Your online name and avatar

[palmmermaid]

I've often wonder how some of the members chose their online name and avatar.  Some of them are obvious - amazondk for example.  But some are not quite so obvious.

How about telling us newbies how some of you chose yours?

My screen name is Palmmermaid.  I chose that because of my 2 loves - the sea and palms.  I am always looking for a merman to kiss so I can turn into a mermaid!  Even my license plate is MERMAID.

Anyone else want to share their story?

[Kris]

I always like to stick to the user name with my name so its KrisAchar(Kris Achar) always.

And the avatar is Cycas Revoulta young sapling,and iam a fan of the cycas species...!

love,

Kris  

[doubravsky]

I just use my last name... it's uncommon enough that it's always open wherever I register!

For the avatar.. I chose a Hawaiian "KU" carving.. I have a love for all things polynesian art... especially woodcarving. Although that pic is not one of mine.. I need to swap it one of these days.

Kitty....  glad for the explanation... I always that it was "palmer   maid"!    Duh.... guess that doesn't make much sense now

[Kim]

The photo is an unfurling banana leaf from my garden, and my name is Kim, not very mysterious!  The unfurling leaf can be taken as a symbol for my 'new' interest in tropicals, now 3 years old.  

On other forums I've used made-up names and a cartoon character avatar.  I thought it was 'safer' to be anonymous, but it altered the perception of me in ways I hadn't anticipated.  I honestly think some people were crestfallen to discover that I was not a little Hawaiian surfer-girl orphan with a space alien for a pet, but an adult businesswoman with a family.  I like being a real person best.

Someday I will update my avatar with a spectacular photo from my garden, but first I have to grow it!

[www.dadluvsu.com]

Easter of 2006 I planted seeds of and grew about 1500 seedlings of some random flower (Zinnias, I believe) for an Easter Service to be held at Mizner Park's amphitheater.  These were given away to attendees in conjuncture with the sermon (I couldn't tell you the message today, I wasn't particularly fond with the cheesiness of that particular sermon).  But doing that gave me the peabrained idea that I could grow anything and everything!  Pigafettas in an herb jar on the window sill?  NO PROBLEM!! :laugh:  I thought palm trees were pretty darn cool, as I am in love with the tropics and the diverse flora and fauna.  

I really didn't didn't think much more of it at the time...

A couple days later I was doing my thing, riding around on my beach cruiser and saw a perfect Christmas Palm triple loaded up with a dumptruck or two full of seeds.  I asked the owner, who happened to be in the front yard working dilgently (the writing is always on the wall), if I could take a seed or two.  He practically begged for me to take them all.  I took 3 seeds home with me that afternoon.  I spent the evening hunting on the internet trying to find the best way to germinate palm seeds.  Came across a huge variety of palms that were rare and unusual.  The obsession was starting...  Came across a website called "Dave's Garden" and found this picture:

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/87473/  

It was all over, I was hooked.  How could anyone not fall in love?!  I ended up using the sterile baggie method for the Christmas Palms.  When they germinated I potted them up and had flashbacks of the Zinnia escapade and decided that if I could grow a handfull of silly little flowers and have them be used for God's purpose, that a forest of magnificent and unusual palms could surely be put to use!  Eventually my searches brought me to RPS.com and I placed a huge order.  Kept on the internet long enough and found out about ya'll, my palmfreak fam...  So thats the story of how I came to love palms. O yeah, and how I came up with my name...

Pious is defined by Merriam Webster as showing reverence for deity and devotion to divine worship.

My avatar is a whole seperate story and my fingers are beat...  I'll tell ya'll about it later!  Something about a girl, a bankrobbin' cocaine dealer, a beatup old pickup truck, a whole heap of aged rum in coconuts with a straw, and sleeping half naked on the side of the road in a cotton hammock in the Florida Keys...

:cool:

[DoomsDave]

Dave is my actual name and I'm from Southern California.

The avatar is "Kudzu" drawn by the late Bob Marlette (also an acid-tongued political cartoonist).  I guess when I was a dorky kid I looked a little like K.  When it comes to palms, etc., I'm still a dorky kid at heart.  Always something fresh the following morning.

I'm a lawyer, and if people get funny ideas because of my avatar, well, I'll giggle, too . . . .

dave

[palmmermaid]

Very interesting responses!  This is what I was hoping for.  Gives us all some insight into each other's unique personality.

Keep it coming.

[junglegalfla]

Around 2003-2004 I got bit by the gardening bug. I chose junglegal because I longed for my own tropical jungle and I'm a gal (last time I checked)

I chose the avatar because I always wanted to be a red head.

[palmmermaid]

(junglegalfla @ Nov. 06 2007,14:42)

QUOTE

Around 2003-2004 I got bit by the gardening bug. I chose junglegal because I longed for my own tropical jungle and I'm a gal (last time I checked)

I chose the avatar because I always wanted to be a red head.

Bren,

I want a jungle as well.  

I just became a redhead after being a blonde for 20 years or so.  I love it!  Just go for it!  It's only hair.

[metalfan]

Well, most of you know why I chose "Metalfan" and it ain't because I like to weld.

Its because I pretty much live and breathe heavy metal music from 6am til I go to bed, and because I embrace heavy metal culture, tattoo culture, and most things that go along with it.

Oh, and because I have a smidge of metal on my body (I'm pierced in, well, a variety of locations)

My avatar? I didn't really choose it, actually I couldn;t figure out how to put an avatar on and had tried a few unsuccessfully, and that one finally worked, so there is is. WHat I'd really like to do is make my own but I don't know how.

Kitty, I love mermaids too. We didn't name our daughter for Ariel the Mermaid (it actually had not been made when she was born, LOL) we named her for the water sprite in the Tempest, and because she is a Pisces. My mermaid tattoo was in honor of her.

[palmmermaid]

Gina,

I've always loved mermaids and horses, and now palms and most other plants.  Can't get into heavy metal music but that's why there are so many different kinds.  Diversity is what makes people interesting.

I can't figure out to get an avatar out here either so I don't even have one!

Nice about your tattoo for your daughter.  My granddaughter is named Arielle Catherine, the Arielle after a creature and because she is a Pisces and Catherine after me.

[Jeff in St Pete]

My name was Jeff in Tampa (I know, how original!) for many years.  After I moved, I changed Tampa to Costa Rica.  I've changed my avatar a few times.  The current one is a picture I took a few months ago when I visited the Arenal volcano.  

And Bren, I think you would look great as a red head!!  Take Kitty's advice and do it!

[osideterry]

In a moment of unoriginality (signing on at Dave's Garden) I combined my location with my first name. I kept the name when I found this place. If I were to start over again, I'd call myself "Bangalo Bill" as a nod to The Beatles song, and because I have more Archos than anything else.

I'm slowing rotating images of Oceanside, California, in my avatar. The current one is The San Luis Rey Mission, and previously I had the Oceanside Pier.

[freakypalmguy]

Great topic Kitty,

My wife calls me her freaky palm guy so I thought that was appropriate. My avatar is of my other passion camping. That pic was taken on one of our camping trips a few years back. Nothing like sitting around a warm campfire with a bunch of good friends and family.

Matt

[palmislandRandy]

My username is also part of my adress. Oh boy how original.   Randy

[Neofolis]

I used to use the nickname TekHed, which lacked any degree of thought or orignality and, as such, was often unavailable when signing up for things.  I decided to choose a name that I thought would remain unique, so I thought I would use a scientific name.  I looked at the genus of big cats, which is usually Pantera and thought that as that is the name of a popular power metal band from Texas, there is a good chance that other people will use it.  Fortunately cloouded leopards have their own distinct genus Neofelis.  I nearly chose that, but thought if I ever sign up to anything nature/wildlife related it may already be used.  Having cut off my long hair not long previously, i thought it would be appropriate to change it to Neofolis.  So far it has been unique in every situation I have wanted to use it.

My avatar is a photo of one of the Phoenix canariensis at Kew, which I took during my visit there in July 2006.  It was the first picture I could find that still looked like an impressive mature palm, with the size sufficiently reduced.  I may change it at some point, just to confuse people.

[Walter John]

My avatar is probably the 5th or 6th one I've used so far. I chose it because it is in the shape of "W", but that's just to fool you. It's a Chamaedorea  elatior.

I use the online name "Wal" so that some people may think that's my real name, but others are wiser, they know if your name was Wal, you wouldn't use it for your online name, so it must be a furfy and my real name must be something else, like, "Bob Dylan" or in American indian style "Sitting Butia" or  "Running Dypsis", "Crazy Howeas" or even " He plants fast palms".

So there Hugo.

[amazondk]

I used amazondk because I had been using it already for a variety of internet IDs.  Plus I like to identify with Amazonia.  I came up with the indian when I was looking for something representative of our area.  Tikis are not very Amazonian, but indians are.

dk

[palmmermaid]

Love all the responses!  I am always amazed and amused by people's creativity and view of themselves.

More, more.

[bubba]

As you have probably guessed,I am not computer literate.I have been a Palm nut practically all my life and for a period of time I lurked on this board enjoying the topics and discussions. Finally one day a topic came up that I had to respond to.Accordingly, I got a "friend" to help set me up so I could communicate.Besides setting me up, said"friend" also with no imput from me whatsoever, named me Bubba.I did not know my name until I posted and got roasted.Sometime latter, I noticed all these cool avatars but had no idea how to make one.I picked out an out of the ordinary South Florida palm shot. Once again, I enlisted the help of said"friend" to assist me with my avatar. Well I posted only to find a Gator not only on that post but all previous posts! Said "friend" had struck again.Truth is I am a chronic "Gator fan"and as for Bubba, it's kind of like a boy named Sue.I have always liked to fight things through. Just ask my poor wife and family.

[metalfan]

Well, Bubba, if you like I can set you up with Shelly Myers as your personal cycling instructor, LOL. She teaches at our gym here on Tuesdays at 9:30am. I never attend her class, because I can't stand the disco music she plays. As chance would have it though, out regular Wednesday girl was out today and she was our sub. My iPod sure got a workout. Glad I put that new "In Flames" and new "Avenged Sevenfold" on there last night, WHEW!

[Zac in NC]

Well, Mine is Zac in NC because I was in North Carolina( and might be back for a while soon). I am currently in Austin Texas but I didn't want to change my name LOL, call me lazy. My avatar is a Heliconia rostrata whose picture was taken back on my first trip to Mexico back in May of 05 at a place in Tamaulipas(Tad knows where I took it. He's got pics of the place in the Mexico thread).

Zac

[BS Man about Palms]

Kitty! great subject!

I chose mine as my initials (which bythemselves generate ...ummm, something ) and a play on a "Man about town".  As I've understood it, a general all-round good guy and always wants to be in on the latest and greatest anything.  So, I applied that to palms and became :

"BS, Man about Palms"  

My avatar is one of my semi-rare sports cars I own, A TVR 3000S, back when I raced it regularly.  Somewhat similar to your avatar issue, I got that done for me on a race car forum and had it, but have never done a "palm" one.   (Still play with cars, just went out this past Sunday and was the fourth fastest guy in the lot... (handicapped) in a MIATA.  

[bgl]

Sorry to be so boring but 'bgl' just happen to be my initials. Nothing too original, I'm afraid. And even though I'm all in favor of creativity, when it comes to something like this, I prefer for it to be short and to the point.

And my avatar obviously is the Dypsis sp. "Orange crush". One of my favorite palms, and probably the one that shows its color in the most dramatic way.

[Jeff Searle]

Well, let me see how I can explain this. The name I use, Jeff Searle, well thats my real name(believe me) given to me from my parents. lol...... :laugh:  And my avitar, it's my REAL face of me. It was taken from a village in Madagascar where we were passing through that day. What you can't see, is that there were about 10 cute little children standing behind me when the photo was taken. I had someone else set the avitar up for me because if I had'nt, it still would be blank today.Anyways, it's great to be a part of this great family.

Jeff

[metalfan]

Jeff, you should scan and post the whole pic.

If I was more photogenic, I'd post a photo of me as my avatar, but I'm not, LOL.

[palmmermaid]

Jeff,

I can picture with the kids when I hear Jimmy Buffet's song about Christmas on the Equator.  He mentions something about the smiles on the kids faces by the firelight in Zanzibar.  You should post the entire picture.  A National Geographic moment!

Gina,

Your body is a work of art!  Post it!  Me, I'm just plain but with dreams of tattoos.  I used to be a biker babe and have had temporary tattoos.  My husband would have a fit and this is one of the few things I have gone ahead and done anyway!  When I move to Hawaii I will get some primitive ones.

[bubba]

Gina, I understand Shelley Meyer is a tremendous person,who has alot to do with her husband's success. I don't think I could keep up with anybody in that class, including you, who by your Posts are a distance runner.You are lucky to live in G-ville,which is one of the more eclectic smaller cities I know about.A tremendous group of sharp people between all the doctors,professors and students. A great place to raise children,great schools, university activities and of course the Palms. Never would have expected to see the large varieties you folks are growing up there.

[DoomsDave]

(palmmermaid @ Nov. 06 2007,14:31)

QUOTE

Very interesting responses!  This is what I was hoping for.  Gives us all some insight into each other's unique personality.

Keep it coming.

Giggle

[Walter John]

Ahh.............., well..............., it's like this........

[OldNed]

As to the online name; My 1st name is Ned and, well, I'm.....you know-old.

The photo is one of many branching "King Palms" (probably Archontophoenix alexandre ) that I found growing in the parking lot of a plant nursery in Julatten, Northern Queensland.  There are at least 30 or 40 of these multi-branched palms around the driveway.  The place is "Helga's Nursery"-Just up the hill from Port Douglas (north of Cairns)....worth a look if you're in the area.

Here's more pix of the....Branching Kings

[metalfan]

Well, Bubba, I guess she's an okay person for local "royalty", LOL. Like I said, she and I are totally polar opposites with music so I quit taking her classes a LONG time ago. I see her a lot though. STeve Spurrier's wife, Jeri, did the same thing for, oh, about 15-20 years, LOL? She taught aerobics at the same gym. Imean, when you are already multi millionaires, I guess you need that little extra $15 per class. I never took her classes, either.

I gotta change my avatar, just gotta find the right thing that's still "appropriate".

[www.dadluvsu.com]

(metalfan @ Nov. 12 2007,16:56)

QUOTE

I gotta change my avatar, just gotta find the right thing that's still "appropriate".

Metal Palm?  ???

[metalfan]

Don't laff, I saw one today (a metal palm)

Someone who was smart enough to rip out their lawn, xeriscape and put in mainly gravel with waterwise plants had a metal palm sculpture. It was pretty cool

[www.dadluvsu.com]

This is a thread that doesn't need to go away... You thought it was dead, but I'm bringin it back!

[Darold Petty]

Women have always told me "You're not very exciting, but you are real reliable"! So I just use my real name and photograph. ( I do admit that my hair is more gray now, than in my avatar.)

[buccaneers37]

My avatar is an Alien (I am a science fiction freak) with an Aquarius symbol, which is my astrology sign.

My picture is (a younger) me with my two Macaws. The Green Wing is Gilligan, I've had him since early 1991 when he was just weaned. The Blue & Gold is Xuxa. I got her from a friend of mine in 2003, she is about 13 or 14.

My screen name came from the Buccaneers winning Super Bowl 37 on my 37th birthday on January 26th, 2003. My wife (who passed away in 2004) threw me a massive Birthday / Super Bowl party at the house. If you know me, you know I am a H-U-G-E Bucs fan (condolences accepted ). I have only missed one home game since I started going regularly on 12/18/77 (first ever home win against the Cardinals). I use this screen name on a lot of different sites, so if you see it, it will be me!

[Stevetoad]

STEVETOAD= steve(my name) + toad(nickname of mine. last name is horn. nickname is hornytoad that got cut down to toad)

avatar= drunk in hawaii

thats all i have to say about that...

[trioderob]

I have had like 800 avatars

where do you want me to start ???

[Stevetoad]

1325816916' post=505706]

I have had like 800 avatars

where do you want me to start ???

At the beginning!