Your Avatar..does it sum up who you are?

[Beach Chick]

Mine is of flowers I took in my garden..
I think it is a good representation of who I am..I am a freak for flowers.

[Karl S]

Yep.

[c oliver]

Too funny :)

[meatn3]

It represents some aspects...

Foodwise, I'll try anything once and am open to experimentation. I rather like the curiosity and mad scientist focus expressed in my avatar. I like to think that I'm a tad less dangerous!

[manraysky]

My avatar is the cookbook I taught myself to cook from. I still have it and use it.

[tracylee]

Mine has been my avatar for a few years on the forum I run: http://www.curvesforum.com . Someone posted a link once to a quiz about what kind of dog are you most like, and mine came back a Tibetan Terrier. My co-admin came up with a pic of a tibetan terrier and it's been my av to this day. Having long, often-shaggy hair, I feel it fits!

[kattyeyes]

Mine is of my beautiful black cat. We both have green eyes and enjoy sushi and rich dairy items such as eggnog and ice cream. ;)

[BarmyFotheringayPhipps]

You bet: I'm someone who thinks avatars are silly. Anyone else remember The Great Avatar War back when they were first introduced here?

[LindaWhit]

I do remember it BFP. I was one of those against it at the time, mostly because you couldn't see the damn things. However, once TPTB finally got the pop-ups working again, I was OK with it.

My avatar pretty much says it. I love to cook. I'm not as imaginative as many of the CH'ers out there, but I cook. And I love it. However, I'm not as skinny as my avatar is.

[Caroline1]

I don't even know if you can truly call mine an "avatar." It's just me. So I guess it sums me up, except that it's a few years old now, but at 75 what's a few years? But at least it's not gross misrepresentation. Ever been to one of those small concerts where the "star" is about 23 in all of the posters and program photos, then when he comes on stage, he's now 182? Well, at least I didn't do that...!

[Sam Fujisaka]

I'm an old geezer, hardly a cat
You'd never catch me in that stovepipe hat
And that yellow sock suit, I'd have to be daft

And waving a sign to say who I am
I'd have to be just a bit more of a ham
So my avitar doesn't quite catch who I am

But the sign does name the name that I am
And you all know I'm not afraid of green eggs and ham
But me being the cat is is just old spam in the can

[Caroline1]

There was a young old-man in Cali,
With poetry right up his alley.
He'd write poems and songs
And a few sing-alongs.
Let's dub him our laureate, shall we?

[jfood]

jfood is sure that green eggs and ham has absolutely past through the lips of the man from Cali.

Happy New Year.

[Veggo]

Perhaps from diving your dumpster, jfood?....:)

[jfood]

jfood is learning. He bought chicken last monday, cooked tuesday and ate leftovers for lunch on friday.

[Sam Fujisaka]

OMG...you didn't!! What's the world coming to? I'll have to find a new dumpster.

[c oliver]

Holey moley! Sam could starve.

[Scargod]

I have eaten green-shelled eggs (from neighbor's chickens), but not them and ham at the same time.
I am eating unfrozen smoked turkey. Tetrazinni last night, sammiches today.

[Scargod]

Even with paws like a kitty
Sam is the man with the ditty
he not only can type, and still take a swipe
'cause he's the old geezer who's witty

[Gio]

Being deathly afraid of green eggs and ham
I'd never go diving to find the old Spam.
But if there's a heaven right here on earth
T'would be in Cali with The Man and the mirth.

[Sam Fujisaka]

Thanks, you all.

[Caralien]

Mine is me, as caricatured by a friend of mine.

I don't know if that means I'm really a cartoon character or projects the idea that I might think in black and white, as I haven't really thought about it much (but I certainly don't want to be one-dimensional).

[Gio]

Avatar = A temporary manifestation or aspect of a continuing entity.
So yes, my avatar is a representation `per me`.

[Scargod]

Nah. Even the avitar expansion (on mouseover) is not very big. Hard to see any detail. The simple avitars seem to work the best. One person said they thought mine was a bird!
Mine is a colorful snail. I got the nickname Escargot from my younger brother and then it evolved to Scargo because of the joke about the snail with the sportscar and the "S" on it. I used to race sports cars. My Chowhound name was originally Scargo but I modified it, thinking I couldn't retrieve my old name (a long time ago).
I might do a snail in a sportscar if it were distinguishable from a worm in a turnip...

[Catskillgirl]

well, now it does, lol! I've tried numerous times to upload a photo but it never worked. Just now I tried again and successfully uploaded a pic of my sweet girl Rosalita. She's my dog of a lifetime and I adore her. And she appreciates good food as much as I do. *G*

[Veggo]

My red squirrel avatar, (photo credit to my brother in Vermont) has eerie parallels to the human experience. From Wikipedia: "Males compete with one another for the opportunity to mate with the estrous female. Estrous females will mate with 4-16 males."
This partially explains the woeful condition of my dating life, those cheatin' squirrels.

[Catskillgirl]

Your posts really need a warning label - I just spit soda all over my keyboard.

That's a mighty good-looking squirrel, btw. :-)

[Scargod]

More than one, huh? You're always braggin'! However, I think you've got your nuts in your mouth.....

[c oliver]

Bad Scargod :)

[Veggo]

We forgive him. Snails leave slimy trails until they are served with butter and garlic; they can't help themselves.

[c oliver]

Sounds like a better garden solution than salt or beer.

[Scargod]

That's right. Always drooling for that garlic and butter combo. True, I can't help myself...

[Miss Needle]

If you take Hello Kitty literally, no. I'm not a teenage Asian girly-girl who's got Hello Kitty stuff all over her room and is infatuated with cute things.

But if you look at Hello Kitty more metaphorically, perhaps yes. Kitty's got no mouth because she speaks from the heart. She never ages (well, physically I age but I sometimes have the maturity of a damn ten year old!). And my relationship with Hello Kitty is kind of representative of my relationship with Chowhound. I love-hate Hello Kitty.One one hand, I find her endearing and adorable. On the other hand, I think it's kind of freaky that so many grown women (including me) can be so infatuated with her. And I find websites like kittyhell.com hysterical. And in spite of her scariness I'm still drawn to her siren song. Kind of like Chowhound -- I love this website and the community here on one hand. And sometimes this website can get on my nerves -- like the whole chowhound/foodie debate. And there are probably more productive things I can be doing with my time. Yet I'm still drawn to this site.

[Catskillgirl]

Have you seen the Hello Kitty Maternity Hospitals recently opened in Japan? OMG. I find that just a bit scary...

[Miss Needle]

Yeah. Ha ha. Too bad I'm not in Taiwan. It's mesmerizing and scary at the same time.

[Catskillgirl]

Sounds like a good way to take your mind off of labor pains, doesn't it? LOLOL!

BTW, I know you're a North American - I meant "have you seen" in an online kind of way. I'm now attempting to remove my foot from my mouth...

[Candy]

Sometimes, but I change it occasionally. I use a photo of a magnolia from my tree, my soughern roots showing there I guess. Sometimes it is one of my "girls". Currently it is my Loulou the total imp. Doon't know what it will be the next time I decide to change it.

[c oliver]

My dog is more photogenic than I am. Not better looking;more photogenic :)

[Catskillgirl]

I was going to post above that my dog is much prettier than I am, which is another reason to use her pic, not mine.

[c oliver]

But I fine-tuned that for you, didn't I?!?

[MMRuth]

My dog is a chowhound as well, though perhaps less discerning - I'm not inclined to snarf up used Kleenex on the street.

[c oliver]

Or my dog who bit all the way through the OXO "flipper" (what DO you call that?) while we were gone :)

[Scargod]

Spatula or chew toy.

[c oliver]

Ho ho. She is the ultimate chowhound. No food or container or utensil is safe from her. Haven't had a tall dog in a few years :)

[c oliver]

She's on Xanax and Prozac now for "separation anxiety." After a "Note from a Moderator" I've been tempted to share her meds with myself. Today, in our absence she removed several cans from the pantry. Glad she chose the fur coat over the opposeable thumbs so she couldn't work the pull tabs.

[Passadumkeg]

A Korean meal?

[c oliver]

I threaten but obviously not convincingly.

[soypower]

Mine is a frame from an animated gif of a kitten punching the screen...Kinda like me, all bravado, no real bite...unless you count food. i definitely bite into that.

[im_nomad]

Mine kind of does.., i just think it's a humorous way to depict that I have a bit of a devious side, and also on another note, that baking ( and cooking in general ) is one of the passions in life, and all passions, of course, come part and parcel with a forbidden aspect that is very appealing indeed ! I loved this avi when I saw it, yep that's me, a bad girl (not really) with cookies, lol.

This avatar is also part of a signature, co-existing with a swan-shaped cookie cutter to represent "swan-scones" on a band's site I frequent .....and if anyone else knows what that means (and what band), you win a cookie ! ;)

[Quine]

I think mine is a good (I hope so) representation. It is direct, eye to eye, as I tend to be, simple but complex if you look more than a glance( The pic is actually composed of items found in nature, bark, butterfly wings etc) and easy to make out what the heck it is at such a small size.

[Googs]

An absolutely fabulous question sweetie.

[JamieK]

Um, yeah, okay googs -- is that an image of you in your avatar?

[Googs]

Sweetie, sweetie, dahling, dahling no. Don't panic dahling. It's Patsy from the 90's British tv comedy, Absolutely Fabulous.

Really? You thought that was me? I do have more in common with her than I care to admit...

And you? Is this a case of you are what you drink?

[JamieK]

oh crap, and I used to watch that faithfully, loved it.

And yes I yam what I yam -- a pinot noir.

[Wahooty]

Oh, Googs, you're totally shattering the illusion here. Your avatar is what initially drew me to follow and remember your posts. If I met you, I'd be so disappointed to find that you didn't look (or more importantly, SOUND) exactly like Joanna Lumley.

And while I no longer watch South Park, I'd say my little avatar is pretty representative. Adorable, yet surprisingly foul...and wearing a labcoat!

[Googs]

LOL. Adorable and foul. Quite a combo. Is Wahooty a noun or a verb? Do you have a recipe for cheesy poofs?

JamieK... Pinot noir... The Gemini of wines. Let's see, classy, a knowledgeable choice without being pretentious, amicable, able to get along with anything and anyone in the room, the choice to make when you have tough choices. Yeah, I can see that.

[JamieK]

Whoa! I am actually in real life a Gemini! I had never thought of pinot noir in those terms. That's impressive but scary ;->

[Wahooty]

In my case, Wahooty is a proper noun (thus the capitalization of my screen name), derived from some college-era nicknames. The only other usage I've ever seen is as a particularly exuberant exclamation of delight. Nonsensical and delightful? Yup, that's probably me too. ;)

I shudder to think of what it would mean as a verb...I can't say for sure, but I think "wahootying" someone MUST be illegal in at least a handful of southern states...

Not a big fan of cheesy poofs. Snacky smores, on the other hand...

...and I think your analysis has summed up JamieK very nicely. :)

[coll]

Might be my favorite moment from Ab Fab "It's Stoly darling!" These avatars are too small actually, although I hated them at first.

[jfood]

My Avatar IS ME!!!! Wow, I finally got to say it.

I'm in a good mood since jfood just fed me, let me out for a little frisbee, back into the house for a senior bisquit and little jfood is coming over for some Chicken Pot Pie and Pasta Fagioli.

Unfortunately jfood is bummed that the Dolphins did not even show up today so i have to kick in my Therapy Dog credentials and help the old guy out.

Dr. Pups reporting for duty.

[Quine]

Quine went out to lunch with Mom and Mom watched the football TV over her shoulder all during it. Now Quine brought home Prime Rib Kitty bags and she still isn't sharing! We have the keyboard surrounded!

[im_nomad]

aww therapy dog. one of the last things I did before heading home to my new hockey-rink-esque kitchen last night was pick up the fuzz-butt from the kennel. Her sweet little self was definitly pup therapy once things settled down, and has gotten extra treats today for not launching into neediness zone during the crisis (also because I missed her when away for nearly two weeks).

Does Dr. Pups have a "Dear Dr. Pups" column??

[Marge]

My avatar is the photo from my therapy dog's credential id card--minus me (who's holding her). We are both lovers of chow, in our own ways.

[HillJ]

Our avatar represents taking a bite out of life.
Hill & J

[nolanani]

A rose by any other name....
Nah, it doesn't sum me up. I was just happy to finally figure out how to upload the avatar and had several pictures from which to choose. I thought the rose was the prettiest. I am very interested in the screen names, also. Sometimes I read the name and think I can figure out the avatar and then am surprised when I see the larger picture.

[Luvfriedokra]

I think so-when I'm not thinking about food I'm thinking about travel. I took this picture in Vienna, where I also ate some fabulous meals. It's like a mini vacation every time I look at pictures from that trip.

[Wahooty]

Oo, I have pictures of that statue too! And yes, it brings back lovely memories, even if mine are more of the student-budget, pastries and coffee variety...

[chowser]

Nope. When avatars were first introduced, I played around with it and thought I'd change it back once I was done. Turns out you can't and I couldn't be bothered to find something clever.

[coll]

Too bad, I was just thinking I should change to something more humorous. I originally tried to load a picture of my dog and couldn't, so I sent a picture of a local neighborhood cow instead just to see if it worked. Which isn't too far off: I started out life in NYC and kept slowly moving a little further away: now I live in "the country" which is where it seems I was meant to be. So I guess the answer is yes, by coincidence.

[Scargod]

Nice choice! Too many damn cats and dogs anyway. Not enough gastropods.....

[emmaroseeats]

Or ungulates. : )

[thew]

no.

it shows a part of my life. a big part. but does not sum up the whole of me

[bermudagourmetgoddess]

Mine is just a picture of me having a blast catching Wahoo in Bermuda on my husband's boat...Woo Hoo...having a blast with food and life!

[swsidejim]

mine is a pic of my smoker on my deck overlooking the woods on my property. I dont know if it sums up who I am, but it shows one of my favorite hobbies & places to hang out, as well as my devotion to a meatatarian diet.

- also I think I owed all the bake-b-q, and boil-b-q enthusiasts on CH a look at the only type of equipment real bbq can be made on. . : - p

[Scargod]

That looks like wood railing. I think you are in violation of fire codes by having it that close! :)
I'm just jealous. Perhaps this summer...

[swsidejim]

funny, :-)

yes a wood deck with a fresh coat of stain this summer.. I just make sure I am there to supervise those long smoking times(a good excuse for getting some sun, and drinking a few cold ones on a lazy summer afternoon)

[Cookiefiend]

Pretty much... it is me

Standing tall (as always) in the sun, where I want to be.

[linguafood]

Why, of course! I'm as sensitive as a raw egg, have been cracked a few times, and the jury's still out on whether I'm good or bad for people '-)

[Deenso]

Mine is a picture of the butter cookies that I do best. And usually bake only once a year - at Christmas - to give away to my co-workers. Too dangerous to do more often than that.

[Janet from Richmond]

Mine is of my brother and me circa 1965. I am one and he was 13....he's the one who gets most of the credit for my love of food, so I felt it was appropriate.

[BobB]

Of course! I'm a lemon, nothing more, nothing less.

Actually I didn't put any more thought into picking it than I did in choosing my screen name, I just thought it was yellow and foodish so it would do ;-)

On the subject, I must say I'm kind of surprised by how many people use dogs as their avatars. I wonder if a few did it and lots of others saw it and just followed suit? Myself, I'm a cat person, with a couple of gorgeous purebreds, but I would never use their pictures to represent me, it would be demeaning to them.

[HillJ]

I always thought the reason why some community members selected dogs as their avatars was to tie into the Chow-hound and original J.L. logo, a cartoonish dog...no?
Am I clueless (again)?

[BobB]

Doh! I'm the dense one. Hound = dog. All the more reason not to put my cats out here.

[Candy]

I think I was first with the dog(s). My girls in their bibs ready to eat

[tracylee]

I guess I never thought of the dog thing being so common, but you're right. I'm a cat person and haven't had a dog since I was a kid at home.

It'd be easy to find a pick of my cat, and he's pretty a pretty good looking Siamese/Himmy mix, but over the years, I've grown attached to my av.

[Catskillgirl]

"it would be demeaning to them"
Which is why I use my dog, rather than any of my gorgeous cats! The dog doesn't care what I do with her pictures. The cats would probably sue me for copyright infringement, or at least want royalties...

[Will Owen]

Well, that's me at an excellent fundraiser party for our Humane Society, and I am as you see a hat-and-bowtie sort of person (just for fun), and I've had too much food and almost enough wine, and I've got this kitten cuddled under my chin...oh, yeah.

FWIW, I have the same picture as my official ID on my press card...

[steve h.]

not necessarily. my avatar is "brilliant", a wooden schooner built by sparkman and stephens and owned by the good folk at mystic seaport (we chartered her some time back). by no stretch of the imagination am i anywhere close to being brilliant. still, deb and i are sailors. we've sailed the atlantic coast to the keys, the bahamas/exumas as well as the eastern caribbean. crossed the 'stream a bunch of times. our 34' pacific seacraft sailboat (sold last december) was named "morning calm". kept her for 10 years. our cruising ground was block island to cape may. time for a new hobby, i guess.

forgot to say that life at 5 knots is really cool. there are wasted and useful lives. choose carefully.

[Passadumkeg]

You need to sail Penobscot Bay, Cappy. but keep a close eye for unmarked ledges. Hit one in my ol' Cal 27.

[steve h.]

Hours of boredom, moments of sheer terror.
I do love it so.

[HungryRubia]

I think it just scratches the surface...it's me eating Dominican street food at 6am after a night of dancing...the look on my face definitely shows my personality, though...

[Betty Boop]

No

[vvvindaloo]

My avatar represents me in that I am female and I love spaghetti (and all pasta, really) with a passion. Does it sum up who I am? Perhaps more than I initially believed!
And, yes, I do recall the Great Avatar War, and those who would campaign to, ahem, boycott said manifestations of individuality.
I, too, was once nostalgic for those original little orange/red guys, but now I appreciate all of the different (albeit tiny) windows into other hounds' souls!

[lisavf]

No representation of me, just a photo that I took of a spotted salamander in my yard. I chose it back when the standard avatar was red, so I thought the bright blue would stand out... then they changed the standard avatar to bright blue. It was a bit of a challenge to upload it and get it to look sort of all right, so I'm sticking with it for now.

[Whosyerkitty]

uhhhh...no. Mine is my darling cat Joplin and I'm nowhere near as cute as her.

[Passadumkeg]

Yup, that's me. Stuck inside of Mobile with the Memphis blues again. Behind me is a Maine town name sign, near Augusta, that points to the towns of Poland, Mexico, Sweden, China, Denmark etc. I moved to Maine from years overseas to put our kids through college and now I wish I was back overseas, but alas, the years have caught up w/ me. Where have all the flowers gone?
Bob Dylankeg

[Catskillgirl]

I love that sign! Very kewl indeed

[Veggo]

Where have all the flowers gone? Tangled up in Bluebonnets, Dylankeg.

[steve h.]

lol.

[Passadumkeg]

Nasturtium salad.
Veggo, I can't look at a solid pistachio w/out smiling.

[Veggo]

Passa, I'm working on the pistachio sequel. It's a 10 year task. I got a 4 pound bag at Christmas, I have eaten half, and I have exactly 7 perfect pistachios, that you could not open with a jaws-of-life tool. I'm looking at them now, in a mexican glazed saucer, smiling at my new beginning. I'll report back, around 2018.
There is no shortage of deserving victims.

[Beach Chick]

Veggo..
You really need your own cable show..

[Passadumkeg]

Enjoy Mexico, it's 20 below this morning. Eat some good menudo for me.
I'm looking at a job in Raton.

[Veggo]

Mark, please correct or update your e-mail address on your profile.
Veggo

[Passadumkeg]

the email address works [e-mail], other hounds have used it successfully. Just trapped 4 red squirrels last weekend. Got 32 last winter. Red tree rats!

[c oliver]

Do you eat them??? We have big grey squirrels which seem pretty benign but also have little brown ground squirrel and chipmunks which will dig up bulbs, chew on new growth on trees. Can't vegetable garden here as summers are too short but they do drive me nuts --- except when I'm enjoying them :)

[Passadumkeg]

Only gray squirrels the red don't have enough meat to justify. turn them lose in chain box store gardening sections. Heh, heh. Revenge of the loca vore.

[Scargod]

There is water-thin cyanoacrylate (or super glue), available (usually at hobby stores), which can be wicked into anything. This would make for really hard to open nuts... :)

Your red squirrel avatar: Are those pistachios in its cheeks?

[Catskillgirl]

Or is he just happy to see you?

Sorry.

[Scargod]

Your avitar.... Is that a bone, er.... in your mouth?

[Masa Assassin]

Yes.
Mine is Mr. Blonde from Reservoir Dogs, we share some personality traits.

[mollyomormon]

Mine is me blowing out the candle on my birthday cheese.

[Glencora]

I love birthday cheese! A few years ago I gave my mother a wheel of brie (with a candle) for her birthday. She thought it was cheesecake and was so happy when she realized it wasn't.

As for me, I just tried to get a clear, simple picture. It says pretty much nothing about me. I considered all sorts of paintings..Manet, Titian...and movie stills (Barbara Stanwyck maybe?) but it seemed pointless.

[grayelf]

I like the idea of avatars but they always seem to be hard to decipher (apparently size DOES matter). Mine represents my love of cats (I guess I am a Cat Chow rather than a Chowhound) and the nominal bilingualism of my hometown Vancouver where this photo of a sign was taken. If you can't read it, it says Chat Lunatique which means Crazy Cat. This is the only site I use it on (on others I am a barbequed porchetta and an antique ceiling lamp that looks like alien eyes) so perhaps all three together are close to a representation of me :-).

[Glencora]

That's funny. Of course, how can one picture sum you up?

I recently switched from a pepper to my cat with the only mouse she's likely to catch.

[KaimukiMan]

im surprised many don't know that if you drag your cursor over the avatar a larger version appears on screen.

Yes that's Diamond Head in my avatar, and the neighborhood you can't see behind Diamond Head is Kaimuki (Ka-imu-ki). Don't know how well it sum's me up, blue sky, warm blue ocean... must be some great food there somewhere.

[tracylee]

I've got "chat lunatique" as a door sign packed away somewhere. With an 11-year-old crazy Siamese, it's perfect!

[vday]

I got one of those chat lunatique signs a few years back when the stray from the back field took over my house. She is now happily cohabitating with me under the name Luna . . .in fact she's upside down in a sunspot in the family room as I type this.

[kattyeyes]

<<she's upside down in a sunspot in the family room as I type this.>>

A sure sign of a happy cat, if ever there was one! ;)

[junescook]

While I know Glencora understands that I live in a multi pet househould (5 alpacas, 3 cats, 1 African Grey Parrot) , I personally take sole parenthood of two meezer cats, i.e. two siamese rescue guys that completely run our house. Meezers ae an interesting breed of animal, kind of a cross between a dog and a monkey but with a personality between a child and Napoleon.

Your Chat Lunatique says a lot.

http://va.siameserescue.org/webbuild.php

[alanbarnes]

>>"Meezers ae an interesting breed of animal, kind of a cross between a dog and a monkey but with a personality between a child and Napoleon."<<

You owe me a new keyboard.

[danhole]

At first I just put a picture of my puppy Chloe, because she was cute, but now that I think of it It does sort of sum up who I am on chowhound. See how one ear is up and one is down. Well, she is half poodle and half chihuahua. At that point I think she was trying to decide which half was going to be more dominate. (BTW the chihuahua side won and she has big bat size ears now.) Also note the confused look. That's how I feel sometimes around here. Am I a CH or just a cooker? Am I doing it the right way or not? Am I working hard at this or hardly working at it? Regardless of the answers, more often than not I end up wagging my tail and getting my belly rubbed by all the nice people who take time to answer me, but I still end up baffled sometimes! I think I am just too complex to sum up in one single avatar! LOL!

[Passadumkeg]

Confused? I had an enlightening experience last month. We visited my brother and his "old New Mexican" ( as verses Chicano?) wife last month for a week in Henderson, a very upscale 'burb" of Vegas. One of the first things I found was a great taco truck (even though we had eaten breakfast an hour earlier) we went by the same truck later in the week and they pooh poohed it. They took us to some upscale chains Lucille's (good) and Claim Jumper (poor). These kind of places are where they frequently dine. My brother is a Foodie!(Scargod, don't you dare tell him I said that!). I'd rather dumpster dive for taco trucks and hole in the walls. Plastic America, you can have it.
Carpe Chow
My chubby choco lab might make a good avatar. I'm wagging my tail wanting to be petted and / or fed.

[danhole]

So I guess you are giving me absolution because I would rather eat at the local mom & pop, or taco stand, instead of spending the big bucks on the upscale, "gotta go" new place in town. Does that mean I am a real CH and not a foodie? If so my tail is wagging so hard my body is shaking!

And why is it so hard to get my local CH's to try place in my 'hood that are relatively unknown but very delicious, just because they are outside the "radar" of the food reviewers? It's total snobbery, I say. Sure they will go on a taco truck crawl, but try out a family run restaurant that has been there 50 years, or an italian place in a strip center that is very good - no way! Not pretty enough!

[c oliver]

Never any doubt about YOUR status. Now Mister Hole is a different story :)

[Passadumkeg]

Two tacos al pastor and 3 lingua and you are absolved, my daughter.
Father Keg

[Glencora]

I really wish Alan Barnes would reply to this thread.

[Caroline1]

Late reply, but I wanted to be sure Alan had time to speak for himself. I'm pretty sure his avatar is a picture of Al Capone, but if you go to his profile page and check out his pictures, there is a delightful photograph of him there with a big fat durian he bought in Hawaii while on vacation. Be sure to go to the post that goes with the photo and read it. Here's hoping it was a rental car! If not, lets all hope he gave it a nice funeral. '-)

[BobB]

All this avatar talk got me in the mood to rethink mine, and after a couple of changes I've settled on a shot of a painting by Andrei Protsouk that hangs in our kitchen, entitled Oysters. Though it actually appears to be about mussels. And is a bit risque, though you can't really see the details when it's shrunk to the size of an icon. You can if you click here though:

[kattyeyes]

OK, that's hysterical. I saw your avatar had changed, but before you posted the photo we could see full-size, I thought it was a cartoon dog with a long snout wearing a dress! HA HA HA! Thanks for clearing this up. ;)

I would like to know what is going on in the photo nbermas uses as her avatar. I have looked at it time and time again and I have no idea what it is.

One last comment on an avatar of someone I read--HillJ. For the longest time, I thought it was a small carafe pouring into a glass of wine...didn't realize till much later it's a PBJ with a bite out of it. Funny what you see/don't see when the images are so small.

[jfood]

jfood has stared at nbermas' avatar over and over again and agrees...what is it?

[LindaWhit]

To me it looks like it's a dark-faced llama jumping over a barrel (left to right in picture and the llama's hindquarters are just clearing the barrel on the left) with a mostly bald guy just behind the llama's head (the nose of which is partially cut off to the right by the limitation of the avatar).

What do I win? ;-)

[kattyeyes]

You are definitely closest to the pin, LW. I wish nbermas would chime in and confirm or deny. I want to see the whole photo and hear a story about it at this point! If that *is* a llama, it looks like it has a fist up against the side of its head and I'm sure that's not right. I'm sure you're right that it's a (docile) mostly bald guy. ;)

[Glencora]

Speaking of avatars, you changed yours. I pay particular attention because I also have a black cat with Siamese blood. Mine is quite bad-tempered. Yours looks mellow.

[kattyeyes]

Yes, I was playing around with the camera and liked this most recent shot of April and those eyes! She's a sweetheart and a talker. Also a chowhound, she put her paw on the fridge today to ask for her canned salmon. So your part-Siamese is more like Bucky Katt, eh? ;)

I like your cat and mouse, btw--very clever!

[vvvindaloo]

A llama? I see a somewhat overweight cat leaping over a barrel with a human holding on to its tail :)

[LindaWhit]

LOL! Like a cat would ever deign to allow a human to hold its tail. ;-) (not that I'm thinking a llama would appreciate it much either!)

[kattyeyes]

<< What do I win? ;-) >>

I think nbermas would be happy to send you a Coke. And one for C1, too! ;)
Mystery solved! Thank you, nbermas, for sharing your story:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/6157...

Now I really wish I could post my alpaca video, but I will restrain myself.

[Sam Fujisaka]

It is a very fat French mime (or a normal sized French mime with a tiiinnnnyy head) in a full body stocking falling over backwards, legs akimbo, over a couple of barrels.

[BobB]

nbermas avatar looks to me like a cat sprawled on its back, something one of ours does all the time. But the head is outside the left of the photo.

[Caroline1]

Well, I'm coming in on this waaaaaay late, and obviously nbermas is letting us all stew in our own curiosity, but to me it is obviously a man leading a llama through a barrel jumping course. I think... '-)

[kattyeyes]

OBVIOUSLY. ;) I even answered a query for nbermas and invited her (?) to join us here to set us straight, but no dice. BTW, I had a very up close and personal look at an alpaca last weekend. She became very interested in my camera and looked RIGHT into the lens, then proceeded to sniff me. All captured on video. It makes me laugh every time I watch it, too. No barrel jumping or Chowhound discussions ensued, though.

[LindaWhit]

Well, it's obvious to me and Caroline - we both answered that way! LOL

[Caroline1]

I'm not absolutely certain, but I think llamas, alpacas and vicunas all spit like camels do. You're lucky you din't get your lens washed! But then you could have justifiably had had alpaca steak for dinner! '-)

[kattyeyes]

You are correct about the spitting. In fact, my mom was in the middle of a little lesson on how to put your hand up should the alpacas appear to be getting ready to spit when Dolly got very interested in my camera. I think you're right I was lucky she just wanted to sniff me and not spit at me. Now, dammit, you'd think all this alpaca/llamarama would get nbermas over here. Hmph! ;)

[Passadumkeg]

Alpaca steaks are very much like venison.

[kattyeyes]

That may well be, but I won't be eating any--of either!

[Passadumkeg]

They sneak both into hot dogs, esp. in Ct.

[kattyeyes]

Very funny, Mr. Keg!

[Scargod]

All-purpose, like lamb! Lamb dogs. Alpa-dogs!

[kattyeyes]

You oughta feel pretty sheepish serving up a lamb dog, Scardog.

[Scargod]

Rabbidogs? Squirrelly sausages? Fowl ball dogs?

[Googs]

Do cats have feathers? That thing appears to have feathers. I'll go with some kinda chicken.

[Caitlin McGrath]

There are tons of avatars that look to me like something completely different in their shrunken size. One example so you can easily see what I mean: LindaWhit's avatar always looks to me like a drawing of a poodle in profile - until I run my cursor over it, of course.

[Breadcrumbs]

That's funny Caitlin, like you I also thought it was a drawing of a poodle!!

[LindaWhit]

I am *SO* not a poodle person. :-)

[HillJ]

too funny kattyeyes! J & I kept looking for sandwiches w/a bite and settled on the every popular (in our house) PB&J.

[jfood]

jfood thought it was titled "clams can-see-you"

[kattyeyes]

jfood is too clever. LOL!

[Gio]

Hah... Gio thought it was Oysters-R-Us.

[Naguere]

I chose a photograph of Korean noodles to maintain my anonymity

[Naguere]

Oh ! The rudery

[BigFatDynamo]

Mine is actually of my friend Tim, but I felt that the hat was appropriate for a foodie website. Maybe I'll find one of me someday.

[souschef]

I am an amateur baker/cake decorator. For my avatar (which I change from time to time) I use a picture of a cake I have made.

[bigfellow]

I change my avatar from time to time just to mix things up. I started off with dishes I had made such as a Sacher Torte. Now I'm in my humourous stage

A sample of the last 2 avatars and my new one as of today!

[LindaWhit]

I loved the apple one biting a finger, but the tomatoes separated by the gate and the new watermelon one are great!

[bigfellow]

I just dropped the Apple as my avatar today and posted the watermelon.

[bigfellow]

Now it's my new puppy!

[Beach Chick]

OMG..so adorable!

[kattyeyes]

Tell us more--how old, what's the pup's name? I love Bernese Mountain Dogs!

[LindaWhit]

TOO cute! And a very good little pup to sit for his portrait!

[buttertart]

Mine is of me at lunch at the Jules Verne in Paris a couple of years ago, a photo taken by a dear friend. It sums up who I'd like to be more than occasionally!

[Beach Chick]

Thinking of changing my avatar for the New Year..do most of you switch things up a bit?

[bigfellow]

I change mine regularly. Right now it's my puppy Colin with his friend Sam. I'll probably change it next week, then again who knows. I change it when I feel like it.

[kattyeyes]

Same here. I switch my katty identity throughout the year whenever the mood strikes me. Photo you see today is of Ms. Kattyeyes herself on the dining room table on Thanksgiving. I love the intensity in her eyes in this picture. She gets the same look in those eyes when she's watching birds at the feeder. Then she sings to the birds!

bigfellow, I especially love your current cuddly shot of Colin. I was wondering who the other pup was. Colin looks like he's smiling (he must be dreaming of food!). ;)

[bigfellow]

Knowing Colin, he is...or chasing squirrels.

[Gio]

I change mine to reflect certain annual holidays.

[chowser]

Oh no--I identify people by their avatars and when they change it, it takes me a minute to figure out who they are!

[kattyeyes]

Gio changes colors. You'll still recognize her easily. :)

[chowser]

A seasonal chameleon, love it.

[LindaWhit]

No, I just leave mine at my skinny stick figure. A gal can dream, can't she? ;-)

[soypower]

Someone copied mine a few weeks ago, so I felt compelled to change mine. I did like the first one better though...:o(

[kattyeyes]

Identity theft! That sux! I liked your boxing kitty.

[soypower]

And now I have a new one. This one makes me happy whenever i see it.

[kattyeyes]

Though I'll always think of you as a boxing kitty, fightin' for soypower! Ka-POW!

[soypower]

Me too...I'll be monitoring to see if the boxing kitty is ever relinquished...

[alanbarnes]

Now it does.

[kattyeyes]

LOL, I miss old gangsta you, but get a kick out of "the new you" everytime I see you on a thread.

[alanbarnes]

Per Ray Davies, Back Where We Started...

[bushwickgirl]

A bit late to this thread but, yes I am and I've been told I have, like the dog in the Pedigree ad, cat-like reflexes, to boot.

[bushwickgirl]

But now I'm a bowl of somewhat anxious egg yolks.

[souschef]

Scrambled?

[bushwickgirl]

Haha, yes I am, thanks for mentioning it!

[greedygirl]

Mine is of my cats when they were kittens. They are much cuter than me, and less greedy. Hendrix (on the right) and I share a tendency towards big hair....

[kattyeyes]

That is an adorable pic--they are soooooooo tiny! Your big hair comment cracked me up, too.

[Passadumkeg]

"In nature is the savior of the world", John Muir.
Nature is my savior. I work summers as a registered Maine ocean kayak guide. My paddles are therapy.
The fishing is good right now.
Carpe chow!

[Beach Chick]

Love love love Maine!
What a great gig you have Passadumkeg...have a lobstah roll for me with some blueberry pie!

[buttertart]

I changed mine to a picture of my darling year and a bit old Maine Coon, Liam, at table...he does this just about every night, we're going to have to get him his own chair!

[greedygirl]

He's gorgeous, and clearly just waiting for his dinner!

[Beach Chick]

Liam is adorable!
He needs his own chair.

[decolady]

I collect art deco. My screen name is decolady. I think my avatar sums it up pretty well.

[Passadumkeg]

My new one. Three gen of Dumkegs enjoying Seoul food.

[bcgirl22]

Yep its just me.....

[cuccubear]

Only if that guzzling bear is balding…

I’ve used a few different avatars but this one seems to fit best. Although, I don’t really drink all that much anymore and I’m a bit less jiggly around the midsection than I was, but I do dig bears.

[toodie jane]

I decided to use an image that's an illustration for a product I'm a sales rep for. Though my chow handle here is toodie jane (childhood nickname), to many others, I'm The Seedlady. Just as long as it's not the Seedylady. The illustrations are of chow that I'm particularly fond of. I've been growing veggies (and other botanicals) since my first garden in the Soquel mountains in 1973.

I change the image every month or so. Some 'read' better than others, but it's fun to vary them.

[Beach Chick]

Thinking about changing my avatar for the holidays..

[jfood]

I recently changed the avatar to show the dog that wrote for me for several years. shewas do for retirement and is now spending her golden years sleeping on her beds, begging for cookies and table food and watching the wildlife in the back yard.

The new avatar more accurately depicts "The Pups."

[steve h.]

007 was pretty cool. I hope she enjoys her retirement for a long time to come.

[jfood]

thanks buddy. she still acts like a 7 year old but has some loss of sight and hearing...just like her dad. :-))

[Passadumkeg]

My new avitar reflects my life philosophy; Pinot Evil.

[steve h.]

lol.

[Veggo]

My avatar "little veggo" in Mexico - so regal, well groomed and mannered... trim and fleet of foot, equally respected, loved and feared... unflinching in the presence of scorpions, tarantulas and snakes... lord of all he surveys....no, we have absolutely nothing in common except our name.

[steve h.]

My old tabby slept on my bed and swatted the bats away. I really liked that cat.

[yakittyyak]

Unless I am a turtle, I would have to say no...

[deet13]

Yes it does...

[jonber]

Absolutely. Its the picture of uncle, the Ingenious gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha. We look so much alike that I've been using it also on my driving license.

[iL Divo]

does it sum me up? probably not.
it's just a small little part of me that interests me at this time in my life.
it could be any number of pix or photos but it's the one I chose because I took the pix, it's a favorite singer of mine, and in the photo, he's looking at a girlfriend of mine as she was standing at the stage. that's the back of her head but she being in love with him [not really but you know what I mean] it meant the world to her that I'd captured that darling look on his face.
I have a much better one that I much prefer with he and I with our arms around eachother after a concert, in a pub talking, but it doens't make my husband very happy so I choose not to post it anywhere, except to look at it when I listen to their music........funny how no one in here, chowhound, has asked about what my screen name means, maybe some have figured it out

[Glencora]

A nice picture, but a bit confusing. Since you have refered to your husband (in earlier posts), I thought you were a very good looking gay man.

[c oliver]

+1

[meatn3]

+2

[coll]

Sorry to say, +3.

[LindaWhit]

+4. :-/

[iL Divo]

oh that's funny. this man [the picture of him that is my avatar] has been thought by some to be gay. he is very not gay with a wife and two little ones. is the sweetest guy ever and my poor husband who is gorgeous but not 32 *}, only puts up with me because he knows me and knows I love him [my husband] more than life itself, but this opera singing group just knocks my sox off I'm afraid and this picture is one of the singers..........now y'all know the truth, no gay man here.............oh how funny that is.....................and I know the screen name is another thread, thanks for reitterating, and souschef, you win the prize, you figured it out.......

[Beach Chick]

I even had you pegged for a summer place in Palm Springs..with the 50's decor and you honeymooned in the Maldives.
too funny..

[iL Divo]

BeachChick.......how funny. I've mentioned the love of my life, my husband, so many times, and our children too. but Palm Springs, yep, we do have a place there, loved it all our years together, the children have burned their bums there way too much.......... :)

[meatn3]

Well, your feminine side has always came through!

[iL Divo]

thank you meatn3, appreciate that....I am alllll girl..........

[Beach Chick]

LOL..
I thought you were a gay lounge singer in We Ho with your husband that you were dedicated to and loved to eat out..

[alkapal]

beach chick, she shoots she scores!

[Beach Chick]

LOL...
I still crack up everytime I see iL Divo avatar...still not buying..
Probably shopping for a mid century home in Palm Springs right now...hee hee

[Passadumkeg]

+5

[vvvindaloo]

yeah me too :<)

[iL Divo]

Glencora, very kind and thanks for knowing that I've referred to my main stay, my help meet, my love, in my posts. But Sebastien, he "IS" a very good looking man, but honestly, it's his heart that has captured my interest besides he sings like an angel and I've told him so..........................

[souschef]

Re figuring out the meaning of your name, I thought that it referred to the group of crooners of the same name.

[alkapal]

hahaha! your husband even *knows* what avatar you HAVE on chowhound? all my husband does is sneer "Chowhound again?" when he even pays attention to what i am doing!

your photo reminds me of a professional head shot. who is the artist/singer? sebastian is his name? i guess now it is time for my google facial recognition software to kick in.

[alkapal]

ok, i googled "opera singer sebastian," and came up with this -- http://petersonphoto.photoshelter.com...

[souschef]

Did the picture make you think of braysed donkey ?

[roxlet]

lol! Love that photo, alkapal!

[alkapal]

haha souschef -- "bray"sed donkey!

i couldn't eat a little donkey!

[LindaWhit]

LOL! You're a goof. ;-)

But yes, I guess I *would* like to know who this opera singer is named Sebastian. I agree - it looks like a typical "head shot" used for publicity.

[linguafood]

The opera singer group Il Divo is really fairly easy to google. And they're all real purtty.

[LindaWhit]

I know of il Divo, but it didn't look like him in the pics I've seen.

[linguafood]

That's b/c there are several members in the group.

[LindaWhit]

Yes, I'm aware there are 4 members from various countries in the group. Again, in the pictures I've seen of the group, it didn't look like the avatar picture.

[linguafood]

gotcha. i guess i didn't look that closely '-)

[junescook]

It sort of does. She actually comes from my wife's side of the family, and DW is the person for whom I do most of my cooking.

[Glencora]

Your wife comes from a family of alpacas?

[LindaWhit]

LOL!!!! One that has lovely fluffy hats!

j/k junescook - but you have to admit Glencora's comment was funny!

[junescook]

Might as well have given the time she spends with them since she retired. Between taking care of them, spinning the yarn, knitting, etc. it has pretty much taken over her (our) life.

Irony is that before we retired we used to travel maybe only twice a year. Now we're lucky if we can go away every other year at best.

The avatar is Siobann, the oldest, orneriest of the group. In general they are sweet animals. It is not smart, however, to stand in front of Siobann and stare her in the eye.

[LindaWhit]

LOL! So I take it you stepped back rather quickly after the camera "eye" took her picture? ;-)

[junescook]

telephoto lens

[Veggo]

Thanks for brightening up a frigid Tuesday!

[LindaWhit]

Smart photographer. ;-)

[Glencora]

She does look a bit imperious.

[Sra. Swanky]

In my school's Spring Musical, they begged me to be part of the "Sister Act" number because - and I've been told this more than once - that I was "a dead ringer for Sister Mary Patrick (aka Kathy Najimy)." I obliged, habit and all, and people actually thought my school hired the real Kathy to reprise her role! Seemed to be a perfect avatar, and Sr. Swanky sure gets a kick out of it. :o)

[onceadaylily]

When this woman first caught my eye, I thought she was a waitress, collapsed in a chair at the end of her shift, getting good and ready to have a drink. And then I noticed her shoes. It struck me as funny because, at the time, I was in the service industry, and was asked almost daily if I was a dancer.

I am not graceful. I can't even cross a bare hardwood floor without tripping. I once broke my own nose by walking into a doorjamb. If I were to join a dance troupe, the collateral damage would be staggering. I found it funny that I was perceived in a way so different from what I know to be true of me, and was always puzzled by it, and then I looked at a dancer, and saw myself. And I made her into a damn waitress.

[srsone]

i just really like white tigers....

[buttertart]

Same here. The noblest and most beautiful of creatures.