all the news that I have time to type
Long time no blogging! Isn’t that always the way? When things are busy you have no time to report on them but when things are slow you have all the time in the world to write about nothing. I sort of miss those nothing days.
Anyway, I suppose you want to hear about my latest haircut. My fairy godmother popped into town the other day and offered to take me to get my hair cut. She’s so sweet like that. She’s always rescuing me from the eternal how-do-I-find-a-babysitter dilemma and sweeping me off for a day of pampering and eating out. I just love her. I wish everyone had a fairy godmother. I also wish she didn’t live so far away.
So I wasn’t planning on getting my hair cut. I’m actually starting the two-year grow-it-out plan again but I recently hacked myself some bangs and figured they probably needed to be fixed by a professional. And by professional I mean somebody who doesn’t hack away with nail scissors while they are pms-ing and suffering from the toddler-attached-to-shin disease.
I told her I wanted to be able to pull my hair back into two ponytails and have my bangs hang out sort of fringe-like. Something very low-maintenance and mom-proof (i.e., I can NOT wash it for a week and it will still look okay). I also might have said something about how I have so much hair and it grows more on one side so I always feel like a bomb went off over one ear. Anyway, she interpreted my gibberish as: hack all her hair off but leave a few wisps so that it still feels long.
At first I hated it. HATED IT. But then I narrowed my feelings down to the simple fact that I was hating my round face more than the hair cut. I miss those days when I could wear any hairstyle and still liked the way I looked. Those days are gone. Hello, middle age!
Also she styled it all straight and I looked like some sort of banger-sister rocker chick from the 80’s. While that’s a nice look, it’s SO not me.
Okay. Enough about hair.
Another issue that has been taking up a giant portion of my brain is this letter I received from China. It’s a little convoluted because it’s translated from Chinese to English but the gist of it is saying that some company in China wants to trademark the name “Secret Agent Josephine.”
I know? Why would anybody want to do that? It’s been a difficult-enough name for me. I can’t imagine what anybody else would want it for. A movie? Are they making secret-agent dolls? I have no idea. A lot still needs to be investigated. But I do know this: If I want to keep this identity I’ve been doing business under and parading all over the internet with, then maybe I need to trademark it myself while I have the chance. I might even be too late.
Why would this company write me a letter to warn me that they are thinking of taking out a trademark with my name? Just out of politeness? It seems fishy.
The whole thing has sent me into a bit of an identity crisis. Who am I? Do I want to start over with a new name? If so, what name? Is it worth the $1000 to trademark? If I start over, this means I have to halt all work on my party site that I’m working on. I’ll have to change my Etsy shop and my Flickr screen name. Ack! Too much! I don’t know what I’m going to do.
I might just have to take a month off to figure it all out. But then I’m afraid I might never come back. I doubt that. While I don’t have much time to figure out the direction of Secret Agent Josephine, I do still have a crazy kid at home to supply me with plenty of anecdotes to write about.
26 Comments
Kandace
SAJ! YIKES!
Isn’t bizarre I was just thinking of this the other day. I’ve been thinking about how you have the name SAJ and no one has tried to steal it from you. Weird!
Either way you’ll be fine. Everything always works out.
amy
I love you- you better trademark yrself girl!!! It is worthinit- you are highly respected as a cool mama and an artist under this name…I hope this works out so easily for you deary. xoxoxoxo hugs
Jummy
Haircut=cute, and so are you, Brenda! Middle age? PAH—I don’t think so.
About the trademarking…it’s hard to imagine you by any other name (well, perhaps except your real name, hehe but I find SAJ so catchy and you’ve built quite an online presence with it so I’d trademark it…I know one thousand buckaroos is nothing to sneeze at, though…
Hope some free time is in the near future for you!
Angella
I say get the trademark! There has to be a reader who is a lawyer and can help? Maybe?
As for the hair, you look adorable. And nowhere near middle age :)
(PS – I bought a “Little Miss Trouble” shirt for myself. Heh.)
DeeJay
I think the haircut is fab on you, really I do. As far as the trademark is concerned…holy smokes! You might could start up a paypal account to where people can donate and help you keep your name until it is time to sell it for a cool million or just to keep it for yourself. We could all sell candy for the SAJ fund! How fun would that be?! Heee!
Jennifer
You HAVE to be SAJ. What’s up with the letter? Is it real? What a pain. You’re “boing” in the Who Am I? gave me quite a chuckle. I like your new hair. When I lose 20 lbs I’m going to reward myself with a haircut. I want to walk in and let them do whatever they want. I’ve yet to have a hairstyle I like.
Stacey
What’s up with the letter? Weird. If you’ve been using the name longer than this Chinese company, they can’t just take it, right? Right? Any lawyers in the house?
Victoria
Odd.
The letter, I mean. Not the hair :)
calee
My company does this as a side thing for our clients. We do web design mainly but have run into a couple of times where this has been an issue for people wanting to protect their URLs through a trademark. Please drop me an email – I can explain it all and how it doesn’t have to cost $1000 over a Starbucks for you and bug if you want.
We’re http://www.existdesigns.com by the way.
bethany actually
Oh! I just saw the comic-strip site intro thing! Hee hee, you’ve got tricks up your sleeve I don’t even know about, don’t you? :-)
BeachMama
I really like your hair, but I don’t have to wear it. And this recently happened to me so I feel your pain.
As for the trademark, I would wonder why and who they are, but you must know that they are banking on people finding them because you created SAJ and they are trying to spin from that. You will do what is right for you and your business which ever route you choose. Best wishes trying to decide :)
ninabi
I like your hair. too. It makes your eyes look so big and it looks updated. I like easy-to-fix hair but I dreaded going to the hairdressers and getting the feared “mom cut”.
You didn’t get a mom cut! What does Whoorl think about it?
I don’t know how you go about registering a trademark. Dang. You are SAJ- seems unfair to have to cough up tons of cash to keep your identity. Does it really cost 1K?
Deidre
Aww, I think the hair cut is adorable! And I totally agree with Jummy–middle age? you?
I’ve always wondered about that trademark stuff-I’d definitely miss your blog if you stopped writing!
Red Lotus Mama
TM yourself … I couldn’t imaging you being anything other than SAJ. That letter sounds odd though.
Also, loving the new do. Very sassy and perfect for the summer.
darci
love the new haircut :)
ninabi
I had a thought-
if it costs 1K to trademark your name, what about doing a special art print and selling it to cover the costs? If you did, count me in.
Can’t lose a secret agent- it’s your mission and it’s who you are.
gorillabuns
Tell them to back off, it’s yours and it has been for years.
and I love your hair.
KP
IT’S A SCAM!!! The company that sent you that letter just wants to you hire them to trademark your name (or site). I am a lawyer for a company and our subsidiaries have received lots of these letters. So, do not worry about the letter.
That being said, it’s up to you to decide whether or not you want to trademark your name, but make that decision totally independent of the letter your received. I’m not an Intellectual Property lawyer, so I can’t advise you on that, and I don’t know all of your details, but I kind of doubt it would be worth the expense.
Marie
Oh my gosh! You have to trademark! I haven’t been reading your blog for long, but even I can’t associate “Secret Agent Josephine” with something else!
Haircut is very cute! Don’t fret to much about it.
Michelle
You have to be SAJ….this is how ingrained you are – Example – My friend sent me a copy of her invite to the Sex and the City premiere in NYC last week, and I was all, “OMG!!!”…..I proceeded to tell her in the email back… “When you see SAJ give her a kiss from me!!!” Of course, I meant to say SJP, but YOU came out first :o) I can’t imagine you as any other name!
Uncle George
Yeah, sounds like a scam, B. Slick one, too. I think KP is saying without saying that the trademark is a good idea. I agree. Don’t let those creeps intimidate you in the meantime.
Middle age? Psha, I just turned 50…THAT’S middle age. Your’re way too young for that moniker.
Your hair looks fine. Heck, I never really notice it, the rest of you is so wonderful. Hair. Who noticed.
Sure miss my relatives that live in the same city but I never get invited to ever see them they are so important and busy. I envy you two, you actually have a life. Love the blog, I visit my own flesh and blood via 1s and 0s.
U.G.
C
Love the new hair (I have a round face and it always takes me a few days to get used to any haircut that makes me feel like my face is more round, but in the end, it’s not that bad)
Copyright SAJ! It’s a great secret identity :0)
Annabanana
You sound like me lately with your busy absence. Funny how life is.
Your hair is cute, I like wispies on you!
I got mine hacked too though I went all smooth this time. Doing it myself, not so easy.
I like SAJ as your name, but whatever you do is totally fine, you will still be you , the you we all love.
Susan
I love the new haircut! Makes me want my bangs back.
You have to be Secret Agent Josephine! You can’t let some little chinese men take over who you are! It wouldn’t feel the same if you weren’t SAJ. *sighs*…tell Long Duck Dong to take a hike. =)
Lisa {milkshake}
Brenda, I received the same letter a few weeks ago (along with a few other people I know). It’s a scam! I deleted it and didn’t even give it a second thought.
Nicole I
I sure do appreciate your sense of humor.