211 replies to this topic

[Jim Ohara]

Lee Harvey Oswald. John Wilkes Booth. John Wayne Gacy. Barack Hussein Obama. James Earl Ray. Jared Lee Loughner. Joesph Toddgross Stalin. Truly histories greatest monsters.

[Rory Abel]

With a middle name like Toddgross do you really need a first or last name?

[garjones]

Apparently using the middle name for murderers and serial killers is a newspaper habit to prevent people being mistaken for said offenders. John Booth or James Ray may apply to many hundreds of people, include the third middle name and it's usually unique.

There was a feature on it on the radio with Jared Lee Loughner, analysing where the 'Lee' appeared a few hours after the initial story as he didn't use that but the media seeks it out. Which is one area that seems quite responsible actually.

[Todd Gross]

Lee Harvey Oswald. John Wilkes Booth. John Wayne Gacy. Barack Hussein Obama. James Earl Ray. Jared Lee Loughner. Joesph Toddgross Stalin. Truly histories greatest monsters.

"Wayne" is the middle name you should really fear:

The Classic Middle Name

It only occurred to me in the early 1990s that "Wayne" was a popular middle name among a few of the most heinous murderers of our time, e.g., the clown John Wayne Gacy (who killed almost three dozen boys and young men in the late 1970s and buried most of them beneath the floorboards of his Des Plaines, Ill., home) and Elmer Wayne Henley (sentenced to six consecutive life terms in 1974 in Houston for his role, with ringleader Dean Allen Corll, in the murders of 27 young men). I began to publish periodic lists in 1996, and soon readers made sure I never missed a one that made the news.

This is a mighty impressive (so to speak) group, and below is an alpha listing.

But first, several disclaimers:

(1) Theoretically, a few of these people are probably innocent (or, if not "innocent," then at least the charges have been dropped). At the first instant that I find out about such a person on my list, I wipe him off and publish a correction in the weekly News of the Weird column. But, rest easy: The vast majority of these men, no matter how much they protest, are in fact murderers.

(2) I have been too unmotivated to update the list in other respects. Most notably, there should be more names (i.e., some have been withheld because they were mere "suspects," but many of those were subsequently arrested, not to mention convicted), and there should be more, well, dead people on the list, if you get my drift. (I have only designated the executions that I know about.)

(3) My list is only of murderers (or those charged with murder). Manslaughter is not enough. Other violent crimes are not enough. And it's only of middle-name Waynes who have been in the news; I have not pored over penitentiary rosters to get the old-timer Waynes.

(4) Before anyone asks me, I will answer: No, I have no idea whether the number of middle-named Wayne murderers is statistically significant. I suspect that aggressive-personality fathers during the 1950s and 1960s did in fact hopefully and disproportionately name their boys after that era's icon of ruggedness, John Wayne. Beyond that, I dare not venture.
Herewith is the list, as of News of the Weird M047, March 2, 2008 (*deceased):

[This list of names is (as with everything else on NewsoftheWeird.com) copyrighted by Chuck Shepherd, with All Rights Reserved]
Michael Wayne Adams (Virginia)
Timothy Wayne Adams (Texas)
Shannon Wayne Agofsky (Texas)
Thomas Wayne Akers (North Carolina)
Matthew Wayne Almand (Florida)
Stephen Wayne Anderson (California)*
Joshua Wayne Andrews (Virginia)
David Wayne Arisman (California)
Dennis Wayne Bagwell (Texas)*
Timothy Wayne Barnett (Alabama)
Michael Wayne Baxter (Maryland)*
Kenneth Wayne Beck (Missouri)
Gerald Wayne Bivins (Indiana)
John Wayne Blair (Tennessee)
Scott Wayne Blystone (Pennsylvania)
Donald Wayne Booth (Texas)
Elvis Wayne Botley (California)
Steven Wayne Bowman (South Carolina)
Larry Wayne Brigman (Minnesota)
Ricky Wayne Brown (Florida)
Michael Wayne Brown (Oklahoma)
Michael Wayne Brunner (Kentucky)
Edward Wayne Bryant (Oklahoma)
Dennis Wayne Bryant (Virginia)
Estell Wayne Buck (Ohio)
Bradley Wayne Cagle (Texas)
Curtis Wayne Campbell (Oklahoma)
Seth Wayne Campbell (Texas)
Darren Wayne Campbell (Oregon)
Mark Wayne Campmire (Connecticut)
Michael Wayne Carter (Indiana)
Rodger Wayne Chastain (California)*
Douglas Wayne Clark (Texas)
Ronald Wayne Clark, Jr. (Florida)
Darryl Wayne Claughton (Alberta)
Ira Wayne Cloninger (Virginia)
Timothy Wayne Coalson (Georgia)
Kevin Wayne Coffey (Texas)
David Wayne Cole (Pennsylvania)
Michael Wayne Cole (North Carolina)
Timothy Wayne Condrey (North Carolina)
Joseph Wayne Cook (North Carolina)
Billy Wayne Cope (South Carolina)
Alvin Wayne Crane (Texas)*
David Wayne Crews (Tennessee)
Donald Wayne Darling II (Alabama)
Christopher Wayne Davis (Louisiana)
Gary Wayne Davis (Kentucky)
Jerry Wayne Dean (Kentucky)
Aryan Wayne Duntley (California)
John Wayne Duvall (Oklahoma)*
Dennis Wayne Eaton (Virginia)*
Dale Wayne Eaton (Colorado)
Timothy Wayne Ebert (Texas)
Michael Wayne Eggers (Alabama)
Gary Wayne Etheridge (Texas)
Michael Wayne Farmer (Maryland)
Ellis Wayne Felker (Georgia)*
Darrell Wayne Ferguson (Ohio)*
Matthew Wayne Ferman (Ohio)
Lewis Wayne Fielder Jr. (South Carolina)
Michael Wayne Fisher (Pennsylvania)
Earl Wayne Flowers (North Carolina)
Terry Wayne Freeman (Illinois)
Percy Wayne Froman (Alabama)
Ronald Wayne Frye (North Carolina)*
John Wayne Glover (Australia)*
Richard Wayne Godwin (Oregon)
Arthur Wayne Goodman, Jr. (Texas)
Richard Wayne Gorrie (New Zealand)
Jeffrey Wayne Gorton (Michigan)
Keith Wayne Graham (California)
Coleman Wayne Gray (Virginia)*
Charles Wayne Green (Arkansas)
Kenneth Wayne Gregory (Florida)
Christopher Wayne Gregory (Texas)
Ralph Wayne Grimes (Kentucky)
Anthony Wayne Grimm (Illinois)
Randall Wayne Hafdahl (Texas)*
Conan Wayne Hale (Oregon)
Kenneth Wayne Hall Sr. (South Carolina)
Michael Wayne Hall (Texas)
Steven Wayne Hall (Alabama)
Bradley Wayne Hamrick (Washington)
Jerald Wayne Harjo (Oklahoma)*
Emmanuel Wayne Harris (Arizona)
Robert Wayne Harris (Texas)
Nathaniel Wayne Hart (Texas)
Jerald Wayne Harvel II (Oklahoma)
Mark Wayne Hauseur (California)
Billy Wayne Hayes (Tennessee)
Carl Wayne Heath (Maine)
Brandon Wayne Hedrick (Virginia)
Michael Wayne Henry (Texas)
Rodney Wayne Henry (Kansas)
David Wayne Hickman (Texas)
Donald Wayne Holt (Maryland)
Jeremy Wayne Hopkins (Texas)
Bryant Wayne Howard (Oregon)
Christopher Wayne Hudson (Australia)
Calvin Wayne Inman (Texas)
Derek Wayne Jackson (Pennsylvania)
Kenneth Wayne Jackson (Texas)
Eric Wayne Jacobs (California)*
Allen Wayne Jenecka (Texas)*
Mark Wayne Jennings (Virginia)
Robert Wayne Jiles (New York)
Timothy Wayne Johnson (North Carolina)
Terry Wayne Johnson (Florida)
Jason Wayne Johnson (Texas)
Mark Wayne Jones (Ohio)
Tyler Wayne Justice (Texas)
Kenneth Wayne Keller (Texas)
Gary Wayne Kleypas (Kansas)
Bruce Wayne Koenig (Maryland)
Derrick Wayne Kualapai, Sr. (California)
Dudley Wayne Kyzer (Alabama)
Ronald Wayne Lail (North Carolina)
Monty Wayne Lamb (Texas)
Robert Wayne Lambert (Oklahoma)
Jonathan Wayne Larrabee (South Dakota)
Jeffrey Wayne Leaf (Oklahoma)
Bobby Wayne Ledbetter (Alabama)
Darrell Wayne Lewis (Arizona)
John Wayne Lewis (Oklahoma)
Christopher Wayne Lippard (North Carolina)
Kenny Wayne Lockwood (Texas)*
Mark Wayne Lomax (Texas)
Christopher Wayne Luttrell (Kentucky)
Darrell Wayne Maness (North Carolina)
Shelly Wayne Martin (Maryland)
Donald Wayne Martin (Texas)*
Randall Wayne Mays (Texas)
Steven Wayne McBride (Minnesota)
George Wayne McBroom (Arizona)
David Wayne McCall (Texas)
Rocky Wayne McGowan (Kentucky)
Robert Wayne McMillion (Florida)
Jason Wayne McVean (Colorado)
David Wayne Mears (Michigan)
Wesley Wayne Miller (Texas)
Jimmy Wayne Miller (Texas)
Don Wayne Moody (Texas)*
John Wayne Moore, Jr. (Missouri)
John Wayne Moses (North Carolina)
Dustin Wayne Nall (Texas)
Jack Wayne Napier (Kentucky)
Michael Wayne Nelson (Florida)
David Wayne Nelson (Alaska)*
Oral Wayne Nobles (Massachusetts)
Danny Wayne Owens (Alabama)
Bryan Wayne Padd (Arizona)
David Wayne Pallister (England)
Jeffrey Wayne Paschall (Utah)
John Wayne Peck (Virginia)
Douglas Wayne Pepper (North Carolina)
Michael Wayne Perry (Tennessee)
Jason Wayne Petershagen (Texas)
Michael Wayne Poe (Tennessee)
Curtis Wayne Pope (Texas)
Bruce Wayne Potts (Texas)
Lonnie Wayne Pursley (Texas)*
Donald Wayne Rainey (Mexico)
Gary Wayne Ray Jr. (Oklahoma)
Earl Wayne Reynolds (Virginia)
Michael Wayne Richard (Texas)*
Randy Wayne Richards (Canada)
Barry Wayne Riley (British Columbia)
Robert Wayne Rotramel (Oklahoma)
Roy Wayne Russell (Washington)
David Wayne Satterfield (Texas)
Christopher Wayne Scarber (Kentucky)
Patrick Wayne Schroeder (Nebraska)
Randy Wayne Seal (Florida)
Michael Wayne Sears (Virginia)
Timothy Wayne Shepherd (Texas)
Kenith Wayne Sherrill (Washington)
Donald Wayne Shipe (Virginia)
Dallas Wayne Shults (Tennessee)
Mark Wayne Silvers (South Carolina)
Daryl Wayne Smith (West Virginia)
Justin Wayne Smith (Texas)
David Wayne Smith (Virginia)
Richard Wayne Smith (Texas)*
Richard Wayne Snell (Arkansas)*
Ronald Wayne Spencer Jr. (Texas)
Richard Wayne Spicknall (Alabama)
Jerrell Wayne Stanley (Texas)
Randall Wayne Stevens (Illinois)
John Wayne Stockdall (Missouri)
Michael Wayne Summers (Missouri)
John Wayne Surratt Jr. (North Carolina)
Gary Wayne Sutton (Tennessee)
Bobby Wayne Swisher (Virginia)*
Charles Wayne Thomas Jr. (Texas)
Reginald Wayne Thomas (Texas)
Michael Wayne Thompson (Indiana)
John Wayne Thomson (Washington)
Andrew Wayne Toler (Texas)
Robert Wayne Vickers (Arizona)*
Russell Wayne Wagner (Maryland)*
Billy Wayne Waldrop (Alabama)*
Jerry Wayne Walker (Kentucky)
Anthony Wayne Walker (Ohio)
Jessie Wayne Walker (North Carolina)
Chadwick Wayne Wallace (Illinois)
Daniel Wayne Warfield (Virginia)
John Wayne Warrener (Colorado)
Alexander Wayne Watson Jr. (Maryland)
Louis Wayne Watters, Jr. (Texas)
Anthony Wayne Welch (Florida)
Coy Wayne Wesbrook (Texas)
Melvin Wayne White (Texas)*
Larry Wayne White (Texas)*
Timothy Wayne Widman (Pennsylvania)
Michael Wayne Williams (Virginia)
Richard Wayne Willoughby (Maryland)
Kenneth Wayne Woodfin (Virginia)
Bobby Wayne Woods (Texas)
William Wayne Wright (Texas)
Darrell Wayne Wright (Texas)
Jerry Wayne Wright (Tennessee)
Robert Wayne Wyant (Virginia)

[Chewy Sun]

Arizona is once again trying to fight Texas and Florida, in the battle of "who's got the worst state government."


The Secretary of State of Arizona is saying he is going to refuse to put Obama on the ballot (SoS of Arizona is the chief election officer of the state) if Hawaii doesn't confirm Obama's birth. Hawaii, since they passed a specific law saying that the official in charge of birth certificates can refuse any official request for birth certificate/proof if he/she doesn't believe it is for a legit reason, is refusing to confirm Obama's birth status unless the SoS of Arizona can prove he has a legal reason to do so.



my solution: require non-refundable 100 dollars (right now the fee is 5 dollars) and a legit reason for requesting a birth certificate. This will likely solve many problems, and take money away from those with waaaaaaayyyyy too much on their hands (morons).



chewy................................................ and funnel the money to state coffers. It'll be the ultimate DMV solution

[Chris D]

So the right wing solution for taking down Obama in 2012 is...Jeremiah Wright and screaming about his place of birth? You'd think that with all the time they've been spending trying to oust Obama since the day he was elected, they'd have come up with new material by now.

[Will]

Is there a way for an Obama detractor to use Obama's middle name and not seem like they're trying to incite some racist BS? Would they have used Clinton's middle name in an attack ad? Do liberals constantly refer to Ronald Wilson Reagan when decrying Reaganomics?

I don't think using Obama's middle name is used so much as a racist statement as it is hinting he is a secret Muslim.

[jamon g]

that's a lot of wayne-kers

[The Lorcan Nagle]

I don't think using Obama's middle name is used so much as a racist statement as it is hinting he is a secret Muslim.

Aren't they pretty much the same thing?

[Ogul]

Aren't they pretty much the same thing?

Yeah, it's all different flavors of prejudice, although you don't get claims that Abraham Lincoln must have been a "secret Jew" based on his name. Well. . . probably not many, at least. There's just this weird undercurrent of unreasoning hate on the right in the past few years, and whether it's people being radically against Obama's fairly moderate policies because they are racist, or people being racist/zealous against Obama because they fear his fairly middle of the road policies, it's impossible to tell, but the fact is, that while it's fair to disagree with him on any number of issues, and to prefer and advocate alternative approaches, the degree of negative response, the quality and quantity of it, has no connection to rational behavior.

[Arjan Dirkse]

That "it's not racism because Muslim isn't a race" distinction is a thing that's used with great success by some Dutch politicians.

It's technically true of course, but prejudice is still prejudice. There are some things you can surmise about someone when he or she is a Muslim, but when it's used to make unfair generalizations, like some are trying to do with Obama, it's pretty much equal to racism.

Racism is a difficult thing to define. Anti-semitism technically isn't racism because Semitic people aren't a race. I think the only races are black, white, and yellow, and it's a pretty silly distinction since it seems based on overly simplistic, outdated stereotypes.There are myriad distinctions in between these three races, and the black-white-yellow clasification seems like "colorism" rather than racism.

[jamon g]

race is more than skin colour.

[Arjan Dirkse]

race is more than skin colour.

Give us a defintion then.

[garjones]

Give us a defintion then.

An exact definition is something that likely nobody agrees on but generally it is large groups that share genetic characteristics. An Australian aborigine, a Malay, an Indian and an African may all be brown but I doubt many would consider themselves to be of the same race, unless of course they take the view that there is a human race and no more.

[Arjan Dirkse]

An exact definition is something that likely nobody agrees on but generally it is large groups that share genetic characteristics. An Australian aborigine, a Malay, an Indian and an African may all be brown but I doubt many would consider themselves to be of the same race, unless of course they take the view that there is a human race and no more.

True...but the thing I was trying to elude to, perhaps rather clumsily, is that there isn't really a good scientific basis for race. It seems to be more a cultural matter, like ethnicity.

[garjones]

True...but the thing I was trying to elude to, perhaps rather clumsily, is that there isn't really a good scientific basis for race. It seems to be more a cultural matter, like ethnicity.

There are scientific elements, black people have fewer fat layers than white people or the reaction to alcohol for Chinese or Native American populations for example. However we're too complicated to make definitive statements because to make clear definitions you'd have to be entirely isolated groups and we're not, increasingly so.

I've mentioned before my wife's uncle who has such a complicated mix (Malay, Chinese, English) that neither he nor anybody else knows what he is, ironically going back to your statement he just calls himself 'brown'.

[Arjan Dirkse]

True...I agree with all of that, there are genetic differences of course. But the race division is a bit arbitrary I think. I could look at my neighbor who has a big head, or my upstairs neighbor who is a ginger, and say that because they have a big head and they are ginger they form different races.

I think that what is seen as race is really an accumulation of small genetic differences distributed over the Earth's surface...and like you say, now that we are travelling and mixing up all over the world, it's likely that those differences will become even less clearly delineated.

[Ogul]

Racism is a difficult thing to define. Anti-semitism technically isn't racism because Semitic people aren't a race. I think the only races are black, white, and yellow, and it's a pretty silly distinction since it seems based on overly simplistic, outdated stereotypes.There are myriad distinctions in between these three races, and the black-white-yellow clasification seems like "colorism" rather than racism.

I think it's fair to say that "prejudice", believing certain things about a given group, is the major issue, "racism" is just a flavor of it, "prejudice based on genetic factors, primarily skin tone." People who are racist typically have other things that bug them too though.

True...I agree with all of that, there are genetic differences of course. But the race division is a bit arbitrary I think. I could look at my neighbor who has a big head, or my upstairs neighbor who is a ginger, and say that because they have a big head and they are ginger they form different races.

True enough. In one of the Caribbean countries, Jamaica I think, they recognize dozens of degrees of mulatto (from blackblack to nearly white), and apply racism down the chain. Like if you're slightly lighter than milk chocolate, you might express racist leanings against people that are slightly darker than milk chocolate, it's gotten that graduated. Racism is definitely a very relative and subjected concept.

[Jim Ohara]

Short video about the tracking of GOP approval ratings over the course of the primaries. And how they were used to make a series of butt plugs.



Ain't the internet wonderful?

[Will]

Cory Booker has it right.

"This kind of stuff is nauseating to me on both sides," Booker continued. "It's nauseating to the American public. Enough is enough. Stop attacking private equity. Stop attacking Jeremiah Wright. This stuff has got to stop, because what it does is it undermines, to me, what this country should be focused on. It's a distraction from the real issues."