I Swear, The F Bomb Is Out Of Control

It's "one of the most graphic, explicit and vulgar words in the English language," U.S. Solicitor General Gregory Garre proclaimed last fall, when the Supreme Court launched hearings on Federal Communications Commission v. Fox. If TV networks have their way, Garre argued in his opening statement on behalf of the FCC, it won't be long before Americans hear "Big Bird dropping the F-bomb on Sesame Street."

I don't know about Big Bird dropping the F bomb on Sesame Street, hopefully not but Monday I had the experience of having lunch at the cafeteria at the Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon. Sitting at the table next to me were five ladies, (?), obviously employees from their outfits and identification tabs. In their normal course of conversation the F word was being tossed around as casually as any other word in the English language. One lady in particular at the table used the word in almost every sentence she uttered. It actually became my noon hour entertainment as I munched on my healthy wrap and listened to these ladies in particular rap out what to many is a offensive word. It also got me thinking as to how much this F word has just become part of our everyday conversation. Is it no longer offensive to people? Have we become so accustomed to hearing this word that we no longer even blink or flinch? Are there no other words in our vocabulary that we could substitute and still get our point across. The funny thing in the hospital conversation was these ladies weren't angry. No one was upset. It was just regular everyday conversation.

The F Bomb of course has become accepted regular conversation used by Presidents, Vice Presidents, at least one Prime Minister, celebrities such as Joan Rivers, A Rod and others.

Looks like Garre needn't worry about puppet profanity. There may be hope at least south of the border and as far as your radio and television are concerned.
On April 28, the Supreme Court upheld the FCC policy of fining "fleeting expletives" like the one used by U2 front man Bono during his acceptance speech at the 2003 Golden Globes ("This is really, really bleeping brilliant"), to which the agency will no longer turn a blind eye — or deaf ear. Henceforth, stations both big and small can be fined as much as $325,000 for airing a single accidental (or deliberate) slip of the tongue during live prime-time broadcasts.

The ladies conversation at the Royal U got me wondering, where did this word come from, how did it come about?

First printed in a Scottish poem in 1503, the ancient and awesomely powerful F-bomb continues to mystify lexicographers. Rumors persist that legal acronyms spawned the obscenity in question ("Fornication Under Consent of the King" or the Irish police-blotter inscription "booked For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge"), though the modern-day phrase has been traced to a number of etymological origins: Middle Dutch (fokken), Germanic (ficken), English (firk), Scottish (fukkit). Even the Latin terms futuerre ("to copulate") and pungo ("to prick") bear a striking resemblance to the four-letter word. Of course, its original definition linking sex with violence and pleasure with pain has broadened considerably in the past 500 years.

People in the know tell me the F bomb is used most frequently in countries such as Canada and the United States.
Apparently, they say, North American's expressions of vulgarity seem to center around sex where other countries expressions and apparently language has something to do with this, center around religion. One report I read seemed to suggest the primary users of the F bomb are English speaking. Lucky us.
The most versatile word in our language can do almost anything, other than be printed in a family newspaper. It can be a noun, a verb, a gerund, an adjective or just an expletive. It can be literal or figurative. Although it has an explicit sexual meaning, it's usually used figuratively these days, as an all-purpose intensifier.

The F-word remains taboo. But just barely. We may be entering an era in which this fabled vulgarity is on its way to becoming just another word -- its transgressive energy steadily sapped by overuse.

Finally, A Lilly

Its been a long time growing but finally one of my four lilly pond plants has produced a beautiful yellow lilly. This is the longest they have ever taken which, I suppose, reflects the very cool May and June that we had.

A Young Mom's Encounter With A Rude Clerk!

I experienced an interesting encounter this morning at a local major grocery store between a rather rude male clerk and a young mother with two boys in tow.
It was pretty obvious this clerk didn't really like his job. The young mom was at the checkout counter putting her groceries through when the youngest of the two boys
(probably about four) brought up a toy in a package he had opened complete with all the plastic torn off. The mom explained to her son they would not be buying the toy and returned it to the clerk. The boy accepted the decision really well, no fusing, whining or crying. The clerk's reaction was well, different.
The mother apoligized to the clerk and handed him the package. The clerk took the package, rolled his eyes, emitted a loud sigh and then literally tossed the package over to the next counter obviously displaying his disgust.
The following dialogue then took place as near as I can remember it.
Clerk - Most people keep an eye on their kids when they are in the store.
Mom - I do keep an eye on my kids but you can't watch them every second of the day.
Clerk - Really, I thought that's what being a good mother was all about.
Mom - Pardon me,
Clerk - No reply
Mom - What did you say?
Clerk - No Reply
Mom - I am a good mom whether you think so or not.
Clerk - No Reply
The young mom then took her receipt and left the store having some trouble gathering her two boys.
I paid for my items and watched as the Mom exited the store.
The youngest boy (the one who took the toy) ran ahead of Mom and went out the in door instead of the exit of the automatic doors and was promptly knocked flat on his
ass by the door as a customer was making her entrance.
But you know what - you can't watch them every second of every day can you?

A Police Dog's Prayer

A police dog who did his job very well is taking a bit of a beating today for being a little to rough in taking down a knife wielding suspect.
Despite of and maybe because of all the bleeding hearts out there, we have far too many knife attacks in Saskatoon and this courageous dog took down a culprit with a knife and I say good for him.
Came accross this Police Dog's Prayer which I thought was very good.

A River Runs Through It

I shot these pictures on my way to North Battleford this morning. A torrential overnight down pour near Maymont caused flooding over the highway re-routing traffic both ways on Highway #16.
My pictures shot from a cell phone do not really give an indication of the massive water that was out there but on the east bound lane the water was right up over the highway. In the second picture, under all that water, is the two lane eastbound highway to Saskatoon. The highways department would not let me get out of the truck to take pictures but along the side of the highway there were uprooted tree trunks, logs and debris. A massive force is Mother Nature

What the World Really Needs.

I know, I know, Dusty Springfield sang,"What the world needs is Love, Sweet Love, but I really think what the world needs is A Happy Meal.
I stopped at the local Tim Hortons drive through this morning to place my order for a breakfast sandwich. When asked, I told the nice young girl that I would like a breakfast sandwich with bacon and cheese. I got my order, pulled away, and then opened it to find that I had received a breakfast sandwich with bacon and cheese but there was no egg.
Back through the drive through I went, into the long line, to sit and wait. Trying to explain what happened over those stupid speaker things was a nightmare so after several futile attempts, I just drove ahead to the window where a real person was.
I told the girl my breakfast sandwich had bacon and cheese but no egg. She rather haughtily told me, I needed to be more specific. If I had wanted egg, I should have said that. Well Ok, said I, I have ordered these before and always the same way and always got an egg. Well she said, she didn't know about that.
So I asked well what would have happened if I had ordered just a breakfast sandwich, if thats all I had said, would I just have gotten two biscuit halves stuck together without anything in between. I wouldn't know she said hottily and handed me the sandwich. I drove away thinking IF I ever come back, I must be more specific.
Speaking of drive through restaurants, heres a couple of interesting news items.
It’s safe to assume Joseph Henry Devalle didn’t order a Happy Meal.
The Golden Gate Estates man’s trip through a McDonald’s restaurant drive-through in North Naples began with an argument over his order and ended with his arrest after police found him at home with a drive-through attendant’s shirt.
The Collier County Sheriff’s Office gives this account:
Sheriff’s deputies responded early Saturday to the McDonald’s restaurant 11145 U.S. 41 North, and heard a complaint from a male employee, who was not named in the police report.
The employee took Devalle’s order at the drive-through, but Devalle, 37, complained it was incorrect. The employee repeated the order, but Devalle then took issue with the dollar amount. The argument escalated, and when Devalle pulled up to the drive-through window, the employee refused him service.
Eventually the employee put his arm in front of his face to indicate he wasn’t going to serve Devalle, but Devalle hit it out of the way. The employee then punched Devalle in the face.
Devalle responded by reaching into the drive-through window and trying to pull the employee outside. As Devalle continued to pull, he tore off the employee’s shirt. Devalle took the shirt and sped away in a green Honda. The employee got the car’s license plate number and called police.
Deputies went to Devalle’s residence, 374 Burnt Pine Drive, and found him with the employee’s shirt in tow. Devalle gave substantially the same account as the McDonald’s employee, but kept repeating that he was punched in the face.
Devalle was arrested and charged with misdemeanor battery because he was the aggressor, police said.
Angry Wendy's customer punches out drive-thru window
A customer at a Fort Myers Wendy's was arrested after he punched a drive-through window, reports the Fort Myers News-Press.
The customer walked into the fast food restaurant yelling and screaming about poor service after pulling out of the drive through.
So an employee handed him a 1-800 number if he wanted to file a complaint.
That's when the customer walked out of the restaurant and toward the drive-through window, punching through it.
When deputies found him, he told them “Yeah, I hear you are looking for me, all I did was break a window.”
Another guy who obviously needs a happy meal.
And last but not leastIn Fribourg, Switzerland, a 7-year-old McDonald's costumer got the remainder of someone else's Happy Meal in hers.
According to authorities the girl discovered a condom among her French fries.
The incident is under investigation and an analysis is underway to determine whether or not it poses a health risk.
The condom, that is.
And as for me, well a bowl of Shreddies at home is starting to look pretty good.

An Honest Politician

It would be a difficult task
An impossible mission
To try to find just one honest politician
On capital hill, a bitter pill
Isotope shortage, cancer concerns
A career builder Lisa Raitt discerns
Across the nation televisions blare
Of Mulroney’s airbus affair
Even municipal politics is not immune
For Ottawa’s mayor charges loom
Lets try Saskatchewan, land of wheat
Honesty, morals, values they keep
But alas, a leadership debate
Phony memberships, forged id’s
Waterhen gate
Try and try harder they insist
But unfortunately
An honest politician just doesn’t exist

My Canada Day Poem

I’m glad that I am a Canadian
I’m glad that I am free
But sometimes I wish I were a doggie
And Michael Ignatieff were a tree

I’ll bring down the government, yes I will
Wait, I won’t, no I might
It gives poor Stephen such a fright.
And pondering and pouting are Jack and Gilles
Left out of all the happenings on the hill

Its Canada Day and as a nation we are blessed
To have so much more than all the rest
Political parties we have four or five
To keep the Canadian dream alive

Liberals, Conservatives, NDP, Bloc, even Greens
Far more than we really need, it seems
Come fall, it surely will be election time
As we see Stephen and Mikey’s deal unwind

And then off to the polls we will go
And elect another minority government
Status quo.