February 12, 2011
Number 94 on the 101 Things to Do Before You Die list is “Get Something Named After You.” I had actually been thinking about getting a star named after me for awhile. I had even already written this draft post. But then Living Social offered to purchase a star registry for $20 this past Thursday (normally $65) so I felt it was a sign (pun intended).
I chose the name WolfRam because that’s mine and Alex’s little nickname we created for ourselves (he’s a North Carolina State fan, who’s mascot is the wolfpack and it’s well documented that I’m a UNC fan, which, of course, are the rams). The star date I chose was June 6, 2009, which is our anniversary. And I chose the star to appear in the constellation Taurus, as that is my astrological sign and my tattoo.
I guess technically, it’s not really named after ME, but I didn’t think naming a star with just my name was very creative. And since I’m about the least romantic girl in the world, sometimes it’s nice to do something with a little bit of romance. (I can’t take that much credit; I had to look at my calendar to confirm the date of our wedding anniversary.)
I’ll get my official certificate in the mail next week, which will include a map of stars with mine circled. Now I’ll have to try to complete #77: Learn Astronomy and Read the Night Sky.
Ok, so what do you think of these “Get a Star Named After You” thingees? Like, who put these companies in charge of the Universe? And do you think this really counts as completing this thing to do? Like, I feel like I need to EARN it. And by earn it, I mean do like all the other big shots and make lots of money and give it to a school so they can name a building after me.
Either way, a building or a star, this is better than having something bad named after me. Like if you cope with feeling out of control by cleaning, you call it pulling a “Jessica.”
What would you like to have named after you?
That’s a neat story behind the name you chose but I think the whole “name a star” thing is a scam. I mean, who is to say that someone else hasn’t already staked a claim on the star you picked out? Who is stopping these people from selling the same star over and over again? Whoever came up with this idea is brilliant!
I’m not too worried about them selling the same star over and over. As I understand it, there are plenty of stars to go around. BUT, my thing is WHO but them in charge of the universe? And, does NASA use the Star Registry names or do they just call them XT-10-345?
Yay. I’ve read articles that aren’t very kind to star naming registries, but I also read Winona bought one for Johnny Depp which is kinda awesome.
I hope to be like Stephen Colbert and have a treadmill on the space shuttle named after me.
Wow, I forgot they dated! Yeah, it would be much cooler if I got something named after me because I DID something, not because I bought it.
I had a star named after my mother. Supposedly, there is a database with unofficial names so the stars won’t be re-named over and over again. NASA, however, uses the official names. I think this passes as an accomplishment! You can always top it later if the opportunity presents itself
My thought is they are not terribly concerned with duplicate names: there may be several stars named John Smith. And yeah, I think I’ll still try to have something else named after me.
Hmmm, I think getting a sandwich named after you would be high praise. I think the earning of the title is integral. But still, a star is kind of cool.
I took advantage of the LivingSocial coupon as well. I just got mine in the mail today! I just wish I knew how to find “my star.”
Yeah, I’m pretty sure I’m going to have to buy a high powered telescope to find “my” star!
I might have to make friends with the people at the Griffith Observatory to help me find my star. In the movie “A Walk To Remember” they MADE a telescope…highly doubt that is going to work to find my star.
Getting a star is pretty awesome. I would love to have a street named after me, but I think that I might have to be president or something first!
Heck, around here, if you live down a road/path that only you or your family members live down, you have the path named after you. And it’s official, something to do with 911 having all roads be named for ease of finding people in emergencies.
That’s so cute! I agree though, how does one get put in charge of naming stars anyway?
I would love to have a character in a book named after me. Need to make friends with an author for that to happen, I guess!
There is a local author that, as a fundraiser for a local charity, auctions off the chance to have an author in her next novel named after you.
I remember back in high school my friend’s bf named a star after her as a gift and she thought it was romantic. Yours has a special meaning for you and your boyfriend, so that’s nice
I don’t know what I’d like to have named after me…I’d have to think about that.
That’s a really fun idea! I mean, it could very possibly be a scam but ignorance is bliss, right? I think it’s fun to imagine that you’ve adopted part of the Universe we live in!
That’s a great way to look at it! And I don’t really care if it’s a scam or not, I’ll tell my kids I own a star!
I think it counts. Does it say you can’t buy your way into having something named after you?
I actually wanted to name something after myself. You know how sometimes you’ll have computer (or other technical problems) and you ask someone to take a look at it. When they come over to look at it, the problems just disappear on their own. Yeah, I want to call that “Bloom’s Law”. No one else has named it before so I want to give it one.
And everyone knows exactly what that is! That happens to me all the time. Hmmmm…how do you get a phrase like that to go viral…?
I have a sandwich at a local deli named after me…does that count?
Hell Yeah it counts! How’d you manage that?!
I always wondered how I was going to get this checked off of my list. To get a basketball court named after me would be fantastic. Failing that I think your idea of having a star named after you is both clever and cool. After all the idea for the life lists is for us to make something happen and not sit around waiting for it to happen.