Chinese Gandalf

So, one of the nice incidentals about being back in Milwaukee again earlier this month was that I had the chance to pick up a copy of THE SHEPHERD EXPRESS, the radical free newspaper formerly known as THE CRAZY SHEPHERD. It was interesting to leaf through it again after a long time. Don't know if they've mellowed or I've become much more progressive, but I found it much more moderate than I remembered. Maybe it's just that Seattle progressive is a bit edgier than Milwaukee progressive.

In any case, one feature I was glad to see was NEWS OF THE WEIRD by Chuck Shepherd. I used to enjoy this back when we took THE FUNNY TIMES, and was amused to find a Tolkien reference therein. Here's the clip:


Leading Economic IndicatorsNews Corporation Australia reported in September the enviable success of a 16-year-old British entrepreneur, Beau Jessup, whohas so far earned about $84,000 with a simpleonline app to help rich Chinese parents selectprosperous-sounding English names for theirbabies. Users choose among 12 personalitytraits they hope their baby to have, thenreceived three suggestions (including a list offamous people with those names). Jessup gotthe idea when living in China and noticingthat some babies of the rich were given lamenames, such as "Gandalf" and "Cinderella".
[Sept. 22 2016 issue, p. 37]

I'd be interested to learn if this is for real or some reporter's idea of a joke that made it into print during a slow news days.

--John R.