Tuesday, March 25, 2008

An issue with words.

Am I the only one to notice the latest "buzz" word doing the rounds? I'm heartily sick of hearing it. No-one has a "problem" any more: it's an "issue". It's as if the word "problem" doesn't exist. It's been quietly expunged from the dictionary. Every problem is now an "issue". A corruption of the english language if ever I've heard one. Look up the definition for yourself and you will understand my frustration. As usual, this particular annoyance has made it's way from America and now everybody repeats it parrot-fashion. Why? Is this the new politically-correct speech that has to be in vogue? Listen to your autocue-readers on the "news". Who writes this stuff?

A strange thing happened last week on my mobile 'phone. I have two SIM cards. Both O2 registered and different telephone numbers. I have free-texting credit only on the first SIM and calling credit on the second. I sent a text to a female friend I know from SIM number 1 and hurriedly swapped SIM cards to call a mate on SIM number 2. Whilst SIM number 2 was still in my phone, I received a reply from my female friend addressed to SIM number 1. The said female doesn't know the telephone number contained in SIM 2, so how come I received a text on SIM 2 which was destined for SIM 1? I've not heard of this happening before. Perhaps someone can enlighten me.

I was thinking the other day about the atrocities committed on 9/11. That fire must surely have been white-hot to melt solid steel. If kerosene burns at 1800º and steel melts at 2500º, how did the towers collapse? In addition, the firemen stated that they got to within one floor of the inferno. Hmm. I wonder why they didn't melt too? Perhaps we've all been conned and the steel was really re-inforced plastic.

It always amazes me how unaware the majority of people seem to be. They're probably too busy immersed in Coronation Street and the other rubbish that passes for quality TV these days to notice.
Consider your local Council for instance. How many people know that it is now legal for some official to listen in to your mobile and home telephone communications from somewhere deep inside the Town-Hall? This is all possible under the guise of 'anti-crime' legislation. 'Ah, yes', I can hear people say, 'but if you have nothing to hide, then you have nothing to fear!'. Well, I'll tell you what: let's put a cam in your bedroom or toilet and take things from there, shall we? After all, you have nothing to hide, have you? The hide and fear brigade are talking absolute twaddle. I can only hope that the moon-faced moron who decides to check my text messages be a Jehova's Witness or similar. It sure will give them a new slant on life.

Have school kids lost their childhood now? After all, they already said goodbye to their innocence long ago. The criminals who foisted sex-education on five year-olds now have the audacity to heap homework on them too. Childhood is a magical time and is meant to be enjoyed. We never had homework until we left primary. We didn't need it. The reason is that we were taught properly. These airy-fairy, modern, methods of teaching deserve the derision which they receive. I remember at the age of ten solving algebraic and simultaneous equations. Ask a normal fourteen year-old today and he'll probably give you a blank stare. 'You wha? Wha' are dem?'. The faceless crooks responsible know the curriculum is all wrong, so why do they promote it? We've all heard the phrase "dumbing down" but no-one asks why. And who sanctions it in the first place?

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