(Nick) Names. Digital or Otherwise

As I sit in front of my computer, ambling around on the invention of Al Gore, I find a website I have not visited in quite some time. The ‘username’ and ‘password’ boxes sit empty, waiting to be filled, and so I obligingly type “Sharkkato103” and “*******” respectively. ‘Invalid username or password’ the prompt tells me. I sit and stare incredulously at the site. “How could that be invalid?” I wonder, “I’ve used that name for everything since the fourth grade!”

Everything except this site apparently. So I stop, and think – did I go by a different name back then, a different alias? The site… I would have first been there about eighth grade. What names did I go by back then? There was the obligatory ‘Murph’ and also ‘Smurphy’ and ‘Papa Smurph’ and ‘Mr. Lambing’, (long story) ‘Cloud’, ‘Zyine’, ‘Allryn’, ‘Ren’ (short for renaissance man), ‘Q’, and a ton more I couldn’t remember. However, I remember I was going through a phase, one where I decided that my fourth grade internet name wouldn’t cut it anymore. Was this one of the sites I had signed up as Cloud77777 on? (I was also a big fan of jackpots and sevens). Was it R1e7n7? Quiri? Zyine? Allryn? G_Elwish_Truesilver?

Which nickname did I use for this site? And then it dawned on me. I didn’t use a nickname for this – during the period of eighth grade – none of those names stuck for very long – I just made them my names on the internet. This was one of those periods between names – I finally remembered, this internet screen name was simply Username: ‘MichaelAlanMurphy’ Password: ‘*******’

“Welcome!” said the website. “You have 539 new messages and 1057 new submissions!” it told me. I smiled – this should keep me occupied for a few hours – I thought to myself.

When I had finished carousing the site, a curious thought came to me: None of my nicknames in real life ever truly ‘stuck’ there are people whose nicknames become their actual names. While there are nicknames which people don’t like, which still stick for their entire lives.

In this case, my nicknames aren’t the ones people make up for me, they’re the ones I’m known as on the internet.

‘Nice cap Z!’
‘use the ult LK, roflmao’
‘dude, shark, wtf r u doin?’

The names I am most accustomed to responding to are the names that people don’t say out loud. Kind of funny when you think about it.

Getting Behind: a sophisticated afterburner.

Mood: panicked - yet calm. (A bit maniacal even?)
Currently Listening To: The Prodigy "Breathe", Elvis Presley vs JXL "Little Less Conversation."

So recently, well, not so recently, but still recently, my computer decided its time on this earth had come to an end. Which was slightly confusing, considering it was only a child of two months or so old. This 'minor' setback, as IT called it, erased 1.5 scientific endeavors (Modcon, Modsim), the story I had been working on (I think you all know what that was.), and came right before the weekend when my relatives came to visit, and I just was forced to entertain them the entire day through - Yuck.


However, this divine kick in the rump - as it were - pushed my dusty butt into flight. I was forced to recreate all I had lost, or, in the wise words of Jayson Ho, "Perhaps you should kick it into manual and punch the turbo? Yo."

Well, I guess you could say what I've done was punching the turbo, or what popped into my head a few hours ago, a "sophisticated afterburner." Not much else makes me decide to stop slacking off and start working than getting very far behind. The ones in charge can say all they want about how finishing a few days before its due means you have so much free time! But I never usually do that.

Until catastrophe happens.
So in a way, I guess what I'm trying to say is I'm thankful for my computers premature proverbial kick of the bucket. I've caught up on most, if not all of my assignments - only one big one left that I believe I know people are looking forward too.

Now if only I could find a catastrophe to make me start doing art again.
Psh - too much wishful thinking for one day there fella.

-LK/MM out.

Time

Mood: Bagel
Currently Listening To: Coldplay - Clocks.

So it has come to my attention recently that I like clocks. It may have to do something with being 190 years old and all (Don't you dare call me old yet!), but I find myself whenever I find a watch, or a peculiar clock, I find myself stopping and just watching it for a bit. I'm not sure what it is about them that fascinates me so much, perhaps its the passage of time - or the inner workings with churning gears and calculated springs doing their job - but I find them fascinating.

In other news, I've been working on drawing more, as well as my story, but not the one I'm writing for my publisher - this one is purely for pleasure. Progress is slow, as is to be expected, but its progress none the less... But my main issue is a title.
What's in a title anyway? I could call it "Intriguingstory://titlehere" or "Of Hats and Probability" or "Willy Karen's Law versus Murphy's Law" but not one title I think of feels like it (quote, unquote) fits. Even looking at other story, song, and comic titles isn't helping this time. Once I choose a title - I'll be stuck with it, at least, I will until I decide to change it because I made a mistake in the title.


But what am I? Just a rambling (not old) man.

First Post!

Mood: Disappointed/Melancholy
Currently Listening To: The Vapors - I think I'm turning Japanese.

Lost in Translation is a 2003 comedy-drama film starring Bill Murray and Scarlett Johanssen. It takes place in Tokyo... blah blah blah..... yawn.

So - Lost in Translation. Released to critical acclaim in all its box offices around the world. Can't say I agree with them. The movie centers around the two failed romances of the two main actors, and shows that it happens around the world. I suppose this fact is supposed to be comforting - that even love can be "Lost in Translation" as well as the directors instructions - which the interpreter brutally slaughters, but being a traditionalist guy - I did the traditionalist guy thing and was disgusted by the sappy love story. The worst part? I normally enjoy romantic comedies, but to be fair, this lies more under the 'dramatic romance' category.

Even the sardonic humor didn't help raise the movie in my sights - even with the 'culture shock' aspect.

In so far about what I liked about the movie - It had Bill Murray, who I'm always glad to see in a movie - but (having gone to Japan myself) there seemed to just be a level of artificiality to the whole Japan itself - even though it was filmed in Japan... *shrug*

The acting itself was great - no complaints there, but in the overall feeling of the movie - they lost me. I admit I liked the directors choice of not including Japanese subtitles.

I may not have been fair enough in this review, but I could not get into it.
Maybe next movie.

Until Next time.