Strange Swede law
By GEORGE OSTROM
It hurts me to admit this, but all Scandahoovian dingalings are not necessarily Norwegians. Since discovering 20 years ago that the original Ostroms were Swedes and not Norwegians, as I had believed for almost 60 years… I had to switch targets for fun poking and telling jokes. Long- time readers of this column know we’ve had good luck finding many weird things going on in Norway since that switchover; however, last week there was a Swede story on the AP wire that is hard to swallow. In fact, it has me completely flabbergasted.
Michael and Korlina Tomaro live in Stockholm, Sweden, and they have a new baby girl whom they named “Metallica.” Korolina says “It fits her… because she’s decisive and she knows what she wants.” The new parents have had the little girl baptized, BUT the Swedish National Tax Board has now refused to register the name, saying it was associated with (what are apparently bad things in Sweden) a “rock band” and “metal.” At this point we find out the Swedish Tax Board has the power to approve or disapprove all names for new babies.
Deep discussions with Swedish and Norwegian-type coffee pals this week have resulted in no logical answer to what appears to be a really “Dumb Swede” Law. Several of the guys think it may be because there aren’t enough Hildas, Annas and Marthas. One of the guys guessed the law was passed because some disoriented Swede couple named their little girl something Norwegian, as in Lena. Who knows?
Can’t remember if I told you why the Norwegian kept smiling all through the lightning storm? Answer: He thought somebody was taking his picture.
Turning now to other matters - Big story coming out of Reno, Nev., last month was the burning down of the last building left from the worldly infamous “Mustang Ranch.” The 20,000 square-foot sporting house annex went up in flames as part of a training exercise for the Storey County firefighters. The Mustang Ranch was closed in 1999 by the IRS, who wanted millions in back taxes. One of “the girls” who used to work there under the professional name of “Air Force Amy” was there for the burning. She wiped away a tear and said, “It’s out with the old and in with the new.”
That building was bought by Dennis Hof at Federal auction for $8,600. He can afford it because he owns the fanciest, most up-to-date brothel in Nevada, the “Moonlite Bunny Ranch.” That adult recreation center is east of Carson City… just down the road a piece.
In other matters — Chris Walterskirchen’s column in the Missoulian last week dealt with the subject of Montana’s drinking age laws. It was 20 years ago, 1987, when the legislature raised the drinking age from 19 back up to 21. (It had been lowered to 19 back in 1971). They just about had to raise it because the federal government was threatening to take away our highway funds if we didn’t.
All this reminded me of the fact that in the late ‘40s, when I got back from three years in the army, two and a half of that in Germany, I was 20 years old and could not buy even a bottle of beer in this county. Never dreamed that 30 years later my oldest son could legally go to a bar during his high school lunch hour. The drinking age will continue to be a point of argument down through the years, and I certainly have no answers to what has become a serious drinking problem among some of our current teenagers.
Just read in the Reader’s Digest that the reason oysters don’t give to charity is simple - they’re shellfish. Don’t blame me, I didn’t write it.