Year End Wishes

As well as best wishes to all our campers, just a few thoughts as the year (and decade) come to a close. While I enjoy oldies music stations, and most mention that they play the hits of the 60's and 70's, not sure why suddenly they are also playing Michael Jackson stuff from the late 80's. Seems like his passing has caused stations to view his late work as oldies--I really don't want to hear "Bad", although I would be happy to hear "Ben" or "ABC" from the early days (which reminds me that at one point, there were only 3 hits to reach #1 with only 3 letters in the title, and he had 'em all). Would even settle for "One Bad Apple", which although it was the Osmonds, sounds enough like the Jackson 5 that they might consider having Donny portray The King of Pop in a film. My second request for the new decade is that "pressert" becomes accepted as a word and as an acceptable dining request. Sometimes, brunch is served with a parfait...so what is the big deal about ordering a dessert to enjoy before your meal? I'd much rather have a slice of cheescake before dinner, instead of onion rings. Lastly, something needs to be done about the letter "W". Why are all other letters monosyllabic, with none having 2 syllables, and yet "W" has 3? Makes no sense. It is ridiculous for abbreviations to be longer than the thing being abbreviated...when a team is just happy to "get the W", it takes twice as long as getting the win. Truncating it to two syllables is not enough, as it sounds to much like our previous President. What was Al Gore thinking when he invented the internet and decided to start everything with www? Takes 20 seconds just to say that...you mean to tell me there was not a better option? World wide web--3 syllables vs www checking in at 9. I don't know why people don't just say it that way...our website is world wide web strawberrypark.net. So much shorter. I'd even settle for "Globally Encompassing Net"--GEN would be so much shorter. "W" also causes trouble with little ones learning the alphabet. Brock has no trouble with the other letters, but I know when it comes to spelling his last name, those 2 killer letters are going to do him in. And besides, unless you write in cursive (and who still does that?), it really isn't even an accurate descriptor...double V would make more sense, but would still be three syllables. Therefore, I am proposing a re-naming of the letter "W". It may take a little while to adjust when singing the alphabet song on wagon rides, but I think we can be a vehicle for change (literally). In examing the other fine letters, there is a varied mix in those that are pronounced with the starting sound they make, followed by some random vowelness (such as "B" or "J"), and some end with their sound (such as "L" or "F"). Others are a little more inexplicable, such as "H". I am offering the following options, and will feature a survey on the blog seeking the most popular alternative. Keep in mind the letter won't change, just the pronunciation. Option 1: Wuh. Although it sounds a little like "Duh", it makes sense. Option 2: Wii (like the electronic game, also pronounced as "we" by some traditionalists, not to be confused with why, which is letter unto itself). Option 3: Ow. This may cause confusion for parents thinking their child is hurt, so I don't expect it to score well with that demographic. Option 4: Double U (for those resistant to change for the better). Spread the word, tell your friends to vote, make signs...whatever it takes. Happy New Year!!