Shed This!

In the interests of pursuing George Carlin's ongoing war against the dilution of descriptive language, I wish to implore my fellow South Africans to resist the despicable euphemism being thrust upon us by the Powers That Be around here.

"Load Shedding" is a term that cropped up a few months ago when Eskom (the South African power-supply company, partially owned by the government) were unable to meet the power usage needs of our flourishing civilisation, and were forced to switch off certain areas of the power grid from time to time.

Don't get me wrong, the term clearly has a specific technical meaning that is probably very relevant to the folks in the power-generation business. But it is of no concern to us, the consumers, who rely on that power not only for our comfort and convenience, but in some cases for our livelihoods and even for our very lives! To us, using a term like this is a blatant attempt to make a bad thing sound like a technical necessity, and something that we should be 'on-board' with... in the public interest.

I call bullshit.

I submit that we should resist allowing these pompous Public Relations BMIs (Brainfart Marketing Idiots) to twist our vocabulary to conceal their shortcomings. I suggest that we call these events what they really are: Power Failures.

That is, in essence, what they are. Loadshedding is a direct result of the utter failure of those in power to adequately predict, plan for and provide for our needs. It is a failure by those in power... a power failure.

Let us not mince words, and let me post this before the next scheduled Power Failure takes effect.