Our names

[David from London]

Some of the names which people use on the messageboard have always intrigued me.

I admit that I was not very imaginative when I chose David from London. There are thousands of Davids in London and Janis must have lots of fans called David in London.

Some of you might not want to say why you chose the name you did. And some of you may have told us why some time ago, on previous editions of the messageboard.

To those of you who have unusual messageboard names, go on, let us into the secret...

[david uk]

hmmm david i have obviously been pretty unimaginative too LOL:p

[Chet]

Chet's my real name, and I've always gotten a kick out of being mistaken for a guy because of it.

Chet is, well, just the spelling of how my Chinese name sounds in Cantonese. I'm glad the person who recorded my birth at the birth registration office didn't spell it "Chit" or "Chat" or "Cheat". :eek:

Actually, some of my cousins have pronounced it "Jet".

[Helge]

Helge is my real name, and I've never got a kick out of being mistaken for a woman because of the similarity to Helga.

[Eva]

Eva is my real name. And nobody seems to mistake me for a guy with a name like that. I wonder why... ;)

Eva

[Amy in Vermont]

Uh.. well see... My name is Amy and I live in Vermont. And I got tired of explaining the roots of my AOL/AIM screen name which is Ingenue252. Yes, I like k d lang, but that has nothing to do with the name, and I was not born in February of '52.

A

[strech]

I needed a favour from my partner Joanne so phoned her and jokingly asked her how much she loved me, She said she was stretching her arms as far as she could (like a child would) and that was how much. I thought it was a lovely way to express it , then a week later she came home with a new tattoo on her bum, its a bright orange cartoon Mr man, the one with the very long arms (Mr Tickle i believe) with his arms stretched out and my real name below it. Since then we've used stretching for a number of passwords for various things but in some cases there were too many characters so we dropped a few letters, hence strech. I think it may confuse people as to whether im male or female although most people seem just as confused even after meeting me. :D :D

[Dee]

Basically, Dee is the phonetic spelling of the initial D for my actual name, Daniel. A good screen name ... or so I thought. :rolleyes: It has often been assumed that Dee is female, despite the fact that I wear a beard, so it was good when we were allowed to post pics of ourselves as Avatars. Some years ago I earned the titles (deserved or not) "The Dee", and also "Deemeister". But I'm really just plain old Dee.

[AceOn6]

I'm AceOn6 for two reasons. Dee, my real nickname, was taken by the aforementioned Deemeister. My alterego aspires to be a good golfer and once got a hole in one (ace) on the 6th hole.

[Denise]

Well my FORMER screen name on the old board was "mrsrock" because I'm just "Mrs Rock" to just about EVERYONE in my town!
My husband used to be a powerlifter and works out all the time so he's a bit muscular ... and when he was on the police force, his cop buddies started calling him "Rock" or "Deputy Rock" so therefore, whenever they would call or bump into us, it was "Hey Mrs Rock!!!".
It's monogrammed on my Harley jacket, it's my license plate.... I go into the local store and it's "Hey Mrs Rock!" or "Hey Mama Rock" or "Where's Rock??" and yeah, I'm actually sort of tired of it 'coz I TRULY believe that some people don't know my REAL name!
It was fun at first but ...... hello !!!! I HAVE A REAL NAME!!!!!!
So yeah, now I'm "Denise".... on the new board ...... whew!!!

[SongDragon]

No real story here. Jennifer is just too common a name, so when I got on the internet I knew I wanted something to do with dragons. The first site I joined was a dragon site, and all the common names (such as "silverdragon", or "chaosdragon" like my e-mail address, or "littledragon") were already taken. I love the game D&D, and was reading a new Monster Manual (one of my infamous past times, as I tend to memorize all sorts of creatures so it's too hard to confuse me with strange creatures) and I came across something called a "song dragon". I liked them, a lot, because they taught some bards and tended to wander among humans, completely indistinguishable from them, and tended to have a neutral outlook with good inclination. Perfect! That is how my SongDragon persona came about. It took me a good long time before I realized that people thought it meant I could sing. Soon it got shortened to SD or Song. Simple tale, really.

~Song

[marjan]

No news from my site as well. Marjan is my first name, but Maartje is my Christian name. From my fathers site my grantmother's name was Maartje as well and my grandfather's name was Jan. As being the firstborn grandchild my parents named me after my fathers parents.

[NinasSpaceChild]

My real name is Dylan.

Nina's Space Child.

I am a great fan of Nina Simone and have been for may many years. She has influenced me, and got me through an awful lot.

About ten years ago I had a video of a concert Nina gave at Ronnie Scott's in London which was intercut with interview snippets.

At the end of the interview she talked about being a Space Child and that has stuck in my mind ever since.

Only Nina could have known what she meant, but I loved the premise and am proud to be Nina's Space Child. :)

[hoops]

I choose hoops for two reasons, one, it belonged to a belived family dog, who was all of five punds and tough as nails, he was named because my dad was a b ball coach for about 30 years. the second reason is that if one were to meet me, they would never see me as one who plays hoops, tho i have and i do, cause i'm all of five ft tall.
pax
hoops

[Wandering Man]

Great idea David from London!

First of all...it's good to be back online. I've been on vacation with my wife in Southern Utah in the beautiful red rock canyons...if you've never been...GO!

Wandering Man came about because my life has taken me to many different places, cities, countries, and continents. I've been really lucky that way. And there's nothing more healthy for the mind and spirit that to leave the familiar and visit something new. My parents put the traveling bug in me at an early age. And "Wandering Man" is the title of the first song I ever wrote...now it's the name of my little publishing label. I guess it stuck :-)

Mark

[Rowy]

Rowy comes from my surname which is Rowland. My sister called me Rowy as a child and it has stuck. None of my friends or relatives know me as Susan, which is my given christian name. My middle name is Jennifer!!

[Green Monkey]

Well, I explained this, partly, when I joined, but the explanation went into the Aether when we all had to re-registered.

Basically, I stole the name Green Monkey from a story by Ochiya. At the time I took the Green Monkey name, I'd had a falling out with a[nother] formerly dear online friend and so I did not wish to be identified with my old handle any longer, even though the person I fell out with is not here at the JIMB. In Ochiya's story, the name Green Monkey signifies an individual who does not fit into the group. It seemed appropriate.

BTW, my real first name is Bob, which is fantasically boring, compared to Green Monkey.

GM :D

[Marcia Drummergal]

Mine's pretty self-explanatory! M'name is Marcia and I have been playing drums since before I could walk or talk! That's the truth. I vaguely remember (but have pictures of) a small, round piece of luggage. It had my name written on it in script. I used to love the sound of it and would drum on it. When I was 4, I heard a record that featured percussion and was fascinated by it. It's all I ever wanted to do! So although I decided for purely practical purposes to pursue a different career (health matters primarily), I always have drums and percussion stuff at hand. When I was a kid, I used to walk around the neighborhood with a pair of drumsticks in my back pocket. Yes, I was different in so many ways...........

Marcia :)

[Des]

I first joined this message board as ‘DesRay’. When my nephew was 2 years old, he couldn't pronounce ‘David’ (my real name), and it first came out of his mouth as ‘der’ and later changing to ‘dus’. Years later it became ‘Des’.

His name is ‘Stephen’ and at school it was shortened to ‘Sten’, then along came ‘Sten ray’, which might be obvious to some as the likeness to ‘Stingray’. He then started to call me ‘Desray’.

After dropping ‘DesRay’ from this message board, as it sounded too much like a singer who was successful in the 90’s, I changed it to Des. However, this name is far too close to Dee’s name here on the board. So by popular demand, I will be changing it when I can be arsed to do so.:D

Stephen is now 20 and he still calls his uncle ‘Des’, which I have always found really endearing.

I hope I haven’t bored you all silly:p

[KarenSews2]

Um...hi...my name is Karen, and yes, I sew. (I do NOT give the news!!) I also do a lot of other stuff, hence the 2 at the end. So it's really Karen Sews, too.

When we first signed on to the internet in 1994, my 1st screen name was SewSweet. I got ticked off one day and took my s/n off the account, and AOL would not let me have it back. I came up with Karensews2, but had to add a capital S when we got the new MB this year so that certain Rudies would be able to READ it!!! LOL ;)

Marcia, I was Head Bus Nazi for the high school band for 3 years when Bailey was in band, and I always seemed to get the percussionists on my bus. LORD, they were annoying! Those boys will drum on ANYTHING! (the girls didn't seem to do that)

[soulMerlin]

........I'll unload (I Can be pretty boring!)

In October 2004, I was driving down the M40 to Londinium, when I heard Janis on Saga Radio. Further down the road is Princes Risborough, a valley where I always feel happy (the Princes is joyous as well) The result of a double-whammy of Joy was that I bought the CD and a month later joined the message board. (the first thing I did was have a slight altercation with DavidUK re: newspapers and their merits) We all did a on-line radio-type play on Merlin's Quest (I played Merlin and Manchester (fan) was Guinevere....Oh yes...Redjack was Arfur. Well then Christina died and I re-thought my rather shallow beliefs and discovered that much of the Druid belief and philosophy, went along with what I feel about the world - especially the natural environment. Then I discovered (I'm rather slow) that Merlin was a Druid and that the valley that makes me happy is east of Cadbury, the alleged location of Camelot!

That's why:)

Henry John Metcalfe Esq.

[greenpaul]

No great imagination for me. I'm really Paul as my given first name and I'm active in Green politics. It's an interesting thread and I hope all of us join in.

[Melba]

Hmmm...nothing real special here as far as a name. My real name is Melissa. Melba is a nickname actually given to me by Fursky. It stuck and now all my close friends call me Melba...or Mel or even an occasional Melba Toast...LOL. Its simple and I find its not usually already taken on messageboards or for usernames. :D

[Fursky]

Basically, Dee is the phonetic spelling of the initial D for my actual name, Daniel. A good screen name ... or so I thought. :rolleyes: It has often been assumed that Dee is female, despite the fact that I wear a beard, so it was good when we were allowed to post pics of ourselves as Avatars. Some years ago I earned the titles (deserved or not) "The Dee", and also "Deemeister". But I'm really just plain old Dee.

Dee, you are FAR from plain old Dee!! :)

[Fursky]

As a child I would say fursky when I wanted a drink (thirsty) and I have been fursky ever since ;)

[Wildflower Fever]

Mine doesn't have any mystical meaning, although it does confuse people. My real name is Ben, and "wildflower fever" is just part of one of my favorite Natale Merchant lyrics. From "Stockton Gala Days" taken from 10,000 Maniacs album "Our Time In Eden": "....that summer fields grew high, we had WILDFLOWER FEVER, we had to lay down where they grow...". It has no real meaning for me, just that I love the song- and mainly the way she sings it on the Unplugged version. That's it, not a flower fanatic, nor a disease, etc., i just liked it better than "Ben Minneapolis", or the Janis Ian message board member named Ben from Minnesota formerly known as wildflower fever, or "Benny and the Jets", or "Gentle Ben", or as my wonderful brother would say, "Bunjamin".:D

[Pesky]

I have a good friend in San Francisco who uses the word as a common descriptor, as in "that pesky 8 ball" when shooting pool. She may have even called me "Pesky" once or twice. My real name is Torri.:cool:

[PeteCC]

Well, no real feat of intellectual gymnastics required to figure out my first name, and I added the 'CC' many years ago when I was living in a housing co-operative. (My surname is Curtis-Cook, well actually, it is Curtis, but when I got married, to a Ms Cook, we melded the names, and thought that Cook-Curtis would cause horrendous problems for any subsequent offspring, therefore...................)

We used to have bi-monthly meetings of the co-op, and out of the 25 or so members, there were 5 Peters. As we used to sign an attendance sheet, but only with our forenames, I started to add the 'CC' as a distinguisher, (this caught on, but still created some confusion as we had a Pete Wolf and a Pete Wilson).

I've been known as PeteCC for about 30 years now, even my boss at work calls me that, and all my interdepartmental emails/notes etc are signed the same way. Maybe one day I'll grow out of it, but I have the feeling my eptitaph will read the same.

Oh, well.

Regards,

PeteCC

[Manchester]

I am so boring! I'd never been on a messageboard before, and really couldn't think of anything creative when I arrived excitedly after my first show in 2004. I started here as ManchesterFan, but dropped the Fan when the new board rose from the ashes of the old.
I am a Janis Fan, but then so is everone here, so that wouldn't work. My real (and only) name is Anne, which I've never liked - I'm tired of repeating it when I meet new people - give me more syllables!
I am also very proud of my home city; it's history, architecture and people. Please come and visit!
Anne
:)

[Margay]

My real name is Marg and I wanted something close to that. I got the dictionary and started looking. Margay was the closest thing. It's a kind of feline (Leopardus wiedii) as you can see in my avatar.
So it is Marg-ay, not Mar-gay, although I AM gay.

Happy Leopard

[corita]

My name is Corita. My grandma's name (father) is Cornelia and my grandma's name (mother) is Rita. I was the first grandchild, so my parents made one name of it: Corita.:cool:

[david uk]

Henry said: " (the first thing I did was have a slight altercation with DavidUK re: newspapers and their merits) "

did we really have an altercation - oops I forgot that lol:p

[Manchester]

I took this photo in Brighton while wandering with PeteCC and DavidUK, we all agreed it was a lovely likeness, Henry!
:D

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d63/Million68/druid.jpg

[CD Matthew]

I've been away from the board for a few days, but was delighted to see this subject upon my return---thanks, David from London, for posting it! It's been great fun to read the replies.

My screen name actually has nothing to do with the digital discs that one inserts into a CD player. They're actually my first two initals. My full name is Charles David Matthew Murphy, but the four names never fit onto government forms. So on my taxes and bank accounts and so forth I'm listed as C. D. Matthew Murphy. This is also the formal name I use for my writings (I write poetry). In everyday conversation, though, I go by Matthew.

Thanks again, David, for a great topic!

Cheers and regards from...

CD Matthew

[Agnes]

Story's as short as it's simple: my first name is Agnes :)

[BeckyVA]

Mine too is rather self explanatory. When my brother Randyva got very sick and was hospitalized, I knew I needed to, and he asked me, to update the folks at the JIMB letting them know he'd be offline for awhile. Since he was listed as Randyva, the easiest way to have the JIMB people know or remember who I was simply meant I was BeckyVA. Easy to connect I thought. After meeting so many of you at the Virginia Beach show, I'm sure you all have your own "names" for me ;) but we won't go there. I could simply have used my initials, however, I didn't want anyone to see "BS" and get offended :D . Redjack did however, call me a "smart azzzz" :eek: hmm. Perhaps my initials would have been appropriate. My grandchildren, 5 of them, call me Grandma or Grammy, however, when they are being specific about which grandma they're referring to, I'm "Gramma at the Beach" because I live in Va Beach, VA. I know, too much information. Nonetheless, I am Randyva's little sister and am most proud to have him in my life and because of him, I'm now associatiated with all of you. :cool: My original avatar, the sunflower was what I chose originally because my girlfriends and I have a "ya-ya" sisterhood and I was in a hurry to find an avatar that would fit the size allotment. Now, my avatar is the logo for where I work; not because of the tv show. "BS" sends

[soulMerlin]

.....I'll tell you about it when we meet tomorrow. Anne (or sue or whatever - I felt very stupid getting it wrong. An in defence of all the 'Annes' out there, who must be feeling very terminal at the moment - Anne is a lovely name (even if I forget it:D )

Seriously.....Anne (phew!) David's coming to see Joseph in Stoke tomorrow. It'll be packed tomorrow night, so I'm not sure if I could get you and Mike in or not and in anyway it's very short notice for you, but we are doing twice daily all week (3 on Sat!!) so I'd love you both to come, if you have the time.

Fred Smith

[david uk]

Fred Smith

Fred Smith??:p

[GodSistah]

GodSistah is my rap-star name! :cool:

~Andrea~

[soulMerlin]

....a rose by any other name.......:rolleyes:

Anthony Charles Lynton Blair

:eek:

[david uk]

point taken :p :p

[Bat]

Marcia thought a screenname she found was really funny...Olbat! Since it was taken, I added my birthday and AOL said it was ok, so I'm Olbat413.
Because I am one...
Then I got interested in Bats, and it means more to me; can I hang around?
I promise not to get in a flap too often!

[Eva]

Bats are fascinating creatures. Young or old. Doesn't matter.

Eva

[Bat]

The real ones (Chiroptera) often live to be 30 years old!
I've got them beat by a mile, tho! :D

Here's an interesting site about Austin, Texas, where the bats live under one of the main bridges and have become a tourist attraction...trivia is interesting, too. I don't live there.

http://www.io.com/house/bats.html

[Marcia Drummergal]

Marcia thought a screenname she found was really funny...Olbat! Since it was taken, I added my birthday and AOL said it was ok, so I'm Olbat413.
Because I am one...
Then I got interested in Bats, and it means more to me; can I hang around?
I promise not to get in a flap too often!

Hmmm And I thought it had to do with the time you went to that trade show and you had to have a company name. So you made up "Olbat Electric." Which came first, the company name or the screen name?

Marcia :confused:

[dragonlady]

I've always been fascinated with dragons, mostly the Chinese, non-winged variety. As I've become an adult, I've gotten myself some substantial body art in the form of dragons. One at the left shoulder that is very elaborately colored and changes every four years on my birthday (each Leap Year) and one that takes up my entire right forearm that is currently only an outline that may or may not be colored in, in the future. The second was my first avatar on the old board.

And being that I'm female I thought that dragon+lady went well together as a user name. I am aware that dragonlady has other connotations and I try not to have them attributed to me on the message board or in real life:cool:.

-di

(My only other tat, at the moment, is Janis' Rude Girl logo at my right ankle.)

[leslie]

My parents were the creative ones - in more ways than one! :D

Leslie

[Kath of the Guitar]

Still not sure, if you're moore or Les???

"What did I get into":eek: :D

[Chet]

but we are doing twice daily all week (3 on Sat!!) ...
I can attest to the 3 on Saturday. Henry and I were looking for a good time to speak on the phone last Saturday so he was telling me the various times he had to be on stage and we finally managed to talk between 4:30 and 5:00 p.m.

Thanks to Henry, I saw a really good show (Whistle Down the Wind) on Friday, and had excellent seats (just 6 rows from the stage). And because it was the stalls, Ivor Novello was nowhere to be found (seen, felt or otherwise). :D

[DaveM]

I'm just.....DaveM. Nothing really exciting about it at all, when you think about it. Ah well. I really think I prefer to going through life with a name like Sigismund or Ludwig.

When I was in high school there were three sisters among my classmates whose surname was Kotek. Will leave the rest to your imagination.

[RedjackRyan]

. Redjack did however, call me a "smart azzzz" :eek: hmm. Perhaps my initials would have been appropriate.


But i did so with LOVE in my heart! :rolleyes: 'sides, most of my friends are smart azzzes.. its a pre-requisite.




Redjack Ryan is a long story, but i'll be brief. Most places on the net up until i landed here i was known as Kyalla. That name came from an online game that i was heavily involved in (asheron's call) . I thought that name was just something i put together because it sounded good, i found out later it is also apparently an Armenian word for goat head soup.. That just wouldn't do.. Soo.. enter my sideline barbecue business.. i needed a name to 'que under.. My theme for the bbq has always been the era of the Buccaneer/Pirate so i needed a pirate sounding name.. One of my favorite pirates was Calico Jack Rackham.. so named for the calico colored coat he wore.. Since , at one time, i wore a red jacket.. Redjack became the name. The Ryan was added because it sounded good and i didn't want to use my real name..

Of course now i find that Redjack Ryan is also a character that figures into something called Battletech..a game i'm not familar with, but apparently this Redjack Ryan is a space pirate.. Full circle. and fitting.

[Dar]

My name is Darlene. Everyone usually calls me Dar, unless I'm in trouble. ;)

[Green Monkey]

I know this is not where RedJack got his name, but all good geeks should know this, and probably already do:

RedJack Aka Baradas, Jack the Ripper, Kessler

from: http://www.durfee.net/startrek/tos_2.html Star Trek epsiode #43: "Wolf in the Fold" (excerpt below follows)

Season 2 - Stardate 3614.9 - Original Airdate 12/22/1967

Story
Teleplay Robert Bloch
Director Joseph Pevney

Synopsis
Kirk and McCoy decide to take Scotty, who is recovering from a head wound accidentally caused by a female crew member, to a nightclub on the planet Argelius II. Scotty becomes infatuated with a lovely dancer at the club and they leave together. In the meantime, Kirk and McCoy decide to sample some of the planet's other pleasures and leave. A scream sends them to a foggy alley to find the dancer dead with Scotty holding a bloody knife.

Guest Cast
John Fiedler (Commissioner Hengist)
Charles Macauley (Prefect Jaris)
Pilar Seurat (Sybo)
James Doohan (Lt. Cmdr. Montgomery Scott)
George Takei (Lt. Hikaru Sulu)


Notes

Kirk and McCoy took Scott to Argelius because he was suffering from "total resentment of women" because a woman caused his concussion.
The murderer, inhabiting Hengist's body, is an alien creature known as Redjack a/k/a Jack the Ripper. The alien consumes the emotion of fear, killing women because they frighten more easily.
John Fiedler was an odd choice for Hengist, who seemed too wimpy and goofy to be inhabited by a serial killing alien. (Fiedler is known for his role on "The Bob Newhart Show" and has been the voice of Pooh's little friend Piglet since 1968.)
Spock used the transporter to disperse Hengist's body and the creature into space.

[RedjackRyan]

One of the BEST Original series episodes, imho.

Thanks for reminding me of that, completely slipped my mind..

Maybe those voices i've been hearing, ARE really there after all.......


RedRum

[Eva]

women because they frighten more easily.

*ahem* :mad:

Who was the idiot that wrote that episode. I should tie him with one ankle to the top of the mast. See who is afraid then...

Pirate Queen

[Green Monkey]

*ahem* :mad:

Who was the idiot that wrote that episode. I should tie him with one ankle to the top of the mast. See who is afraid then...Pirate QueenI should point out that the episode first aired in 1967. Things and opinions have changed just a wee bit since then. :p

GM :D

[Rickster]

The good thing about the internet is that you can really be anyone you want to be. My name real name is Rick. They call me Rickster at work,...So I adopted it for the internet.

[Chet]

The good thing about the internet is that you can really be anyone you want to be.
A good thing for some can also be scary for others.

[Irish Beth]

I'm 100 per cent Irish and my nickname is Beth. Some times it is shortened on the board to IB which stands for I be one-legged! :p

[cocknee]

I always thought I was the only Limey here and as I originally came from Tunbridge Wells near 'the smoke' I thought that cocknee was a decent enough name to use!

[Rickster]

A good thing for some can also be scary for others.


Yes, Chet. I totally agree. Some people pretend to be someone different than who they really are. That can be scary!

[Racheldiva]

Erm..my name's Rachel and I sing a bit...
Mainly it was because when I first started pc work years ago I found it difficult to get a handle name that hadn't already been taken even though I tried several permutations involving Christian, middle and surname.
I don't profess to be a 'diva' but I got desperate one day to get an unused handle and it kind of stuck. :o

[Des]

What is that you are holding Rach?

[Racheldiva]

Hi, Des. He is my lovely Bearded Dragon Lizard. His name is Wunjo (named after a rune stone which stands for happiness and bliss).

[suewhippetuk]

It was the night after the day before - UK LRC 06 - and we were at the Brighton concert, sitting in our seats waiting excitedly for the show to start. I wanted to see if I could get some posters from the stall so I said to my partner Jak that I wouldn't be long. She hadn't heard me as she was busy talking to Strech and Joanne and only noticed I had been gone when I suddenly arrived back. So I was given the nickname of whippet because I was so quick! :D :D

[DaveM]

Whippet good!

[dutchcloggie]

I used to be just Marieke.

THen I started to use Cloggie as a nickname in the rugby team and thought: it would be good to split my internet life from my home life so on various messageboards, I became Dutchcloggie. And when I returned here, I just used that one.
But it has all gotten muddled up again so if you Google for Dutchcloggie, you are likely to find out who I really am....I guess I am just naive in thinking it won't matter much.

[Kathleen Brogan]

I use my real birth name is hopes that I may one day be recognized as the most famous Janis Ian fan in the universe! Well, the one with the biggest collection, anyway. ;)

[Manchester]

At our LRC there was a brief discussion about a lyric and the cry went up from several people, "Where's Kathleen Brogan when you need her?"
AND we already had MikeUK in the same room!
Anne
:D

[DaveM]

Perhaps an encyclopedia Brogannica is in order. Preferably on disk, as it would surely fill a shelf full of books.

[Kathleen Brogan]

"The rare books library" ;)

[Mimi]

Hi Rudies,

digging in the catacombs of the MB I read this thread and found that time has come the story my name on the MB. Well, some of you already know that Mimi is not my "real" name, not the name you'd find in my passport.

To be called Mimi is very real to me because it's the name my partner gave me years ago because she thought it sounds how I am... We were watching a film on tv, a film by the the German director Margarete von Trotta about the communist leader Rosa Luxemburg who had a cat she loved very much and this cat's name was Mimi. When Rosa was imprisoned for years during the Republic of Weimar for her communist activities she had a picture of Mimi on her table and was very worried about her.

Well, in every day live, at school for example, for my colleagues my name is Donate, but this sure must sound a bit strange for English speaking people and I did not want to irritate anyone the way I am each when I read "Donate" on an English or American website...

That's why I don't use my real name on the MB.

Mimi

P.S.: There are many - more or less - fresh Rudies like me here on the board who have not yet told there stories...

[Roady]

Mimi, you must have read my mind as I was just wondering yesterday how people got their usernames. It's been fun reading everyone's post.

My intro wasn't that long ago but briefly, "Roady" was my beloved basset hound so my username is in memory of him.

I think I might have posted my real name but if I didn't it's "Barb." My family and people that knew me as a young child still call me "Barbie." I hate being called Barbara but as that's my name I do get called that on occasion. :(

Roady

[Darlene]

My real name is Darlene and some people call me Dar. But Dar was already taken.....by someone else. :rolleyes: Since my first name is dar and my last name is woods.............drum roll..........we have darwoods :p . Really original, Huh?
Peace, Darlene :cool:

ps This thread is a lot of fun I'm glad you were digging in the catacombs Mimi and found it. Thanks!

[NinasSpaceChild]

I am a big fan of Nina Simone.

Years ago, I saw an interview with Nina at Ronnie Scott's in London. She made a comment that she was a space child and that many of her fans were also space children. That inspired my name.

[ponytail]

Mine is a big Duh.

I've had a ponytail for several years, symbol of my eternal hippiedom. I got the idea for using it as an online name after my dear friend Dan, a truck driver, started using it as a CB handle. So on all the sites where I post...I'm ponytail.

[aabram]

Only just noticed this thread!!! What a great idea that we all get to know each other in this way..... :D

No real secrets for me either, and I wasn't being scintillatingly imaginitive when I joined the Board either!! Everybody knows me as Annabel by now, surely :D (that's the first 'a') the rest of it is simply my surname - abram....How boring can one get!!!!! :D

[Oak Kitten]

When I first joined the board, my screen name was RandyB, profoundly original. Then I realized there were already two other Randys: RandyVA and Randy and BettyPA (though I am the only female Randy). So when the new board became operational I seized the opportunity to change my name to Oak Kitten, which is my pagan name and a literal translation of the German word for squirrel, Eichkaetzchen.

Besides, "The Queen of Light and Beauty" wouldn't fit.

Oak

[lucille]

It is my second name, and I also called my late great cat - Lucy. I like it more than my first name anyway, so there. :p

[illinoisbill]

Very unoriginal and very boreing. Bill is my real name and I live in the state of illinois. Took my cue from SFBill. When I registered on this board I wanted to use the name "comeonandmarryme-Bill" because I'm a huge Laura Nyro fan, but I didn't think anyone would get it. Also its WAY too long.

Bill

[sky]

I chose Sky because it is one of my daughters middle names, and I new I would neve forget it. My real name is Janilee but everyone IRL calls me Jana.
Sky

[invsbl_wife]

My nic was an easy choice since I'm married to invsbl_man. My screen name elsewhere is usually Roxie, taken from my middle name Roxanne, which I always preferred over my first name, Carla.

[Bat]

I like Carla and Roxanne both! Nice names, IW. BTW, how is himself doing?

[paularoid]

Some of the names which people use on the messageboard have always intrigued me.

I admit that I was not very imaginative when I chose David from London. There are thousands of Davids in London and Janis must have lots of fans called David in London.

Some of you might not want to say why you chose the name you did. And some of you may have told us why some time ago, on previous editions of the messageboard.

To those of you who have unusual messageboard names, go on, let us into the secret...
a time long ago when I was working right out of highschool in the retail trade. A friend of mine came into where I was working and addressed me by saying "Hey Paularoid! How's it going?" One of my coworkers overheard it and the next thing I knew, over the loudspeaker came "Paularoid, line two. Paularoid, line two." It stuck hard and fast right there and it's been that way ever since,.... over 30 years now. I've been "paularoid" since the old dialup BBS days of yore.

For the longest time I was the -only- "paularoid" on the net, then about 10 years ago I discovered another. It's a guy over in France (I think) that passes himself off as a photographer. I haven't researched this guy other than to verify his existance. I don't know whether or not he saw my handle and adopted it for his own, or if it's original, or even if he knows of my existance or not. He doesn't run in the same circles as I do and I have no fear of one of us being confused for the other.

[saxman]

mine is easy . i play the trumpet LOL

[Marcia Drummergal]

mine is easy . i play the trumpet LOL

Mine too, saxman. I play bassoon...........

Marcia ;)

[invsbl_wife]

BTW, how is himself doing?

Himself is doing very well! Thank you for asking. He still tires more easily than before, but if he complains to his doctors about it, they all laugh and tell him being tired is nothing considering he should have died a few times through the whole ordeal last year. Bob gets a daily shot of Lovenox, a blood thinner, which I administer for him. It's given in the stomach and with time I'm learning where there are spots that don't cause as much pain as others. I do like to tease him about being able to cause him much pain if he gets out of line though.... lol.

A funny anecdote - he has a newhematologist who is originally from Eastern Europe and his accent is just a bit too much like Dracula's. It gave us a bit of an eerie feeling at his appointment! He's a great doctor though and that's all that matters.

We thank God every day for the miracles He gave and continues to give us.

[Mimi]

So glad to hear that you both are fine!

Mimi

[Bat]

I don't envy either him or you for the shot routine...but it sure beats the alternative! So glad to hear he is still among us and doing better than he has any right to expect...that will keep improving, we trust. Best to you both!

[Fursky]

When I was a child I would say fursky when I was thirsty. The bear is because in the gay world I am a Bear, or Bearish, or fat and hairy. Of course with my wrinkles and grey hair I am probably a polar bear, but then at my age I cannot manage the cold! :eek:

[PlayLikeAGirl]

I think the reason for my name is simple...with complicated edges.

I wanted to name myself after one of Janis' songs. Originally, I was going to kick it "old school" and call myself Society's Child but I didn't. I love the song Play Like A Girl... probably because it reminds me of my childhood and the way I was treated because I was athletic. It used to piss me off when the boys didn't want me to play because they assumed I couldn't handle myself. But it also used to frost my cookies when, after I showed them I could play, they would tell their buddies that I "played like a boy". Perhaps it was the baby feminist in me... I would scream "I'm NOT a boy so how can I play like one? What's wrong with playing like a girl?!?!?" Then I would throw them through plate glass windows and spit on their corpses...

Kidding! Wow, where did THAT come from?

Besides, it's a catchy tune, ain't it?

I suppose there might be some lesbian subtext to it... but that would make it more "playWITHagirl", wouldn't it?;)

[Randy & Betty in Pa]

Well hell, you all know I selected this screen name because the name REDJACK was already taken...

Best to all

R. from Pa

[Mimi]

it reminds me of my childhood and the way I was treated because I was athletic. It used to piss me off when the boys didn't want me to play because they assumed I couldn't handle myself. But it also used to frost my cookies when, after I showed them I could play, they would tell their buddies that I "played like a boy". Perhaps it was the baby feminist in me... I would scream "I'm NOT a boy so how can I play like one? What's wrong with playing like a girl?!?!?" ?

... sounds very much like my soccer experiences with the boys in our neighbourhood - before there was the first team for girls!


I suppose there might be some lesbian subtext to it... but that would make it more "playWITHagirl", wouldn't it?;)

I always heard something like that between the lines... but perhaps it is because my parents never wanted me to play soccer and years later - after my coming out - told me that they were afraid I would become a lesbian if I played a "male game" :confused: :eek: :D

Nice to see you posting again, PLAG!

Mimi

Mimi

[paularoid]

OOPS! Just notice that I already replied to this a while ago. Duplicate story now

ERASED!

[PlayLikeAGirl]

Funny...

I think for me, Mimi, it was because I played "girl sports". Any team that had girls in kilts I was usually on. The locker rooms could be an uncomfortable experience for me, trying desperately to stare into the depths of my locker as I changed so that my eyes wouldn't wander. Turns out my feelings of being the only one were wrong and I had a couple girls blatantly staring at [B]me[B]. :eek:

And thanks... it's nice to be posting again!

[PlayLikeAGirl]

why are those crazy B's in there like that?

[stardust]

Gee, this thread has been fun to read. I had never seen it before either. My screen name came out of my fascination with astronomy and the history of the cosmos. I don't remember exactly when or how I learned that everything I knew as the world I live in, including my self, was comprised of what is basically - stardust - but it changed the way I looked at myself and my place in the universe. Hence, it reflects my self-concept. When I first signed on to the board it was shortly after meeting Janis for the first time. I thought the name was especially appropriate for another reason as well. I had been thoroughly 'starstruck' and the meeting had left me blown away, like so much dust.
My first name is no secret, except to those who don't know me. :rolleyes:
Terrie

[Bat]

Great to see you posting, Terrie...hope you are feeling better every day, and keep posting...I've missed you! Love your screenname, too.
(Mine is fairly obvious, I think...because I am the resident Olbat.):D

[Racheldiva]

No surprises with mine! I'm an opera singer and my name is Rachel - that's about it! :)

[Randy & Betty in Pa]

Since reading through this post the first time, so much has happened... We've lost PeteCC rest in peace but certainly not forgotten..... IrishBeth, Furskey and so many others have left us....Gone into seclusion or whatever... Yes reading this post took my thoughts back to the second Club Cafe... and the so many miles and so many friends we have made since....

Best to you all

R.

[Mary6906]

First time I've seen this thread as well.... very interesting.

My Online name is very unimaginative also... real name is Mary and the 6906 is an old unit of mine when I was back in the Air Force.

[Orphan of the Road]

Working at The Main Point in college I met a lot of musicians and songwriters. I met a guy from my original neck of the woods, Dick Feller. He wrote Any Old Wind That Blows, Some Days a Diamond (Somedays a Stone) and many others.

One was a song called Orphan of the Road.

A black sheep child with a cowboy's smile
From seeds the four winds sowed
The bastard son of ice and fire
An orphan of the road

[Kathleen Brogan]

I used to go by "Grinning Girl" on the board because at one of Janis' concerts she said to me "there's that grinning girl", which I loved. Now I use my real first and last names in my quest to be a globally recongized Janis Ian fan!

Kathleen

[Randy & Betty in Pa]

Now I use my real first and last names in my quest to be a globally recongized Janis Ian fan!
Kathleen


Just a note... Kathleen I think you have accomplished your goal as the #1 Superfan and for the record, Betty and I are proud the be fans and friends of THE Kathleen Brogan... Thank you for all that you do...

Best to you and yours..

R.

[Dar]

I started reading this thread, thinking to myself, boy I've been around a long time I've heard a lot of these stories before....then FINALLY realized this is a revived thread!! ROFLMAO...maybe I'll change my user name to queen dork or something more descriptive.

Dar is my name....on most other websites that I'm on I go by Justdar, including my email address.

My whole name is Darlene, but most people who know me just call me Dar.
thus the Just Dar. I decided to not be Justdar here, because I found that I end up being called 'Just' and since I figured this was the website where I was most likely going to meet folks who would turn out to be REAL friends instead of just cyber, I wanted them to call me Dar. happy to know that my expectations were true and I've made tons of REAL friends from the gang here......even counting Randy S ;)

[Randy & Betty in Pa]

happy to know that my expectations were true and I've made tons of REAL friends from the gang here......even counting Randy S ;)


I'm tellin' Peggy on you!!!!

Best

JustR :cool:

[sister rose]

I started reading this thread, thinking to myself, boy I've been around a long time I've heard a lot of these stories before....then FINALLY realized this is a revived thread!!


http://smilies.vidahost.com/otn/realhappy/xxrotflmao.gif
Dar...that is so funny!!!

ahem...glad to know I'm not the only one who thought that....:o


Oh...yeah...my name: Sister Rose....it's from one of my favorite 10,000 Maniacs (with Natalie, of course) songs....'My Sister Rose'

Sister Rose take your mother's place.
Trade your home and your maiden name.
For a list of vows and a veil of lace made a wife of you today,
but you're my sister Rose the same.

so, no, I'm not really a sister...well, I am a sister....just not the nun type. (surprised?) :rolleyes:

[saxman]

Hmm let me think , i play the trumpet ?

[Seth]

Seth, it's my name. For so long I was the only Seth where ever I was.

[coffeegyrl]

Years ago I considered myself a coffee snob. Back when I could afford to splurge on exotic beans and fancy equipment, I chose coffeegyrl as my aol screen name and it stuck.

I still buy quality coffee beans and grind them (in an actual burr grinder, not one of those whirley-chopper things) myself. My coffee is brewed in the manual drip method, one cup at a time. Yes, I need my morning caffeine, but I don't drink that nasty brown swill that goes by the name of coffee in many places. I absolutely love a well made latte.

Hmmm, maybe I still am a coffee snob.

BTW, my birth name is Sally.

[Eva]

Hmm let me think , i play the trumpet ?
LOL Yes, that must be why :D

Sally, I don't think you are a snob at all. You just enjoy quality. It's like with the shoes for me and... Shall I rename myself Shoegyrl then? :confused:

Eva

[angelgirl]

I chose my name "angelgirl" because I love the TV series "Touched by an Angel":o. My favourite character was Tess who frequently called Monica "Angelgirl" especially when she was in trouble! My other favourite character was "Gloria". My real name is "Olivia".:)

Regular Cast and Character Descriptions(Wikipedia):Touched by an Angel
Monica (Roma Downey): Monica is the main character of the show. Sweet and tender, she was promoted from the Search and Rescue department to become a caseworker, with Tess, to help people, delivering them a message of hope from God. She also has a weakness for coffee, especially mocha lattes. Downey's natural accent, of Nothern Ireland, was used throughout the show, with one episode focusing on The Troubles of her homeland.

Tess (Della Reese): Tess(my favourite character) is the second protagonist of the show and Monica's angelic supervisor. Sometimes tough but always compassionate, she would eventually brighten everyone's spirits by singing with her melodic voice. A car and a dog were both given to her, both of which she values dearly, and an iguana, from a dying boy, which she tolerates. She is very frank and honest about the truth and usually tells people what they have to hear, not what they want to hear. She constantly refers to Monica as "Angel Girl" and "Ms. Wings." She also refers to Andrew as "Angel Boy."

Andrew (John Dye, 1996-2003, seasons 2-9): Andrew became a show regular in the third season. He was promoted from caseworker to an Angel of Death in 1865, but often works in both job areas during the show's run. As an Angel of Death, his job is to stay with and bring comfort to the dying and eventually brings them Home to Heaven. While some assignments can be rough (e.g. suicide, a child's murder), he still loves his job very much.

Gloria (Valerie Bertinelli, 2001-2003, seasons 8-9): Gloria(my second favourite character) is an inexperienced angel, because she was created by God during one of Monica's assignments (in the seventh season). But she's highly intelligent and constantly learns new things, like human strength and weakness. She's good with technology as well. Although initially shy, she adds a lot of humor to the show.

[GodSistah]

Loved that show!!!

:)

[Elliott]

Well, my story is a little different from most... My real name is top secret, but I can tell you guys... it's Elliott. So, I figured the best way to keep my name secret was to use my real name, Elliott. Now I ask you, who would guess that my secret name is also my screen name. Pretty smart if you ask me. Anywho, don't tell anyone. Especially Janis; she thinks my name if Elliot. But as far as I care, Janis can call me anything she wants, as long as it's not late for a performance. :cool:

[Sara]

Marcia thought a screenname she found was really funny...Olbat! Since it was taken, I added my birthday and AOL said it was ok, so I'm Olbat413.
Bat, you share a birthday with my father (whom I truly, truly adore) and the venerable, dauntless Thomas Jefferson. :cool:

[Mary6906]

Loved that show!!!

:)

Yeah.. I loved watching Touched by an Angel, too! Della was swell.

[Bat]

Yes, Sara, my family is rife with b'days on those of famous people or times:
Groundhog day 2/2, Cousin Lois
DDay, 6/6, Uncle Homer
Pearl Harbor Day, 12/7, Cousin Chuckie
Thomas Jefferson, 4/13, Bat (I always liked ol'Tom)

[Reva]

Basically, Dee is the phonetic spelling of the initial D for my actual name, Daniel. A good screen name ... or so I thought. :rolleyes: It has often been assumed that Dee is female, despite the fact that I wear a beard, so it was good when we were allowed to post pics of ourselves as Avatars. Some years ago I earned the titles (deserved or not) "The Dee", and also "Deemeister". But I'm really just plain old Dee.

Actually my first, knee jerk reaction was to think you were female, though I soon realized you were not. How we "assume" things from screen names is an interesting phenomenon.

Reva is my middle name, in memory of my great-grandmother, whose name was Rivka.

[Sara]

For many years, I've used the screen-names schoolcounselor and schoolcounselor4kids all over the net. When I first joined this unparalleled message board, I hoped to use my real first name for two reasons:


I didn't think I wanted that extra layer of anonymity here since I hoped to meet Rudies in person.
I had just recently retired and wanted my identity to reflect "me" separate from my long-time career.

Though I enjoyed the kids and my work as a teacher and then as a school counselor, recent years brought a very repressive work environment into my life. The new administrators ran the District and the school capriciously and with thinly-veiled malice. This situation was devouring my life and spitting out the remains. My health was deteriorating rapidly. The administrators took clear pleasure in the suffering of others. Finally, it was just time for me to go.

Almost immediately after retirement (although I do work now very part-time in an entirely different capacity), I regained a sense of joy that had been missing from my life for I-don't-know-how-long. I now reveled in a new sense of freedom and gratefulness and wanted to relegate the reviled former job to the past. I now had time to indulge my love of music, bringing me great pleasure. I had just seen Janis in concert and started lurking on the message board.

When I applied as a member, I was elated to find that my real name had not been taken. My former screen name, I thought, smacked too much of that "me" who had been beaten down in that abusive regime. In the spirit of reclaiming my own life, becoming the more spontaneous and authentic "me" that I used to be, I became known as Sara.

[angelgirl]

Sara,

NAMASTE, NAMASTE, NAMASTE :)


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Namaste

O x

[Sara]

I thank you, angelgirl <bowing in return>. You have taught me a new word.

NAMASTE is commonly used in India and Nepal by Hindus (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindus), Jains (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jains) and Buddhists (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhists).
I couldn't help but notice that "Jains" is an anagram of Janis. Maybe you're on to something! :)

[Reva]

For many years, I've used the screen-names schoolcounselor and schoolcounselor4kids all over the net. When I first joined this unparalleled message board, I hoped to use my real first name for two reasons:


I didn't think I wanted that extra layer of anonymity here since I hoped to meet Rudies in person.
I had just recently retired and wanted my identity to reflect "me" separate from my long-time career.

Though I enjoyed the kids and my work as a teacher and then as a school counselor, recent years brought a very repressive work environment into my life. The new administrators ran the District and the school capriciously and with thinly-veiled malice. This situation was devouring my life and spitting out the remains. My health was deteriorating rapidly. The administrators took clear pleasure in the suffering of others. Finally, it was just time for me to go.

Almost immediately after retirement (although I do work now very part-time in an entirely different capacity), I regained a sense of joy that had been missing from my life for I-don't-know-how-long. I now reveled in a new sense of freedom and gratefulness and wanted to relegate the reviled former job to the past. I now had time to indulge my love of music, bringing me great pleasure. I had just seen Janis in concert and started lurking on the message board.



This could be me speaking -- I spent 32 years teaching and loved the students and courses I taught, but the admin kept asking for more and more, with less and less incentive. I felt over-worked, my concerns about quality in teaching ignored, the department's budget was repeatedly cut while our number of students kept increasing, etc etc

I knew if I stay any longer I would implode into total burn out, so I took early retirement (with a big hit on my pension).

After retiring, my health improved, both physically and mentally; I felt as though I had "a life" again :)

I can now enjoy my family, travel, learn to do new things - like join online forums - guilt-free!

[GodSistah]

Glad to hear you are in a joyful place now. I like the real Sara best! :)

[hoops]

I LOVE my real name Noël. But i was warned early on not to use your real name online...so i created a name hoopsjohn...cause hoops was alreeady taken and john was one of his many middle names. hoops, was our family dog for 16 years and a real toughy at that. 5 lbs and living with 11 people makes one tough and hoops was no exception. i got to be well known over the years as hoops, and i liked it...in fact i loved it. as i got to know people in person they continued to call me hoops, so it stuck and i was happy. I am hoops, I am Noël. i have other nick names that i live with but don't love. Even when i taught, my students called me either Ma'am or Noël...never Ms. Defino, i wouldn't allow it. I had a friend who miss typed hoops and hit the a key making me hoopa, to her that name still sticks. i like my two names...but for now you can call me little hoopie
peace
little hoopie

[Bat]

I think Hoops is just fine, Noel is beautiful, and Little Hoopie is just a pet name for a really nice person. Your choice is my pleasure, and I like you heaps just the way you are, because even though you may have many names,you have one great personality!
(well, maybe more than one, sometimes...but we'll ignore that)
Hugs,

[paularoid]

paularoid = Paul..... not Paula. :p

One day WAY back in my youth about 30 years ago I was working in a sporting goods store as a department manager and one of my friends came in three sheets to the wind and said "Hey Paularoid! How's it goin'?" This was overheard by one of my co-workers and the next thing I know I heard an announcement over the PA system, "Paularoid! Line one! Paularoid! Line one!"

It stuck.

When I first went online into cyberspace I adopted that as my handle because I figured there can only really be one. Who could possibly come up with that themselves for their own handle? I've learned that there -is- one other but we run in completely different circles and there can be no mistaking us,.... and I was there first. I checked. :p

[Randy & Betty in Pa]

I think Hoops is just fine, Noel is beautiful, and Little Hoopie is just a pet name for a really nice person. Your choice is my pleasure, and I like you heaps just the way you are, because even though you may have many names,you have one great personality!
(well, maybe more than one, sometimes...but we'll ignore that)
Hugs,

Betty and I agree with what Batty said:eek:

Best...

R & B

[Greener]

A long, long time ago when I was about 22, I joined a softball team. My real name is Andy (short for Andrea) and there was already an Andie on the team, so they called me Greener because my last name is Greene. To this day, I still know some of the women from the team and they still call me Greener.

[hoops]

<bowing> thank you
peace
little hoopie

[Sara]

I think Hoops is just fine, Noel is beautiful, and Little Hoopie is just a pet name for a really nice person. Your choice is my pleasure, and I like you heaps just the way you are, because even though you may have many names,you have one great personality!
(well, maybe more than one, sometimes...but we'll ignore that)
Hugs,
Yes hoops, we like you heaps! :cool: