Certain Words And Other Stuff

Bring Back 'Epidemic'
Have you noticed that, for quite a while now, the mainstream media, rarely uses the word epidemic any more? Now it's always 'pandemic'. Yeah, I know the difference between the two words, but I'm not sure they do. If they did, in many of the places they have used pandemic, they would have used epidemic. Pandemic is much more horrifying, and you know, blood sells papers (and locks in TV viewers), so naturally they gravitate to that.

It sounds like all the reporters in the English speaking world learned a new word and are using it in every possible situation they can.

Like a few years ago when Richard Nixon died. Every reporter on every channel used the word 'cortege' for the funeral procession. Over. And over. And over. But it stuck out big time because it's not a word that's is used much.

That's what they're doing with pandemic. And I don't think it's accurate to use it with the whole bird flu thing just yet when only 103 (as of this writing) out of 6.5 Billion people have died from it.

I'm not complaining. I'm just sayin'...



Lookin' For A Job
My daughter who quit college a couple of weeks ago, had a job interview/testing yesterday. It's for a call center located locally that handles warranty questions for one of the two remaining American car companies. I don't think she knows what she's getting into, but they pay good and have insurance and such, so Me and Lovely Wife are all, you know, go getem!

Anyway, today she has a 'panel' interview and role play stuff to see if she has enough moxie to join the ranks of the customer service professional.

The die is cast though, she has officially withdrawn from an Orlando University and has moved back to her old room in our humble abode. And we're on her all the time, in a positive, encouraging way, to apply here, there, and everywhere.

I just hate that she's chosen a path wherein life might have to kick her in the head in the form of a job that really sucks before she learns the true value of a college degree and a career as some sort of professional, where she might be shown at least a smidge of respect.

It's just that my life is so different now as a professional than when I had to lift heavy things for a living.

Proper Shredder etiquette
I have a shredder for home use that's just dandy. It will shred up to eight pieces of paper simultaneously. It will also shred credit cards and CDs.

We get lots of credit card offers with both fake and real credit cards enclosed. Not to worry, Shred Boy can handle it. Offers to refinance our home with our names and other personal info already on there, or containing a check to just go down and cash and thereby open a line of credit? Ol' Shreddy Boy's on the job. He can eat more than me, and THAT'S saying something, I'll tell you.

But I have to be vewy vewy cawful to remove all of the Booger Glue stuff they use to attach credit cards and such, be they real or fake, to a piece of paper.

Booger Glue beez Shred Boy's Achilles heel.