Click here for the CNN story that ticked me off.
I am trying to work up the emotion to actually care about President Obama’s half-brother, George. Hmmm… it isn’t working…. nope.. not one ounce of interest…
In today’s news, CNN is reporting that President Obama’s half-brother (who lives in Kenya), was arrested on drug-possession charges. Great… yippie… so sorry to hear about that.. but he really is just one more person in this great big world. I don’t care if he is the President’s half-brother - that alone does not make him special. Especially considering that President Obama has only met him a few times.
I find it amazing that the media thinks people care about some man half-way around the world, who may share a portion of our President’s DNA, but does not share any real personal connection. In fact, the article states that George Obama wasn’t even AWARE of his half-brother until the primaries last fall.
That the media is now delving into the life and times of George Obama is, at best, a stretch. I found this particular line of the article quite funny:
George Obama was one of the president’s few close relatives who did not go to the inauguration in Washington last week.
I guess the question arises of how you define “close relatives”. If you are strictly speaking of where this person’s name falls in the Obama family tree.. then sure.. he would be a close relative. His name would be right next to Barack’s. But I think many would agree that the term “close relatives” would imply that a familiarity and tight-knit relationship exists between the two individuals. That is surly not the case here. Is anyone really surprised that good ‘ole George wasn’t invited to the inauguration?
I wish the media would spend a bit more time contemplating what the public wants to know, instead of spoon-feeding us this drivel.
What are your thoughts on this?
I’m not really sure where to go with this blog chain. I mean, kappa no he really threw me for a loop with the whole “Don’t Pee on the Worm” idea. Not too sure I can top that one… LOL.
It did get me to thinking, though, about how people from different cultures struggle with slang in the English language. Meanings for many words are different depending upon the culture and context. Let me give you two examples:
Many years ago, I worked with a man from India. He was well educated, but English was not his first language. He spoke well and had no problem getting his meaning across until the day he asked his secretary to run to the store to buy rubbers. The poor lady did a double-take, then a triple-take, and couldn’t decide if she should be amused or offended. After a few go-rounds, it became obvious that what the man wanted her to buy were pencil erasers. In American slang we tend to use the word “rubbers” to mean condoms, but in India and (I believe) in England, the word rubbers can mean pencil erasers or waterproof boots. Same word, vastly different meaning.
Another quirky example of slang-gone-wrong comes from my own dear Grandmother. She was born and raised in Ireland and speaks with a lovely brogue. The older she gets, the more she throws around little sayings from her youth. During a routine medical appointment, she was teasing and joking with the young doctor. He was bemoaning his hectic schedule for the day and the nasty weather. As the appointment ended, my sweet Grandmother placed her hand gently on the doctor’s shoulder and advised him to “keep your pecker up!”. The doctor’s eyes went round with shock at this 80-something woman referring to his “pecker”. In Ireland, that little adage refers to a bird’s beak.. as in something that pecks.. a pecker. It means to keep your chin up. In America, we use the word pecker as slang for a penis. Completely different meaning when you say “keep your penis up”!
To make matters even more difficult, slang changes with each generation. It can be hard to keep up - even for those of us who were born and raised speaking English. Take the word “gay” for instance. In my grandmother’s generation, gay meant happy. In my generation, gay meant stupid - as in… that was SO gay! (don’t forget the dramatic eye-roll). In my daughter’s generation, gay means homosexual. Same word, three different meanings.
And with that, I will toss this blog chain over to veinglory. I can’t wait to see what she does with it. 
Here is the full blog chain.
The participating blogs in Absolute Write Blog Chain January 2009:
Razib Ahmed
Benjamin Solah
FreshHell
WendyNYC
madderblue
Kat Frass
the Cliterature blog
truelyana
Ralph Pines
Online dating is a hot topic - it has been for years. It started with sites like Match.com and eHarmony.com, targeting men and women who were tired of the dating scene and looking for long-term love.
Next came the dating sites whose target markets were men and women looking for fun, casual relationships. Nothing too intense, just good old-fashioned, need someone to party with type dating.
Then came the specializations. There were dating sites designated by race, religion, and sexual persuasion. Really, it makes sense - if you are going to search out a mate online, you might as well make sure that your core beliefs or sexual interests or racial preferences are in agreement.
All of this sounds great… until we get to the newest online dating site… SugarDaddy.com. This site specializes in connecting hot, money-hungry young women with rich old guys. Well, let me take that back. See, the commercial for SugarDaddy.com shows a hot YOUNG rich guy. I’m absolutely sure that this truly reflects their male membership. After all, there is truth in advertising….. right?
I mean, really… if you are young and hot and looking for a man with money.. you might as well weed out those poor guys whose wallets just don’t measure up. If you are old and rich, just can’t seem to find a date, and really want to KNOW that the woman you are with is only after your money… you have a whole menu to choose from. Take your pick… blond, brunette, red-head… doesn’t matter.. they all want the same thing - your money.
Of course, perhaps there is an upside to this site. Women can be open about their gold-diggin’ ways instead of pretending to love a wobbly old geezer - till death do they part. Men can be honest about their desire to buy the company of a hot woman for an evening or a year, instead of earning her love and respect and forging a relationship with a lasting bond.
I expect the next generation of online dating sites will push the envelope even further. HookUpForSex or SexWithoutDinnerAndMovie might be just be the next big thing. Hmmmm. wonder if those domains are available?
As my loyal readers know, I am a freelance writer. I am constantly scouring the Internet looking for writing or blogging gigs. And I am constantly AMAZED at the advertisements I see. I mean, honestly, do I want to work for someone who advertises THIS:
if u liked music come too hellp me and be the onar in my blog i want hellp plz
Hmmmm… If this person cannot even communicate with me, how can I have any confidence that they can run a prosperous blog/website? I don’t expect perfect spelling, or perfect grammar… heck - that is why they hire me!!! But COME ON!! I am a professional, and I expect to work with other professionals.
Needless to say, I didn’t apply for this job… LOL. Nor did I apply for anything that pays $1 per 500 word article…. Guess I’m picky.
OK…. I’m done ranting… Thanks