Oregon Offended By Udinks

The state of Oregon wants a family to return their vanity license plates because their surname is offensive.

The plates, UDINK1 UDINK2 and UDINK3 are on the vehicles of Mike and Shelly Udink and their son Kalei.

Last summer, Kawika Udink's application for UDINK4 was rejected and the state ordered that the other three plates be returned.

The panel's ruling surprised Mike Udink, whose name is Dutch. He says it is a common last name in The Netherlands.

"Since when can a panel dictate whether your name's offensive or not?" asked Udink, a lineman for Pacific Power. [Link]

[Thanks, Nancy!]

They Didn't Roam Far From Home

Dutch archaeologists who recovered some well-preserved DNA from a 1,000-year-old corpse have matched its Y-chromosome to a man living nearby.

Ahead of planned building work, an excavation in 2002 found a graveyard dating from around 1000 - 1050 AD. Mr. Eduard Zuiderent, a retired dentist said his ancestors remains were found in one of the graves.

Only people who could prove generations of their family had descended from Vlaardingen were accepted into the lengthy process of identifying relatives.

Unwrapping his ancestor's skull out of a cardboard box, Zuiderent said: "We happen to be relatives. Some maybe 35 generations ago, I don't know. It's maybe an uncle, maybe not a direct father, but a brother or an uncle or a nephew, but we have identical same DNA," he said adding it was an incredible feeling to hold his ancestors skull. [Link]

It was ten years ago that a history teacher in England was found to be related to 9,000-year-old Cheddar Man, discovered in a cave only 15 miles from his home.

Owner of ID Bracelet IDed

A bracelet given to Maureen Torreiter's father by her mother during World War II has turned up in Reichswald Forest in the Netherlands.

"I just figure it's a sign from my mom and dad that they're together and they're OK," said Torreiter, 60, whose parents are both dead.

Last December, Ben Pijls of Roggel, Netherlands, was combing through the woods of the old battlefield with a metal detector when he found a silver ID bracelet. The oval plaque hanging from the chain carried the crest of the Toronto Scottish Regiment, the name A.O. Edwards, a service number and the inscription, "Allan from Florence, Xmas 1942." [Link]

Low Countries, High Ceilings

Now I know why I stand six feet tall: one of my great-great-great-grandparents was Dutch.

The Dutch were not noted for their height until recently. It was only in the 1950s that they passed the Americans, who stood tallest for most of the last 200 years, said John Komlos, a leading expert on the subject who is professor of economic history at the University of Munich in Germany. He said the United States has now fallen behind Denmark.

Many Dutch are much taller than average. So many, in fact, that four years ago the government adjusted building codes to raise the standards for door frames and ceilings. Doors must now be 7-feet, 6-inches high. [Link]

A Touch Too Much Dutch

Dutch footballer Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink isn't really of Hesselink. "Of" in Dutch means "or" in English, making his name more of a multiple-choice question than a geography quiz. And Jan isn't about to shorten it to suit television commentators.

"Other people don't shorten their names so why should I? I'm proud of the name. Shaun Wright-Phillips writes his whole name. He doesn't just put Wright, does he?"

Autograph hunters can pose a problem, however. "Sometimes if there are one or two standing alone, I'll give them my whole name but otherwise I just sign my initials. It only takes ten minutes or so to sign autographs but for the fans, they treasure them for years." [Link]

Dutch Woman Holds Record for Not Dying

From NewsAhead World News Forecast:

29 Jun 2005. Dutch widow, world’s oldest person, turns 115

HOOGEVEEN, THE NETHERLANDS. 29 Jun 2005. Hendrikje van Andel-Schipper turns 115 on Jun 29. It will be the retired needlework teacher’s second year as the world's oldest woman -- and person. The Guinness World Records awarded her the crown in 2004 at the death of the previous titleholder, 114-year-old Ramona Trinidad Iglesias Jordan of Puerto Rico.

[snip]

The lifetime of the Dutch woman, who is the biggest celebrity in the northern town of Hoogeveen, links three centuries. She is reported to have a passion for the Dutch soccer team, Ajax Amsterdam.

[snip]

[Read the whole story]

Is this something they should forecast a month in advance? Let's hope she keeps her passion in check until then.