Curbing Cursing / Open Lines

Hosted byKatherine Albrecht

Curbing Cursing / Open Lines

About the show

Filling in for George, guest host Katherine Albrecht (email) welcomed author and public relations executive James O'Connor, in the first hour, for a discussion on his campaign to end swearing in public. "So many people swear and they do it so frequently that it's gotten to be a little too much," he observed of the widespread use of expletives in society today. To that end, O'Connor confessed that after a lifetime of swearing, albeit not in public or in front of children, he was taken aback by the sheer amount of expletives he noticed people using during the 1990's. As such, he decided to simply stop swearing, which proved at first to be an impossible task. Ultimately, the lack of books or research into quitting swearing led him to create the Cuss Control Academy and write his book on how to curb the use of curse words.

O'Connor explained that there are two types of swearing: causal, which is due to an event, and casual, which is "not provoked by any emotion." He called the latter category "lazy language," where people use an expletive in place of the appropriate word. Although some critics argue that swearing is harmless, O'Connor contended that it can both offend listeners and bystanders as well as influence the way they judge the swearer. Additionally, he claimed that chronic cursers are "pretty miserable people, when you get right down to it," since their constant swearing is usually part of a larger pattern of complaining, name calling, and expressing negative emotions. For those who wish to curb their cursing, O'Connor advised that they become more cognizant of these negative connotations associated with swearers and pause before they would normally swear to find more appropriate words to use.

---------------------------------------

During Open Lines, Mike in Livermore, California expressed his concern that the UFO phenomenon is part of a larger demonic agenda to deliver the Antichrist to Earth in the guise of an alien. He theorized that the human race has been slowly acclimated to the idea of UFOs and aliens in order to allow this plan to come to fruition. Matt in Seattle echoed this concept and declared that the UFO phenomenon "has nothing to do with aliens coming from other solar systems or planets" and is, in fact, part of a "spiritual war" involving Satan. He also asserted that ghosts are not really the spirits of departed humans, but are "entities here to harass, intimidate, and weaken your faith."

Later in the program, Joe in Santa Fe shared a remarkable story from his days working as a sheriff's deputy. While stationed near the Sandia Mountains, he and his colleague suddenly spotted gargoyle-like creatures in front of his cruiser. These entities, Joe recalled, took an interest in some wild mustangs nearby and appeared to groom the animals which seemed to be in a trance. Troubled by the sighting, Joe and his cohort decided to return to the station and report the incident to their commander. Unfortunately, he advised them to never tell anyone about the experience, since people will think they were on drugs. Based on stories he's heard from others in the area, Joe surmised that perhaps the entities are part of a "race of creatures that live in huge caverns under the Sandia Mountains."

Websites:

Relevant Books:

Related Articles:

While 2013 may not have been the year that saw Bigfoot bagged or the Chupacabras captured, this past year boasted a surprising number of newly-discovered species. From the adorable olinguito (pictured) to the ghastly ghost shrimp of Catalina Island, a vast array of remarkable new animals and plants were found in both remote locations as well as more familiar locales. For a look at 13 of the most breathtaking animal and plant discoveries of 2013, check out this gallery at LiveScience.

Bumper Music