Support for our Baals

[Spud]

From the AP:

FORT WAYNE, Ind. — A former Indiana mayor who won over voters in the 1930s is proving less popular with modern city leaders trying to choose a name for a new government center.

Harry Baals (bawlz) is the runaway favorite in online voting to name the new building in Fort Wayne. But Deputy Mayor Beth Malloy tells The Journal Gazette that the city probably won’t name the center after its longest tenured mayor because of the jokes it could inspire.

Supporters say it’s unfair that the former mayor can’t be recognized simply because his name makes some people snicker. But others say they don’t want the city to become the target of jokes.

His descendants now pronounce their last name “bales.”

Online voting ends Friday, then the mayor will choose from several finalists.

Don’t know what else to say

[LSLGuy]

If the current leadership had any Baals they’d know what to do.

But they don’t, so the new building will be named something banal & stupid.

[WordMan]

In MAS*H lore, Frank Burns is from Fort Wayne, too. The town can’t win.
My mother grew up there. I must admit to snickering a bit when I sent her a link to that article a couple of hours ago…

[garygnu]

I thought people would be objecting because Baal is* a super demon-type thing. What Midwestern community wants city hall named after Satan’s minion?

*: The name comes from “Ba’al,” a title originally applied to many deities and even some people, sometimes referring to a false idol, but not always.

[heavyarms553]

I know a urologist named Dr. Ball. Nice guy.

[Wile_E]

Couldn’t they just call it the Harold Baals center?

[Malleus_Incus_Stapes]

I… I didn’t notice the first name. Harry Baals? Really?

I just… I don’t know what to say here.

[Gymnopithys]

Don’t need any support for mine.

[Hypno-Toad]

I would not care to hang around at the Baals center.

[Gagundathar]

<possible hijack>The sports training facility at UGA is called the Butts-Mehre Heritage Hall.
Considering the ease of taking the last word which is pronounced as ‘May-er’ (as in Oscar Mayer) and turning into ‘Me-er’ which turns the phrase into something that describes an unfortunate underwear accident, I can’t understand why they didn’t invert the two names.

Are these folks totally tone-deaf?

</possible hijack>

[Spud]

You Dopers are really letting me down… I tee up a story about Hairy Balls (sp) and this is all we get. Didn’t anyone research to see if in High School he was a really big JOCK, or later how he became a huge ATHLETIC SUPPORTER? Then in his final years he had a bit part in a movie and became a member of SAG.

Come on guys, you can do better than this.

[Wile_E]

@Spud

You Dopers are really letting me down… I tee up a story about Hairy Balls (sp) and this is all we get. Didn’t anyone research to see if in High School he was a really big JOCK, or later how he became a huge ATHLETIC SUPPORTER? Then in his final years he had a bit part in a movie and became a member of SAG.

Come on guys, you can do better than this.

I guess we just don’t have the testicular fortitude that you thought we did.

[Isamu]

So it’s either him or one of the other finalists. I wonder who the other finalists are…
Cole Balzac?

[Isamu]

I wont be able to stop now.

Tess Tickles?

[Hypno-Toad]

@Spud

You Dopers are really letting me down… I tee up a story about Hairy Balls (sp) and this is all we get. Didn’t anyone research to see if in High School he was a really big JOCK, or later how he became a huge ATHLETIC SUPPORTER? Then in his final years he had a bit part in a movie and became a member of SAG.

Come on guys, you can do better than this.

Looks like someone’s feeling a little teste today.

[Scuba_Ben]

@garygnu

I thought people would be objecting because Baal is* a super demon-type thing. What Midwestern community wants city hall named after Satan’s minion?

I was under the impression that the worship of Ba’al was well established long before Satan got a promotion from Divine Prosecutor to Prince of Darkness.

[Quercus]

They really need to get a lesson from New Hampshire, who proudly elected several times Richard Swett. Yes, he does go by ‘Dick’.

[Count_Blucher]

@garygnu

I thought people would be objecting because Baal is* a super demon-type thing. What Midwestern community wants city hall named after Satan’s minion?

Yeah, but imagine that Wild & Nutty ThanksgivingDay Parade…

“Oh, and here comes The Sta-Pu ft Marshmallow Man! Matt Lauer, what’s that look like up close? Matt…? Matt? We seem to have lost some audio…”

[garygnu]

@Scuba_Ben

I was under the impression that the worship of Ba’al was well established long before Satan got a promotion from Divine Prosecutor to Prince of Darkness.

Ba’al is not the same as Baal. Either way, though, Christians would object.

[Scuba_Ben]

@garygnu

Ba’al is not the same as Baal. Either way, though, Christians would object.

FWIW, I read a blog report early this week about Christians who objected to a young boy dressing up for Halloween as Daphne from Scooby-Doo. Fundies of any faith will object to just about anything.

(I’m not sure about fundie Pastafarians, though.)