A Small Harp Walks into a Bar ...

... and exclaims "This harp is thirsty!"

The bartender responds, "Aren't you kind of small to be a harp?"

"Are you calling me a lyre?"

Ba da, dum!

It was great seeing y'all around Thanksgiving time! I just needed more time with you.

I am still trying to get some photos on the blog and then I can send you links. For now, I think I will 1) share a truthful photo,  2) tell you too much about first name choices and why that is geeking me out, and 3) attempt to tell a story.


1. ..................................

The primary presidency had the primary children sign a large card for me, thanking me for my service in the bishopric. It was very nice. But, I thought it would be fun to edit it so you can see the truth:

When someone asks you how you are and you say "fine", there is no real attempt to tell the asker the truth about your situation. The truth is much more complex than my "thank you" card!

2. ..................................

One of the new children signing his name is Jaxson. We have 3 youth named Jackson in our ward, one Jack, and now one Jaxson. I wondered how popular the name Jack and Jackson are now. So, I looked at http://www.behindthename.com/ to see what names were the most popular for 2017, and looked for what I would think are the different forms of Jack and Jackson. Here are the results:

• Jackson is the 20th most popular name in the United States.
• #35 is Jack.
• #44 is Jaxon.
• #79 is Jaxson.
• #222 is Jax.
• #370 is Jaxton.
• #724 is Jaxen.
• #846 is Jaxxon.
• #999 is Jaxx.

Jaxcksxon didn't make the list? 

By comparison, the name Jason, which I would consider a very, very common and standard name, is #92 for 2017: there are four Jack/Jackson names more popular than Jason. Wow.

Jayceon is #310 and Jayson is #471. Jace is #87: more popular than Jason ... does it count as a "Jason"? Jayce is #139 and Jase is #325. There are lots of Jaden and Jalen names, too.

I am very fascinated by the ebb of flow of first names. Years ago, maybe circa 1997, I remember overhearing some ladies in Manti talking about what they hoped their granddaughters would be named, and they all agreed that Madison was one of the super-neatest names ever. And, I thought, "When did Madison become a girl's name, let alone a first name?" And why isn't Jefferson or Thompson or Ludvigson or Matheson or Oscarson or Thorsen or Nielsen or Bumblewickerthighmorphenwhackerson considered the cutest little girl name ever?

I don't know. But Madison was #2 in 2001 and 2002, and #3 in 2000 and 2003. It was #1 in Utah one year. Four other spellings of Madison make the list as well. From the chart, it looks like Madison was a very little-used boy name for a long time, but around 1985 something changed. What?

Jennifer was the most popular female name in the United States between 1970 and 1984.  From 1971 to 1993, more than 3% of all girls born in the U.S. were named Jennifer. In 1973 and 1974, more than 4% were named Jennifer. Four percent! Today, it is #310. Is Jennifer an "old lady" name now?

I apologize for droning on about this, I just find it really interesting. FYI, Liam was #1 for boys last year and Emma #1 for girls. I would never have imagined that thirty years ago. (For what it is worth, Sophia is #5 and Sofia is #15, and together their percentage is higher than Emma.)

3. ..................................

I have probably revealed too much about the dysfunction of my project team at work. There have been subversions and petty accusations and all sorts of things that make work stressful.

One young man, who has since quit, seemed to take great delight in accusing a very senior consultant of mocking and belittling him all the time. 

Two days before this young man quit, he did a reluctant code review with about five of us, and in the middle of explaining what he did and why it wasn't done very well, accused the consultant of smirking at him. 

The consultant took umbrage at being accused of  smirking for the nth time. (He had also been reprimanded by our manager a few times after the young man complained.) The consultant opined that maybe his lack of full recovery after succumbing to Bell's Palsy three times was the cause of the young man's perception, as the consultant cannot fully smile on one side of his face. 

The young man said something like "I wish you would have told me that a year ago!" The other four of us were very uncomfortable at this point, and I wondered if I could ease the tension. 

I finally said to the young man, "I think you ought to know that I have a medical condition that causes me to roll my eyes whenever you speak."

Fortunately, the room went to pieces with laughter.

....................................

I love you all! Ciao!