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Hello Lensmasters,

Before you were born, your parents obsessed over what they would call you. From babies to virtual hockey clubs, names are a special right that can only be applied with careful consideration. Learn how some of our lensmasters are making a name for themselves by helping you make a name for your pet project.

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What’s in a team name?
If you haven’t gotten in on the Fantasy Football craze, you’re already behind on the game. Sports fans spend millions of hours each year picking the best of the best to be on their team. Never mind Favre is playing for his former rivals; he can be on everyone’s fantasy team. Of course, once you’ve selected your line up, there’s still one important task at hand.

Mac33 misses nothing. What’s missing from the current selection of fantasy sports team lenses? Ideas for Fantasy Team Names!

How did Mac33 come up with the unique idea for this lens? “I paid attention to the stats on my other fantasy sports lenses. Variations of ‘team name’ were showing up in their keyword stats and I figured it would make a good supporting lens topic. So I documented all the ways I used and saw others use to come up with good team names.”

Mac33 says naming your fantasy sports team is important. “A huge part of every fantasy sport is trying to top the other players through trash talk, hype and a winning record. It’s also good to have a strong identity for your team and yourself. A commenter on the lens submitted “Victorious Secret”…that’s a brilliant name for a girl’s team. If I was a girl I’d name my team that every year!”

What’s in a city name?
Quipping Queen is the queen of more than just quips. If you’re looking for a laugh over a city name heartier than Hell, Michigan, look no further than her Funny Place Names lens.

“Living north of the 49th parallel, (where it’s frightfully cold nine months of the year while the remaining three months we’re bothered half to death by the blinking bugs, boisterous beavers, not to mention badly-behaved bears), leaves one with plenty of time to ponder pithy things like peculiar place names. Let’s face it, all a Canuck has to do is pick up a road map to find nutty nooks and crannies — especially in Newfoundland & Labrador which is home to such potty place names as:
# Run-by-guess
# Bleak Joke Cove
# Calves Nose
# Nancy Oh
# Little Looping Harbour”

How did the Queen collect all these? “Well, if truth be told, I combed the Internet for a few moons in search of strange place names. I also picked up a book by Douglas Adams and John Lloyd called, “The Deeper Meaning of Liff – A Dictionary of Things That There Aren’t Any Words For Yet.” Inside there were maps of the United Kingdom, North America, and Asia plus a host of odd place names (which became the subject of this equally odd book). Funny names tickle my funnybone, so that’s why I keep my eyes wide open all the time for out-of-the-way place names like: Berriwillock, Grimbister, Scrabster and Skoonspruit. Besides this pleasant pastime gives me a wonderful excuse to avoid my regal duties which tax my nerves and my sanity!”

What’s in a dog name?
Many dogs get their names from their circumstances, such as Lucky, Brownie, or Spot. But if you really want to find the Best Dog Name, Greg has the pulse on giving your pup a moniker.

“I had (still have) a Blogger Blog devoted to naming dogs. It received quite a bit of traffic, but most of the articles were not original and came from ezinearticles. After a while, I was so annoyed by the poor quality and un-originality, that I began writing my own original articles. I love animals and decided at some point that there was a need to at least give people some ideas when choosing a name for their new companion and family member. Plus dog names are a real hoot!”

As for Greg’s least favorite dog name? “There are so many to choose from…..I guess the worst in my mind is the name Butch. Personally, I find this name unimaginative and I associate it with a mean old mutt who once bit me on the right arm when I was 5 years old (for no real reason, I might add). But actually I have not yet discovered the real worst dog name. Thanks for the idea for a new lens -hah!”

What’s in a baby name?
Deciding on a baby name can be a stressful part of pregnancy, but finding a fun name that fits can be easy with jewelkid87′s Tips for Choosing a Name for your Baby.

Jewelkid87, aka Bethany, offers such suggestions as “consider what the initials will spell,” “choose something that fits the last name,” and “remember how it will sound all together.” Radio DJ Justin Case has probably had his fill of name jokes, as has Larry Lawrence. (Although these tips wouldn’t have helped The Wedding Singer’s Julia Guglia.)

You can trust Bethany, she even helped name her sister’s child!

What’s in YOUR name?
A teen recently told me his mother regularly Googles family members to monitor their online behavior. Even if you’re not hiding from mom, it’s possible for things to come up online that you don’t want everyone to see. A potential boss running into college party pics? Enough said! JessicaM has the pulse on finding and removing personal info you don’t want to have online.

How to Remove Personal Information from Internet & Public Data Sources

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Fun, furry, and fabulous names are just one topic of millions that you could write about on Squidoo and use to become your very own star. Or create names for stars. Or write about superstars that already have names. See, the ideas really are endless!

Have fun,
~Kimberly Dawn Wells
YOUR Community & Charity Organizer