Look, the world would be a better place if we all got jiggy with it.
“Huh?” you’re probably saying now. Let me explain.
I was thinking about those tiny cheeseburgers that I love so much from White Castle.
For years, regular folks nicknamed them sliders because, ah, they slide right down your throat.
I suspect the parent company hated the reference at first but then embraced it. Now, everyone who makes a small burger can’t wait to call them sliders.
What about that other burger joint, McDonald’s? The nerve of some people to nickname it Mickey D’s. The company now uses it in some of its advertisements.
And Federal Express? Well, so many people nicknamed it FedEx they opted to officially change the name of the company.
So that brings me to our Vancouver. I was checking out some Internet domain names this week. And guess what is being bought up by the boatload?
The nickname “The Couv.”
You’re welcome to take your shot at buying some domain with “couv” or “couve” in it, but many of them are gone.
Click here to vote on “The Couv” as a name on our poll.
Click here for some inspiration to get jiggy.
But here’s the deal. If more and more folks are referring to us as “The Couv,” then why don’t we (dramatic pause required here) officially change our name to that?
The “mo” is there!
So what would be working against us? We keep thinking like old people, people!
Throw out the top hats. Become cool cats.
Hey, if we could fix Main Street so that it actually flows into town, not just out, we could fix anything.
The Couv could reinvigorate the city, put a swagger in our swing, plus lower the incidence of cavities.
Yes, it could be that good.
So here’s a chance to win a free lunch with me. In 50 words or less, tell me why you feel changing our name to The Couv would be good for the city, good for its residents. This is an e-mail- and/or website-only contest. I’d encourage teachers (who could send hard-copy entries) to use it as a fun class exercise for creative thinking and creative writing.
Deadline is Friday, Feb. 11.
Now, get jiggy with it!
Many of you will remember Elizabeth Hovde. She was a member of our editorial board and wrote a column for us for a decade.
A few years ago, Elizabeth was looking for more flexibility in her schedule. She and her husband have two young sons, and we all know how that goes. Eventually, she found a good match with The Oregonian as a contract writer.
Many of us here were very sorry to see her leave, but life leads us down many different paths.
Then last week, we received some difficult news. Elizabeth had been in a serious skiing accident at Mount Hood. She wore a helmet, but despite her safety measures, she remains hospitalized.
As you might imagine, medical bills with something like this mount up quickly, so an account has been established at iQ Credit Union to help. It’s the “DE Hovde Fund,” account number 194436. You could write a check to the DE Hovde Fund, iQ Credit Union, PO Box 1739, Vancouver, WA 98668.
I missed Elizabeth’s energy beginning on the day she left The Columbian. She was bright, witty and tough. If you thought you could back her down in a philosophical fight … well, think again.
So now she’s in another fight, and I’m certain she’ll win this one as well.
But those medical bills! Thanks for considering.
Lou Brancaccio is The Columbian’s editor. Reach him at 360-735-4505 or lou.brancaccio@columbian.com.
