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Introductions

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07:53 / 28.02.07

Give it a couple of months on here and you'll be a long time grant reader too!

Well come!

Mon Oncle Ignatius

08:04 / 01.03.07

Given the perilous fiscal situation, all grants have been withdrawn. You have to pay it all back, you know?

Mon Oncle Ignatius

08:04 / 01.03.07

(oh, and welcome by the way)

The Absorbing Man

13:16 / 01.03.07

Hi Barbelith, welcome to the Absorbing Man.

I'm 25 years old. I've dropped out of college twice, and served one tour of duty in Iraq for the U.S. Army. I got out of the army last march and moved to franklin (south of nashville) where I read comics, deliver food, play dnd, and try to understand quantum theory in my spare time.

Last summer I got interested in chaos magic, but haven't followed up on it, partly because I don't know anyone here that practices. If you're in the nashville area and into that, message me because I've love to talk to you.

13:53 / 01.03.07

Welcome Absorbing Man, I reckon you may find the occasional magician over in Temple (so I hear anyway).

I think ex-military get an automatic pass to the mythical Armoury forum too.

14:17 / 01.03.07

Hello Absorbing Man!
Welcome to Barbelith and I hope you also look into the comics forum, too.

14:44 / 01.03.07

Hullo! Quantum theory aplenty in the Lab, chaos magic all over the show in the Temple, come and play with us!

The Absorbing Man

19:27 / 01.03.07

I didn't see a link to the Armoury appear on the index, so they probably sent it to me via carrier pigeon. Once I'm inside I'll recon and report back.

Comics - yes. I've been trying to write my own comic, but have been hampered by a total lack of drawing ability. I've experimented with non-traditional models (such as cut/paste webcomics) but would like to have something in print.

As far as quantum/chaos goes, it's the combination of the two that interests me the most. Given my limited understanding of both, it seems to me that quantum theory can be used to describe the probability of events and chaos magic can be used to alter or push those probabilities. So in my mind it appears as the two were made for each other, as the end result would be manipulation of the material world without resorting to machines, except for the one in your head.

Course, I did fail my intro to physics course because I couldn't wrap my head around the idea that when you push on a wall it pushes back, but for some reason quantum theory is easier to understand.

19:39 / 01.03.07

Hello Absorbing Man. I like your name. Are you doing the absorbing or are you absorbing to other people? It's a word I particularly like, like (je suis)'desolee' in French and 'appealing' in English.

What a groovy addition you seem to be. I am fascinated by the army/chaos magic crossover, it's not a combination one tends to find in your average human being.

19:55 / 01.03.07

Are you doing the absorbing or are you absorbing to other people?

Or are you just a big geek for the Wrecking Crew

?

The Absorbing Man

20:17 / 01.03.07

The Absorbing Man

He's one of my favorite 2nd/3rd string villians. I like the metaphysical aspect of his powers. He can imitate anything he touches, but doesn't automatically learn anything from it. His knowledge still has to come the old fashioned way.

And to be more precise it'd be ex-Paratrooper/Chaos Scientist. I don't really consider myself a magician. To me the idea of chaos magic is a tool/method to be used, like any other tool that a scientist has. The assosciated image I have with chaos magician is that guy in SLC Punk who tries to summon the devil to prove he doesn't exist. The paratrooper is there because I was one while in the 82nd Airborne Division.

20:25 / 01.03.07

The assosciated image I have with chaos magician is that guy in SLC Punk who tries to summon the devil to prove he doesn't exist.

I recommend trying to get another one!

The Absorbing Man

20:32 / 01.03.07

I recommend trying to get another one!

I'll work on that, but until I actually meet someone that does practice chaos magic it will probably stay. I know it's not exactly a kind or nice comparison, but it's the first thing that popped into my head.

07:28 / 02.03.07

Hey, you can meet plenty of people who aren't like that right here. Head on over the the temple and chat with some of the folks thereabouts

Tryphena Absent

08:36 / 02.03.07

Hahahaha.

Less searchable M0rd4nt

11:00 / 02.03.07

Last summer I got interested in chaos magic, but haven't followed up on it, partly because I don't know anyone here that practices.

Don't let that put you off. When I used to practice chaos magic (up until a couple of years ago now) I found it lent itself quite well to a solo practice. The system(s) is (are) nothing if not flexible.

Feel free to come down to the Temple and share your ideas, but be advised that over the last few years it's moved away from chaos magic quite a bit. Lots of the underlying principles and ideas have been and are being rigorously challenged.

12:01 / 02.03.07

I don't really consider myself a magician.

You should fit right in then.

15:48 / 02.03.07

Hi, I just signed up and I am looking forward to joining in the conversation.

Lets see, a little about myself . . .

I'll be 40 years old in a few months. I have three children, twin boys that are 4 and a one and a half year old daughter. I live in Northern California. I am a lawyer by profession, though sadly I pretty much despise it.

I have a degree in philosophy, with an emphasis in comparative religions, and a law degree. As a child I lived abroad for several, non-consecutive years; in Nepal, Philippines and India. I style myself a Buddhist, Taoist, Hindu, Pagan, Jew and/or Atheist depending on my mood and who I am trying to piss off.

I have dabbled in Ceremonial and Chaos Magick for a number of years, mostly out of intellectual curiosity. I have particular interest in Tarot. I am also a long time practioner of vipassana meditation.

I have an abiding interest in alterd states generally and psychedelics in particular, although that is currently purely intellectual.

I ran across the site because I had a very interesting initiation experience with The Invisibles a few months ago. Long story short, I was reading the series, when suddenly, and without precedent, I developed kidney stones. I read most of the series over the course of several nights, while in agony (10 out of 10 - if you have ever had a kidney stone, you know what I mean) and while taking codine to little effect at twice the recommended dose. The end result was quite profound. Since then I have been following up a number of intellectual tributaries from the series that piqued my interest.

So thats probably self indulgent enough to get things rolling.

In summary, hello.

17:04 / 02.03.07

Hello to you too

18:07 / 02.03.07

Big hellos.

18:16 / 02.03.07

I have particular interest in Tarot.

You can get your arse over to the Temple as well please. Welcome!

simulated stereo

20:20 / 02.03.07

Hey all,

I finally got registered so I thought I'd start off with the obligatory introduction post. So where to begin, I'm 33 and I'm from Alabama, but I've been living in south Korea for the past 7.5 years where I teach English at a small university. I'm married, but I don't have any kids; just a cat.

And now for the interests, because these things matter: books, music, and movies.

Musically I love just about everything from the late 70's/early 80's underground in both the US and the UK. This includes groups like Pere Ubu, Chrome, The Residents, Butthole Surfers, Joy Division, and Public Image Ltd.
I'm also a big fan of Krautrock like Can, Faust, and Neu!.
For the past couple of years I've been getting into Jazz and more specifically Free Jazz. I like jazz albums that peel my head open like later John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, Albert Ayler, and Sun Ra.

As for books, I got into Grant Morrison when Arkham Asylum was released and I've been a fan ever since. I also like Alan Moore and Jeph Loeb. I'm a big fan of Flann O'Brien, Philip K. Dick, Haruki Murakami, and John Irving.

As far as movies go, I'm all over the place. I love Marx Brothers, Ingmar Bergman, Repo Man, and too many other directors/films to name.

Anyway, I hope I didn't more anyone with this long-winded reply, but I really wanted to get that stuff out of the way and I would also like to say that I'm really happy to be here and I'm looking forward to some great discussions.

23:04 / 04.03.07

Hi. It's intro time for me too. (I think I have some friends who are on Barbelith too so to any familiar faces - if you're out there, hi.)

I am a writer. My current project is a collection of short fiction about identity and popular culture (well, it's really about me). I am doing a PhD in creative writing at Deakin University in Melbourne, Australia. I also work at a community arts centre and I also sometimes independently produce arts projects. (You can visit me at tomcho.com)

Some of the things I like are: Donald Barthelme's short fiction, most of Woody Allen's films, Sweet Valley High books, Stubbs the Zombie on xBox, playing guitar, and too many types of music to name (my latest exploration is into John McLaughlin and Shakti, but there's also a lot of pop music in my mp3 collection).

20:32 / 06.03.07

Hello!

So. I like comics, write music and occasionally record it, drum frenetically at pagan festivals, take lots of photographs, have a *relatively* long-standing (though not really all that well-informed or penetrating) interest in Chaos Magic, used to write fantasy and science fiction type things a bit (hoping this site might inspire me to do a bit more of that), well, quite a lot, actually, until my computer ate my novel (which was upsetting) and errrrrr... draw complicated abstract textural arty things that aren't really *of* anything but probably aren't good enough to be thought of as "art".

Oh, and I used to do the multiple fiction suit thing VERY seriously on Deadjournal but stopped because it was becoming a leetle bit too complicated and up itself. Also, it was turning into another novel, which wasn't the original intent. Although I have not yet entirely buried the idea...

Anyway, one day one of my ideas will turn out to be cool and interesting and will win me the respect of my peers and make me rich and famous. Until then I shall bash away at my unrewarding and somewhat soul-destroying job as a secretary in the National Health Service...

02:49 / 07.03.07

Hello and welcome, new folks.

03:42 / 07.03.07

I'm delighted to be here. At 52 I'm delighted to be anywhere.

I'm a Kiwi who has lived in Australia for the last 30 years. If they promise to not arrest me I'll go back, but only as Prime Minister.

I have all manner of hobbies but have difficulty remembering them due to years (I think) of drug abuse.

06:33 / 07.03.07

Shuffles through massive stone portal, peering nearsightedly into the gloom, seems surprised to see everyone gathered and looking at him.

Er, well hello all. I seem to have made it through the screening process. I'm a forty-odd (and the word, believe me, is odd) maintenance planner from just offshore Arnhem Land. Scatty and eclectic infatuations include guitars (some of which I even try to play), the Japanese sword, Edge offroad buggies, Shinkendo and Iaido. No experience with Chaos Magic but if you hum a few bars, I'll give it a shot.

Just enrolled in uni so I can try to figure out just what the hell it is I should be doing at work. Looking forward to having my tiny mind bent even further out of shape by the irascable but somehow sinisterly entertaining folk here.

16:50 / 12.03.07

Bumpity bump bump bump.

Bumping this for the new people who appear to be arriving. Such a hard thread to find you know, all the way on the second page.

ONLY NICE THINGS

16:51 / 12.03.07

I just sent over another batch, and it looks like they have been processed, so here is the general introduction thread. Newbies here, if they want to be. Honestly, I'd rather be surprised, but you may feel differently.

17:01 / 12.03.07

Well, i finally got up the guts to get on this old bandwagon, having been lurking for a long, long time. I'm 21, currently interested in left (as opposed to post-left) anarchism, magic (primarily modern chaos, though branching out into hermeticism and modern shamanism), and various forms of fiction (Borges being the first among equals). Hopefully i'll get up the guts to post something sometime this week, so until then....cheers!

17:22 / 12.03.07

I'm sure it's been mentioned before, but isn't there a way of alerting new users to the location of the 'Introductions' thread? A nice solution would be for the thread to always remain at the top, or at least somewhere on, the first page in Conversation. Ofcourse, this would require some development work, so might be out of the question...

...however, when I first joined Barbelith I received a confirmation email which looked like it had been copied and pasted. Would it not be possible to provide a link to the introductions thread?

ONLY NICE THINGS

17:31 / 12.03.07

It should be - those emails come from Tom... I'll suggest it. The man problem with that is that if new bugs were alerted to the existence of an introductions thread, there might be yet more inclination to use it, with potentially horrific consequences.

Also, loth as I am to sound rude, it's not _that_ hard to find. If you search, even with the rudimentary inbuilt search function, for "introductions", this is the first link you get.

Still and all, new intro threads don't do _that_ much harm - we get n new members, of whom only a small number start new introduction threads, at which point someone bumps this one and the new ones tend to drop into obscurity relatively swiftly...

17:51 / 12.03.07

Tom does include a line about posting in the current Introductions thread I think. There might even be a link to it in the email people get.

Such deja vu writing that.

ONLY NICE THINGS

17:58 / 12.03.07

Lula, it's really not that bad. Worst case scenario, you get some inert threads bouncing around Convo for a bit after each upload. Possibly Tom's email is not sufficiently detailed, and should include the URL of this thread - This is the top result for "introductions", but it is one of seven, all of which have a generic title. Since many people don't read the FAQ before starting to post, they may not know how to search Barbelith, or indeed see the search box at the bottom of the Conversation page.

17:59 / 12.03.07

If the Absorbing Man is still with us, I'd be interested to read about his experiences in Iraq. That could be fascinating, though possibly contentious.

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