THE NAME GAME

[samhexum]

I watched a local news report this morning about the expansion of ferry service between Staten Island and Manhattan. The reporter:

 

[samhexum]

Last year I had a cyst removed from my shoulder by Dr. Neckman.

[samhexum]

DEAR ABBY: My son and daughter-in-law are “horrified” that we refer to our 3-year-old grandson’s penis using the correct terminology. Should we relent and refer to that part of his body as something else? — UNSURE IN THE SOUTH

 

DEAR UNSURE: Not in my opinion. Children should be taught the correct terms for their body parts as soon as they are aware enough to identify — and pronounce — them. To do this will prevent confusion and possibly embarrassment later. Teach him to call it his ‘heat-seeking missile’ and see how popular he becomes!

 

 

No, the Force was not with him.

 

Luke Sky Walker, 21, was arrested in early December by police in Elizabethton, Tennessee, for a probation violation in connection with a felony theft charge. The jailbird namesake of the Jedi master was then taken into custody at the Probation and Parole Office before being taken to the Carter County Detention Center, WCMH reports.

 

Even Mark Hamill — who played Luke Skywalker in the iconic “Star Wars” film series — commented that the arrest was a little out of this world.

 

“The real crime here is Mr. & Mrs. Walker saddling this poor guy with that name in the first place,” Hamill tweeted early Sunday. “#MisbegottenMoniker”

 

Hamill also took a shot at Walker’s height of 5 feet 6, seemingly pointing out that he doesn’t have a future with the Dark Side either by adding to his tweet, “#AlsoTooShortForAStormtrooper.”

 

Hamill’s tweet had been retweeted more than 1,900 times as of early Monday — and generated plenty of puns for “Star Wars” aficionados.

 

“I feel worse for his sister, Anna Kin,” one tweet read.

 

“It is, realistically, an impossible name to live up to,” another read.

 

Walker remained held without bail at the Carter County Detention Center, jail records show.

 

 

ALSO FROM DECEMBER:

 

A fed-up mom-to-be KO’d her baby shower because she said her “fake a– family” ridiculed the name she’d chosen for her child.

 

The unidentified woman blasted her family for questioning her decision to name her son Squire Sebastian Senator in a post on the Facebook event page for the now-canceled shindig.

 

“Ya’ll have been talking sh-t about my unborn baby. AN UNBORN CHILD,” she wrote. “How can you judge an unborn child?? What is wrong with you??

 

“I never knew my family could be so judgmental.

 

“They’ve spread rumors and lies about my child,” she wrote. “No, I am not crazy. No, I am not mentally unstable. No, I was not drunk when I named my child.”

 

But she assured her relatives that no matter how they felt about it — she wasn’t going to budge on her son’s name.

 

“This is the name I was meant to give him,” she wrote. “This is how it will be. He will not be allowed to have a nickname, he is to be called by his full and complete first name.

 

“This name conveys power. It conveys wealth. It conveys success,” she added, explaining that she’d chosen the moniker because it hinted at the family’s ties to senators and squires.

 

“My baby’s name WILL be a revolution,” she continued. “It will push people to question everything.”

 

The raving future mom told her family she was planning a smaller “more inclusive” baby shower where she wouldn’t be judged.

 

“F–k you all. Fake a– family,” she wrote. “You won’t get to be a part of my baby’s life and it’s all because you had to judge him.”

 

Her post was published on Reddit on Saturday, where users continued to mock the baby’s name.

 

 

A mother who gave her daughter the name “Abcde” is upset because a Southwest Airlines gate agent at John Wayne Airport in California mocked the girl’s name, not only in person but also on social media. Abcde Redford is an epileptic, so she and her mother Traci always board before others, and a few weeks ago that triggered the incident.

 

Traci Redford said the agent not only mocked her five-year-old daughter’s name, which is pronounced “Ab-city,” in front of the young girl but also took a picture of her boarding pass and posted it on social media so others could make fun of it, too.

 

Redford claimed, “The gate agent started laughing, pointing at me and my daughter, talking to other employees. So I turned around and said, ‘Hey if I can hear you, my daughter can hear you, so I’d appreciate if you’d just stop.'”

 

Traci and Abcde Redford and her daughter were bound for El Paso, Texas, where they make their home. Traci Redford filed a complaint with the airline.

 

Traci Redford recalled, “While I was sitting there, she took a picture of my boarding pass and chose to post it on social media, mocking my daughter. It was actually brought to my attention by somebody who had seen it on Facebook and reported it to Southwest Airlines. And after two weeks of doing a formal complaint, Southwest hadn’t done anything.”

 

Southwest Airlines stated to ABC7:

 

We extend our sincere apology to the family. We take great pride in extending our Southwest Hospitality to all of our Customers, which includes living by the Golden Rule and treating every individual with respect, in person or online. The post is not indicative of the care, respect, and civility we expect from all of our Employees. We have followed up with the Employee involved, and while we do not disclose personnel actions publicly, we are using this as an opportunity to reinforce our policies and emphasize our expectations for all Employees.

One might think that naming a child “Abcde” would be unique, but as Vocativ reports, “According to the Social Security Administration database, 328 babies, all girls, have been named Abcde in the United States. Since 1990, we’ve had Abcdes born every year except 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995 and 1996. The name was given to an all-time high of 32 babies in 2009, though the number has slightly declined each year since then. The median age of Abcdes is 7.5, and all but 11 of them are minors.”

 

In 2014, a 7-year-old autistic girl named Abcde and her service dog, a pit bull named Pup-Cake, wanted to meet a mall Santa and waited for 30 minutes, but the Santa wouldn’t meet the girl because he feared the dog.

 

Traci Redford decided to make the experience educational for her daughter. She told ABC7, “She said ‘Mom, why is she laughing at my name? And I said not everyone is nice and not everyone is going to be nice and it’s unfortunate.'”

 

 

Tattoos are for life… but names aren’t.

 

A Swedish mom getting a tattoo of her son’s name came up with a quick fix when the artist made a glaring mistake – she just changed her toddler’s moniker.

 

Johanna Giselhäll Sandström recently told local newspaper Blekinge Läns Tidning her “heart stopped” and she “thought [she] was going to faint,” when she saw the ink on her arm had an extra letter and read Kelvin — instead of Kevin, The Local Sweden reported.

 

The 30-year-old mom wanted to honor her children – Nova and Kevin – with a tat three years ago and when the artist didn’t ask about the spelling, she didn’t give it any more thought, she said.

 

Shortly after, she noticed the glaring mistake and went back to the shop, only to have the artist laugh and say there was nothing he could do except issue a refund.

 

Sandström balked at the idea of going through the painful and expensive tattoo removal process and thought legally changing her then-2-year-old’s name would be simpler.

 

The parents have grown to love their son’s “unique” name and the boy – who is 5 now – has taken to it too, Sandström said.

 

“I had never heard the name ‘Kelvin’ before. There isn’t anyone who names their kid Kelvin. So when I thought more about it, I realized that no one else has this name. It became unique. Now we think it is better than Kevin,” Sandström said.

 

The couple had just welcomed their third child, a little girl named Freya, and Sandström wants to go under the needle again to add her name.

 

This time, she’ll be more watchful.

 

“I’m going to write it down on a piece of paper and check it over 10,000 times,” she joked.

Edited January 3, 2021 by samhexum

[+ Charlie]

Kelvin is not that unusual a name. William Thomson, a famous 19th century Scottish scientist, was ennobled by Queen Victoria as Baron Kelvin, for the Kelvin River which flowed near his home, after which he always used that name. A kelvin is the name of a standard thermodynamic unit that he described. In my youth, a popular brand of refrigerator was called a Kelvinator. I think I also remember an NFL player whose first name was Kelvin.

Addendum: I just checked, and Kelvin Beachum plays for the NY Jets.

Edited January 11, 2019 by Charlie

[samhexum]

The NBA had a few, most notably former 1st round pick Kelvin Cato.

Edited January 3, 2021 by samhexum

[+ Oliver]

My dentist's name is Toothman. Really!

[+ jeezopete]

It conveys success,” she added, explaining that she’d chosen the moniker because it hinted at the family’s ties to senators and squires.

 

Ummm, not so sure she understands the word "hinted". Maybe "emphasizes" would have been a better word.

[+ jeezopete]

In the story about the girl named Abcde,

Southwest Airlines stated to ABC7:

 

So how does one pronounce ABC7 ??

[BabyBoomer]

Former NY Mets player from the 70's Kelvin Chapman.

 

~Boomer~

[samhexum]

Former NY Mets player from the 70's Kelvin Chapman.

 

New White Sox closer Kelvin Herrera.

[samhexum]

The new slogan is not exactly a “wish you were here.”

 

An unofficial tourism catchphrase that has been used to draw attention to Australia’s Northern Territory is facing a lot of backlash – and a potential ban in the region – for its use of suggestive wording.

 

NT Unofficial created the cheeky expression, which out loud reads, “See you in the NT (Northern Territory),” but on paper, has been shortened to look like an offensive derogatory four-letter term for women.

 

The company began selling the swear-word adjacent slogan printed on shirts and other merchandise at stores throughout the area in 2016 and claims it never had an issue.

 

“Our official stockist at Mindil markets has been selling for years without any issue,” the company told the NT News in a statement. “We just hope that council doesn’t forget the real NT Unofficial has been tirelessly campaigning to promote the Territory to the world.

 

“There’s nothing insulting or degrading to women about a simple invitation to the greatest territory on earth.”

 

However, the official Darwin Council, which can enforce laws which prohibit offensive materials from being sold in stores at the marketplace, said they have fielded many complaints over the years and met this week to discuss a potential ban for the “offensive” phrase.

 

“The complaints are about this merchandise that [has] been on display near the playgrounds… children are saying ‘what does this mean’ and it’s not something parents want to have to explain.” said Darwin Council official Robin Knox, the NT News reported. “In common usage this word is not a joke, it is used very negatively and as a slur against women.”

 

Locals have been split on the matter, with many firing back on Facebook, slamming the company’s materials.

 

“Feel like there is a design flaw here,” one wrote.

 

“Do you need to stoop this low to advertise your Territory!!! NO !!!! TAKE IT OFF FACEBOOK !” another wrote.

 

“But walking to the shops with his own kids, maybe they wouldn’t question it, but I think it’s pretty poor taste. I reckon the Territory should grow up a little bit,” a local man told NT News.

 

But there have been many staunch supporters of the bold slogan.

 

“It’s one of the most creative and intelligent things I’ve ever heard,” another local, Ross, said. “Snowflakes melt in the heat.”

 

“As a born n bred Darwinite I [wholeheartedly] approve and embrace NTunofficial and their merchandise,” a Facebook user wrote, signing the message, “Caring understanding northern Territorian.”

 

Local businesses have also reportedly supported the merchandise, stating the popularity of the items have helped them stay open.

 

“It’s prevented us from laying off staff,” shop owner Tracey Wedel told 9News. “Prior to receiving this stock, we were struggling in a major way.”

 

 

 

An Ohio salon owner thinks she hit the nail on the head with her business name — even though some residents don’t agree.

 

Dawn Moon, owner of Hand Jobs Nails & Spa, in Perkins Township, believes the name is good branding.

 

“You don’t want something that they can’t remember or that they can’t pronounce or say,” Moon told ABC. “In less than a week, I think the whole country knows about us. You can’t pay for that kind of advertising.”

 

It’s also literally what the spa does.

 

“If you go in and get your nose done, it’s called a nose job, right? Well, you come in and get your hands done, it’s a hand job!” Moon added.

 

Krystle, an employee at the salon, told The Post the cheeky name has been getting “mostly compliments” from patrons who’ve come in since the salon opened this week. Others “crack jokes,” she said.

 

But not everyone is laughing. Perkins Township Zoning Director Megan Sherlund said she’s gotten complaints about the sign’s suggestive nature.

 

Signs should not be “indecent or obscene in nature,” Sherlund told ABC. “We have no stance on it other than we have to take into consideration the entire feel and community of Perkins Township.”

 

A decision on whether the sign passes zoning restrictions is due later this week. If it doesn’t, one worker vowed to fight for the name.

 

“If they reject it, then we’ll appeal it and then we’ll go to court,” Krystle said. “But the name of the salon will not change.”

 

 

A statue commemorating a World War II veteran in North Carolina has been vandalized in what is suspected to have been a case of mistaken identity.

 

The statue of General William C. Lee, described as “Father of the Airborne,” was covered in an accelerant and set on fire in Dunn earlier this month.

 

Rather than being an orchestrated attack against the military figure, officials at the Major General William C. Lee Airborne Museum, where the statue is based, believed the “jerk punk” vandals set the marble statue on fire believing it was commemorating General Robert E. Lee.

 

The museum’s curator, Mark Johnson, said whoever was responsible must have thought they were targeting a confederate statue as he considered it “unbelievable” that anyone would want to set fire to a statue of the hometown hero.

 

“I think that’s probably it,” Johnson told The Daily Record. “So just an alert to people who may be thinking about such things, this is the wrong general.”

 

Speaking to WNCN, Johnson said he has been studying William Lee’s life and there is no common connection between the two generals, adding that the Dunn veteran was not racist. “When he was in World War II he’s considered the father of the airborne which there were plenty of black paratroopers, a very diverse outfit.”

 

“Complete different generation, complete different war, complete different everything,” Johnson told The Daily Record. “Everything is different.”

 

The museum shared pictures of the burnt statue on Facebook on February 15. “The United States owes so much to our military forces and all five military branches are what has kept this country safe and free for all these years,” the museum wrote in a caption alongside the pictures.

 

“The U.S. Army Airborne soldier is highly respected worldwide. Then comes along some jerk punk(s) and he tries to burn the statue of WWII Major General William C. Lee.

 

“It scorched the statue mostly on the left side. You can see the burn marks in the marble where the jerk placed the remainder of the fuel container on the platform. The cleaning and repair possibilities process will begin soon.”

 

Dunn Police said they are investigating the incident but have not come up with any suspects yet. The museum said nearby surveillance cameras will be reviewed in a bid to catch the perpetrator.

 

The states of North and South Carolina have frequently ignited debate regarding confederate monuments in the wake of the mass shooting of a black church in Charlestown by white supremacist Dylann Roof.

 

In August 2018, a bronze statue of Confederate soldier Silent Sam was toppled at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. The statue, which has since been completely removed from the grounds, was erected in 1913 to pay tribute to those who died fighting for the Confederacy in the Civil War.

 

 

Blind creature that buries head in sand named after Donald Trump

Amphibian’s behavior compared to president’s approach to global warming

 

A newly discovered blind and burrowing amphibian is to be officially named Dermophis donaldtrumpi, in recognition of the US president’s climate change denial.

 

The name was chosen by the boss of EnviroBuild, a sustainable building materials company, who paid $25,000 (£19,800) at an auction for the right. The small legless creature was found in Panama and EnviroBuild’s Aidan Bell said its ability to bury its head in the ground matched Donald Trump’s approach to global warming.

 

Trump’s distinctive hair has already led to comparisons to a poisonous furry caterpillar and a golden-plumed pheasant, while a yellow-crowned moth was called Neopalpa donaldtrumpi in 2017.

 

The newly discovered creature is a caecilian and its naming rights were auctioned to raise money for the Rainforest Trust. The scientists who found the 10cm amphibian have agreed to use the name Dermophis donaldtrumpi when they officially publish the discovery in scientific literature.

 

Bell said: “It is the perfect name. Caecilian is taken from the Latin caecus, meaning ‘blind’, perfectly mirroring the strategic vision President Trump has consistently shown towards climate change.”

 

As an amphibian, the shiny animal is particularly susceptible to the impacts of global warming and is therefore in danger of becoming extinct as a result of its namesake’s climate policies, the Rainforest Trust said.

 

Police Arrested A Man Named Sober For Being Not Sober

 

It’s not uncommon for people to be arrested while wearing an ironic T-shirt (like this guy), but what about having an ironic name?

 

That’s what happened on Saturday in Butler County, Pennsylvania, when police pulled over a suspected drunken driver named Daniel Sober.

 

Court documents said he told officers he had just dropped off his girlfriend so she could check on her son.

 

Officers said they smelled alcohol on Sober, 44, and gave him a portable breath test.

 

Spoiler alert: Sober wasn’t sober. His blood-alcohol level registered .194 ― more than twice the legal limit for drivers.

 

He was charged with drunken driving and careless driving and was later released on his own recognizance and is scheduled to appear in court on March 20.

Edited January 3, 2021 by samhexum

[samhexum]

Woman named Marijuana Pepsi refused to change her name — now she’s a doctor

 

That’s Doctor Marijuana Pepsi to you.

 

A Wisconsin woman with the real given name Marijuana Pepsi Vandyck earned a doctorate last month, according to a report published Tuesday.

 

Throughout her life, Vandyck, 46, said she’s been teased by everyone from classmates to teachers and bosses — but she turned all that around when she handed in her dissertation, titled: “Black names in white classrooms: Teacher behaviors and student perceptions.”

 

As part of her PhD in higher education leadership from Cardinal Stritch University, Vandyck interviewed students who had experiences similar to hers in the classroom, where teachers harped on their names, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reported.

 

“Regardless of what they do, say or what they’re trying to put in place, you still have to move forward and succeed,” Vandyck told the paper.

 

Some people Vandyck encountered flat-out refused to call her by her name or insisted on calling her “Mary” — which she rejected. When she worked as a real estate agent, she did use the initials “MP” so stoners wouldn’t steal her signs, she said.

 

“People make such a big deal out of it, I couldn’t get away from it,” she said.

 

Despite her name, Vandyck — who works full-time at Beloit College — said she’s never smoked grass and doesn’t drink soda.

 

Her mother, Maggie Johnson, picked out the unusual moniker — proclaiming it would take her daughter gallivanting around the world.

 

Vandyck left an unstable home when she was 15 and said she spent her life trying to prove herself, even as people wrinkled their brows when they heard her name.

 

She vowed to earn her PhD, insisting: “I’m going to be called Dr. Marijuana Pepsi.”

 

Even though she credits her mom with making her a strong, balanced, entrepreneurial woman, Vandyck advises against naming kids after weed. Her sisters have comparatively tame names, Kimberly and Robin.

 

“I’ve grown into my name because I am a strong woman. I’ve had to be,” she’s said.

[samhexum]

A Céline Dion superfan in the UK got drunk and legally changed his name to hers — then promptly forgot about it.

 

But it’s all coming back to him now.

 

The 30-year-old Céline Dion — né Thomas Dodd — told The Post that he came up with the idea while boozing it up and watching a TV concert by the 52-year-old Canadian crooner on Christmas Eve — because he loves her.

 

“She [is] my go-to person I listen to when I need cheering up,” he told The Post via Twitter.

 

He said he spent much of the pandemic watching concerts while at home, including one by Dion over the holiday that was accompanied by a magnum of Champagne given to him by a friend. “That’ll probably explain a lot!” he said.

 

While enjoying the show, he plunked down 89 pounds (about $122) and officially took her name via an online application. However, the details are a bit fuzzy.

 

“I honestly, hand on heart, don’t remember doing it!” he said. “I remember watching the concert and remember getting rather tipsy.”

 

Days later, he came home from work as a hospitality manager in Staffordshire, England, to find an envelope with documentation waiting for him.

 

“I wasn’t aware I had done it until I found that envelope in my post,” he explained. “Initially, I had to sit down as I couldn’t believe it — so I then checked my bank which confirmed it all.”

 

And why stop there?

 

“Once it sunk in, I signed it straightaway as I bloody love her!” he said.

 

He shared images of his “change of name deed” on Twitter — yes, he did update his social media name to reflect the side-splitting switch — which includes his old signature, plus a new one in a box marked “MR CELINE DION.”

 

“Things have been pretty crazy over here since this morning” when his story took off Friday morning and garnered worldwide media attention. “I currently have paparazzi camped outside,” he said, adding a laughing-while-crying emoji.

 

And, he noted, his “inbox is full of Celine Dion fans asking me to record them a video message!”

 

He does, however, see one potential issue on the horizon. “I’ve just moved into a small village and haven’t spoken to many people,” he said. “It’ll cause quite a stir when I tell them my new name.”

 

However, one person who initially was not amused by the change was his mom.

 

“My mother wasn’t best pleased at first, but now she sees the funny side!” he said. “My friends have said they are not surprised! It was only a few week back I hired an Elsa [from ‘Frozen’] tribute to perform on my driveway for me when I was drunk because I was bored! Anything is possible!”

 

He added that rather than revert to his birth name, at least for now his name change will go on — “As it stands – I’m keeping it!” he said — though he added that everything “depends [on] how difficult it makes my life!”

 

In the meantime, he said he is hoping to get a chance to eventually talk with or meet his namesake — whom he last saw in concert in 2019 — and is working with a UK radio station to see if that can happen.

 

But the power of love could be overwhelming for the nouveau Dion if that does.

 

“You might think I’m joking. I’ll need to be put on oxygen!” he said. “Just thinking about [it] is making my heart race and my eyes water. It would honestly mean the world and more.”

 

The original Dion’s representatives didn’t immediately reply when The Post reached out for comment Friday.

Edited January 3, 2021 by samhexum

[+ bashful]

Dr. Waters. A Urologist. His actual name.

[eRutt]

Herb Caen, the late-lamented San Francisco Chronicle columnist, used to regularly feature "namephreaks"--people with names peculiarly matched or mismatched to their occupation. I wish I could remember them because many were hilarious but thankfully Wikipedia documents a few: Substitute teacher Mr. Fillin, hospital spokesman Pam Talkington, periodontist Dr. Rott, piano teacher Patience Scales, orthopedic specialist Dr. Kneebone, and the Vatican's spokesman on the evils of rock 'n roll, Cardinal Rapsong.

[+ MysticMenace]

Observations...

• Someone in my company I had a chance to have an interview with...I did not know how to pronounce her name, so I waited for her to introduce herself. How do you say La-a...? She introduced herself as 'la-dash-a'...she literally pronounced the friggin' dash. Amazing!
  
• Russell Peters had this comedy bit, not sure if this was from real life, but his point about calling someone while having sex did make sense to me...what do you think?
  
  

[samhexum]

The local ABC affiliate has a meteorologist named Amy Freeze.

 

Edited January 3, 2021 by samhexum

[samhexum]

Atlanta Krispy Kreme owned by Shaquille O’Neal burns down

 

Well, for the first time, they're actually Krispy...

[samhexum]

Angie’s List changes its name in a complete rebranding

 

In the early days of the internet, it was novel and exciting to find ratings and reviews of contractors on a site like Angie’s List. That’s long changed — and it’s one reason the Angie’s List brand is being retired on Wednesday.

 

In an ever-so-slight name change, Angie’s List will rebrand as Angi starting Wednesday. The company’s owner will change its name from ANGI Homeservices to simply Angi Inc. (Its ticker symbol will remain “ANGI.”)

 

Angi CEO Oisin Hanrahan told CNN Business the name change is meant to help highlight that the company owns other housing-related services, notably HomeAdvisor and gig economy marketplace Handy. (Hanrahan is a Handy co-founder, who joined Angi in 2018 after the company bought his startup.)

 

“The Angie’s List brand is known and loved … People understand what it stands for and trust it,” Hanrahan said. “The challenge is that we’re not just a list anymore. Customers were confined and constrained by the literal nature of the name.”

 

He noted Angi has focused on all aspects of the home improvement business, giving customers an easy way to find contractors, book them and pay them — not just a place to review them.

 

That strategy has paid dividends in the past year, when millions have been stuck at home during the Covid-19 pandemic or fleeing to the suburbs for more space. Wherever they live, many people have been looking to improve their residences, or they’re taking on big projects like moving to a new house.

 

Shares of Angi are up nearly 25% this year and have soared about 250% in the past 12 months.

 

That makes Angi the latest of a growing list of companies that are thriving after being spun off by Barry Diller’s media and e-commerce conglomerate IAC. — along with Tinder owner Match, LendingTree, Expedia and TripAdvisor. IAC is planning to spin off video tools company Vimeo next.

 

But what will happen to Angi now that many people stuck at home during the past year are looking to travel more thanks to greater availability of vaccines and the economy’s reopening? They may not be as focused on trying to find painters or people to fix a broken closet door.

 

Hanrahan concedes that Americans want to get out and start doing things. But he thinks the broader trend of people improving their homes won’t change — and they will increasingly want to use services like Angi on their phones to find, book and pay professional handypeople, he said.

 

“Of course as people start to travel again, there will be a shift in how people spend. But the much bigger shift is from offline spending to online spending in general,” he said.

 

As for the eponymous Angie of Angie’s list, Angela Hicks Bowman is said to be cool with the name change. In fact, Hicks is still with the company, serving as both Angi’s chief customer officer and a board director.

 

“She’s incredibly excited about the evolution and mission of the company,” Hanrahan said. “Home is the most important place on Earth and we want to help people love where they live.”

[Islesguy]

Observations...

• Someone in my company I had a chance to have an interview with...I did not know how to pronounce her name, so I waited for her to introduce herself. How do you say La-a...? She introduced herself as 'la-dash-a'...she literally pronounced the friggin' dash. Amazing!
  
• Russell Peters had this comedy bit, not sure if this was from real life, but his point about calling someone while having sex did make sense to me...what do you think?
  
  

Talk about small world. When my sister was doing her student teaching in downtown Manhattan, she had a student named, and I'm not kidding, La-a. She once corrected a teacher taking attendance by saying, "It's Ladasha; the dash ain't silent"

[Islesguy]

The local ABC affiliate has a meteorologist named Amy Freeze.

 

CBS used to have a meteorologist named Storm Fields. His father was also a meteorologist for CBS named Frank Fields. Not a shocker why he named his some that.

[cany10011]

A czech escort I once met proudly pointed to the chinese character on his leg and said this means "dragon"... i didn't want to correct him, but actually the character for "ox" was used instead. I take it that the tattoo artist was too lazy to draw the intricate 17 strokes for dragon, whereas ox is only 4 strokes.

[samhexum]

CBS used to have a meteorologist named Storm Fields. His father was also a meteorologist for CBS named Frank Fields. Not a shocker why he named his some that.

It's singular. Field, as in Sally. Storm was a cutie when he was younger.

[+ azdr0710]

Storm was a cutie when he was younger.

 

Storm......apparently back in the 1970s!

 

[Islesguy]

It's singular. Field, as in Sally. Storm was a cutie when he was younger.

Yeah, you're right.