How did you come up with your DU username?

[I Have A Dream]

I've seen these threads in other areas of DU, but I've never seen this question asked here.

Our username is an important part of how people see us here. I was wondering how the beings of light and love who come here chose their names.

How did you choose yours, and if it's a rather cryptic name, what does it mean?

(Personally, I've always wondered what rumpel means, and I've always wondered about the origin of stellanoir.)

:)

(On edit: Would you change your username if you were given an opportunity to do so?)

[ricochetastroman]

1. Let's start with you IHAD?

Mine is a combo. Years ago I had a nickname of ASTROMAN on a game site. Just came to me. Then, a friend of mine always calls me Ricochet, a play on Rick.
When I tried to sign up for Ricochet, it was taken, so I merged the two.
I wish I hadn't - I'd like to use a new name that is somewhat shorter.

[I Have A Dream]

4. You're too fast for me, Rick! :o)

Interestingly, before reading this, I edited the original post to ask if people would change it if they could.

If you could change yours, what would it be?

:hi:

[I Have A Dream]

2. I found DU by accident while researching some lies told by Glenn Beck.

One of the things that a Google search brought up was a DU thread about the issue that I was researching.

I had never been part of an on-line community before, and I was so excited. I went to DU's homepage, and realized that if I wanted to post, I had to come up with a username. Dr. Martin Luther King's I Have A Dream speech has always profoundly affected me, and that phrase immediately popped into my mind.

My actual dream certainly contains Dr. King's dream as well, but it's even larger. We talk about my dream all the time here -- a world where humanity treats others like they themselves would like to be treated, and love rather than fear is what rules this world.

The only negative aspect of my username is that people never know what to call me. I didn't really realize that people would address me with it. Calling a person "I Have A Dream" is awkward, so I get several variations on the name, which is perfectly fine with me. Even given this complication, if given an opportunity to change mine, I would never do it. That name is truly a part of me now. I consider my name to be similar to a Native American name such as "Dances With Wolves". Maybe my name should be "Has A Dream". :)

[mysticalchick]

3. My name is one I am just now stepping into ...

... I have always been drawn to the word "mystical" - in fact, one of my favorite songs is Van Morrison's "Into the Mystic" and has been for about 20 years. If I ever have a boat, that's what I would name it.

But the word (and energy of the word) 'mystic' is a big one to step into and it's only been recently that I've felt (intuitively) that I could. Yet, I have to put a bit of my goofiness in there and add 'chick' so I don't look so high-fallutin'. (heh) Because I am so not pretentious at all. I am, at heart, a 12 year old with occasional flashes of 28 (despite my chrono age of 47) and just really allowing my true self to shine. I'd go so far as to say it's only been in the past five years I've seen my true self. So, letting it shine is sorta new to me.

And here, I can do that.

(on edit: nope, I'd leave it just as it is. I love love love the word 'mystical'.)

[I Have A Dream]

5. I like the mixing of mystical and chick too!

It fits you!

:)

[all.of.me]

6. I'd love to change mine!

It is short for Geneva Tanner.

I was given up for adoption at birth. When I was 27 (1981), I learned my biological mother was Swiss/French. In counseling over this issue, I chose Geneva to reflect my real identity. The family that raised me was German, and with my last name, I am always asked if I am Jewish, which I am not. That family is staunchly Lutheran. I have an ethnic look, and people ask if I am Russian or Polish, which I am not. Only one person has ever told me I look French!

Anyway, in 1999, I found out my mother's last name was Tanner, so I added that. I have versions of Geneva Tanner in various places online, since that's when I got online. It was a real issue for me to have this identity. I thought about legally changing my name.

In 2004, a genealogist found my mother's family. It took her only two weeks! I found my mother listed on Classmates.com. I also found her sisters. I wrote them, and they all blew me off, but later in the year, I found my half-sister, again on Classmates.com. I sent her a paper letter, and she emailed me back. I found what I was looking for, but my mother still does not speak with me. Experts say it is deep denial, and because of this, her health is really bad. She will be 81 next month, and I hope she chooses to know me and my girls before she dies.

Now I don't feel the need for that identity anymore. Even though I only have third party contact with my mother, it is enough. My entire being is so much more settled than for the first 50 years. If she does not want to contact me, fine. I hope she changes her mind, but at least I don't have to wonder anymore who she is or where she is.

So, yeah, I'd like to change my username. I don't need it anymore.

[I Have A Dream]

8. Hi, genevat! That's a lot of stuff to carry around.

Have you ever thought about just starting over here at Du with a new name? I know that it's difficult to start over again with a low post count, but it might be worth it to no longer carry that old name that no longer resonates with where you are right now. (I'd buy you a star for your new username, so you wouldn't have to spend any money.)

I'm so sorry that your experience with your birth mother has been so painful. :(

:hug:

[all.of.me]

21. Thanks. You are sweet.

I could change it here, I suppose. I don't really care about low post count. I think that's a silly issue that people focus on way too much, especially in the more volatile forums - GD, GDP, LBN. Just because someone has few posts does not mean they are not valuable. I don't understand why Skinner et al even have post counts posted. It seems so irrelevant.

I am in the process of thinking of a business name for tax purposes. It would encompass all that I do, which is quite varied - writing, jewelry, real estate, green home consulting, teaching. It is really hard! I wonder how well I can describe myself in a couple of words, and how quickly I would outgrow it, just like genevat. It's not an easy task. So, too, with usernames.

So, thanks, I think I'll work on a new one! Thanks for the star offer, too, but I think I'm about due for a donation. Seems like it's been a long time. I'm actually surprised I still HAVE a star! :)

[all.of.me]

112. And so I changed it!

A few years ago, I had to come up with a new name for a new email account. I thought of all the interests I have and if I'd want to choose just one to show who I am. I couldn't, so I tried on diversitee, but it didn't quite fit. So I went with all.of.me to incorporate, well, all of me! What a relief to get rid of that baggage, genevat. I never refer to myself as Geneva anymore. :)

[I Have A Dream]

113. Congratulations, all.of.me!

I hope that you feel a lot lighter now. :hug:

[all.of.me]

114. It feels great letting go of the past and moving forward to something new. Thanks! nt

[MorningGlow]

7. It was kind of an affirmation

In '04, was SO glad that the country had survived one term of BushCo, and I was convinced that we'd had enough and Kerry being elected was a given. (Well, it WAS, so I wasn't wrong, except in DieboldLand...) So in the runup to the election, I found myself singing the song "Morning Glow" from my favorite musical Pippin (I was a theater minor in college, and that is "the show that got away" for me--there was never a production of it going on to audition for when I was still acting and singing regularly). Anyway, the lyrics reflected the path I thought the country was going to take. Maybe I should start singing it again! (So no, I don't want to change it--it came to me naturally when I decided to delurk and become an active member of DU, and it still fits.) Full lyrics below:

Morning glow, morning glow
Starts to glimmer when you know
Winds of change are set to blow
And sweep this whole land through
Morning glow is long past due

Morning glow, fill the earth
Come and shine for all you're worth
We'll be present at the birth
Of all things looking new
Morning glow is long past due

Oh morning glow, I'd like to help you grow
We should have started long ago, so...

Morning glow, all day long
While we sing tomorrow's song
Never knew we could be so strong
But now it's very clear
Morning glow is almost here

Morning glow, by your light
We can make a new day bright
And the phantoms of the night
Will fade into the past
Morning glow is here . . . at last

[I Have A Dream]

9. I always loved your username, MorningGlow.

It's such a positive name. :)

[Celebration]

10. I don't like my user name

I am pretty sure my third chakra was blocked at the time. Silly me.

I have no idea why I chose it. I think I had probably had a few too many glasses of wine. I found this place because I was looking for information about election fraud in Ohio in 2004. I think at that time I was doing a lot of things mindlessly. It was not a conscious choice.

So, if I could change it, hmmmmm............. OrgonePower, ReichRules, VitalWisdom, FigureEight, GoldenRatio, SolidPlatonic, etc., etc.

I would maybe think of some things and then put up a poll here. Then I would get more suggestions and use my pendulum.

If I had thought I would post here, I would have actually put some thought into it.

[I Have A Dream]

12. Yeah, I can see what you mean.

You're certainly not "just" anything. I just took it as you being humble. :)

[Celebration]

14. No, it is a blocked third chakra name

That would be a sort of false humility.

I could have suppressed it but I am sure I was really ticked off and unbalanced because of the stolen 2004 election. For a long time I read nothing but election fraud information here.

It was probably a year later that I got more into the chakra stuff. I'm sure my third chakra has been blocked most of my life. Fine now, thankfully. But, since time is probably not really sequential as we seem to experience it, I still probably have some elements of third chakra blockages.

[rumpel]

38. I like your name

it feels like a pure essence of a person - that is not in the 3-D and someone everyone knows...

edited to clarify

[Celebration]

41. thanks

I think it fit me at the time I selected it. It doesn't particularly now but this is no big deal to me. I love having the avatar, the signature, etc. that can be changed at any time. Sometimes I wish I could change my signature line depending on where I am posting. My avatar is energetic, and based on the golden ratio--phi. Plus it is a crop circle formation. But my red white and blue First Amendment signature line, and the Kennedy quotation are due to a bizarre thread in the Health Forum. There were some people there that wanted to censor internet content on health issues--they didn't think people should be able to put anti vaccine videos on You Tube. I guess maybe they had past lives in China??????? I may start a thread on how people choose their signature lines and avatar.

[Celebration]

47. LOL, never mind

Just changed my signature.

[crikkett]

93. wow, I really like your name

it struck me as a sort of zen humility hiding true brillance.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

11. Mine is a combination of my two spiritual names

My birth name is one I didn't like--it literally means "foreigner, stranger", and until I found my spiritual path, that is how I felt.

In 1989, I took hands in the Helveti-Jerrahi Order, and Shaykh Nur gave me the name "Ayesha". It means "woman" in Arabic, but much more than that. Ayesha was the only virgin bride of the Beloved Prophet, and a strong woman in her own right. In the Sufi tradition, you are given a name so that you can grow into the qualities of it. "Ayesha" was exactly the perfect name for me--I was a virgin, soon to be a bride (I met my husband the same time I was initiated), and a person who was not a strong woman. The name helped me to understand that it was all right to be what I was, and that I could learn and grow from a fearful person to one who was comfortable in their own skin.

The "Haqqiqa" came several years later, from a senior teacher in the Sufi Order. It was at the end of a week's camp, and she was bidding me farewell when a strange look came over her face. In an odd voice she said, "I have a gift for you. Haqqiqa." I didn't know anything about it for a long time, other than the root, "haqq" means "Truth". Later I found that it is one of the stages of spiritual development in the Sufi tradition--the one in which the seeker yearns for direct experience with God-and with life. Again, no fear--just clarity and truth.

I am still working on both my names, and would not change them unless Spirit directed they be changed.

[I Have A Dream]

13. Ayesha, how is the last part of your name pronounced?

Is the 'qq' pronounced as a k sound, and the last 'q' pronounced as a 'qu' sound.

I'd like to pronounce it correctly in my head. I finally have the spelling down, though. :)

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

15. Pronunciation

with stressed syllable all in caps:

ha KEEK ah

[I Have A Dream]

18. Oooo... I've been mispronouncing your name.

:blush:

;)

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

20. That's ok

only reason I know how to pronounce it is because I've heard it. Sort of like "Ayesha"--I've got a friend who keeps mispronouncing it "eye EEE sha" and it's "uh YAY sha". And he has no excuse, as he's heard me say it! So don't feel bad--you've never heard it spoken!

[rumpel]

40. me, too

very interesting

[NMDemDist2]

16. mine is pretty self explanatory but since I've moved, I'd love to change mine to NMDemDist2

:rofl:

[I Have A Dream]

17. Well, you're such a free spirit, you might move again just after you change it!

:D

So, if you could, you'd still keep it a reflection of where you live?

[NMDemDist2]

19. I doubt I'll move again. I spent the first half of my life as a gypsy

but have been very settled these last 18+ years and this is probably the last home.

as for the username, yes. since this is predominately a political board, I'll keep the political name with no regrets

:hi:

[all.of.me]

22. Do you think they'll do a name change amnesty like they did in 2004 or so?

I was new here and didn't understand how things worked, but I remember Skinner allowed people to change their names with no penalty after the election. Old and new names were in each post for a while.

I'd imagine people would want to change once Bush is out of office. His name, those of his cronies, and other negative right wing connotations are pretty common here. I personally would not want to identify with any of that! :) So maybe they'll let everyone change again after the election.

[teenagebambam]

23. From a cartoon show of my youth

Teenage Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm. I have always loved the character of Bamm-Bamm, I don't know why. In general, I always fixate on the LEAST visible characters in a show/movie/book/whatever. Let's hear it for the Ethel Mertzes/Lt. Uhuras/Clarabelle Cows of the world!

[LiberalEsto]

24. I'm a liberal

and I'm of Estonian heritage.

However, a liberal Estonian-American is somewhat of a rarity. Most of them are rethugs, which is why I've had very little to do with Estonian-Americans over the years. The younger generation is more liberal, and I've managed to find a handful of folks around my age who are enlightened.

[japple]

25. My username comes from my initials: J. A. P. I've used it

as a signature and logo for most of my 58 years, and many people call me "JAP." One day when I posted something on GD, a flame war ensued (unbeknownst to me!)about my "inappropriate, inflamatory, racist, etc." user ID, so Skinner asked me to change it. I never saw any of the comments--they had been deleted by the mods. by the time I got the message from Skinner. Anyway, I kind of like japple, a combination of my first initial and my favorite fruit.

[SeattleGirl]

26. Mine isn't too inspirational: I'm a female living in Seattle.

But I've really come to like the name, and the shortened version a lot of people on DU use, SG.

I don't think I'd change my user name.

[tanyev]

27. I borrowed my cat's name as my user name.

It was the first time I'd signed up for an online forum and I was only focusing on the fact that it had to be something I could easily remember. Little did I know I would become completely addicted to DU, logging on every day as my main source of news. It didn't take long before the random password that was given to me flowed from my fingertips as easily as my user name.

The real Tanyev was a good friend and companion for me during some tough times. He passed on last June, so now I think of him fondly every day when I log on.

[Jeanette in FL]

28. I will give you three guesses where mine came from

Pretty easy, I am sure that no one needed three guesses.

My name is Jeanette and I live in Florida.

I like reading how everyone came up with their usernames. Very cool idea.

[conscious evolution]

89. Every so often

someone does a thread like this in GD or the lounge.
Always interesting.

[Delphinus]

29. Dream ...

what a wonderful idea! I've enjoyed reading what everyone has shared.

Mine - I had a psychic tell me one time that I was from the star system Delphinus. It resonated deeply with me, as I've been in harmony with Dolphins (not the football team) for a very long time.

[Bluestar]

30. My user name is an homage to my primary guide

who I used to know as only "Blue". Several years after I started to channel him, I found out he was (is) Krishna. A big shock for me as I am about as far from east Indian heritage as you can get.

Anyway, my user name and the picture I use for an avatar are sufficiently "out there" to irritate many of the politicos in GD, GDP, etc. I find it really funny--they are always telling me I'm from another planet, etc. I just say (to myself) yep, that's probably true!

[Chovexani]

76. LOL. That's neat.

And hey, there are a number of "walk-ins" about this forum. :hi:

[silverlib]

31. As some others - mine is obvious...

A liberal - born liberal and lived liberal for 50+ years - and have the "silver" hair to prove it.

I started out - way back when DU was new - as greylib or graylib - left for a short time and couldn't remember my "name," much less my password when I returned- so I re-registered - and I'm much happier with silverlib than the other name. The other name only addressed the color and not the years.

Thanks IHAD - it's interesting to read how all of us came up with our names.

[lildreamer316]

32. A song by my fave band..

..Van Halen. The 316 is also by them; a lullaby Ed wrote for his new baby son in 1991. Just thought the name would be different.

They may talk about you cold when you were
Headed for the skies
But you were young and bold and baby,
Didn't that change with a wink of your eye?

Now no one's talkin' 'bout those
Crazy days gone by
No one talks about the
Times you cried...

(Oooh) Little dreamer
(Oooh) little dreamer

And then went and they voted you
Least likely to succeed
I had to tell them baby, you were armed with
All you'd need
Seems no one's talkin' 'bout those
Crazy days gone past
Weren't they amazed when you were
really last?


(Oooh) Little dreamer
(Oooh) little dreamer

[Tumbulu]

33. It was the Gambian name given to me while in the Peace Corps

It means "stay in my arms, don't go away". It is a name allowed to be given to either a boy or girl baby after the mother has lost three babies before they turned a year old.

So many babies died where I was. I was so honored to be given this name and the people there have remained in my heart; they have never gone away. It remains a precious gift to me.

[hermetic]

34. What an interesting thread

Thanks for asking. I always feel so welcome here, in this Group. :grouphug:

I, too, quit lurking and signed on in 2004. I was so fed up with what was going on and wanted my name to show that. I tried FedUp, but it was taken, as were a few others, including EnoughAlready. So I tried the phonetic spelling and that worked.

I've become rather attached to it now. A dear friend gave me a post card with a picture of a massive traffic jam and it says, Enough Already. I've also seen that used in editorials and it always helps me realize that I am not alone. So, until things change drastically for the better for EVERYONE, I think I will continue to say, enufalready.

[mother earth]

35. I'm married to father sky of course, and while I would never

conceive of changing my nic, I could not bring myself to capitalize the first letters since that would be reserved for the original ME...I hope to pay homage only in deep and abiding respect.

The creation myth reminds me of the wisdom of honoring life, the planet and universe that sustains us, and that which we call God, is the essence of what flows and unites all, and I do mean ALL.

[rosesaylavee]

36. rosesaylavee is a play on words or pun already played with by

Marcel Duchamp, fine artist of the early 20th Century. His alter ego was named similarly "Rrose Sélavy" based on the french "Eros, c'est la vie" and he incorporated the name and the words into several pieces of work. My husband is an artist and has been greatly influenced by this man's work. ...And I just liked the way it sounded.

More info here and if you scroll down toward the end of the page, you can see a bit about his alter ego and art he created using that concept.

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

And I like my DU name. Don't know what I would change it to if I had to.

[ConcernedCanuk]

37. I live closer than I would like be to the United States of America

.
.
.

'nuff said

(on edit: no)

[LWolf]

39. When I registered, I was repeatedly unsuccessful with

"LoneWolf." So I went with LWolf, and it worked. It wasn't that someone else had that handle; later on, someone did register as Lone_Wolf, but I guess I didn't know that I needed to put the line/space in there.

I am a Lone Wolf, politically, spiritually, socially, and professionally. I have been, all of my life.

Politically, I never belonged to a party until I registered as a Democrat to throw my weight behind getting better democratic nominees. As a leftist independent, I never voted for republicans and often voted for democrats, but found myself increasingly dissatisfied with the democratic nominees. So I "got involved." I found the whole primary process to be incredibly corrupt and distasteful, I learned that no candidate that I wanted to see get the nomination ever would, and I found myself less willing to vote for the democratic nominee once I was actually a democrat. I'm the lone wolf who simply doesn't follow the pack.

Spiritually, I refused all forms of organized religion and cherry-picked from many, looking for universal truths and teachings from each that would resonate with me, meditating and asking for guidance. I found that when something resonated, and I worked with it, I tended to stay with it until I'd absorbed it, and then move on. Very little stuck with me. It's more like an assimilation of the parts that are needed, so that they become an integral part of the whole, as I move forward looking for the next thing I'm ready to learn/discover/experience.

Socially, I am the only child of a single parent with no extended family connections. We moved constantly. I attended 10 schools k-12th grade, and I can now add 11 different colleges and universities to my academic record. It makes getting transcripts a major pain in the ass, lol. All of that meant that by the time I was in middle school, I no longer attempted to make friends and fit in when I went to a new school. I simply glided by, as invisible as possible, in the background of school social life. I did well academically, and developed into a hard-core introvert. I had a few friends outside of school that I managed to hang on to; more who eventually got left behind in the moves. Even now, in middle age, I've got a few friends I've managed to hold on to, but choose to spend most of my time alone if possible. I moved three years ago, and met some really nice people. I like my neighbors, I like my colleagues, but I've made no attempt to establish any kind of social life with them.

Professionally, I am one of the few people who come from my background, with my perspective, to last in public education beyond the first five years. Most of us who don't fit the system, who come in wanting to offer something different, are gone after the first few years, burnt-out or frustrated beyond belief. I stuck around. My colleagues usually like me and appreciate my strengths, but don't like to step outside the safety of tradition to join me; I'm still the lone wolf.

[rumpel]

42. Dream, mine is quite simple

many here have, what my daughter would call it "way too cool" user names :)
and it is fun reading how everyone chose their names.

At the time, I had never done anything on the internet, except read and research.

The 2004 election results were so bizarre, and I was sooo certain that Kerry would win, I just could not believe what occurred.

I was subscribed to TruthOut and even corresponded with one of the authors of their editorials (who lives in Europe) I remember writing him to the effect of government can not be trusted, and that the citizens have to mobilize to get to the truth. I did not know that a forum like DU existed, but then Will Pitt mentioned DU and there it was.

I hardly even knew what to do much less post, but I guess, having found a place where everyone had similar doubts and or expressed ideas what to do, I thought, I'll try. When the sign on page requested a user name, nothing really came to mind, except me viewing myself as someone hopping mad - Rumpelstiltzchen
a tale of being deceived, I read as a child.
The name was way too long so I shortened it.

Thinking back, it looks like, rumpel did not self-destruct in anger. :rofl:

I kind of like the poor dwarf so I think I would not change it, besides, I also like the variation stella created: "rumps". :rofl:

[mother earth]

43. Never change it, rumpel...you are one of the first posters I came

to recognize here and I never knew we found DU and this part of it for the very same reason until now, and around the very same time. I remember Elizabeth Edwards' words here at DU touching my very soul at that time. :hi: :hug:

And I wouldn't be here this year if not for Dream's generosity and loving spirit. She has a way of touching hearts...and well, Stella...she's one of a kind...always putting herself on the line...so many here have touched lives, here and to those who read here and may never know outside of this little lighted corner of the world...:grouphug:

I just had to jump in....hope you don't mind, Dream.

[rumpel]

46. thanks mother earth

:grouphug:

[stellanoir]

52. Expect some straw in the mail very soon.

and psssssssssssssssssssst. . . Kerry did win.

Tons of psychics I know were astonished by his apparent loss.

Having been talking incessantly about EVM's for two years it was crushingly hard to watch the switch between 11pm and 1am and see my worse fears manifest.

I told these psychics they shouldn't have asked who would win but who would be inaugurated.

[rumpel]

78. sorry I just see your response, sis

:)

You know, when I heard the speech Kerry gave, when he endorsed Obama - it brought tears to me.

but then again, many things bring tears to me these days... good and bad - I guess I am getting old.

I know he won, I also know Gore won....but this is just representative of how unfair this world is, and how it is up to us to make it more fair and a happy place for everyone...


:grouphug:

[BanzaiBonnie]

60. I suspected as much...

Every time I read your name I would think of Rumpelstiltzchen

[rumpel]

79. :)

:)

Is it possibbe Rumpelstiltzchen is a Dem & the farmer's girl turned Queen is a repub? Sure feels that way. :)

[libodem]

44. mine is just what it sounds like

liberal Democrat. I click this forum quite often to see what's up but rarely post. Astrology, Alternative Healing, and Spirituality are all interests of mine.

[stellanoir]

45. Thanks for this thread.

I've been wanting to post on here for days but have had the first case of influenza I've had in at least a decade. Ughhh

It's been great fun to see how everybody arrived upon their nicks.

Thanks also "rumps" and mother earth for your kind words and appreciation.

I assumed the pseudonym stella back in '94 when I was on a blue collar radio station and was doing "stellascopes" which were sort of tongue in cheek astrological forecasts which I did twice a week in roughly 60 second spots. They were sometimes funny but also a public service.

Like if Mars was in fire I'd recommend that people count to ten before they reacted to stuff that irked them and I got feedback that suggested that advice quelled more than a few domestic disputes. My best one liner from that stint was about a Mercury/Uranus conjunction. I said "expect to have a brief but meaningful conversation with someone whose name you will forget."

Anyway when I got my first online email account in '97, I tried to use stellavera and stellablanc, but those were both already taken on that server so after trying stellablanc, there was sort of a natural leap to jump to noir but I then later thought I maybe should have used the feminine version "noire."

Oh and another thing is I've been saying for decades that the dark is as sacred as the light. It's just the relationship and balance between the two polarities is often out of whack. I've referred to the squiggle in the middle of the Yin Yang symbol as opposed the darkness in the center of lightness and the lightness in the center of the darkness, innumerable times.

The other thing is for a brief period in my teens, I was a bit of a Deadhead so there is the whole "Dark Star" connection.

I've had plenty of interesting meditations involving black holes as well.

[rumpel]

48. a meaningful conversation is always important

even when you forget the name - it is that melding of energies however brief, resulting in insight or changes...great line, stella.

blackholes are where the (our) experiments begin, the yin & yang balancing

love it.

:)

[Silver Gaia]

49. Mine is just what most of my RL friends call me...a 'nickname'...

Nothing inspirational here. I used to have a spiritual name I used as a username, but grew tired of using it on the internet, so thought I'd retire it. Now, I'm tired of this one. LOL Yes, if I could change it, I would.

[SheilaT]

50. My first and middle names are

Sheila Teresa, hence SheilaT. I didn't want to put my surname up there for everyone to see and perhaps track me down.

I started out with a different user name, but people mis-pronounced it and it made me seem somewhat ditzy, so I changed it several years ago. It was mildly annoying starting out all over again, and with a low post count, but the bigger issue for me was that many thought I was truly new, so for the first couple of months, until my post count rose to a reasonable point, I generally signed off with "formerly (my previous username)".

So anyone who feels the current user name is no longer appropriate, go ahead and change. It's rewarding in the long run.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

51. It's Spanish.

I have taken Romance languages in the past, and enjoy learning them. It started with Latin and then went to Spanish and Italian. I also enjoy their cultures, because they enjoy life and don't work all the time. I plan to get fluent in Italian and Spanish in the future. I live in Texas so the Spanish would definitely be an advantage.

Perro = dog

Perra = female dog

Grande = large

So that is large female dog, or big bitch. I am petite and I'm really a nice person. I just thought it was an amusing combination of words I put together. I wish I was six feet tall so I could be intimidating. In spite of tall ancestors for two generations on both mom and dads' sides, I came out tiny.


I've tried to register things like Tutto Bene (all good) and Molto Bene (very good) as handles in other places with no luck. My handle here is also my handle at yahoo.

[Idylle Moon Dancer]

53. I did the username change back when

I've always been fascinated with the name "Crab Nebula" for some reason,
and at the time of the name changing it seemed appropriate since this
is the only part of DU I spend any significant time in.

[goodgd_yall]

54. The song was going through my mind

as I tried to think of an appropriate username. "War! What is it good for...War! Good god y'all...." Seemed to fit, because it's good for absolutely nothing. I know some people, when they see my name, have that song come into their minds. I get to have a good subliminal message insinuate into their consciousness, which is a nice bonus.

[Proud_Lefty]

55. What a great thread, Dream

I found DU shortly after Bush invaded Iraq. I had been horrified that we were going to war with a country that didn't do anything to us and I watched all of Bush's speeches and promises to the people that he never kept and that the media never followed up on. I started talking to everybody about the warped state of our country and all Bush's discrepancies, only to quickly find out that I live in a very strong conservative community. I was attacked for not being patriotic and daring to attack the recently bruised USA by questioning anything at all Bush was doing. I quickly learned that I had to go into my political closet and not many people knew my true leanings. When I found DU and finally people that spoke my language, I just had to proudly name myself for who I am. In reality, I believe in truth and peace and won't settle for anything less. To many, that makes me a far left liberal.

As a side note, my community is turning into more people waking up. I'm not as confined these days as I was then.

[Ino]

56. Mine came from a dream.

In the dream, I was living in a poor forest village, sharing a room with a man named Richard. He was moody and withdrawn and never approached me intimately, though I was madly in love with him. One evening, he and a band of rebels overran the town, breaking down doors, looting and capturing people for some unknown reason. He thrust me from our room and locked himself inside. I whispered his name through the lock, bewildered, but he didn't answer.

The next day, the townspeople gathered in a clearing for a trial convened by Richard. The people he captured to be judged were unbound among the townspeople. Some of us were seated on benches around a large table. Richard saw me sitting across from him and sneered, "Who would have you? There is no fire in you, no passion." I stood up, very hurt, and replied, "You are also on trial here, Richard." He shrugged.

One of his henchman brought a looted painting to the table. It was an Egyptian-style painting of a woman with tiny shoulder-length braids and a gold band around her forehead. Her arms were lifted with palms turned upwards in a gesture of supplication. It was a goddess named Ino, and legend had it that anyone who came in contact with her blood would die. Richard handed the painting to one of the accused and said, "This is for you." It was a sentence of death.

Then I noticed that Ino in the flesh was sitting next to Richard. She bit into her wrist, and let the blood drip on Richard's shoulder. He fell to the ground, burning. Ino fell also, for her action meant her death as well.

Then I became Ino in the dream. Richard and I were in an empty white space, and our bodies started to fuse together starting at the feet. As the melding continued up our bodies, all rancor disappeared. I understood we were going to become one person. I said to him, "Do you know what is happening?" He said, "Yes. Now a wonderful thing."

At the moment of total fusion, I awoke. I can't convey the awesome, rich, legend-like quality of this dream. It was very strong magic.

[Delphinus]

57. HOLY Cow!

What an amazingly awesome dream, Ino!!! Thank you for sharing!

[kentauros]

58. I've used mine ever since I've been online, starting in 1996.

It's the Greek root word for "centaur", or a form I've been fascinated in most of my life. There are spiritual connections, but I don't have those links available as I am at work as I post this ;)

[Love Bug]

59. Mine is one of my nick-names

I've been using it online for over 10 years now.

[BanzaiBonnie]

61. BanzaiBonnie here

Well, my name is Bonnie and a friend gave me the nic BanzaiBonnie.


Something to do with my exuberance for 4-wheel driving and Banzai being the shout for living ten thousand years.:bounce:

[davsand]

62. My two names.

My birth name was Laura Jean Davis. I married kevsand who has a last name that is Sand____. Once I married him, I took his last name and took Davis as my middle name (never liked Jean as my middle name anyway...) My nickname here is a combo of my two names.

I doubt I would change my nick even if offered amnesty, but there are other names I could use if I had to. I kinda like Hathor and I have never seen it used here--but I doubt that too many would call me any sort of goddess. I kinda liked Bitchkitty, but it was taken the one time I looked it up--so I kept on with davsand.



I always sign my posts with my first name because so MANY people think I am a guy named Dave. Literally, I have met other DUers who are flabbergasted to find that I am a woman when they meet me in the flesh.



Laura

[Chemical Bill]

63. I'm a chemist and my name is ....

Though, when people called me this in school, I think they didn't have my major in mind as much as my hobby. ;-)

I've since found that wingnut cyber stalkers have an easy time following me because I use it elsewhere, but I wouldn't change it.

Bill

[stellanoir]

66. yeah but who the heck are you really?

LOL

[Chemical Bill]

69. I am a luminous egg...

according to Carlos Castaneda. All that you see is merely a possession of mine or a role that I play.

Bill

[rumpel]

80. love it!

:)

[Dora]

64. It's one of the two names my father used to name me.

My father had two German aunts, and he blended their names to name me. Their names were Petrea and Theodora, shortened to Trea and Dora. The name he ultimately gave to me is Dreya.

[DemExpat]

65. Mine is simply one for this political forum....

but I like its simplicity and boringness! :D

DemEx

[Blue_Roses]

67. I changed mine after the 2004 elections when

we had that small window of time to do it. I honestly don't know how I came up with this name. I just think blue roses are beautiful.:)

[Chemical Bill]

68. BTW

I have the MLK speech (on vidiotape!). It is truly inspiring.

Bill

[I Have A Dream]

71. I always try to watch it online every year on his birthday.

:)

[eilen]

70. it was a character from a novel I was reading

And the character had psychic and magical abilities and was very connected spiritually but she chose to go forth and live in the world, be a participant and follow what she felt was her destiny.

She helped people from her old world when she could as well as people in her new world. She was ecumenical in a way I hope the rest of the world could be-- respecting and giving worship and honor to which ever diety was customary as well as her own--seeing the universality in each but not compromising her own ethics.

Those were characteristics I would like to embody. Having a broad mind rather than an open one allows you to accept differences in others without having to reject your own and keep the conversation and friendship going. I guess it felt like fresh spring to read after the rancor, distrust and disdain that has been rampant in our country/society in the past 8 years.

It was a Marion Zimmer Bradley novel.

[FirstLight]

94. The Forest House?

I love Elian!

MZB Books have inspired me for years...I named my daughter after the characters from the first Avalon book (Mists of..)
Elaine was Gwenwyfar's cousin, maried to Lancelot, and Morgaine...well, we know her & Laney Morgan is my litle priestess child! She's turning 7 on Wednesday!

[eilen]

108. Priestess of Avalon-- her last one

I thought I had read all of them and then came across this at the library.

It is by Marion Zimmer Bradley and her friend, I think Carole Paxson? Anyway the main charactor's name was Eilen or Helen. Plus, I learned that eilen is German for "hasten"-- as in to hasten the tempo of music and I am a hardcore punk rock throwback (I love it!).

As for the character, I related to her having her own counsel so far as her religion and spirituality. She held fast to her beliefs as Christianity was becoming more popular and, well, strident and insistent. She was also characterized as having tolerance for other paths recognizing the parallels between different beliefs/gods and goddesses. That is what struck me. (Unfortunately, her son is Constantine... not everything we bring into the world works out how we wish).

I loved The Forest House-- I think it was the first one I read. I love your daughter's name! 7 is such a precious age.

[Metta]

72. Part of my name as a monk.

Given to me by my abbot based on how he saw me. Tittametto, he who is steeped in loving kindness.

[Stump]

73. Stump...

I think it's cool as shit...whatta y'all think?

[Sanity Claws]

74. I hope I remember correctly

I signed up in 2004 as "OneAngryChick." I was angry at how our country, at various levels -- the media, judiciary, executive, etc-- had been taken over by the neocons. I didn't realize that a name could actually have an effect on me -- I posted a couple of inflammatory messages -- yikes, that's not the real me. Or at least I hope not.
When the opportunity came to change names without losing post count, I took it. I wanted to make sure that I didn't come across as angry, inflammatory, etc. After some names (I don't remember what they were) were rejected, my current name of "in search of sanity" was accepted. I'm still searching for sanity but at least I'm no longer an angry chick.

[Vadem]

75. Well, I am a Democrat and I live in Virginia.... thus Vadem!....

I am very pleased that we elected Jim Webb and kicked out Macacca George!!!

[Chovexani]

77. Mine is a nod to part of my ethnic heritage as well as my spiritual path.

"Chovexani" (pronounced cho-vay-SHA-knee) is an Romani word derived from Armenian meaning "witch". I have Roma heritage on my father's side of the family (Romanichals in the UK, specifically). Not only is it just a cool word to say, but it is also a nod to my spiritual path, that of Witchcraft.

In one of those strange seeming coincidences that is probably synchronicity at work, I've since discovered it is also the name of a gothic bellydance troupe, which ties into two of my other interests. :)

[rumpel]

81. ooooooooo

my brother was just here to see Prof. Hancock TX Univ. You know my brother is a human rights activist Prof. :) He has been working on Roma and Sinti these past few years..

[Chovexani]

82. Oh, that's so cool!

I've fangirled Ian Hancock for a long time; it was actually his work that led to me figure out exactly wtf that part of my family was (there'd always been whispers of "gypsies" in my dad's family but no one ever wanted to speak openly about it). I'd love to see him speak some time.

Good on your brother for the work he does, too. There are few people in the world worse off than the Roma in Europe. :(

[mother earth]

83. LOL, Chovexani, what a story and what a sig. line....you must have

incredible personality!

Dream, this one deserves some kind of prize.:rofl:

[Why Syzygy]

84. Kickin

For those thinking of new names.

[Callie McAllie]

85. I used Callie, named after my dead cat

I use it on other websites, too, as my pseudonum. But for DU just Callie wasn't enough (maybe someone else is named Callie?) so I added the McAllie in honor of my husband, whose last name is McAllister.

[liberalmuse]

86. I used to have a screen name that was a take on 'musiclover' aka 'clovermuse'

I still do have it on YouTube. 'liberalmuse' seemed appropriate for DU, though I'm definitely liberal but certainly no muse.

[Desertrose]

87. I live in the desert and my middle name (& mother's maiden name)

is Rose...and I LOVE roses...hence "Desertrose".



Plus I do love Sting's song "Desertrose"

:)

[I Have A Dream]

95. I've always loved your name.

The thought of something so beautiful and fragile growing in such a harsh land gives me hope. :)

[Desertrose]

103. Aww, thanks...IHAD

Always loved your name too.....dreams are SO vitally important to have....and to never lose.

Actually I never had such gorgeous roses until I moved to AZ. They love the sunlight and if you water them, they are quite happy!
:hug:
DR

[arikara]

110. DR!

How are you anyhow, its been a long time since I've seen you post.

:hug:

[MagickMuffin]

88. I've been known as MagickMuffin since the early days of the internet, '96 IIRC

Hubby was setting me up on a forum, can't even remember what the forum was, but he asked me what I wanted as a username. I just happened to be looking in the fridge and there was a box of Cream of Wheat with the side panel facing toward me, and the recipe for Magic Muffins. So, I called out MagickMuffin. It was what I settled on with the exception of adding the K to Magic.

Too me the word Magick signifies the Mystical, Esoteric side of me. Whereas magic is more in the realm of theater and slight of hand.

So, I'll always be MagickMuffin in the CyberWorld.

[Cleita]

90. I was reading a book about Greek mythology.

The Amazon Queen Clete was part of the Trojan War cycle. I liked the name so I used it. A year later I reregistered with the Latin spelling to feminize it because so many people were calling me dude. Since then Cleita has taken on more meaning for me and actually as I learn more about astrology, it turns out to be a very good name for me.

[conscious evolution]

91. From a song that changed everything.

I learned how to cross-over and do things while listening to it at a show.

http://www.archive.org/download/donna2004-10-08.fob.madtaper.flacf/DtB2004-10-08d2t04_64kb.mp3
Donna the Buffalo
Conscious Evolution
Lyrics By:Johnny Dowd, Jeb Puryear
Music By:Jeb Puryear
Official Lyrics

Rockin' In the Weary Land (1998), Live From the American Ballroom (2001)
First setlist 3/5/98


Chorus:
Conscious evolution in front of your eyes
Conscious evolution in the back of your mind
Conscious evolution go on spread the word
We're all busy learning on a learning curve

Wounded in the battle lying in the weeds
Immersed in contemplation of history's evil deeds
He offered up to free will, free will flatly replied
Conscious evolution's all there is on your side

Conscious evolution its what turns me on
There's got to be a difference between right & wrong
All down through the ages struggling with the same thing
With a vision bold as love won't you help me sing

Man is just an animal the scientists say
For the sins of the father the son must pay
Jesus said to Buddha give Mohammed a call
Conscious evolution is the writing on the wall



No,I am not changing it.

[crikkett]

92. my name was given to me by a lover

but now I've gone and blown my cover

:)

[glowing]

96. Mine is an aspiration.. To Glow, to bring light into the life of everyone around me and within me.

[JanusAscending]

97. What a great idea !!!

How many of you have ever participated on the Yahoo forum( when it still existed) I'll tell ya, it was a trip!! I got into it during the '04 election. All could participate with comment to news articles.There were MANY right wing "fundies" who were "tight asses", if you get my drift. They had all the answers, because they were Christians. My antagonistic side came up with the name"discerning christian", to show that all Christians don't have the same viewpoint, and some can really discern the truth from fiction. I really do have a gift for discernment or insightfulness if you will. When I got TOTALLY irritated with that site, I came here and kept the same name, because someone who was fed up too, directed me here. I've thought about changing my name, because so many (especially on GD and GDP) misunderstand it. The only other name I can think of using is my GG Grandmothers Native American name "White Cloud" My signature line has meaning only for me. June is my middle name, and my Daddy's nickname for me, his only baby, was "junebug". I use it in memory of him. What say you all, should I change my user name? :shrug:

[Shallah Kali]

98. Past Life

After many regressions remembering and releasing one atrocity after another I told the therapist I wanted to remember something good for once. I went on to recall a wonderful life as a healer in what is now Egypt. Shallah (shall - la) is the closest I can come to pronouncing and spelling the name I had then.

[gblady]

99. seems like a coincidence....

that I find this thread today...

mine is actually the one I started using in the mid 90's
when I first got my first computer...
and was a huge fan of Garth Brooks...

hence gblady...

I use it everywhere...it feels like me.

[LWolf]

100. I am a lone wolf, in every sense of the term.

I couldn't get registration to take that, so I took out the "one" and it worked.

I didn't know that I should have done this: lone_wolf. Later, someone did.

[OneGrassRoot]

101. Wow, I don't think I've seen several threads devoted to ....

one topic at ASAH before!

Hi, Everyone!

:hi:

I chose "timeforarevolution" because, well, I'm a revolutionary at heart. Peaceful revolution. :)

I intend to change my name, however, and am thinking of using OneGrassRoot.

The native naming ceremony and discussions here are fascinating, though, so perhaps I should give that more thought.

OneVoiceRising is the name of my business, and while I identify with that name the most -- it's the essence of the path I'm walking -- I'm not sure I want to tie it in too much, you know? It's amazing how DU posts show up in "the Google." lolol

Wishing everyone a joy~filled, magickal week!


Hugssss

[japple]

102. There's nothing divine or dramatic about my user ID.

I started using my initials JAP, and everything was okay for a couple of years until I was called out by another member for having an offensive user ID or something worse--I never saw the post as it was deleted by the moderators before I had a chance. Anyway, Skinner and the other moderators asked me to change it, so I added the "ple" to make japple. People have called me "jap" for years, so it irked me to have to change it, but now that I'm used to it, it sounds kind of happy and cheerful, so I don't plan on changing it.

[Metta]

104. It was part of my monk name in Thailand.

Thittametto, he who is steeped in loving kindness. :hi:

[I Have A Dream]

105. That would be you...

:hi:

[Metta]

106. Thank you, Dream. That means a lot.

:hug:

[eilen]

107. I had just read a book called "Priestess of Avalon"

I just realized I had replied to this thread before....

[starchimes]

109. It's the name of my website, but there is long history

of how I got there. I like stars (the kind that twinkle), so it's how it started.

[Me.]

111. Mine Comes From How I Identify Myself To Friends & Family

When calling or writing. You needed 3 characters so I added the period. I also like the reflective aspect of it. When people address Me. by name they could also be referring to themselves at the same time, in the vein that we are all connected, one.