Squirrely

"Squirrels are really crazy..." morosely says the guy with a lot of time on his hands ...

"Um, what makes you make that observation?"

"Sometimes I sit in here and watch the squirrels on the roof..."

"The way you said it sounds so sad! It's like a movie where you're the wise aging recluse and I'm the troubled youngster and you have all this wisdom but then it turns out that you used to be a famous something or other and I have to figure out the secret in your past and somehow you help me come to terms with my own fears..."

"I used to be a famous squirrelogist. I will tell you about how squirrels love acorns and get very frantic about the coming winter..."...

"You needed to be a squirrelogist to have this information?"

"But you have to see past the obvious to the wisdom within..."

"Hmmmm. Maybe you're more like Chauncy Gardner."

The squirrels tell their side of the story...

Red Sox Haiku

More spam names

I know that my love of spam names is my own idiosyncrasy...and perhaps an annoying one at that.

I do have to start deleting the spam or my email account is going to overflow.

I suppose I am impressed that they bother to create some 'namelike' set of syllables--that the computer program or highly creative individual who is responsible for these creations does not merely use nouns of whatever kind. Like "Tree Big." At this point, who is fooled by spam?

But then again when I read the names a character almost pops into my mind. A whole host of traits. For example...I pull a name out of my hat...Take the name "Tiffany Quinn." Would a girl like that get a perfect SAT score? Not a chance. But would she lose her virginity before the age of 16? Quite possibly.

Brett Coleman might not end up wealthy. Still, it's hard to imagine him homeless and drinking Night Train out of a paper bag.

Considerations like these make me reluctant to take on the awesome responsibility of naming my child. Yet the names my parents come up with are frightening. And my husband would like some say in the matter.

This is a weird site that pops up when you look for baby names. It's this quasi religious organization that seems to be based on your idea that your name determines your personal characteristics.

Shoot me if this is incorrect but do Chinese kids by combinations of regular nouns? I think but am not sure that you can name your child 'Strong Wind' or 'Gentle Sunlight' in China. Is this then easier than the non-referential naming process (with some exceptions) most commonly in practice in the U.S. I.e., is it simpler to know what to go with? Is a name less of a big deal?

The proper noun thing--the semi-unique proper noun (since all names are)--what a hassle.

I had a friend in grade school named "Quartina." Cortina is the spanish word for curtain but I'm not sure if that's where her parents got the name.

So the spam names for this week are (last names included when they created amusing phonemes):
Koper
Escobeo
Kilmer
Komatsu
Vardy Ploetz
Coriano Wonsit
Fulson Leveillee
Lelis Hilliker
Herzer Capitano
Lalyee Lingren