Christopher is Dropping

News

The Social Security Administration has released their annual listing of most popular baby names for 2004, and my own name, Christopher, remains among the top ten but has dropped from #9 to the last spot. In 1965, the year I was given the name, it was ranked 18th in popularity for boys names. But it was climbing, and by 1972, when I was seven, it had jumped four spots in one year, from 6th to 2nd place in the list. And for 23 years, from 1972 to 1995, Christopher held the #2 or #3 spot on the list, including a stretch of 16 consecutive years (1979-1994) at #2!

But in 1996, the slide began, two years in 4th, four years as #5, then three consecutive drops to #8, #9, and now to 10th. It seems apparent that “Christopher’s” shot at the top spot is quickly slipping away. What went wrong? Why did my name do so well for so long, but just couldn’t grab the gold medal!

Still, #10 is nothing to sneeze at. From 1880 to 1940 Christopher didn’t even break into the top 100 most popular boys names. The low point came in 1933 when it sank to #376. But from that point on it was a steady climb up the charts, until the recent long run at #2, and now the new downward trend.

None of my children’s names have ever reached #1 status. The strongest performer is ‘William‘ which has spent plenty of time in the top 10, but never reached the first spot. But Jennifer (my wife and sister’s name) owned the #1 spot for girls for an amazing 15-year run from 1970 to 1984. But all things pass, and Jennifer has now dropped to #38.

Oh yeah, the name that kept Christopher out of the #1 slot for all those years it was stuck at #2… Michael. But after 38 consecutive years at #1, Michael has now been stuck in second for the last six years. See how if feels Michael! Christopher will be back!

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Ringo Wins iTunes Song Survivor!

Diversions, Music

From among the 1,754 ‘never played’ songs in my iTunes library, and after ten weeks time to listen to their cumulative 4.4 days of playing time, Six O’Clock (the extended version) from Ringo Starr’s 1974 album Goodnight Vienna was the last remaining unplayed song in my library, and is the winner of iTunes Song Survivor.

The song was written by Paul and Linda McCartney and is, I think, a pretty good tune. It is a love song in which a man, lying next to his wife/girlfriend/lover? who has just fallen asleep at 6:00 AM, regretfully laments the fact that he doesn’t treat her as well as he should or could.

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iTunes Song Survivor: The Final 30

Diversions, Music
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Back in February I shared my iTunes diversion for creating a ‘Never Played’ smartlist in iTunes, and then randomly listening away as song were played and removed from the list. Well, we’re down to the final 30 songs as of this afternoon, less than two hours of music left before we determine the winner of this round of iTunes Song Survivor.

Name Artist
Art Of Heartbreak Hall & Oates
Be With You Bangles
Bright Future In Sales Fountains Of Wayne
Girl Trouble (Demo) Violent Femmes
I’m Going to Go Back There Someday (Muppets From Space Version) (Featuring The Great Gonzo) The Muppets
It’s All Over Now The Rolling Stones
Living In China Men Without Hats
Lookin’ Out Forever Paul Westerberg
Louie Louie The Clash
Never Dreamed You’d Leave In Summer Three Dog Night
No More Mr. Nice Guy Alice Cooper
Out Of The Business The Tubes
Party In My Pants Barnes & Barnes
Pretty Girls Joe Jackson
Radio Cure Wilco
Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting Elton John
Shake A Tail Feather Mitch Ryder
Siamese Twins (The Monkey And Me) The Knack
Sister Mary Elephant Cheech & Chong
Six O’Clock (Extended Version) Ringo Starr
Sixteen Blue The Replacements
Sun/C79 Cat Stevens
Sunshine Of Your Love Eric Clapton
Supersonic Rocket Ship The Kinks
Temporary Thing Lou Reed
That’s Life Frank Sinatra
The Last Time The Rolling Stones
The Nightfly Donald Fagen
Too Much Elvis Presley
You Haven’t Done Nothin’ Stevie Wonder
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Send Your Ribbon Magnets to Iraq

Humor

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I wrote previously about ribbon magnets on cars. Personally I find them to be a pretty empty gesture of support for anything. Functionally, it’s a bumpersticker. That’s fine. But does this claim to ‘Support Our Troops’ actually support them? How often is such a widely held sentiment backed up by more meaningful action? As he so often has before, Ward Sutton has captured my feelings on them perfectly with his suggestion.

Yellow-Ribbon Magnets as Humvee Armor?
by Ward Sutton

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National Teacher Day

Diversions, Work

Here I am worried about dropping the ball with less than a week to go before Mother’s Day, and now I’ve learned from Google this morning that today is National Teacher’s Day! My mom is a teacher who teaches teachers. And my wife returned to her elementary school special education classroom last year, where she gives her students the same love and attention she gives our own children. They are both wonderful teachers whose students are lucky to have them, and who I love and appreciate very much.

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A Dogwood for Arbor Day

Guide to Life

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I love the springtime, but lately it has fostered jealous feelings as I enter my own neighborhood and find myself admiring the beautiful Flowering Dogwoods with white and pink blossoms that seem to adorn every lawn but mine.

No longer. Today we planted our own Dogwood, which is doubly appropriate being that it is Virginia’s State Tree, and since Friday was Arbor Day. On the way home from the nursery I asked my wife why it’s taken us 15 years to get ourselves a Dogwood tree. She responded that we had different priorities previously, and I regretted our late start in adding such a beautiful complement to our home.

Last fall a young man in his 20’s walked up our driveway. He told us he had grown up in our home (it was built in 1982, we became the third owners in 1990) and asked if we minded if he looked around. We invited him in for a tour, and he shared some nice memories. The best came outside, when he looked at the large pine tree that towers over our house. He looked up at it and said “That was our Christmas Tree for our first Christmas in this house”. I loved learning that. No longer just a source of messy needles, I have gained a new appreciation for that tree.

I hope that someday many years from now, if my kids every return to visit this house, they recall that the beautiful large dogwood was something we gave to our house in 2005. Arbor Day has passed, but don’t wait until next year. Plant a tree today.

For more info: National Arbor Day Foundation

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Riding the Tiger

Technology
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In the past I haven’t been the sort to rush out and get a new OS on Day 1. I mean really, if your computer is working, then why not wait a few weeks and let other bleeding edgers discover any lingering bugs for you? But the reviews for Apple’s new OS v.10.4, also known as Tiger, have been roundly positive and with my new Pbook barely two weeks old, I just had to have the latest and greatest, right?!

So far so cool. As system upgrades often do, Tiger incorporates a number of useful shareware items I’ve grown used to. The weather widget won’t replace WeatherPop for me, but Spotlight seems certain to mean the end of LaunchBar. I’m also not sure if the RSS feeds in Safari will replace my Newsreader NetNewsWire, but again, we’ll see.

I haven’t played with Automater much yet, seems to be friendly only with Apple apps that know what to do with it. But I’m looking forward to smart folders in Mail and Address Book.

Bottom line, if you’re a Mac user, get your Tiger. If you’re not a Mac user, then I’m very sorry for you.

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Guest Cat: Jack

Friday Cat Blogging

This is Jack, a Persian belonging to my good friends Rick and Tracy. That’s my sister Jennifer holding him.

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Jennifer likes to hold cats. As a baby she was allergic to cats and we had to get rid of our cat Whiskers to keep the new baby. In hindsight, it was a good trade. I’ve got two cats I’m willing to trade now. Not looking for a baby.. but maybe a pack of gum or something? Anyone?

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