Just so it's a matter of record...

I'd like to name one of my future kids Raphael. Best if it's a son, but I'm flexible on these things.

Don't get freaked out, boys. Girls think of these things way in advance. My sisters have certainly thought of this (one of them having a perverse attachment to the name 'Mathias', which is really preposterous) , and at least a few friends.

In any event, Raphael is a good name. It's got a great meaning, it includes the name of God (my own preference),it's easily shortened (Rafi/Raful) and in cases of emergency it can also be Anglicized -Raphe or some such nonsense. Sure, the Teenage Mutant Ninja turtles desecrated the name like there was no tomorrow. And yes, the kid is going to be made fun of. But that's a risk I'm willing to take.

I'm also a fan of Michael (said in the Hebrew way), Yael, Talia, David, Gideon, Ehud, Ilana (my grandmother's codename from way back when), Uzi (my grandfather's codename from way back when), Yaakov, Ilan, Yochanan, Mor, Elad, Amichai, Amitai, Yerushalem, Golan, and Yair.

The vast majority of these names are already dispersed among my family members, unfortunately. They'll just have to deal.

The vast majority of these names are also geared towards men, so I suppose that reflects some sort of weird kink in my thinking. There are also a hell of a lot of names, but please do NOT take that as any indication of where my mind has gone. I like to think in abstracts and have lots of options to choose from.

Besides I like the current size of my hips.

And with that... back to listening to class?