All About the Semantics

 I am not writing about politics, not directly anyway. There will always be the Right and the Left, and that's an integral part of the game, a rancorous game, but let's leave it at that.

   I will restict my remarks here to the conveyors  of what we like  to consider the impartial reports  from the media and purported allies who have bowed down and sold out to the forces of big brotherism combined with personal greed and ambition. 

  As stated, "I have come to bury Caesar, not to praise him." Let's not try to compare two debaters who performed in completely different methodologies. The reporters and observers seem to have arrived at one of the most popular assessments ever realized, in the form of condemning Biden's input. It even seems as if  a number of the conclusions drawn were formulated prior to the debate. Ready, set, go. The proverbial snowball gathers steam as it careens down the slope to its final resting place amongst popular, albeit spoonfed, opinion. Inundating the public with the "If it bleeds it leads" mantra may be news-pimping, but it sells. Concentrate on a single theme, the more sensational and easier to define the better.

 Today I read an article by one of the formerly onboard Media purge  refer to "Biden's shaky debate performance." This is honestly the first time I recall seeing or hearing any descriptor  but the Disastrous debate. And here is my point:

   I have spent many years as an editor, item, report and article writer, and reviewer of essays and applications and communications and submissions at the high school, college and professional levels. I humbly say I had high efficiency and success ratings for my efforts.

 I watched/ listened to the presidential  debate. It is true I didn't pay rapt attention so may have missed something. My overall impression was one of finding it rather boring. Yes, Biden's voice was weak and raspy, but aside from a "name-flub" or two, I would not have rated his performance anywhere near a disaster. If I were to assign a letter grade, probably a "C." Or maybe C-

But his opponent is hereby warned not to rest on his debate laurels, flawed as they were. Now that Biden is out of the picture, the media (specific and wholesale) jackals are on a single-minded pursuit of the fresh blood that they previously overlooked. Left wing, Right wing, mainstream, or specialty, they all recognize the importance of presenting a single issue to their audiences---the more gruesome the better.

  

Dole out...

...punishment, whether penalty box or  pummeling, for any and all writers and speakers who use the term "word salad." 

Dream(ing) On...

 Dreams, mine anyway, seem more detailed than reality, but trying to recall them is like waves wiping away tracks in the sand. So much disappears in the haze of memory.

  I was scheduled for surgery, was with M. in a facility for the procedure. We wended our way through a maze of hallways and rooms until we arrived at the  designated location. It was just a small square room. The doctor entered, a mild-looking man probably of  lower middle age. He spoke to us, mostly to M. He would sing in between his discussions, semi-classical tunes as I recall, and he sang quite loudly.

   When the nurse came in to check status, etc., she said there was a problem. The procedure had been canceled, and could not be rescheduled for this day. It seems when  the confirmation call was sent, to M's house, the call was answered by a quite young Samantha W. , who had meant to confirm, but mistakenly cancelled. She felt bad, finding out, but she was just a child. Rescheduling meant working around other issues, but would resume in future.

   As M. and I left the facility, we saw the doctor seated at the lunch table, with a doctor of another ethnicity. "Our" doctor was singing, out loud. 

"No Problem" no longer?

 Some people, mostly older folks most likley, seem to object to the response of "No problem" after extending a  thank you,  seeing it as a rather dismissive reply to an expression of gratitude. I don't mind at all, but maybe that expression  is due for replacement anyway.

  Today, the young bagperson at the grocery store might have coined a new response, or maybe I'm just isolated and out of the loop of conversation. When he put my groceries in the cart, I said Thank You, as I always do. I knew nobody in that age group would say "You're welcome." That's old school, but instead of the "No Problem", this very cool looking young guy clearly and confidently replied with "Of Course." I can't figure out how this exactly applies, but I think it was good-intentioned.

   Another iteration occurred at Cardio Rehab, and I'm still wondering how to take it. Mike, the chief R.N. there, adjusted the machine I was on and I said thank you, and his reply was "That's what I do." I think I prefer the "Of course."  Thanks for reading. 

I had a dream.

 No, nothing inspirational, just a dream. I was driving a red compact car out of a side street or parking lot wanting to make a right turn  onto the highway. The driver approaching from the left stopped and beckoned for me to go ahead. But there was a rough area and my car couldn't make the grade. The other driver waited for me. I backed my car up a little ways and floored it and the car responded. On exiting, there was a rare parking space nearby. I felt a little guillty appropriating it under the circumstances but did so. I got out of the car and started to walk to  the  nearby venue. As I walked along the sidewalk, I experienced a sharp pain in my left eye. It woke me up and my eye hurts. I suppose I should call the ophthalmologist, but can't imagine the long wait and then driving while dilated. (I warned about the lack  of inspiration. 

Disregarding the "politics"...

 ...One person responds to another's plight with sympathy, compassion, decency. The other responds to that person's health issues and disappointments with name-calling, untruths, and desire for revenge and financial payback. False equivalency promulgated by the majority of  news-whore media  has replaced intelligence and awareness.  

And in my world, ...

 ...anyone using the words girldad, girlmom,  boymom, boydad, dogdad, or any modification thereof, should face consequences ----penalties yet to be determined, but based on the extent of bastardization of the English language.