6 thoughts on “[mediawatch] Something We Need”

  1. there needs to be a link or pointer to the ‘what’ that made you type that entry.
    Do you ever sleep? Does this account for the semi-random outbursts?

  2. there is no what. just something that popped up in my head. inspired, of course, by general back-and-forth over whether the media in the US is the “librul media” or the “corporate media”. It’s a pointless debate at the moment because the terminology is so general there can never be an accurate exchange of information.
    there may be a good vocabulary out there, but I haven’t encountered it.
    i don’t sleep. i ‘trance’ for four hours which refreshes me enough to carry on.

  3. creation of a new language in general is something I’ve been thinking about – so many of our terms have lost all meaning

  4. Language is constantly evolving (read Bill Bryson’s Mother Tongue – it’s a great read). That’s not to say that we shouldn’t strive to bring about language changes, but we should be careful if we do so because changes in language can have unforseen consequences, like the extremes of political correctness.
    Mainly this is a response to Billy’s assertion that so many of our words have lost their meanings. I agree totally but such is almost inevitable, and new words rise up to fill the gaps.
    Actually, and very interesting and insightful rant into people changing the meaning of language occur’s in CS Lewis’ Mere Christianity where he talks about the lost of meaning in the word gentleman. It’s well worth a read, actually the whole book is, but in regard to this thread that chapter is.

  5. CS Lewis wrote some startlingly pertinent stuff on odd occasion.
    On another strain entirely: Morgan – do you want to go to ani difranco on the 22nd? Cal said your rool keen 🙂

  6. I’m of the opinion that language is suffering from occupational overuse. The media can be blamed. So too can this blog, well not you specifically ~m, but the internet/e-mail/cellular technologies all of which makes communication far-too-easy. And when something becomes easy, it becomes not well done. Meaning slips and and your elusive ‘coherent vocabulary’ becomes harder and harder to apply. I think that if you look for them the words are there. But getting the words to hammer in the meaning you desire has forever become harder to do.
    I’ve just read Morality Play by Barry Unsworth. It is only 180 odd pages and worth reading for making you think about language and communication.

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