Popular Post Gilberticus 374 Posted May 27, 2013 Popular Post Share Posted May 27, 2013 (edited) I've made other posts, but I thought it might be fun to introduce myself all in one post, rather than in little chunks through several different topics. My name is Ryan, I chose Gilberticus because it's my nickname. My family used to call me Gilbert when I'd do something ditzy. After I came home from the military, they changed it to Gilberticus because I'm obviously far more muscular than before the military. I'm currently studying for my license as a gemologist appraiser. I started out as an English major, completed three years, then the newest Indiana Jones movie changed my whole life. On a side note, I have no clue why people bash that movie, it's my favorite of the four. Anyway, I thought it might be cool to own a crystal skull, bought one off the internet, and became hooked. I found that I was spending all my free time researching crystals. There's just something about holding them that I can't explain. I don't think that crystals hold actual power like the Universalists believe.I joined the military as a 22 year old farm boy. I was in no way ignorant or naive or stupid, but I was completely unprepared for the blood and carnage that I saw as an FMF Corpsman at war. War.....changes you, gives you a different perspective on the world. It's something you kinda got to experience for yourself. The best description I can give you is after you see blood shed, after you see how futile war is sometimes, the color kinda drains out of life. Anyway, for some reason, when I hold crystals, the world is fresh,new, mystical and magical. It makes me feel like I'm looking at the world with the eyes of a child again. My fiance had commented once that it was a shame that I wasn't studying gems as a major. She was being comical, but I researched, and found that there are people who study, analyse, and appraise gemstones: gemologist appraisers. Now, I think I'll steal the idea of the "favorites" topic, but I prefer paragraph structure. My favorite movies are Species,Bill and Ted's Excellant Adventure, and the old Conan series (with Schwarzenegger, not the new ones). I had no favorite toy as a child: I preferred to be out in nature, swimming, climbing, and discovering. Animals have always fascinated me, and I am still an avid fan of the Discovery Channel. My favorite author is Terry Brooks, but I have no particular favorite book; I have all of them on my Kindle. Drinking no longer has any appeal to me, but I used to be able to throw back more than my fair share of Jager once upon a time. I love menthol cigarettes, peach tea, and watermelon flavored shisha. Not all sailors and marines have tattooes (I hate that stereotype), but I did indeed get six while in service. My favorite bands are Alice in Chains and Motley Crue, and if I had to choose a favorite song of theirs, it would have to be Man in the Box from Alice In Chains and Shout at the Devil by Crue. I see a lot of Star Wars and Star Trek comments, but I'm not a big fan of those. I am, however, a big Hangover fan, and am very excited about the new movie. I also heard that the rumors about the second Hot Tub Time Machine were indeed rumors, which makes me kinda sad cuz I loved it. I know there's gunna be a new Bill and Ted movie out sometime, but I'm slightly skeptical about that one. I think that's enough of an intro for now. Edited May 27, 2013 by Gilberticus 2 Link to comment
Delta! 985 Posted May 27, 2013 Share Posted May 27, 2013 Welcome to the dark and delightful corner on the web we love to hang out on. I have never even made an introduction like that... be sure to check out media matters, and "what are you currently listening to" have fun here on DarkMatters! Delta! Link to comment
Popular Post gogoblender 3,042 Posted May 27, 2013 Popular Post Share Posted May 27, 2013 Yowzi, great intro! These are my favorite posts here on the forum, Gilberticus (the historical on this is amazing) I know a lot of other forumj don't seem to have as extensive an intro section as ours, but we've had the friendlest, most interesting folks show up with great info. One of the things that I loved most was you mentionning the gemology...fascinating! When I was a kid, couldn't stop reading stories about Diamonds. Knew the "C's" and, course, cuz April's my Bday, thought I was destined for the gem road. Oh well Thanks for the write up, peeps don't like to make too long posts anymore, but here at DarkMatters, we seem to buck the trend. gogo 2 Link to comment
Etherian 76 Posted May 27, 2013 Share Posted May 27, 2013 ...wow what an epic intro! Reading the above really woke me up this morning. Thank you. There are many subforums to choose from. Feel free to surf. You may or may not find all you are looking for, but never hurts to atleast give it a whirl. Enjoy your time here. I remain, Etherian Link to comment
Popular Post Gilberticus 374 Posted June 1, 2013 Author Popular Post Share Posted June 1, 2013 Well, gogo, diamonds are indeed cool, but my passion is quartz. They come in a variety of colors, shapes, and in one aspect are like people: a flaw in a quartz (depending on its nature) can add charm and value to the gem. For instance, I saw a quartz with silica inclusions that made it three times its normal value. In layman's terms, moss and algae were incased inside this quartz, giving it the appearance of having green veins. In another case,I saw a quartz that's host rock was sandstone, which gave the quartz a rare, salmon coloration. In your area, because of certain minerals in the soil, amethysts often have a red center, which gives them the appearance of having a living heart. Humans can be creative, but it's mother nature that comes up with the most imaginative designs. And Etherian, I'm glad that I could wake ya up 2 Link to comment
Omnicide 26 Posted June 1, 2013 Share Posted June 1, 2013 Welcome aboard, Gilberticus! Link to comment
Gilberticus 374 Posted June 1, 2013 Author Share Posted June 1, 2013 Thank you Take hold of the flame is a song by Queensryche, are you a fan? Link to comment
Gilberticus 374 Posted June 1, 2013 Author Share Posted June 1, 2013 And Delta, I don't listen to a lot of music any more. I used to be "with it" when it came to music, until they changed what "it" was. What "it" has become...... is lame to me, so most of the music I listen to is in my head. 1 Link to comment
Dragon Brother 619 Posted June 2, 2013 Share Posted June 2, 2013 Welcome to the forums Gilberticus I haven't seen an intro like that in a while, sure puts mine to shame. Very interesting ready though! Link to comment
Gilberticus 374 Posted June 2, 2013 Author Share Posted June 2, 2013 Thank you. I've been to Australia a few times, I really like the sapphire and black opals mined in your country, especially around Queensland and South Wales. Link to comment
wolfie2kX 528 Posted June 2, 2013 Share Posted June 2, 2013 And Delta, I don't listen to a lot of music any more. I used to be "with it" when it came to music, until they changed what "it" was. What "it" has become...... is lame to me, so most of the music I listen to is in my head. Ah yes.. A sure sign you're getting old. It happens to everyone eventually. It started off with 90's metal for me.. And then all of a sudden there was this Grunge stuff. I learned to appreciate some of it - but I still don't get Nirvana... Today's music - mostly has me begging WTH were these idiot record executives smoking when they signed that band... Ditto with Rap.. It started off being somewhat OK - kind of amusing really - with stuff like Young MC and Tone Loc... But then it morphed into this Gansta ©rap.. BLEAH! Most of the stuff coming out is pretty weak. There are some exceptions - Blind Guardian, Dragonforce - and Nichole Atkins - to name a few. 1 Link to comment
Gilberticus 374 Posted June 2, 2013 Author Share Posted June 2, 2013 Old? Not by a long shot, I'm 33. I'm just old enough to remember a time when music actually had balls. I'm familiar with Blind Guardian and Dragonforce Link to comment
wolfie2kX 528 Posted June 2, 2013 Share Posted June 2, 2013 Yup.. Old. At least "old" by record executives' imaginations. Consider the top pop acts of the day - Justin Hemorrhoid, er Bieberhoid, er.. Bieber. Consider the target audience. Ditto to One Direction... I can guarantee that neither one of those acts are aimed at YOU. Even Mylie Cyrus/Hanna Montana was aimed at aspirational preteen girls and young boys just hitting puberty who might have thought in their hormone enraged fantasies they had a chance with her... NOT at you, nor me. 1 Link to comment
Gilberticus 374 Posted June 2, 2013 Author Share Posted June 2, 2013 What I find funny is how some music is timeless/ageless, while other tunes are definately time period music. I went to college when I was 30. No one raised an eyebrow when I'd listen to Skynyrd or Floyd, but I was walking along one day, listening to Ratt, and some girl asked me what I was listening to. I told her, and she said "Oh,yeah.....my dad likes that." Kinda a buzz kill, esp since I had just made out with her the day before after Archaeology. that's a long story, but that little incident killed any more make out sessions. Or, one semester, I lived in the dorm, and kids knocked on my door, asking for party music. I told them I didn't have a lot of cds with me; a little Judas Priest, Iron Maiden,Alice in Chains, Pantera,Tool, Meshuggah...... and they said "we might as well raid our dad's cd cabinet". No, Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus aren't aimed at me. Shakira wasn't aimed at my age bracket either, but damn, did she have a tight little body Link to comment
gogoblender 3,042 Posted June 2, 2013 Share Posted June 2, 2013 Well, gogo, diamonds are indeed cool, but my passion is quartz. They come in a variety of colors, shapes, and in one aspect are like people: a flaw in a quartz (depending on its nature) can add charm and value to the gem. For instance, I saw a quartz with silica inclusions that made it three times its normal value. In layman's terms, moss and algae were incased inside this quartz, giving it the appearance of having green veins. In another case,I saw a quartz that's host rock was sandstone, which gave the quartz a rare, salmon coloration. In your area, because of certain minerals in the soil, amethysts often have a red center, which gives them the appearance of having a living heart. Humans can be creative, but it's mother nature that comes up with the most imaginative designs. And Etherian, I'm glad that I could wake ya up I remember reading years and years and years ago in a penthouse magazine expose on how the rarity of diamonds was a myth (wasn't my penthouse! ) ...that whole new diamond caches were potentially coming in from Russia...and that Debeers was doing all it could to "keep" the stones rare. Yay/nay? Scintillating having you here with us Gilberticus (your name reminds, with affection, me of the affixes from Goscinny and Uderzo Characters^^) gogo 1 Link to comment
Gilberticus 374 Posted June 2, 2013 Author Share Posted June 2, 2013 Well, here is the unadulterated truth. Diamonds haven't been rare since the 1920s. I don't judge you on the Penthouse. When I was a wee lad, mom wondered why she wasn't getting any of her bra magazines. Anyway, diamonds are almost as common as glass. There is such a surplus of them that we could easily pave every street in America if places like Debeers and Kays opened their warehouses. That is why I'm not a big diamond fan, and that is why I sell quartz. I study to be a gemologist appraiser to make money so I can offer a wider variety of quartz. Granted, I'll have to work with diamonds for a while as an appraiser, but when you buy a diamond, you don't buy it from me, that's not what a gemologist appraiser does. How my job works: you buy your ring/jewelry from some place, like Jared's, for instance, then you take it to me to appraise it for insurance purposes. All I do is evaluate your diamond for insurance in case it ever gets stolen. Diamonds are the most overpriced gems in existance Link to comment
Knuckles 904 Posted June 2, 2013 Share Posted June 2, 2013 Hi and welcome... I almost never speak about my time in the military, especially when in a war zone, but you're never prepared for what you see, and I'll leave it at that. Glad to see you were able to focus your energies on something when you got out. I've known a lot of vets who had a hard time adjusting back to civilian life. As far as music goes. Mostly stuck in the mid to late 70's. My teen years and when music really was a part of me growing up. I like a lot of the new bands out like Slipknot and Disturbed but nothing beats hearing an old Black Sabbath or AC/DC tune for me (almost wrote toon lol) 1 Link to comment
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