$result=mysql_query("SELECT * 
FROM members inner join avatars
on members.user_id=avatars.user_id 
where members.user_id ='{$user_id}'");

 $result=mysql_query("SELECT * FROM members 
	inner join avatars on members.user_id = avatars.user_id 
	where members.user_id ='{$user_id}'");
		if (mysql_num_rows($result)==0)
//how DO I JOIN these two queries so it retrieves all the correct info FROM the //Members table AND the DEFAULT avatar FROM the avatar table?
$result= mysql_query("SELECT  * FROM members 
              where user_id ='{$user_id}' ");
$result=mysql_query("SELECT * from avatars where avatar_id=1");
				 }
 
while ($row = mysql_fetch_assoc($result)){
 
 
 
echo "
 

SELECT
user_id,
coalesce(avatar_id, 1) as avatar_id
FROM members 
LEFT JOIN avatars

SELECT members.*,ifnull(avatar_id,1) FROM members 
LEFT OUTER JOIN avatars
   on members.user_id=avatars.user_id 
WHERE members.user_id ='{$user_id}'");
 

 
	$result=mysql_query("select 
						members.user_id, 
						members.memberfname,
						members.memberlname,
						members.memberteam,
						members.memberrole,
						members.areaexpert,
						members.memberemail,
						members.memberareacode,
						members.memberphone,
					coalesce(avatar_id, 1) as avatar_id
					from members
					left join avatars on members.user_id=avatars.avatar_id where members.user_id='{$user_id}'");

$result=mysql_query("SELECT 	
								members.user_id, 
						members.memberfname,
						members.memberlname,
						members.memberteam,
						members.memberrole,
						members.areaexpert,
						members.memberemail,
						members.memberareacode,
						members.memberphone, 
						ifnull(avatar_id,1) FROM members
						left outer join avatars
						on members.user_id=avatars.user_id
						where members.user_id='{user_id}'");

left join avatars
on members.user_id = avatars.user_id

	$result=mysql_query("select 
						members.user_id, 
						members.memberfname,
						members.memberlname,
					coalesce(avatar_id, 1) as avatar_id
					from members
					left join avatars on members.user_id=avatars.user_id where members.user_id='{$user_id}'");

SELECT 
						members.user_id, 
						members.memberfname,
						members.memberlname,
					coalesce(avatar_id, 1) as avatar_id
					FROM members
					LEFT JOIN avatars on members.user_id=avatars.user_id