As we compiled our annual in and out list, an only half-serious look back at where we've been and how we've changed, we noticed that few years have been as eye-wideningly, neck-snappingly full of ins and outs as this year.
Think about it: Internet indiscretions toppled Chris Lee and Anthony Weiner while their alluring self-portraits gave the late-night comics weeks worth of material. Herman Cain was at the top of the heap of Republican presidential candidates before his past caught up with him. The Bills had us hoping until November, when the wheels fell off.
Occupiers set up camp; the local group got along fine until a splinter faction set up tents in Lafayette Square. Within days, they were out.
Hurricane Irene drenched the Northeast, but not us -- although we did feel the earthquake in late August. We felt very in!
Globally, there were many endings: Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak was driven from office after 30 years; Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, who had been in power even longer, was overthrown, hunted and killed. And Osama bin Laden wound up buried at sea.
On a brighter note, as the year ended, people took charity into their own hands by paying off layaway costs for strangers -- both inspiring and in.
Out, sadly, was Steve Jobs. But as we look forward to 2012, we remain inspired by the tech visionary's last words: "Oh wow. Oh wow. Oh wow."
-- Anne Neville
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IN ------- OUT
#occupying ....... ........ #winning
pepper-spraying cop ........ "Don't Taze me, Bro!"
camping .................... picketing
angry hippies .............. sad hipsters
Tebowing ................... planking
And with your spirit ........ And also with you
urban beehives .............. urban chicken coops
Sky Burger......................Angry Birds
Jason Aldean..................Hank Williams Jr.
Urban Meyer .................Joe Paterno
5-Hour Energy ..................Four Loko
Layaway angels ........... Secret Santas
Siri...................... Suri
Ryan Gosling ...............Ryan Reynolds
"Death Comes to Pemberley" ......."Pride and Prejudice and Zombies"
"Two Broke Girls" ......."Two and a Half Men"
Louis C.K..................Dane Cook
Ultimate Dog tease ...............Keyboard Cat
blogging .................... Tweeting
"Once Upon a Time" ..........."Lost"
The Mayan calendar ........... the May Rapture
The Harbor ..................The Square
First Niagara Center ...........HSBC Arena
Adele ........................ Christina Aguilera
Ricky Gervais ............. James Franco
"Boss" ........... ......... "Boardwalk Empire"
Spotify..................... Pandora
boot camps .................. yoga
pajama jeans.............Snuggies
Arab groceries...........Asian markets
taco trucks .................hot dog carts
gluten sensitivity ............lactose intolerance
homemade ketchup ............. peach salsa
pot pie ...................... casseroles
Napoleon Dynamite ....... Allen Gregory
Tiger Woods ................. Alexis Thompson
Pegulaville ....................Pominville
November mustaches.............. playoff beards
trade deadline .................. draft day
concussion awareness ............ walking it off
Amherst Street................. Allen Street
exploding canoes................steel diamonds
do-it-together (DIT)............do-it-yourself (DIY)
pig farming....................vineyards
M 83 ....... Black Eyed Peas
jigsaw puzzles.........Words With Friends
With contributions by Melinda Miller, Anne Neville, Andrew Z. Galarneau, Colin Dabkowski, David Valenzuela, Mary Kunz Goldman, Jeff Miers, Joe Popiolkowski and Evonne Austin.