What does your avatar mean?

[Pew]

Mine is Pyle's rendering of Blind Pew from Treasure Island.

[Capn Bob]

My avatar? Just me at the base of Mt Everest...

Oh all right...spoil me fun, why don't you...it's just me, on the bridge that overlooks the Expedition Everest ride in the Asian area of Animal Kingdom, Walt Disney World...

[Capn Antonio Malasses]

My avatar means that there is a REALLY HOT wench who for some reason fell in love with a scurvy pirate like me.

That and Never take a picture of a person looking into the sun

Capn Antonio Malasses

[Mission]

Unfortunately, there are some people like Mission who change their avatars daily.....

Then there are the polite Pyrates who leave their avatars alone.... one look, and you know who you are responding to.... the non skitzo ones.....

Is it just me, or does anyone else get use to an avatar.... you feel comfortable typing to them.... then one day... WANGO....outta the blue... they change it..... woh... why? what kinda statement are they trying to make.... or did they just drink too much rum last night?....(as if anyone could ever drink too much rum)

I guess people like Missiom don't care 'bout that sorta thing......................

I still have that hat in me avatar picture.... but I ain't worn it in about 4 years....

But I leave me old picture up thar as a honist public service kinda thing......

Unlike avatar switchin' people like Mission.......

Who, me?

Speaking of which, I haven't updated this in a awhile. In fact, I may forget some of them it's been so long...

Since we last talked, there has been the professor:

Then there was Billy Bones from Lost in Space:

And myself, with Glasses, courtesy of Michelle:

Then me with my Actual 100% Real Mug, regardless of what Stynky said:

And of course we had Tom Servo mugging as a pirate:

Followed by the pirate Weeble:

Next was the Disney wheelman:

And a man wrestling a goat from the Smithsonian Bones Exhibit:

Next was the Stikfas pirate skeleton that Duchess sent me in our gift exchange:

Followed by this C&H panel:

Which brings us to the current one, which is a reference to the title our esteemed forum leader has plastered me with:

[Elena]

My avatar is a tall ship, because I love them. It might be one of the two ships my pirate characters are on - "The Sea Hound" or "The Caribbean Siren".

If there was a custom member title on this forum,as there are on some other resource forums, I would have written there "A seadog looking for crewmates", because this is what I am.

And my signature comprises two verses of the rhyming translation of Sol Picador's theme song - "La cancion del pirata" by Tierra Santa - and the two clickable buttons leading to the Age of Sail RPGs I am staff on...

[Mission]

If there was a custom member title on this forum,as there are on some other resource forums, I would have written there "A seadog looking for crewmates", because this is what I am.

Anyone who is willing to sift through and dig up old treasures (threads) from the archives is all right in my book. Let me grant that wish since you can't do it yourself.

[AlexRoberts]

Mine is when i bbqing with my love at like 9pm

[Elena]

Thank you very much, Mission, for giving me the title! Actually I saw other 2-3 interesting threads to answer... but perhaps I'll have more time today (given that I am at work, not much time for net surfing), or, if not, in the week-end (provided my net at home cooperates).

[Bright]

The History and Traditions of Skull Art

Within the Military of the USA, our warriors have incorporated SKULL ART into a brand of brash, self - assured art work that is typical of the American spirit of the Frontier and High seas adventure which dates back to American colonial times.

Soldiers and Marines, Submariners and Sailors, Aviators and Pilots have created and continue to create and paint insignias often without official authorization, but part of a unit's esprit - de - corps.

Nowhere is skull art more prevalent than in the U.S. Special operations community and skull arts originals and lasting legacy to it, which this document will chiefly address. It is representative of the Esprit de Corps... Skull's brandished via patch or paper send a message right away, "death to our enemies and we fear not death," all in one tidy little package without any verbalization. It was understood universally - whether the fight is in on the High Seas of Early Colonial America; deep within Japanese occupied China or in the present day middle east.

Ironically it was the pre colonial American Privateers who first modified their privateer Ensigns from 13 stars and stripes (representing the 13 early 1700's American Colonies) to fly a Skull and Cross Bones Art for the Americas. A Privateer is a sailor with a "letter of marquee" from a government, which "allows" the sailor to plunder any ship of a given enemy nation. Technically a privateer was a self employed soldier of fortune paid only by what he plundered from an enemy and thus, supposed to be above being tried for piracy. Most often, privateers were a higher class of Sailor with either naval or maritime service under his belt and came from good families. Privateers include Buccaneers (originally a term for those privateers who fought against the Spanish, later a general term for pirates of the Atlantic, specifically the Caribbean. The Buccaneers were first hunters of pigs and cattle on the island of Hispaniola - and French Corsairs a term used for Christian and Muslim privateers in the Mediterranean between the 16th and 19th centuries. The Christian Corsairs were known as the Maltese corsairs and they took their orders from the Knights of St. John to attack the Turks and counter Barbary corsairs from North African states often "hired" by Muslim nations to attack Christian Corsair ships.

Early First evidence of Skull art Used by US forces commences as far back as 1692 with Colonial American Privateer Thomas Tew who was a licensed Privateers man from Rhode Island. His flag did not have a skull or even a bone, just an arm wielding a cutlass or scimitar. Tew like many privateers simply retained their old (Jolly Roger) symbols, although black became the favored color.

Sir Thomas Tew seemed to think it more polite to suggest violence in his flag rather than death, and took the image of the sword rather than skull or bones. The message however was no less clear regarding the fate of any who opposed his advance. The images on a pirate flag were designed to indicate a certain message. The skull was a sign of death, but a skeleton, often with horns, indicated a tormented death. A dart or spear was used to indicate a violent death in contrast to the bleeding heart denoting a slow and painful death. The hourglass gave a threat that time was running out or that capture was inevitable. A raised fist or hand clutching a dagger or cutlass was to indicate a general willingness to kill. This was the image Tew chose. In the event that a ship was particularly evasive, or a pirate was particularly brutal, a red flag was raised to indicate that no quarter would be given (no lives would be spared) once the ship was captured. Tew's Ensign though not with Skull art was as recognizable on the High Seas as any earlier or later Pirates "Jolly Roger."

Though most people knew that Tew was a pirate, little is known about him prior to 1692 when he arrived in Bermuda and purchased a share in the sloop "Amenity". From there, he got the additional owners of the sloop interested in taking on a privateering commission from Bermuda Governor Isaac Richier. Together with the Royal African Company, they were to attack the French factory at Goori, in Gambia. Tew and his crew instead chose to sail off to the Red Sea where they attacked an Indian ship which they found to be very profitable. Tew settled in Rhode Island, but eventually was lured back to piracy. For when the outlets for legitimate privateering dried up at the end of the War of the Spanish Succession in 1714, many privateers turned to piracy. He took command of a pirate ship and sailed off to the Red Sea. He was killed in June of 1695 while attacking a large ship belonging to the Great Mogul of India.

My black flag is that of U.S. Special operations community that rules the night not seen or heard as my flag or tattoo of my flag on my right shoulder is rarely seen as many special operations are not seen nor heard of. The Skull is "death to our enemies and we fear not death," all in one tidy little package without any verbalization. It is understood universally.

The crossed cutlasses behind the skull are the weapon of an operator that is silent and used as close quarters weapon know to be the choice of skilled operators, or ayes means privateers, as a tattoo you are marked for life and those colors never run and form of permanent identification and comment to a cause.

Now, all my trade is ball and blade and blood forever

As it was me ink on my right sholder till the avatars went down and had to be redoner so now it just be me

The History and Traditions of Skull Art

Within the Military of the USA, our warriors have incorporated SKULL ART into a brand of brash, self - assured art work that is typical of the American spirit of the Frontier and High seas adventure which dates back to American colonial times.

Soldiers and Marines, Submariners and Sailors, Aviators and Pilots have created and continue to create and paint insignias often without official authorization, but part of a unit's esprit - de - corps.

Nowhere is skull art more prevalent than in the U.S. Special operations community and skull arts originals and lasting legacy to it, which this document will chiefly address. It is representative of the Esprit de Corps... Skull's brandished via patch or paper send a message right away, "death to our enemies and we fear not death," all in one tidy little package without any verbalization. It was understood universally - whether the fight is in on the High Seas of Early Colonial America; deep within Japanese occupied China or in the present day middle east.

Ironically it was the pre colonial American Privateers who first modified their privateer Ensigns from 13 stars and stripes (representing the 13 early 1700's American Colonies) to fly a Skull and Cross Bones Art for the Americas. A Privateer is a sailor with a "letter of marquee" from a government, which "allows" the sailor to plunder any ship of a given enemy nation. Technically a privateer was a self employed soldier of fortune paid only by what he plundered from an enemy and thus, supposed to be above being tried for piracy. Most often, privateers were a higher class of Sailor with either naval or maritime service under his belt and came from good families. Privateers include Buccaneers (originally a term for those privateers who fought against the Spanish, later a general term for pirates of the Atlantic, specifically the Caribbean. The Buccaneers were first hunters of pigs and cattle on the island of Hispaniola - and French Corsairs a term used for Christian and Muslim privateers in the Mediterranean between the 16th and 19th centuries. The Christian Corsairs were known as the Maltese corsairs and they took their orders from the Knights of St. John to attack the Turks and counter Barbary corsairs from North African states often "hired" by Muslim nations to attack Christian Corsair ships.

Early First evidence of Skull art Used by US forces commences as far back as 1692 with Colonial American Privateer Thomas Tew who was a licensed Privateers man from Rhode Island. His flag did not have a skull or even a bone, just an arm wielding a cutlass or scimitar. Tew like many privateers simply retained their old (Jolly Roger) symbols, although black became the favored color.

Sir Thomas Tew seemed to think it more polite to suggest violence in his flag rather than death, and took the image of the sword rather than skull or bones. The message however was no less clear regarding the fate of any who opposed his advance. The images on a pirate flag were designed to indicate a certain message. The skull was a sign of death, but a skeleton, often with horns, indicated a tormented death. A dart or spear was used to indicate a violent death in contrast to the bleeding heart denoting a slow and painful death. The hourglass gave a threat that time was running out or that capture was inevitable. A raised fist or hand clutching a dagger or cutlass was to indicate a general willingness to kill. This was the image Tew chose. In the event that a ship was particularly evasive, or a pirate was particularly brutal, a red flag was raised to indicate that no quarter would be given (no lives would be spared) once the ship was captured. Tew's Ensign though not with Skull art was as recognizable on the High Seas as any earlier or later Pirates "Jolly Roger."

Though most people knew that Tew was a pirate, little is known about him prior to 1692 when he arrived in Bermuda and purchased a share in the sloop "Amenity". From there, he got the additional owners of the sloop interested in taking on a privateering commission from Bermuda Governor Isaac Richier. Together with the Royal African Company, they were to attack the French factory at Goori, in Gambia. Tew and his crew instead chose to sail off to the Red Sea where they attacked an Indian ship which they found to be very profitable. Tew settled in Rhode Island, but eventually was lured back to piracy. For when the outlets for legitimate privateering dried up at the end of the War of the Spanish Succession in 1714, many privateers turned to piracy. He took command of a pirate ship and sailed off to the Red Sea. He was killed in June of 1695 while attacking a large ship belonging to the Great Mogul of India.

My black flag is that of U.S. Special operations community that rules the night not seen or heard as my flag or tattoo of my flag on my right shoulder is rarely seen as many special operations are not seen nor heard of. The Skull is "death to our enemies and we fear not death," all in one tidy little package without any verbalization. It is understood universally.

The crossed cutlasses behind the skull are the weapon of an operator that is silent and used as close quarters weapon know to be the choice of skilled operators, or ayes means privateers, as a tattoo you are marked for life and those colors never run and form of permanent identification and comment to a cause.

Now, all my trade is ball and blade and blood forever

As it was me ink on my right sholder till the avatars went down during an pub upgrade and had to be redone so now it just be an old sea dog

Edited October 3, 2011 by Bright

[Mission]

It's been over a year, I guess feel like updating this.

For several months I used this to go with the title Stynky gave me (Disgruntled Panda Face - a dumb inside joke that hasn't gotten any better with age):

Then, for quite a long time, I used Stitch as a Pirate as my avatar:

For about a day, I had Sheldon:

But that seemed stupid and not piratey, so I switched it to Captain Drago and Sheego for about an hour:

But I didn't like that photo, so I switched it again to one I liked better:

I eventually got bored of that, plus it was too complicated for the tiny space provided, so I adopted the eye-patch wearing ape from the horrendous Japanese rip-off film Time of the Apes:

Then I decided to use Shawn from Psych during the episode where he was pretending to be a civil war re-enactor:

And I have just lately changed it to a new photo of the brain gremlin because I had to go through the whole process to write a tutorial on how to switch avatars and I liked this photo I screen-captured. (It's been years since I used him as my avatar here.)

Of course, this one is not really piratey and it is also sort of complicated for the tiny space, so who knows how long I'll keep it?

There, now I feel all up to date. Feel free to share the story of your avatar. :)

[Capt. Bo of the WTF co.]

Mine went missing after one of the pub upgrades, but it meant that there's a grumpy old biker living in the Ozarks with nothing better to do than dress up in colonial clothes and talk to horses.

WTF co.= White Trash Fur company.

...or it could mean

White Trash Forge co.

...or ten years ago:

Who Turned Forty co.

...or this December:

Who Turned Fifty co.

Take yer pick.

Bo (who don't wanna be captain no more).

Edited September 29, 2011 by Capt. Bo of the WTF co.

[peglegstrick]

From one grumpy old Biker to another.....could be worse....I just turned fiftysix. Beats the alternative

[Capt. Bo of the WTF co.]

From one grumpy old Biker to another.....could be worse....I just turned fiftysix. Beats the alternative

These days I ain't so sure the alternative ain't the better of the lot.

Bo

[peglegstrick]

Dont talk that way Bo.....Ya got to many here pulling for you!

[Morgan]

Mine means going into berserker-mode when fighting.

[James Smythe]

Mine is a picture a friend snapped of me while I was a bit tipsy at St. Louis Pirate Festival and was trying on crowns.