I have written about aptronyms before, so when I spotted three more, I thought I would add them to the pile. For an earlier piece see the clearly titled "Aptronyms". If you are not at all interested in aptronyms, but would enjoy something sleazy, then proceed directly to the bottom and see the Bonus.
FIFA and the Falcons
FIFA activities have disrupted many citizens in the cities in which the World Cup games are being played. In Toronto the disruptions extended to the peregrine falcons in the rafters at the stadium. Rather than remove the nest, the decision was made to shield the birds and workers and the chicks survived. During the ornithological consultations, expert advice was sought and provided by David Bird, an emeritus professor of wildlife biology at McGill University.
("How Peregrine Falcon Chicks Nesting in BMO Field’s Rafters Complicated World Cup Preparations," Om Shanbhag, June 23, 2026 G&M.
Fantasies and Fortunes
Carley Fortune seems to be doing well and is aptly named.
("Her Chart-Topping Romance Novels Started With Her Teenage Diaries: Carley Fortune left a hard-won journalism job to give fiction a shot. Five best-sellers later, a series based on her debut is about to stream," Elisabeth Egan, June 3, 2026, NYT.)
Sordid Shenanigans South of Here
Jerry D. Cash, had lots of it and embezzled much more. Now out of prison, he is starting over with a new name, Jerry W. Ross and a new modus operandi.
The Bonus:
The former Mr. Cash was found in an article about an industry about which I knew nothing - the growing Kratom Industry. Kratom is derived from trees in Southeast Asia and as a compound is now found in many forms in drinks and tablets in hundreds of convenience stores and gas stations across the border.
If you are re-thinking your stance about not travelling to the U.S. and are heading toward Port Huron, you may want to pause. Although kratom has been said to boost energy and limit pain, it is regarded as unsafe. although it is being promoted by many associated with the current Administration in the U.S.
If you are re-thinking your stance about not travelling to the U.S. and are heading toward Port Huron, you may want to pause. Although kratom has been said to boost energy and limit pain, it is regarded as unsafe. although it is being promoted by many associated with the current Administration in the U.S.
"How an Addictive Gas Station Drug Found Allies in Trump’s Cabinet
With support from Markwayne Mullin and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.: The Kratom industry is Pursuing a Potentially Lucrative Policy. Mr. Mullin owns equity in a company that could benefit," Kenneth P. Vogel and Christina Jewett, NYT, June 15, 2026.
"For years, federal health officials have warned about the risks associated with a supplement derived from the leaves of kratom trees that adherents say can kill pain or boost energy. Sold in gas stations across America, kratom has been linked to liver toxicity, seizures and thousands of deaths.
Powerful figures close to President Trump, including Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, pushed to downplay those concerns…..
In a disclosure statement, he listed an investment worth as much as $1 million in a kratom company, Botanic Tonics, that could benefit from the changes he has sought.
The company’s founder, Jerry W. Ross —[aka Jerry D. Cash] who had been an energy executive in Mr. Mullin’s home state before pleading guilty to a financial crime — is a leading player in the influence campaign that was devised to benefit kratom at the expense of its rivals in the marketplace....
The kratom campaign underscores how corporations in the growing wellness industry can gain traction in Mr. Trump’s government by casting risky products as aligned with the administration’s Make America Healthy Again, or MAHA, agenda championed by Mr. Kennedy, who has sometimes prioritized unproven remedies over science….
“It’s looking like we have a coin-operated drug policy that basically responds to whoever will give money,” said Kevin Sabet, who worked on drug policy under Republican and Democratic presidents. “And it threatens public health and safety because it’s going around the scientific process in favor of donors and influencers.
A Rising Scourge
Long used medicinally in Southeast Asia, the leaves of the kratom tree contain a compound called mitragynine that interacts with the brain’s opioid receptors in a manner said to produce mild pain relief and — depending on its preparation — either sedation or energy and focus.
Kratom started gaining popularity in the United States in the early 2010s as the opioid addiction epidemic raged. With doctors tightening access to powerful prescription painkillers like OxyContin, users spread the word that kratom — initially sold as a bitter-tasting powder — could produce a similar effect.
Devotees promoted it as a way to kick opioid addiction or to replace alcohol. But as reports of negative effects started rolling in, the government tried to take action.
Kratom took off, appearing on the shelves of convenience stores and vape shops as tablets, drinks and gummies. The products varied in strength, and the concentration of active ingredients on the labels was not always accurate. They could be purchased in many states without age verification.
From 2020 through 2024, kratom was found in the system of more than 5,200 people who died of drug overdoses, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention based on death certificates and other official reports. Though often found in combination with other drugs, one study determined that those using kratom carried a sixfold increase in the risk of overdose death."
There are so many articles about the subject of "sleaziness", this one may have been overlooked, but it should be near the top of the list.
For more about kratom see the Mayo Clinic.
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