While going through the list of names for Mike Bloomberg’s Pennsylvania mayors, I couldn’t help but notice that the head of government in Harmony, PA is Mayor Rape. I’m going to guess that unless she changes her name, she’s not headed for higher office. Can you imagine trying to organize coalition groups for a candidate named Rape?
Women for Rape
Sportsmen for Rape
African Americans for Rape
Irish Americans for Rape
Veterans for Rape
Or the campaign slogans?
Four More Years of Rape!
I support Rape!
This county needs more Rape.
We love Rape!
Go Rape!
Yeah, you can see where this is going. Feel free to contribute. And my apologies to Mayor Rape for her unfortunate name.
So is that better or worse than Mayor Nutter? Though to be fair, a lot of folks probably don’t make that connection at all, since it’s more of a British term.
I used to amuse myself way too much by searching the phone book for things like “Richard Head”, “Harry Sack” et al.
Oh, and not to forget Bernie “Madoff” with your money, TARP funds handed out by Neil Cash-Carry, etc :)
I had an ultra-religious supervisor at a previous job who was utterly devoid of humor (not saying people who are very religious are devoid of humor, but he was).
His last name was Lester.
When he and his wife conceived their first child, I told him if it was a boy that they better not name him Moses.
He got offended and asked what was wrong with the name Moses, until I pointed out his kid would be named “Moe Lester”….
The first thing I thought of were those little stickers that said
W
The President
You know where I’m going, but I’m totally saying it anyway
Rape
The Mayor
Is it an unfortunate name or truth in advertising?
She’ll change her name to Canola.
Maybe it’s pronounced “Rap-eee”? Long E.
We thought about that, Matt. However, the signs would still say Rape just like you would expect to read it. That’s when we really started laughing about the terrible slogans and campaign signs.
And Jennifer, it may well be a bit of symbolic truth in advertising. Unfortunately, we don’t know anyone there to know if she’s a good or bad mayor.
Hmm…she needs to find a running-mate named ‘Pillage’. Any takers?
And B Smith might have just won the internet with that suggestion.
I’ll legally change my name to Pillage – for one billion dollars! muahahahaha
;)
Dateline PA: Former Pres. Clinton Vacations in Harmony, Manages to Avoid Rape
Bloomberg’s list, eh? Shouldn’t that be Gun Control Advocates for Rape?
Most people probably didn’t get the reference to Canola.
Back on the farm I frequently hesitated when asked by our city cousins what crops we raised. This was because one of them was rapeseed. Yup, that really pretty field of bright yellow flowers is a Rape field. We have a lot of that around here. Do you want to get a closer look?
And now for the rest of the story…
It turns out there are two main varieties of Rape. The seeds of both are made into valuable oils. But one has a high (40%->60%) erucic acid content and the other does not (less than 2%). The high erucic acid variety is used for industrial purposes. The low erucic acid variety is used for food. Erucic acid is a health hazard when consumed but an essential component for high grade lubricants and other industrial uses.
It also turns out that the low erucic acid Rape seed oil is one of the most healthy food grade oils. But the growers and distributors of Rape seed had a “name problem”. It just doesn’t sound quite right when you get a message from your spouse to “Please pick up some Rape oil at the store on your way home tonight.”
It was pair of plant breeders in Canada that created the first low erucic acid oil so they called it “Canola” for Canadian oil, low acid.
And now you know… the rest of the story.
Its a good thing Rape isn’t Mayor of Philladelphia or her slogan would be: “The City of Brotherly Love needs Rape.”