Monday, May 25, 2009

The Deplorable State of Speech in our Youth

The Deplorable State of Speech in our Youth

Virtually every morning I line my day out over a cup of coffee at one our local klatches. Young people not only work behind the counter, they encircle me as they gather socially to converse. I overhear their conversation and most of them alarm me.

In particular the word “like” is overused – way, way, way, way, way, way overused. Hmm – was that monotonous? If you’re a young person, I challenge you to speak with a friend for one minute – just one minute – 60 seconds without using the word “like”. Do you think you can? Better yet get a beeper – the kind used in board games. Give it to a third friend and tell him to buzz you every time you use the word “like.”

Recently I challenged my niece to this test. I was the buzzer. Every time she said the word “like” I buzzed her. I required her to stop and repeat the sentence but without the offending word. If you’re not aware, the words “as if” can usually supplant the offending word. Sometimes however, the word “like” is used so often that it simply doesn’t make grammatical sense. Sadly my niece could not carry on casual conversation. She was stymied. I beeped her almost continuously. She couldn’t complete one sentence; not one. Finally she said, “This is stupid, who cares anyway?” “I’m glad you asked.” I replied.

The only people who care are the important people. Who are these important people? They’re your prospective employers. They’re the people who are going places in life and they’re the people who could possibly take you along. They’re the people who are evaluating you as a potential spouse. The answer to the question then is – if you don’t care, you should.

What’s more, the word “like” is simply monotonous. It’s boring, simplistic and those who engage in this type of conversation are labeled as losers. If you’ve been around someone who curses continuously and we all have, how do you feel about them? I’m referring to someone who can’t speak one sentence without multiple curse words, not the person who occasionally curses. Even if the cursing doesn’t personally bother you, such a person gets labeled in your mind. I do it consciously, you may do it subconsciously. The labels that come to mind are lude, boring, loser or moron. No kidding.

If you overuse the word “like” you’re not much different. Oh people may not think of you as lude but the important people immediately label you. They write you off. They don’t include you in the group of winners who they associate with and they certainly don’t seek you out. You may think I’ve got an axe to grind but you’d be wrong. You don’t have to take my advice. Maybe you disagree but maybe, just maybe it’s one of those things you should just take my word for. It would serve you well. Drop the “like” word. It won’t be easy but if you do, new horizons will open to you. You’ll be one of the few who stand out as a jewel in the rough.

Saturday, May 23, 2009

The Rats and the Bullet

Recently a friend sent me a link to a youtube video. It followed an investigative reporter into the heart of the Myanmar Republic where famine and oppression are the order of the day for the resident villagers. No question, the report disturbed me, yet I was struck by the similarities of what we’re going through here in America.

It seems a certain forest tree in Myanmar produces an overabundance of fruit about once every 50-years or so. During this overabundance (boom), the local rats gorge themselves and then reproduce geometrically – so goes the saying – like rabbits. However when the fruit is gone (bust), the rats then turn their focus to the villagers’ crops, devouring everything in sight. This cycle is followed by famine and starvation.

Isn’t this exactly what has happened here in America? We may not be starving yet but the rats are about devouring everything in sight? The Federal Reserve created our feeding frenzy. An overabundance of fiat money spawned Mal-investment of every kind. Homes & shopping malls were built, all upon the false premise that this consuming could go on forever. Books were written predicting the Dow would exceed 25,000 and now our economy is based upon the lie that consuming can by itself create wealth. Funds that should have been used in production (machinery that produce things) were instead consumed.

The art of thrift is now virtually nonexistent. Speculation is the only game left. Inflation destroys the reason for saving and thrift and as the destruction of the purchasing power of money accelerates, the only hope left is a throw-it-to-the-wind mentality – a roll of the dice to put your money someplace where you can hopefully hedge against inflation. That’s what spawned our real estate boom but like all false premises, sooner or later the gig is up.

Well we’re at the point where not much is left. The rats are about consuming our storehouses and when storehouses are gone the focus becomes mere survival. In Myanmar this takes the form of a four-day trek made by the local chieftain into India to purchase rice. After his purchase and with no beast of burden, the chieftain throws just one bag of rice over his shoulder and heads back on the mountainous trails for home. One bag is all he can carry.

These poor villagers are starving and yet unbelievably they are required to provide food for the government’s local military garrison. Wouldn’t you know, regardless of circumstance, the state still must exact its toll. The story gets worse.

While on a recent food-trek the chief was unable to deliver his tribute on time and when he returned an ominous message awaited him. It was delivered in a plain unmarked envelope and in the envelope was one item – a bullet. The message was so simple, so clear – pay up or we’ll kill you.

I imagined how the chief must have felt when he first received the envelope. What was going through his mind as he pressed it between his fingers and considered its content? Did his gut wrench and brow break a sweat when the bullet dropped into his open hand?

Yes it’s bad in Myanmar but in America many of us receive similarly packaged envelopes. Our local military garrison – the IRS, and the message is the same. Oh for us it may be a little more dressed-up, a little more subtle but it’s the same message – pay up or we’ll kill you. We’ll take everything you own, we’ll throw you in jail and if you try to escape, we will kill you. It’s really that simple and I’ll bet each of us who have received our own little “bullet” feel exactly as chieftain did – our guts wrench and our brow breaks a sweat.

At least in Myanmar the message is stripped of all pretence. At least it’s not shrouded by the pretence of freedom. Ultimately the result here in America is really no different than in Myanmar – oppression, impoverishment and even death for some. The rats are killing us.

Myanmar Documentary http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q08U21Bb4jc