Jackass Reportage

[jjwq8]

This story just pulled from Sky News:

"An American woman has been found dead with her heart cut out a month after turning down her boyfriend's marriage proposal.

The body of Betsaida Eva Madera was found in her New York family home, the throat slashed and a gaping hole in her chest.

Police arrested her 25-year-old boyfriend, Wilfred Lopez, a short time later.

The couple had an 18-month-old son, who was at a babysitter's home at the time of the attack and not harmed.

Lopez had proposed to Ms Madera on Valentine's Day, but was turned down.

Officers said they had found two, blood-soaked kitchen knives.

Police spokesman Sergeant John Grimpel said Lopez could face charges of second-degree murder and possession of an illegal weapon."


Now my question is this.

Given her condition when "discovered", could she have been anything other dead? Could she possibly have been "found" alive?

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[John Bridge]

What is Sky News?

[jjwq8]

Rupert Murdoch's version of Chicken Noodle News. The report was actually by an agency.

[T_Hulse]

So you think using "found dead" makes him a jackass??
Hmm.
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Hmmmm
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.Hmmmmmm :x: ;)

[jjwq8]

I simply despair of the destruction and abuse of the language of the bard.

To utilize an abominable Americanism, "the dumbing down of the language".

The assumption that unless the word dead is utilized, the reader could come to another conclusion.

Howard...... THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT :D :D

[John Bridge]

I agree it's very poor writing, but I also think you have to consider the source. The writers are hacks. They are interested in sensationalism, not good sentence structure. :)

On the same tack, though, daily (legitimate) newspapers in the U.S. at least have been hacking the language for decades.

[dwzemens]

During the space shuttle crash, one of the TV news anchors on our local NBC affiliate kept referring to the National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA) as "Nassau". It drove me nuts...nuts, I tell you! :bang:

[Shaughnn]

While in Los Angeles last month, I kept getting frustrated by the "street" grammer being used on the local network newscasts. But then again, the anchors people were talking over one another and I don't even have a clue what the weather lady in the tummy shirt, ponytail and lycra pants was thinking??? Seemed to be every station too. Would Edward R. Murrow have imagined television journalism would stink that badly?
Shaughnn

[jjwq8]

To my disgust, even the BBC, who once schooled their newsreaders for half an hour before the broacasts in the correct pronunciation of names, is not immune. They regularly butcher Arabic names, even whilst reporting from the place in question.

Perhaps the most butchered of late is Al Qaeda which in translation means "the base" or "foundation" depending on context.

It is not Kayda, Kayeeda or anything similar. It is Ka' Eh Duh. But I suppose that the truth in their case is who the hell cares?

[John Bridge]

That's different. How the heck would anyone know that unless they understood Arabic? English speaking people can't pronounce words in other languages any better.

But supposedly educated people, people in the wordsmithing business, ought to be able to structure sentences in the mother tongue, eh? ;)

[flatfloor]

Shocking...shocking

Anybody else notice that word being used to death?

and now...the shocking weather. ;)

[Splinter]

Flatfloor- you must be watching Fox News... Everything they report on is "shocking"

[John Bridge]

"Shocking." Just one more example of how the English have infected our once pure American dialect.

;)

[jjwq8]

Frightfully shocking please! :D

If we are talking American then it would be Schlocking ;)

[Mike2]

You guys are going way too fast for me......so what is Chicken Noodle News Q8? Another "abominable Americanism" term? :D

[jjwq8]

CNN

[flatfloor]

I think what's happening is we are emulating the lowest common denominator. :(

I.E. the word whore is rapidly becoming "ho".

[sdaniels7114]

In Spelling and Grammar classes, I used to always tell the teacher that they wern't mistakes, but simply evolved language; and that it wasn't my fault that the teacher wasn't up to speed. It mostly didn't work.

[Hobbit]

Interesting commentary here. The subject certainly deserves constructive comment. While I am certain there are those here who care about usage and grammer, there are many others who do not. The proliferation of idiomatic speech patterns within our environment is just another example of the "dumbing down" to which Jeremy refers.

It is unfortunate, but true, that by the time our children reach this level (college), the damage has been done. If you consider for a moment that speech patterns develop very early in life and are modified only very slowly throughout the lifespan, it becomes readily apparent that the most advantageous (easiest) way to correct this problem which you are observing is to modify the behavior early in life.

Unfortunately, most parents do not attempt to instill any sense of worth with respect to the language arts. There are some who do, of course, but I would be willing to bet that it would be less than ten percent. How many of you can say that you taught, trained, or encouraged your children in the proper use of the language??

To accept the abominable usage in common vogue today is abhorrent. I take every opportunity to attempt to correct spastic usage......every day. You should too. Avail yourself of the opportunities when they present themselves. Write the note or letter, make the phone call, make your views known. To speak in the vernacular is not necessarily wrong....to butcher the language is.

Remember......"If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem."

[Dan the Man]

Originally posted by Hobbit
Interesting commentary here. The subject certainly deserves constructive comment. While I am certain there are those here who care about usage and grammer, there are many others who do not. The proliferation of idiomatic speech patterns within our environment is just another example of the "dumbing down" to which Jeremy refers.

It is unfortunate, but true, that by the time our children reach this level (college), the damage has been done. If you consider for a moment that speech patterns develop very early in life and are modified only very slowly throughout the lifespan, it becomes readily apparent that the most advantageous (easiest) way to correct this problem which you are observing is to modify the behavior early in life.

Unfortunately, most parents do not attempt to instill any sense of worth with respect to the language arts. There are some who do, of course, but I would be willing to bet that it would be less than ten percent. How many of you can say that you taught, trained, or encouraged your children in the proper use of the language??

To accept the abominable usage in common vogue today is abhorrent. I take every opportunity to attempt to correct spastic usage......every day. You should too. Avail yourself of the opportunities when they present themselves. Write the note or letter, make the phone call, make your views known. To speak in the vernacular is not necessarily wrong....to butcher the language is.

Remember......"If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem."

Who rekons he ran this through a spellchecker?

<puts hand in the air>

:D

[flatfloor]

He may have but I reckon he didn't find too many errors. :)

[John Bridge]

Dan,

I'll bet he didn't. :)

Howard,

Thanks for giving the vernacular a nod. I'd be out of luck. :D

[Mike2]

I was worried there for a minute too.

But now,,, how about dumbed-down vernacular? Think I'll still be OK :D

[Westie]

But supposedly educated people, people in the wordsmithing business, ought to be able to structure sentences in the mother tongue, eh?
What's the world coming to when a texan starts talking like a Canadian EH

[Mike2]

I never thought of it that way Westie.

When the EH's start saying y'all's, and the y'all's start saying EH....then how they gonna tell us apart??:D

[jjwq8]

Parrots on shoulders?

[flatfloor]

Don be pickin on ol John.:p

[John Bridge]

I say eh just to make you Canucks feel at home. :)

And I'm a transplated Texan. I come from the U.S. Northwest, the very cradle of haute grammar in the nation. Don't know how Mike got there, though. :D

[Albert]

my grammer is pretty good but not purfect. like the hobbit said, i owe it to my parrents.

albert

[flatfloor]

Albert, please settle an ongoing debate at the Columbia (upper Manhattan campus) University English Dept. Which is correct...youze or you'uns?

[Albert]

deer fatfloor,

i think its yall. yall is proper english. i know the test said ima yankee, but i woodnt use youz or you'uns. yall is proper for cingular or plural and yalls is possessive.

albert

[flatfloor]

Albert I don't mean to be picky but isn't cingular a cell phone compamy?

The rest of yawls answer seems adjacent.

[Mike2]

"deer fatfloor" ..... :D :rofl: :rofl: :D

[flatfloor]

Mike, I don't think your laughter at Albert's expense is apprpriate. Are you a closet homophobic? I'm not insinuating Albert is you understand, but the salutation he used is quite appropriate even considering. :shades:

[Albert]

mr fatfloor,

your right, cingular is a cell phone company two.

i dont know what you and mike is laughin about and i dont know why you suddently turned on mike like that callin him a homo. tell me if its true and ill be carefull arount him.

im not sure, but i think maybe my boss is a homosensual two. he always getsa big smile when he workin behind a plummers behind when he leanin over.

i dont think its funny atall. kinda distgustin i think to show all that crack. besides, them plummers is always screwin up them shower fittins, specially drains. i dont think its funny atall.

albert

[flatfloor]

Albert besides your boss grinning like a mule with a mouth full of briars, do you have any other evidence of his...er....um...leanings?

[Mike2]

Thank you Albert for stickin up on my behalf whist I be gone.

Albert,,, psst... I happen to read what this flatfloor character say to you about Edna, her gene pool, what she look like, on and on. Now I don't wanna spill the beans or anything but that could be jealous man talk. Don't you fall pray to tricks like that.

And mr. flatfloor, I wanna you come over and inspect my closet sometime. I think you'll find it very intriguing. he he he

[John Bridge]

I don't know how it happens. Here goes another thread down the path of no return. :D

[flatfloor]

Why would you want to? Return that is. :D

[Albert]

deer fatloor,

well i dont know what to say. i wondered about john a few times, but i cant say nothin bad about him. he kept me in work for a longtime. hes no more a homo than the rest of the people that post round hear. hes reel pikky and particular though. i guess most tilesetters is that way. at least the good ones akt that way.

mike, i dont know what to say bout edna. i worried yall is trikkin me. she either fat or not fat. you cant both be write. i kinda wanna find out but i juss moved. she dint send me a picher so i guess she fat.

albert

[dwzemens]

Wow, expert tile advice and all the stuff on this thread, too!

What more can a guy ask for?

:p

[flatfloor]

Dave did you check out the micro-biology thread?

BTW how do you get from point A to point B? ;)

[cx]

Via rumb line track, flatfloor, din't you listen up at all in navigation school? :rolleyes:

[Mike2]

What CX say, rumb line track one way to get to B from A. Great Circle route even better/quicker/faster when B long way from A. All this generally be true.

Now one way not ever to get to B from A is to stick around this thread because it ain't going much nowhere. I mean, look at the title, Jackass Reportage, doesn't that just give you a clue that no rumb line or gt. circle route gonna work down here. :D

So flatfloor, long as you stay put here, don't worry 'bout navigation - you be just fine. If you decide to leave however, just ping CX or me...we'll lead you out. :D

[flatfloor]

I failed navigation along with Trig. Why the hell do you think I've been here this long? And what does the Rhumba have to do with it? :D

[cx]

Well, Mike, he axed how to git from point A to point B, not from point B to point A. That's how come I didn't think it was far enough to plot great circle, eh? :)

[Splinter]

I cant believe this thread made it to page two already....

[jjwq8]

Alex,

Which browser are you using? :D

[John Bridge]

You rummies need to bone up on your r[h]umb lines. Coastwise sailors. Sheesh.

:)