Billy Shakes once said, "What's in a name? That which we call a Blog/ By any other name would read as irreverent and silly." Well, basically he said that. For long-time readers (all four of you), you've probably noticed the name change. For new readers, welcome!

I wanted to take a moment to acknowledge the putting to pasture of CriticCal.com and welcome you to Calvin and Odds. I have decided to make this shift to rebrand, grow readership while retaining much of the same content and character of the previous site.

As far as a rebrand, I landed on CriticCal.com as a 23-year-old who wanted to cultivate an online writing sample. I would tell friends, family, and colleagues about the site, but there was certainly no thought put into SEO or being widely read. Looking back on it, those blogs have a lot of edges, some swings and misses at dark humor, and are largely critical in nature.

It is not entirely without merit; looking over some of the pieces, I found a gem that challenged readers to listen to the Entourage theme song 100 times, and another that talked about how Bob Cousy provided end-of-life care for his wife as she struggled with dementia. Over a decade later, reading how the Cooz cared for Missie still makes me a bit misty.

But the site was born out of a creative title that required some familiarity with the author and was largely negative. Moving to Calvin And Odds, I hope to highlight the absurdity of things and look to have less of a required familiar relationship with readers.

With a limited sample size, the shift has improved readership. New readership is up 119.4%, and engaged sessions are also on the rise. This is not from stunning content; it is simply the result of having a much more SEO-friendly site that does not require a stranger to fat-finger the word "critical" to find here by mistake.

The other aspect of the name change that should find engagement and readers is the "And Odds" aspect of the blog. As we enter fall, I will be covering a lot more gambling. Not only does it interest me and I do it well (writing about it, not actual wagers), it is a huge industry that attracts a lot of readers. So, come for the Monday Night team total but stay for a tale about the Gumbo Gumshoe or read a tongue-in-cheek column about a logo made by AI that looks vaguely Nazi.

The irreverence of the content that has made up CriticCal for the last six months will not change. In fact, the new name is quite freeing to write the absurd and silly. I liken the name "Calvin and Odds" to a gift shop you might find in a sleepy beach town. You know the one where you can find an "It's 5 o'clock somewhere" novelty t-shirt and a shark tooth necklace. But they also sell like batteries, socket wrenches, and ice cream out of a side window.

The "Odds" plays well for the sports entertainment crowd and for increased engagement but can also accurately depict my mission statement: The world is a funny place, not always in the 'ha ha' sense. It is up to us to see the silly because it is our shared commonality as a people. And so I say, goodbye CriticCal and welcome to Calvin and Odds!