You named your baby what??

The only event of medieval note happened on January 26th, 1340, when Edward III claimed the French throne. The history of this claim is so murky and convoluted that I don’t feel up to dealing with it so early in the morning, so I’ll leave it to the curious to Google it. It was one of those happenings that I’d like to go back in time and change if I could, though, for it launched the One Hundred Years War and caused deaths and suffering beyond counting.

I hope everyone under assault by this arctic blast is staying warm and safe. It has been so cold here that I half-expect to see polar bears strolling down my street. Thank God for central heating; my hearts go out to all those frozen souls who had to depend upon fireplaces to keep from freezing down through the centuries.

Below is a link to an interesting article about the names that parents are now choosing for their children. You’ll be surprised (or maybe not) to see how the list has changed over the years; fifty years ago, there were no Aidens, no Madisons, no Brittanys. But the two names currently atop the list would have been approved by our grandparents—Jacob and Sophie. There are some countries where parents are not permitted to follow any whim in naming their children, and although I am a staunch supporter of the First Amendment, I can see their point. What is more personal than a name? And it’s been proven that names influence our impression of a person. Just think of the names that celebrities have foisted upon their innocent little babies. You think Nicholas Cage’s son will one day thank him for being named Kal-al after Superman’s dad? Calling a baby Tiffany Trump skirts close to child abuse IMHO. Would any of you want to go through life named Banjo, Sparrow, Rocket, Apple, Zuma, or Heavenly Hiraani Tiger? The list is—sadly—endless. But surely the worst is the one Bob Geldorf burdened his daughter with—Fifi Trixibelle; I wouldn’t even name a poodle that. The champ, though, has to be Frank Zappa, who named three of his children Dweezel, Diva Muffin, and Moon Unit. Shouldn’t there have been a law against that? Or a statute to stop the parents who wanted to name their baby “Like” after the Facebook option? The only thing to be said in favor of such creativity is that future historical novelists will be spared the ordeal that I face on a daily basis—trying to sort out the multitude of Edwards, Henrys, Richards, and Eleanors in my books.
http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/13/opinion...