In Praise of Punky

The most interesting aspect of the Joseph Wilson/CIA Leak/Wife-Outing non-scandal is not that members of the Bush Administration have been accused of an obscure crime, but that one of its key players, I. Lewis Libby--Vice President Cheney's Chief of Staff--has the nickname "Scooter". How does someone in the highest circles of political power get by with such nickname? To me, the name "Scooter" conjures up images of the great New York Yankee shortstop Phil Rizzuto, rather than a political heavyweight.


Zachary B. "Punky" Chen holds a plastic broccoli aloft 

Which brings me to a question that someone at work recently asked me: How did I come up with the name "Punky" for Zachary Chen, my number two son? "Easy", I told her. "Just look at his picture."

He's looks like a punk, plain and simple. I don't see him outgrowing the nickname, so I hope he gets used to it. I love it.