You say Tomato and I say Amanda Tree(s)

There seems to be no end to the people out there in blogland who’ve got it in for Ms. Jenny 8.

I’ve been contacted by someone who went to high school with her, someone who served on the Harvard Crimson with her, and countless others who just don’t like her (read the comments here> ) because she is: 1) chunky (the Sun said ‘maternal’ whatev …) and 2) that middle ‘name.’

Yesterday in BOTWT, James Taranto cited [scroll down to "It's the Numonymy, stupid") the Wikipedia entry for Jenny 8 (she’s got a Wikipedia entry, what is up with that? How much you want to bet she or someone who knows her from Harvard wrote it?) which restates the fabled account of how her parents and she decided on it to 1) spice up her name, and 2)bring good luck. Now, one of you, dear readers, claims that it was not adopted at middle school age, for either of those reasons, but instead given to her by a computer at Harvard which makes the most sense to me. [Update: I've just heard from someone who went to middle school with Jenny 8 who disputes this version. Make up your mind people!]

Now on to Amanda Tree. I did find a headshot for Amanda, but I am now not sure if it is Amanda Tree or TreeS. Go to Tomato Records (warning: website is scary bad!) click on 'Archive' which once you get there is spelled 'arcive.' Then click on The Amanda TreeS Story which once you click on it says Amanda Trees and then written twice just above that is says Amanda Tree-no-ess. WTF? Anyhoo, there is Amanda in a sailor-suit-like-top and a sailor cap and has a parrot on her shoulder. She was featured on a compilation disc on Tomato with one song called "Treasure Island." OK. We're working a theme. This is good.
The other song she contributed was "I'll find your beat." Of this song she says, and I quote, "this also is a true story of urban life and yearning for connection to kindred souls via the regular paths we find ourselves on, like dog-walking and all."

The same blurb says that Amanda played a lead in the CBS soap opera Love of Life for a few years. Searches on both TV Tome (my bible when it comes to TV, it has settled many a bet) and IMDB did not list her name in the credits. She's not even listed under the "rest of cast listed alphabetically" heading where they put the people that only appeared once or twice. Even Ian Ziering who must have played a child (unless it is a mistake, as Ian also appeared in Guiding Light and The Doctors ) is listed in with the actors.

A search on “Amanda Tree” on the imdb site came up with someone named Amanda TreeS who played a paparazzi reporter (oh the irony) in "Batman Forever" aka "Batman 3" or just "Forever." Alas no picture here, not even the one in the sailor suit. I've emailed Tomato Records inquiring what Ms. Tree or Trees is up to lately, and whether it is Tree or Trees with an ess.

This is all very confusing, don't you think?