Today, Merriam-Webster released their 2009 Word of the Year list. And the winner is…admonish (verb): to express warning or disapproval to especially in a gentle, earnest, or solicitous manner.

Here’s the Rest of the Top 10:
2. emaciated
3. empathy
4. furlough
5. inaugurate
6. nugatory
7. pandemic
8. philanderer
9. repose
10. rogue

Source: Merriam-Webster
Hat Tip: L.S.

Without further ado, the 2009 Word of the Year is: unfriend.

unfriend – verb – To remove someone as a ‘friend’ on a social networking site such as Facebook.

As in, “I decided to unfriend my roommate on Facebook after we had a fight.”

“It has both currency and potential longevity,” notes Christine Lindberg, Senior Lexicographer for Oxford’s US dictionary program. “In the online social networking context, its meaning is understood, so its adoption as a modern verb form makes this an interesting choice for Word of the Year. Most “un-” prefixed words are adjectives (unacceptable, unpleasant), and there are certainly some familiar “un-” verbs (uncap, unpack), but “unfriend” is different from the norm. It assumes a verb sense of “friend” that is really not used (at least not since maybe the 17th century!). Unfriend has real lex-appeal.”

What other words were on the shortlist?

In the Technology Category:

hashtag – a # [hash] sign added to a word or phrase that enables Twitter users to search for tweets (postings on the Twitter site) that contain similarly tagged items and view thematic sets

intexticated – distracted because texting on a cellphone while driving a vehicle

netbook – a small, very portable laptop computer with limited memory

paywall – a way of blocking access to a part of a website which is only available to paying subscribers

sexting – the sending of sexually explicit texts and pictures by cellphone

Other categories with terms that were discussed can be found here.

The post also contains “Notable Word Clusters for 2009.” One has to do with Twitter and the other with President Obama.

Here’s the Twitter cluster. Check the Blog post for the Obamaisms.

Tweeps
Tweetup
Twitt
Twitterati
Twitterature
Twitterverse/sphere
Retweet
Twibe
Sweeple
Tweepish
Tweetaholic
Twittermob
Twitterhea

1) Best Inventions

2) The Five Worst Inventions

3) Reader Poll Results

+ Top 50 Best Inventions Listed on a Singe Page (with Hyperlinks to More Info)

Top 5 (of 50)
1. The Best Invention of the Year: NASA’s Ares Rockets
2. The Tank-Bred Tuna
3. The $10 Million Lightbulb
4. The Smart Thermostat
5. Controller-Free Gaming

We’ll also mention #9, Tweeting by Thinking

The Best Inventions 2009 Home Page includes photo essays, videos, and the Best Inventions of 2008 List.

Source: Time
Hat Tip: All Points Blog

From the Digital Download Blog:

There are 67 slots on Forbes’ first ranking of the World’s Most Powerful People –one for every 100 million people on the planet. Barack Obama tops the list, thanks to his control of the world’s largest economy, military, and nuclear arsenal. Google founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page have a combined net worth of $30 billion, and come in fifth. WalMart CEO Michael Duke runs the world’s largest retailer, with $401 billion in annual sales and 2 million employees — he comes in at number eight. And iconoclastic Apple CEO Steve Jobs ranks #57.

Direct to the List

Top 5
1) Barack Obama
2) Hu Jintao
3) Vladimir Putin
4) Ben S. Bernanke
5) Sergey Brin and Larry Page

You Can Sort the List By:
+ Rank
+ Name
+ Title
+ Organization
+ Age

When you click on any name, you’ll access a brief profile of the list member.

+ The World’s Most Powerful People home page also contains links to a set of lists where, “experts pick seven in their field who matter most” plus one list where reader’s selected the most powerful people. 21 lists in all. For example, Kevin Rose from digg, picked the seven members of the technology list.

+ The World’s Most Powerful People in Pictures (Slide Show)

Finally, this article provides background on .

See Also: The Time 100: The Most Influential People
The list is organized by category. The full list on a single page is here.

There are six lists available. The primary list is Agenda Setters. Other lists can be accessed via the down menu at the top of each list.

+ Top Agenda Setters (The Primary List) (Sir Tim Berners-Lee #1)

+ Top Business Leaders (Steve Jobs #1)

+ Top Entrepreneurs (Jack Dorsey, Biz Stone and Evan Williams #1)

+ Top Politicos (Richard Thomas #1)

+ Top Techies (Werner Vogels #1)

+ Top Visionaries (Sir Tim Berners-Lee #1)

Each entry also contains a profile.

Lists from previous years can be found on the about half way down on the right side under the header, “Agenda Setters Past.”

Source: Silicon.com

Lists
+ Access the Complete List
Click an any company’s name and a short profile will be returned.

Sort by:
+ Rank
+ Company Name
+ State
+ Industry
+ Revenue
+ Employees

Top 10

1] Cargill
2] Koch Industries
3] Chrysler
4] GMAC Financial Services
5] Bechtel
6[ Mars
7] HCA
8] PricewaterhouseCoopers
9] Publix Super Markets
10] Ernst & Young

Slide Shows

+ Top Ten Largest Private Companies
+ Private Company Employment
+ Brand Names
+ Private Companies and the Richest Americans
+ Private-Equity-Backed Companies

Via the home page (mid-page) you can filter the list by industry. You can also sort SORT the complete list by industry.

Past Rankings

+ 2008
+ 2007
+ 2006
+ 2005
+ 2004
+ 2003
+ 2002

Source: Forbes

Now, it Amazon.com’s turn with numerous list, some from editors others from customers based on sales.

From the Web Home Page

Amazon.com, Inc. today announced its picks for Best Books of 2009. This annual feature includes the Editors’ Picks for the Top 100 Books of the Year, Top 100 Customer Favorites, Top 10 lists for both editors and customers in nearly two dozen categories, including Literature & Fiction and Cooking, Food & Wine, as well as videos of the year.

It’s worth noting that twice near the top of the document Amazon.com points out that a “majority” of the titles on their Top 100 Books of the Year list are also available for the Kindle. It will be interesting to see next year at this time how many 2010 books are available for both the nook [coming soon from Barnes & Noble] and Kindle and which titles (if any) will be exclusive to one reader or another. Of course, there are other (with more coming) eReaders out there so we will have to watch closely to see what content is available for each device.

“Our editorial team spends the whole year reading new releases with our Best Books of the Year lists in mind, and every year it proves to be our most popular feature among our customers,” said Tom Nissley, senior editor of Amazon.com Books. “Deciding on our Top 100 Books can often get a little contentious, but [our emphasis] this year our choice for the Best Book of the Year, Colum McCann’s ‘Let the Great World Spin,’ was the closest we’ve ever come to a unanimous pick across the entire Amazon.com Books team. Many readers have already fallen in love with this moving story of New York City in the mid-‘70s, centered around Philippe Petit’s audaciously graceful tightrope walk between the Twin Towers, and we’re looking forward to sharing it with many more.”

Access the Complete List

Categories Include:

+ Top 100 Editors’ Picks

+ Top 100 Customer Favorites

Our top 100 customer favorites are ranked according to customer orders on Amazon.com through October. (Only books published for the first time in 2009 are eligible.)

+ Editors’ Top 10: Literature & Fiction

+ Editors’ Picks: Children’s Books (Picture Books, Middle Readers, Teens)

+ Customers’ Top 10: Mystery & Thrillers

+ Best Books of 2009 on Your Kindle
Editors Picks ||| Customer Favorites

MANY more categories (both “Editors Picks” and “Customer Favorites”) can be found in the left margin of the 2009 list home page. In that same location you’ll find links to lists from 2000-2008.

Source: Amazon.com

It’s almost Thanksgiving, which is the beginning of the end of another year, and for us at PW that means our annual best books list. From more than 50,000 volumes, we valiantly set out to choose 100, and this year we’ve upped the ante with a top 10 list. A usually cooperative, agreeable bunch, we gave ourselves a reason to fight. We wanted the list to reflect what we thought were the top 10 books of the year with no other consideration. We expect you’ll be surprised: there’s a graphic novel, an adventure story, possibly the next Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, a delicious biography that could bring Cheever back into the literary firmament. We ignored gender and genre and who had the buzz.

Categories (as they appear on the web page)

+ Top Top 10 Adult Books (we first posted this list last week with direct links to full PW reviews.)

+ Fiction

+ Poetry

+ Mystery

+ Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror

+ Mass Market

+ Nonfiction

+ Religion

+ Lifestyle

See Also: Best Children’s Books of 2009

Categories (as they appear of the web page)

+ Picture Books

+ Fiction

+ Nonfiction

Source: Publisher’s Weekly

This Top 10 list (the first-ever) from Publisher’s Weekly consists of both fiction and non-fiction titles. The books were selected from the 50,000 titles submitted to PW for review in 2009.

Nonfiction

The Age of Wonder: How the Romantic Generation Discovered the Beauty and Terror of Science, by Richard Holmes

Cheever: A Life, by Blake Bailey

A Fiery Peace in a Cold War: Bernard Schriever and the Ultimate Weapon, by Neil Sheehan

Stitches: A Memoir, by David Small

Shop Class as Soulcraft, by Matthew Crawford

The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon, David Grann

Fiction

Await Your Reply, by Dan Chaon

Big Machine, by Victor LaValle

Jeff in Venice, Death in Varanasi, by Geoff Dyer

In Other Rooms, Other Wonders, by Daniyal Mueenuddin

This link will take you to the PW reviews of these titles.

The complete list of the 100 adult best books of the year, broken down by major categories, as well as 30 best children’s books of 2009, will appear in the November 2 issue of PW.

Source: Publisher’s Weekly

From the U.S. Government kids portal, Kids.gov, comes a massive list of links to kids web sites from many states, DC, American Samoa, Puerto Rico, and Guam.

According to the Kids.gov site most of these sites are aimed at a K-5 audience.

A bit of time with this list and it’s very likely you could compile some excellent web-based resources.

Access the List

Source: Kids.gov

That said, this list of college courses is nothing less than totally fascinating.

No excerpts this time. Go to the list, browse and read. We think It’s quite possible that you’ll be sharing this post with others.

Read the Complete List: 100 Hilarious College Courses that Really Exist

Source: OnlineUniversities.com

Make sure to check the page regularly for updates.

Purpose of the Fraudulent Products List

This list is intended to alert consumers about Web sites that are or were illegally marketing unapproved, uncleared, or unauthorized products in relation to the 2009 H1N1 Flu Virus (sometimes referred to as the “swine flu” virus). Note that until evidence to the contrary is presented to FDA, the owner of the listed Web site is considered responsible for promoting the unapproved, uncleared, or unauthorized products. The uses related to the 2009 H1N1 Flu Virus are not necessarily being promoted by the manufacturers of the products.

Consumer Considerations about the Products List

+ This list does not include every Web site that is marketing products related to the 2009 H1N1 Flu Virus without FDA approval, clearance, or authorization, only those Web sites to which FDA has issued a warning letter.
+ Even if a Web site is not included in this list, consumers should exercise caution before purchasing over the Internet any product purporting to diagnose, mitigate, prevent, treat, or cure the 2009 H1N1 Flu Virus.
+ Please note that some of these products may be approved or cleared by FDA for other medical uses. The fact that a product is listed on this page indicates ONLY that the products are not cleared, approved, or authorized for the diagnosis, mitigation, prevention, treatment, or cure of the 2009 H1N1 flu virus.

The list can be browsed by product type or searched by:
+ Brand Name (Example: SilverCure)
+ Product Name (Example: Silver Shampoo)
+ Any combination of: brand name, Product Name

At the Bottom of the Page You Can Download All Unapproved, Uncleared, or Unauthorized Products as an Excel Spreadsheet, a PDF File, or in XML.

Access the Web Page

Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration

+ Direct to Complete List
+ Click on any company name and get a brief profile about the company.
++ List can be sorted by (click on header):
++ Company Name
++ Sales
++ Sales Growth Rank
++ EPS (Earnings Per Share) Growth Rank
++ ROE (Return on Equity) Rank

+ Slideshows
++ The Top 20: Behind The Numbers
++ Self-Made Stars (Founder Run Companies)
++ Health-Related Companies
++ Stimulus Riders (Companies that Have Benefited from the Economic Stimulus

+ Previous Rankings
++ 2008
++ 2007
++ 2006

++ The Top 10 Companies on the List Have Profiles Beginning on the This Page

+ The Methodology to Create this List is Available at the Top of this Page

Source: Forbes

Paper money is filthy. It’s teeming with germs. And, as we reported in May, scientists in Geneva have been testing how long a flu virus can live on paper money. They found that a strain of H1N1—very similar to the one causing swine flu—can live on paper money for up to 3 days. With the rate that money changes hands, paper currency has been deemed a good candidate for spreading swine flu.

As we approach the peak flu season in the U.S., media chatter about dirty money is sure to pick up. I don’t want to minimize the seriousness of the swine flu pandemic. Keep informed about the latest trends and recommendations. But haven’t money handlers gotten enough bad press in the past year? Surely there are other things at least as dirty as money and just as capable of transmitting the swine flu virus.
…

1. Doctors’ neck ties
2. The office candy bowl
3. Library books (emphasis ours)
4. Bathroom door handles
5. Telephone receivers
6. Grandchildren
7. The movies, theater, or opera

Source: Consumer Reports Money & Shopping Blog

+ Occupation Title
Here you’ll find a description of the job as well as a link to get a report about the occupation in any/all states. You’ll also find links to video segments about the selected occupation.

+ Projected Need for Employees (2006 – 2016)

+ Projected Growth

+ 2008 Hourly (Median) Wage Range

+ Education & Training

The list data can also be downloaded as a two page PDF file.

Access the Complete List

Source: Career Voyages (using Bureau of Labor Statistics 2008 wages and 2006-2016 projection series)

This is an annual series initiated under the auspices of the Machine-Assisted Reference Section (MARS) of the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA) of ALA to recognize outstanding reference sites on the World Wide Web.

Over 25 resources are listed.

Selection Criteria

See Also: Best Free Reference Web Sites Combined Index, 1999-2008 (RUSA/MARS)

Hat Tip: P.W.

Source: Reference and User Services Association (ALA)

1) 50 Best Places to Launch a Business 2009

+ Direct to Complete List
Click on city name to access a profile of that location.

++ Users can Narrow the list to Top Large Places, Top Midsize Places, Top Small Places, Top Metro Areas

+ Clicking the “Near You” Option Lets You Sort the List by State or Cities

+ Selecting “Find Loans” Allows You to See Where SBA 7(a) Loans are Being Made
View Lending Hot Spots ||| Cities

+ Clicking Business Climate Provides Five Options
Fastest Small Business Growth ||| Educated Workers ||| Low Crime ||| High Income ||| Growing Economy

+ Clicking Areas that Have the Highest Wages Provides
Low Wages ||| Best Tax Climate ||| Affordable Rents ||| Fewest Foreclosures

Finally, note that 2008 data is also available. Look for the drop down menu on the top right of any page.

2) Best Jobs in America 2009

Again, several lists are available along with 2008 rankings. Data is provided by PayScale.

+ Full List
Narrow by Top 50 ||| All 100 ||| Top Sectors

+ High Paying (Click on a job for a complete profile)
Sort by Median Salary ||| Top Pay

+ Job Growth

+ Quality of Life
Sort by Low Stress ||| Security ||| Flexibility ||| Future growth ||| Satisfaction ||| Benefit to Society

+ Sectors

Source: CNN/Money

Slideshows Include:
Finance & Investments
Technology & Medicine
Service & Retail
Media
Real Estate
Food & Manufacturing
Energy
The Forbes 400 (Profiles for Almost All List Members)

Access the Complete List
Sort by Name, Net Worth, Age, Residence, Source. Click on a name for a profile of that person.

You’ll also find:
Fun Billionaire Statistics
How Much Is $300 Billion?
Forbes 400 Near Misses

Top 10 List
1] William Gates III
2] Warren Buffett
3] Lawrence Ellison
4] Christy Walton
5] Jim C. Walton
6] Alice Walton
7] S. Robson Walton
8] Michael Bloomberg
9] Charles Koch
10] David Koch

Methodology

Source: Forbes
Hat Tip: S.C.

Never before have so many tools been available to analyze and clarify digital influence. The 2009 Digital Influence in News and Politics Report leverages these tools to measure the influence of those best-in-class media companies in the digital sphere.

Sparxoo evaluated over 100 news and politics media outlets (from the New York Times to the Daily Beast to NPR) in a comprehensive study of content, social and multimedia influence.

The Report crowns CNN as the #1 digital influencer, followed by The New York Times (a pleasant surprise for “The Gray Lady”). The Digital Influencer in News and Politics Report confirms and debunks many of the long-held media myths perpetuated by marketers, brand managers and other business leaders. It is through these findings that we can re-align the media compass to find tomorrow’s true north.

Source: Sparxoo

Hat tip: AB

These 20 dynamic young companies have the growth prospects to make venture capitalists salivate.

Click on a company box for more info about that particular company.

Additional information includes:
+ Video About Company
++ Usually, CEO, Founder or another Company Leader Describes the Organization in the Video
+ Company Vitals
+ Leadership Info
+ TVA Radar Graph ||| Explained Here
+ List of Promising Highlights

Limit Companies to:
+ Companies with prior entrepreneurial experience
+ Revenue > $0
+ Patents
+ Outside Investors
+ More than 10 Employees

Methodology (3rd Tab)

See Also: America’s Fastest-Growing Companies: Lists & Rankings, Online Database: 2009 Inc. 500 and Inc. 5000 Released

Source: Forbes