This is a true story.  There used to be a boy at my house who was very involved with competitive speech making – read: giant nerd – in his high school days.  His freshman year, he learned to do something called extemporaneous speaking.

It works like this:  they give the kid three questions on foreign or domestic events.  The kid picks one and has 30 minutes to prepare an 8 minute speech on that topic, complete with facts and quotes.  They spend hours pouring over newspaper and news magazines, clipping articles on all imaginable topics. This was the days before the internet, so the research was more difficult.

His freshman year he was watching the nightly news with me.  Kim Jung Il had just taken power.  All of a sudden the kid looks startled and says, “His name is Kim Jung ILL?”

“Yes,” I replied, “it is a funny name in English, huh?”

“Momma, all year long in extemp I’ve been calling him Kim Jung, the Second!  I thought it was two Roman numerals.”

He’s not the only one who thought that.

OOPS: Rick Perry Misspells Kim Jong-Il As Kim Jong The Second (II) | In an email statement regarding the death of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Il, Rick Perry mistakenly referred to the despot as Kim Jong the Second. The email titled, “Gov. Rick Perry on the Death of Kim Jong II,” incorrectly referenced the dictator’s name three separate times

Here’s the part I’m happy about:  I find it a comfort to know that my boy was 14 years old at the time.

Speaking of which,

A 14-year-old bisexual high school student challenged Rick Perry on his support for reinstating Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell during an event in Decorah, Iowa, asking the Texas governor why he is “so opposed to gays serving openly in the military, why you want to deny them that freedom when they’re fighting and dying for your right to run for president.” Perry attributed his position to his faith and the “sin” of homosexuality.

Yep, that’s our Rick.  In the remedial class of 14 year olds.

Thanks to Stephen and David for the heads-up.