Why I love my job

Was it really just three and a half years ago? Your Editor was sitting in the Interim Graduate Pit* at the World's Baddest J-School, trying to drive the last couple of stakes into the dissertation monster, when this exciting tale showed up at the Fair 'n' Balanced Network:

'Muhammad' Jumps to No. 2 in Britain as Most Popular Name for Baby Boys


It was another one of those stories that never go away, and six months later, when we were settled into Language Czarina's little hometown and looking out through the snowdrifts at our new life, it was back:

Move Over Jack, Mohammed's About to Pass You as U.K.'s Most Popular Boys Name

And one thing led to another, and a paper that had been in the works for a while ended up getting (a) a cool new title and (b) published, eventually.

So as bursts of psychotic race-baiting paranoia go, I've always had sort of a soft spot for this one. Thus I was kind of tickled to see it back this afternoon:

Mohammed Now Tops the List of Most Popular Baby Boy Names in Britain
Indeed, I was a bit dismayed that it didn't manage to make its way into the top four stories. Pressure of the campaign, I guess.

Please don't misunderstand me.** I'd rather live in a world in which psychotic race-baiting paranoia wasn't an approved mode of political discourse, but I don't. That said, I'm delighted when the bad guys try to move across country in the open. It's that much easier to ensure that they're subjected to unceasing shame and ridicule. Please be sure to do your part.

* The original Pit was much cooler, having at one point been the Linotype room of the Missourian. But it was out of commission for a couple of years while all that nice Reynolds money went into renovating the entire Zip code.
** I don't think you Usual Suspects will, but just in case some newcomer isn't clear about this ...