Van Palin / Van Halen, by Dave Emery

With world financial markets on the verge of collapse you'd think folks could find more to complain about than what some politician named her kid . . . but no. A reader... forwarded ...:

Sarah Palin named her son Trig Paxton Van Palin because it sounds like the band Van Halen.

I'm sorry but anyone who calls their child that is not right in the head... and she is going to be a heartbeat (literally) from being the most powerful person in the world.

Puleeeze!!

Fact check: Is it true that Trig Paxton Van Palin was named in part after the heavy metal band Van Halen? Yes, says my About.com colleague Linda Lowen, who has looked into the naming conventions of the Palin clan with more intrepidness than I could muster.

[SOURCE] David Emery's Urban Legends Blog
By David Emery, About.com Guide to Urban Legends since 1997

As for the rest of it, far be it from me to cast stones at families who give their youngsters heavy metal monikers -- I have a niece named after a character in a Led Zeppelin song. (Emery, Dave; Sep 18, 2008)

Special Appointments: Babies On Line

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MooPig's "Spinner Award" Babies On Line

On Friday, Republican presidential candidate John McCain announced his choice of running mate in the upcoming election. Sarah Palin is the Governor of Alaska, and a mom of five children, and if the Republicans win the election, she’ll be our first female Vice President.

Palin has five children, Track, Bristol, Willow, Piper and Trig. Her oldest, Track, is 18 and serving in the army, and will soon be deployed to Iraq. Her youngest baby, Trig, was born in April and was diagnosed as having Down Syndrome. Palin didn’t take maternity leave when Trig was born, preferring to bring him to the office and take time off for Trig’s medical appointments. The Palin family knew about Trig’s condition when she was pregnant.

“We knew through early testing he would face special challenges, and we feel privileged that God would entrust us with this gift and allow us unspeakable joy as he entered our lives,” the Republican National Committee quoted her as saying. “We have faith that every baby is created for good purpose and has potential to make this world a better place. We are truly blessed.”

Much has also been made of that she’s a former beauty queen and pageant winner - she competed in the 1984 Miss Alaska pageant. But she’s clearly not the type to worry about breaking a fingernail. She’s a member of the National Rifle Association and a hunter. Her official website has a photo of her with a dead moose. Hunting isn’t my style, but I admire her mettle.

Are you excited about the possibility of having a woman Vice President? [Spinner Source]