News: JLo, Bieber, and Ron Artest (For Now)

Let's begin with Jennifer Lopez
Apparently, her husband Marc Anthony wants her to quit judging American Idol next season to "spend more time with him and their children." Really, Marc? That's your argument? JLo is making bank being a judge (if that's what she still wants to be called, but I think they should change the name to "I-Don't-Want-to-Hurt-Your-Feelings-Too-Much Semi-Judge), and that helps out the kids, right?
I mean, she is a celebrity, so she might as well do what every other Hollywood mom does: Hire a nanny or three. Who needs a mom when you have a nanny?

Go swim in the ocean, kids. Your new nanny is now responsible.

The Biebster
This guy...crazy. There isn't much a story here, I just thought it was funny. But pretty much, J Biebs wore a shirt of Tiffany Thiessen (from "Saved by the Bell"), so she wore a shirt of him. Crazy!!

Ron Artest (For Now)
If there is one thing I don't understand about sports, it is the desire for the athletes to legally change their names, or to start being called something different. It's just stupid.
Some past examples: Chad Ochocinco (Chad Johnson - this one just takes the cake)
Magic Johnson (Earvin Johnson)
The Rock (Dwayne Johnson)
Tiger Woods (Eldrick Woods)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Frederick Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor, Jr. - changed after converting to Islam), Nene (Maybyner Rodney Hilario - don't blame him)

All of these examples are pretty ridiculous, no? Well, now Ron Artest wants to change his name to, wait for it... Metta World Peace.
Are you kidding me?! How egotistical must one be to have the desire to change one's name to include World Peace? Every time I hear his name announced during a game, I will probably die of laughter.

I think I'm the shit.

PS: Tonight I will do another, much anticipated, Mumford & Sons post. (Please join the Church of Mumford.)

News I Missed This Week: From Babies to Other Random Stuff

Well, as I said before, I was in Mexico this past week, and I was unable to do up-to-date blogging, so I did pre-posted blogs (which I'm sure you enjoyed). But wipe away your tears, because I'm back. Let's get the ball rolling.

Babies
Who doesn't love babies? No one. And who loves babies the most? Hollywood. Because I swear to Jesus H. Christ another celebrity baby is spit out every week or so. The best part is that celebrities have babies, then hire nannies to take care of them (this means they only have this child responsibility for 9 months, then they're done. If only it were really that easy). So let's see which celebrities welcomed a new little one into the world this week...
Joey McIntyre (of New Kids on the Block, for those like me who had to Google him): Kira Katherine
Pink and Carey Hamilton: Willow Sage
Jennifer Connelly and Paul Bettany: Agnes Lark (joining big brothers Kai and Stellan)

Guess who had no idea that Connelly was pregnant? Me! I had no clue. I love Connelly and Bettany, and I was so shocked to learn they had a baby. But congrats to them! And double congrats for picking an excellent name (Agnes isn't my favorite, but I like it. Agnes Lark is just wonderful, and in my opinion ten times better than Kira and Willow).

This shot is just proof for myself that she was actually pregnant.

Pink had her first child, and gave her a totally trendy name. But hey, what the heck! As a celebrity, you can name your child Diva Thin Muffin for all anyone cares (true story, look it up).

More Babies
Two things I love: babies (duh, see above) and Neil Patrick Harris. Apparently, Harris and his partner take festive photos of their twins, Gideon and Harper, every month. Here is a sampling.

 

If I should ever have twins, I am doing this. Seriously. Neil Patrick Harris has a good idea with this embarrassing/funny pictures thing. I knew he was awesome for a reason.

Teen Mom
If you're like me and enjoy watching trash TV about teen moms, then you'll know exactly what I'm talking about here. Let's begin with Amber Portwood, the (not so) lovely mother of the (not so) cute Leah Leann (not a joke). This crazy lady abused her boyfriend in front of her child and cameras, and was ordered to court. Apparently, they let her off easy. Instead of jail time and a $10,000 fine, here are her punishments (according to Ace Showbiz):

"Entering a plea that kept her off jail, she is put on two years probation by the Indiana judge who also ordered that she undergoes 30 days of inpatient therapy. Amber is also to obtain her high school diploma and put $10,000 in a college fund for her 2-year-old daughter."

I was hoping for jail time, and maybe even some deal with custody. Watch the show, she's a terrible mother (hence why teenagers should not have children, they're stupid).

Alec Baldwin For Mayor
Awesome. Apparently, Alec Baldwin is considering running for mayor after New York Mayor Bloomberg's term is over (how do you think this will work out?). I think Baldwin is awesome on 30 Rock, but golly gosh, how will I ever ascertain how he will do as mayor? I know! Let's ask Chevy Chase. Chevy.

"I don’t think (running) is going to happen, I don’t see him wanting that necessarily, unless he thinks that can be a road to the presidency or something, but I don’t see that happening at this time in his life. He’s doing pretty well already, but I tell you this. This guy’s really intelligent and articulate and knows what he’s talking about."

Awesome, now I know who I'll be voting for (should I ever move to New York). But seriously, my strong opinion is that celebrities should NEVER be in politics. It didn't end well for The Governator or The Donald. Take a hint, The Baldwin (or one of them).

More Krazy Kim Kardashian
See what I did there? I'm so clever.
Now that Kris Humphries (again, who?) has proposed with his mega-watt ring, Kim feels the need to protect herself with prenuptial agreements. Apparently, everything Kim has now is protected (including her home in Beverly Hills and all the money she's made), and anything she makes during the marriage she will keep should it fail. So, if it ends in divorce, Humphries gets nothing but a lot of tabloid coverage.
He probably should have adjusted that to have at least gotten back the diamond since it cost so much darn money. But whatever, celebrities are stupid.

We'll last longer than Paul McDonald and that Nikki girl.

So there's that.

Enjoy the news!

Names of the Week: Beatles' Songs Edition

Today I am celebrating another wonderful band, The Beatles. I'm honoring them with posting about names from their songs. Exciting, no?

Before I get started, would you like to know a fun fact concerning the Beatles and my life? Good! So, growing up in New Jersey my dad knew this family, the Shevell's. Years later (actually before marrying Linda, according to my father), Nancy Shevell starting dating Paul. Then they broke up and yadda yadda, Linda and Heather, etc. Then, in 2007, Nancy and Paul started dating again. And now they're getting married soon! I was all excited and told my dad, "Now we kind of have a connection to The Beatles." Then my dad burst my bubble and said, "Yeah. But we won't be invited to the wedding." So that's my Beatles story.


Girl
Lucy
Origin: English, female variant of Lucius
Meaning: "light"
Use and History: This song is, of course, from The Beatles' song, "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds." It was also used in the movie "Across the Universe" as the name of the female lead (a movie based on songs from The Beatles, it was really good, check it out). That's all I got.
Why You Should Use It: This name is classic and chic, and fits right in with the new trend of "old names that are making a comeback." Not only does Lucy work perfectly on a little girl, it will fit them throughout all stages of life (which is a definite plus).
Why You Might Not Want to Use It: As I'm sure everyone knows, The Beatles song is about the drug LSD, and people might make that leap at some point in a Lucy's life. This is a small worry, though, and shouldn't be too important in a decision about using it. Also, Lucy recently jumped about 40 spots in America's most popular names, and landed back in the Top 100 names (at number 74) for the first time in many years.

Boy
Jude

Origin: Latin, diminutive of Judah
Meaning: "praise"
Use and History: This name is well known for being used in the popular Beatles song, "Hey Jude." Fun fact: This song was written by Paul McCartney for John Lennon's son, Julian, to comfort him when Lennon and his wife were going through a divorce. It was originally going to be called "Hey Jules" (which is a nickname for Julian), but it was changed to Jude.
As with Lucy, Jude was used as the name of the male lead in the movie "Across the Universe."
Why You Should Use It: This soft but strong boy's name makes a great choice for parents who love The Beatles or love names with a lot of history (sorry I didn't expand on that, I wanted to stick to history concerning The Beatles).
Why You Might Not Want to Use It: Jude is currently at the highest position on the name charts it has ever been (#170), and it will most likely rise even more. Also, it sounds very similar to Jew, and that may be a concern for some people.

If you haven't seen "Across the Universe" (which I am now assigning to you as homework), here is a picture of Lucy and Jude from the movie.

More names from Beatles songs
Anna
Carol
Clarabella
Eleanor
Johnny
Julia
Lizzy
Lucille
Maggie Mae (not to be confused with Maggie May, by Rod Stewart and sung on American Idol by Paul McDonald)
Martha
Maxwell (this must be where they got Max's name from in "Across the Universe")
Michelle
Penny (I know it's not really used as a name in the song "Penny Lane," but why not?)
Pepper (Sgt. Pepper)
Prudence
Rita
Robert
Rocky
Sadie
Sally
Teddy

PS: I'm going on vacation today, so the posts for the next week-ish won't really be anything newsworthy, just some random stuff I wanted to write about. Enjoy!

Favourite Names of the Week: Royal Wedding Edition

See what I did in the title? Clever.
Is the Royal Wedding still considered a fresh topic? Because I'm dying to cover the lovely names that were on the people of the wedding party. Let's begin!

So I'll use this picture as a guide, and we'll gush over their awesome names. These young junior bridesmaids and toy soldiers (that's what they are, right?) have names suited for royalty, naturally.

Young girl in the back (poor thing, that's the worst picture ever):
Louise Alice Elizabeth Mary
How fancy! She is the granddaughter of Queen Mum Elizabeth (see how British I seemed there?), the daughter of the Earl Edward of Essex.
And she has a younger brother named James Alexander Philip Theo. Awesome, I know.

The little girl in the front, on the far left:
Grace
Sorry, fellow name fanatics, I unfortunately couldn't find her full name. But apparently she is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Hugh van Cutsem (yes, them), and godchild of Prince William. That's all I got. So here's a picture of how miserable she was at the wedding.

Poor girl, she just wants the noise and torture to end. No child under 5 should be in a wedding, or else they could end up like Little Grace - or worse.

Now onto the little girl sitting in front of Prince William. She's my favorite, for a few reasons.
Eliza
Damn! Again, I couldn't get any information of her middle names (this makes me mad). She's pretty much the cutest little girl ever, and here she is with a pink worm toy.

Haha Grace looks miserable, again.

Last little girl in the picture, on the far right.
Margarita Elizabeth Rose Alleyne
Such a beautiful name! Although I have no clue how to pronounce her last middle name. She also has a brother named Charles Patrick Inigo (do you think he was pissed he didn't get to be in the wedding? Probably not...). So this little cutie is the granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth's late sister, Princess Margaret.
Tangent: I love that Queen Elizabeth has corgis (they're my favorite dogs ever), and in the "King's Speech" (excellent movie, go see it) they show a young Elizabeth and Margaret with two corgis. Adorable.

Onto the Toy Soldiers.
The little blond one:
Thomas "Tom"
The other one:
William "Billy"
That's all the dirt I have on them. Unfortunately they haven't been in too many scandals.

Now onto the Maid of Honor and Best Man. Drumroll...

Philippa Charlotte "Pippa"
Okay, I'll just say what everyone else is thinking...her name is fabulous. Just wonderful. While I'm not the biggest fan of Philippa, Pippa has quickly become one of my favorite names (yes, because of the lovely Middleton sister). And, to make it even better, Philippa (and Pippa) means "lover of horses." Come on. That is brilliant. I love Pippa Middleton, and her beautiful name. Let's look at this lovely lady.
Whoa! I just learned racy pictures of Ms. Middleton has surfaced, but I have more integrity than that to post them (well, not really, but I don't see it as a huge problem. She's not the princess).

So elegant! The next one is my favorite.

Quite beautiful.

Next up is the "wild child," Prince William's younger, more attractive brother (sorry, Sir).
Henry Charles Albert David "Harry"
His name is so quintessentially British, I love it. Let's break it down. Henry is a very popular name in Britain, as is Harry, and a very royal choice, indeed. Charles is most likely after his father, Prince Charles. Albert is probably after his great-grandfather, and mother of Queen Elizabeth, King George VI (whose full name was Albert Frederick Arthur George, he was called "Bertie"). David, I'm not really sure, but it may have come from Princess Diana's side. Either way, this name is chockful of royal history.
Let's take a gander at this handsome Prince Harry.

Yeah. Soak it in. That wonderful, adult-sized toy soldier outfit works well for him.

Whoa. So cute. Prince Harry, if Paul McDonald and I don't work out, you're my backup.

So that's all, folks! Royalty and royal names are great. There may or may not be another royal post coming soon.

Names of the Week

I've decided to even further indulge myself in my love of names and write about a different boy's and girl's name every week! I'll have fun with this.
This week, I'll do a theme (I may continue going with a different theme each week, but we'll see), and it's... *drumroll*
Shakespeare!
Yipee! So, let's get started.

Ophelia
Origin: Greek
Meaning: "help"
History: Ophelia was the name of the lovely (and suicidal) and mad lady in Shakespeare's "Hamlet." Her father was killed by Hamlet, the man she loves, and she goes mad. When her brother Laertes (also an excellent name) finds out, drama ensues. Ophelia eventually goes so mad that she drowns, but really commits suicide, in a lake.
This tragic tale of Ophelia may seem like a good reason to turn away from the name, but I'd have to disagree. I think that, although it's sad, this literary connection is a great one. Shakespeare always used such great names in tragic plays, and so many are underused.
Why you should use it: As mentioned before, the great literary connections are a major plus. Also, this name has such a pretty sound to it, feminine yet not fragile (if that makes sense). Ophelia could make an interesting alternative to Sophie, due to similar sounds, which is gaining in popularity. Plus, Lia and Ophie would be very cute nicknames.
Why you might not want to use it: I've heard of many people associating Ophelia to pedophelia, and other bad things that end in -ophelia. This could be a major turn off. Another reason, same as the plus side, the literary connection. Some just don't like that association.

Lysander
Origin: Greek
Meaning: "liberator"
History: One of the main characters in Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream," Lysander is love with a woman who he shouldn't be with (isn't that always the case?). Lysander is in love with Hermia, unfortunately, Hermia's father disapproves of this relationship and wants her to marry someone else. Yet, true love prevails, and Lysander and Hermia escape to the forest to be together. Wow, that's true love. Only in literature...
Why you should use it: Obviously, the Shakespeare thing is huge. Plus, this older name has a new, fresh feel to it. The letter Y is all the rage (seriously, just take a gander at any misspelled name) and in this name it is used correctly. The sound of Lysander is so masculine, yet soft at the same time. It's a winner all around.
Why you may not want to use it: This lovely name may still feel old and stuck in the attic to some. Other than that, there are no negatives I can see.

So there's that! Ophelia and Lysander. Stay tuned, next week another name post shall come.