Wiki's Man Code. . . Work & Leisure. . .

Work & Leisure

Occupation
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General Occupation Guidelines

Hairstylist: Unacceptable
Barber: Acceptable
Secretary/Administrative Assistant: Unacceptable
HMFIC lieutenant: Acceptable
Any and all occupations requiring the use of hand/power tools: Acceptable, encouraged
Sheriff, Deputy or Cop: Acceptable, encouraged
Firefighter: Acceptable, encouraged
Military: Acceptable, encouraged (same rules apply to jobs within military)


Restrooms
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Eyes Forward

Eyes forward at the urinal, Susie. There's no reason to be looking around in the men's room. Get in, do your business, and get out.
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Eyes Up

When at a urinal, you never look down. Eyes must stay straight.

* You may meat gaze for only about 120 dreary, uncomfortable, awkward, seconds.
* If your urinal-mate has a child, it's fair game.
* No moaning if you have chugged less than two gallons in between bathroom visits.

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No Talking

period no talking at all... you just look forward, do the job, then wash hands and get out, no talking at all. An almost imperceptible “I recognize you” nod is all the conversation you need.
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One at a Time

Men do not go to the bathroom together. If nature calls two or more men in a group, only one may leave the group at a time. And, if two or more men need to go and they happen to be standing outside of a restroom, the others have to wait outside to adhere to the one at a time rule.
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Stall Buffer

See Urinal Buffer Rule
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Stand Up

A man shall urinate standing up unless also dropping logs. The ability to stand upright is what separates man from ape. To urinate in any other position is primitive. Flinging feces is also frowned upon.
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Urinal Buffer

A man should only occupy a urinal that is NOT immediately adjacent to another man (otherwise, you enter his "Splash Zone"). If there are no urinals available which meet this criteria, a line should be formed. There are two exceptions: (1) at a sporting event in a crowded bathroom, this rule is suspended and (2) if there is a privacy wall between said urinals which extends from the knees to the shoulders. Even with said wall, the buffer should be maintained if convenient.


Transportation
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Directions

No man shall ask for directions. This standard is derived from women's stereotype of men. Men are to live down to women's expectations. Besides, women don't ask for directions either.
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Skills

No man shall drive slowly in the fast lane. No man shall speed up when someone tries to pass. No man shall slow down after passing someone. Driving skills are inherent on the Y chromosome. Failure to demonstrate said skills will result in forfeit of manhood. Your new nickname will be princess.
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Shotgun

To claim front passenger seat, a man should announce "Shotgun." If you can't see the car, it is too early. If someone is already touching the door handle, it is too late. The driver has the right to override shotgun without an explantion.

There is no "farkel" rule, or any other challenge to shotgun. Once shotgun is called, you MUST respect the Shotty, unless said claimer is late, which turns him into a woman...and results in automatic forfeiture of the Shotty.

Full ride shotgun can only be called for predetermined trips that last longer than two days.
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Slug Bug

Slug Bug is a child's game; no man over the age of 18 shall participate.
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Acceptable Automobiles

The only acceptable cars are American. Any foreign cars (with the exception of Italian sportscars) are strictly forbidden. If one happens to own a foreign car, they are not to talk about it ever. Under absolutely no circumstances are they to brag about it in any way.

Foreign trucks are not acceptable. Period.

The only acceptable reason for buying a foreign car or truck is 1)It was dirt cheap 2)You are going to beat the living hell out of it.


Work & Leisure
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Diet

Men do not "diet". Men "get in shape". It is a semantics thing.
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Jobs

Men do not interfere with the possibility of a promotion for another employee, no matter what gender
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Work Relationships

You must obey all relationship rules when dating in the office

Wiki's Man Code. . . Hygiene and Entertainment. . .

Welcome back to another installment of Wiki's Man Code. . . Today we talk about Hygiene and Entertainment. I hope you enjoy. . .

Hygiene
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Hippy Hair

If a man has long hair, he shall also have facial hair. If a man is unable to grow facial hair, then he shall not have long hair. People should not have to wonder if a man is a guy or a chick.
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Mirror Time

A man shall not spend more than two minutes in front of a mirror unless he is shaving. Shaving is a manly pursuit.
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Facial Hair
If it's good enough for Chuck Norris, it's good enough for you. Facial hair is encourage



Entertainment
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Forbidden

The following forms of entertainment are forbidden for a man:

* There is no reason for guys to watch Men's Ice Skating or Men's Gymnastics. Ever.
* chick flicks
* anything on Lifetime (with the possible exception of Frasier)
* anything involving Oprah and/or Martha Stewart

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Man-er-tainment

The following sports are allowed to be viewed in Party-Form and served with beer and snacks

* Hockey
* Baseball
* Football (includes "Arena Football")
* Basketball
* Any type of combat (UFC, Pride, Boxing, WWE, Bumfights, etc.)
* Rugby, simply because people have actually died playing it (includes murderball)
* Lacrosse
* Soccer (if one has foreign friends at said party or is in fact foreign. Exception to being foreing: rooting for ones home country in the world cup.)

OTHER

* NASCAR may be included if you reside in a state that was a member of the Confederacy in the Civil War or if you know all of the Jeff Foxworthy redneck jokes
* Canadian Football, or any other insults to the term "Football" are not allowed
* When stumbling upon other guys watching a sporting event, you may ask The score of the game in progress, but you may never ask who's playing.
* Women who claim they "love to watch sports" must be treated as spies until they demonstrate knowledge of the game and the ability to drink as much as the other sports watchers.

Wiki's Man Code. . .

Good morning everyone. It's 10am and I'm getting a new garage door because my old one died. Who knew they died? I just assumed they live for ever. Which brings me to another question.What ever happened to everything living for ever? I don't ever remember replacing a garage door before? I remember the days where everything was fixable. Now you don't fix it, you just replace it. Is that crap or what? ? ?

Anyway, it's time for a new chapter in Wiki's Man Code! ! ! Enjoy and have a wonderful day! ! !

Outfits

Men do not wear outfits, Nancy. Men might wear "clothes that go together" but not "outfits". It's a semantics thing.

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Pink

Real men don't trust pink t-shirts that say "Real men wear pink." This is like trusting Garth Brooks that country music is good, JeffreyDahmer that humans are tasty, or Bill Gates that Windows is your friend. Men who wear pink have an agenda and are not to be trusted. The sole exception to this rule is a professional starched and pressed oxford or button down shirt worn with a tie, navy blazer and khaki slacks (never with a suit)for Christmas, Easter or a wedding.

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Yellow

Unless a true homosexual, a man does not wear yellow on Thursdays. The maximum amount of yellow a man can wear and not be called "homosexual" or "gay" is 33%. Anything over this threshold is gay. Days other thanThursedays are somewhat acceptable, but yellow is a gay color to begin with and should be avoided.

Exception:When showing support for a sporting event or team such as a football team baseball team or basketball team

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Underwear

A man shall be restricted to only three genres of underwear: briefs, boxers, or the combination of the aforementioned. The absence of underwear (a.k.a. "commando" or "freeballin'") is not acceptable unless severe situations necessitate it. Under no circumstance shall a man wear thongs or woman's underwear. Exception: Honorary Men

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Socks

No man shall wear toe socks. This cannot be communicated any more explicitly: MEN DO NOT WEAR TOE SOCKS. It's like wearing women's underwear.

A man shall be restricted to the following sock colors: white, black, tan/khaki and navy blue. All patterns are forbidden. A manly colored stripe or brand logo is permitted if participating in a manly sporting event.

Although commentary on fashion is not usually permitted, a man is required to mock a fellow man caught wearing white socks with black pants.

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Shoes

No man shall own more than five pairs of dress shoes. Exceptions may be made for specialized shoes for sports, outdoors, occupation, or other manly activities (AKAmantivities).

Friends. . .

OK, so I couldn't wait to post another chapter of "Wiki's Man Code". These are just too funny and so true! ! !

Conflict Resolution

In the event that two men disagree, the following conflict resolution methods are appropriate:

• Arm wrestling
• Thumb wrestling
• First-person shooter or sports video games
• Rock / paper / scissors
• A "Who's more ripped" contest
• Bareknuckle Boxing
• Staring Contest

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The Girl "Dibs" Guideline

If a man expresses interest in a woman to his friends, he has dibs, or exclusive rights to her. For a guy to call dibs, said woman must know his name and be in his league."in his league" is determined by agreement of three or more male witnesses. Dibs are automatically broken if the woman shoots him down or flirts with one of the said friends. Dibs expire after a period of two weeks and cannot be called on the same woman again.

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Relationship Rules

• No man is allowed to make fun of or negatively coment on any other man's hookup, girlfriend, FwB, ect., unless he has previously been involved in some sort of relationship with her, thus insulting himself in the process
• A man is allowed to date a friend's sister IF and ONLY IF she is older than your friend, and is rated a 7 (on a scale of 1-10) by at least 3 other friends
• Men do NOT give relationship advice to other men unless requested. Venting about a woman does NOT imply a request for relationship advice.
• If you've known a guy for more than 24 hours, his sister is off limits forever unless you intend to marry her.
• Do not be a c*ck block. Any attempts to foil another man's potential hook-up are completely unacceptable. Even if said man is your enemy or this blocking is done in the pursuit of humor, it is totally uncool. It is encouraged that the blocker is to be beaten severely and/or referred to as princess for respective periods of time.

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Wingman

A man is obligated to provide wingman services to guys who are good friends. The wingman's mission is to help the friend get hooked-up. A wingman is not allowed to discuss the mission, especially if it was a failure. Discussing a secret mission may result in forfeit of future wingman reciprocation and demotion of friend status.

Any Man who brings a camera to a bachelor party or bar hopping, in doing so, surrenders any right to life, and lives further only at the mercy of other Men.

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Female Friends

Men do not recognize female friends. There are male friends and potential dates; that's it.

The morning after you and a girl who was formerly "just a friend" have carnal, drunken monkey sex, the fact that you're feeling weird and guilty Is no reason for you not to nail each other again before the discussion occurs about what a big mistake it was.

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Honorary Manhood

A woman qualifes for honorary manhood if she displays 2 out of 3 of the following:

• She is as compentant as the guys at burping and farting.
• She consistantly beats the guys at any manly game.
• She engages in man talk fluently and often.

Honorary manhood has the following implications:

• All rights and responsibilities of the Man Code apply as if she were a man.
• Men don't flirt with other men, not even honorary ones.

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High Fives

If two men are to high five each other and their hands miss, it is not permissible to attempt another high five. That would be comparable to holding hands.

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Foreign Facial Matter

If a man has something on his face, such as a hair, food, dirt, or beer foam, a man is not obligated to warn him about it. It is up to his discretion on whether or not to inform him of the foreign matter. UNDER ABSOLUTELY NO CIRCUMSTANCES IS A MAN TO WIPE THE FOREIGN MATERIAL OFF THE OTHER MAN'S FACE. NO EXCEPTIONS

• On a related law, a man is to try to wipe off foreign material off a womans breast no matter how small. Exception being semen.

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Physique Comments

A man is to not comment on another mans physique of any kind, unless in the name of humor.

Wiki's Man Code. . .

Wiki's Man Code. . .

So I hope that people know about his pretty kool site called Wikipedia. It's a public accessible encyclopedia that anyone can add there two cents too. Not all is claimed to be accurate, but a lot of it is funny to read. So anyway today a friend sent me a link from it and I got a pretty good laugh out if it. So I think for the next week I'm gonna post a part from it for everyone to see. I hope you enjoy and please make comments as you see fit.

MAN CODE

Men have certain expectations of other men. Some of these are spoken, but most remain unspoken. The goal of this wiki is to document these expectations in a specific and understandable way. This should eliminate confusion and facilitate communication among men.

Dating

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Taken So Leave It

If a woman is taken, no man who does not claim the title of "Her Man" may spend time alone with her. The title of "Her Man" may only be given by the aforementioned woman. If it is found that she has more than one "Man", all titles are null and void, and it is considered bad form to continue to spend time with her.

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Bros Before Hoes

No man may deny his friends, in order to spend time with any woman. This is by far the most important rule of the man laws and must be obeyed, unless:

• The woman is at least an 8 on the 1-10 scale
• He stands a high (at least 70%) chance of scoring
• Its that time of the month for said hoe

Also, No man shall get with a woman when that woman has screwed over the best friend.

My Worst Day in a Long Time.

So where do I begin? Well lets start off with me accidentally washing my CDL Permit. So this morning at 8am I had to go to the DMV and get a new copy. I was supposed to be at the lot by 7am, but they were gonna put me last if I was late. Well I got there at about 8:30 and everyone was just sitting around doing nothing. Come to find out, there was something missing on the truck and they didnt want to come test us. So after a few phone conversations with our instructor and the office, the DMV said they would come out. However the tester was in Springfield and was supposed to be on his way. Well 11 oclock rolls around and nobody. 12 oclock rolls around and nothing. Its hot, we are hungry and still no one. Finally at about a quarter to one he rolls in and parks in the lot opposite of us and just sits there. Hes on fucking lunch! ! ! Well finally at about 1 oclock he rolls up. Its 90, we are still hot and hungry (Oh and pissed too! ! !). The test begins with a pretrip inspection of the truck. I get the honor of going first. I do pretty well on that part. He still asked me a few questions that I swear we didnt cover in class, but he passed me. Everyone passed the pretrip inspection but Bobby. He didnt even make it out of the first part of the inspection in the cab (ouch)! ! !

Next is the course test. There are 4 things we have to do on the course. Make a right turn without hitting a cone, a front stop (pull up to a line and stop), a straight back up through 3 sets of cones. And an angle back park (where you pull up at a 45 degree angle and then back in.) My first time through the course I miss my front stop by a good foot. Damn it! ! ! My second time through I pass that, but miss the angle back by 6 inches! ! ! How fucked up is that! ? ! ? So now I have to retake my test in a few days. Lifes a bitch and everyone losses! ! ! More in a few days after the shock is over.

Truck Driving School! ! !

Well I haven’t had much to say lately, but I just wanted to let everyone know that I am finally going back to truck driving school. After 6 months of waiting I finally called the trucking co. that hired me and asked them if there were any other schools I could go to. Shockingly they informed me that there was a school here in town and when I called them, they told me I could start today. So guess what, I’m about to head to truck driving school. 4 weeks, Monday thru Friday, 9am until 4:30 pm, with the week of the 4^th off. Gotta love it! ! ! Well my alarm just went off, so I’m off to the shower! ! !

Have a great week everyone! ! !

Taking a walk down memory lane.

Well day two of my trip and it was a walk down memory lane. Some was good and some was sad. I went back to my old neighborhood that I somewhat grew up in. Well I basically lived there since three days after I graduated High School until I went to College in Savannah, GA. So I’d say I was there about three to four years.

The house has changed a lot since I lived there. It use to be brown with big beautiful shrubs in front and a plant island that my mother worked on every day and won awards on. Since we have been gone, it’s been through about 5 owners and renters. I’ve heard that the new people have started to revise it and make it look good again. So we will see how it goes. And now for the sad news. I had to go visit my old neighbor and give my condolences for her past away husband Tom. Tom was a great guy, he was your typical southern good ole boy, but he was also a great husband, father, step-father, mentor, and man. He loved to fish, drive his big pick-up trucks, and crack some of the funniest jokes you will ever hear. He passed away about two weeks ago from an enlarged heart that collapsed his lower lungs. My mother loved him and I loved him too. Here is a picture of there house and his wife Emaline.

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Now for the Rat Pack, this is a picture of my two oldest friends from GA. Steve and Mike, I swear we got in more trouble together than anyone else on the planet. Oh those were the days! Needless to say we all did some growing up, but yet in still we are all the same. We look the

same, talk the same, and are still doing the same things. Yes most of the mischief has stopped, but in ways it still hasn’t stopped. All I know is that I still love them like brothers and that will never change.

Well it’s another beautiful day here in Atlanta, GA and I’m off to do some shopping and see my Aunt. So I will talk to everyone later.

Completing the Circle. . .

Now for the meat and potatoes of this entry; Atlanta, GA! ! ! Yes, I’m in Atlanta, GA for a much needed vacation. I’m only here until Tuesday, but glad to be back home. It’s been 5 years since I’ve been here and a lot has changed, but a lot hasn’t changed either. The old neighborhood doesn’t even look the same anymore. New houses and stop lights everywhere. My old golf course now has only 8 or 9 holes to make room for new houses. My old house is still there, but trees have been cut down and plants that won neighborhood awards are gone. It’s also very interesting talking to old friends and seeing old stomping grounds and getting the flashbacks. Oh the flashbacks are really something. Having flashbacks while looking at places we use to hang out at, old lost friends houses, and at the mention of certain names. Most of the flashbacks have been a laugh, yet some make me question myself and wonder what was I really doing and why? Do you ever regret things you’ve done in the past? Was it supposed to make you a better person? Did you learn anything from it? Why are you still doing the something now? Do you realize that you’re doing the same things you did back then, except with different people? Is running away really the answer? Do things really change? I know we grow up and learn from our mistakes (right?) or do we just grow up and tell the younger ones that it’s not a good idea and keep doing it ourselves?

One thing I do miss about Atlanta, GA is the people! Oh my god there are so many pretty people down here. The women all seem to have been genetically manipulated at birth and seem to have it all. One thing I miss about the city is being able to sit on a corner and just watching people go by. Weather they are walking or driving by and looking at them and there mode of transportation. Well I have a friend coming over to pick my up so I need to go change and get ready. I hope to have pictures to post tomorrow of sites and old friends. I know you will probably not know anyone, but I hope to be able to give you a glimpse of my old life while living here in GA.

Playing catch-up. . .

Well it’s been a while since I’ve written anything in my blog, so let me give you a quick update as to what’s been going on in my life. Shit! ! ! Well some it has been good shit. Like working on the Vatakin video, this was hot! How many times in your life have you wished that you could roll up in a strip club and take a picture of the strippers? Well how about taking three digital video cameras and two still shot cameras in to the club and having free reign of the place? That’s what we did. We shot at a club called Deja vu in Springfield, IL. We also shot at a club called Karma (which was a story in it’s self). Other things going on are that Delvin and I are trying to get our own video production company (Area 51 Productions) up and running. I am the still photo side and he is the video side. It’s been a battle all the way, because one day people want pictures and the next they don’t. Then on the video side, you get lots of video and never have time to manipulate it and get it on DVD or whatever.

Anyway life goes on, I’m also still waiting for my damn hearing aids so I get out of Bloomington and hit the highway. I think I’ll be a lot more relaxed and calmer once that happens. It’s not that I don’t like Bloomington, but it’s easy to get tired of it and all the small town drama that happens. It just seems like no matter how hard you try to live a drama free life, people still seek you out and try to create drama. WHY? ? ? Read a book or something, but keep your drama out of my life! ! ! That goes out to all the women in Central Illinois. . .

LSD inventor celebrates 100th birthday in good health, still promoting drug

LSD inventor celebrates 100th birthday in good health, still promoting drug

10/01/2006 4:29:00 PM

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GENEVA (AP) - LSD is an unlikely subject for a 100th birthday party. Yet the Swiss chemist who discovered the mind-altering drug and was its first human guinea pig is celebrating his centenary Wednesday, in good health and with plans to attend an international seminar on the hallucinogenic.

"I had wonderful visions," Albert Hofmann said, recalling his first accidental consumption of the drug.

"I sat down at home on the divan and started to dream," he told the Swiss television network SF DRS. "What I was thinking appeared in colours and in pictures. It lasted for a couple of hours and then it disappeared."

Hofmann, who also had bad experiences with the drug, continues to insist it should be legalized for medical treatment, particularly in psychiatric research. But LSD's reputation has been as turbulent as some acid trips.

The drug earned a bad reputation amid fatalities associated with hallucinations and reports of "flashbacks" - the recurrence of hallucinations when not taking the drug.

LSD inspired the 1960s hippy generation and was immortalized in the Beatles' hit Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, although the band denied any connection. But it was also known as Like Swift Dead.

For decades after LSD was banned in the late 1960s, Hofmann defended his invention.

"I produced the substance as a medicine," he said. "It's not my fault if people abused it."

The chemist, who still takes nearly daily walks in the picturesque village where he lives in the Jura mountains with his wife of 70 years, Anita, discovered lysergic acid diethylamide-25 in 1938 while studying the medicinal uses of a fungus found on wheat and other grains at the Sandoz pharmaceuticals firm, now part of Novartis.

The company declined to comment for this story.

Hofmann was the first person to test the drug when a tiny amount of the substance seeped on to his finger during a repeat of the laboratory experiment in April 1943.

"Everything I saw was distorted, as in a warped mirror," he wrote of the experience, noting his surprise that LSD was able to produce "such a far-reaching, powerful, inebriated condition without leaving a hangover."

The chemist experimented with a larger dose three days later, but the result this time was a "horror" trip, he wrote. His surroundings turned into threatening images. A neighbour was transformed into a wicked witch.

"I was filled with an overwhelming fear that I would go crazy. I was transported to a different world, a different time," he wrote.

Hofmann and his scientific colleagues hoped LSD would make an important contribution to psychiatric research. The drug exaggerated inner problems and conflicts, and they hoped it might be used to recognize and treat mental illnesses like schizophrenia.

The drug was popularized by Timothy Leary, the one-time Harvard lecturer known as the "high priest of LSD," whose "turn on, tune in, drop out" advice to students in the 1960s glamorized the hallucinogen. The film star Cary Grant and numerous rock musicians extolled its virtues in achieving true self-discovery and enlightenment.

But away from the psychedelic trips and flower children, stories emerged of people going on murder sprees or jumping out of windows while hallucinating. Heavy users suffered permanent psychological damage.

The United States banned LSD in 1966 and other countries followed suit.

Hofmann maintains that was unfair, arguing the drug was not addictive. He has repeatedly said the ban should be lifted so LSD can be used in medical research, and he took the drug himself, purportedly on an occasional basis and out of scientific interest, for several decades.

But he added a note of caution.

"The history of LSD to date amply demonstrates the catastrophic consequences that can ensue when its profound effect is misjudged and the substance is mistaken for a pleasure drug," he wrote.

10/01/2006 4:29:00 PM

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Nothing Odd About Normal, Illinois

By JAN DENNIS, Associated Press Writer

When he's traveling on city business, Mayor Chris Koos carries around a $50 or $100 bill that he'll hand to anyone who comes up with a joke he hasn't heard about his central Illinois town where "Welcome to Normal" signs are about geography, not a state of mind.

"I still have the money," says Koos, mayor of this growing college town since 2003. "Sometimes when people make the same joke you've heard a thousand times, it gets old, but you try to play along."

Around Normal and in neighboring Bloomington, folks say they've heard all the wisecracks about a city that legend has it once combined with another uniquely named southern Illinois town for a newspaper headline that read "Normal man marries Oblong woman."

Few mind the good-natured jabs, but say most are time-weary standbys that have grown pretty, well, normal over the years.

"What's next to Normal, abnormal?" out-of-towners ask. "Is everything really normal in Normal?" "If you're in Bloomington, is that as close to normal as you can get?"

Still, even city leaders say they aren't above using their hometown for a laugh. For 25 years, retired City Manager David Anderson says he often introduced himself at conferences by saying he was "the only Normal manager here. The rest of you are something other than normal."

In truth, the town's offbeat name has nothing to do with the traditional American definitions of "normal" that have fueled the wave of jokes.

When the town was launched in the early 1860s, it took its name from the local university founded a few years earlier, then called Illinois State Normal University. Derived from the French "ecole normale," or "training college," the label was commonly used into the 1960s to designate U.S. schools that churned out new teachers.

The nation's only other Normal, in Alabama, also took its name from a university that sported the training college label. But Alabama's Normal is only a postal designation for Alabama A&M University, located in Huntsville, and has no local government or city structure, said Jerome Saintjones, a spokesman for the Alabama campus.

Around Illinois' Normal, officials suspect their unique name may have had a hand in three decades of growth, helping to make McLean County downstate's fastest growing county between 1990 and 2000. The population in Normal alone was 45,000.

"I can't point to any one company or organization that located here because of the name, but I think it caught some attention because it's unusual and that did some good," Anderson said.

Mike Humphreys, an ISU marketing professor, said Normal likely earned a second look from companies sifting through a nation loaded with Springfields, Lincolns, Clintons and Bloomingtons.

"We marketers are interested in memory or recall and I do think there's a great memory aid to it. It's a simple name and it's kind of off the wall," Humphreys said.

Mark Peterson, Normal's city manager, said the unique monicker often nets free exposure for the town when the national media tries to check the heartland's pulse on elections and other issues.

"There are far worse names," Peterson said. "I came here from the Kansas City area and lived near Peculiar, Mo. I'm sure they get the same sort of comments, but I'm glad we're called Normal and not Peculiar."

Former Bloomington Mayor Richard Buchanan says jokes about Normal have waned since he headed its twin city from 1977 to 1985. He credits Normal's growth from largely a college town to a city that's now home to Mitsubishi's only U.S. car-building plant and expanded retail and housing developments.

"It's become a really healthy, outstanding community as perceived by others," Buchanan said.

But even locals sometimes shy away from the town's unusual name. Fewer than a half-dozen businesses are listed in the phone book with Normal in their name, compared to dozens in neighboring Bloomington.

"Normal Psychiatry? If I was toying with names for that business I'd chuckle at the notion then move on to something else," Humphreys said.

Even townspeople, known as Normalites, sometimes duck the name, answering "Bloomington" when they're out of town and asked where they live, Peterson said.

"I think people are proud of their community," he said. "Maybe they just feel Bloomington is more recognizable since it's the older and larger of the communities. Or maybe they just don't want to put up with the jokes."