Congress Speaks Like Tenth Graders.

According to the Sunlight Foundation, our representatives in Congress speak at a tenth grade level.  Here's what they have to say:

Congress now speaks at almost a full grade level lower than it did just seven years ago, with the most conservative members of Congress speaking on average at the lowest grade level, according to a new Sunlight Foundation analysis of the Congressional Record using Capitol Words.

Of course, what some might interpret as a dumbing down of Congress, others will see as more effective communications. And lawmakers of both parties still speak above the heads of the average American, who reads at between an 8^th and 9^th grade level.

Today’s Congress speaks at about a 10.6 grade level, down from 11.5 in 2005. By comparison, the U.S. Constitution is written at a 17.8 grade level, the Federalist Papers at a 17.1 grade level, and the Declaration of Independence at a 15.1 grade level. The Gettysburg Address comes in at an 11.2 grade level and Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech is at a 9.4 grade level. Most major newspapers are written at between an 11^th and 14^th grade level. (You can find more comparisons here)

Normally I'd poke fun at such a statistic, but I really can't.  See, as much as I would like for my representatives to be intelligent (and therefore speak with an air of intelligence and reason), that's far too much to ask for from a country that averages as 8th-9th grade readers. 

Maybe there IS something in our drinking water after all...

One more thing to put this whole statistic into perspective.  THESE are sophomores (10th graders) in high school:

Young, right?  Now how do you feel about our congressmen and women speaking like tenth graders?

Steve Doocy Proves He Is Not A Journalist (As If He Needed To).

"Fox & Friends" television personality and part-time Strutting Leo Impersonator Steve Doocy (pictured above) recently came under fire for his underhanded interpretation of something that President Obama said.  He and the rest of Roger Ailes' cronies over at Faux News have been trying to twist Obama's "silver spoon" quote for a few days now by making seem like it was an attack on Romney.  This all culminated on Thursday when none other than Mitt Romney himself was interviewed on "Fox & Friends" by Doocy.

Wondering how Romney was reacting to the latest jab from the president, Doocy brought him up to speed: "He said, uh, 'Unlike some people, I wasn't born with a silver spoon in my mouth'."  Burn, right?  Except President Obama never said, "Unlike some people."  In fact, he wasn't even talking about Mitt Romney.  He was talking about education beyond high school.

What he said was: "We created a foundation for those of us to prosper.  Somebody gave me an education.  I wasn't born with a silver spoon in my mouth.  Michele wasn't.  But somebody gave us a chance."

How To Write A Successful Blog!

I'm always trying to come up with new ways to make this blog better.  From the layout to the color scheme, I try to find something that is as pleasing to the soul as it is to the eye.  The biggie?  Voice.  How you, dear readers, interpret my words and hear my voice means a lot.  It is the difference between you understanding what I'm saying and you thinking that I'm just an asshole with a computer spouting nonsense.

So in an effort to revamp A Sane Break From The Insanity, I spent a good hour perusing other people's blogs right here on Blogger.  All of the knowledge that I gained in that small window of time could fill libraries and, since I am a contributing member of the internet society (not to mention I don't want all of this success for myself!), I decided to make a list of what I learned.  Here are the eight things you need to do to make your blog better!

Is Submission A Form Of Respect In A Christian Marriage?

The Iowa Straw Poll Debate came and went with nothing really turning up that hasn't been heard before.  The candidates stuck to their typical reality-bending, non-factual arguments (some of which have literally been debunked publicly by experts and analysts on their respective subjects) and, as always, their fearmongering.  But the award for "best shitty answer on-the-fly" has to go to Congresswoman Bachmann.  For some back story on her answer, let's turn to this quick, two minute video.  Pay really close attention from the 30 second mark on.  

"From there, my husband said, 'Now you need to go get a post-doctorate degree in tax law'.  Tax law?  I hate taxes.  Why should I go and do something like that?  But the Lord says, 'Be submissive.'  Wives, you are to be submissive to your husband... I was going to be faithful to what God was calling me to do through my husband."

How Languages Die...LoL!

LAUL OUT LOUD!

Have you ever wondered how Latin died out as a language?  Me too!  Unfortunately, I would rather make up a reason in order to prove my point than tell you the real one!  You see, it is my belief that the Romans were so exhausted from killing Barbarians, non-Christians, Pagans, and each other, that they got really tired of speaking and writing in long, complete sentences.  Latin became known only to the people that needed to know it (priests and the like) and everyone else briefly forgot how to communicate until the Italian language came into existence.  

I see this happening now, and have seen it happening ever since AIM was cool back in the fourth grade. It bothered me then, and it bothers me to this day.  Maybe it's the English major in me, I don't know, but holy fuck, does anybody know how to use commas and apostrophes anymore?  Or capital letters?  

Before this goes any further, there are a few issues I would like to clarify:

1) I want it known that I am not targeting people that do this every now and then.  My issue is more with the concept of shortening words and eliminating basic grammar than it is with the people that do it.  

2) Yes, you've seen me use what is called (whether you know it or not 1337 speek, or "leet speak") in several of my posts, but notice that I only do it for a laugh.  In other words, there isn't a font for "moron" so I use this leet speak.
3) I realize that texting and Twitter makes long typing difficult.  I don't have any problem with the texting (if you have received one from me, I'm sure you noticed that I do my best to actually use grammar) because the cell phone companies have our balls in a vice-grip on that one.  And Twitter's purpose is to keep what you say short, although I would argue that if you have to use leet speak to avoid going over the 140 character limit, you're probably missing the point of Twitter.

Public Service Announcement: The Word "Irregardless".

Hello.  My name is Shaun, and I am here to talk to you about a disastrous plague that is sweeping the English language- people that say "irregardless" in conversations, or in writing.  Some of you know it as "Never Learned It" syndrome.  Others know it as "It's fun to Say"-itis.  But the scientific term for it is Ignorance.  The dictionary defines Ignorance as a "lack of knowledge, information, or education".  In other words, people that say "irregardless" are extremely stupid.