Fad (fād) n.  A temporary fashion, notion, manner of conduct, etc., esp. one followed enthusiastically by a group.

Every year begins with such promise for new ideas and new ideals, a new way of life we fondly refer to as New Year’s Resolutions (So what’s yours this year?  Mine: lose ten pounds, what else?)  And every year ends with fads…most of them being that year’s resolutions; sorry to burst your bubble so soon.  But some fads do go on to become trends.  Some of them stand the test of time.  Think iPod and YouTube in 2006; Facebook and Poker in 2007; Wii and Obama for President in 2008.

So I thought it fitting, this being my first blog of 2010, that I take a stroll back through the past twelve months—as painful as that might be…and I’m not even talking about the economy.  Take a look at these 2009 fads (in no particular order) I collected from various websites: (more…)

A Jaguar.

A Mercedes.

A BMW.

Can you guess where I am?  A high-end car dealership would make for a very logical guess, but you would be wrong.  Sorry.  Maybe a Simon and Garfunkel reunion concert at the Excel Energy Center?  That would be a more creative guess—and creativity counts for something, I suppose—but wrong again.  How about a Minnesota Timberwolves game?  Possibly, if this were five years ago when people went to the games.  Give up?  I’m actually standing in the parking lot of a discount retail chain. (more…)