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.