Linus's Syndrome

It took me years, but I finally left my old server. When email began and AOL was the only game in town, my brother gave me my screen name. I couldn't think of anything better, really. Some people called me Alex, others called me Ali. Seemed logical.

As time progressed, chat rooms and im'ing came into fashion. I found I got a lot of really strange questions regarding my screen name. Was I a transvestite? Did I swing both ways? Did I have gender identity issues? You could imagine that I was "To Catch A Predator's" dream. I'm certain that if my parents knew these were the types of questions getting raised to their 15 year old daughter, they would have thrown a fit. However, by then, my friends were all used to my email address, and again, I couldn't think of anything better.

Thanks to my cousin's role modeling, I began my blog a couple of years ago. I read blogs and think some names are really creative. Lucy's Spleen? Just take your dog's name and an obscure organ. "Edgar's Pancreas" just doesn't have the same ring. Dooce? "Dude" transformed. "Guurrl" sounds terrible. Anna Dilemna? Sounds like a really good advice column who has a sense of humor about life. "Al's Pals" sounds like a sleazy dive bar. Me? I couldn't think of anything better. I wasn't a big Seinfeld fan, but my dad was and had most of the re-runs memorized. Yadda Yadda Yadda was just a quick social cliche that everyone seemed to know. Didn't describe anything but details that people usually skip over when they are avoiding the issue. Seemed like a good description for a blog.

I kept paying the ransom AOL was charging me just to keep my screen name and blog active. It was like they were blackmailing me for my own thoughts and long term contacts. Ridiculous, really. Which is why I finally dumped the security blanket and ventured out on my own. I thought of changing my blog's name to something more catchy, but again I couldn't think of anything better and why change when something is working for you?