>I think you should take your
>own advice, dude.

I wouldn't disagree... if I had the slightest idea at what point I didn't take my own advice!

>>>as a result,
>>>we give it positive meaning
>>>so that we don't feel
>>>so encumbered to stop using
>>>it...
>>
>>Its use is not positive.
>
>how can YOU possibly define a
>word that millions of people
>use? That's what I don't
>get.

I can give my opinion or perception of its use. What's wrong with that? Isn't that what you're doing? Isn't that what everyone who has contributed to this discussion is doing?

>A word, any word, only possesses
>as much meaning as the
>person who uses it. If
>you don't like the use
>of the word, just don't
>say it. that's fine. But
>don't tell everyone else that
>they're wrong for using a
>word. This reminds me of
>the whole ebonics vs "good
>english" battle. No word or
>language is wrong if it
>is successfully used to communicate.

To me, that is a very faulty theory (the part about words, I mean - I agree regarding language). To use a very simple example of why (I could come up with a better one if I wasn't so lazy), if I call you a horrible name, I've communicated with or to you. Obviously I have, because you know that I have disrespected you. And all the chanting of "sticks and stones" cannot remove the negative prefix from "disrespect". Similarly, how can it not be good for me to show you respect?

http://bible.crosswalk.com/OnlineStudyBible/bible.cgi?passage=jas+3:5&version=rsv&context=1&showtools=1

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And now, an excerpt from Chike's List of Masterpieces:

Yi Yi - Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant Taiwanese film about life, family, stages of development, and emotions. Long as hell but there's nothing to cut. Superb pacing, photography, acting, dialogue, use of Taipei... everything. If you have patience, see it. So real, so engrossing, so insightful, so genius. Did I mention it was brilliant?