Recently I was chatting with Hannah at Gypsy Roller’s Veggie Kitchen about changing the name of my blog. What prompted the discussion is she had posted about changing the name of hers. At the time she started her blog, she was living in an RV she so eloquently named: The Gypsy Roller, while her house was under construction. Now that she and her family have moved out of the RV she felt it was time to retire the name seeing as she wouldn’t be *cooking* and *dispatching* from the Gypsy Roller. Which makes total sense. Although, secretly I did love the name: Dispatches from the Gypsy Roller. It sounded soooooooooooo, I dunno, Janis Joplin-ish.
😉
The reason Hannah’s post resonated is because like her blog name, my blog and its name was born from a purpose that has since grown and changed. The original intent or purpose of my blog was to talk about living green and reducing one’s carbon footprint. However, over the course of almost 1 1/2 years, my blog has morphed and now I prefer to focus my attention on an issue I am quite passionate about (almost too much so) and that is: animal rights, animal exploitation — exposing the egregious abuse that is taking place on factory farms, back yard butchers, research labs, fur breeders, puppy mills and so on… Why? Well, since becoming a vegan, I have learned about the dark side of animal exploitation and now that my eyes are open, I can no longer close them or turn my back on what is happening to animals at the hands of very cruel and heartless humans. I can no longer recline back into my velvety world of ignorant bliss. I know what is happening. I don’t like it and dammit, I am going to do something about it, even if it kills me. I would be incomplete as a woman, a human (!) if I turned my back on the plight of animals.
Despite my desire to change my name, I have been unable to come up with anything that truly reflects my cause. I’d like to keep GiRRL (which originally stood for: Grow it, Reuse, Recycle & Love our Earth) but perhaps change the spelling to Girl.
I still care about the earth; however, my focus is the impact that Factory Farming et al. is having on our planet versus other environmental issues.
I’d also like to incorporate any or all of the following words in my title: Animal; Humane; Voice; Compassion…something (!) in the title. And yet, sadly, no matter what I scribble on paper, nothing seems to work or flow.
[sigh]
😦
I prefer to not burden people by asking for help; however, today I finally decided I needed to move past that fear and open this up to my few but loyal followers.
If you follow my blog and are reading this, do you have any suggestions for a new name for my blog that would enable me to keep “Girl” in the first part of the title
Or dare I say it: do you think I should just retire this blog and create a shiny new blog with a shiny new name?
Thoughts?
Anyone?
Hello?
I promise full credit will be given.
Thanks and smooches.
🙂
I’m wracking my brain for you! I actually like the spelling GiRRL as it sounds like a growl (which could be you defending the rights of animals) and is reminiscent of the feminist punk rock ‘riot grrrl’ movement of the early 1990s! Which is pretty cool.
Also, I don’t think you should ditch this blog and start a new one. I think the focus of most blogs evolve over time. Plus, you’ve put too much effort into your posts for the last 1 1/2 years to abandon it. Just my opinion 😉
I really appreciate your feedback — I mean it. I love your honesty.
Ok, I won’t ditch the blog but I need to keep working on finding a new name or adding onto the existing name.
Thinking…thinking…thinking…
😉
I just happened to click on your blog from another, so glad I did. Your question is kinda like one of my fave (ok, my only fave word game)…Jumble. Such a dork, I know. I loved your Bueller reference so much, I just had to try… So here’s what I came up with–give it a real life…as in the animal(s). I don’t love using the term “it”, but maybe you can do something with it:) I look forward to reading your posts!
This is awesome! I love this.
GiRL: Give it Real Life. I’ll work on the “it”… as I agree it seems/sounds so cold and uncaring.
This is such a great jumping off point. Thanks again. and thanks for following! 🙂
Ok, it hit me last night while watching MAKERS on PBS. GAL: Girl for Animal Liberation.
What do you think (or was we say here in Boston: Waddya think)?
🙂
Like it! Very succinct and clear. I grew up in the Boston area (well, from kindergarten until evil parents moved us to Ohio in my 10th grade year)…I still miss that no one ever says “sell-ah” instead of basement. No use of “wicked” either, but I probably used a life-time’s worth of that word in junior high anyways:)
Thanks! It was a toss up between Girl for Animal Liberation and Girl for Animal Liberation & Protection (which another follower liked).
HaaaHaaa! You’re right. I grew up saying “sell-ah” but eventually dropped that word for “basement”. Same with Macaroni. Growing up in an Italian-American Home, I grew up calling “Pasta” Macaroni, but when i graduated school, and started working for a law firm, I noticed everyone said Pasta so I eventually dropped macaroni.
OMG, we definitely overuse “wicked”. I find myself STILL using it and I’m 46! So awful.
Hi GE,
I really couldn’t come up with something using your suggestions but I wanted to show my support so here’s what I came up with:
Title: “Animal Crackers”
Sub Heading: Girl on Fire for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
“Crackers” is cockney slang for “crazy” and here In the good ole’ USA we use “crazy” both in positive and negative ways. So one might interpret the title to refer to animal abusers or animal lovers. Good luck!
BP
Ooooooooooooh I love this suggestion also. This is a great help. Thank you for the inspiration and for commenting.
🙂
Ok, it hit me last night while re-watching MAKERS on PBS. GAL: Girl for Animal Liberation.
What do you think?
except ‘”gal” is, uh, tooo simple. keep the double “r”. now, how does THAT fit in? ah dunno … girl 4 animal rights (&) rational? realizstic? … anyhow, that would be G A R R L. nope. i’ll try again …
(minutes later. still thinkin about it). any- and everything which has to do with the idea (though i BELIEVE it) — that the earth has a singular ‘unified’ consciousness and life-force: that of the SUM TOTALITY of all the indindividualized life-forms thereon.
I like your thinking.
You care for the whole world – good.
Subsistence farmers need livestock as an insurance against failed crops, and for dung fertiliser. Their animals lead well tended, open range (if somewhat marginal open range) lives – good.
Factory farming supplies fatty meat to people who eat too much meat. The animals lead miserable lives – bad.
Humans are animals too, and also need liberating – from the bad but profitable farming habits of the mechanised farming industry.
Our high unemployment society should put more people back on the land to bring good husbandry back to the farm. Less intensive rearing would mean eating less but higher quality meat from better cared for animals which enjoyed freer lives, while naturally fertilising the pasture and rotated crop fields. – good.
If you are a broadminded vegan who recognises the value of a symbiotic relationship between the farmers, the carnivores, the livestock, the crops and the vegetarians, then you are headed in the direction of permaculture thinking.
If that jives with you, then my suggestion for the blog name change is perma-girrl
That way, you’ll never need to change it again, even if you succumb to the urgent need for a bacon and cheese sandwich. 😉
Thanks for the feedback but I’ve already changed the name to Girl for Animal Liberation.
Thanks for the comment though.
BTW, congrats on the 2013 Bloggie Finalists and Winners. That is how I learned of your blog. 🙂