“ | They should have captured Bin Laden alive and made him pass through airport security for the rest of his life | ” |
“ | Pray: To ask that the laws of the universe be annulled on behalf of a single petitioner confessedly unworthy. | ” |
— -Ambrose Bierce |
“ | The ink of the scholar is holier than the blood of the martyr. | ” |
— Prophet Muhammad |
“ | In politics stupidity is not a handicap. | ” |
— -Napoleon Bonaparte |
“ | Western journalist: What do you think of Western civilization? Mahatma Gandhi: Yes, that would be a good idea. |
” |
Who I am
[edit]Extended content
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I live in South Australia. My family is of Welsh origin and, due to skills, were paid to immigrate to Australia, arriving here in 1849, some 13 years after settlement of my state. My ancestor, his wife and 7 children (plus another born during the voyage) sailed on the barque SS Aden. Launched as the SS Delta in 1856, she was built by Summers, Day & Co of Southampton with a gross tonnage of 812, measuring 257 ft. 6 inches by 29 ft. 10 inches beam. She was powered by direct-acting trunk steam engines of 210 hp, driving a single screw, which gave her a service speed of 12 knots. She could carry 112 first class, and 22 second class passengers, and in 1869, carried official guests from Marseilles to Port Said for the formal opening of the Suez Canal. She was sold to Shanghai owners in 1872. The following is an account of the hardships endured during their voyage as reported in the October 10, 1849 issue of the South Australian Register:
Growing up I was taught the Church of England faith as religious instruction was compulsory in Australian schools at the time. Although this was originally my family's religion, it was abandoned for atheism during the Great Depression due to the corrupt practices of the church during a period when they should have been helping people. As a result, I was raised as an agnostic and encouraged to follow whatever religion I chose and I sometimes attended church or synagogues with school friends. Due to marrying a Catholic, I brought my children up in the Catholic faith. I myself can probably be called a liberal Jain. I am naturally left-handed. During my early school years, this was discouraged by the teachers with Corporal punishment. My parents eventually stopped the authorities from using this practice after I required medical treatment due to a particularly severe punishment after being caught using my left hand to write with. As a result, I can write both left- and right-handed and play most sports with either hand, although I am still preferentially left-handed; I have, however, lost the ability to throw left-handed. I love the colour black and usually dress in that colour. If I had been born 20 years later I would probably have been part of the Goth subculture although I'm probably also a hippie at heart. I attended the Meadows Festival in 1972 and the Sunbury Pop Festival in 1973. The cover of the Sunbury 73 record album is a photograph of the crowd taken from the stage and I can be seen just below the centre. This same photo, although taken in 1973, is also featured on the cover of the DVD for the 1972 event. I have been a single parent with full custody of my two boys since the 1990s. My eldest son left home when he married in 2006 while my youngest left after buying his own home in 2008. Achievements such as they are[edit]In 1975 I was tested by MENSA and scored in the 97th percentile. I did not finish the test which I attribute to dozing off as it was conducted very late at night a considerable drive from my home LMAO. Too bad you can only apply once. I had previously scored 135 on the Stanford-Binet and 156 on the Cattell. 6 years experience with fireproof building materials (my father owned the manufacturing company) where i took an interest in heritage architecture as during this period many government Victorian era buildings were having fire proof walls and floors installed. I became experienced with restoration of Italianate architecture and worked on many government buildings such as Old Parliament House. Later a further 21 years experience in the fire protection industry as a supervisor, instructor, technician, consultant and troubleshooter for a company with an 11 figure turnover. Until I retired I held top secret security clearance (access only) for both U.S. and Australian military research and defence facilities (the stories I could tell but then I'd have to kill you) and was a member of the National Fire Protection Association. In the late 90s as a result of new laws requiring the replacement of chlorofluorocarbons (CFC), I designed and built the first Halon reclamation system with a recovery efficiency rate of 100%. The unit is now used in several Australian states and also America. The company I worked for received an award for innovative engineering for the design. I have certification for teaching, rescue, entry and supervisory work in the permit required confined space industry. I am licensed in OHS and give lectures to companies. I am licenced to handle radioactives used in industry. My hobbies[edit]
Retired from full time work in 2004.
Strange but Interesting Facts[edit]According to the Global Rich List...I am the 885,077,013th richest person on earth by income. I was born with blue eyes and blond hair. From around the age of six, my eyes changed to Hazel while my hair went dark brown. If I drink enough alcohol my eyes turn blue for a short period of time. I'm almost teetotal but do drink once or twice a year and everyone knows when I do lol. The greatest influence in my life is without doubt Julius Sumner Miller and the concept of the Fair Witness. I try to model myself on both. Before my voice broke I sang in a choir and gave public performances. Since it broke I can't sing worth a damn :-) Throughout school I always wanted to be an Egyptologist. I spent most weekends in the museum teaching myself to read and write hieroglyphics which, along with the Latin and French I learned in high school I have long since forgotten. I am however still able to speak some German, probably because I had more German friends than ancient Roman or Egyptian. In the early 1970s I designed and built the fluted Archivolt entrance archways for the Elder Conservatorium at the Adelaide University. The original arches had deteriorated beyond repair with the subsequent loss of the original fluting. In 1979, Adelaide's original Parliament House built in 1854, was restored and converted to become the Adelaide Constitutional Museum (opened 1980, later closed and returned to office use). Most of the original Ceiling rose's, Rosettes, Architraves and Moldings were beyond repair so I had to replicate the originals. Instead of using the traditional materials I developed a new process using foundry sand, plaster, Sisal fibre and white cement which is expected to be much longer lasting. My name will be forgotten but my work will last for hundreds of years. While speaking to Prince Philip I accidentally called him "Phil" (he smiled). I have written letters regarding politics or the Iraq War to the newspaper for many years and to date all but one have been published. I sometimes write online historical articles on various websites. I recently found myself used as a source in a Wikipedia article. I used a firearm for the first time in 1977. In 1980 I ranked fourth in the state in an Olympic Trap shooting competition. I gave up shooting in 1981 and have not handled a weapon since. In the mid 1990s my employer paid for me to take the full Myers-Briggs typing system personality test. I can only say that I am a textbook example of an INTP. I don't like cliff hangers in TV series. When a new movie is released, I usually come to Wikipedia to read the article first to see how it ends before going to see it. I also prefer to know who won a game and what the score was before watching a match on TV. I just cant understand what why some people have problems with spoilers. |
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What interests me
[edit]Just about anything but a few things are prominent.
- I have a large collection of Science and Science Fiction books.
- I’m very much interested in all history. Not just the propaganda history you learn in school but the warts and all history you never hear about because it “may” offend someone or does not suit the agenda of the country teaching it. Res ipsa loquitur
- I have written articles for history magazines for which I have been paid. I guess this means I can add author and historian to my resume.
- In 2014 I received a certificate in Global Social Archaeology after passing a University course in the subject.
- I’ve researched my family tree to 1630 and have my mothers from 1762 so genealogy interests me.
- Religion.
- Indigenous Australian topics
Although I am a pacifist, military history also has a place in my heart.
After he passed away I gained much admiration for my father from researching his war record. He was too young to join the army so he added 9 years to his age and joined in August 1940 without his parent’s permission or knowledge. Why he added 9 years baffles us as adding 2 was all he needed (he was already 6ft tall and pictures of him in uniform indicate he did look the age he used). Following the arrival of the 2/27th in Egypt my fathers true age was discovered and he was discharged and returned to Australia. He rejoined with permission in March 1941 and was returned to Palestine in time for the Syria-Lebanon Campaign in June 1941. In August 1942 the 2/27th was sent to Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea and took part in the Kokoda Track campaign and the following Buna–Gona campaign. By the time it was relieved in January 1943, from an original battalion strength of 945, 268 had died and 607 had been wounded. In August the reformed battalion returned to Papua and took part in the Ramu Valley, Dumpu and Finisterre Range campaigns, known collectively as the Shaggy Ridge campaign. The 2/27th arrived back in Australia in March 1944. The battalion left Australia for its last operation of the war, the Battle of Balikpapan, in June 1945 and from October to January 1946 was the occupation force in the Celebes. Due to problems with Malaria my father was discharged in November 1945. The 2/27th was disbanded in March 1946.
My father was affected by Polio having one leg shorter than the other that also had wasted calf muscles yet he was still accepted and eventually fought in the most physically demanding theatre of the entire war. Interestingly, due to his young age when he joined, he was four inches taller and his hair had gone gray by the time the war ended. Until late in life my mother was completely ignorant of his war service claiming that he never spoke of anything war related and in fact she never realised he went to New Guinea let alone took part in Kokoda. All the photos he sent home during the war show him drinking beer with army buddies, riding camels and similar standard tourist shots. He never sent pictures or letters from New Guinea and he never claimed his medals. My sister claimed them on his behalf in 2003 after considerable pressure to get him to sign for them.
My father was one of the wounded in the camp hospital mentioned in the infamous running rabbits incident.
Wikpedia
[edit]What I’m doing here
[edit]I came across Wikipedia doing research and like the site although I can see its shortcomings. I like to correct obvious inaccuracies. I rarely actively hunt subjects to edit but do it by arriving at pages by clicking the embedded links while reading a topic and subsequently seeing something I am not happy with.
Advice for new users
[edit]Over 50% of all Wikipedia edits are performed by less than 1% of the editors. The most active 2% of editors, contribute 73% of all Wikipedia edits. This may sound daunting to a new editor but therin lies a story. The quality of Wikipedia lies in the information it provides, not the number of edits made to create it. The vast majority of edits are spelling corrections, formatting, adding links and adding categories etc. While these type of edits are extremely valuable, if you count only edits that have contributed actual content to Wikipedia, some 80% of the people who have written the actual content have done so as anonymous IP addresses and the majority of contributors have made few edits in total. People read Wikipedia because they want to know something, not because everything is spelt correctly and formatted clearly. New users will find many experienced editors are quick to critisize or revert their edits and many are driven away by this all anons are stupid attitude but this is counterproductive. Wikipedia content relies on new editors and whether you decide to register or remain an anonymous IP address, your contributions are more valuable than those of the most experienced editors. Don't be discouraged. Take the knocks and keep editing and hopefully you will learn and eventually register so you can interact more productively with the community.
What you can do
[edit]I accept that I can be wrong and wont get upset if reverted. I try to be neutral but I doubt anyone is entirely free of bias no matter how well meaning they are. Do not be afraid to criticize or debate me.
I’m happy to talk to anyone. You are welcome to contact me for discussion if you wish.
Be aware that I travel a lot and may not answer promptly.
Humorous behaviour
[edit]I sometimes see some strange behaviour so will post the most mind boggling here.
My edit: "...onto a nearby building."
An editor changed it to "...onto an adjacent building."
I pointed out that there was not only a road but another building between the two buildings in question so adjacent (dictionary def; "immediately adjoining without intervening space but not necessarily touching") was not correct.
This turned into a minor edit war with the other editor insisting that "By New York standards they are adjacent."
This is an example of how "involved" some editors can get if they don't like your editing. In April 2011, my 911 article editing was brought up in a WP:RFC/U with a request that I be banned from editing all 911 related articles. Seven editors supported the RFC/U but between them only posted this single diff as evidence. One of the supporting editors even suggested that my taking a NPOV position on the subject was proof of bias. The RFC/U failed and was subsequently deleted.
My edit: "...with analysts expressing concern that Ugg was losing its appeal."
An editor changed it to "...with some analysts expressing concern that UGG was losing its appeal." with the edit comment; "reduced other anti-Deckers spin with more accurate representation of what the sources actually say."
The exact wording of the source; "However, analysts have expressed concern that Ugg is losing its exclusive appeal."
It seems some editors have a problem with cognitive dissonance.
What I hate
[edit]- Editors that delete content because it has no cite. I don't care if you do not agree with the claim, unless it is obviously wrong, tag it or look for a cite yourself. Delete it if you can't find a cite after a good faith search.
- Bad Science in movies. FFS pay for a consultant! The following dialogue is from The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008 film):
First scientist: What are the odds of an asteroid making an impact on Manhattan?
Second scientist: Astronomical.
First scientist: Then it can't be an asteroid! (In the movie this sets her up as the "expert" but in reality it sets her up as moron who doesn't deserve to be on the team!)
The Infamous 3RR
[edit]Be Aware! 3RR can be ambiguous. You will know that 3RR means getting blocked for reverting an edit three times in 24 hours. What is ambiguous is that it doesn't have to be the same edit you revert. Reverting any three edits made to a page even if they are not the same one can get you blocked.
Be Careful! If you are correcting false information by replacing it with what the source actually says, this still counts as a revert. Even if it is not a true revert because you just reworded the edit for grammar or clarity, it still counts as a revert if you use the Undo button to remove the original text, only use the button if you intend replacing the original text with a highly modified version.
Note! 3RR will not always apply to other editors in certain "cliques" so try not to get in a dispute with them in cases where your reversions would normally be seen as undoing vandalism which are exempt from 3RR.
CT Beliefs
[edit]I DO NOT believe in 911 conspiracy theories. I do not believe the entire official explanation either until investigations are completed, so until then I'll sit on the fence (see [1] and [2] for the "conspiracies" I think need explaining.). I believe Popular mechanics is discredited BS (see here) and NIST cheated to get it's results. They admitted they manipulated the results, (see NCSTAR 1-6) and were critisised by peer reviewed engineering publications for doing so, but that does not mean I believe in CD. There has to be some as yet undiscovered factor that caused the towers to fall but then that is OR. For example, a 1990s building collapse similar in appearance was attributed to a fault the engineering design. Unfortunately a design fault can never be positively determined as the WTC blueprints were destroyed in the WTC1 collapse and the only copies were lost in WTC7.
While my first Wikipedia edit was in December 2006, my first edit to a 9/11 conspiracy article was in August 2007 as this was the first time I read any of the 9/11 WP articles and to my amazement discovered that instead of the expected CT bias I found far more anti CT bias. I believe conspiracy theories should be treated in a NPOV fashion based on the evidence available. I have made edits debunking some but I do not make edits supporting any unless it is reliable material. Just because a fact supports a CT does not make the CT true. I would prefer not to edit the subject at all but there are too many editors deleting any fact that remotely lends support to conspiracy theorists. These biased editors make WP a joke so I will strive to maintain some semblance of NPOV. I let my record talk for me. I've made over 200 edits in 911 articles, some support the official theory but most involve alternative theories. Over 90% of these edits received consensus and are still in the articles (albeit some took months of arguements to get consensus). I've been lied to, threatened and had edits misquoted. In one case I had an edit reverted with the comment: conspiracy theory ridiculousness not supported by scientific or relaible (sic) evidence and was warned I could be banned if I tried to add the edit again. Consensus supported the reversion. I had in fact cut and pasted the text (unaltered) directly from the NIST report findings. If those with a debunking agenda do not like it then tough. While these editors are useful for keeping out blatant CT pushing they should get a life and put their own bias on the backburner in the interests of NPOV. For an example of why some of these editors should not even be allowed to edit at all see here.
For a more in depth look at how I view Wikipedia 911 articles you can read this: Evidence presented by Wayne.
Be aware that editing 911 is a minefield. Be careful to be civil and remember that WP policy is very strictly enforced by elected Admins who may not have legal training. For this edit (on the grounds that it "indicates that you're unwilling to work within community norms") and for removing a {{fact}} tag without replacing it with a reference, which my edit comment notes I did as the sentence already had a reference, I was reported five days later by an admin I had previously been involved in a [dispute with on the basis that this ambiguous post that makes no mention of it being a warning was actually "a warning with a link to [the ArbCom] decision" per the ArbCom decision "Discretionary sanctions" as required before sactions can be implimented and I received a 1 week topic ban for "Disruptive Editing" (my only ban to date). I requested clarification for why I was banned for two edits made before I was allegedly "warned" contrary to WP policy which states a ban "can be imposed "if, despite being warned" the editor continues with the bad behaviour" but the Admin declined to answer so I assume policy interpetation is remarkably fluid. A favourite ploy of my opponents in disputes is to mention that I was reported to WP:ARB9/11 for my editing and support of conspiracy theories as if this supports their case in often unrelated disputes. However, they always neglect to also mention the Arbcom's outcome hoping that editors will assume my guilt. This is the Arbcom case in question, showing it was closed after no evidence of disruptive or POV editing was found.
Barnstars
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The Original Barnstar | |
For consistently striving to improve the level of conduct and decorum on 9/11 articles, and for being willing to step up and make a good faith effort to resolve conflicts civilly. Haemo (talk) 20:27, 12 April 2008 (UTC) |
Articles
[edit]Nothing gives a better idea of an editors interests (and POV) than the articles he works on.
- Average daily page views in brackets.
Articles I created
Articles that are predominently my work. ie: from stub to article (S) or a major rewrite (R)
Articles that I have contributed substantially to.