Friday, September 18, 2015

The debasement of language continues

I caught a few minutes of Glenn Beck's radio program the other day, and he was talking about the most recent debate between Republican candidates for U.S. president. I'd watched the thing myself, so it was interesting to hear Beck say that he thought the only problem that Senator Ted Cruz has as a candidate is that he's "too smooth." He didn't mean that Cruz is glib, because he isn't. He meant that the man can't hide his experience in the Senate, and in Ivy League debate tournaments before that.

Ted Cruz and Carly Fiorina are the most polished speakers in the Republican field, I think, (and they're right about Planned Parenthood), but it hardly seems fair to hold polish against either of them.

I'd rather hear a well-spoken argument free of verbal tics than yet another advertisement for a TV service that promises "140 of your favorite channels."

Memo to the copywriter for the TV service: Anyone who has 140 favorite channels does not know what the word "favorite" means.

As they said in The Incredibles, if everyone is special, then no one is special.

Sunday, September 6, 2015

Hanging Rock State Park

Good times yesterday up near the Virginia border with buddy Jeff, toting cameras and playing mountain man. There were five of us in the original party, but three of the five cut out early. Jeff and I added a third waterfall to the "Hanging Rock plus two waterfalls" itinerary, just to be contrary.