Hi L&M (you don't mind if I call you L&M, do you?

). Let me see if I can help.
First off, if you sent the private message to Nick, it's not that he's ignoring you, it's just that he gets literally swamped with pm's and is also a very busy fellow, so he probably hasn't seen it yet. If you have a specific question, you're better off pm-ing one of the moderators; either myself, Dorkus Malorkus, Irexes, or Jack Daniels would be happy to help.
Now, to get to the crux of the matter. It sounds like what you are clicking on is "New Posts" found in the header bar. That will not take you to make a New Thread. That particular link shows you all the newest posts that you haven't read yet. So you won't be able to start a new thread that way.
To start a new thread, first decide which section you want to post one in. On the main page, below each section header is a brief description of what types of topics should go there. Click the link for the section that you chose to post a thread in. Near the top of the section, you will see a "New Thread" button. Click on that, and voila!--start your thread!
I would also suggest that you read through the Rules & FAQ, as there is a lot of info in there to help you along the way. Of course, you can always feel free to message me should you have any questions.
Hope this helps!
