WEBVTT - Short Stuff: Can You Not Have A Name?

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<v Speaker 1>Hey, and welcome to the short stuff. I'm Josh, and

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<v Speaker 1>there's Chuck, and Jerry's here too. Set in the tempo,

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<v Speaker 1>and this is stuff you should know, short stuff.

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<v Speaker 2>That's right. I guess you could have said there's and

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<v Speaker 2>and there's.

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<v Speaker 1>I wish I had now, maybe we should retake the

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<v Speaker 1>whole thing.

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<v Speaker 2>Nah, a dumb joke, because what we're talking about is naming,

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<v Speaker 2>and specifically sort of like the rules and laws about

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<v Speaker 2>naming somebody and having a name and if you need

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<v Speaker 2>a name legally.

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<v Speaker 1>This is so in our wheelhouse. Man, we've been talking

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<v Speaker 1>about this stuff since basically day one of stuff you

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<v Speaker 1>should know.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, this seemed familiar enough to where I thought we

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<v Speaker 2>might have done it.

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<v Speaker 1>No, we haven't done this particularly, but we've talked about

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<v Speaker 1>I think in some of like our videos, maybe about

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<v Speaker 1>people who gave their kids weird names, like I will

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<v Speaker 1>never forget, Yeah Detroit, you remember.

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<v Speaker 2>I forgot about that?

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, But we're talking about today is which by the way, Yes,

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<v Speaker 1>somebody tried to name their kid yeah Detroit, right, one

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<v Speaker 1>word and there might have been an exclamation point. I

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<v Speaker 1>don't remember. You gotta have one the best name, or

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<v Speaker 1>at least a tempted name I've ever.

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<v Speaker 2>Heard, or maybe an in terror bang.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah. Yeah, So we're talking about something a little more

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<v Speaker 1>specific today, though. We're talking about can you live without

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<v Speaker 1>a name? Is it? Is it something you could possibly do?

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<v Speaker 1>And the short answer is no. The bigger answer is

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<v Speaker 1>even more interesting than just being cold.

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<v Speaker 2>Now. Yeah, I mean, it's not illegal to not have

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<v Speaker 2>a name, but try getting through life without a name.

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<v Speaker 2>It's going to be a big pain. So like, get

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<v Speaker 2>here you yeah, get it, getting a job, getting a

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<v Speaker 2>driver's license, just almost anything that you do these days

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<v Speaker 2>might require some form of identification, and if you don't

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<v Speaker 2>have a name, it's going to make it challenging.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, I mean, like you just could not make it

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<v Speaker 1>through life, at least in the United States and most

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<v Speaker 1>other countries, probably just about any country because you just

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<v Speaker 1>like no one can say you're you. That's how we you,

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<v Speaker 1>that's how we do it. That's the first way we

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<v Speaker 1>do it is with a name. I think when you're named,

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<v Speaker 1>even before you're named, even before you get your Social

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<v Speaker 1>Security number, you have your name. That's how you're identified.

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<v Speaker 1>That's how they keep up with you. Who's who at

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<v Speaker 1>the hospital?

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<v Speaker 2>Even Yeah, you can change your name, and you know,

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<v Speaker 2>depending on your state, there's different ways you can go

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<v Speaker 2>about that. You can you can just start using a

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<v Speaker 2>different name, and even without making it like the official

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<v Speaker 2>legal way like on formal documents. Even Emily changed her

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<v Speaker 2>spelling of her name and it was just unofficial for

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<v Speaker 2>many many years until she finally had it officially changed,

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<v Speaker 2>which is interesting.

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<v Speaker 1>Nice.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, she went from whye to ie.

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<v Speaker 1>I always loved the i e on the end of

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<v Speaker 1>her name. I thought that was nice touch. I didn't

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<v Speaker 1>realize it was her own choosing.

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<v Speaker 2>So like a teenager thing.

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<v Speaker 1>She keeps getting better and better, you know.

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<v Speaker 2>I think so too. Well, she's in her fifties.

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<v Speaker 1>So there are some rules. I should say not everybody

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<v Speaker 1>has rules. Usually in the United States, at least, the

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<v Speaker 1>laws about what you can or can't name your kid are.

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<v Speaker 1>It's by the states, and there's at least a dozen

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<v Speaker 1>states that don't have any laws. They're basically like, you

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<v Speaker 1>can name your kid whatever you want, okay, but plenty

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<v Speaker 1>of other states do have laws. One of the big

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<v Speaker 1>ones that you'll find not just among the states that

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<v Speaker 1>have laws about what you can name your kid, but

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<v Speaker 1>also internationally, is that you can't name your kid in number,

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<v Speaker 1>although there is a workaround. You could spell out that,

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<v Speaker 1>yeahber So you can't do the number three, but you

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<v Speaker 1>could name your kid phr ee.

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<v Speaker 2>Right, Or you could name your kid plan nine, but

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<v Speaker 2>you'd have to spell out nine.

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<v Speaker 1>Yes, would you do it all? One word or two words?

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<v Speaker 2>Plan nine? Bryant, I think that'd be pretty fun. Is

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<v Speaker 2>one word?

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<v Speaker 1>That's a great name, man? Yeah? What else you can't use?

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<v Speaker 1>Vulgar words?

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, extent? It can't be Jesus Christ or what Adolf

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<v Speaker 2>Hitler's on the list too, right.

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<v Speaker 1>Yep, same with Santa Claus in some places. Nutella is

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<v Speaker 1>another one.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, that's it?

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<v Speaker 1>Is it nutella? I always say nutella.

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<v Speaker 2>I've always sad nutella, but it probably is nutella.

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<v Speaker 1>I don't know who used to say who's right? In

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<v Speaker 1>this topsy turvy world.

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<v Speaker 2>Any kind of racial slur you can't use? Or if

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<v Speaker 2>it's a name like intentionally used to like commit fraud,

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<v Speaker 2>like to get out of a debt or something like that,

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<v Speaker 2>you can't change your name for that reason.

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<v Speaker 1>But I mean, would you be dumb enough to go

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<v Speaker 1>and change your name and tell like the probably not

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<v Speaker 1>the people at the vital records, Like yeah, I'm doing

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<v Speaker 1>this because I owe a law of money. Yeah, emojis

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<v Speaker 1>are out pretty much across the board. Oh good, And

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<v Speaker 1>that's the United States. And you're like, well, it's kind

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<v Speaker 1>of strict if you do think that, that's kind of strict,

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<v Speaker 1>But around the world it can be even stricter. Like

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<v Speaker 1>they're like, Portugal is very strict. Not only do they

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<v Speaker 1>have some serious naming laws, there's a list of approved

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<v Speaker 1>names that you have to select from. I think Iceland

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<v Speaker 1>and Denmark also have similar lists. And in Portugal it

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<v Speaker 1>has to be what they consider gender appropriate and still

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<v Speaker 1>and they will kick your door down if you try

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<v Speaker 1>anything different.

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<v Speaker 2>Wow.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, Portugal is hardcore about naming.

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<v Speaker 2>Maybe we should take a break and we'll talk a

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<v Speaker 2>little bit more about naming that baby right for this,

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<v Speaker 2>all right, So in the United States, when a birth happens,

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<v Speaker 2>the parents are legally obligated at some point in time

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<v Speaker 2>to register that birth with a government entity Vital Records

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<v Speaker 2>Department or Department of Health and Human Services, something like that.

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<v Speaker 2>And every country has a version of something like that,

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<v Speaker 2>and on that form you got to fill out the name,

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<v Speaker 2>but it depends on what state you're in as far

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<v Speaker 2>as like how long you have to decide that it does.

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<v Speaker 2>You don't have to name your baby before you leave

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<v Speaker 2>the hospital.

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<v Speaker 1>No, that's a pretty a pretty common misconception, at least

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<v Speaker 1>according to Kristen Conger, who hats off wrote this one

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<v Speaker 1>originally from.

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<v Speaker 2>Here, Yeah it works, former colleague Kristen Conger and host

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<v Speaker 2>and founder of Unlady Like a great podcast.

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<v Speaker 1>That's right. So Conquer points something out that I thought

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<v Speaker 1>was pretty smart that if you do leave the hospital

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<v Speaker 1>when you're baby unnamed, because it's going to be a

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<v Speaker 1>lot of pressure.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, if you don't have it done beforehand, you don't

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<v Speaker 2>want to just be thinking of it like right after

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<v Speaker 2>you give birth.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, yes, exactly, especially if you weren't aware you're pregnant

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<v Speaker 1>and this was a surprise birth. You need a little time, right. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>the hospital is still going to be like, we need

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<v Speaker 1>to be able to keep up with that baby so

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<v Speaker 1>that baby goes home with you, Right, So they might

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<v Speaker 1>name it something like baby Girl Smith if your name

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<v Speaker 1>is Jane Smith. But there was a study that was conducted,

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<v Speaker 1>probably the most obvious study I've ever heard, that was

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<v Speaker 1>like if you actually use something a little more specific,

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<v Speaker 1>like say this is Jane Smith's daughter. Uh, you would

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<v Speaker 1>name it Jane's girl Smith. Yeah, you're probably going to

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<v Speaker 1>have fewer mix ups at the hospital, which is just

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<v Speaker 1>alarming that anybody even needs to study that because that

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<v Speaker 1>even happens.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, for sure, if you do wait and you haven't

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<v Speaker 2>decided in the hospital and then you decide, like let's

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<v Speaker 2>say the state you live in, let's you like, wait

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<v Speaker 2>a few months or whatever. It depends on that state

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<v Speaker 2>again on the procedure for adding that in, Like in California,

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<v Speaker 2>as the one Kristen mentions, you have to fill out

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<v Speaker 2>a supplemental name report with the health department and fill

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<v Speaker 2>that in and say all right, now we have our

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<v Speaker 2>baby's name, and they're like, great, now you can get

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<v Speaker 2>your birth certificate.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, what do you think. Do you think it's a

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<v Speaker 1>good name. It's a pretty good name.

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<v Speaker 2>Pretty good name. And I think you have a year

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<v Speaker 2>in California, So again it varies.

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<v Speaker 1>Yes, I did not realize this, but the United Nations

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<v Speaker 1>has a pretty stern stance on kids' names. In particular,

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<v Speaker 1>in the Convention on the Rights of a Child, they

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<v Speaker 1>said that all children have a right from birth to

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<v Speaker 1>a name. There's an asterisk next to that they said,

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<v Speaker 1>if you ever find yourself in a highly stressful bird

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<v Speaker 1>box type situation, you can just name your kid boy

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<v Speaker 1>or girl. But other than that, that kid deserves a name.

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<v Speaker 2>I didn't see that. That was the Sandra Bullock thing

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<v Speaker 2>that it's excellent, I call the world during COVID.

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<v Speaker 1>Right, Yes, it's really good.

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<v Speaker 2>Okay, I haven't seen it.

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<v Speaker 1>You should check it out, all right, I'll dust that

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<v Speaker 1>one off. Yes, so, Chuck, let's move on to a

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<v Speaker 1>little extra what we call a lane yap if we

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<v Speaker 1>wanted to sound really obnoxious on middle.

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<v Speaker 2>Names, Yeah, middle names haven't always been a thing. I

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<v Speaker 2>think the modern idea of a middle name started in

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<v Speaker 2>the Middle Ages, it seems like, but it was pretty

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<v Speaker 2>specific back then. They would just give the first name

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<v Speaker 2>on you know, whatever they wanted to personalize it. But

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<v Speaker 2>then the middle name would be a saints name and

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<v Speaker 2>then a surname. But then that eventually fell out of

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<v Speaker 2>favor over time to where non religious middle names became

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<v Speaker 2>a thing.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, a lot of times it was the mother's maiden name,

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<v Speaker 1>the family name. It could just be like the parents

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<v Speaker 1>were like I really like McGillicutty, so that your middle name. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>and it just kind of picked up by I think

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<v Speaker 1>World War One was the first time where the US

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<v Speaker 1>government at least officially recognized the existence of middle names,

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<v Speaker 1>when the enlistment forms for the military asked for a

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<v Speaker 1>middle name. Yeah, and within I don't know a couple

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<v Speaker 1>of decades, a handful of decades has computers started to

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<v Speaker 1>be used for documentation of individuals, like tracking people, big

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<v Speaker 1>brother type stuff. They were programmed for three names, first, middle, last,

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<v Speaker 1>and what would happen Chuck if you did not have

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<v Speaker 1>a middle name.

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<v Speaker 2>If you don't enter that, they would insert n M

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<v Speaker 2>I no middle initial because not everyone has a middle name,

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<v Speaker 2>and some people have many. I know that. My friend

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<v Speaker 2>Justin from England, he is one. He has three two

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<v Speaker 2>middle names, so something three names than a surname. No,

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<v Speaker 2>it's just I think it's more common in the UK

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<v Speaker 2>to do something like that. So he's Justin Neil Alexander Stewart,

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<v Speaker 2>so two middle names, one first name and his surname

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<v Speaker 2>very nice and his social Security number.

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<v Speaker 1>Is you got anything else?

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<v Speaker 2>I got nothing else?

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<v Speaker 1>I don't either, I guess I'm mean short. Stuff is out.

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