Melodic Musings (that have nothing to do with music)
We have some time to kill between now and the next game on Wednesday.
Not much is going on in Shark land, aside from the rumored return of the legendary Torrey Mitchell and the (likely) related returning of folks on the "Woostah" shuttle.
If you're not busy this afternoon, you can meet Dany Heatley and get him to sign some merch for you. Doors open at 4:30 but I have a feeling this will be one of those meet and greets with a looooooooooonnnnnnngggggggg and early line. Void your bladder before queuing up and be prepared to wait. I high recommend music if, like me, you don't have a smart phone. They do a good job at these things, and the lines move fast once folks are admitted.
The first president of the Sharks passed away recently.
On a non-Sharks related note, I was intrigued by this article about pseudonyms in blogging. I troll ballhype for interesting posts and this one caught my eye.
I use a pseudonym when posting. It's not about protecting some super secret real life identity. If it was I wouldn't be plastering my name all over my artwork. It's really about establishing a personality that has some character and weight that simply using my own name could not provide. I am just random jane schomo, hockey fan. Gray has an established internet presence, as well a presence in the world of Sharks blogging and hockey fandom in general.
This is not to say that we are two different people. Obviously my blogging identity and my real self are very much on in the same; I don't go into a dissociative fugue every time I post. (that would be ridiculous on so many levels) But I do realize that my blog self is a character of sorts, and I use this to my advantage. I draw Gray, give her the appropriate personality quirks and use her as a way to further the CT brand. Our internet selves ARE the visual representation of the blog. A firey red headed bean pole of a fan is far more interesting than random person with real name who you never see.
I'm careful about what she (we) says because I don't want to burn any bridges that have yet to be built. The last thing I'd want of for a player or potential boss to say "Oh, you're THAT CTGray." and write me off completely based on some dumb thing I posted once about some one's mother. I try to stick to posting from the point of view of a fan. Elation, disappointment, disillusion, but hopefully never handwaveyfreakouttery.
I do not at all mind when folks I know from the blogosphere refer to me as Gray IRL. Growing up with teh interwebs as we have, it's pretty much established practice to use a pseudonym online. There's nothing weird about it. I see nothing wrong with calling out to folks, whose real names I do know, by their internet handles. It's just like a nickname. I've been calling Mina "Mina" for years and it's not because I forgot her real name. (princess pretty pants, right?) Nicknames can be fun. (Ignoring "Cooch" which is just horrid. Sorry Logan) And, having met people IRL, I don't think the illusion is shattered when they realize I'm pretty much exactly what Gray is: a female artist who likes hockey and has no problem with the word "rosterbation". We're both nerds, we're both blunt and we both have a tendency to say things that you wouldn't expect.
Now, maybe their own personal visions of an imagined Gray are indeed shattered, but tough titties. I caricature myself pretty well, so, you only have yourselves to blame for that. (and if you are dreaming about any of us, you really need to get out more)
