New York tries to ban the word BITCH.

When I searched the word bitch, I came up with two top results:

Bitch. (n.)

1. A female dog.

2. A female of canines generally.

3. Slang .

a. A malicious, unpleasant, selfish person, especially a woman.

b. A lewd woman.

Definition for bitch: 

An unpleasant difficulty; "this problem is a real bitch"

That being said, the word bitch has most definitely evolved in the past few decades. Bitch can refer to almost anything-- as we discussed in class, the voice tone and pitch of the word can even mean different things. "This test is a bitch". "You are acting like a bitch right now". "I love you, bitch!". The different meanings behind this word are fascinating, and even infuriating; and the New York City Council agrees with me-- and are trying to officially albeit symbolically ban the use of the word.

Jennifer Howze of the New York Times writes, "Councilwoman Darlene Mealy of Brooklyn introduced a measure on July 25th that would make the term verboten. The move follows the council's ban earlier this year of the "n-word" (as the New York Times refers to it). Councilwoman Mealy calls the term deeply sexist and hateful. But some New Yorkers aren't so sure".

“Half my conversation would be gone,” Michael Musto, the Village Voice columnist who writes about celebrity gossip and the club scene, told the New York Times. "We toss it around with love" (Howze).

In even more recent years, the word has become more common, not just in music lyrics but in mainstream TV shows such as Sex and the City and the Office-- and in permutations such as "beotch", used as an endearment as well as insult. In fact, my all-time favorite book about vegan-ism is called-- "Skinny Bitch".

"If you're an 8-year-old it's a great idea. If you're a 28-year-old it's silly," says Tula Karras, a 39-year-old journalist who lives in Brooklyn and has used the term with her friends. While she recognises the ban is about respect, "you really can't police linguistics in that way" (Howze).

So kids, I ask you, is bitch a bad word? Of course it is. As a culture, we've done everything possible to make sure of that. But the real question is-- should words be banned?? What about the The First Amendment?

Gov. Scott Walker... Compared to Hitler.

How can Walker cut almost $1 billion from education without affecting the education of each and every child of Wisconsin? That is the question asked by many in reference to Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker's Budget "Repair" Plan. How will Wisconsin continue to attract the best and brightest teachers when public schools do not offer competitive salaries, and teachers are not given a voice for their students? Many believe that Scott Walker's plan will essentially close our community schools.

But there is more. Months after February 11th, when Walker introduced his Bill, he is still being compared to the man with the mustache, Adolph Hitler.

Rabbi Brad Hirschfield of Fox News writes, "Is Scott comparable to Hitler? Is President Obama? Despite the fact that the obvious answer to each of those question is no, a surprising number of people fail to make the distinction. 

The most recent example of our seemingly endless national appetite for Hitler comparisons has travelled from Madison, Wisconsin, to the floor of Congress. In both places, comparing Governor Scott Walker to Adolph Hitler and Walker’s stand against the public employees’ unions to Nazi public policy is apparently acceptable" (Hirschfield).

To Americans, Hitler is immediately synonymous with evil; and this fight is about something deeper -- it’s about us, about the death of proportionality in American culture. And although I disagree with Walker's tirade, it is my opinion that comparing him to Hitler is just ignorant-- and a terrible message for our children. What do you think??

A few highlights of the ever controversial Walker Budget "Repair" Bill...

Pension contributions

Requires employees who pay into the Wisconsin Retirement System to contribute 50 percent of their annual pension payment. That amount is estimated to be 5.8% of salary in 2011.

Health insurance contributions

Requires state employees to pay at least 12.6% of the average cost of annual premiums. Require changes to the plan design necessary to reduce current premiums by 5%. Local employers participating in the Public Employers Group Health Insurance plan would be prohibited from paying more than 88% of the lowest cost plan.

Collective bargaining

Makes various changes to limit collective bargaining for most public employees to wages. Total wage increases could not exceed a cap based on inflation unless approved by referendum. Contracts would be limited to one year and wages would be frozen until a new contract is settled. Collective bargaining units are required to take annual votes to maintain certification as a union. Employers would be prohibited from collecting union dues, and members of collective bargaining units would not be required to pay dues. Changes would be effective upon expiration of existing contracts. Law enforcement, fire employees and state troopers and inspectors would be exempt from the changes.

Limited term employees

Prohibits LTEs from being eligible for health insurance or participation in the Wisconsin Retirement System.

Read more @ http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/article_3d93e6aa-363a-11e0-8493-001cc4c002e0.html

Is Facebook the new News?

Osama Bin Laden is dead, President Obama announced Sunday night. In a televised address to the nation Obama explained his death was the result of a U.S. operation launched today in Abbottabad, Pakistan, against a compound where bin Laden was believed to be hiding, according to U.S. intelligence. After a firefight, a small team of American forces killed bin Laden and took possession of his body, the president said.

But this isn't where I found out Bin Laden was dead. I found out... on Facebook.

According to Michael Liedtke of San Francisco, "Facebook is influencing what news gets read online as people use the Internet's most popular hangout to share and recommend content. That's one of the key findings from a study on the flow of traffic to the Web's 25 largest news destinations. The study was released Monday by the Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism" (Liedtke)

Between Google, Yahoo!, and Facebook-- it seems that people today are ignoring their televisions when it comes to important news; and why wait for your newspaper in the morning when you can simply refresh your Facebook newsfeed?

According to Doug Gross of CNN, "More Americans get their news from the Internet than from newspapers or radio, and three-fourths say they hear of news via e-mail or updates on social media sites, according to a new report. Sixty-one percent of Americans said they get at least some of their news online, according to a survey by the Pew Internet and American Life Project".

In my opinion, there are ups-- but mainly downs when it comes to receiving your "news" from Facebook or Twitter. Yes, the information is constantly available and always streaming. Yes it is fast, easy, and fun-- as it becomes more of a forum, blog, or chat room with friends and family commenting and replying to information. However, it is also unreliable. In fact, when I saw in my Newsfeed that Osama Bin Laden was dead, I immediately turned on CNN to confirm it. Facebook may be quick, but it is not always accurate.

"Seventy-five percent of respondents said they get news forwarded through e-mail or posts on social networking sites, while 37 percent of online users said they've reported news, commented on a story or shared it on sites like Facebook and Twitter, the survey said. "To a great extent, people's experience of news, especially on the Internet, is becoming a shared social experience ... ," reads the report. "[T]he advent of social media like social networking sites and blogs has helped the news become a social experience in fresh ways for consumers"" (Gross).

Have you ever found yourself clicking to Facebook for the latest news or hearsay? Here, our president addresses the nation about the death of Osama Bin Laden. There was also a live stream of this action on... you guessed it, Facebook.

"Friends"... via thumb.

On Tuesday, February 22, Michiko Kakutani of the New York Times caught my eye with her article on texting. The article, called "'Friends' Without A Personal Touch", described the downfall of the up rise in technology. "Teenagers send and receive six to eight thousand texts a month and spend hours a day on Facebook". With the rise of technological communication came the fall of face-to-face communication. Kakutani writes, "Instead of real friends, we "friend" strangers on Facebook. Instead of talking on the phone (never mind face to face), we text and tweet".

I could not possibly agree more with this article. I see "kids" who are 5-6 years younger than me that have extremely poor communication skills. People become so dependent on the "safety" and comfort of communicating with their thumbs, that they forget the importance of genuine, in-person communication. Texting and tweeting give one the ability of control and openness without discomfort. I truly believe that if these outlets continue to expand (Facebook, Twitter, Smart phones, etc.); our generations to come with have zero face-to-face communication abilities.

This article also tied in with something we recently learned in Chapter 3 of "Language: the Social Mirror" by Elaine Chaika. On page 81, "Kinesics" is discussed. Kinesics is essentially the uses of style and body motion-- aka nonverbal communication. Kinesics, voice quality, and indexical meaning (voice quality, intonation, pitch, etc.) are completely lost through the beast of texting and Facebook. First hand, I have seen how a text message or a status post can be unbelievably misconstrued and misread. The way someone types "I luv u", or "I love you! <3" can be misinterpreted, so on and so forth. I have seen relationships struggle and friendships plunder. I have seen situations over-analyzed and words twisted simply because of a missing exclamation point! You don't even need to "get to know" someone anymore, you simply just have to look at their Facebook profile. Dating and friendships have become totally impersonal. Women have been known to "over-analyze", as it is. With the missing nonverbal aspect of texting, to the nonexistent pitch of tweeting-- these forms of communication are quick and easy, but are crippling us in the long-run.

Below is a funny video I found on how texting can be completely misinterpreted!

So fellow classmates I ask you, have texting and Tweeting taken over your life? More importantly, has something like the above video ever happened to you? I challenge you to give up these technologies for a week and see if it forces you to be more hands on (or should I say, "hands off") with your communication skills :)

Theory of Symbolic Interactionism.

Once upon a time in Comm 211, I had a great interest in Symbolic Interactionism.  This Theory started sometime in the 1930s with a gentleman named George Herbert Mead. He believed that symbols were the foundation of both personal and social life. In other words, one can acquire their identity only by interacting with others. By doing so, people learn language and perspectives of our social world. Fast forward to Comm 335, and Symbolic Interactionism is in my life again as an example of a "language" theory.

Symbolic Interactionism essentially comes with three key concepts, the "Mind", the "Self", and the "I and ME" factor. MIND: Because language expresses social meanings, in learning language, individuals also learn from the "meanings of society"; SELF: Self-fulfilling prophecy >> aka, imposing on yourself what others think of you; I and ME: I is the impulsive "devil on the shoulder" of one, ME is the socially conscious "angel on the shoulder" that reflect's on "I's" impulses and actions.

Now that I've reflected on my notes as a Comm 211 student, how does this tie in with Comm 335 and more importantly, my own personal life?
An instance I found relatable was the way a friend of mine reads into text messages and emails from a guy. Guys and girls, in my opinion, speak an entirely different language. Her expectations and readings into these essentially nonverbal messages, sometimes get her into trouble.

I feel "I" and "ME" concepts every day. We are all faced with daily choices; occasionally these choices are between things we do want to do, or do not want to do. For example, nearly every day the devil on my shoulder (my "I" concept) tells me, "Stay in bed all day, you don't need to go to class"; but the "ME" on my shoulder, the socially conscious me, forces me out of bed and into my car. The video below is an example of an "I" and "ME" situation.

So I ask you, in what instances do you find your "I" and "ME" battling it out?

The political use of God terms.

This past Thursday, we discussed something very interesting in class-- God terms vs. Devil terms. To put it simply, God terms are positive, powerful words: such as happiness, freedom, equality, success, etc. These terms indicate good beliefs, morals and values. Devil terms, on the other hand, fuel uneasiness, anger, or even hate. Although these words indicate repulse and insult, they are equally, if not more, emotionally charged terms.

"Can we move past some of the debates around which we disagree and start talking about the things we do agree on"
...When I hear these words, I feel comfort and peace; this is a perfect example of God-term, which is something President Obama is very familiar with.

Abortion is a hot-button issue within the Unites States. Some might even say abortion is a Devil-term. It might make one feel uneasy, angry, or even hateful. These debates are always addressed when our country is deciding on it's next president. The video below is an obvious instance that displays Obama's excellent use of God-terms when talking about a hypothetical Devil-term. By using insightful words, it makes people feel comfortable and at ease-- and overall happy. Even if you do not agree with him, it's hard not to respect Obama's stance on it, simply because of the magnificant way he describes his views. Using words like "TRUST", "coming together", "agreeing, not disagreeing", "move forward, not look back", etc. show positivity. Rather than weighing heavily on his belief, he uses words and tone that allow his listeners to look at a bigger picture. There is no clear cut, indefinite answer to a subject like abortion-- and you can't please everyone; but as a good speaker, Obama stays away from Devil-terms to keep even a hot-button issue inspiring.

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I feel that God-terms tie in with my interest in public relations. In that field, much like in a politician's world, it is obviously important to say and do the right things to maintain one's image. Using God-terms goes hand in hand with that concept, and Obama does a fantastic job displaying that.

Do you think that the political use of God terms are important? And are Devil-terms necessary in politics to bring a "real" factor to their words?