"Hello, I'm the mermaid of ______." Hm, opinions?

[SeaSister]

Hey there,

So, I've just been wondering something regarding mermaids and publicity. I've noticed that a ton of mermaids associate themselves with the place where they live.

Eg, Raina the Halifax Mermaid, Courtney the Vancouver Mermaid, Ayla of Duluth, Oceana Mermaid of the Canadian Pacific, etc. etc.

Now, disclaimer, just in case it's needed: I am NOT trying to be offensive to anyone who names herself after her particular city/region! I just want to know what people's opinions are, how it affects publicity, if there are competitors for the title of "THE ______ mermaid" and how it's dealt with, etc. etc.

That being said, what are your guys' opinions on this? Can you have multiple mermaids associated with one place (eg, for my BC friends, instead of Vancouver should one say, perhaps, Burnaby mermaid?). Have there been problems/cat fights over this sort of thing? I don't plan on turning mermaiding into a business (at least not in the near future), and even so I would probably choose a name that doesn't reflect my whereabouts, so as to avoid stepping on other's fins, but it's something I'm curious about. Is this something that happens a lot in businesses?

Thanks. :)

[PearlieMae]

Good question! While I'm sure it happens every day in bigger businesses, I think that at the moment, professional mermaids are too few and far between for it to be much of a problem. That being said, my perception is that most mers that currently associate themselves with a place are all in pretty unique places. I can't think of a single "________, the Los Angeles Mermaid" (or any other major metro area). I could be wrong, though.

Then again, I call myself "Pearlie Mae, Most Sirene Empress of All the Seas".

Or, as the small fry call me, "Aunt Pearlie".

[Winged Mermaid]

I know Courtney and Oceana both live in Vancouver. One went for "Vancouver Mermaid" the other went for "BC Mermaid". So you can work around it by being more or less specific in terms of area. I've seen some people get petty about it though :/ I personally don't like to tie my professional name to a certian place. For many reasons, but the big one is that I'm a military wife, so I move around.

[Anahita]

I can't think of a single "________, the Los Angeles Mermaid" (or any other major metro area). I could be wrong, though.

I noticed that too about LA. I never thought of calling myself by my current city, you know, saying I was the Los Angeles mermaid; not only because with LA's current state it seemed incredibly pretentious (I know there's a BUNCH of mermaids in LA city AND LA county) but it kind of sounded... Ugly maybe? Lol. Like, the words don't flow pretty no matter how you organize them. On that though, I think a lot of mers that name/actively associate themselves with a location were usually the first ones in the area (or at least the first active ones that they knew of at the time). Like when Raina started, I think she was the only mer around her area, now there's a few more, but originally she was the first. If that makes sense.

As for me personally, I do refer to myself as the Persian Mermaid... But that's because I don't know of any other Persian - or even Iranian in general - ones. I almost went with "Mermaid of the Persian Gulf" but:
-it was too wordy
-I no longer live in the area anymore
-it limited me to only one body of water in the area
-and truthfully it was too vague in a way that I don't like. After all, the Persian gulf is flanked by the Arabian peninsula on one side, and I already have a hard enough time explaining to people I'm not an Arab, so the ambiguity was not desirable.

I will say that I would definitely be miffed massively if I saw someone else referring to themselves as such/something incredibly similar to "The Persian Mermaid" though, especially if they don't have the goods to back it up. That latter part would totally be stepping on my fins. But that's nothing to do with marketing on my part and everything to do with "Stop it, I'm not claiming to be Celt/Anglo/Latino/Black/etc. like you actually are so please stop claiming to be what I actually am... It's totally offensive and incredibly confusing to those of us who actually are."

[SeaSister]

I'm from the Vancouver area, too, so basically even if I wanted to tie my name to a specific location, I wouldn't be able to (assuming we're going with Anahita's idea that the first mermaid to start out in an area calls dibs XD). Unless, that is, I came up with a creative way to say Vancouver (Sea Sister, Mermaid of the Couver of Van lol. Or maybe Mermaid of the Juan de Fuca Straight). I guess I could always use Burnaby (where I'm currently staying), but the problem with that is that nobody really knows where Burnaby is, except for locals. Nearly everyone, however, knows about Vancouver, so it would get a lot more attention.

Anyways, that's beside the point because I already decided not to tie myself to a specific place. :)
Iona, I agree with you that it's better not to do so, simply because you might move around a lot and then it just gets confusing. If you know that you're going to stay in one location for the rest of your mermaid career AND you're the "first" mermaid in that immediate area, then great, but otherwise I wouldn't want to tie myself down that like.

Anahita, what do you mean by "Stop it, I'm not claiming to be Celt/Anglo/Latino/Black/etc. like you actually are so please stop claiming to be what I actually am..."? It sounds like you're saying that you don't want non-Persians to say that they're "the Persian Mermaid", which makes sense, but what if there was an actual Persian mermaid? Would you tell them to just flipper off and call themselves something different, at least if they aren't as prominent/well-known?

[Anahita]

Yes to the former, no to the latter, although I would encourage/help them to use something more creative if they could just so things don't get confusing (Maybe tell them to use the title "Of the Persian Gulf ;) ) ...

I'd only tell them to flipper off if they actually used my whole name, lol. But the likelihood of that happening is pretty minimal. Honestly, if my partner's plans for my mermaiding work out, LA will have a pod of Persian (or at least Iranians in general) Mermaids if I have to bribe them into the tails myself with loads of food and ghelyaan/cigarettes. (I mean... uh... Don't smoke kids... That's bad for you **wags finger** :p)

[AniaR]

Its all about who registers the name first

[PearlieMae]

Its all about who registers the name first

Halifax has such a romantic feel to it. NO ONE wants to be The Jersey Mermaid. :no-no:

[Echinacea]

Halifax has such a romantic feel to it. NO ONE wants to be The Jersey Mermaid. :no-no:

I am afraid I could see being The Jersey Milkmaid quicker'n I could see being The Jersey Mermaid... (Sorry, Pearlie, couldn't resist... :D Being as how I come from Vermont, the first thing I think of when I hear 'Jersey' is 'cow'!)

[PearlieMae]

Hahaha! And I live in NJ, I'm not FROM NJ.

And Hawaiian/Chinese/Portuguese/Filipino/Hispanic/English/Irish Mermaid from Kentucky won't fit on a business card.

[NerineArcticMermaid]

Ill throw in since i have a region specific name.

I go by Nerine the Arctic Mermaid. I dont live there but the persona i created for a mermaid that does and travels around works for me. so I dont think you have to live in the region you are titled from. THe arctic is beautiful but i sure wouldnt want to really live there. Just wnt to educate about it and protect it.

[Echidna]

To me, the association of a mer with a place seems natural, as long as the placename is a body of water.

In fact, nymphs and nixies of myth have been referred to by the water they lived in/by, not a name at all
(since the name was usually unknown).
Thus, names like "Lake Erie mermaid", "Mermaid of Serpent Lake", "Baltic Sea mermaids", etc, appear the most natural.
Now, most of us aren't mythological creatures and live in villages or cities, thus taking the town's name into the mer name isn't much different from the tradition.

(Hope that made sense xD )

[Seatan]

Being from Texas, I could see multiple people calling themselves "The Texas Mermaid" or "The Texan Mermaid" since there is a HUGE sense of pride in Texas about being Texan, LOL. Sort of a, "I'm not just a mermaid, I'm a TEXAS mermaid, y'all." Not really the title I would want (despite being proud of my Texas roots, it isn't oceany enough for me) but it is SUCH a big thing to be a "proud Texan" that if it were my name, I wouldn't really feel like someone was stepping on my fins if someone else used it... I'd feel like they were a proud Texan. That might not apply to places that are not quite as obsessively vocal about their awesomeness as the Lone Star State. (Our public schools say a pledge to the Texas flag right after the pledge to the United States)

Actually, the "Lone Star Mermaid" might make a good name. (If I'm not mistaken, I think there's an antique store in this area named that. A lot of our stores are "Lone Star Whatever," like the dive shop called Lone Star Scuba in Fort Worth). I know there's a Red Rose of Texas on here (as opposed to the yellow rose...) but I dunno if there's an official Texas Mermaid. Still, I think any proud Texmerican would be proud to declare her/himself as such. ;)

The waves at night are big and white,
Deep in the gulf of Texas! (clapclapclapclap)
The ocean sky is wide and high
Deep in the gulf of Texas! (clapclapclapclap)
The reefs in bloom are like perfume
Deep in the gulf of Texas! (clapclapclapclap)
Reminds me of the prince I love
Deep in the gulf of Texas!

(There really ARE some gorgeous places to dive in Texas, you just have to swim about three hundred miles or so off the shore of the Gulf of Mexico to get to them, LOL.)

Texas mermaids, y'all.

[AniaR]

Honestly, I have girls try to pretend to be me or my company by claiming to be Raina the Halifax Mermaids or part of the Halifax Mermaids company. Having that name registered/trademarked I can go after them :p

[SeaSister]

@Raina thanks for clearing up what you mean by "registered"! I originally thought you meant "registered on mernetwork", which had me confused because I'm sure there are plenty of other mers outside of this website.

[NerineArcticMermaid]

working on final paperwork for trademarking/registering my name as well.. tired of the semi similar names.. too close for my comfort..

[Mermaid Zaffiro]

I find presumptuous to combine a city. You can create problems. I opted simply for "Zaffiro a mermaid for rent" ^^,

[FreshWaterMermaid]

Honestly, I have girls try to pretend to be me or my company by claiming to be Raina the Halifax Mermaids or part of the Halifax Mermaids company. Having that name registered/trademarked I can go after them :p

Raina I've been looking into getting mine trademarked for awhile now, how much did it cost you? I'm finding only really spendy websites, and then yearly renewal fees.... :/
Any advice?

Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk 2

[PearlieMae]

Since you are in the US, you can register your name as a business... A DBA (Doing Business As), or a TA (Trading As), and it isn't expensive at all. Basically, it uses your Social Security number for tax purposes and you can use your mermaid name as your business name. The money you make would be counted as freelance and taxed as such (a 1099).

Last time I registered a DBA, it cost $30 with the county that I lived in.

[AniaR]

what pearlie mae said, same deal in Canada.

[Anahita]

Ooooo, I know what I'm going to be doing then so when the time comes to make a pod of my own I have some control over it and the ability to get rid of stragglers who are using the name without permission.

[PearlieMae]

It's not the same as trademarking, but it can protect your rights to use the name.

[AniaR]

gives you legal recourse if someone is trying to claim to be a part of your company or you when they arent.

Honestly, business is business. People formulate their names often, loads of local businesses with Halifax in the title. That's how it goes

[AniaR]

trademarking is good for branding

[SeaSister]

Personally, I like caltuna's point that, if there IS going to be an association with a place, it makes sense for it to be a body of water rather than a city... assuming you have a body of water close by. Sometimes, however, what body of water you do have doesn't have a very pretty sounding name (just like a lot of cities). But maybe you could try to delve into the history of that body of water and see if it has a cool-sounding Native American name? I dunno, lol.

Also, maybe instead of saying "I'm THE Vancouver/Los Angeles/etc. mermaid", it could just be "I'm So-and-so of Vancouver/Los Angeles/etc." It just sounds less pretentious to me. But hey, I guess if you're running a business and you want to draw customers away from the competition, maybe trademarking your title so that it sounds like you're the ONLY mermaid in a particular area is the way to go. Like PearlieMae said, though, there isn't a whole lot of competition in the mermaid world yet. Emphasis on "yet". XP

I pity anyone who dares try and start a mermaiding business in Halifax, though. Raina, I'm sure, poses some pretty serious competition.

[Merman Dan]

"Second, there are, like, thirty Ray's Pizzas. They all claim to be the original. But the real one's on 11th." - Santa

[Echidna]

Thinking it over, I don't like the idea of trademarking/branding/whatever a city, lake or ocean (...) name.

Over here in Europe, for example, there's the Baltic Sea in the Northeast, the Mediterranean in the south-
yea, and not much else if you're in the middle.
You're not going to claim you can only fit a single mermaid into an ocean, are you?

Just be creative with your business name.
It's silly to go "but I was the first to come up with that name!!", seriously.

That lake/ocean/whatever doesn't exclusively belong to you :/

[MerMarla]

working on final paperwork for trademarking/registering my name as well.. tired of the semi similar names.. too close for my comfort..

Hi Nerine!

Are you pursuing TM / Registration only for your state? or Nationally?

I currently hold a copyright on "Mermaid Marla" originally given to me by ABC Paramount Studios in 1970-ish. I have documentation, that this is me, and have had this name since then. Since I own the name and do not have to provide proof, other than the date of inception (aka ABC Paramount), just like my poetry that I published ages ago, once its yours you don't have to renew it because it's a registered copyright. Even if I didn't have my name copyrighted formally, (the rules have changed since I got the poetry copyright in 1993), just having the pictures and other documentation is proof enuf. There is another woman on this site and Facebook, and other email addresses using my name. She refuses to answer my professionally written emails or posts. I just don't have the funds for an attorney to pursue a law suit, at the moment, but that may change. So if I don't pursue litigation, it doesn't help me with the confusion it's causing. I don't want to pursue litigation, I don't want her money (just enuf to cover my attorney fees), or anything else. Just my legitimate name that identifies me with the Mermaid world. She seems nice enuf a person, just doesn't want to hear of having to change her name, all her sites and email... I kinda don't blame her, but in the long run it will make for bad feelings. And I am getting tired of the confusion. It was also bad on her part not to investigate copyright (which you can do yourself or hire an attorney) to avoid infringement litigation before she used my name.

So, how is pursuing a TM and/or registration going to help you? Do you have an attorney in your lagoon (LOL)?

(((Hugz))) and Bubble https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/e/B0C'z
Mermaid Marla

[AniaR]

Honestly it doesn't really matter opinions when it comes down to the law and marketing. A lot is in a name and the potential it unlocks. Not just for being memorable. Read any business or marketing book. If I didn't expect to stay in halifax I'd have gone more generic.

I have no competition FYI because I try to hire every interested mermaid or refer them work. We are seriously small here. ( which is why I'm dealing with an issue of someone claiming to be me. They don't even work as a mermaid and I'll never hire them cuz their first move was to literally say they were specifically me. )

[AniaR]

( FYI that's the other mers actual name. So maybe some form if compromise? Marla mermaid vs mermaid Marla instead?)

[SeaSister]

@Raina Oh okay. I didn't know that you actually hired other mers, that you had more than just a one-woman business. And that's kind of you to refer work to the ones you don't hire. :)

[MerMarla]

( FYI that's the other mers actual name. So maybe some form if compromise? Marla mermaid vs mermaid Marla instead?)


Good idea AniaR! Except my mom gave me that Given name 61 years ago! I think I have her beat! LOL! That's offically documented, too! Other very kind Mers have proposed the same suggestion to me, but why doesn't she do that? Would solve my problem! Thanks for the suggestion, tho. I do appreciate it.

(((Hugz))) and Bubble https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/e/B0C'z
Mermaid Marla

[AniaR]

you're both around the same age believe it or not ;) I see where you're coming from. I was confused when you first joined because of it.

[SeaGlass Siren]

Well why not Marla last name and Marla lastname2 ?

[SeaGlass Siren]

Or what about the Marla "twins"? Y'all can pretend to be Long lost met sisters with the same name :P or use the color of the tails? Marla the blue mermaid and Marla the pink mermaid?

[Merman Dan]

Merman Dan the Planet Earth Merman. First!! ;)

[Daphne]

Merman Dan the Planet Earth Merman. First!! ;)

Oooo I got one! Merman Dan: the REAL Aquaman!

14838

[SeaSister]

SeaGlass, I think the point is that they DON'T want to be associated with each other... they have their own businesses and don't want people to think that they're the same person.

ROFL Daphne! That's awesome. The Grumpy Cat Leage! Now they need to make the Grumpy Avengers... :P

[Merman Dan]

To be honest, I refer to myself as Merman Dan: The Merman With a Farmers Tan.... dunno if that is marketable or not ;)

[SeaGlass Siren]

Well .. It was a suggestion. :P

[Seatan]

To be honest, I refer to myself as Merman Dan: The Merman With a Farmers Tan.... dunno if that is marketable or not ;)

^best. Merman. Name. Ever.

[SeaGlass Siren]

Since lake Ontario is so full of gunk and junk like glass bottles and stuff, the pieces begin to break down and become sea glass (despite not really being in the sea but the glass still goes milky after a period of time)
so that's where I got my name from :P nasty lake Ontario

[Anahita]

so that's where I got my name from :P nasty lake Ontario

Yeah, but it's a pretty name, even more so when you realize it was inspired from a dirty lake!

[AniaR]

scratch that. Since some mermaids think they can give themselves the titles of "the world's leading professional mermaid" I'm changing mine to "Raina, the sexiest, smartest, most coolest mermaid ever who has a centre for kids who can't read good and want to learn to do other stuff good too"

....

http://25.media.tumblr.com/c32a1ad3d489436c42b5b3031effe7b9/tumblr_msw4d3kjco1qi2wbao1_250.gif

[Echidna]

I had wondered at the name since I first saw it.

Reminds me now of Glass Beach (there are several), dumps which contain the carved remnants of glass bottles and glass chips, whittled by the elements
14852

Looks even pretty.
Now, the plastic maelstroms are another matter :(

[MerEmma]

scratch that. Since some mermaids think they can give themselves the titles of "the world's leading professional mermaid" I'm changing mine to "Raina, the sexiest, smartest, most coolest mermaid ever who has a centre for kids who can't read good and want to learn to do other stuff good too"

....

http://25.media.tumblr.com/c32a1ad3d489436c42b5b3031effe7b9/tumblr_msw4d3kjco1qi2wbao1_250.gif

Might need a shortened version! ;D May I recommend Raina The Great Mer?

[Echidna]

scratch that. Since some mermaids think they can give themselves the titles of "the world's leading professional mermaid" I'm changing mine to "Raina, the sexiest, smartest, most coolest mermaid ever who has a centre for kids who can't read good and want to learn to do other stuff good too"



that's a bit clunky.
I'd go for "Raina, the world's sexiest mermaid" as a TM.
Replace with "smartest" if preferred :cool:

[PearlieMae]

Soon, you'll be she to go by just Raina. You know, like Madonna, or Cher, or Tarantino. :)

[Merman Arion]

I used to be THE French Merman since i was the only one active male registered from France here. Then, merfolks started to call me Frenchie (like that girl in Grease)
and i kinda liked it because it was a cute nickname.

But honestly, i love my new name now : Merman Arion :)

In France, we already have Claire The French Mermaid (she has a profile here) and since she is the only professional mermaid that we have in my conservative country, i think her name is legitimate.

[SeaGlass Siren]

They go by drift glass too :3 lookit how pretty the glass is!! <3

[SeaGlass Siren]

Yeah, but it's a pretty name, even more so when you realize it was inspired from a dirty lake!
Aw thank you Anahita :)

[Thalassa]

This has caused a little bit of a problem where I live...mermaids calling themselves "the Utah mermaids", "the premiere Utah mermaids", "the one and only performing mermaid troupe in Utah"...

Honestly, I just say I'm Thalassa the mermaid and I swim in Utah. If and when I start a company (the taxes involved scare me) I'm not sure what I'll call it, but I hope to avoid a mer fight.

[PearlieMae]

You know, they can call themselves whatever they want, really, it's the REPUTATION you build that will be most important as a professional mermaid.

As for taxes scaring you, you would just be taxed as a freelancer. Generally, you claim the money you make mermaiding on a 1099, but check with your accountant of tax professional. It's really simple. Count on at least 20% of that income going to taxes, though.

[Merman Dan]

^best. Merman. Name. Ever.


It was either that, or:
Merman Dan: Don't Eat Me! (my new tail is fashioned after a game fish)
Merman Dan: Your Parents' Worst Nightmare (as I am a 47 year old merman who refuses to grow up)
Merman Dan: Defender of Diamond Shoals (a tad pretentious as I do not live at the coast)
Merman Dan: WTF?!? (too honest an approach, IMO)

[AniaR]

you gotta make over 30k from your personal business here before it gets taxed!

[Echidna]

you gotta make over 30k from your personal business here before it gets taxed!

...
You get taxed here BEFORE you make any money...lol.

[PearlieMae]

you gotta make over 30k from your personal business here before it gets taxed!

NOT IN THE U.S.! Take it from me, and a HUGE tax bill I pay monthly, THAT IS NOT TRUE HERE.

[AniaR]

well we pay taxes, just for your own business it has to be past 30k. which I dont quite make yet. But maybe next year :p

[PearlieMae]

Oh, I did not mean to imply that you didn't! Uncle Sam wants his cut if you make over $600 a year.

[AniaR]

hmm no uncle sam here, ge who do we have... uncle beaver? Dudly dooright? MapleSyrup man? lol

[Merman Dan]

I suppose I should not mention the fact that I refer to the local Canada geese as "resident avians"? ;)

[SeaGlass Siren]

Raina we have mother England, remember? Pip pip cheerio!

[AniaR]

in Soviet Russia, Mermaid tail wears YOU

[SeaSister]

I suppose I should not mention the fact that I refer to the local Canada geese as "resident avians"? ;)

Ugh, yuck. I hate Canada geese. For one thing, I can't believe that they're named after Canada. Canadians are stereotypically really polite, nice and peaceable, right? The geese definitely aren't. x_x
They are freaking terrorists. Holy crap, are they ever aggressive. I was traumatized for life when, as a kid, I was feeding them blackberries from this massive bush. After a while I had to go, but as I tried to leave they made a semi-circle around me. There were about a dozen of them, coming closer and hissing at me. I was trapped against the blackberry bush, it was absolutely terrifying. I ended up grabbing a handful of blackberries and throwing them as hard as I could over the geese's heads. As they ran for the berries, I booked it as fast as I could and clutched my mom, balling my eyes out.

Then, last year I saw a goose and, since I have this hatred for the foul fowl (haha?), I tried to scare it off, which I thought would be easy now that I was bigger. IT FREAKING ATTACKED ME! It came at me, hissing and flaring it's wings, then making this low growling sound. It was only then that I realized I was just a few feet away from a nest. It lunged at me again so I ended up running away. At least this time I didn't wind up crying over it. -_-

Goddammit I hate Canada geese. Ugh.

[Echidna]

in Soviet Russia, Mermaid tail wears YOU

:rotfl:

My new favourite.
So far, the one I liked most was "in Soviet Russia, your PC keylogs the hacker",
but this one^^ 's even better LOL!

[mermaidwhisperer]

We have way too many freaky attack birds in Australia so i can sympathise! We even have one with a legend that if it runs screaming at you, you're going to die. Which is exactly how you feel when a Curlew runs screaming at you!

[mermaidwhisperer]

When I get my tail I could probably claim 'The sarcastic Queensland Mermaid' and no one would oppose.

[Anahita]

And this is all I can think about now.....

http://cinical.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/the-birds.jpg

[mermaidwhisperer]

Ha ha then don't read 'Divergent' there's this bird attack scene that's given me a phobia!

[SeaGlass Siren]

Reminds me if the poem about magpies being baked into a pie. They escaped and pecked off someone's nose.

[Imbrielle]

I would not bother to add a place to my name or call myself anything but just my name, but for me, I think I could. I don't know any other Russian mermaids nevermind ones who go by '...the mermaid of Russia' and most certainly I have never heard of any other Nakhodka mermaids. As for the fact that I now live in Alberta, Canada, oh, this place is dead for mermaids. Now a place like say, Florida? I can imagine many '...the Florida mermaid's and that could be confusing!

[Rett]

Even though my signature is 'Merman Of Georgia' I dont think I'd ever actually go by that name professional. Im more of a recreational mer (I would like, in a few years, to get some aquarium and fair gigs, but I dont think I'd ever do birthday parties or stuff like that) but I would probably go by a different name. I know there are many mermaids on here from Georgia, and even though I'm not certain, Im sure there are probably mermen from here too.

[MermaidCelesteFL]

When I first registered my fb page, I chose Mermaid Celeste: the Orlando Mermaid. Shortly after joining here, I realized there were a few other mers in Orlando, but it looks like most of them are recreational. I left the Orlando Mermaid bit on my business cards only (for the sake of continuity with the fb site), but took it off of everything else. I'm also in the process of changing my look once I get my new tail- so a lot of my old marketing material stuff won't be relevant anymore.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Seraphina Suds]

I have "mermaid of the hudson valley" after my name on my Facebook page. But I'm certainly not the only mermaid in the area. I've thought about dropping it all together, but I love where I live so much and it adds a bit of character.

[MermaidCelesteFL]

Wait, wait.... if Mermaid Melissa is from my neck of town, and I get big, she's gonna be pissed.
:rotfl: I'm seriously laughing at the concept of stealing her thunder.

[Gem Stone]

The Houston Mermaids

is a hideous name. I may live here, but I am NOT a proud Texan and I refuse to have anything from Texas be associated with my name. Even my fake mer name here on the network.

Ok, except maybe the yellow rose of Texas, cause I love that story, and song, and my new tail is yellow. But that would be it, if it ever happens.

But but I much prefer Florida.

side note, there are pretty places to swim in Texas, but the closest one in the gulf is 30 miles off shore. I should know, we go 40 off shore for fishing and diving. I'll be sure to take photos this year, once I get a decent camera.

[SeaMonkey]

yu should see how many different nationalities i am. its ridiculous. business card would hafta be 8 1/2 x11

[SeaMonkey]

brilliant

[SeaMonkey]

just in case you didnt know, NOBODY says that

[SeaMonkey]

freakin brilliant as in the UK expression meaning frikkin awesomesauce. and hi, i talked to you on yt and on fb. you answered a couple of questions for me. can i consider you my first mermaid bud?

[SeaMonkey]

i dont know of any other mermaids in my area at all but i dont think i wanna use the town in my name. or mebbe angelfish the moonlight mermaid

[shimmygoddess]

Using a location isn't' working me anymore. I had originally chosen 'ncmermaid' and even bought that as my domain, however another person went in and bought ncmermaids.com which has the potential to confuse people. If you have more mermaids in your area having a location will be tricky. I am thinking its better just to doing something more unique. Good luck :)