THE OH-OHS: It's not just that I'll read any article about our nation's continuing failure to put a name on this decade; it's the use of the following analogy by the Washington Post's Michael Rosenwald which will take some readers here back more than a decade to the pre-WWW version of this blog ...

"It's really kind of amusing to me," said Dennis Baron, a University of Illinois linguist and curator of a Web site that decodes language in the news. "People think if we don't have anything to call the decade, that maybe we will forget it, that it will be some kind of orphan decade, that it won't exist. But it's simply not true."

For evidence, see: the romantic partner of an older adult who is not married. The phenomenon exists; there just isn't a good, specific word for it.

"If you are 60 years old, saying 'my girlfriend' sounds stupid," Sheidlower said. " 'Partner' sounds too businesslike or suggests a gay relationship. 'Companion' doesn't sound romantic. The Census Bureau calls it POSSLQ -- persons of opposite sex sharing living quarters. That obviously doesn't work. The fact that there is a need for a word doesn't mean it will arise."

I think we settled on "lover," just because it was too amusing not to use. Either that or "special lady."

MAYBE THIS WAS AN ILL-FATED GIFT CHOICE: My father attempting to Wii Bowl sounds frightfully like Monica Seles playing tennis, complete with the grunting. Video may follow.

OUR PERENNIAL CHRISTMAS NUMBER ONE: Live, St. Patrick's Day, 1988.

MALCOLM GLADWELL IS NEVER OUT OF STYLE: As we start the ushering-out of 2009, it's worth recalling that at the start of the year the WaPo's Hank Stuever (as he does every year, and we do blog about it) attempted to predict what would be "in" and "out" in 2009. Some of his soothsaying proved correct (Senators in, Governors out; honeycrisp apples in, fujis out); some didn't ("slow blogging" did not trample tweeting; Dwight & Angela did not prove more compelling than Pam & Jim); I'm calling Fleet Foxes v. Kings of Leon a draw; and in a typographical battle this writers is keenly interested in, I'm not sure if REVENGE OF CAPS LOCK has, indeed, negated my occasional need to Emphasize. Things. With. Periods.

HE SAID THAT A MAN COULD GET LOST IN THERE AND NEVER BE HEARD FROM AGAIN: Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon have split.

ALL THAT'S MISSING IS A CAMEO FROM XAVIER MCDANIEL: Commenter Stacey wanted to clue us in on a battle that's been raging in the Seattle suburbs -- between the Shorewood and Shorecrest High Schools in the realm of all-school lip-syncing (or, apparently, "lip dubbing"). Yes, the Shorecrest filmed-in-a-single-take "Hey Ya" is an impressive technical feat ... but then, OMG (as the kids would say, as I understand it) the Shorewood response is blow-your-mind awesome. I won't spoil the twist, though there's some background here to read when you're done. Enjoy, and know that at least in the Pacific Northwest the kids may, in fact, be alright.

NEW DEFINITION OF SUMMER MADNESS: The Inquirer's Peter Mucha is trying to figure out what happened to Will Smith, who released no films in 2009 and does not star in any films which have wrapped or even begun filming at this point. An Oscar-seeking Flowers for Algernon remake may be next.