Explain Your Ricochet Handle
We had a long conversation a few weeks ago about whether people on Ricochet should have pseudonymous handles, or whether full disclosure requires us to use our real names. I, for one, understand why some want to remain anonymous (work, relatives, bill collectors, and on and on).
What I'd like to know is why you chose your handle and what it means (I'm talking to you Western Chauvinist, Sawatdeeka, Fredosphere, Mama Toad, FreeWifiDuringSermon, Crow's Nest, and Pseudodyonisius--and many others). [Natalie and Fred Cole: I think you're exempt from this one; unless, of course, you're trying to fake us out with a name that appears to be the real one].
I'll go first. I really don't care if people know my real name (Ted Smith), but I like my handle. The symbolism of a blank slate can cut both ways (Am I conceding my stupidity? Or am I touting my willingness to learn new things despite my advanced age?) You be the judge. I also like the irony of my avatar: a blank slate that isn't really blank because it has "blank slate" written on it. Actually, I chose my handle for the most mundane of reasons: because I like Latin phases and that one sounded cool (when you go through life named "Ted Smith," you yearn for something a bit jazzier).
Finally, as I pointed out a week or so ago, I got a direct shout-out from Charles Krauthammer. This was a feature of my handle that was completely unintended. [Yes, I am trying to get you to link to my personal Dr. K shout-out: I'd like to extend my 15 minutes of fame another 15 minutes].
And, by the way, I'm reading a book by the great English social commentator Theodore Dalrymple entitled Second Opinion. Lo and behold, I ran into this sentence (Dalrymple was criticizing the English education system):
“[S]chools round here leave the tabula of the human mind strictly rasa.”
So, two shout-outs in as many weeks (we'll ignore the fact that Dalrymple actually wrote his book in 2006). What's keeping George Will from entering the fray?
So, even if you have a less famous, less "elite" handle than mine, tell us why you chose it and what it means.
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Comments:
Feb '11
Re: Explain Your Ricochet Handle
No Caesar because I am opposed to the thinking that says the strong man/ruling class know best, that such "wise men" should take care of everyone else. I have seen the sausage-making that goes into "experts' " efforts and know that a healthy scepticism of their pronouncements is prudent.
I chose Caesar for poetic reasons and because for all her problems, the Republic of Rome was better for more Romans than what came post-Augustus. For all its imperfections, inefficiencies, and picayune distractions a democratic republic of limited government of engaged citizenry is the least-bad form of government devised by man. It is fairest to the individual, while raising the most people up the highest out of the slime and slog of poverty and despair that (unfortunately) is the natural state of too much of mankind for too much of history.
A family to protect, Chick-Fil-A, the car-keying of 2004, etc. are reasons for my decision to be incognito. The "I Am Breitbart" avatar picture is my meager homage to a great man who was cut down too soon. His scowl also fits with the too-often dour seriousness of my pronouncements on political matters.
Edited on August 23, 2012 at 6:09amJun '10
Re: Explain Your Ricochet Handle
I use "cdor" because it's my name. My mother gave it to me. Pretty cool,Huh.
Nov '11
Re: Explain Your Ricochet Handle
ConservativeWanderer
And 83% of all statistics are made up on the spot.
Including this one. :p · 5 hours ago
Kent: Mr. Simpson, how do you respond to the charges that petty
vandalism such as graffiti is down eighty percent, while heavy
sack-beatings are up a shocking nine hundred percent?
Homer: Aw, people can come up with statistics to prove anything, Kent.
Edited on August 23, 2012 at 3:54amForfty percent of all people know that.
Dec '10
Re: Explain Your Ricochet Handle
Richard O'Shea:
I tried the name "Pat Sajak", but it was already being used by somebody else, so I went with something Irish.
I wonder what the real Pat Sajak would think of all these people trying to use his name. One of them even uses his picture. Real Pat Sajak is probably a raging Hollywood liberal, he'd be so mad to see his likeness appropriated and name used as a handle. Wish there was a way we could find out, get him on the podcast or something.
Jun '10
Re: Explain Your Ricochet Handle
Apropos of nothing, one of the surprises to me is that a lot of the Ricochetti have handles that sound like their real names, but are actually pseudonyms. See, e.g., Richard O'Shea above.
Edited on August 23, 2012 at 3:56amDec '11
Re: Explain Your Ricochet Handle
I really should be working on my lyrics power point slides for music this weekend, but I've been having too much fun reading this.
TJ are my initials. My mom started calling me that because she got tired of my dad and I both answering whenever she called either of us. I kept thinking I'd come up with some creative handle by the time I actually posted something. Guess not. Next step, an avatar.
Feb '12
Re: Explain Your Ricochet Handle
In the words of Elastigirl: "Your identity is your greatest possession. Protect it."
My handle comes from my name, and short hand for the municipality in which I reside. I started using that long ago in the comments section of the local newspaper website. To keep things consistent and easy to remember, I stick with that. An exception is the huff-n-puff, where I use something else entirely.
I get the concept of anonymity vs identification. My stance is that for things I'm paid to do, or have a defined position in, using my legal name is appropriate. For all the others, I'm a fan of the "Silence Dogood" approach.
Jul '12
Re: Explain Your Ricochet Handle
Like many have already stated, I signed up for the podcasts (and to get Rob Long off my back) and never really thought I would post.
As for the pseudonym; I love College Football, especially the SEC and especially especially the Auburn University Tigers. I paid them enough money (without the benefit of a degree) that I took the liberty of appropriating their name. I am also a 24 year retired Navy Chief Petty Officer. So there you have it.
May '12
Re: Explain Your Ricochet Handle
I just think one should use their name. If you're not willing to take ownership for your words, maybe you shouldn't offer them.
JP Abenstein
Jul '11
Re: Explain Your Ricochet Handle
"And how was I named father?"
"Well Broken Rubber, I'll tell you a story."
Jul '11
Re: Explain Your Ricochet Handle
AUChief: Like many have already stated, I signed up for the podcasts (and to get Rob Long off my back) and never really thought I would post.
As for the pseudonym; I love College Football, especially the SEC and especially especially the Auburn University Tigers. I paid them enough money (without the benefit of a degree) that I took the liberty of appropriating their name. I am also a 24 year retired Navy Chief Petty Officer. So there you have it. · 0 minutes ago
Thanks for serving as well as loving the SEC!
Mar '11
Re: Explain Your Ricochet Handle
Seriously, would it kill him to spring for some salmon?
Jun '12
Re: Explain Your Ricochet Handle
I'm a dad who had a dog named Gnarly. My real name is linked to a particularly ugly form of lymphoma, so I'm not terribly concerned about anyone finding me through Google, the famous British Dr. gets all the hits.
Feb '12
Re: Explain Your Ricochet Handle
Molecules with unpaired electrons are referred to as "free radicals". My research is concerned with the formation and reactivity of free radicals in biological systems. It is also appropriate because my political and religious views are rather radical against the backdrop of those of my colleagues.
I consider it a great joy and privilege to show students the fantastic molecular structures underneath biological function. Still, God's grace extended to me through Christ stands as the most amazing thing I've ever heard.
"For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." II Cor. 5:21
Nov '10
Re: Explain Your Ricochet Handle
Casey Taylor picked up on my name within a week of my joining and DocJay knew the source of my affection for it. The US Machine Gun cal. .30 Browning M1919A4 (we called it the "light" machine gun to distinguish it from the water cooled cal. .30 "heavy") was the backbone of the infantry platoon in my day and was the one on which I trained one long, hot summer at Ft. Benning.
As someone said earlier on another post, "happiness is a belt-fed weapon" and I loved the gun. It was light enough to transport easily (although it seemed to be all sharp corners and edges), accurate, and reliable. There were better guns (nobody ever has made a better machine gun than the WWII German Mg-42), but the M1919 was ours and it filled the need. (The A4 designation refers to the fact that it was tripod mounted.)
I suppose that my nostalgia for my younger years made me think of it, and it seems to have intrigued some of my fellow Ricochevians.
Apr '11
Re: Explain Your Ricochet Handle
Yudansha is Japanese for "one who holds Dan rank." I've practiced and taught Aikido for a number of years, so I earned this little conceit. That, and the fact that it was available. It's hard to find a handle that someone hasn't already thought of.
I decided to go with a pseudonym because... well... doesn't everyone? (Apologies to John Abenstein)
Mar '11
Re: Explain Your Ricochet Handle
I live in Illinois, formerly a "swing state." Conventional wisdom years ago held that you could not win the presidency without carrying Illinois. Chicago was always a little over 100% Democratic, but the suburbs were staunchly Republican, and downstate was a mixed bag, so the state as a whole could roll either way. Over the past 15-20 years I have watched the state turn solid blue as the suburbs become more and more Democratic, and watched the state Republican party fade into impotent irrelevance, and have puzzled over the reasons to no avail. Now my votes for President are meaningless, as the state reliably rolls for the Democrats in every election. Thus, "blue state blues." My avatar is, of course, "The Old Guitarist" from Picasso's Blue Period (I used to play guitar a little, not so much any more).
Apr '12
Re: Explain Your Ricochet Handle
My handle is a Zulu word used to describe a get together to have a big discussion with the whole village and the nearby village. You will impress people from Africa if you say, "Let's get together for an Indaba."
It then got used in business for conferences too, so the "Miners and Prospectors Indaba" is a famous one.
I have to be anonymous because of my work. I am a immigrant to Canada from Zimbabwe and Zambia, and they may kick me out if they find out how Ricochet has been educating me about conservative politics and the Lefties.
Aug '10
Re: Explain Your Ricochet Handle
Until I was 11, I lived with my parents and 3 siblings in a house we shared with my father's parents in Ansonia Ct.. The house was built by my Irish immigrant great grandfather who, I was told, built many of the stone walls in the town, and moved houses using giant horses. (I'm sure he moved houses since it wasn't a family member who told me.)
When I first thought of calling myself Ansonia, I had for a moment the strange feeling it was more my name than my actual name.
Dec '10
Re: Explain Your Ricochet Handle
Fun thread.
I'm a Backgammon enthusiast and at one point I used to give Backgammon lessons over the Internet. At certain match play scores, a situation arises where the match leader can make use of a "free drop" of the doubling cube without hurting his chances of winning the match. This comes in handy if you get off to a bad start in the game; it effectively allows you to start the game over without incurring a penalty. Whether the free drop can be used effectively depends on whether the match trailer is an even or odd number of games away from winning the match. Many of my students had trouble remembering when to use it, so I coined the word "freeven" ("free" + "even") to remind them that their free drop is available when their opponent needs an even number of games to win to the match.
Back in my BBS days, I used to go by "Ellipsis" and "Chase," but once I got into larger communities I frequently found that those handles were already take. "Freeven" is almost always available, so it's become my "go to" handle. Besides, it has a ring to it... Let Freeven Ring!