It's not a bad thing that we're called on to be more thoughtful in our use of words. I too have abandoned the use of "lame" to describe something I find lacking or awkward. It hasn't hurt me to do that, and maybe I'm avoiding causing someone else pain. On the other hand, IM (never H) O, we're also in a time of wild over-corrrection, in which people seem to be not only exquisitely touchy but actively looking for something that offends their sense of identity. Sigh.