Skepticism
Skepchick Quickies 7.9
This is a pre-recorded quickie as I am currently winging my way to TAM. Squee!
- Does stress trigger your chocolate cravings?
- The American College of Pediatricians and the Laundering of Junk Science – “The American College of Pediatricians is a group masquerading as a legtimate medical organization while spouting religious right dogma about the lgbt community.”Â
- Asking for it – The Telegraph reported that a study found that women who dress provocatively are more likely to be raped. Ben Goldacre spoke to the lead scientist, Sonia Shaw, who is rightfully upset with the Telegraph as her study found no such correlation.
- Do odd names make boys go bad? – “Boys growing up with popular names such as Michael, Joshua and Christopher have a good chance of leading law-abiding lives. But young men named Kareem, Walter or Ivan could run afoul of the law.”
Walter is an odd name? I mean, I guess it’s a bit old-fashioned, but…certainly not odd.
My younger sister almost named her son Wyatt, which I really liked, but she settled for Nathaniel Wyatt, because she didn’t want people to think she was naming him after Wyatt Earp (the house I grew up on is in Earp, CA, which is right on the AZ border; she actually named her kid from some TV show character lol).
Maybe it’s a good thing she didn’t? Would he have become an outlaw?
The American College of Pediatricians and the Laundering of Junk Science link is being blocked from work. Maybe this is a good thing. I don’t need to be ragey at 8:30 in the morning.
@marilove: “because she didn’t want people to think she was naming him after Wyatt Earp ”
I would just suppose he was named after Piper and Leo’s son.
I have a cousin who named his child Stockton. I didn’t have the heart to tell him that is a city in the armpit of California.
@davew: Hahaha, you got it! I was wondering if anyone would have picked that up.
The fact that Wyatt, CA was right where we grew up, that’s why she changed her mind, I guess, ‘cuz people there tend to think of the cowyboy myths first. :)
That’s me. Law-abiding. Completely trustworthy. Nothing to fear from me.
Say, that wallet looks awfully heavy. Let me hold that for you…
@marilove: “The fact that Wyatt, CA” Er, that’s Earp, CA. Sometimes known as Big River, CA. Depending on the map. They go by AZ time there.
Or maybe people who give their kids weird names are crappy parents.
In what world is Walter a “bad boy” name?
Perhaps the ACP is concerned that Father #1, when presented with a difficult decision by lil Susie will slip up and say ‘Go ask your mother.” in an attempt to punt responsibility to Father #2.
The confusion in the child would be staggering and civilization’s collapse would be nigh soon after.
@Briarking: If your name is Nixon and the Walter is Cronkite??
@marilove: My mother dated William Robert (Billy Bob) Earp back in the 1970’s. He was a direct descendent of Wyatt apparently. I recall he was a rather normal grocery store owner, nothing bad except I think he was married while dating me mum.
@Briarking:
“You want a toe? I can get you a fucking toe, Dude.”
@James Fox: Haha, that is awesome!
I am related to PT Barnum, no lie.
@marilove: Actually Wyatt Earp was a pioneering lawman. He and his brothers instituted modern policing techniques. Some of which are still standard operating procedure to this day. They weren’t outlaws and those movies were stupid.
Kareem, who is going to even blink at that name or think of it in a negative way. Kareem Abdul Jabar. I mean come on.
@Gabrielbrawley: Oh, I know that, I was being kind of silly because people tend to think all old-time cowboys were outlaws, and the myths of Wyatt Earp tend to be grandiose. It’s typical desert-cowboy legend talk. :)
The blog (Pam’s House Blend) with the American Academy of Pediatrics info has the most amazing quotes and “awards†down the left side of the blog page. Worth having a read.
I have a weird name (Zebulon) and I never ran afoul of the law. They didn’t catch me doing any of the bad things I’ve done.
@marilove: Oh, well, cool then. I always like to think of Wyatt in LA in the silent film era as a technical advisor, get a hell of kick out of that.
@PrimevilKneivel: I might not be Zebulon but Gabriel was very rare in my age group. Most people still think I’m a girl until they meet me. Had a professor get in an argument with me once. He insisted that my name was Gabrielle.
@PrimevilKneivel: “I have a weird name (Zebulon) and I never ran afoul of the law. ”
As in Zebulon Pike? He’s quite a hero around these parts.
—
My name is David and, true to the stereotype above, I’m as mild and milquetoast. I’ve never been arrested nor have I slept with my general’s wife and arrange to have him killed on the battlefield.
That American College of Pediatrics reminds me of the PCRM (Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine), which is heavily biased towards animal rights. There’s nothing wrong with that, per se (and they seem to do quite a bit of proper science research), except that it’s not made plain by their name or stated objectives.
Did anyone notice the byline for the add names story? “Walter Pacheco” wrote the piece which – to my mind – explains the addition of Walter to the weird name list. I’ll bet he sent a copy of the article to his mother.
@Gabrielbrawley: Maybe it’s ‘cuz I live in Arizona, but Gabriel is a pretty common name here.
Gabriel Iglesias is my favorite comedian!
@davew: Actually that is my name. My dad thought it was cool and my mom didn’t speak English and figured it’s just what they call kids over here.
Ironically he’s not a hero around these parts. I’m from Toronto, where he died leading the attack on Fort York during the war of 1812. I think it’s cool though. The fort had a dramatic reading from his diary this year. I missed it but I’m going to try to do the reading next year.
A dramatic reading from the diary of Zebulon Pike, by Zebulon Pike. I think it has a ring to it.
@PrimevilKneivel: Zebulon Pike is your real name? That is bad ass.
@marilove: Oh it is much more common that it used to be but it is being given to boys about 10 years younger than me.
@marilove: Not Eddie Izzard?
@Gabrielbrawley: Oh I love Eddie, but no one has made me laugh like Gabriel. I’ve seen both twice. Almost went to see Gabriel a third time with my dad and twin sis, but sadly the show we had planned on seeing was canceled, so we’re seeing Josh Blue instead.
Also the first time I saw Gabriel, he gave me a big fluffy hug. :)
@Steve: Look, Steve, we all know that you are sensitive about having a…different name, but I don’t think that you need to lash out at your parents.
If you are interested in the nuts and bolts:
Mr. Durnett,
The paper (First Names and Crime: Does Unpopularity Spell Trouble?) is available here: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/121639139/issue. Thanks for your interest.
Regards,
David
Dr. David E. Kalist
Reminds me of one of the chapters in Freakonomics, the tale of Winner and Loser Lane. One became a cop, the other a criminal. However, the outcome was the opposite of what you might expect.
@ Bad Names
Ok, what are the criteria of this study? Is it people in prison, or people with rap sheets and their names? Does it count misdemeanors and felonies equally? What about speeding/parking tickets? Does it take into account the scholastic record of offenses? Additionally, is it just as simple as “there are a lot of people named Luke in the jail system”? Is the percentage of people in correction system weighted against the popularity of that name? Does it take into account people who go by middle names? There are also other problems, such as, per the article, Luke and Ezekiel are given as examples. These are biblical names, and, as stated in the article, often come from lower socioeconomical backgrounds. Poorer people often are more religious. Could you not conclude that since they are from a poorer family, and they have an “unsual” name, that they get picked on, can’t find solice at home, due to the intense religiosity, and therefore, are more prone to “deviant” behavior.
Or, am I just overthinking things….AGAIN?
Since when are Kareem, Walter, or Ivan unusual names? I know of boys named Sterling and Ocean; those are actually unusual names.
Another thing that I noticed in the article is-I got an advertisement for the Smooth Operator program in DC/MD/VA, but its a FL newspaper. Did anyone else get ads local to you?
@catgirl: My friend’s husband is named Sterling!
@catgirl: It looks like they determined the popularity of the name based on how frequently it showed up in birth records from 1987 – 1991.
Not sure how they dealt with alternate spellings.
@Steve: I’m going to go ahead and second that.
@Bevans: That section of Freakonomics I found fascinating. Though I think they concluded that a child’s name says more about a parent then it does about the kid. Which is kind of a big duh.
@marilove: Thanks, that’s a nice change from the usual “Are your parents hippies?”. Hippies are apparently known for naming their kids after generals.
@James Fox: So that no one is confused: American College of Pediatricians = Religious right front organization; American Academy of Pediatrics = Reputable medical medical organization.
Oh, and Pryce is my real name. Make of that what you will.
People named Price turn out good. People named Pryce turn out evil .. EVIL!
Not exactly Skeptical related, but thinking about the Skepchicks at TAM7 evoked a picture. (Due credit to my wife who came up with the title which became the theme.)
The television’s rot
Oprah book club? So not.
Way too stressed to be online
Gonna gripe with bitches and wine
Don’t offer us a drink
Just pour it in the sink
Mind the keep out signs
Around the bitches and wines
I’ve had enough being nice
All day long sugar and spice
Gonna drop the Sweet Adeline
And get down with the bitches and wine
Coffee, tea or me
Gets you nowhere, see?
Night is for the less refined
Watch while some bitches get wined
Tired of old boy tricks
Office full of suits with pricks
Here’s something to remove your itches
Hoist some wine with the bitches
Nothing could be fina
If you’ve got a vagina
Find a way to make the time
And spend it with bitches and wine
@pryce: I put your name in an anagram solver.
I got Crépy. You’re apparently a commune in France.
I have no idea what to make of that.
In the FWIW Department, my wife is distantly related to Nelson Eddy.
Remember the song that made the Martian’s heads explode in “Mars Attacks?”
THAT Nelson Eddy.
I’m a Walter and I’m completely gangsta.