How to green your mavericky list of overused words from Wall Street to Main Street

Lake Superior State University has put together their 2009 "List of Words to Be Banished from the Queen's English for Mis-use, Over-use and General Uselessness". I can certainly get behind such a list as I am often the offender and sometimes the offended. The list has words you might suspect:

From the election: Maverick, First Dude

From the economy: Wall Street/Main Street - caused a great amount of intoxication during a Presidential debate drinking game earlier this year.

One my personal annoyances is "green", since it is used pretty indiscriminately on things that could never be conceived of as good for the environment.

I encourage you to read the comments on the list as their are some suggestions for additions (such as robust as a verb).

Snow birds not always white or in the snow

These northern juncos (also called a "slate colored" junco or the dark-eyed junco) have been flitting all over the backyard lately. They are listed in Peterson's Eastern Bird Guide under snowbirds and close examination of their range map shows that they winter in Delaware and to the south. It is interesting to think of Delaware in the winter as the south that more northerly dwelling birds fly to, even as our summer birds fly farther south.


This one looks like a male with its slate colored top and white belly. You can also see the characteristic white tail feathers on the outside of the tail. The tail is a flashes white when they fly around.


This more dun version is a female. The boys tend get to wear the more fancy clothes in the bird kingdom. It does have dark eyes and a seed breaking beak.

Freezing rain takes down a tree on Shellpot Creek

Lynn actually heard this tree fall about an hour ago. We ran out to see what happened and see that it has fallen across the creek.



This tree belongs to the folks across the creek and is one of the trees I expected to fall soon. I suppose the freezing rain weighed it down, and the rain of the past few days loosened the soil so that gravity and wind could take it down. Too bad it is completely blocking the creek. I will need to explore my previous picks of across the creek to find a before picture.

The Greatest Looney Tunes of all times

Cartoon Brew wants your help to pick the 100 greatest Looney Tunes cartoons of all times. Animation historian Jerry Beck is writing a book collecting the 100 best Looney Tunes cartoons and is asking for comments and opinions about what you think the greatest are.

I am partial to the Gremlins one from World war II where Bugs Bunny deals with a gremlin on an airplane. I also liked the Porky in Wackyland cartoon where Porky hunts for the last of the dodoes (I am sure in my youth I saw the colored remake Dough for the Do-Do). There are so many favorites from my youth. Remember Bugs against the opera singer where he plays the tuba for a short bit during the cartoon? Remember the "shoot him now" duck hunting season with Bugs Bunny, Elmer Fudd and Daffy Duck?

There is a full list of every title available here. I don't know a tenth of them, and I certainly don't know them by titles. Many classic cartoons from the 30's and 40's can be found at the Internet Archive. Watching all of them and forming an opinion is probably a task for an crazy fan from the internet.

Candy Cane Lighted Christmas Trees

Last year I was too timid to try anything complicated so I just had red trees or white trees. I wrapped the trees in front to as far as I could. I had dreams of striping the trees with the lights like a candy cane so this year that's what I did. I think it turned out well.


I only wrap the trunks because that is all I can reach without equipment, these trees are tall. It is my sparse modernist interpretation of decorating trees with Christmas lights.

Rain swollen creek off its peak

Last night Shellpot Creek was even higher than this after the two days of rain we had. The rain and rising creek means the varius brush piles in the creek move around and change position but never go away.

Adding a second to the year

I appreciated Howard's take on the leap second to be added this year on December 31st. he cries that it is one extra second more until President-elect Obama can take office. Rachel Maddow echoes his sentiment when she points out that the official atomic clocks are at the Naval Observatory, which happens to be Vice President Cheney's home. She fears that he may add seconds just to prolong his reign.

Other reasons for disappointment around the leap second might be:

One observer complained, first they added a whole day to the year and now they are squeezing in seconds? Will this year never end.

Corporations will attempt to wring one second more earnings from an already tough year and beleaguered workforce.

I have to wait one more second until the Mummer's Parade.

One more second for the market to drop!

I am sure that it will be fine.

Are you a dangerous driver?

A quick quiz to tell whether you are safe while driving or if people should run for their lives.

Created by The Car Connection

I achieved a stellar C with 59%. I am probably only a hazard to myself. Time to schedule another defensive driving course.

(via Presurfer)

VOLATLTY license plate in New York

It is probably reasonable to guess that this VOLATLTY license plate on a Mercedes in New York City belongs to a stockbroker or someone in the financial services industry. It is oh so appropriate these days.

Happy Delaware Day

On this day in 1787, Delaware became the first state to ratify the Constitution of the United States, earning the honor of being the First State. Today is also the 75th anniversary of Delaware Day, a celebration instituted to commemorate this honor.