Deconstructing Avatars

[eponym]

A fellow SB'er recently explained to me the derivation of his SB avatar. I found it interesting, and was surprised that he (given his background and chops) had not interpreted the meaning of mine. So anyone else want to reveal their inspiration? I'll start.

The goat is emblematic of Haldane, that wily Scot who was employed to get the miners back to work at the start of the industrial revolution. Deeper coal mines meant faster water seepage, and the response was to close the adits and pressurize the mines. Hence the miner's bends, thence Haldane's experiments on goats, ergo the first tables. I have always believed that we're all goats on this underwater bus, with bows to the late great Ken Kesey and the Firesign Theatre.

-Bryan

 

[El Orans]

Mine should be self explanatory.

 

[Thalassamania]

The signal flags I used to use were for the start of a voyage, "Engines in reverse, leaving the dock." My current one is just a photo of me and the DSO at Scripps, Jim Stewart standing in the deck of the R/V Orb during the sea trial of the Deep Rover submersible.

 

[eponym]

Neat. My daughter earned her doctorate at Scripps about a dozen years ago.

I know reversing: Sierra, blue on white, right? What's the signal for "leaving the dock"?

 

[TSandM]

My headlong flight into DIR diving and my comfort among my "own kind", coupled with my evangelical fervor, led others to dub me the "Borg Queen". Adobo provided the avatar.

 

[eponym]

"headlong flight" - great visual image for a diver!

 

[The Surly Mermaid]

Mine is actually me...I have been known as the mermaid for years (compliments of my father in law). I had long red hair and dove so the comparison was inevitable. After he really got to know me, I became known as S.A.M. (smart "arse" mermaid). A diving friend of mine, who happens to be a photographer, decided to "make" me into a mermaid. The pics were taken off Crescent Beach, Florida with a tail we made and a photoshop'd ship. My user name was taken off the back of a boat in the movie Finding Nemo.

 

[eponym]

SM: neat, thanks. The Nemo link's great and funny and I had no clue. I can say that I was shore diving in Manly (near Sydney, Australia/Oz) shortly after that movie came out and as we walked back up the beach, a four-year-old walking with his mum actually asked me, "did you see Nemo?"

 

[H2Andy]

well, just look at me ....

chicks dig me and dogs love me

 

[The Surly Mermaid]

That is so cute.... Of course you could have really freaked him out by saying... "No, but I saw Bruce!"