Thank you for allowing me inside to play.

Dear everyone at ATS,

Over the years I have visited your wonderful website on quite a number of occasions following links found on the Internet on a variety of subjects.
I must admit to being quite impressed with the level of thought provoking discussions and the mostly civil nature of the interactions between members, even those with opposing views but I was still quite happy to just read and not contribute, I guess for a long time I didn't think I had much to add.

Although I have many friends, I don't have too many that are comfortable or even interested in discussing the many things I find myself more and more interested in.
That's where you all come in, well that's where I come in here with you...

So who am I?
Good question, I will let you know when I find out, just kidding.
Being serious, I like to think of myself as "JUST" a Musician (emphasise on "just" is intentional) I guess that's where I am most "qualified" although I'm not "qualified" at anything at all.
But my life is not all music, I would love to have lived in the times where it was common to gain experience and master all fields/trades/vocations as I dabble in many.
So to avoid the horrid pidgin hole, I usually say I am a:
Musician, Singer, Songwriter, Author, Computer Programmer, Database Administrator, Webmaster, Website Host, Internet Marketer, Minister, Student & Teacher
All of that is true about me but rarely, if at all, at once.
In the past, I've also been: a forklift operator, courier driver, hole digger (that was actually good fun), storeman, and even body piercer, oh and a boy scout, but that's all way in the past now.

I've played in bands, performed solo, playing guitar, bass, at times lead singer and have written songs since I was a teenager.
Programmed computers since the 80's but not professionally until late 90's (thank you Windows '95 for opening up computers to the mainstream).
I run my own web servers and host a few websites and apart from my own half completed websites, I'm not a bad PHP/MySQL based webmaster.
I've turned my hand at a little Internet marketing (don't worry, I promise not to do any of that here - I cross my branded heart) it can be more work than you'd think, fun too, but I haven't found it to be as profitable as I'd hoped.

I self ordained online as a Reverend at the Universal Life Church in 2003, not long after a highly mystical experience that came as quite a shock but a nice surprise never the less, to my at the time *very* atheist mind. I don't belong to any formal or informal religion but I am happy to collect wise messages from any of them, I sense great wisdom in many sacred texts albeit most often encrypted in some sort of 'fairytale'

I am a student of many things, just as Plato's Socrates often stated "I know nothing" there is a lot to learn.
I love to share usable knowledge with those who request it and enjoy the teacher role when it suites. Recognising that "to teach is to learn twice" (thank you Joseph Joubert for that quote) this makes the teacher also the student.

As an author, I have self published a couple of books:
The first, not really my work but a public domain product I loved. I used to provide friends with copies of it but soon realised people don't value a print out on A4 like they do a bound book, so I published it. Yes that made a difference. (pretty sure some of you would know the subject matter of that one)
My latest book is the one I'm most proudest of and is all my own work. The subject of that one is what I'm most keen to discuss here at ATS, not wanting to come across as promoting my book, just the idea it contains.
It will be the subject of my first thread once I have made enough posts I am confident many of you will find it interesting and I'm sure you'll scrutinise the premise to the maximum, which is what I want to happen and see it pass the ATS test, I'd almost bet money it will (I don't gamble though).

Please welcome this newbie and be aware that although my posting is new, my visits here are not.

I would like to close this introduction using a Hindi word that I very much love but have found no English equivalent (suggestions welcome):

Namaste

All information is gained and based off of patterns and saying as such doesnt invalidate what your logical conclusions are, but saying you now know nothing after having experainced it does a great disservice to anyone here that would seek your help. You know something, you always have. Just bash everyone around you with what you know till it breaks.

Welcome to ATS.

reply to post by Wertdagf


Thank you for the welcome Wertdagf,
That's exactly what I am hoping for here at ATS, a full strength test of ideas and the requirement to be clearly understood.

I don't think I meant to say "I know nothing", but I can see how my words resemble that now, my intended message in that sentance was "there is still so much to learn" and compared to the vast knowledge that lays outside of me, I know very little indeed but intend to remedy that in time. well pointed out, I'll watch out for that in the future.

It is good to see another Aussie jumping in and sounds like you have done your homework which always helps. Defiantly one crazy, mixed up world we got here, you have come to a good place to help understand and sort it out.

Honour

reply to post by kwakakev
G'day kwakakev,
Thanks mate!
I do try and do my homework and strive to deny ignorance, but of course I am not always immune and that is why I have decided to join this site.
From my experience reading threads on ATS, unlike some others, there is no getting away with posting untenable ideas they won't last against the acute eyes of the ATS members.
When we are corrected, it's Win Win, one drops a week idea for a better one and the other has the satisfaction of removing a falsity.
I'm looking forward to being part of that "game".