Hmmm ... Radio Quiz Show? ... Movie? ...

Somebody needs to hip the Mayor of Topeka, Kansas, Bill Bunten, that Google has neither, a radio quiz show, nor a movie named after it;

We’re Not In Kansas Anymore. Well, We Are — Google, Kansas

Last month, Google announced plans to sell 1 gigabit-per-second fiber optic broadband to consumers. The plan called for it to be rolled out to no fewer than 50,000 homes in the initial test, and maybe as many as 500,000, but didn’t specify where it would be rolled-out. Topeka, Kansas wants in. Bad.

The city’s mayor today signed a proclamation that for the rest of the month, Topeka will be known as “Google, Kansas.” Yes, you’re reading that correctly — Topeka is now “Google.”

And, maybe, show him an atlas, or map, of New Mexico.

Something the good folks of the formerly-named Hot Springs, New Mexico, some 60-years ago, could talk to him about;

Originally named Hot Springs, the city changed its name to Truth or Consequences, the title of a popular NBC radio program. In 1950, Ralph Edwards, the host of the radio quiz show Truth or Consequences announced that he would air the program from the first town that renamed itself after the show. Hot Springs, NM won the honor. Ralph Edwards came to the town during the first weekend of May for the next fifty years. This event was called "Fiesta" and included a beauty contest, a parade, and a stage show. The city still celebrates Fiesta each year on the first weekend of May. The parade generally features area celebrities such as the Hatch Chile Queen. Fiesta also features a dance in Ralph Edwards Park.

And, they got a movie named after them, as well.

Hmmm ...

Well, this ought to help out Google's fledgling Buzz, at least in the Kansas area.

Okay, the Mayor, at least, he's lobbying for something, that super-giga-byte service.

I wonder if Larry and Serge will visit "Google, Kansas", the first week of March, for the next 50-years?

Maybe dance, with the "Google Chile Queen", in Google Park?

But wait, there's more!

This isn't Topeka's first alias;

Humorously, this isn’t the first time Topeka has tried something like this. Apparently, in August 1998, the city has a proclamation to change its name to “ToPikachu” — yes, after the Pokemon character. So this move seems roughly 100 times more sane than that one.

The people of Google, Kansas better start hitting that "I'm Feeling Lucky" bar, for the occupant of the Mayor's office not to be a raving huckster.

Who knows, if she wins the Dancing With The Stars thing, Topeka might wake up, finding itself being called "Kate-Plus-Eight", Kansas.