What week is it?

It's national "No Name-Calling Week," that's what it is. If you think I'm kidding, hit their website and see what they have to offer in the way of "just say no to name-calling" advice. Their URL is www.nonamecallingweek.com. Some people obviously have too much time on their hands, don't they?

I grant you, I know this is a serious problem in schools. When I was in grade school I was called many, many mean names because my last name was weird. I hated it. But do we really need a week dedicated to this? I mean come on, let's dedicate a week, just one week, to not dissing feeder pigs, perhaps, because they really get dissed all the time!

I've gotten better about not calling people names, especially if they are bigger than me. But rather than giving someone the finger in traffic, which I gave up long, long ago, despite how mad I get (Oh, okay, it's a program of rigorous honesty. Maybe I've done it a time or two in twenty-two years.), I do admit to muttering bad names under my breath when people almost kill me because they're talking on their DARN cell phones or cut me off in traffic.

But I love some insults; they just roll off the tongue. "Idiot." Now that has a great sound to it. Someone I know was interviewing a guy for a job the other day and he used the word "S---bag" a bunch of times in the interview! That's a word, in case you don't watch cop shows, that they use routinely.

I personally once slipped at work and called an attorney who was giving me a particularly hard time a "douche bag." My coworkers' mouths fell open, then they fell out laughing. I turned bright pink. (Get it, gals!)

But here's one great idea. Why not extend National No Name-Calling Week to be inclusive of women. How's about we ask entertainers, especially, to delete the word "bitch" from their stand-up comedy routines? Or the word "hooker"? How many times do you think Jay Leno says "hooker" on his show per week? Probably at least six times, if I'm not mistaken. Or the word "whore"? There's a guy on trial in Canada right now for killing 49 prostitutes and I won't go into any more details because it's simply too horrific. How many cops do you think called the victims "whores," these women who had mothers and sisters and probably children who are crying for them to come home yet they never will?

As long as we use words that describe "objects" and not women, words like "whore" and "hooker" and "stripper," it's much easier to see these women as disposable. Unfortunately, they are disposable, in society's eyes, at least.

I'm obviously on another rant. I'd better hang up. Until tomorrow, I won't call anyone a name if you don't.