What's the story behind your user name/avatar?

[Terry Sumner]

Screen name is...well...self explanatory I guess.

Avatar? Now that's not so self explanatory. If anyone here was a member of the modelcarlist some years ago, you may recall we were having a discussion about trying to eliminate static electricity while painting. It went on and on with all kinds of suggestions and even went into methods of "ionizing" the air. Some guys mentioned something about grounding yourself to help get rid of the static electricity and somehow the idea came into my mind about wearing some type of helmet with wires attached for grounding. As I was making some pasta for dinner I suddently thought that the colander would make a great helmet! So I attached a few wires to the colander and a strap, etc. and put the thing on. I set up the camera on a tripod and took a self timed picture. Then I was dumb enough to post said photograph on the Modelcarlist as my version of an Anti-Static Electricity Painting Helmet! And now, years later, every now and then one of my "Buddies" will repost it! It seems that picture just won't go away..... So I gave up and now use it as an avatar sometimes. Hey...ya gotta make fun of yourself sometimes!

[wgflatliner]

I used to be an online gamer with first person shooters (for those who played unreal tournament 99, you know what I'm talking about)

I was really good at it, and was a "killer" and if a person dies they flatline. If I'm doing the "killing" that makes me a flatliner. The wg is for "wild geese" which was the name of the group I played with.

My avatar? Well.. I am a banana! (my spoon is too big). It's a comedy thing. Confused? Look it up on YouTube.

[Hoosierfarmboy]

I was raised on a large dairy farm in Southern Indiana. ( Yes, near the tornado area of 3/2) When I 1st got onthe internet I came up with this for my ISP username.

I have stuck withthis as I think it describes me in some ways. Never stayed in farming but readily claim the background. My avatartr was selected to go with the username.

It's a small diecast Forn N series I bought @ at Farm Supply store. The mini-disc was from my Mom's mementos. I began modeling as a young teen while still on the farm. Built and rebuilt a Revell '56 Ford several times. Also have some original F&F Mold ceral box cars from my childhood. One or two 'customozed' . Enjoy seeing the various usernames and avatars. It's sort of like our tastes in modeling.

[peekay]

I wanted my avatar to have a hint of mystery.....

....and the foto was taken straight after the face lift.

[Bridgebuster]

Mine is to honor my dad. He was in the 490th Bombardment Squadron in WWII . . . The Burma Bridge Busters. The avatar was their "never officially recognized" squadron insignia. They were pretty well known for their EXTREMELY low level tactics of skip-bombing bridges and such that nobody else could take out. He passed in Feb. of 2010, but over the years I went with him to a number of their reunions and it was my honor and privilege to meet a LOT of the Bridge Busters and get to hear their stories. If you would like an interesting read, pick up Unlike Any Land You Know by James Vesely. It is Jim's quest to find information on his uncle who was lost in combat. My dad was consulted frequently for information and clarification on squadron activities and such. He's given credit in the book.

[Joe Handley]

While this screen name is obvious, the ones I use most other places is either BJoe or BJoeHandley, and that "B" stems from my first name being William and for the first couple years of my life everybody called me "Billy Joe". For some weird reason before we moved from Iowa to suburban Chicago when I was 3, I decided that I wanted to go by Joe instead of Billy Joe and that was that.

As for my current avatar, I had let my beard and hair get too long (I think I was waiting for pay day and/or a day off that the shop I go to was open, those don't line up too often) and I had just a stupid idea at work to pull my hair as far over my face as I could (think I pulled it over my glasses too, can't remember) and took the picture with my old flip phone that I had to get rid of back in September. I may have to try it again with my new smart phone before I get my hair cut again

[crazyjim]

Didn't they make a movie about round bombs that would skip across the water? Dam Busters maybe?

Yo Phil - was your Dad with the VFW national color guard and lived around Washington, DC?

[Draggon]

Anti-static-electricity-paintng-helmet? I'd like to try it just for the cool factor! !

[Kit Basher]

Didn't they make a movie about round bombs that would skip across the water? Dam Busters maybe?

There was such a movie. It was about the British blowing dams in Germany with cylindrical bombs dropped from Lancasters. The history is coupled with an attempt at a modern re-creation of the bomb. Cool flick.

[mopar01lee]

Mine is very simple... mopar (69 charger), 01 and lee , the general lee .. hence mopar01lee..

later Days ,, Davin

[diymirage]

Mine is to honor my dad. He was in the 490th Bombardment Squadron in WWII . . . The Burma Bridge Busters. The avatar was their "never officially recognized" squadron insignia. They were pretty well known for their EXTREMELY low level tactics of skip-bombing bridges and such that nobody else could take out. He passed in Feb. of 2010, but over the years I went with him to a number of their reunions and it was my honor and privilege to meet a LOT of the Bridge Busters and get to hear their stories. If you would like an interesting read, pick up Unlike Any Land You Know by James Vesely. It is Jim's quest to find information on his uncle who was lost in combat. My dad was consulted frequently for information and clarification on squadron activities and such. He's given credit in the book.

since you brung it up, did you ever make the model of his bomber ?

[Bridgebuster]

Didn't they make a movie about round bombs that would skip across the water? Dam Busters maybe?

Yo Phil - was your Dad with the VFW national color guard and lived around Washington, DC?

Jim, Hugh is right that the only movie centered on the RAF flying 4-engined Lancasters. The 490th learned how to "skip" regular ordnance into the bridge foundations to take them out. He lived his entire life (minus time in the service) in Georgia. I was raised in Atlanta.

Eelco, Dave put that together for me. Thanks for your involvement with the decals. It was much appreciated. I've even got a project planned that will use some of the other decals.

[diymirage]

glad to hear that Phil

let me guess, a 50some ford hotrod in bridgebusters livery?

ooh, something like that just HAS to have an allison V12 in it

[roadhawg]

I'm a trucker.....have been for the best part of 35 years. When I was first starting out, I was somewhere near Greeneville Tennessee, and I missed my turn. In my infinite greenhorn wisdom, I decided a u-turn was in order. It worked well, except for the fact that I didn't have room for a u-turn. I had the whole road blocked while I was inching up, backing up, inching up again, grinding gears, trying to get it all gathered back up. A little old gray haired lady in a 77 or so Chevy Impala was waiting for me to get out of the way. Finally, after about 10 minutes, she rolled her window down and shouted "Get out of the way, you ____ _____ road hog!!!"

Anyway...I never forgot that, and when I first started getting online, I wanted to use the screen name "road hog", but it was already taken, so I just changed the spelling.

Avatar is constantly changing, but I try to keep it.......smooooth, like Keith Stone.

[Bridgebuster]

Not TOO far off bro. 50s "something" is right, but you'll have to wait to see it. I might tell you offlline, but if you spill the beans I'll . . . . well, I'll . . . . well, as my boy Roy D. Mercer says, "don't make me come over thar".

[Draggon]

Hey Tommy, I really thought you were Stone, Keith Stone!

Edited March 4, 2012 by Draggon

[maltsr]

I am of Maltese descent, Malta being an island in the Mediterranean, hence maltsr. My avatar is a 1/24 replica of my 1:1 car.

[diymirage]

Not TOO far off bro. 50s "something" is right, but you'll have to wait to see it. I might tell you offlline, but if you spill the beans I'll . . . . well, I'll . . . . well, as my boy Roy D. Mercer says, "don't make me come over thar".

no problem, your secret is safe with me

[Joker]

Really enjoying this topic..lots of laughs

[bigphoto]

Well I am a large person and vintage racing photog and the pic in the avatar is one of my faves!

[57peppershaker]

Well . . . . . . this has a lot to answer for . . .

25 odd years ago, recovering from a busted up leg, a mate bought me this kit to build (no internet or cable tv in the UK back then) Got me back into modelling & into 57 Chevys !

Fast forward a lot of years & I finally bought a 1;1 57 Chevy Tho mine is a 2 door sedan.

Since finishing it, been bitten hard by the Junior Stock bug. If I do another, might be a 1;1 of this box art ?

The avitar pic was done by a UK artist for me. Its now on t shirts, tool box stickers & coffee mugs ect all over my house, along with lots of orange stuff !!

[mrmike]

The story behind my screen name starts with watching the original Saturday Night Live and the Mr. Bill Show. On Monday at work, a group of us would call each other Mr. Cliff, Mr. Rick, Mr. Mike, etc and we would all go about our jobs saying, "Oh noooooo..." My avatar is of the late Robert Urich as Spenser For Hire, my favorite TV detective. I am still a big fan of the show and of Spenser's creator, the late Robert B. Parker. I have all 3 seasons of Spenser For Hire on VHS tapes, but I wish Warner Brothers would release the series on DVD.....sooner than later! I also have many of Mr. Parker's Spenser and Jesse Stone novels.

[Rob Hall]

My username is my real name, my current avatar is my grad school. (U of Michigan College of Engineering). I change it periodically..

[Guest]

BoxB, you need to put your full name in your signature line, or where it says full name.

[Johnag4004]

Mine isn't anything special, John is my first name, the A is my middle initial ans the G is my surname initial, the 4004 is the last four numbers of my old military service number...