h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I gave an explanation of my trinity in Lucinda's name analysis forum, and I'm a bit lazy right now, so I'll just copy it here.

I've been Mother of God for about 14 years now. Took that one because I'm agnostic and believe that people have the power to direct their own lives through focus and diligence and effort. I don't need a higher power to blame for my troubles or ask for assistance. And I chose a value system that I adhere to because I think it's right, not because I fear divine punishment. It's just my way of saying I own my life and the consequences of my actions.

Magnolia Thunderpussy is what I go by when I'm accessing the more sensual and flamboyant parts of my personality. Magnolias are kinda sultry, heavily scented, creamy texture... they remind me of New Orleans. And the Thunderpussy is the yowly, physical, out-of-control animal part.

Brain-In-A-Jar came recently when I became computerized, started dealing with people on ICQ. I'm fascinated with the idea that people can have purely mind-to-mind interaction that makes a powerful impression, without any of the distractions inherent in RL relationships. Also that people can be extremely attracted to one another's minds, but when they actually meet the chemistry might not be there. So, here's my brain, totally exposed, but we can't touch each other because we're not all here.

I've seen you online as MoG and Magnolia Thunderpussy, but haven't seen you as Brain-in-a-Jar. Interesting that you felt the need for 3 names to cover 3 separate aspects of your personality.

That's why I couldn't choose a pseudonym.

All the ones I thought of narrowed me down. And I'm not really using the Internet to explore other sides of my personality - I do that in RL - to the cowering embarassment of those around me.

I am "Ben", because that is my name; and "A Girl Called" because it states my gender clearly. At 39 I may be pushing it to use the word 'girl' but it is a mis-quote from the song 'a boy named sue': I dont want to take it any further from the original, and woman does not scan.

It is a useful name to have, because I can change the noun for anything I like.

I only started adding comments when the Moderators were inflicted on us - and we on them, poor souls.

agcB

I think I started adding comments because they make me feel more important, and after all the titles is a place I can communicate brief, fleeting messages with the rest of community. I rather like that aspect of our nicknames here.

Last night I changed the format of my nickname slightly to resemble the type definition of a Haskell function (it's not valid, but with some serious defining of new type definitions it could be) because I felt the need for something different. And to me at least it seperates my name from the rest of it more than it used to be, because '::' in Haskell means 'has type'.

Sorry to disappoint jwf but a train spotter is a person who stands on stations writing down the numbers of the engines that he sees pass! Some go so far as to plan which trains they want to spot and travel long distances to achieve their ambitions! I could vaguely see some point in the days when there were such great engines as the Mallard in use on the railways but now ...
Last Saturday I saw a LOT of train spotters in Wales waiting to photograph (not just note the number of) the Orient Express which was chartered by a lot of Arsenal fans travelling to the Cup Final (at a cost of £200 per head).

P.S. My nom de plume (or keyboard) is explained on my 'Space'

Slight aside, but trainspotters will go to great lengths to spot diesel railcars and passenger carriages as well as bog standard diesel and electric locomotives. These guys (they are always guys) are known to people who work in the rail industry as 'gricers' or 'cranks', and are regarded as generally harmless but a bit intense.

There are some who concentrate on London underground trains (undergricers) and there are even some (I'm not making this up) who grice Manchester trams, even though there are only about 35 of them and they are virtually all the same. I don't know if they have them anywhere else or if they are just an English phenomonen. Maybe it's worth starting a new thread, but I'm not sure how to go about that...

So if you see a researcher with 'gricer' in his nickname you'll know what he gets up to at the weekend!

Croz has been my nickname since primary school, and has stuck with me ever since. There have been a few times I've used a different alias (like The Fourth Cyclist Of The Apocalypse), but I've always returned to Croz.


My dear little brother on the other hand before he decided to pack up his bags and left h2g2 a long time ago, went though more aliases than someone on Interpol's ten most wanted.

What Ho! Captain Kebab. Starting a new thread is easy. Select the "New Conversation" button at the bottom of the list of postings in the left window pane.

Don't forget to put a Subject in the Subject line - whatever subject you choose will be the subject for that particular thread for ever and ever.

a helpful person called Ben

"Gricers" - no! Really?

I'm nicknamed in tribute to Ian Ormondroyd, who played soccer for my beloved Bradford City FC in the Eighties and Nineties, and is now on the club's coaching staff. He was a favourite player of mine simply because he always looked awkward and ungainly, yet was strangely effective. He's very tall and skinny, so much so that he was nicknamed "Stick Insect", then later simply "Sticks". I am neither a sportsman nor skinny, but I sort of hoped that my contributions to h2g2 might be as unorthodox yet as effective as Ian Ormondroyd's contributions to Bradford City's cause. Also, I do come from northern England, and the name has a nice northern ring to it.
In one sense, however, the name has disappointed me. I thought that I'd picked a nickname that was so obscure that no-one else would ever think of it, and I'd be sure of staying unique. I was amazed and appalled to discover that another "Ormondroyd" contributes to the "Football Unlimited" section of the "Guardian" newspaper's website! If that other Ormondroyd ever complains, I may just rename myself "Ormy", since that's what all my online friends seem to call me already!

*Well there's another one shattered. I thought you were like, an android, R2D2, C3PO type stuff. Any chance that the other one, that vile usurper of your name, is really your hero, the real Ian Ormondroyd himself?*

*Well there's another one shattered. I thought you were like, an android, R2D2, C3PO type stuff. Any chance that the other one, that vile usurper of your name, is really your hero, the real Ian Ormondroyd himself? Or is it obviously him and I am missing some subtle British humour here?*

No, all quirky British irony aside, the fact that if you remove the first syllable of my nickname it sounds like "android" honestly didn't occur to me until long after I adopted the name! When I realised, I just though it was a nice bonus!
I really don't think that the "Guardian" website column is the work of Ian Ormondroyd - if it is, he's never mentioned it in his column in the Bradford City matchday magazine. But perhaps he's just too modest to claim the credit!

here goes, click on my page and all will be revealed - this will be the last time I throw my identity around, at least that's my intention...

My nickname comes from a long running joke in middle school. Me and this kid Jay where having a conversation about superheros (we where bored in Tech Ed (shop)). The discussion turned to superman and Jay said that if Superman was black then he'd be Yowuzupman or somthin else that I can't remember. But I thought it was funny and here I am, with it as my SN for most things. That and Bman, that's cause my name starts with B ends with y and has an ill in the middle.

So, Yowuzupman, Budweiser stole your name for their intensely annoying ads?

Yeah, I guess you could say that. Although I must say the Superfriend's parady of it is rather funny. Wonder Woman(I think)has the deepest voice of all!

well i'm mcgluski on other sites, but when i was entering a name here realised that i could no longer use it in good conscience (messy bust up). and all i could think of was robin, from batman so that is what i became. since then i've thought of others i should have used, but i feel once you have a name you should stick with it. and he is an awesome character. an integral part of the batman pschcy (sp)

'psyche' is the word you're looking for I believe. You're right about sticking to names, I believe.

Many thanks, Ben, I've followed your advice and copied my last posting into a new thread for any gricers or cranks who might want to read it!

Y'know you have an h2g2 addiction when y'post to a thread just to keep it alive in the top 20 conversations of a Forum.
Oops, wrong thread!
Well actually I knew that, but I did want to see some more action in this one, so here it goes back to the top of 'ask the h2g2 community' pile with just a click of my mouse.

*click*