” as if it was a concept advocated only by unpatriotic idiots. Interestingly enough said person did not like being labeled as a “war-monger”. Even though they’d clearly stated their position they did not like the words that accurately described their chosen stance. I wondered why then and still do now. If the descriptive shoe-word “fits” then wear it. Perhaps the other person had never viewed themselves in the context of such a label? I don’t know because the conversation ended without any such enlightenment. But I know that I have had enough of having the things I value denigrated by the negativity of others. Hence I’ve decided to post some words that I currently view as “dirty” and/or “evil”. Yes, I’m tired of being respectful, polite, tolerant and patient with people who are deliberately disrespectful, impolite, intolerant and impatient. Perhaps one way of dealing with such folks is to give them a taste of their own behavior. I’m sure there are other more positive ways. But I am very tired of all this nasty nonsense that diverts attention from the real issues we all ought to be joining together to address in the MOST positive and effective ways. Maybe the air needs clearing, the cards need to be laid on the table and all that jazz. If nothing else, I’m going to enjoy some catharsis. So, here’s my current list of “dirty”–negative– words. Of course the words themselves are not literally “dirty” –they’re just the language means to denote concepts and actions. You are invited to add to the list–be forewarned now that anything I deem posted with deliberate intention to forment or spread hate will see cyber ink only for as long as it takes me to discover it. Why? Because this is my blogcasa and “my” casa means “my” ground-rules.
Some of my current personal “dirty” words, terms, phrases, concepts:
hate murder sexism war torture
greed genocide rape
war-monger exploitation manipulation fear
“Wall Street” “Corporate America” pollution spy
“off shore drilling” “big oil”
“Mountain-top Removal”
coal oil politician “military-industrial complex”
“profit motive” “police state” “full body scanner”
Discussion is invited in order to refine this attempt at communication. I’m also interested in learning about words that you’ve discovered have become “dirty” in certain contexts or guilty by “association.”
Click KKFI logo to catch all it offers streaming online.
Nahko Bear
Amazon Watch
Peace Shanti Om
Click on the photo above to visit Amazon Watch.
Alice in Wonderland
pantry
Pavane
Breakfast Special(s)
For the very first post enter "Breakfast Special, #1" and/or scroll through older entries; second helping = Railroad Crossing; third helping, Close Shave; fourth helping, People? Really Now; fifth helping, Pussy No More; sixth helping, 'book ends'; seventh helping, Odds? What Odds?; eighth helping, Do You Dig Pink Flamingoes Dancing in the Snow and Blue Lights?; ninth helping, Old Reliable Jack; tenth helping, Snowing Deep Sleep; eleventh helping, Connecting; twelth helping, Equations; #13, The Most Important Meal of the Day; from then on enter into search box Breakfast Special and a number such as: #14, #15, #16 and so on.
For Kili 90.1 fm, Pine Ridge, SD, click the image below for The Voice of the Lakota Nation.
Native America Calling ~ Native Voice
Native America Calling on Native Voice
Copyright notice ~
Violating copyright births bad karma---imagine a mad hacker you'll never see coming--nor catch going. Respect = my work is my work and your work is your work.
Everything posted here is my work, copyrighted, unless otherwise noted. Comments aside. Om
Climate Denial Crock of the Week
Tree hugging on a practical level and more. All sorts of great tidbits from Mushroom homes to…well solar panels. Do not delay. Visit today.
Connie Dover
folk ballad singer of “Last Night by the River”
Coto 2
News Site–eg arrests of Mountaintop Removal Protestors
Editor in Northern California. Interested in tiny things, nineties nostalgia, old jungle mixtapes, punctuation, and my cats. Not to be fed after midnight.