“After just 2 1/2 weeks, Jon Blake Cusack 2.0 is up, but probably still not running.

In the digital world, that might be a disaster. But for JBC 2.0, just lifting his head is a feat. He’s the infant with the upgrade at the end of his name born on Jan 27 to Jon Blake Cusack and his wife, Jamie, of Holland, Mich. - and possibly the first child to have such a technological suffix attached to his name.

The boy’s dad, a software designer and self-described “engineering geek,” said the idea for a numeral name came in part from the movie Legend of 1900 by Italian filmmaker Guiseppe Tornatore, which features an orphan protagonist named 1900. Rather than “Junior” or “II” for his offspring, Cusack thought, why not the more cutting-edge “2.0″?” http://www.baltimoresun.com/features/arts/bal-as.junior15feb15,0,4128920.story”> JBC 2.0: A Cutting-Edge Name, For Now, by Christina Santucci, The Baltimore Sun, 2/15/2004

This article has some very fine quotes from members of the American Name Society, of which we are a proud member. I understand the desire to pass along names to children, but as someone with the same name as my mother, I can attest to the fact that it can be darn confusing to the world at large. I’d be very curious to check in with little Jon Blake in about 20 years and see if the “2.0″ stuck.

Posted in Fun stuff, In-the-News | No Comments

How to name streets:

“The ground rules of the name game are deceptively simple: The home-buyer must be able to spell and pronounce the name. (Which explains why one sees so few streets named after Quetzalcoatl and other Aztec gods.) The Postal Service and public safety officials must deem the name sufficiently distinct to not be confused with others in the area.

Other than that, anything goes — almost. It’s best to steer clear of names that, as one consultant put it “might produce a violent reaction in the buyer.” While Bloody Creek Court and Dead Indian Road may have history on their side, they’re non-starters. You can’t go wrong with animals, another consultant said, “as long as it’s not something that will eat your pet.” ” New Street Names All Over The Map by David Plotnikoff, San Jose Mercury News 2/16/04

Or you could just make a grid and go with numbers and letters, like they do in Utah. Oh well, one day it’ll all be GPS coordinates, anyway.

Posted in Fun stuff, In-the-News | No Comments

A bit of Internet fun that’s worth passing on. The names are pretty good, and most of them are still available as .com domains!

Subject: New Drugs for Improved Life For Women
The Food and Drug Administration has just announced that the following drugs have been released for trial in the US. These are the newest medications for women, available only by prescription.

DAMITOL: Take two and the rest of the world can go to hell for up to eight hours.
ST. MOMMA’S WORT: A plant extract that treats mom’s depression by rendering preschoolers unconscious for up to six hours.
EMPTYNESTROGEN: Highly effective suppository that eliminates melancholy by enhancing the memory of how awful they were as teenagers and how you couldn’t wait till they moved out.
PEPTOBIMBO: Liquid silicone for single women. Two full cups swallowed before an evening out increases breast size, decreases intelligence, and improves flirting.
DUMBEROL: When taken with Peptobimbo, can cause dangerously low I.Q., causing enjoyment of country music and pickup trucks.
FLIPITOR: Increases life expectancy of commuters by controlling road rage and the urge to flip off other drivers.
MENICILLIN: Potent antibiotic for older women.  Increases resistance to such lines as,  ”You make me want to be a better person…can we get naked now?”
BUYAGRA: Injectable stimulant taken prior to shopping.  Increases potency and duration of spending spree.
JACKASSPIRIN: Relieves headache caused by a man who can’t remember your birthday, anniversary, or phone number.
ANTI-TALKSIDENT: A spray carried in a purse or wallet to be used on anyone too eager to share their life stories with total strangers.
SEXEDRIN: More effective than Excedrin in treating the “Not now, dear, I have a headache” syndrome.
RAGAMET: When administered to a husband, provides the same irritation as ragging on him all weekend, saving the wife the time and trouble of doing it herself.

Posted in Fun stuff | No Comments

“The Design Conspiracy, a London ad firm, created the site What Brand Are You?. It generates new corporate names using stock answers to questions like “Choose Your Core Value” and “Choose Your Main Goal”. Intended as a joke, it has received 3 million unique visitors and at least 20 companies hace actually registered names like Winnovate and Amplifico.” Inc. magazine, March 2004

Well, I tried it for Catchword and entered “caring” as the core value and “client focus” as the goal and got the name “Repedo”, with the explanation “Your brand will be unique because this denotes: power, knowledge, and sunshine”. I don’t think we’ll change Catchword to Repedo, but hey, Winnovate is actually a pretty good name.

Posted in Catchword, Fun stuff, Language use | No Comments