NZ won't allow '4real' as child's name

New Zealand authorities have blocked a couple's bid to officially name their new son "4real," saying numeral are not allowed.

Pat and Sheena Wheaton said they decided to name their new baby "4real" shortly after glimpsing him for the first time as a foetus during an ultrasound examination and being struck by the reality of his impending arrival.

"For most of us, when we try to figure out what our names mean, we have to look it up in a babies book and ... there's no direct link between the meaning and the name," Pat Wheaton told TV One.

"With this name, everyone knows what it means."

But when the parents filed the name with New Zealand's Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, they were told names beginning with a number were against the rules.

The government office has opened negotiations with the parents about the name under a policy that says all unusual names must be given case-by-case consideration.

"The name has not at this stage been rejected," Registrar-General Brian Clarke said in a statement.

"We are currently in discussions with the parents ... to clarify the situation."

Clarke said the rules were designed to prevent names that are "likely to cause offence to a reasonable person".

Satan and Adolf Hitler were proposed names that have been declined, he said.

If no compromise has been reached by July 9, the baby will be registered as "Real" officials say.

New Zealand law requires all children born in the South Pacific nation to be registered with the Births, Deaths and Marriages registry within two months of birth.

From: Yahoo7News

That was just so incredibly amusing I just had to share. On a totally unrelated note, this is post #200 on this blog ^^. Congratulations <<~Wakarimasen!~>> *cue fanfare, streamers, cheering and champagne*

Mind Games: the art of passing exams without studying

First of my end of semester exams tomorrow and I'm in a rather alarming state of calm (as always). Even more so than usual. Why? Because I actually attended almost all of my lectures this semester (started slacking off a bit in the last fortnight but I attribute that entirely to assignment related sleep deprivation). In addition to this (nearly) perfect attendence (which is rather disgusting in hindsight), I've also made a vast improvement to my studying habits. Rather than having a skim of an entire semester's worth of work an hour before the exam begins, I managed to read over the lecture notes properly... a whole DAY before the exam. Okay, I'll admit, it's still not ideal but it's definitely an improvement. Who knows, maybe next semester I'll actually get some studying done during stuvac. I'll probably skim the notes the hour before the exam anyway (in desperately optimistic hope that some of the information will stick) because that's just what I do. And of course, there'll be the customary sudoku, crossword, etc. in the last couple of minutes before the exam because it calms the nerves and I also find that it makes the people around me very edgy.

My other exams are Engl1015 (Inventing Modernity) on Saturday (YES, F*CKING SATURDAY!) and Psyc2012 (Statistics and Research Methods in Psychology) on Monday, after which I will be free to start on my Scriptfrenzy entry. 20, 000 words in 5 days? (or rather 10,000 words since I've buddied up with Samantha on this). Piece of cake.

In the immortal words of Alfred E. Neuman, "What? Me worry?".

Note To Self

I must not slack off. I must not slack off. I must not slack off. I must not slack off. I must not slack off. I must not slack off. I must not slack off. I must not slack off. I must not slack off. I must not slack off. I must not slack off. I must not slack off. I must not slack off. I must not slack off. I must not slack off. I must not slack off. I must not slack off. I must not slack off. I must not slack off. I must not slack off. I must not slack off. I must not slack off. I must not slack off. I must not slack off. I must not slack off. I must not slack off. I must not slack off. I must not slack off. I must not slack off. I must not slack off. I must not slack off. I must not slack off. I must not slack off. I must not slack off. I must not slack off. I must not slack off. I must not slack off. I must not slack off. I must not slack off. I must not slack off. I must not slack off. I must not slack off. I must not slack off. I must not slack off. I must not slack off. I must not slack off. I must not slack off. I must not slack off. I must not slack off. I must not slack off. I must not slack off. I must not slack off. I must not slack off. I must not slack off. I must not slack off. I must not slack off. I must not slack off. I must not slack off. I must not slack off. I must not slack off.

Vienna Teng - Recessional

"It's so beautiful here", she says, "this moment now."
And this moment, now.
And I never thought I would find her here:
Flannel and satin, my four walls transformed.
But she's looking at me, straight to center,
No room at all for any other thought.
And I know I don't want this.
Oh I swear I don't want this.
There's a reason not to want this but I forgot.

In the terminal she sleeps on my shoulder,
Hair falling forward, mouth all askew.
Fluorescent announcements beat their wings overhead:
passengers missing, we're looking for you.
And she dreams through the noise, her weight against me,
Face pressed into the corduroy grooves.
Maybe it means nothing.
Maybe it means nothing.
Maybe it means nothing but I'm afraid to move.

And the words: they're everything and nothing.
I want to search for her in the offhand remarks.
Who are you, taking coffee, no sugar?
Who are you, echoing street signs?
Who are you, the stranger in the shell of a lover,
Dark curtains drawn by the passage of time?
Oh words like rain, how sweet the sound.
"Well anyway", she says, "I'll see you around..."