Most Irritating Work Phrases

There is a time and place for buzz words and phrases, mostly in my opinion centered around key words for search engines.  When used in conversation, they just make people sound like they don't know what they are talking about but want to speak up.

Here is my list of "never use in conversation" phrases in no particular order.

1. Drill down
2. Low hanging fruit
3. Playground or sandbox environment
4. Think outside of the box
5. Back to the drawing board
6. C-Suite
7. Value add
8. Pick your brain
9. Cash cow
10. Give it 110%
11. Team Player
12. Cast a wide net
13. Game changer
14. Viral
15. Transparent

Reality TV

Reality TV or shall we say Trash TV.

Hollywood has always done a great job selling lifestyles. Sitcoms from the 50’s made us think that all moms wore heals and pearls to cook dinner and that all kids needed to do when they got in a jam was confess and the punishment was to miss dinner and all would be forgiven in the morning.

Somewhere along the way TV got “gritty”. Wholesome went off the air and teen pregnancy and drugs became the new norm. Moms were mean, thin and yelled a lot; dads were overweight, dumb and submissive.

As if this was not bad enough MTV started a show called the Real World, the premise being stick a bunch of kids in their early 20’s in a house together and start the cameras rolling. The audience was led to believe that they “forgot” about the cameras and what was on film was how these people really live.

Now we have shows about housewives, musicians, pregnant teens, polygamist, tattoo artist, restaurant owners, pawn shop owners and the list continues.

Let’s suspend reality for a moment and pretend that the people on these shows really “forget” that they are on camera, are any of these people normal everyday people? I hope not.

If Reality TV is real reality, it is no wonder test scores in our schools are dropping, jobs are being shipped overseas and people are losing their homes.

The thing is, reality TV is not real. I don’t know anyone who behaves like one of the Real Housewives or a Kardashian. Buying into the reality of these shows excuses and glorifies bad behavior. Suddenly spending thousands of dollars for toddler cloths on a shopping trip seems normal. Jumping from man to man and bed to bed seems like no big deal.

The Misquote

I am a regular listener to Rush and Beck. I am also a regular reader of Media Matters and The Cincinnati Beacon. I watch MSN and Fox News.

We all know that good ratings equal extreme rhetoric. Both ends of the political spectrum hold very different views on every issue. It seems that there are enough sound bites that could be taken in context to illustrate a point.

Lately, it has been the norm to take sound bites out of context and use them to create public outrage. Rush used the word retard on his show last week. In context he was taking a poke at Rahm Emanuel using the word retard. Surrounding the comment he joked that it would become a sound bite that would result in him getting in "trouble" with the media. He was correct.

With technological capabilities there is no longer an excuse to misquote someone. There is no longer an excuse to take things out of context in error. Today misquoting is deliberate and malicious.

Some sites are based entirely of sound bites and misquotes. Media Matters is an excellent example of this practice. I read several articles about Rush's retard statement- along with the string of comments posted in response. I also heard the live broadcast of the actual statement in question. The disparity in facts was almost alarming.

It is time for us as intelligent Americans to take responsibility for the "news" that we are ingesting. The resources are readily available to check sources and the context of statements. If we are not doing some quick research we are just being lazy and contributing to the problem.

“Grass Roots”

Who in the crap cares?

I have in the past few days heard and read more arguments about Tea Party’s being or not being grass roots than I have heard about the foundation for which it was formed.

I don’t care if Sarah Palin herself formed the Tea Party movement. I believe in:

Fiscal responsibility
Limited government
Free markets

The left is boggled how quickly the movement took off and how may people are share the core values.

“Change” was top down. Why is that not mocked?

Pay Me

There has been a lot of talk about the Tea Party movement and how it is backed by huge sums of money and that the participants are all paid.

I will be the first to say that it is backed by huge sums of money… private money of average citizens banning together. Citizens who take PTO to come out to a rally to know first hand that there are people who agree with them. Citizens who own small businesses who know what it is like to do without when times are bad and who put money away when times are good. Citizens who don’t use family values as a dirty word and believe in hard work, loyalty and family.

It’s a sad state of affairs when the “leaders” of our country discredit those who succeed and dress well and accuse average citizens of being a “mob”.

As far as I know no one is being paid to attend a rally or town hall meeting. But if they are I hope they contact me – I am there anyway.

Pet Peeves

Using Wikipedia as a reference source of fact. There is no accountability for the information written and it is ever changing.

Using the words: everyone, no one, always and never.

The Blame game. Something that happened before I was born or on the other side of the world is something out of my control (out of anyone’s control).

People who pass themselves off as experts – when they did nothing but read a book. (Often a book written by someone claiming to be an expert because they read a book….)

Cincinnati Enquire Readers

I read the Cincinnati Enquire online about 3-4 times a week. I enjoy reading a hard copy version much better but the time convenience of online much outweighs the paper version at this point in my life.

On the whole I think that The Enquire does a pretty good job. Whenever I travel I make a point to pick up the local paper to compare their local concerns to Cincinnati.

On occasion, I write in and give my opinion on a topic of interest. Lately I have been using the comment section to voice my opinion on an article or a particular comment from another reader.

My conclusion is that the majority of the people who use the comment sections are morons. I don't make that comment lightly. I believe the great majority are morons.

People are constantly off topic, misquoting, misunderstanding law, misusing grammar and in general just plain stupid. So I have made the decision to continue to read but to no longer comment, it's just not worth the frustration.

Supertalk is gone…

I have not been at work on a regular basis for about 2 weeks due to Christmas and a Vacation to Vegas so I have not missed my talk radio. I heard the construction sounds just before I left and hoped that there was some kind of strike or station issues and my regular routine would be back soon. I listened to Christmas music and finished out the few days before leaving for Vegas. Arriving back at work I was shocked and dismayed to find music playing.

Music is fine, but I miss Glen and Dave. I have been searching the stations looking for some kind of intelligent talk for my workday. I need something more than bad jokes and commercials that are trying to sell me things that I neither want nor need.

I am hoping that one of the other stations will pick up both the Glenn Beck Program and The Dave Ramsey Show. Until then I am getting both of the newsletters and recapping yesterday’s news on my lunch break.

Glenn Beck

I started listening to him a few months ago at work for some background noise and very quickly became a fan. He is conservative but not the burry your head in the sand, living in the past sort of conservative. He has a fresh viewpoint on current issues and is willing to admit when he does not know enough about an issue to debate it.

I love the variety of guests on the show last week he had Rudy Giuliani today he had Jeff Foxworthy. Both shows were fantastic.

I highly recommend both his radio show and his TV program.

Sally Field

It’s hard for me not to like Sally, in my heart she will always be Gidget and the flying nun. I loved her in Steel Magnolias and Murphy’s Romance.

Her recent fumbling incoherent spouting about the war left me a bit puzzled. Her claim was that if the world were run by women there would be no war.

Does she know any women? Her statement may be true if the world was run by one woman, but put more than two women in a room and there will be scrapping.

Sally, please stick to acting where we really, really do like you.

Survivor

I have not been keeping up with my blog.... between the new job and the wedding I was a bit swamped. I can not resist commenting on the departure of Rosie O'Donald from the View.
IT'S ABOUT TIME!

I don't get to watch the View very much anymore, but when I did she made the entire experience unpleasant. She is, in my opinion a prime example of the social decay of the media. Hopefully, Rosie will stay off the airways and save us all from her constant whining. Maybe she can do something constructive with her time, she has talked enough about how to change the country, perhaps she should run for office.

Congratulations Elizabeth, you survived.

The Lion King

Topher and I went to see the Lion King last night. The creative team was amazing. The voices sounded more like instruments than vocals. The entire show was very, very impressive.

Thank you Christy and Pat!

Real World / Road Rules Challenge – The Duel

What a disappointing end. I can not stand Wes. He is not a nice person. I understand it is reality tv and they edit the show to make it entertaining, but when he behaves the same way on interviews it makes it very hard to believe that the editing is not accurate. I should feel sorry for his girlfriend, but I don’t. She can watch the show. She sees how he speaks to people.

I was happy for Jodie, she was my pick from the beginning. She works hard and she did not trash anyone on this challenge.

I love these shows, I can’t help myself.

Senator Barack Obama

Senator Barack Obama is intriguing. I read his book The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream and I have subscribed to his newsletter.

He is optimistic about our future as a country. He believes that the people should be more active and take an interest in local government forcing a change on a national level.

The senator has announced that he is filing a presidential exploratory committee. He states that he will make further announcements about his plans Feb 10.

There are two major things that bother me so far about him. First and foremost he is a democrat. I have a major problem with many of the pillars of the Democratic Party and because he is part of that party he would be expected to support those pillars. Secondly he believes in evolution, yet attends Trinity United Church of Christ. (More on Trinity United Church of Christ in a future post.)

I will continue to investigate his beliefs and standards. I am interested to see how and what he as voted on as a Senator. I will say that he does not evoke the same deep negative emotion that Hillary Clinton does.

As I said I am intrigued.

Fox New Article

Article from Fox News.
Female Teen Bullies Record Beating of 12-Year-Old Girl, Post on InternetMonday, January 15, 2007

NEW YORK — One 12-year-old girl in New York was verbally and physically attacked by a group of older girls, then was forced to endure the humiliation again after her assailants posted their attack on the Web.

The assault happened in North Babylon, Long Island, on Dec. 18. The attackers were three 14-year-old ninth graders at North Babylon High School. Some told FOX News the victim somehow disrespected her assailants, while others say she was picked at random.

Beaten in front of a neighborhood elementary school, the victim was verbally assaulted, her hair was pulled and she was repeatedly slapped and kicked in the head and body before the young gang ran away laughing. The kids were caught after school administrators learned other students were watching the video on the Internet.
"There's a lot of fights that people just tape now and then they'll stick it on YouTube or MySpace," one female student told FOX News. "It doesn't happen really in school, it happens like a lot, like somewhere else, and they just tape it and put it on the Web site."

In this case, the three assailants were suspended. The school district wouldn't give any more information because of the girls' ages.
Suffolk County police told FOX they were called after the video was discovered, and that they interviewed everyone involved. But the victim's parents didn't want to press charges and the girl had no lasting injuries, so the case was dropped.
But child psychologists warn it can be extremely difficult to recover emotionally from events like this.

"Can you imagine what it must be like for someone to actually see themselves being beaten in that way? To actually seeing those images?" asked clinical psychologist Jeff Gardere. "So you're outside of your body watching this happen. I think it makes it doubly or triply worse."

PS3

The PS3’s are retailing for between $500 and $600. People have been in line since Wednesday to purchase them.

Topher and I were going to buy one and sell it on eBay, but waiting lists are 200 deep and we were not about to camp out for something that we were not going to keep.

EBay has set up new rules that will make an impact on those putting the PS3’s on for sale. Sellers can only have one PS3 per account and must have positive comment from at least 50 people so it’s a good thing we did not buy one.

Not to harp, but....

This is an email that I received from Rock the Vote:

Dear Katrina,
At Rock the Vote we want to break down every barrier and make it easy for everyone to vote. Others want to build barriers.

Shouldn't the right to vote be protected for every American? Unfortunately, we have already started seeing instances of voter suppression, like we saw in 2000 and 2004.

If you want to know what you can do to ensure fair and honest elections check out the new film American Blackout, a Sundance award winning documentary that looks at the barriers to vote for many in America. Once you see the film you will want to take action in your community.

Go Rock the Vote Everyday.
Register to Vote Here!

p.s. Voter registration deadlines are here nationwide. With skyrocketing debt, financial aid cuts, the situation in Iraq—what are you waiting for? Register to vote at your current address, now!

Rock the Vote

When did Rock the Vote start taking a political side? I realize it is MTV and it’s not going to be ultra conservative, but when where does it say that you can’t watch MTV and be a Republican?

Rock the Vote started out as an organization that encouraged young people to vote. Just to vote, not vote for any political party. Rock the Vote was a movement about educating young people about the importance and the responsibility of casting a vote in every election.

I was at one time a big supporter of Rock the Vote. As I got older I drifted away from the movement a bit not because I no longer believed in its importance, but because I got information from other venues and honestly I was no longer the target age. I went back to the site to see what was going on and I was a bit shocked and dismayed. No longer the bi-partisan group of my youth, now just another voice of the Democratic Party.

It’s too bad. The concept was great, encouraging socially conscious people. Now it is just another cattle drive.

The View

In the past I have said on multiple occasions that The View is a great chance for liberal woman to voice their option under the guise of entertainment.

No longer is that the case.

The new picture of The View is a bunch of liberal woman voicing their opinion with a clear political agenda. They no longer try to hide behind guests and free gifts for the audience.

Rosie joined the show at the beginning of September. Since then the veil has fallen, Rosie is “educating” us on world problems and how they all rest at the feet of George Bush and the Evil Empire.

The show has always outraged me, yet I continue to watch it whenever I have the chance. Just like I watch CNN and listen to talk radio. I try to balance out the madness by listening to Michael Savage.

The bottom line, they are all crazy. What happened to the average citizen.