Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Wednesday Weirdness- On Time!

Okay, last week I barely posted my weekly weirdness on Wednesday. Sorry.  But this week, I'm on time.

We start with a couple of stories that, at least for me, fall under the title "I've been tempted to do that". First is a report of a judge in Idaho who had a defendant's mouth duct taped shut after he refused to be quiet.  Nicklas Frasure was unable to behave appropriately and Judge McDermott had baliffs restrain him.  They used duct tape to seal his mouth shut.  Apparently, Frasure had no hard feelings.  When the hearing was over and the duct tape removed, he asked the judge is he wanted to arm wrestle. I ask you, who hasn't wanted to duct tape someone mouth shut when they just wouldn't shut up?  Generally, for me at least, that someone was under the age of 18 and related to me.  Just saying.

Next we have a mom in White Plains, NY who got fed up with her daughters' bickering and made them get out of the car.  What mother hasn't threatened to pull the car over when her kids were at each other's throats in the back seat?  I know I have.  In fact, I have. Pulled the car over, I mean.  I just didn't take it quite as far as Madlyn Primoff who actually made her 10 and 12-year-old daughters get out of the car. And then she drove away.  She's been charged with child endangerment.

This next one is in a category all by itself. Filed under  E for "Ewww". Researchers in India are working at creating an artificial heart modeled after a cockraoch's heart. It seems that a cockroach is so sturdy in part because its heart has 13 chambers.  These researchers are hoping to build a working artificial heart for human's that will be cheaper and have multiple chambers like the lowly cockroach.

In the Dominican Republic, authorities are considering a ban and unusual names after a spate of decidedly weird names on birth certificates.   There have been names based on car brands, body parts and fruit. Samples include "Dear Pineapple", "Mazda Altagracia" and "Toshiba Fidelina" .  A judge thinks these names should be banned since they are "confusing and give no indication of a person's gender". Another judge thinks someone should talk to the parents and explain to them just how inappropriate these names are and how they will be scarring their children for life.

More naming problems but this time in New Zealand.  Officials have discovered that the two main islands in the country, North Island and South Island, aren't officially named that, legally at least.  Oops. The islands have Maori names and those are the only ones that appear on the earliest maps and charts. So the Geographic Board, whose official job it is to name things in New Zealand, will make it legal and at the same time formalize the alternative Maori names.

And last we have a lake in Massachusetts. Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg near Webster has been spelled incorrectly on several signs in the area. Seriously.  Someone noticed that a 45 letter name was misspelled. One myth says the name means 'You fish on your side, I fish on my side, and nobody fish in the middle.'  Locals just call it Lake Webster. I call it weird. How the hell do you pronounce something like that? Anyone?


That's it for this week. Later.

8 comments:

Sprite's Keeper said...

I find it weird that I actually sat there for a few moments and tried to sound the lake's name out.

Grandpa Eddie said...

I hear ya on the duct tape thing. There was more then once that I was tempted when my four were young, it would have made life so much more peaceful.

I don't think that judge had any right to tell parents what they could name their kids, it wasn't any of his business. That thing about "confusing and give no indication of a person's gender" is crap and very sexist. The names Taylor and Jamie are given to both males and females, and I don't see anyone here having a problem with that(although there are nuts that probably do).

Stacy Hackenberg said...

@Grandpa Eddie- I at one time had permission from all the parents in my Girl Scout troop to duct tape their daughters to a tree if they got unruly during a camp out. Never had to use it.

I also thought that comment about giving no indication of gender was idiotic, too, but I can understand why they wanted to stop some the more outrageous ones. I mean seriously what do you really think the kids on the playground are going to call Dear Pineapple? It won't be good.

Grandpa Eddie said...

Heh...the parents of those Girl Scouts sound a lot like mine did when I was an unruly child....not that I'd ever really be like that mind you...LOL!

I think it doesn't matter what a child's name is, or means. Certain kids are going to make fun of everyone by using their first, last, or both names.

There was a guy I grew up with(not that I ever grew up), one of my best friends, who wanted to name his first son Oil. His wife blew her stack. My friend's last name was Wells.

Anonymous said...

My favorite was the judge who used duct tape of course. I love these. Thank you for doing it. i look forward to them every week.

Sidhe said...

Reminds me of the character, Ford Lincoln Mercury, from The Postman...great name!

Keely said...

I think you pronounce it by guzzling a beer.

Wild Child said...

Today would have been a good day for duct tape. Our six year old daughter is a non-stop chatter box. She just talks and talks and talks. Like she can't stand the silence. I take it doesn't end soon after either.