Cyril and So On

So apparently I've been driving without a license (unknowingly) for the last three days. Shh, don't tell the police. Luckily, I found it precisely where I expected I might have put it, so that's a load off everyone's shoulders.
I know you're relieved.

OK, so who knew that Germany had storms they could name? Apparently "Cyril," which the Times refers to as both a "storm" and a "howling winter gale," swept through Northern Europe and the British Isles today... Huh. Cyril. Really? Not exactly a common name in Germany, and why do they get to name it as opposed to the English? Also, come on. We don't name our blizzards or Nor'Easters. Are they simply jealous of our hurricanes and the typhoons that hit the Southeastern Hemisphere? Seriously, I've never heard of this before. Anyone care to explain?

My cultural consumption of the week thus far:
Transamerica
The Weather Man (Gore Verbinski/Nick Cage film -- interestingly, Cage has a lot of Man films, such as The Family Man, The Wicker Man, Matchstick Men, Captain Corelli's Mandolin, and, of course, Valley Girl.)
Scoop (so bad, it might be good... or not)
Magic for Beginners (superb, insane, brilliant, creepy, all the endings feel like beginnings -- and not in an annoying way; go read it now)

We got a little snow coming down, people. Hoorah! I'm going to name each flake. That flake is Cornelius, that one's Christopher, that one's Caleb, that one's Cyrus... and now I can't see any more. Crud.