"Take my money ... please," said the Henny Youngman Central Bank as it set its key interest rate below zero.
The good news for the U.S. economy the past few days has included more jobs, a lower unemployment rate and another rise in Gross Domestic Product.
The not-so-good news is that other major nations are still struggling, including a "slowdown and rebalancing" in China, increasing pressure for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union, a negative interest rate from Japan's central bank, and confusion among delegates to the World Economic Forum as to the direction of the world's economy.
So while the U.S. is economically healthy, the rest of the world is not so much.
The International Monetary Fund sees "subdued demand and diminished prospects" among emerging market and developing countries. And since these nations account for more than 70 percent of global growth, this does not bode well for the world. Moreover, the IMF noted, economic activity here declined for the fifth consecutive year.
Last week, the Commerce Department reported GDP growth in the fourth quarter of 2015 of 0.7 percent, compared to an increase of 2.0 percent in the third quarter. Separately, the IMF predicted that U.S. total output would rise by 2.6 percent this year, compared to 2.5 percent in 2015.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Labor said Friday that the nation added 151,000 jobs in January, making for 71 consecutive months of private sector job growth, for a total of 14 million jobs added since early 2010. The unemployment rate slipped to 4.9 percent, half what it was seven years ago, prompting President Barack Obama to say these are all good signs for the U.S., even as he warned of global weakness.
Now, Republican candidates in the current presidential race will have to find something else to talk about, Obama noted, instead of lamenting what they claim is the economic gloom and doom that America faces.
Friday, February 5, 2016
Emoticonspiracy
"The French don't care what you do, actually, as long as you pronounce it properly." -- Prof. Henry Higgins in "My Fair Lady."
#JeSuisCirconflexe -- Social media hashtag.
The Academie Francaise said students should not be penalized when they fail to use accent marks when preparing assignments. And when several book publishers said they will include sans-circumflex spellings in textbooks, the result was fury and outrage.
How are students to know how to pronounce a word if accent markings are missing? Where will all those orphaned cedilles hang out? This is a grave, if not an acute, problem.
"A sad day," said one observer. "First cursive writing went out the window. Now the digital keyboard may be in decline. We may be left with nothing but the emoticon," the observer lamented. "Words will simply fail us entirely."
Moreover, the crisis has gone international, prompting France's education minister to say the changes will not mean the end of the circumflex, according to a BBC report, and that both old and new spellings will remain correct. The circumflex is the hat-like symbol over vowels that indicates a pronunciation change.
Part of the reason for the move is the increasing dominance of computer keyboards in writing, since finding the various accent marks requires additional work. But this "dumbing down" of the writing process n'es pas un excuse, say protesters, and this was aggravated by the listing of more than 2,000 French words with proposed new spellings.
The French Academy has long been known for its fierce defence of linguistic purity, leading to a ban on the import of le weekend into the language.
While it's true that English has for centuries borrowed, adopted, taken, or stolen many words from French and other languages, dropping accent markings in the process, this is no consolation to the warriors in la guerre linguistique.
The language war accelerated after reports that publishers would add spelling reforms in books for the upcoming academic year. Students will then have a choice, the BBC reported, to use either the old spellings or the new ones, and teachers will have to accept both as correct.
Good luck with that one. Or as it might appear in the new French version, Bon chance avec ce ca.
Somehow it doesn't look the same without the cedille hanging there.
#JeSuisCirconflexe -- Social media hashtag.
The Academie Francaise said students should not be penalized when they fail to use accent marks when preparing assignments. And when several book publishers said they will include sans-circumflex spellings in textbooks, the result was fury and outrage.
How are students to know how to pronounce a word if accent markings are missing? Where will all those orphaned cedilles hang out? This is a grave, if not an acute, problem.
"A sad day," said one observer. "First cursive writing went out the window. Now the digital keyboard may be in decline. We may be left with nothing but the emoticon," the observer lamented. "Words will simply fail us entirely."
Moreover, the crisis has gone international, prompting France's education minister to say the changes will not mean the end of the circumflex, according to a BBC report, and that both old and new spellings will remain correct. The circumflex is the hat-like symbol over vowels that indicates a pronunciation change.
Part of the reason for the move is the increasing dominance of computer keyboards in writing, since finding the various accent marks requires additional work. But this "dumbing down" of the writing process n'es pas un excuse, say protesters, and this was aggravated by the listing of more than 2,000 French words with proposed new spellings.
The French Academy has long been known for its fierce defence of linguistic purity, leading to a ban on the import of le weekend into the language.
While it's true that English has for centuries borrowed, adopted, taken, or stolen many words from French and other languages, dropping accent markings in the process, this is no consolation to the warriors in la guerre linguistique.
The language war accelerated after reports that publishers would add spelling reforms in books for the upcoming academic year. Students will then have a choice, the BBC reported, to use either the old spellings or the new ones, and teachers will have to accept both as correct.
Good luck with that one. Or as it might appear in the new French version, Bon chance avec ce ca.
Somehow it doesn't look the same without the cedille hanging there.
Wednesday, February 3, 2016
Editor's Twitch
Editors unite! You have nothing to lose but your pencils!
Editor's Twitch is what happens when you see writing from supposedly professional users of the language -- including grammar school teachers charged with educating your children -- that is so unwieldy that you suffer a nervous twitch and want to retaliate by editing and correcting the offensive phrasing and return it to the teacher and the principal.
You know you have Editor's Twitch when you're compelled to edit and correct sale signs in department stores.
You know you're in a stable relationship when your partner is no longer embarrassed when you do.
Here's something for educators to remember: Assigning essays as a punishment is more than counterproductive, it's downright destructive, because it teaches students to hate writing.
Educators are supposed to encourage love of writing, not inflict it as punishment.
Editor's Twitch is what happens when you see writing from supposedly professional users of the language -- including grammar school teachers charged with educating your children -- that is so unwieldy that you suffer a nervous twitch and want to retaliate by editing and correcting the offensive phrasing and return it to the teacher and the principal.
You know you have Editor's Twitch when you're compelled to edit and correct sale signs in department stores.
You know you're in a stable relationship when your partner is no longer embarrassed when you do.
Here's something for educators to remember: Assigning essays as a punishment is more than counterproductive, it's downright destructive, because it teaches students to hate writing.
Educators are supposed to encourage love of writing, not inflict it as punishment.
News and Gossip
Gossip is what people want to know.
News is what they need to know.
Who decides which is news and which is gossip? In ordinary conversation, it depends on who's talking and who's listening. News to one is gossip to another.
In journalism, however, there is often a thin line between the two, but even so, a decision must be made. Information that is crucial to one person is irrelevant, useless or boring to another.
Reporters and editors decide every day, and in broadcasting every hour, which item to use which to leave aside, all while keeping in mind that "all news is local." A local daily or weekly newspaper will print items that to a major metro daily is back-fence gossip. And an American television station will carry material that a Canadian facility will not. And vice versa. Such decisions are called news judgment. For example, how often do U.S. viewers see televised reports about politics in Canada or Mexico? Unless one lives in one of the border states, the answer is, seldom.
Unless a piece of information about what's happening in the neighborhood, the city, the state, the nation or the world has some relevance to readers and viewers, that story will be deemed either news or gossip. There are, of course, gossip sheets in print and TV programs that feature similar information.
Each has its readers and viewers, and decisions as to which is which are made daily by reporters and editors on one side and by readers and viewers on the other.
It's called freedom of the press, marketing, and satisfying a demand.
Look on it as a variation of Economics 101, the Law of Supply and Demand.
News is what they need to know.
Who decides which is news and which is gossip? In ordinary conversation, it depends on who's talking and who's listening. News to one is gossip to another.
In journalism, however, there is often a thin line between the two, but even so, a decision must be made. Information that is crucial to one person is irrelevant, useless or boring to another.
Reporters and editors decide every day, and in broadcasting every hour, which item to use which to leave aside, all while keeping in mind that "all news is local." A local daily or weekly newspaper will print items that to a major metro daily is back-fence gossip. And an American television station will carry material that a Canadian facility will not. And vice versa. Such decisions are called news judgment. For example, how often do U.S. viewers see televised reports about politics in Canada or Mexico? Unless one lives in one of the border states, the answer is, seldom.
Unless a piece of information about what's happening in the neighborhood, the city, the state, the nation or the world has some relevance to readers and viewers, that story will be deemed either news or gossip. There are, of course, gossip sheets in print and TV programs that feature similar information.
Each has its readers and viewers, and decisions as to which is which are made daily by reporters and editors on one side and by readers and viewers on the other.
It's called freedom of the press, marketing, and satisfying a demand.
Look on it as a variation of Economics 101, the Law of Supply and Demand.
Grammar Grab Bag
"Who" is for people, "that" is for things.
Good stories write themselves. The trick for the writer is to open a channel to the heart of the story and let its spirit light up the page. Nonstandard grammar, unless needed to personify the character, distracts the reader from following the path of the story.
Moreover, the reader may not be aware of the nonstandard usage, but on some level it will slow down the telling. Worse, when the reader recognizes a misuse but can't place why, the reader stops to puzzle about it, which slows the story line even more.
Here are some recent examples: A candidate said during one of the debates, "We need a leader that ..." Standard usage specifies "who" for people and "that" for things. Another speaker said, "Like you're saying ..." This distracts listeners/readers because they know even on a subconscious level the word "as" makes for better flow.
Standards change, of course. Words and phrases change. New words are coined daily, and some survive to become widely accepted, while others are rejected.
Nonetheless, there are standards, even though these, too, evolve and change. Standard usage of 1916 may be considered archaic today, and popular words of 1956 may be considered rude today.
Society changes, and language changes with it. Acceptable behavior then may not be acceptable now, and some examples could include women's right to vote and segregated schools. Both issues were not only widely accepted, but enforced by law.
However, times change. Attitudes change. Laws change. What may have been legal and moral a few decades ago is no longer legal nor moral in today's society. And language changes to reflect a society's cultural, legal and moral values.
Good stories write themselves. The trick for the writer is to open a channel to the heart of the story and let its spirit light up the page. Nonstandard grammar, unless needed to personify the character, distracts the reader from following the path of the story.
Moreover, the reader may not be aware of the nonstandard usage, but on some level it will slow down the telling. Worse, when the reader recognizes a misuse but can't place why, the reader stops to puzzle about it, which slows the story line even more.
Here are some recent examples: A candidate said during one of the debates, "We need a leader that ..." Standard usage specifies "who" for people and "that" for things. Another speaker said, "Like you're saying ..." This distracts listeners/readers because they know even on a subconscious level the word "as" makes for better flow.
Standards change, of course. Words and phrases change. New words are coined daily, and some survive to become widely accepted, while others are rejected.
Nonetheless, there are standards, even though these, too, evolve and change. Standard usage of 1916 may be considered archaic today, and popular words of 1956 may be considered rude today.
Society changes, and language changes with it. Acceptable behavior then may not be acceptable now, and some examples could include women's right to vote and segregated schools. Both issues were not only widely accepted, but enforced by law.
However, times change. Attitudes change. Laws change. What may have been legal and moral a few decades ago is no longer legal nor moral in today's society. And language changes to reflect a society's cultural, legal and moral values.
Tuesday, February 2, 2016
Grammar and Standards
Editors and those knowledgeable about language hear sounds and pronunciations that vary widely from standard usage.
Spelling and grammar are critical elements in establishing a standard. Pronunciation may vary according to regional and social dialects, but spelling does not. Some writers use dialectal spellings to establish a character, and this is a useful device. But in doing so, the writer risks losing the attention of the reader. Therefore, writing in dialect should be done sparingly, and only in dialog passages to fix the social status of the character.
While there are certainly many variations in speech patterns, grammar and usage, there is general agreement on a standard, which enables users in a nation with numerous dialects to communicate in writing with relative ease.
Moreover, unless the regional or social level of the speaker is essential to the nature of the character, people in broadcasting or show business should use what some linguists call the "standard American written English," with appropriate speech patterns to match.
There are exceptions, of course. Dr. Phil McGraw relies heavily on his Texas drawl to establish his TV persona, and may not have achieved the success he has without it.
On the other hand, letters and sounds that are dropped by some news announcers can detract from the attention span of listeners. It's common in many dialects to drop consonants -- in particular a T or a D -- from the middle of a word, or to change a T to a D between two vowels.
For example, here are some pronunciations heard on Philadelphia TV stations:
"Two hunnerd dollars." "Dennisry," when referring to the work of a dentist. And "Alannic Siddy," the town famous for its Boardwalk and casinos on the coast of New Jersey.
Dialectology and Sociolinguistics are important fields, and are to be honored for their contributions to the study of language and social relationships.
At the same time, however, there are standards for effective communication, and it's important for writers and broadcasters to adhere to these standards, if only because failure to do so detracts from the message.
Spelling and grammar are critical elements in establishing a standard. Pronunciation may vary according to regional and social dialects, but spelling does not. Some writers use dialectal spellings to establish a character, and this is a useful device. But in doing so, the writer risks losing the attention of the reader. Therefore, writing in dialect should be done sparingly, and only in dialog passages to fix the social status of the character.
While there are certainly many variations in speech patterns, grammar and usage, there is general agreement on a standard, which enables users in a nation with numerous dialects to communicate in writing with relative ease.
Moreover, unless the regional or social level of the speaker is essential to the nature of the character, people in broadcasting or show business should use what some linguists call the "standard American written English," with appropriate speech patterns to match.
There are exceptions, of course. Dr. Phil McGraw relies heavily on his Texas drawl to establish his TV persona, and may not have achieved the success he has without it.
On the other hand, letters and sounds that are dropped by some news announcers can detract from the attention span of listeners. It's common in many dialects to drop consonants -- in particular a T or a D -- from the middle of a word, or to change a T to a D between two vowels.
For example, here are some pronunciations heard on Philadelphia TV stations:
"Two hunnerd dollars." "Dennisry," when referring to the work of a dentist. And "Alannic Siddy," the town famous for its Boardwalk and casinos on the coast of New Jersey.
Dialectology and Sociolinguistics are important fields, and are to be honored for their contributions to the study of language and social relationships.
At the same time, however, there are standards for effective communication, and it's important for writers and broadcasters to adhere to these standards, if only because failure to do so detracts from the message.
Broadcast Dialect
All dialects are equal. Each enables its speakers to communicate easily and effectively. Some dialects are perceived as "better," because they have more prestige. That, however, is a social judgment, not linguistic.
Moreover, those who want a career in public speaking tend to use a prestige dialect, and one of these can be called the "broadcast dialect," the manner of speaking most readily understood by more people, and not easily identified with any regional or social group. Related to this job requirement is the ability to speak persuasively, even while reading.
Reading aloud is a skill, and the secret of public speaking is the ability to read aloud without sounding like you're reading aloud.Broadcast Dialect
Student emulate their teachers. Children learn to read from teachers who speak the same way. Result: Young people read aloud in the same manner their teachers used -- a monotone.
Perhaps teachers should take a required course in public speaking so they would not inflict monotonous speaking on future generations.
Moreover, those who want a career in public speaking tend to use a prestige dialect, and one of these can be called the "broadcast dialect," the manner of speaking most readily understood by more people, and not easily identified with any regional or social group. Related to this job requirement is the ability to speak persuasively, even while reading.
Reading aloud is a skill, and the secret of public speaking is the ability to read aloud without sounding like you're reading aloud.Broadcast Dialect
Student emulate their teachers. Children learn to read from teachers who speak the same way. Result: Young people read aloud in the same manner their teachers used -- a monotone.
Perhaps teachers should take a required course in public speaking so they would not inflict monotonous speaking on future generations.
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