Dictionary of now

These are troubled times. Our nation is constantly worrying about the soaring prices of gas, our unstable economy, the environment, the upcoming elections and the list could go on and on. And I won't even touch health-related issues such as AIDS or the fact that breaking 'news' now often involves the likes of Amy Winehouse or Miley Cyrus, but that's another topic altogether.

Anyway, I find in times like these that clever names and phrases in pop culture arise, probably from people channeling their frustration or something. Think "Hoovervilles" during the Great Depression or "Freedom Fries" in the post-911 era. But today, we have a few new words and phrases that illustrate exactly what 2008 will represent in history.

As a side note, the Onion has a funny piece on idioms.

Staycation. Since gas prices are skyrocketing, many people are turning their backs on traditional jetsetting vacations and opting to stay close to home during their breaks. Fun activities such as day trips and discovering what's in your very own community have replaced exotic getaways in exotic locals. Lucky us.

YouTube Celebrity. Our poor culture is so devoid of talented entertainers that today, people can become famous as a result of sitting in their rooms and playing an instrument with the video camera on. Take the ukelele girl for example. She somehow got enough people to watch her sing songs that she had a tour this summer and even opened for Ben Folds. Makes me think, why her, why not me?

Greenwashing. Consumers want to see corporations making the effort to take care of the environment. What do the companies do? Lie. Or, put nicely, embellish the miniscule or barely existent contributions to save the globe. Like I said, these are troubled times.