Just him? Or they both adopted this new name?
It was a common English adjective with no connection to the family tree.
Hung.
I'm helping a guy right now who is being given unmitigated grief by the DMV because he "couldn't" have legally changed his name when he got married.
Morganatic?
If his wife didn't also change her name, I make of it that he's a bit of a dick. Unless his previous name was Shufflebottom and he just needed an excuse.
No, I think they both changed their names to the new one. Start fresh!
That is weird. I considered changing my name (not to my wife's) when we got married but it was to a family name.
Contra OFE, I wouldn't say that it makes your friend a "dick" -- rather, I'd say it's classically "toolish."
You know what would be cool? Changing your name to The Man (or Woman) With No Name.
If he were a tool in other ways, I'd see this as part of the problem. But-- let's just stipulate-- he's not a tool. Laid back, yes, maybe a little granola but not excessively so. That's what cracks me up about this.
But then I've always believed that the biggest mistake of Prince's career was not changing him name to ə.
10: But-- let's just stipulate-- he's not a tool.
Observer bias?
6: In that case, I wholly endorse the move! (In fact, I did so right here at Unfogged once, suggesting something like "Wildcats" as a new family team name. But I apparently don't know how to search the archives so I can't link...)
Hmm. I wonder if I would have reconsidered taking such a bold position if I'd read all the other comments concluding that the new name is "toolish" first. No, No I don't think so. You guys are wrong. It's cool.
In fact, I did so right here at Unfogged once, suggesting something like "Wildcats" as a new family team name
Hook 'em Longhorns congrats woo!
Formally, what distinction do you make between a dick and a tool?
I've come across this occasionally - Picking a name of a mutually significant place or something. It's a bit of a stretch, but it's heart's in the right place.
Maybe his old name was too distinctive and he wants to lower his google profile.
Did you ask him if he was having a laugh?
Di, I'm not sure I can help you. Check Standpipe's blog?
both changed their names to the new one
I have friends who both grew up in small southern towns where their families comprised the entire Jewish populations of each one. When they married, they intended to both change their names to the Hebrew word for exile/outsider. However, the guy was the only son in his family and his parents nearly had aneurysms when he told them (despite the fact that their family name is one of the most common Jewish surnames out there).
So they didn't.
These are the most common adjectives, according to Wikipedia and how common they are as surnames in the US, according to Social Security.
good (965)
new (2867)
first (15899)
last (13312)
long (91)
great (not in the top 55,000)
little (241)
own (not in the top 55,000)
other (50130)
old (12553)
Formally, what distinction do you make between a dick and a tool?
Dickishness is perceptible to all races and classes. Toolishness can only be discerned by a small sub-set of highly educated middle class whites.
20. This is Standpipe's blog. Di, Armsmasher is suggesting the appropriate form of congratulations on the occasion of the marriage of a couple who have changed their name to Longhorn.
23: Toolishness can only be discerned exhibited by a small sub-set of highly educated middle class whites.
Talking authentic artisanal toolishness that is.
13: Funny, I also seem to remember suggesting the same thing, and I also can't find the thread where I did so. Co-credit?
No, I think they both changed their names to the new one. Start fresh!
It's always interesting to me to see what things bring out strong, Durkheimian reactions in defense of a naturalized social order. I know several people who have done this, and it's a doozy. Frankly, there is no good, independent reason not to do it --- no reason independent of sheer attachment to gendered conventions, anyway. And it upsets people in all kinds of funny ways. People without advanced degrees typically react as though the structure of the universe had been destabilized and claim "You can't do that" etc. People with advanced degrees are of course more sophisticated and know that such things are governed by social convention, so instead they launch sputtering, eyerolling attacks on the cultural capital of people who do this, claiming that their actions make them look like tools, wankers, poseurs, parvenus, etc.
24: There's also a revenge factor I don't expect everyone to see right away.
claiming that their actions make them look like tools, wankers, poseurs, parvenus, etc.
Which, of course, it does.
Right, G, it's not like any of us occupy ground free of the social order.
29: But again, a good, practical solution for situations where she doesn't want to take his name and they don't want to hyphenate themselves into oblivion.
Which, of course, it does.
Only if they change it to something toolish. If John Doe and Rachel Roe decide to go through life together as Mrs and Mr Smith/Wong/Mohammed, good luck to them. If they change their names to World Peace, or Hotstuff, then they're wankers.
Does the new last name produce a full name that is especially euphonious? We're deciding what last name to give the forthcoming kidlets based on which sounds better with the first names we like.
Ooh, or do they now have really cool initials? I know a guy who named his son Ol/ver M/chael G****.
24: Aha. Thanks.
28: Just shows what you know. The Wildcats surname does not derive from an actual athletic team name but from the mascot in High School Musical. I fully expect Troy and Gabriella to adopt it as their surname when they get married.
We're deciding what last name to give the forthcoming kidlets
Just go with punctuation. One gets the last name [umlaut], the other gets [interrobang]. And then they can choose to pronounce it however they like.
No, I think they both changed their names to the new one. Start fresh!
There is nothing even remotely dickish about this.
Right, G, it's not like any of us occupy ground free of the social order.
It is only when we have managed to completely detach ourselves from any and all forms of attachment to the social order that we will finally be free!
33: This reminds me of the story I heard about a couple who named their daughter Elizabeth Harmony [Surname]. Guess how the couple met!
30, 31: Often enough, there's a perfectly reasonable explanation--"new start"--once you ask. I just meant that I think you could find an example that fit G's description at which we'd all look askance.
39: Well sure, but that correlates with toolish people, not with people who change their names.
37: yeah, I think my point was that doing this, carping about it, and being the sort of guy who says "Frankly, there is no good, independent reason not to do it"-- all those are equally bound up in the cultural capital stuff. I think one reason I predict a high but not perfect correlation between this kind of thing and irritation is that people who do this kind of thing also tend to think "aha, with this simple gesture I've stepped outside of my culture; now I am truly a citizen of the world!" or something inane like this. Whereas this guy is aware enough to know that he's not doing that, he just wants this cool name. So, ok, go nuts, and I'll give you some ribbing about it, and we're all good.
It is only when we have managed to completely detach ourselves from any and all forms of attachment to the social order that we will finally be free!
And really bored. 'Now what?'
My judgment whether the person is a tool depends entirely on the choice of adjective. I'm hoping for Perky, personally.
Ol/ver M/chael G****.
Zachariah Ol/ver M/chael G**** would be even better (if a little toolish).
I can do name changes for those people who live in Virginia. Cala, wouldnt you like to be called Toolishly Perky?
Zachariah Ol/ver M/chael G**** would be even better
Don't think we didn't suggest it.
I would pay real folding green money to see an episode of the Dick von Tool Show.
max
['Preferably followed by the Granola Wanker Variety Hour.']
21: I know someone, the child of Greek immigrants, whose family name means "stranger" in Greek. That isn't the name her father was born with, but it is the custom of those who leave the smallish island on which both her father and mother were born and raised to take that as their name when they move away.
IIRC in Minnesota our marriage license gave us both a free legal name change if we wanted. I think the law had been changed to be fair to both genders.
I had some clever ideas which would be funny last names when filling out forms such as NA or Unknown or Left Blank. Obviously I stifled any such urges when the time came because we all know what people think about other people who think they are SOOOO funny and we all know how important it is to think about what other people will think of us.
45 and previous: I have friends who met at a certain band's show who named their son R***** E*** M********. They don't advertise the fact, and it actually took me a while to figure it out.
(I wrote this comment 90 minutes ago and then got busy, but I'm posting it anyway, without reading the thread.)
You guys are ridiculously conservative and judgmental, even if you're only 10% serious about these accusations of toolishness.
Non-exhaustive list of reasons one might change one's name:
1. Abuse or estrangement with parent whose name one carries.
2. Consistent professional or informal confusion with a more notorious person who carries your name. (Especially significant if you are poor and the confusion is happening with criminal background checks for jobs and/or law enforcement entities.)
3. Affiliation with a person -- adoptive parent, last remaining family member, new spouse, adopted child -- or new community/tribe, particularly out of love, emotion, or practical considerations in protecting another person.
42: I just hope he didn't go with "Pussy".
(Like "full of pus", duh. What did you think I meant?)
Whereas this guy is aware enough to know that he's not doing that, he just wants this cool name.
It's all about creating a uniquely branded experience for the people that you meet. Which is why, btw, I think that Barack Obama should change his name to just "Obama."
50: I don't think you read the thread.
Labs, have you considered that he's CIA?
or maybe running from his criminal drug lord past?
I wrote this comment 90 minutes ago and then got busy, but I'm posting it anyway, without reading the thread.
Yeah, that might have been a mistake. People seem to be accepting "new start," after all.
51: Wasn't that Uncle Fester's full name? Uncle Fester Pussy?
Ewww.
I wrote this comment 90 minutes ago and then got busy
Were any HR people involved?
I met a couple who took the Roman numeral equivalent of the date of their marriage as their new name. October 1, 2000. Pretty good!
My fiancee wants to take my last name, which makes me slightly uncomfortable. She has no interest in keeping her name, or in having a different name from her children. I like the Latin American naming convention that was discussed here before. She's said she's open to taking a new name, but I haven't figured out one that feels right. It's a tricky business.
Was 21 Auslander? I like that.
She's said she's open to taking a new name, but I haven't figured out one that feels right.
Well for heaven's sake don't ask this bunch for any suggestions! I'm serious!!
27 is a good point. When I married, everyone from my hometown assumed I changed my name; everyone from my current institution assumed of course I wouldn't. Everyone I knew from college asked.
I've been playing around with professional names, including using initials, because philosophy is so hard on white men. (Much to the amusement of my colleagues. 'Why initials? Everyone knows Female Philosopher X who uses initials is really [Her First Name], don't they?)
philosophy is so hard on white men
The hard-on thread is over there, Cala.
Is 59.1 a joke? Mr. Ximm?
Inspired my that, I'm going to name my kid 09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0, and call her "Information wants to be free" for short.
How about a one word rock star name, like Edge or Slash or Sting or Flea?
65: or a name that combines all the one word rock star names, like Edgesting Fleaslash.
She's said she's open to taking a new name, but I haven't figured out one that feels right.
Wrongshore?
Perhaps some specifically philosophical term, like Modal or Mere.
62: I think it's pretty common for academics (and performers, for similar reasons) to not change their names upon marrying because of the publishing history. Maybe the assumption in that direction comes from this.
somewhat on topic, I met a guy who had only a single name, and no end of trouble for it with bureaucracies.
59.1 is not a joke and 61 is right.
no end of trouble for it with bureaucracies
Oh, I'll bet. I can attest that going by one's middle name creates headaches enough.
Frankly, there is no good, independent reason not to do it --- no reason independent of sheer attachment to gendered conventions, anyway
I believe catherine complained in a previous thread about just this (both partners take a new name) that had someone in her family tree done it, she would have had a much harder time retracing her ancestry and discovering that she's descended in part from a Chinese immigrant, etc. I'm not sure it's a gendered convention to want continuity of name across generations (and while obviously the way names do get changed is gendered, some continuity is retained by the fact that the maiden name can stay on—firstname middlename maidenname marriedname isn't that unusual, is it?).
I believe most Indonesians only have one name. OTOH, an uncle who visited the USA before WWII had problems because he only had one first name, i.e he was Norman Young, not Norman Q. Young. Form fillers were perplexed, and wrote him up as Norman NMI (No middle initial) Young.
"Auslander" isn't Hebrew, Wrongshore.
Both of AB's best friends are talking pretty seriously about changing their names, independent of marriage. The one merely wants to change her first and middle, but the other would change her last, as her father ran out on her when she was 16, and no one else in her family still has that name. Pretty sure she wants to use her mom's maiden name.
We hyphenated for the kids (but each kept our own), choosing order based on euphony. For us it was kind of obvious which was more euphonious, but friends tend to guess wrong (esp. her old friends, as her name comes last but they of course give it precedence).
We very briefly considered a third (or composite) name, but dismissed it as silly. Actually, our most obvious composite name would imply a very clear, completely incorrect religious/ethnic identity, so that made the idea easier to dismiss.
The thing about taking a new name is that in most cases it's a deracinating gesture. We would feel bound by history and community to pick a name of Jewish/Yiddish origins (my own last name is Ukrainian Jewish, hers German replacing Polish). So far the leading contender is "Mazltov", which was inspired by a hideous engagement gift.
I realize how some would do this sort of thing to escape history or ethnicity, but that's not my bag.
We would feel bound by history and community to pick a name of Jewish/Yiddish origins (my own last name is Ukrainian Jewish, hers German replacing Polish). So far the leading contender is "Mazltov", which was inspired by a hideous engagement gift.
How about "Chelm"?
59, 61: Now that I think of it, Vixximmi is a pretty good name.
I mean, not for a human family, but for something. Our pet extraterrestrial, maybe.
I'm not sure it's a gendered convention to want continuity of name across generations
Always taking the husband's last name makes it easier to trace ancestry back through the fathers' line, but maternal ancestry is still hidden, no?
I mentioned that in the very same sentence, Di.
78 is very good for reasons that should be linked. Ostropoler also comes to mind.
she's descended in part from a Chinese immigrant
vlog star catherine? Was she talking about Genghis Khan?
I guess we could take "Xiixxmmviistein" and split the difference.
I'm naming my kid Theodora if it's a girl, and if the poor bastard is male, [null]. Take that, dbs of the world!
Always taking the husband's last name makes it easier to trace ancestry back through the fathers' line, but maternal ancestry is still hidden, no?
Assuming perfect documentation, you would expect to find the woman's maiden name on the marriage certificate, and trace back from that. But you're right, it's another potential failure point.
My grandfather had a different birth name, because he was illegitimate and his name was changed when his mother eventually married an unrelated bloke a few years later. This presents no real problem in genealogy, because we have the certificates.
she's descended in part from a Chinese immigrant
vlog star catherine? Was she talking about Genghis Khan?
read better not see this!
You guys are ridiculously conservative and judgmental
Welcome to Unfogged.
27
"... Frankly, there is no good, independent reason not to do it --- no reason independent of sheer attachment to gendered conventions, anyway. ..."
Sure there is. Laziness. Changing your name involves a certain amount of hassle.
I like the idea of arranging one's own life so as to simplify things for generations of future genealogists.
I don't think you read the thread.
That's okay, I've read a couple hundred of the others.
A friend of my sons took a new first and last name of his own choice when he was 18. Both parents were cool with that.
His original first name had been a hippy name, which he replaced with a cool biblical name.
Changing your name involves a certain amount of hassle.
Not a small amount, either.
which he replaced with a cool biblical name
Presumably not "Dorcas", then.
Presumably not "Dorcas", then.
Beelzebub Clawhammer.
His original first name had been a hippy name, which he replaced with a cool biblical name.
from "Zippity" to "Zebedee"?
I can attest that going by one's middle name creates headaches enough
I think this can be managed by using the first initial for anything semi-official. But then you have to be extra careful to guard against toolishness, as the use of an initial or numbers always leads one down that dark road. You wouldn't have to worry about that much though, apo.
His original first name had been a hippy name, which he replaced with a cool biblical name.
DweezilNebuchadnezzar *
* Woo! Spelled right without checking!
100: The local newspaper did an interview with some of the kids in the 8th grade play. When the reporter took my name, I asked that she include my middle initial. Then the other kids asked for their middle initials. Then I said it was cool, she didn't need to use my middle initial.
guard against toolishness, as the use of an initial or numbers always leads one down that dark road
Hey!
(Actually, I don't go by the initial IRL)
Always taking the husband's last name makes it easier to trace ancestry back through the fathers' line, but maternal ancestry is still hidden, no?
Not if your ancestors are Catholic. RC marriage and baptismal records typically give the wife/mother's family name. Though it's understood that legally a woman adopts her husband's name upon marriage, in the parish register she will still be identified with her family of origin.
Presumably some other religious denominations do something similar. State-produced records (e.g., census returns) tend to completely erase the woman's pre-marriage identity.
Same question as 59; my SO wants to take my name, mostly because she doesn't like her own very much (nothing wrong with the family, but the name is of very recent origin and the name is generic.) My name is only slightly less generic, and I feel kind of weirded out about the idea of someone else switching to my name. My mother never changed her name, so that's what I'm used to, and I don't remember it ever being a practical problem as a kid (I have my father's name).
"Nebuchadrezzar" is correct. The "n" is an error. Likewise, "Moctezuma". Likewise "Chinggis".
I think the coolest Biblical name is "Sheshbazzar".
Nimrod would be a great name though. Melchizadek?
It's been 70 comments now, and it appears that nobody understands 38.
"Nimrod" and "Abner" are much more common names than you would think.
Melchizadek is better divided between two children.
I still don't understand "brown chicken brown cow".
The popularity of Abel as a given name has always puzzled me, since Abel doesn't make out so well.
I don't understand 38.
Bildad and Hodad would be excellent twin names.
I had a college student once who gave his baby boy the middle name Danger. When asked why, he replied that he wanted to set the kid up so that some day, when he's in a bar, chatting up a hottie, he can say "my middle name is Danger," and actually be able to pull out his driver's license and prove it. (Presumably that would clinch the deal, leading to, well, you know.)
Now that's a caring father, planning for the long term.
116: they are rare heritage breeds, thus making them more attractive to high SES white people, ergo, sexier.
81: Oh. My attention span didn't carry that far.
I am understanding of all internet comments.
Bildad and Hodad would be excellent twin names.
also for Jews, "Gomer" and "Golem".
112: or, everyone did, and no one thought it was remarkable.
no end of trouble for it with bureaucracies.
Some bureaucracies will helpfully solve this problem for you by assigning First Name Unknown. I can't tell you how many Fnus I've met.
You would think database administrators would be accommodating this issue by now, but we're still stuck with stupid 20-character, no-punctuation-mark, both-names-required malarky. Bah.
Now that's a caring father, planning for the long term.
My parents gave me a first and middle name combination that corresponds to the first and last name of a well-known leader of the early labor movement, giving me a tremendous potential advantage if I ever ran for Congress in the heavily union-influenced district I grew up in.
But then I became a pot-smoking Ivy League liberal, thus ruining it for everyone.
I met a couple who took the Roman numeral equivalent of the date of their marriage as their new name. October 1, 2000.
Bob and Emma Kalendsoctobrisaburbeconditemmmdccliii? Catchy.
Maher-shalal-hashbaz means "he who makes haste to the slaughter". Also can be shortened to "Mash".
My middle name, although not intended this way, has provided much fodder for "[My middle name] is my middle name"-style levity in my life.
118: I know someone who saddled the kid with the whole "Danger is my middle name" dealio, too. I wonder if lots of nerds have done it.
Maher Shalal Hash Baz is also a really fantastic Japanese band.
129: good lord, you're not Stephen King's son, are you?
Holofernes is easily the best biblical name for a boy.
I wonder if it's easier to get married and change one's name than it is to change one's name straight up.
"brown chicken brown cow"
Because there's no sprog to imitate Alvin the chipmunk of commercials and film trailers for you, Alvin himself imitating a now-ironic porn convention of having slap bass soundtracks.
I don't understand why this isn't objectionable-- an imbecile smutty joke aimed at parents in a kids movie is OK, even though it gets kids repeating something that would be objectionable (due to porn being commercialized sex, not due to implicit sex reference) if the kids understood what they were saying? Say a Girls Gone Wild line of clothing aimed at kids (who didn't get the reference) would generate apoplexy, but irritating smutty Alvin is OK?
Of course, there's a lot I don't understand.
Anyway, say it with a sing-song intonation to evoke "bow-chicka-wow-wow"
(Actually, I don't go by the initial IRL)
(Neither does my dad, except on business cards and official forms. It's cool.)
I know somebody who's changing her name now, several years after getting married, and after the birth of her child. I assume she wants her name to match her child's. As to why this is only coming up now, couldn't say.
129: Heh. If I am guessing correctly, my parents sometimes called me this as a nickname when I was little, because of a, without possibly giving your names away, let's say prominent facial feature shared by me and said labor leader.
Incidentally, a Google search for "hodad bildad" turns up some fucking weird shit.
I had a college student once who gave his baby boy the middle name Danger. When asked why, he replied that he wanted to set the kid up so that some day, when he's in a bar, chatting up a hottie, he can say "my middle name is Danger," and actually be able to pull out his driver's license and prove it.
One hopes he would say "Danger is my middle name," instead.
Abaddon. Then, if she turned out nice after all, you could call her Abby. AND NO ONE NEED EVER KNOW.
I've already had that explanation and it doesn't work. Is it a pop culture reference?
Maher Shalal Hash Baz is also a really fantastic Japanese band.
I've still been unable to find any albums by them, Ben. If your secret is something other than legal purchases or your work at the radio station, I want to hear it.
141, cont.: Actually, it was really weird when I found out my dad went by his middle name all the time. When I asked if he just never liked his first name, I found out that his parents didn't even like his first name all that much, they just really loved his middle name but felt a monosyllabic first name wouldn't work with our monosyllabic family name*. So my dad was given a first name that no one would ever use, except the occasional junk mail.
* This is odd to me given that my dad's dad has the actual, factual given name Jack and seems find with it. Which tells one a lot about my family a couple generations back.
I've already had that explanation and it doesn't work. Is it a pop culture reference?
It's a standard way of referring to generic cheesy porn-movie music.
I wonder if lots of nerds have done it.
Yes.
The popularity of Abel as a given name has always puzzled me, since Abel doesn't make out so well.
God liked him though. A good name if you're only planning to have one child.
My parents gave me a first and middle name combination that corresponds to the first and last name of a well-known leader of the early labor movement, giving me a tremendous potential advantage if I ever ran for Congress in the heavily union-influenced district I grew up in.
I assume it's not "Terence Powderly", but I always thought that was a great name.
151: was that the right labor leader, though?
I've still been unable to find any albums by them, Ben.
One source that also has their collaboration with Bill Wells. Boomkat has the album with two of my favorite MSHB tunes ("White Dream" and "What's Your Business Here, Elijah?"), among many others. Even Amazon has Blues du Jour used.
Forced Exposure I just went straight to, since their URL scheme is pretty uniform, but to find the Blues du Jour vendors my secret lay in plain sight.
There's even a bittorrent link in that search, not that I endorse such methods.
150: see, I don't watch cheesy porn. I'm porn-friendly but don't like movies much.
If the Coen brothers did a porn movie I'd watch it.
It's always interesting to me to see what things bring out strong, Durkheimian reactions in defense of a naturalized social order.
I knew instantly upon reading this sentence that the post was by Gonerill, before seeing his name.
156: The only part of this comment that was responsive is unseeded, IIRC.
My father was not given a middle name so he uses his last initial with no period after it. I have always thought this was way cool.
157: "O Brother, Whore Out Thou"
My parents figured my first name was long enough.
163: "Orthomyxovirida" is a pretty long name, it's true.
Security Breach! Security Breach! Now I have to go redact 164.
162: Me neither. Thanks to this thread I've decided to start insisting that I have no first name and begin using my (current) first name as my middle name.
And I have a ridiculous first name.
Barton Fink is too obvious to be worth doing, surely.
(FUCK too obvious, that's what I say.)
"The Cocksucker is Roxy."
Upon preview: aww, shit
No Cuntry for Old Men
The Big Leboneski (or just leave the original unchanged)
156: The only part of this comment that was responsive is unseeded, IIRC.
Oh, well, if you want free stuff, use soulseek.
Is this the greatest multiple pwning of all time? Conditions were perfect.
Have to move into the obscure titles now.
The Ladypleasers
The Coen brothers should do the Monica Goodling women in prison movie, with Scarlet Johannson.
Dammit, you all took the good ones (though I would have gone with "Butt Simple"), but 185 is better than I could have done, so fair play. So what am I left with? "Whorego"?"The Man Who Wasn't Straight"? Bah.
Oh, well, if you want free stuff, use soulseek.
I've been trying to get out of the torrent/p2p game and into rapidshare—because my college's IT people can sometimes throttle downloads with those programs, and because of a threat I received from HBO. Oh, well.
Buck Angel in: The Penis That Wasn't There
191: To appeal to the large overlaps between skiing fetishists, BBW fans, and lesbian porn fans.
193: a huge market, to be sure.
192 reminds me of a song from Gravity's Rainbow, "The Penis He Thought Was His Own."
191: Brilliant; you're in the wrong business. Except if you're in crap porn naming business, in which case: could you hook me up with a job?
Also, "erecting" Arizona? No, it's Raping Arizona or nothing.
We're deciding what last name to give the forthcoming kidlets based on which sounds better with the first names we like.
mrh, that's what we did. We each kept our own names - they sounded stupid together (but have since forged an interweb family identity which is an anagram of the two surnames) - and Kid A got C's surname which made her name nicely alliterative*. Kid B was going to get my surname (more alliteration), but when she was born she ended up with a different name, and with no aesthetic preference either way, we decided we'd rather the sibs had the same surname. If they sounded better we would have hyphenated.
* And yes, Nicely Alliterative is an odd name for a child, especially as we don't live in North London ...
a first name that no one would ever use, except the occasional junk mail.
This is actually pretty handy. I worked for a guy who was A. R/chard G-. Like Po-Mo's dad, he used the initial officially, but not practically. He simply hated the name (Alfred - I worked for him for several years before his snotty son revealed the ugly truth).
First/Last name balance is tricky. AB rejected George because George Roth sounds so blah (to her). The fact that this wouldn't, in fact, be his name (as I said, we hyphenate, getting 3 syllables) cut no ice with her.
200 was supposed to clarify that the unused first name is useful for screening out telemarketers and the like.
198: Sorry, but I'm going to have to go with Glazing Arizona.
198 no longer sounds like a porn movie I would enjoy watching.
The best is when mailing lists decide that 8 letters is sufficient for a first name, and so I get a mid-syllable truncated name. Yes, that sounds like you know me well.
C is Christophe in many places, which sounds very ooh la la. Shame he's Welsh.
202-3: I'm sorry if I offended your porn-naming sensibilities, but, to me, the integrity of the pun comes before the morality of the acts depicted in the movie described. I would admit that Glazing Arizona would be the superior name if I knew what glazing was. I'm not at all sure that I want to.
I would admit that Glazing Arizona would be the superior name if I knew what glazing was.
It means dipping someone in a sugary batter or frosting. Duh.
if I knew what glazing was
Urbandictionary.com is your friend. Or enemy, as the case may be.
206 - married, Will. Did I sound like I wasn't? 12 long years, as my daughter wrote in my last anniversary card.
If you rely on URbanDictionary, every real title of every movie, as well as every word in the English language, could be a porn title anyway.
209: I like my definition better.
Actually what's toolish is assuming that people must be tools just because they do things a little differently than "normal."
I always thought you were. But I thought some thread alluded to you not being married.
And I see that I was pwned way upthread by Gonerill. Thank god.
214: You're remembering something I said in the 'dsquared got married' thread. I didn't say Asilon wasn't married, I said she'd made fun of me for assuming she was, which had led me to conclude that UK default assumptions about whether a middleclass couple with kids would be married were less strong than ours (and therefore to correctly assume based on that and on some things he'd said that dsquared and his partner weren't married).
205. Moi aussi. Sick of it, TBH. Can't the mailing companies buy some kit with more than 256k memory.
we decided we'd rather the sibs had the same surname
Yes, this seems non-negotiable to me. Otherwise, it would be way too obvious which child we each favored.
213: Oh, god.
214: Yeah, LB recently mentioned that asilon had twitted her for assuming that she was married. Which I took to mean that asilon wasn't, but of course asilon need not have been unmarried to twit someone for such an assumption.
216: Pwno, pwnere, pwnui, pwntum -- by the lady herself, even.
Assuming perfect documentation, you would expect to find the woman's maiden name on the marriage certificate, and trace back from that
And if both people change their name on marriage, then you'd expect to find *that* on the marriage certificiate, so.
213: Oh, god.
No worries, I won't be around to try your infinite patience today, as I am going out for a long bike ride.
My daughter has my surname and my son has my wife's. So far we have had no problems. I rather like it as a solution to The Name Problem.
asilon need not have been unmarried to twit
I've never met asilon's husband, but from meeting her, I'd bet he's not a twit.
Otherwise, it would be way too obvious which child we each favored.
Keep it loose, and it'll be way easier to withdraw and bestow your favor. "If you get Daddy a beer, I'll give you my last name to show that I like you best." Then again, probably not the right incentive structure, unless your last name is Icanhazfreecandynowyes.
Otherwise, it would be way too obvious which child we each favored.
As if the first names Aristos and Hellspawn weren't indication enough?
I suppose 224 works best for n even.
The hypothetical future children will have shivbunny's last name, as it is important to him and I couldn't care less.
I am not sure what the default assumptions are in Canada, but shivbunny's unmarried sister is pregnant, and still dating the dad, and we're all mostly relieved that she isn't rushing to marry the guy. (He's nice, but bad, bad reason to rush into marriage.)
227: I have somehow given birth to a child who, at 6, has decided to start making a pot of coffee for us if he wakes up first. Occasionally he'll bring cups into the bedroom to wake us up.
I'm waiting for the meteor to hit to even out the karma on this one. </shameless, albeit somewhat mystified, bragging>
Where is the resident digger into ancestors, Mr. Napi?
Take the man's name, people. It is just the way it is supposed to be.
231: he's just setting you up for when he spikes it with rohypnol and sells the TV for yu-gi-oh cards.
"Take my husband's name . . . please."
231: I can't even operate our coffee maker - AB drinks it, I don't. Fortunately, she doesn't want/need/expect it first thing, so I'm not missing out on any points by being incapable of what is, evidently, child's work.
Hey Sifu, I just did something to my Y key. It stills works, as you can see, but it requires jiggling the cover into the right position and holding it in place while hitting it. So, if I type your Ts from now on, would you type my Ys?
YYYYYYYYYou betcha, Kraabyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy.
I confess that I occasionally fret over what Rah and I will do about the names if we get a legal marriage.
On the junk mail tip, I often use my pseud as my name for signing up for things online which leads to the occasional junk mail addressed to my pseud. The best was a postcard from Playboy, of all people, featuring some forgettable cheerleader type with the text "We're taking it off for you, ROBUST N. MCMANLYPANTS." It lived on our fridge for a long, long time.
I'm sorry if I'm disturbing 231's saccharine utopia, but I thought I should acknowledge that 202 was right. By all means, feel superior, but teach him to open wine before you do so again.
239: if you both legally change your last name to "McManlypants" I'll give you a hundred dollars.
238: Meets my standards -- 3 scoops of El Pico in the filter, pour in a pot of water and hit the switch. It comes out the same as when I make it. It's not a high-skill process, but that he does it at all is boggling me a bit.
236 reminds me of an entirely tangential story: At a hostel in Germany, a California girl yelled over to the manager from the lobby's computer--"The 'y' key is broken." The manager yelled back that it had been switched with the 'z'--"Oh, thanks." Moments later, "It's still broken"--manager walks over, points at the keyboard--"Oh, oh now I see, thanks."
I'm thinking seriously of changing my last name to McManlypants just for the sheer joy of it.
LB, that's a really cute story. Karma is probably going to bite your ass. But it's very cute.
237: Cool. These are for later, in case you need one when I'm not around:
t t t t t
T T T T T
τ τ τ τ τ
Too bad you're not missing one of the groovier looking letters:
φ
ξ
Ω
ψ
I'm also missing q and z at home, actually.
231 is completely awesome (and drastically increases the odds that Rah will one day want children).
and drastically increases the odds that Rah will one day want children
alternatively, soon you'll be able to buy a cheap household robot to do it.
Typical Sir Kraab: free and easy with the tease, but stops before you get to the Big O.
235: Neither can I operate ours. (CA got some elaborate espresso machine.) This is delightful, as I am now presented with a quadruple espresso each morning. Of course, CA gets up earlier than I do and enjoys waking me up by burning the tip of my nose with the coffee cup.
252: Groan.
RMcMP, it would be cheaper to get a coffee pot that has a timer.
251: But would a cheap household robot be willing to share its opinions on Pokemon, the Teen Titans, and potential practical uses for taekwondo training in later life? With the richness of detail Newt can command?
I think not.
(Admittedly, this may sway Rah's opinion on kids back in the other direction.)
Admittedly, this may sway Rah's opinion on kids back in the other direction.
Exactly. I wasn't claiming a drop in replacement.
Soup biscuit wasn't claiming that he'd be a drop-in replacement for a child,but he will make you a cup of coffee from time to time.
253: Yet people still bitch about the patriarchy. Mystifying,
258: but only if you're nice to me
how very different notion of karma
karma doesn't mean to equalize, balance one's state of being to some universal average imo
if you are happy you should expect some misfortune, that is a kind of superstitious feeling, maybe very western type
we also know this feeling of course (tsagaan xel am), but it's different from the concept of karma (uiliin ur)
As long as you're pontificating, what is karma?
During one of his recent anxiety-fits about what to do with his difficult-to-spell and inconsistently spelled, two-part last name that includes an honorific that is kinda embarrassing, kinda part of the name, and kinda impossible for non-Iranians to figure out, I suggested to my honey that he take my one-syllable last name, which suggests he descends from Scottish Highlanders. He demurred. But the offer stands!
While I'm randomly bragging on Newt, I just got him and Sally playing Settlers of Catan with me this weekend. I may no longer need adult friends.
(And I was just being superstitious, rather than seriously invoking karma in any way that would imply that I knew what I was talking about.)
I kept my name. Kicking-me-right-now-future-child will just have my husband's. Shouldn't ancestor-seekers want everyone to hyphenate indefinitely?
264.1: Ok, that's just straight-up awesome. I would totally babysit your kids now. Settlers has become the "what the hell, we've got an hour to waste" activity in my apartment this summer. Surprisingly still feasible with two people playing 4 characters, but just causing so much heartache when one of your colors has to screw the other over.
As far as I am concerned, you take the better of the two names, unless one of you is nobility or something. As much as I wish my name were "Max Power", I decline to make up a name out of whole cloth.
P.S.:264 is awesome.
264 aha, i got it, sorry
just thought that maybe karma is understood that way
it's just you'd get what you do, good or bad
but not reverse
261: It's just a superstitious American usage, here, I think.
Settles of Catan is a fine game but the first time I played it I wanted to know, why, since I was buying army cards, I wasn't permitted to invade their lousy town already.
I just got him and Sally playing Settlers of Catan
Keegan looooooves that game. We play it all the time.
Now that I see there are multiple Settlers fans among the tariat, I feel that Mrs. Breath is double bragging, which is wrong. Go back to how much you loathe your job! Happiness is depressing.
She doesn't hate her job anymore, fm. I think you're out of luck.
265
"... Shouldn't ancestor-seekers want everyone to hyphenate indefinitely?"
No, just give the first born child the mother's maiden name as a middle name.
265/273: nah, everyone should just be assigned a unique id # and a hash of their parents numbers, at birth.
The fact that they are apparently both changing their name renders any consideration of toolishness moot, but even if it were just him, why exactly would it make him a tool? Fair enough if the name itself is stupid, but what's so bad about changing your name per se? Seems a weird thing to be annoyed by.
But would a cheap household robot be willing to share its opinions on Pokemon, the Teen Titans, and potential practical uses for taekwondo training in later life?
I'd say that this makes me want a kid but I already have the Internet.
Also, does anyone else here have Settlers of Catan on the Xbox 360? I'd gladly play them.
277: Is it good? I've considered downloading it.
Earthquakes make me very nervous.
Me too. The notion of the earth suddenly dropping a building on me is enough to keep me from relocating to California, however irrationally. Perhaps oddly, hurricanes don't bother me at all, only because they give plenty of advance warning.
279: Are you having a premonition? Should B put her house shopping on hold to see which neighborhoods fall into the abyss?
281: cali just had a midsized one
My premonitions always come a little too late. Nobody believes I'm psychic.
283: Really, they are postmonitions.
Surprisingly still feasible with two people playing 4 characters, but just causing so much heartache when one of your colors has to screw the other over.
Rory was a big Settlers/Siedler player for awhile, but before she'd really gotten in touch with her truly competitive side, so she'd always be looking for ways to trade you exactly what you needed. She'd feel bad if she lost, too, and I'd feel bad about her feeling bad, so we played a version which was more or less a competition for who could outnice her opponent.
Earthquakes make me very nervous.
Me three. We had a teeny little one in the midwest a few months ago -- the first one I'd ever experienced. Disconcerting. Hope what just hit Cali didn't cause too much harm!
I had a twelve-letter, six-consecutive-consonant Germanic surname. My wife didn't want it. I didn't want hers. For convenience of potential future children, we wanted to share a name. Our surnames shared an initial, so we picked a new name with that initial from a favorite poem.
Two other couples in our social circle have since picked new surnames upon their marriage.
As is probably obvious, I only just turned on the news, so I heard about the earthquake. Somehow, that explanation didn't occur to me when I read jms's comment. I'm slow witted today.
||
"Iowa doesn't have any all-nude strip clubs--but it does have performing arts centers where women dance naked. However, the loophole in the state's public indecent exposure law that allows nude dancing at "art centers" is under attack in the small community of Hamburg, a town of 1,200 just across the Missouri River from Nebraska. [...] It all began on July 21, 2007, when a 17-year-old niece of Sheriff Steven MacDonald climbed up on stage at Shotgun Geniez in Hamburg and stripped off her clothing."
|>
280 is a correct approach, real estate wise, as any sensible native will tell you. As it's a matter of "when", rather that "if", Bay Area real estate's primary value is how nice it will be after the big one. If you're paying for the structure, rather than the land, you're a sucker.
people aren't procrastinating enough this afternoon. Just saying.
290: "Murphy noted that the club has a gallery selling collectible posters and other art, and it provides patrons with sketch pads."
292: I'm grading. Plan to see me post a lot.
so we picked a new name with that initial from a favorite poem.
wheelbarrow?
285.1: Kids are such suckers.
292: I'm trying! Well, sort of. Also looking for inspiration on what to write that avoids digging into annoying legal structure differences between investment types.
Oh, and:
Earthquakes make me very nervous.
Pussies, the lot of you. Earthquakes are like unexpected surfing. I got knocked off my ass the first time, but after that it's kind of fun. As a 9 year old, I experienced Loma Prieta as something like a skateboard that killed people. It was rad.
I'm successfully not writing up a report in order to avoid not editing a paper.
290: I know this story! What the sheriff there? And was it dark so he didn't recognize her?
I'm grading.
i'm drinking chamomile tea
thinking of naming conventions --- we could always go back to taking the name of our craft of profession as a surname.
I suppose Bill C. Accountant doesn't have the same ring as Hiram Webmonkey, but ....
302: Not to mention half the graduates from top schools getting the names Analyst or Consultant.
I liked the conceit behind a book I didn't read, Jennifer Government, where everyone takes their employer's name as their surname
Within ten years, everyone's legal name will be their dumb online pseudonym and family names will recede into history.
Not to mention ... getting the names Analyst
Couldn't happen to a more deserving bunch,..
302: Yeah, I can just imagine the friendly and helpful customer service my peers and I would get if we adopted your suggestion!
(Although, I suppose next you'll be suggesting that "Di Attorney" has a strangely appealing ring to it... )
As compared to the friendly and helpful customer service you currently enjoy?
Where?
305: Or even better, everyone's surname is the first four letters of their occupation.
302, 303: Permalancer has a great ring.
Didn't we have this discussion earlier. Someone mentioned that we call doctors "doctor", but we don't run around saying "Mailman Jones! How are you doing!". Then Ogged (peace be upon him) said it would be awesome if we did, and then I realized that "Sifu" is the Chinese title I often see translated as "teacher."
307: Starbucks. Seriously. Not all of them, of course. But there's one with a drive-thru right by my train station that I occasionally stop at in the morning and they are un-fucking-believably cheerful and friendly.
Oh, Ace Hardware, too. Very nice.
Also, the company that insured my daughter's cellphone. Very pain free replacement when we learned our very important lesson about keeping cellphones dry.
That's probably it. I'm actually please to have come up with 3.
we could always go back to taking the name of our craft of profession as a surname
It would certainly make the NYT weddings section a more interesting read: "Caroline D. Golddigger, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Carl Slumlord of Flatbush, was united in Holy Matrimony with Brent J. Fundmanager, son of Mr. and Mrs. F. Wentworth Whiteshoebanker of Greenwich, CT. The bride's mother is the former Jeanne Drycleaner-Smalltimefraudster. The wedding ceremony was held at St. John's Catholic Church, with Father Timothy Communicantdiddler officiating."
I think we're more likely to see people using their market segment for a surname. Kathy and John Bohemian Mix announce the birth of their child, June. The family will now be known as the White Picket Fences.
304: You do know that was supposed to be a dystopia, right?
Further to 311. Trader Joe's. Had a very nice wine shopping experience there the other day.
310: In a way it's strange that there isn't more of this. I've never lived or visited anywhere that was less culturally oriented to identifying people with their jobs than the US. I suppose just out and out labeling people that way trips over other taboos.
Diddling communicants is a profession?
Couldn't happen to a more deserving bunch
Awww, you don't mean that. Well, yes, you do. And I suppose it's true. Some of us can't help it if we're only good at selling out!
Also, I thought back to Unfogged's brief digression on Dubai from a few days ago when I saw this, which is quite awesome.
Couldn't happen to a more deserving bunch
Not for nothing are the titles of the entry level positions abbreviated "Anal." and "Ass.".
314: whatever
I liked the conceit behind a book I didn't read, Jennifer Government, where everyone takes their employer's name as their surname
It's absolutely a fun read and recommended. A very enjoyably cinematic book.
"Someone mentioned that we call doctors "doctor", but we don't run around saying "Mailman Jones! How are you doing!"."
Clearly you've never been to Wales.
278: If you like the boardgame, it's great. They also have Carcassone and Ticket to Ride. My offer to play applies to those games too.
311: The first two wouldn't have your last name (at least, not until payment which is probably to late to change much) anway.
I'm astonished you've had decent customer service on anything phone related.
It would turn many graduation ceremonies into a naming ceremony. That probably means more cake.
But when does it stop? John Corporate-Attorney, formerly John D. Student, formerly John Junior Analyst, formerly John Wanderjahr....
John Disgruntled-Retiree?
Diddling communicants is a profession?
The pay isn't the greatest, but people who pursue it generally are motivated by a strong sense of calling.
I have somehow given birth to a child who, at 6, has decided to start making a pot of coffee for us if he wakes up first. Occasionally he'll bring cups into the bedroom to wake us up.
NO FAIR!!!
That said, I bet if I got an automatic coffee maker . . . oh wait, I'm always the one who has to get PK out of bed. With hot chocolate. Crap.
And yes, the earthquake was very exciting. I was on the second floor of Target. Can you imagine a more humiliating place to die, really?
The "humor" piece linked to in 318 is patently offensive. To associate an artist like Bo Diddly with a crass teenager driving a monster truck, or with the city of Dubai, is just appalling.
"Have you seen his house?" Bah. Bo was a hard working entertainer who deserved far more cash than he actually god. And to *contrast* him with dylan?
There are Targets with more than one floor? How urbane and cosmopolitan.
324: Like retired armed forces, you'd keep the last in whatever ogical progression. You might have some Jason CorporateWhore nee PureScientist types, but if they made a point of it, they'd be tools
Also, under Rah's new naming scheme, I could *still* keep my name. Teh awesome!
Now part of me wonders what an ogical progression would be.
328: You should see the fun everyone has with the shopping cart escalator.
327: Please tell me you're intentionally confusing P. Diddy and Bo Diddly. Please please please.
319: And some of us just keep being called analysts until we become managers or heads of soemthing or another. Information economy kinda sucks when it comes to job titles.
How urbane and cosmopolitan. like the latte-sipping coastal elite. Plain old SuperTargets weren't good enough for them
Information economy kinda sucks when it comes to job titles.
They don't have to give you title promotions when they can give actual salary promotions.
My "nice wine shopping experience"s always end in drunken orgies. Some of us eat TJ's artisan bread, which helps with the drunkenness. But we always have fine coffee when we wake up: either French Roast or Bay Blend. I personally prefer the Double Dark, but do they listen to me? No they do not.
333: Please tell me you you misread 327. Please please please.
333: Oh, urp, um. Not intentionally.
I don't read, actually. I just look at the first couple letters of the word and guess from context. (I found this out when I was in a Husserl reading group where we literally read aloud from Husserl.)
In any case, Bo Diddly takes up a larger portion of my brain than P.Diddy.
334: I think the first two-story Target I, personally, ever saw, was in Minneapolis. Which is nowhere near the coasts. Though of course it might as well be.
337: Crap. Never mind. I'll follow the link next time.
Target. Can you imagine a more humiliating place to die, really?
I sure can.
My "nice wine shopping experience"s always end in drunken orgies.
Right. Excellent customer service, IYKWIM.
Though of course it might as well be.
Yup. Glad you caught it yourself, B.
Right. Excellent customer service, IYKWIM.
Also hardly the sort of place to exhibit anti-lawyer bias, mind.
Target. Can you imagine a more humiliating place to die, really?
If you don't want to die, don't stand in the Target.
In any case, Bo Diddly takes up a larger portion of my brain than P.Diddy.
Which is the way it should be.
You know where I get most conflicted about admitting I'm a lawyer? Doctor's offices. They ask what you do for a living, you tell them, they look at you all squinty-eyed until you find yourself desperately reassuring them that you defend doctors against frivolous, frivolous claims, and hey, how about that tort reform!
315: Trader Joe has adopted the very naming convention proposed here !
347: You could always point out that they owe 50% or more of their current salary range to you lot (and keep quiet on where much of it goes...)
I've had some weird reactions from doctors about what I do.
347: Heh. My delivery with Sally was somewhat complicated and stressful (unexpected breech delivery) and while my midwife was there, some OB I'd never met before delivered her (and did a great job). After all the shouting was over, he commented that she was bigger than he'd thought she'd be, and he wouldn't have let me deliver normally if he'd known what size she was. Then, just making conversation, he asked what I did for a living. I told him I was a lawyer, and he staggered and dropped a basin.
I love scaring people. (Not that he had anything to be afraid of, of course. )
The link in 341 didn't work.
Forgive me if I should already know, but what do you do, soup?
For every lawyer who attacks doctors for no good reason, isn't there a lawyer who defends doctors for no good reason? Why would they assume the worst?
Can you imagine a more humiliating place to die, really?
Hooters.
Bush Justice Department.
Self-help section of the library.
You know where I get most conflicted about admitting I'm a lawyer? Doctor's offices.
Illinois doctors need to get themselves a blacklist like they have in Texas, so they can know you're not one of the litigious ones.
Target. Can you imagine a more humiliating place to die, really?
So, so white.
353: Earnestly? I think the legal process is pretty sucky when you have a personal stake in things, especially if you are being confronted with claims that your incompetence fucked someone up. When the plaintiff's lawyer is dragging your ass through a grinding deposition, etc., it seems pretty easy to think that the lawyer on the other side is evil and your lawyer is just some hack going through the motions who should have been able to magically make the whole thing disappear if s/he were really trying.
"Programmer Lovecraft" or "Hamilton Programmer?" I'm not sure that's an improvement over what I've got now.
Can you imagine a more humiliating place to die, really?
Hooters.
Bush Justice Department.
Self-help section of the library.
Computer lab, with the browser open to Fark
Yankee Candle
David Hasselhoff concert
356: No, there were brown people there too.
From 355:
The American Medical Association said that it had just learned of the group and that it saw no ethical issues at stake.
(And yes, obviously there would be much worse places to die than Target. It was a JOKE. We used to have those here, remember?)
Excellent customer service, IYKWIM
I recommend a Pinot Noir Feu D'Amour, followed by a sparkling Wunsch-Mann and perhaps finishing with a splash of Perlé d'Amour.
The thread seems to have moved on, but I just wanted to let you all know that I'm definitely not changing my name.
364: Congratulations, Mrs. Tweety!
Thanks! And yeah, we've actually just decided to trade names.
Aack! Big announcement preempted by a sex ATM!
When you're done withdrawing your sex, come back for more congratulations.
The two conversations will no doubt merge before too long.
Woohoo! Congratulations!
On the name thing, I think just rotating each first and last name one position forward works best. So your first name would move to be your new last; your last becomes his first; his first becomes his last; and his last becomes your first.
Repeat every 5000 miles, or when you get bored.
rotating each first and last name one position forward
And then if we ever have an argument about what year we did some certain thing, we can just check what our names were then! I guess that would work better the more names you have.
Forgive me if I should already know, but what do you do, soup?
It's not really the job title per se (random academic), but the particulars of some research I do (the medical bits). In a turnaround of stereotypes, I've sometimes been bugged by physicians at parties... I've also found physicians to be fairly typical of `soft' science people in that a smallish subset have weird reactions to `hard' science & math people, of the "I was never any good at X" sort. It's more dissonant coming from physicians to me though, because they've all had this sort of training to present a uniform competence face, I guess.
Congratulations! We're all invited to the wedding, right? I promise to keep McManus away from the bar at the reception.
Invited? You're hosting the wedding, Knecht!
HOLY SHIT!!!!!!
Congratulations, Sifu Blume and Blume Tweety.
I wouldn't expect that from a doctor either, 372. I decided not to try to become a doctor because it seemed like the two most mandatory qualifications were the ability to memorize huge amounts of arbitrary scientific information and the ability to adapt to horrible sleep schedules.
congratulations! Yay! JE will be so dissapointed in you two.
Whoa, CONGRATULATIONS! So so great!
Invited? You're hosting the wedding, Knecht!
You hear that, Fleur? And you said building the party tent was a waste of time! Whadda you think of that now, huh, huh?
378: I've worked with enough of them now that it looks different to me, but it's definitely it's own culture.
You hear that, Fleur? And you said building the party tent was a waste of time! Whadda you think of that now, huh, huh?
And people wondered where the next unfoggedCon would be....
Ooh, double unfogged wedding: Blume-Sifu and Heebie-Jammies!
Yay Blume and Sifu!! Not to be superstitious or anything, but this is the thread you chose for the announcement?
this is the thread you chose for the announcement?
Because Sifu is "not at all annoying".
double unfogged wedding: With ogged as the officiant and apo and Labs as flower girls.
Blume and Tweety: congratulations to you. May happiness abound!
So so great! Congratulations, Blume and Sifu!
Woot! Hook 'em Blume & Sifu!
Did you guys meet through unfogged, or did you know each other prior to your both commenting here (I cna't keep track of all this stuff)?
Hey, did you guys actually meet through Unfogged? If so, sorry about that, Emerson.
I am so very happy for you both!!!! You are so wonderful togehter.
The Boston meet up at our house on September 6th will now be officially an engagement party! Hooray!
With ogged as the officiant and apo and Labs as flower girls.
Ben in the shorty-tuxedo as the rings-bearer.
just for the record, i predicted them
i can predict many more couples if you wish :)
Yeah sorry Emerson. I think your dulcet murmurings guided us together.
I think the official line is that we met at an unfogged meetup... but yeah, same difference.
And we will be sure to serve many, many Kirs Royeauxs!!
Ben in the shorty-tuxedo as the rings-bearer.
That leaves LB as the soloist.
Sorry about over-posting on the happy news.
In any case, Bo Diddly takes up a larger portion of my brain than P.Diddy.
Not large enough for you to spell his name correctly, though.
399: No, not your magical powers, read. They were dating before you were commenting here.
407: My birthstone! Although I don't think Sifu knew that ahead of time.
Not that it's important, but that is a gorgeous ring.
Meeting through a blog comments section--more or less nerdalicious than through Usenet? IRC? Ham radio?
Seriously, though, so great. Congrats!
409: did too!
404: you can do a big combined Emerson-baiting unfogged weddings thread also featuring you and Wrongshore once we've solved the lurker's sexual dysfunction.
Maybe lurker and his wife could renew their vows, too.
Is the latter half of 408 true?
Not sure when read started commenting. We started dating in October, though.
410: I may be misremembering when read first appeared, but I think it was after I knew about the love connection.
Holy crap. Sifu and Blume!? That's great news!! And to think that they met at unfogged...(wait: did they meet at unfogged?)
Congratulations, S&B! The ring is lovely! I'm guessing your bday is in July, Blume? I adore the birthstone engagement ring tradition. Very first-edition Emily Post.
Oh, wow. Congrats, you guys!!!! That's awesome.
(Also, forget the $100 dollars, Sifu, you two should take McManlypants as a wedded name.)
What a pretty ring. Congratulations, both of you!
Congratulations! And what a pretty ring. Many happy years to you both.
Thanks all, and now I'm getting on a plane to go join the ttaM, OFE, and asilon shift of commenters.
That's OK, Blume and Sifu. I'm used to rejection and betrayal.
Back on topic, I do not think that Blume should take the name Tweetyfish.
427. So sad, that he finds out on-line.
It's so dignified, though, John.
Wow! That's truly great.
And they'll always have a place to turn for advice when the post-marital sexual dysfunction strikes.
Huzzah huzzah! As they say aboard the doomed Pequod. I mean, mazl tov! Which will probably not be my new last name.
I need to go to sleep, but I wanted to say in all seriousness that we would love to host any of our Unfogged friends, real or imaginary, on Saturday,September 6th for an engagement party.
This is great, great news!
Let me be the first to congratulate y'all on your engagement, Sifu and Blume! I'm guessing Sifu is hoping to have the nuptials performed at Burning Man?
I'm guessing Sifu is hoping to have the nuptials performed at Burning Man?
Say, that's a great idea! I can't think of any reason Blume wouldn't want to do that.
I see 101 butt-naked couples initating hot sex the minute the I-dos are said, as the priest walks sadly off to his next wedding.
I've been to Burning Man weddings that were actually quite sweet, but no, we aren't doing that.
Just have someone say "Her wedding day is the happiest day of a girl's life". Blume's smart enough to see the grim implications of that.
This is my cunningplan to get her to back out. Mwahahaha.
Let me be the first to congratulate y'all on your engagement
Would you settle for the thirtieth?
Oh hey, fantastic! Congratulations, Blume and Sifu!
Much too belatedly, but very heartfelt nonetheless: Congratulations, Sifu and Blume! I am smiling all over. What terrific news.
I'd like to suggest to the happy couple that they consider hiring Emerson as a wedding consultant. He has ideas, and what's more, he's not afraid to express them. If you end up holding your wedding reception at an IHOP somewhere off the I-95, your guests can rest assured the gesture was intended at least somewhat ironically.
Thank you, MC. Your trust in me is heart-warming, though in the end you too will betray me. But that's all right!
Aww, it's the first marriage Unfogged has spawned, rather than destroyed! Ogged must be so disappointed. Why, I remember way back when Tweety emailed me to ask if I could keep a secret because the most awesome thing ever had happened and he was dying to tell *somebody*.
You guys should have Armsmasher DJ the reception. First dance, "Billie Jean".
apo and Labs as flower girls.
Labs and I in matching Laura Ashley print dresses would be the most adorable thing ever.
Adorable is the new deeply, deeply, weird.
Y'all are nice, though. Thanks.
Congratulations to the happy couple.
Your trust in me is heart-warming, though in the end you too will betray me.
Okay, I went to Maine for two weeks, so I haven't yet sent you the screech. But you're like family to me, John. Which means I will habitually disappoint you, of course, but never will I betray you.
448: as far as I can see, weird and nice is just about the best anyone can hope for in this life.
Would you settle for the thirtieth?
No.
There was just a little cross-posting that happened, you see.
Why, I remember way back when Tweety emailed me to ask if I could keep a secret because the most awesome thing ever had happened and he was dying to tell *somebody*.
You're not just *somebody*, apo. You're special.
And I'm assuming we can expect lots of eggnog at the reception?
399: Actually, at least one of your predictions was a collosal disaster, read. The Yentyl thing is fraught.
I'm somebody where it counts.
Well, yeah, but who's counting?
You were so promising when you were young, MC.
But that's all right.
I really resent Apo's keeping the secret. I'm not sure that he's a proper Apo any more. Tweety has taken all of the courage out of him.
You were so promising when you were young, MC.
Really I wasn't, though. It's surprising I even went to college, never mind the useless PhD.
Well, yeah, but who's counting?
Somebody else.
A belated congrats to Sifu and Blume. Wow.
So which one of you is pregnant?
So I actually found out about the engagement via the Flickr pool. That's what I get for not reading the archives current threads. Mazel tov!
If there's a meetup I promise on my mother's grave I will attend.
Btw, and not that anyone asked for my opinion, I object to a lengthy engagement. All the Victorian novelists are unanimous on this point: don't let the bride-to-be waste away of green sickness.
And I'm assuming we can expect lots of eggnog at the reception?
Presumptuous.
Congratulations, Blume&Sifu. Which part of the septic isle is Blume gracing with her presence?
467: the Germany part; she was being approximate.
Blume & Sifu, just remember to keep the haxxor friends and unfogged friends out of site until the priest blesses the union, because otherwise Blume's cousins might take fright and try to spirit her back to the Midwest to marry into a respectable land-owning family.
So which one of you is pregnant?
Marvey! But he's already married, so Sifu and I are getting sympathy-hitched.
I went to sleep and all the cool shit happened while I was passed out.
CONGRATS!
You should punish Emerson by making him officiate.
max
['And then you can say "Even Emerson approved!"']
You know how a beer you drink in a bar never tastes quite as good after you reach your 21st birthday? Same thing with sex after Jesus blesses the union. Sorry to break that to you.
Then I could say to the bride, right before the "I do", "Her wedding day is the happiest day of a girl's life" and give her a smirky look.
My mom would nod approvingly, JE, and completely miss the smirkiness.
I can never catch a break.
If you have the wedding in New York Mills along with Wrongshore, I could be there.
387 was of course stupid because I was confused about what thread I was in... This thread actually makes perfect sense. Duh.
The pastor who officiated the ceremony between my sister and her husband (total idiot loser jerk who helped drive me out of the denomination I was baptised in) unwittingly said "consummate" where he should have said "consecrate" during the ceremony. This being Deep Redstatia, the gaffe probably went over the heads of most of the audience, but siblings and I still get a kick out of teasing my sister about it ("So, did you edit that out of the wedding video yet?").
Woo! Congrats!
Blume's logical new name is "Sifu's Sweetie".
399: Actually, at least one of your predictions was a collosal disaster, read. The Yentyl thing is fraught.
The Yentl thing is indeed fraught, what with all the sexual tension between Barbra and Mandy Patinkin, but the word you're looking for is yenta.
At least we now have a clue to the poster's identity: either a gentile or a seriously alienated Jew.
either a gentile or a seriously alienated Jew
So that rules out...well, pretty much no one from the commenter community.
Actually, it also rules out anyone with a language fetish, so that does in fact narrow the choices. I guess it didn't work out between w-lfs-n & redfoxtailshrub.
i predicted a colossal disaster
i thought Flippanter were female, true
can't recall other errors though or else, ogged and bpl got split? how sorry, but i did not sense a very much strong romantic relationship there, just a young healthy fun dating atmos, so hopefully ogged is not suffering a heartbreak now plus to his 'exile' ;(?!
have no idea what the yentyl phrase means, so maybe not ogged
and i predicted AWB&WB, like, they might be a very nicely compatible couple, based on the unfogged flickr photo, can't find the photo now
According to science fiction author Orson Scott Card (pictured above), recent court decisions in Massachusetts and California recognizing same-sex marriage mean "the end of democracy in America." As such, he advocates taking down our government "by whatever means is made possible or necessary." [...]
But despite the fact that Card is saying all these things, he sees himself as the victim. "Please remember that for the mildest of comments critical of the political agenda of homosexual activists, I have been called a 'homophobe' for years," he writes.
See, openly advocating the violent overthrow of the United States government because two of fifty states legalized gay marriage is the "mildest of comments".
Orson Scott Card jumped the shark decades ago.
Very late to this party, but I also wanted to extend my congratulations.
Do congratulations really have an extension?
484: Yeah, I'm familiar with his long history of homophobic commentary, but overthrowing the government and "the end of democracy" seems overblown even for him.
See, openly advocating the violent overthrow of the United States government because two of fifty states legalized gay marriage is the "mildest of comments".
Whereas torture, surveillance, violent political intimidation, subversion of the Constitution and a spastic world war are just good clean heterosexual fun. Like lots of lube or light bondage or something.
Orson Scott Card jumped the shark decades ago.
Orson Scott Card apparently gets excellent AM radio reception via his teeth and since he has to listen to talk radio all the time, 24-7, all he can do is repeat whatever he's heard.
but overthrowing the government and "the end of democracy" seems overblown even for him.
Well, how else are you going to implement a non-democratic government that will help decent people everywhere get rid of their criminal neighbors, remove inferior races from the fatherland, ensure that homsexuals and perverts are executed, and defeat the overseas Jewish-Bolshevik conspiracy before it destroys the nation?
Er. Arab. Bolshevik. Nazi. Liberal. Um. UFO. Conspiracy. Yeah! That's it!
max
['Cut the guy some slack!']
Belated congratulations! This is such happy news.
Fun fact: Orson Scott Card voted for Obama.
Just saw this thread. Congratulations to both ot you.
I guess it didn't work out between w-lfs-n & redfoxtailshrub.
Rub it in, why doncha.
See, openly advocating the violent overthrow of the United States government because two of fifty states legalized gay marriage
hey, listen, don't question motives. This revolution thing is never gonna happen without a big tent approach.