Topic: New Speak

ABC News reports that the proportion of COVID deaths among the fully vaccinated rose from 19% in August to 40% in February. Despite these figures, health experts maintain that the data "reaffirms the incredible protection" of the vaccines. This messaging is criticized as "double-speak," where negative outcomes are framed as proof of the product's success.

A segment on BBC Radio 4 discussed the British trend of adding "edges" and "as-as" to words, such as calling Madonna "Madge." This led to a discussion of Australian slang abbreviations like "ambo" (ambulance), "garbo" (garbage man), "servo" (service station), and "tradie" (tradesperson). The hosts joked that using these terms constitutes "cultural appropriation" of Australian culture.

The discussion critiques Kirby's use of the term "colloquial" to dismiss the common understanding of military deployment. An anecdote about the arrogance of Navy officers regarding local pollution laws is used to illustrate the perceived personality traits of high-ranking military spokespeople.

The hosts experiment with "new speak" terms such as "native incumbent citizen privilege" and "non-disabled" as satirical social commentary. John C. Dvorak notes significant errors in the current donation spreadsheet, mentioning that a large contribution from Dame Astrid is missing. They decide to proceed with the available data while acknowledging the numbers are currently inaccurate.

The University of New Hampshire's glossary of preferred terms is critiqued, specifically the replacement of "senior citizen" with "people of advanced age." The guide suggests using "person experiencing homelessness" instead of "homeless" and "person of size" instead of "obese." The hosts compare the clinical, long-form language to police reports and express skepticism about the practicality of these linguistic shifts.

An ABC News investigation revealed that Bill Clinton sought approval from the State Department to give high-paid speeches in North Korea and the Democratic Republic of the Congo while Hillary Clinton served as Secretary of State. Although the State Department declined these specific requests, records show Bill Clinton earned over $48 million in speaking fees during his wife's tenure. The report highlights potential conflicts of interest involving the Clinton Foundation and foreign regimes.

The economics of speaking at major trade shows like CES and the New Media Expo are criticized for being "pay-to-play" systems. Organizers often expect speakers to participate for free or even pay for the slot, while the conferences generate millions in profit. This model is seen as detrimental to independent writers and solo speakers who have no corporate backing to fund their appearances.