Random dumb thoughts

This page is to put those little weirdnesses of life that don't really fit anywhere else, or aren't worth a page of their own

Thursday, July 10, 2003

I'm feeling a bit like Pigpen today. This evening, as I was walking out of work and heading for my car, I walked through that group of gnats that hangs out in front of the building. Insteading of passing through them, as normally happens, they decided that it would be fun to have a new center of gravity and followed me out to the car. So I'm walking through this parking lot with this swarm of gnats surrounding me, and all I can think of is how I suddenly resemble Pigpen. I also wondered how I looked to people in the distance, because the whole time I'm trying to shoo them away.

So up close, it looks like I haven't showered in years, and from a distance it looks like I'm some wacko who keeps shadow-boxing with the universe.

Some days are like that, I guess.

.: posted by Lily Thursday, July 10, 2003

Sunday, July 06, 2003

Good heavens -- suddenly I'm popular, so it seems.

There was a story in today's New York Times about popularity of baby names, and they linked to the Social Security Administration's website that lists the most popular names for each year. So I plugged in the top 100 and to my surprise, there at number 79 (and rising with a bullet) was Lily. Now of course, if you make it LilyG, I'm still unique, but that's a separate issue. This is the first year that Lily broke the top hundred -- just ten years ago, it was down around 500. I never met any Lilys while I was growing up -- a few Lillians, but no flower children like me.

Some of the names in the top 100 did astonish me -- why would you saddle a kid with those, and ladies, PLEASE stop watching so many soap operas. The New York Times was very circumspect in its language -- it refrained from using the phrase that popped into my mind ("white trash"), but did say the same using inference and many more words. I won't list the ones that most set my teeth on edge, just in case it's your FAVORITE name in the world and were planning to use it on your own child someday. (Please, no more Kaylas, though, okay?).

However, it is an interesting thought -- your popularity being assigned by the rank of your name in any given year. So without any further ado, let's see who the most popular regular readers are around here. (I'll be willing to post an update, but there are a few folks for whom I don't know their actual names -- so apologies if you're left off).

The "uncoolest" kid around here is.... Venice. She doesn't even make the top 1000, and that's where they stop counting. That's okay, because the family name I'm thinking of using in the freak event I ever procreate is in the same boat. Both very nice names, but you won't find lots of premade items in the kiddy section carrying those monikers, and if you go into a playgroup and shout out those names, twenty little kids won't come running.

Next comes Linda, at 388. I'm surprised that this one is so far down -- both because it was once so popular, and with the rising Hispanic population in the US, I thought there would be more of them. That's okay, we love you anyway.

The next kid on the popularity curve is... Heidi, at number 322. Wow, how the mighty have fallen -- Heidi's been sinking for years. There were loads of them growing up. I'm sure that one will loop around again.

Next comes me, at number 79. Well, after years of being the uncoolest kid at the party and being informed by other people that my name HAD to be "Lillian" ("No, really it's not short for anything"), it's fun to break the top 100.

At number 57 comes that solid performer, Michelle. The popularity of that name is slipping a bit, but it still doesn't seem in any danger of leaving the top 100 any time soon.

And of course the coolest kid on the block is Bet, Miss Elizabeth, at number 11. But we knew that already. Elizabeth is out of the top ten for the first time in a few years, but it's still up there. So, Betster, how does it feel to be the leader of the pack? Can I save you a place at lunch and sit at your table?

For the boys it's nowhere near as much fun, because without any checking, I know that Mike is the coolest kid on the block. And when I plug in the name, there he is at number 2. The Michaels have some kind of racket going on. Nipping at your heels is our own Chrispy, at number 8. He and Mike used to have a one-two lock on popularity -- guys, you better start trading some good stuff at the lunches -- you can't get away with hogging the Oreos anymore. Bruizer, you're at 120, which makes you marginally more popular than Feffer, who's in there at number 132 -- I'm surprised, I thought both would be higher.

Oh well, at least we can all get other people to spell and pronounce our names (well, I still despair on spelling of my, but they can at least read it off of the page correctly). That's got to count for something.

.: posted by Lily Sunday, July 06, 2003

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