Hey there,
I see you on sometimes but I too have a very difficult schedule. I am PST and on late at night mostly because I work so much.
Shoto and I don't talk much on the LS as well. Mostly we are off doing our own thing, which is generally farming because Shoto is such a slave driver and I am just a rice-picker in his fields... lol ... Anyway if you ever see us on but we aren't talking and you want to talk or if you need help with something, we are glad to help.
I think sometimes new people may look at a few of us (shoto, mae, tetrabond and me) and they see us doing a lot of things together and maybe we don't talk much on the LS so they think we are off in some clique and not open to new people. That impression is very unfortunate and not the one any of us intends to give.
So send me a tell or say hi to Shoto or I will say hi when I am on. But seriously if you need help with something and feel self conscious asking for it in the vacuum of LS chat, just send one of us a tell. I am certain we can help out. We like little projects lol.
On drops, yeah, a new member who comes to the LS and goes to all events when you can't will eventually be moved in front of you for a piece of gear. That is unfortunate, however, if you come to events and contribute and help out the LS, your contribution is certainly noticed. Being someone whose schedule doesn't quite mesh with the largely EST nature of the LS, there are some things you can do to help out in your spare time if you want (you would need to have a job capable of these things or find a buddy to go with you):
Farm grah chips in sea
Farm HQ aern organs in sea
Farm HQ Euvhi organs in sea (although i think aemora stockpiled us)
Farm diorites in sky
Organize a small group to kill Despot
Get together a small group of friends to do ENMs to try to score Cloud Evokers so the LS can do more ouryus.