Alaska Ear

"Refudiate" was a contender but got eliminated when someone declared it the new word of the year and put it in a dictionary.

The Daughter Unit was a strong contender on its own but, alas, the girls will have to settle for second place. Bristol's "big middle finger," fit the bill, but Willow's gay bashing was more obscene than naughty and not at all amusing.

So, no surprise, the 2010 Nice and Naughty title goes to The Love Caucus: State Reps. Kyle Johansen and Charisse Millett, who repeatedly and unselfishly amused us all on many levels all year.

Earwigs sincerely thank you.

BEST 2010 QUOTE . . . It's unprecedented d'Ears. Don Young, Congressman for All Alaskans Who Voted for Him, failed to win the category he usually rules. And it wasn't even close; this year the trophy goes to Rep. John Harris, R-Valdez, for his report on conversations with the recently dead, who want to keep getting Permanent Fund dividend checks:

"I've had six or seven people in my district that have died just in the last year that wanted to qualify and couldn't," Harris told ADN political reporter Sean Cockerham back in April. "They'll be very pleased that this bill passed."

Second place goes to Don's explanation for an apparent inconsistency in position to KTVA anchor Matt Felling: "I don't agree with what I said."

SPEAKING OF . . . Our favorite congressman, Don is reportedly shopping around for someone to ghostwrite his memoirs. But why? It would be so much more fun if he would just dictate them in his own words and hire a typist. That's a book Ear would buy.

LEAVING HOME . . . The Associated Press says Bristol Palin just bought a 4,000-square-foot, $172,000 house in Maricopa, Ariz. For cash.

Hmmm. Does Bristol want to put Alaska in her rear view mirror, or is Mama looking to establish residence in a state that likes her better than we do? Go Sarah go!

Really, go.

ON THE MOVE . . . Friends of former KTVA producer Carolyn Kuckertz say she's landed a job doing media relations for the Alaska Senate majority coalition. Carolyn was one of the people canned by the station in a knee-jerk response to complaints from Joe Miller's campaign after station personnel were heard making fun of Joe in an accidentally recorded cell-phone message.

STAMP OF APPROVAL . . . The "Pick. Click. Give." program run by the Permanent Fund Division has its own postage stamp. Really. Ear was astonished to get a Christmas card delivered by the U.S. Postal Service with a "Pick. Click. Give." logo stamp on it.

For earwigs whose memories are afflicted by Christmas libations, "Pick. Click. Give." is an option that lets us donate some of our PFD to any one of a zillion charities during the on-line application process.

Anyhow, turns out Ear was overly impressed. Apparently most anyone with a postage meter can create a personalized stamp - it's perfectly legal. The PCG stamp was the brain child of Jordan Marshall over at the Rasmuson Foundation.

FINALLY . . . Here's hoping all our No. 1 dreams come true in the new year, which auspiciously starts with the date 1-1-11. Personally, Ear will be wishing for Alaska headlines like the one accompanying this column, which ran recently in a Dublin newspaper.

Compiled by Sheila Toomey. Find Ear online at adn.com/ear. Message Sheila at 257-4341 or ear@adn.com.