Common Ground Through the Linguistics of Change
We need to remove the divisiveness and inflammatory words being used by the media, big business and policy makers. How things are being said is keeping people from seeing their common ground and joint interests. The following words are proposed as new ways to express issues that might take the P out of Polarity and keep all good people, with a variety of beliefs, working for the mutual benefit of America. Let’s not let the old language of the “powers that be” divide us, freeze our liberty and crush our hope.
Old word: Global Warming - it’s blowing hot . . . . and cold! It’s so confusing!
Some call it Climate Change. In my art and radio show “Mother Nature Says Clean Up Your Room!” I called it a “Global Warning” but recently I’ve recommended the term “Global Weirding”. This latter phrase removes the controversy, opinion, speculation, scientific proof or belief systems from the issue. Can we all agree the weather is unpredictable, increasing in wrath and impact, and stop arguing about it?. Why it’s happening is a small thing in the face of the reality that it IS happening . . . . . . and what are we going to do about it?
New word: Global Weirding
Old word: Oil vs. Alternative Energy Sources - vast and political, controversial
No one can agree how much oil is still in the ground or how much energy vs. pollution may be generated from nuclear plants, coal, etc. We know wind blows and can be harnessed. We also know the sun is our original energy source and it is still accessible to all of us. The amount of sunshine it takes to grow an ear of corn, or how many sun hours are represented in the accumulation of oil or anything that can be “burned” for energy is a good way to think about it. Think about how many years it took to create the oil we just blew off! It took millions of years and we just had a Hundred Year Fuel Oil Party! When you think of an engine, think of “horse power”. One horse used to carry a person where 300 horse power is used to take a person now! As the saying goes, “Absolute power corrupts absolutely”!
New word: Sun Hours - Try the revived invention called the “Solar Clothes Dryer!!! (get a clothes line!). Remember this new rule of thumb - Fun Hours must be paid for with Sun Hours! That is the new reality.
Old word: Bullet Points - in written documents are militaristic, deadly, limited, without nuance
New word: Asterisk* - using this little mark makes things kind but clear. * wakes you up and makes you think “Your Ass At Risk!” in such a nice way!
Old word: Stop - used to mean “cease and desist”
New word: S.T.O.P.: means be “Stewards to Our Planet” by stopping unnecessary spending, perpetuation of old ideas and systems, the use of chemicals and other petroleum bi-products. Stop fear that has stampeded our political leaders into more rewards and bailouts for the greedy few. Stop overuse of pharmaceuticals when a nutritional or emotional solution might be more effective. Stop taking more out of the planet than you’re putting back into it!
Old words: Mayan Calendar, 2012, “The End is Near”, “Who Cares?” or “It’s in God’s Hands”
New word: “Shift Happens” - a one size fits all slogan that works no matter what you believe
Old word: O.D.O.T. - Oregon Department of Transportation
New word: O.D.O.T. - Old-Fashioned Decisions Outdated Transportation
Old word: Shovel Ready (funding previously approved projects)
New word: B.O.O.U. - Burial by Overbuilding, Overpaving and Unnecessary Spending,a dangerous, scary and haunting practice reminiscent of past boondoggles, BOO-U is Shovel Ready without regard for more dire, immediate necessities and against the wishes and priorities of the people
Old word: Polarity - black or white thinking
New word: Olarity - closely related to Hilarity, this new word also implies laughing at the Oligarchy. By lampooning and laughing at the old order we free ourselves from the stranglehold of its grandiosity. By seeing the 99% “gray area” (that we are all mostly broke or going there fast), we can regain our balance. If the playground bully came and took all the kids’ candy, would the whole schoolyard just go home and cry? I think we’d organize and take it back. Let’s uphold the fundamental right to fairness that we used to expect and demand the well deserved payback from or punishment for bullies and thieves. Gray area also implies the re-empowerment of the Baby Boomers. Let’s not all sit around and get old from Prince Charles Syndrome (you know his mom’s never gonna let him rule!) We have three generations behind us and only a bunch of old thinking in front of us. Let’s pick up where we left off and make it right - clean air and water, well managed soil, wild and free lands with stewardship and policies thought through for their impact on the next seven generations.
Old word: Health Care Reform
New word: Chemical Free Accord - address the need to remove cancer-causing products from the environment and the marketplace thereby substantially reducing health issues for present and future generations
Old word: Bailout - taxpayers save corporations
New word: Shale Out - with little left to sell, oil cartels give taxpayers a break at the pump.
Old word: Homeland Security - Our fear and aggression sunk us further into regressive behavior, lack of funds for education, joblessness, and drug use.
New word: Homegrown Obscurity
Old word: Terrorism
New word: Errorism (where we self-destruct from within due to bad deeds and decisions)!
Thanks for reading. Watch for my “New Word of the Day” and further adventures in The Linguistics of Change!
Catie Faryl
catiefaryl@hotmail.com
Old word: Global Warming - it’s blowing hot . . . . and cold! It’s so confusing!
Some call it Climate Change. In my art and radio show “Mother Nature Says Clean Up Your Room!” I called it a “Global Warning” but recently I’ve recommended the term “Global Weirding”. This latter phrase removes the controversy, opinion, speculation, scientific proof or belief systems from the issue. Can we all agree the weather is unpredictable, increasing in wrath and impact, and stop arguing about it?. Why it’s happening is a small thing in the face of the reality that it IS happening . . . . . . and what are we going to do about it?
New word: Global Weirding
Old word: Oil vs. Alternative Energy Sources - vast and political, controversial
No one can agree how much oil is still in the ground or how much energy vs. pollution may be generated from nuclear plants, coal, etc. We know wind blows and can be harnessed. We also know the sun is our original energy source and it is still accessible to all of us. The amount of sunshine it takes to grow an ear of corn, or how many sun hours are represented in the accumulation of oil or anything that can be “burned” for energy is a good way to think about it. Think about how many years it took to create the oil we just blew off! It took millions of years and we just had a Hundred Year Fuel Oil Party! When you think of an engine, think of “horse power”. One horse used to carry a person where 300 horse power is used to take a person now! As the saying goes, “Absolute power corrupts absolutely”!
New word: Sun Hours - Try the revived invention called the “Solar Clothes Dryer!!! (get a clothes line!). Remember this new rule of thumb - Fun Hours must be paid for with Sun Hours! That is the new reality.
Old word: Bullet Points - in written documents are militaristic, deadly, limited, without nuance
New word: Asterisk* - using this little mark makes things kind but clear. * wakes you up and makes you think “Your Ass At Risk!” in such a nice way!
Old word: Stop - used to mean “cease and desist”
New word: S.T.O.P.: means be “Stewards to Our Planet” by stopping unnecessary spending, perpetuation of old ideas and systems, the use of chemicals and other petroleum bi-products. Stop fear that has stampeded our political leaders into more rewards and bailouts for the greedy few. Stop overuse of pharmaceuticals when a nutritional or emotional solution might be more effective. Stop taking more out of the planet than you’re putting back into it!
Old words: Mayan Calendar, 2012, “The End is Near”, “Who Cares?” or “It’s in God’s Hands”
New word: “Shift Happens” - a one size fits all slogan that works no matter what you believe
Old word: O.D.O.T. - Oregon Department of Transportation
New word: O.D.O.T. - Old-Fashioned Decisions Outdated Transportation
Old word: Shovel Ready (funding previously approved projects)
New word: B.O.O.U. - Burial by Overbuilding, Overpaving and Unnecessary Spending,a dangerous, scary and haunting practice reminiscent of past boondoggles, BOO-U is Shovel Ready without regard for more dire, immediate necessities and against the wishes and priorities of the people
Old word: Polarity - black or white thinking
New word: Olarity - closely related to Hilarity, this new word also implies laughing at the Oligarchy. By lampooning and laughing at the old order we free ourselves from the stranglehold of its grandiosity. By seeing the 99% “gray area” (that we are all mostly broke or going there fast), we can regain our balance. If the playground bully came and took all the kids’ candy, would the whole schoolyard just go home and cry? I think we’d organize and take it back. Let’s uphold the fundamental right to fairness that we used to expect and demand the well deserved payback from or punishment for bullies and thieves. Gray area also implies the re-empowerment of the Baby Boomers. Let’s not all sit around and get old from Prince Charles Syndrome (you know his mom’s never gonna let him rule!) We have three generations behind us and only a bunch of old thinking in front of us. Let’s pick up where we left off and make it right - clean air and water, well managed soil, wild and free lands with stewardship and policies thought through for their impact on the next seven generations.
Old word: Health Care Reform
New word: Chemical Free Accord - address the need to remove cancer-causing products from the environment and the marketplace thereby substantially reducing health issues for present and future generations
Old word: Bailout - taxpayers save corporations
New word: Shale Out - with little left to sell, oil cartels give taxpayers a break at the pump.
Old word: Homeland Security - Our fear and aggression sunk us further into regressive behavior, lack of funds for education, joblessness, and drug use.
New word: Homegrown Obscurity
Old word: Terrorism
New word: Errorism (where we self-destruct from within due to bad deeds and decisions)!
Thanks for reading. Watch for my “New Word of the Day” and further adventures in The Linguistics of Change!
Catie Faryl
catiefaryl@hotmail.com
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