Naming issues

So, was trying to come up with a name for a group to feature in a fic/story/who-knows-possibly-a-novel I'm vaguely working on. Decidedly non-governmental group who are nabbing bits of extra-terrestrial tech to make sure nobody else gets their hands in them. Of course, I suspect that if such a group really existed, they'd be too ultra-secretive to have a name, but dramatically it feels right that they have one (just as Bond has SPECTRE and the Doctor has Torchwood, etc...), so...

...I did some very minimal thinking and came up with "Shadow Ops Division.". And then realised that no group really wants a name that abbreviates to SOD. I toyed with "Shadow Ops Group," but I'm not sure that SOG is much better (sounds damp). (Dark Ops Group abbreviates to DOG, also less than desirable; Dark Ops Division is DOD, which sounds too much like a seventies kids' cartoon, and anyway I'm a firm believer in the notion that everyone is the hero of their own story, so actually I don't think "Dark" necessarily captures the right tone...)

It took not much more thinking to realise that taking what the group does literally one could call them the British Undercover Group Gathering Extraterrestrial Relics, but I'm not sure a group called BUGGER is entirely appropriate in a fairly straight sci-fi book, especially one that's at least nominally a kids' book... *g* *ahem* I still like it and might use it in another book...

The quest for a name for the group continues... :-)

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• Sun, 11:39: Naming issues http://t.co/VxoYR2q1

Okay, here's the thing...

...in my book collection, I've got this:

( Big image, hidden 'neath the cut. )

It's, um, not strictly mine, it's technically my mum's, but I seem to have, I think the phrase is "prematurely inherited" it. Potayto, Potahto.

Anyway, the thing is - I know I've got some very intelligent and knowledgeable friends out there, and who knows, they may be intelligent and knowledgeable enough to solve this riddle* for us, although if not, never mind.

Here's the first page:

( Another big image. )

So...obviously, my mum (whose name and address can be seen at the top) wasn't the first owner of the book. And obviously the quality - what with the fading, my mum having written her name and address, and the scribble part way down the page - isn't great, nobody's ever going to call it mint or near mint, and to be honest that's not really the point 'cos (unless it's worth, like, millions, I'm not about to sell it), but...

Is that really Enid Blyton's signature?

I mean, it looks like it, compared to the printed signature that appears on the front of many editions of her books, buy then...I've got at least one book (the Target paperback of Destiny of the Daleks) that I've scribbled Tom Baker's name on, and it looks a bit like genuine signatures of his that I've got, but I know he didn't sign that.

Anybody know if it's the real deal?

If it is, then it can justifiably join this page.






* What has it got in its pocketses? Thief! Thief! Baggins! We hates it!**

** Oh, hang on, sorry, wrong fandom...

Small, but perfectly formed...

So, at this evening's service, we had precisely one preacher; one steward; one vestry steward; one keyboardist (me, also doing the prayers of intercession); and one congregant.

In the end, I didn't play, just gave the first couple of lines of each hymn, otherwise I'd've probably drowned out the singing. Fortunately, they were all fairly well known hymns.

Oh well, they do say "where two or three are gathered together..."

Is it wrong of me...

...that I really don't quite understand the notion of being proud of being British? Or of being any other nationality, really, but seeing as I am British, that's the one I don't understand the most, so to speak...