EXACTING

Excessive use of the word, "exact," has watered down its meaning to near nothing.

They're looking for the (exact) cause of the fire.
They don't know the (exact) location of the bank robber.
Who do you think you are, exactly?!

Removing the unnecessary descriptors allows each sentence to stand on its own.

Same with a long list of embellishments the "news media" use to startle, unnerve, and rattle viewers and listeners, including:

devastating
deadly
massive
tragic

Consultants infected broadcast journalism many decades ago.  TV and radio stations hired these guys to recommend ways to improve ratings.  Based on those recommendations, management commanded reporters, editors, and writers to "Be more urgent!"  Make it sound exciting, they said.  And, oh, yeah, give the news department a sexy name:

"Eyewitness News"
"News Now"
"Action News"

Fox News caught on with very attractive anchors in short skirts.  High heels, shapely legs and exposed thighs racked up the ratings.  Hoo, boy!  Gimme that Fox News Alert!

CNN, which earned its reputation on breaking news, now overpaints everything.  The "Breaking News" banner never goes away, rendering the term meaningless.

English is a wonderful language.  She is also a moody, demanding mistress.  But play by her rules and treat her with respect, and she will shower you with clarity, verve and beauty

THEY'RE COMING

I recently retired after more than 40 years in major-market radio news.  My wife and I moved to a place with a population one-tenth the population of the big-city suburb we came from.  Here, there are mountains, trees, lakes, wildlife, a slower pace, and -- most important -- good, gentle people.

A major highway runs right through the place.  It's just four lanes, and there are several stop lights along the way.  No big deal to us, but it's a pain in the butt to folks just passing through.  And to commuters.  A few miles down the road lies a handful of small cities that are home to some very big corporations.  Some of those people people live here and commute to there.  They are busy, on a schedule, and important.  Many of the folks here were once busy, on schedules, and important.  Today, they are just folks, many of them busy in more enjoyable ways.

Our little town is growing like crazy as word spreads about how nice it is here.  The future is coming like a runaway freight train, and some people here are very, very worried about the impact.

For what it's worth, I witnessed a similar change in the suburb I left in North Texas.  The townspeople didn't want city folks moving in, spoiling the peace and quiet and small town neighborhoods, and bringing their fancy cars, their kids, and their busy-ness.  The city fathers wrung their hands, examined their options, and designed a plan.  It went something like this:

Whether we like it or not, these people are coming.  We cannot stop them.  But they're also bringing their disposable incomes, so let's be smart and get ahead of the game.  They'll need good streets, grocery stores, doctors, schools, parks, and Lord knows what else.  Let's expand as much as we can before they get here.  Let's at least begin putting down infrastructure: streets, power, water and sewer.

Because they're coming.

And the city fathers did just that.  With hundreds of millions of dollars in bond money, mile after mile of brand new streets extended beyond the town, right out into what were dirt roads in farmland.  It was a sight to behold, and the townsfolk drooled over four- and six-lane concrete boulevards where there was nothing else.  Still more bonds went to schools, police and fire, etc.

And sure enough, the people came.  And they loved it.  They spent their money there, sent their kids to the new schools, attended churches, got their cars washed and their lawns mowed.  Multinational corporations moved their headquarters from out of state, bringing thousands and thousands of jobs.  Driving schools popped up for transplanted Yankees who didn't know how to drive because they'd never needed cars.

So, how did things work out for that once-small town?  There were the expected growing pains, but the word "success" applied for many, many years.  Today, it's a city of a quarter-million residents.  It has some of the attendant pains of a city that size, but fewer than most.  Now, more distant suburbs are the hip addresses in the market.  They, and the suburb I used to live in, are all part of the largest MSA in the South: more than seven million people in 13 counties.

My new address is in a beautiful little town founded in the early 20th century, and then only for people 55 and over.

But "they" are coming.  I know, because I am a "they."  I love this place and her people.  Sure, there are problems and rascals that I haven't learned of yet and yes, I miss some big-city conveniences.

This village is indeed a little slice of heaven.  It can retain its charm if our city leaders govern wisely and prudent.

Because they're coming.