I, however, think it was wrong -- terribly wrong -- not to then turn around and sell her some prime real estate in Brooklyn with a bridge on it.


Incidentally, this last Valentine's Day, I received spam from yet another star-registering company, the "Universal Star Council" (at yourstar.com). At least these people seem to have a tiny bit of integrity, because hidden away on their FAQ page is the following:

"Universal Star Council's products are intended for the sole purpose as a unique 'novelty' gift one can share with their friends and family. Only the International Astronomical Union has the authority to assign names to stars, but they only recognize stars by assigning them numbers. ... Universal Star Council also acknowledges the fact there may be people who do not officially recognize the names they assign to the stars (Professional astronomers will always prefer to use a star's IAU number vs. 'Mom's Star'). We have no control over any other entity operating a similar service or the business of any scientific, governmental or other body."

Nevertheless, their $89.95 "Platinum package" is way overpriced, in my not-so-humble opinion.