Saturday, June 23, 2012

Awesomely Bad Baby Names: Part II

Well, since the first round of names turned out to attract some attention, I've thought up some new geek-tastic names that sound like a bad idea, but would eventually turn them into cool kids.  Promise...



Merlin
Merlin is the name of the greatest known fictional wizard of all time.  Step aside Gandalf!

"YOU SHALL NOT... oops, wrong wizard."


The bad:  There are so many downsides to naming your child after a wizard.  I mean, if you like wizards and want one of your favorites to be a namesake, then you have a plethora of options:  Harry.  Neville.  Heck, you can even go with Severus!  But, picking the most old-timey name in the history of wizard names is really taking a ballsy step.  Think about the images that came to your mind when thinking of the name "Merlin."  If you have a hard time using your imagination, allow me to help you out:

Clearly a stoner.

Clearly senile.

Clearly...  Well, he's alright.


Conversations concerning your kid will probably go something like this:
"Oh, that kid Merlin?  Yeah, he's so funny.  He's a riot."
"Really?  What, is he like a class clown or something?"
"No, his name is just silly.  Have you ever seen Shrek 3?  That's what I think of when I see Merlin.  Yeah."

The awesome:  We have established that the name sounds ridiculous, it's very, very outdated, and naming your child after a fictional wizard would be nuts.  However, let's not overlook how much of a great figure he is.  He was the real power behind the throne in Arthurian legend, he was a great mentor, and he possessed some great power.  He was also probably extremely intelligent.

If the influence of a great Arthurian hero did not sell this name enough for you, then pay attention to this:  The meaning of this name is "sea fortress."  SEA FORTRESS.  This is just the perfect prophecy that every parent wishes upon their children.

Side note- It's also the name of a bird...  You can tell people that instead.

It's better than "Katniss".




Ajax
This is a name which really does sound strong at first.  However, it honestly only sounds strong because it makes me think of Mortal Kombat for some reason...

This is a Jax.  Got it?


The bad:  There is not much bad that goes with this name.  It's strong and memorable.  The only negative that might come with a name like this, is that your kid may automatically be framed as the default bully...just because your kid sounds like he might grow up to be a bouncer.  Ajax, is totally a bouncer/bodyguard name...

Another obscure reason why the name might not be so great is because of the Lesser Ajax in Greek myth.  During of invasion of the city of Troy, Ajax the Lesser (or "Ajax the Douchebag") erm, raped, the king of Troy's daughter while she clung to a statue of Athena.  He was killed by the gods later.  Good!


The awesome:  Hopefully, no one will actually remeber Ajax the Douchebag, and will automatically remember that Ajax the Greater was a great Greek warrior, prominent in the tales of the Trojan War, and was played by Sabertooth.  This name is also awesome for those parents who want to prime their children for careers in mixed martial arts, professional wrestling, and espionage.

On second thought, I'd rather have you take an art class or two...





Blossom
Because naming your kid Bubbles or Buttercup would obviously be dumb.



The bad:  The name is flowery, sugary, happy, sunny goodness.  How could it possibly be bad?  Well, my friends, the unfortunate thing is that this name is so sweet, it just may give you diabetes.

In addition to being too full of sugar, this name is associated with two major pop culture figures.  First, you all may be familiar with the Blossom who is the leader of the Powerpuff Girls.  Blossom, as I recall, was not the most favorable of the trio.  She was often portrayed as a bossy know-it-all, snob, and all-around teacher's pet.  She had her noble moments, but many episodes showcase her as that smarty-pants everyone hated in 4th grade.  The second character associated with this name is Blossom from...Blossom.  It was a show.  It was in the 90s.  It dealt with after-school problems like family, drugs, and alcohol.  I honestly have never seen more than minor clips of that show, but I hear it's nostalgic.  People who grew up watching it will probably encounter your child named Blossom and make some obscure reference.

The cartoon Blossom is cuter...


The awesome:  Obscure references directed towards your child are probably the worst thing that could happen if you do decide to name her so.

As mentioned before, The Powerpuff Girls' Blossom was annoying at times, but she also was a freaking genius.  Let me just remind you that she was always mature, logical, and had a great memory.  She also had ice breath AND could speak Chinese fluently.  From birth.  Bottom line.  Smart kids are named Blossom.  Everyone wants smart kids.

Fun fact:  This name was actually in the top 1000 during the 1920s and 1930s.



So much more Awesomely Bad Baby Names are coming soon!

Monday, June 18, 2012

Leaving the Nest

Tomorrow will be the day when I finally spread my wings and fly out of my parents' house.  Literally.

This image comes to mind.


Actually no, I cannot really fly.  That's just crazy-talk.  However, I will be moving out!  Yes, a recent college graduate, and I will be leaving the nest at 22 years-old.  I feel like all grown-up... Except for the fact that there are a few minor factors that make me still feel attached to my childhood:

First, my roommates and I have officially received our keys and everything for our apartment two weeks ago...  I'm still in the process of moving in...  You see, I still need to move in all of my large furniture, and this includes my bed frame and mattresses.  I see no point of sleeping over there, if I do not have a bed, therefore I have not spent a night over at MY new place yet.  And I pay rent...

Second, I constantly go back and forth between my parents' house and my new apartment.  This means that my family and parents are always within reach.  This is a great thing because I know they will always be around to support me.  This is slightly detrimental however, because I find myself leaning on them more often than I would like to.  My parents are great, and they have no problem supporting me as long as they know I'm trying hard to support myself in the meantime.  However, I would like to be able to depend a little less on them, which brings me to my third point:

I am currently unemployed.  I was employed last week...as a canvasser...for two days.  The job was not working out (I would've made bank, though) and they had to let me go.  It was fine by me, because I the whole time I was working, I was thinking about finding another job.  Sorry I'm not sorry.
Right now, it really would be nice to have just any old job so I could pay rent.  However, since I am supposed to be grown now, and since I do have a college degree, I would like to pull myself out of the ground and hold a full-time job that is actually related to my major (or my minors).  I want so badly to be on that professional level.  Also, I need the experience so that graduate schools will look at me favorably.  I doubt that being a shuttle driver for three years is an impressive asset.

The good news is that I will finally have access to a van where I can fit all of my big furniture and get the heck out of this house.  Thank god for friends with large vehicles!  There's no doubt that I will still come back to my parents' house because, well, my other siblings still do the same.  Hey...  I'll get free food occasionally...