After a Year, Introductions are in Order

As the title says, I have been on these forums for about a year. I lurked a while before registering just so I could join in on some discussions, and still mostly just lurk and read.

I was born and raised in a small town in eastern North Carolina near the OBX, just about a 15 minute drive from the coast.

Before I say anything else, I am the type of person who wants to know how EVERYTHING works, even though I know some things I will never understand. I will research and read and reverse engineer how anything mechanical or electrical works that I'm interested in until I understand it. If something is broken, the first thing I do is pull it apart to see why it's broken. I can't stand just accepting the fact that something works. I have to know how it works, and sit in awe and wonder at the great minds that have come up with the machines we use today, whether they are simple tools that have withstood the test of time, or complex compound chemicals or devices that are constantly improved upon year by year.

I never went to college, despite high expectations from my parents and teachers. My only downfall is that I'm slow. I can't take on a huge workload, I work at my own pace, and that's the pace of the heart of a small southern town where I was raised. I don't like to get myself too stressed and just take it one thing at a time. I don't regret not going to college; I see it as the best decision of my life. I could learn anything I needed or wanted to know on my own with the help of those willing to share what they know for free, so why get in a load of debt to start out life with and stress over?

I love cars and computers. That's basically sums up my work and/or hobbies if you don't feel like reading anymore.

I've always loved classic older vehicles, muscle cars, as well as unique and interesting vehicles... to put it nicely. I had wanted to become a mechanic and spent a lot of my teenage years just trying to keep my old 80's Jeeps and Trans Am on the road being a "backyard mechanic", but I got the opportunity in high school to start working in a body shop, where I learned all I know about body work and painting from one of the best bosses you can imagine. I still work there to this day, and I've even recently opened up a restoration business on the side with my cousins after working together on my uncle's '69 Mercury Cyclone. I know mostly about paint, bodywork, preparation, and detailing work, but I do still know a little on the mechanical side and have even come up with the answers to a few problems that my more seasoned mechanic cousin couldn't figure out.

Computers is where I really get excited though. I like gaming, and the last console I had was a PS2 before getting into computer gaming. I built my first computer from scratch a few years ago, and as I mentioned before, I researched all I could possibly learn on how everything worked, and how all the parts of a computer system work together. I've built a few computers since then and have repaired several others for friends and family. I'm even part of a computer hardware review program and often get my hands on the latest computer hardware, from power supplies to motherboards, from cases to hard drives, and almost everything in-between. I also have gotten into overclocking. I don't have the means to get into extreme overclocking, but I do give my systems a little performance boost when I need it. However, it's addictive, and the more I do it the further I want to go. Maybe someday I'll get a little more extreme and share the results with you guys.

As far as conspiracies go, well, I'm just along for the ride. ATS seems like the best place for people to share their minds on almost any subject, so I'm still learning how this crazy world works, piece by piece.

Thats best way to do it .. Dont stop learning ... enjoy your ride here at ats ..

Welcome belatedly, lol. Taking things apart is an excellent way to learn and perhaps even improve things. Restoring old cars sounds interesting, I live in the midwest and old cars are very popular here, they have shows and rallies. Some of them are really beautiful.

Glad you liked it here to hang around.