You know, I'm not a big fan of Rush, but from what I know of them, this doesn't really track...

Read aboot it at CNN...

Yeah, I linked this one last Friday in the thread where Hugo talked about going to Florida. Sounds like a silly little thing getting blown way out of proportion.

When I first read it, I thought it was Naples, Italy, then was corrected that it was Naples, Florida. Not sure which is worse.

"Happy New Year, Lerxst." Poor guy.

Sounds like a silly little thing getting blown way out of proportion.

After reading everything I can about it, this seems about right. Probably he and his family were loaded, and that’s no excuse to get violent, but it’s also not like it’s the first time someone’s gotten drunk on New Years Eve. I’ll bet he probably did hit the cop too; not a good decision, but seeing someone electrically shock your son would be hard to take passively.

Still, if he did hit a cop, assaulting an officer is going to be bad news. I just hope they still get to do their 30th anniversary tour.

One question: why aren’t all the stories simply using Alex Lifeson as his name? Do you think they’d call Geddy “Gary”? Or have you ever read a story that uses Sting’s real name?

One question: why aren’t all the stories simply using Alex Lifeson as his name?

Because his name isn't Lifeson.

Those who choose a different stage name do it for a lot of reasons, and sometimes one of them is the ability to have an additional layer of anonymity in real life. When the police blotter in Naples, Florida says "Alex Zivojinovich", there's the hopeful chance that maybe it won't get reported on CNN because not everyone makes the connection. Clearly that didn't work this time, but the point is that he chooses to be famous under a fake name and to live his daily life under his given name.

Now, Sting is a different story... he says his own mother calls him Sting.

Because his name isn't Lifeson.

I understand that (of course), I just don't recall a news report ever using a famous person's real name instead of a stage name. Of course that could just be an incorrect impression.

Now, Sting is a different story... he says his own mother calls him Sting.

And Geddy Lee's own mother is the reason he started being called "Geddy" instead of "Gary".

I just don't recall a news report ever using a famous person's real name instead of a stage name

I do, lots of times. The biggest one I can think of is when Paul Reubens was arrested many years ago. It was reported the same way they reported Lerxst's run-in, with a clear description that Paul Reubens was Pee Wee Herman, then continuing to use his real name in the rest of the discussion.

Plus, you gotta figure that Al's son doesn't use the name Lifeson, and even if they wanted to call Alex by the Lifeson name in the article, it helps to use his real name so that the article is easier to understand.