What is the meaning of your avatar?

Chat viewable by general public

Moderator: Moderators

User avatar
Tcg
Savant
Posts: 8487
Joined: Tue Nov 21, 2017 5:01 am
Location: Third Stone
Has thanked: 2141 times
Been thanked: 2293 times

What is the meaning of your avatar?

Post #1

Post by Tcg »

.
My avatar is an image of David Byrne of the "Talking Heads." I selected it to show that immersion in music can lead to an ecstatic experience in the same way that immersion in religion can.

Why did you pick your avatar and what meaning does it represent for you?



Tcg
To be clear: Atheism is not a disbelief in gods or a denial of gods; it is a lack of belief in gods.

- American Atheists


Not believing isn't the same as believing not.

- wiploc


I must assume that knowing is better than not knowing, venturing than not venturing; and that magic and illusion, however rich, however alluring, ultimately weaken the human spirit.

- Irvin D. Yalom

User avatar
Difflugia
Prodigy
Posts: 3017
Joined: Wed Jun 12, 2019 10:25 am
Location: Michigan
Has thanked: 3247 times
Been thanked: 1997 times

Post #2

Post by Difflugia »

My avatar is a testate amoeba of the genus Difflugia.

It's a picture I took through a microscope. The water was from one of several aquarium cultures I used to keep of small, freshwater crustaceans (ostracods, fairy shrimp, Daphnia, Triops).

I took the picture back when Google Ads was young and a few advertisers were trying their luck by just buying search ads on every word in the dictionary. I was looking for more information about Difflugia and the top ad was for "Sexy difflugia singles." That cracked me up and the next time I was looking for a unique user name on some site or other, "Difflugia" came to mind. Unsurprisingly, it was still available.

User avatar
Charles
Apprentice
Posts: 100
Joined: Wed Mar 25, 2020 2:54 pm

Post #3

Post by Charles »

I'll share...

It is two Japanese radicals yaiba and shin inside a symbolic chrysanthemum which together become nin or shinobi. Nin means ‘patience’ but not just the patience of politely waiting around for something; it is much stronger than that!

Yaiba means ‘the edge of a sword’ and Shin means ‘the heart, mind or spirit.’

The edge of a sword held over the heart. There is pain involved in this image; this patience is costing us something.

User avatar
Tcg
Savant
Posts: 8487
Joined: Tue Nov 21, 2017 5:01 am
Location: Third Stone
Has thanked: 2141 times
Been thanked: 2293 times

Post #4

Post by Tcg »

Difflugia wrote: My avatar is a testate amoeba of the genus Difflugia.

It's a picture I took through a microscope. The water was from one of several aquarium cultures I used to keep of small, freshwater crustaceans (ostracods, fairy shrimp, Daphnia, Triops).

I took the picture back when Google Ads was young and a few advertisers were trying their luck by just buying search ads on every word in the dictionary. I was looking for more information about Difflugia and the top ad was for "Sexy difflugia singles." That cracked me up and the next time I was looking for a unique user name on some site or other, "Difflugia" came to mind. Unsurprisingly, it was still available.
I enjoyed the story of your username and avatar, but don't see the picture you described.


Tcg
To be clear: Atheism is not a disbelief in gods or a denial of gods; it is a lack of belief in gods.

- American Atheists


Not believing isn't the same as believing not.

- wiploc


I must assume that knowing is better than not knowing, venturing than not venturing; and that magic and illusion, however rich, however alluring, ultimately weaken the human spirit.

- Irvin D. Yalom

User avatar
Tcg
Savant
Posts: 8487
Joined: Tue Nov 21, 2017 5:01 am
Location: Third Stone
Has thanked: 2141 times
Been thanked: 2293 times

Post #5

Post by Tcg »

Charles wrote: I'll share...

It is two Japanese radicals yaiba and shin inside a symbolic chrysanthemum which together become nin or shinobi. Nin means ‘patience’ but not just the patience of politely waiting around for something; it is much stronger than that!

Yaiba means ‘the edge of a sword’ and Shin means ‘the heart, mind or spirit.’

The edge of a sword held over the heart. There is pain involved in this image; this patience is costing us something.
A very detailed and meaningful description. I've often wondered about the meaning behind your avatar.


Tcg
To be clear: Atheism is not a disbelief in gods or a denial of gods; it is a lack of belief in gods.

- American Atheists


Not believing isn't the same as believing not.

- wiploc


I must assume that knowing is better than not knowing, venturing than not venturing; and that magic and illusion, however rich, however alluring, ultimately weaken the human spirit.

- Irvin D. Yalom

User avatar
Difflugia
Prodigy
Posts: 3017
Joined: Wed Jun 12, 2019 10:25 am
Location: Michigan
Has thanked: 3247 times
Been thanked: 1997 times

Post #6

Post by Difflugia »

Tcg wrote:I enjoyed the story of your username and avatar, but don't see the picture you described.
How about now? I changed my avatar from a .png to a .jpg. If that's it, I didn't realize that it didn't work for all browsers.

Here's a slightly larger version:
Image

User avatar
Tcg
Savant
Posts: 8487
Joined: Tue Nov 21, 2017 5:01 am
Location: Third Stone
Has thanked: 2141 times
Been thanked: 2293 times

Post #7

Post by Tcg »

Difflugia wrote:
Tcg wrote:I enjoyed the story of your username and avatar, but don't see the picture you described.
How about now? I changed my avatar from a .png to a .jpg. If that's it, I didn't realize that it didn't work for all browsers.

Here's a slightly larger version:
Image
Nice! I'm browsing with MS Edge. Perhaps it is not the most capable browser.


Tcg
To be clear: Atheism is not a disbelief in gods or a denial of gods; it is a lack of belief in gods.

- American Atheists


Not believing isn't the same as believing not.

- wiploc


I must assume that knowing is better than not knowing, venturing than not venturing; and that magic and illusion, however rich, however alluring, ultimately weaken the human spirit.

- Irvin D. Yalom

User avatar
Charles
Apprentice
Posts: 100
Joined: Wed Mar 25, 2020 2:54 pm

Post #8

Post by Charles »

Difflugia wrote:
Tcg wrote:I enjoyed the story of your username and avatar, but don't see the picture you described.
How about now? I changed my avatar from a .png to a .jpg. If that's it, I didn't realize that it didn't work for all browsers.

Here's a slightly larger version:
Image
I use chrome and I've never seen it and still do not as an avatar though I do see the image in the post itself....

User avatar
Tcg
Savant
Posts: 8487
Joined: Tue Nov 21, 2017 5:01 am
Location: Third Stone
Has thanked: 2141 times
Been thanked: 2293 times

Post #9

Post by Tcg »

Charles wrote:
Difflugia wrote:
Tcg wrote:I enjoyed the story of your username and avatar, but don't see the picture you described.
How about now? I changed my avatar from a .png to a .jpg. If that's it, I didn't realize that it didn't work for all browsers.

Here's a slightly larger version:
Image
I use chrome and I've never seen it and still do not as an avatar though I do see the image in the post itself....
I should have been more clear. I can see the image in the post, but not as the avatar.


Tcg
To be clear: Atheism is not a disbelief in gods or a denial of gods; it is a lack of belief in gods.

- American Atheists


Not believing isn't the same as believing not.

- wiploc


I must assume that knowing is better than not knowing, venturing than not venturing; and that magic and illusion, however rich, however alluring, ultimately weaken the human spirit.

- Irvin D. Yalom

User avatar
Difflugia
Prodigy
Posts: 3017
Joined: Wed Jun 12, 2019 10:25 am
Location: Michigan
Has thanked: 3247 times
Been thanked: 1997 times

Post #10

Post by Difflugia »

Tcg wrote:
Charles wrote:I use chrome and I've never seen it and still do not as an avatar though I do see the image in the post itself....
I should have been more clear. I can see the image in the post, but not as the avatar.
If I log out, I can't see it, either. Weird. Maybe one of the privacy settings means I can see it while logged in, but nobody else can.

Post Reply