it's that time of year again.. NOT!

you've probably never heard of the Lake Superior State University, and probably never will either. one of its claims to fame is that its on the northernmost tip of Michigan before Canada at Sault Sainte Marie. the other is the annual 'Banished Words List'..

"Each new year brings another installment of the school's List of Words and Phrases Banished from the Queen's English for Mis-Use, Over-Use and General Uselessness. It has been going strong since 1976 and receives significant media coverage. Word-watchers pull nominations throughout the year from everyday speech, as well as from the news, fields of education, technology, advertising, politics, and more. A committee gathers the entries and chooses the best in December. The list is released on New Year's Day." - From Wiki.

the words to be banned from 2008 are:

Environmental buzzwords are getting the axe this year - GREEN, CARBON FOOTPRINT or CARBON OFFSETTING
Presidential election years are always ripe for language abuse - MAVERICK, FIRST DUDE
Of course, the economy couldn't escape the list this year - BAILOUT, WALL STREET/MAIN STREET
Internet and texting blues - MONKEY, <3
Overuse in news and entertainment - ICON or ICONIC, GAME CHANGER, STAYCATION, DESPERATE SEARCH, NOT SO MUCH, WINNER OF FIVE NOMINATIONS, IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN

seasons greetings!

hey there everyone.. here's wishing you all a happy holidays, whatever you may be celebrating.. even if you aren't celebrating anything.

stay safe and party hard.. don't drink and drive.. feel free to eat too much, resolution time is coming soon!

(Click on the picture for a special surprise!)

any port in a storm

the ice storm from yesterday sure caused a ruckus and a half. we only just got our power back - over a million people in the Northeast still have no power, and it might take into next week before electricity services are resumed.



an ice storm occurs when a rare combination of low pressure, moist air, and cold, powerful winds produces an ice front - yesterday night's punishing ice storm swept through the region, felling countless power lines and trees and closing hundreds of roads. the weight of the ice bows trees down, and strong winds snap branches, stems and utility poles.