More Classic Khephra: Explains the Origin of his DU Name!

[Zomby Woof]

His self-effacing manner and good humor on display.

From the summer of 2001:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/cgi-bin/duforum/duboard.cgi?az=show_thread&om=95&forum=DCForumID40&archive=yes

khephra (35840 posts)
Aug-09-01, 03:04 PM (ET)
Khephra is a ??? (and another invitation for others to introducce themselves
This makes me laugh, so no one think I'm upset by when this happens, so let me do this little intro.
I'm a 33 year old perpetual college student writer (can't spell though) who is (drum roll please) male. Yep, I'm a guy.

The only reason why I mention it is that I've had this weird thing going on most of my life that I don't seem to understand. And that is that I'm almost always mistaken as being a woman on the phone and through drive-up window speakers.

Some people have told me that Khephra, because it ends in an "a" sounds like a woman's name, well, it isn't.

For those who don't know, Khephra is the Eygptian Scarab God who pushed the sun through the Underworld at night. I picked it years ago and it has just stuck. The reasons behind me using it is 1. I'm a neo-pagan and into all that occult stuff you hear about on the 700 club, but i'm a nice one 2. I really like Eygptology 3. It symbolically means "The Sun at Midnight" which I perceive as being "hope in the dark" 4. And I'm a night owl

Once again, I'm never mad, I just prefer people to know the truth about me, should I meet any of you at a protest in the future.

Oh yeah, imagine a dashingly handsome overweight, short bald shaven man with devilish brown eyes and you have a good image of what I look like. Well, I'm only fudging a bit LOL

[Thtwudbeme]

1. And look at the other names on that thread:

Cici the Psychobunny, Yang, 5thgeneration, Dr.Gonzo....

oh damn.

[Florida_Geek]

5. I guess most of those people do not

post anymore... :(

[Blaukraut]

6. Brings back memories

Those were the days, eh? As Koko said in another thread - with Kef ends an era here at DU. I'm still numb from shock :-(

[Zomby Woof]

9. Gladdens my heart to see you

:hug: I have missed you!

[Thtwudbeme]

12. Oh, you have been missed!!!

Glad you are still on DU!

:)

Stephanie

PS-I married a DUer since you were around and he is seriously cute!

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

10. We should ALL go to FUNDAY this year in honor of Khephra

[Thtwudbeme]

11. What's Funday?

I need a Fun day!

I also need LevensonK to post more!

[Blaukraut]

13. in honor of Kef

I promise to post more from now on. I'm here every day, believe it or not. I also know about you and Jan Michael :-)
Kef's passing reminded me how much my DU family meant, and still means to me. I'll miss him, and the chats we used to have in the evilduers room. Maybe some day we can revive that.

[buddhamama]

37. good to see you, Levensonk

i look forward to you posting again. :hi:

[davsand]

19. He had so much fun when we went up last time.

We took him up with us when we went three years ago. He sat in the back seat all the way up there talking to my husband about the SF books and movies they'd both read. (We all know that Keph loved his SF, but my husband is an equal fanatic!)

That particular FunDay was when we met Martin Schraeder for the first time. Festivito was there too--and John--the host beyond compare. We'd all had such fun at the DU gathering at my house that it was unthinkable that we'd miss FunDay. Looking back at it, I can honestly say that Scott seemed to be having the time of his life up there.

I will never forget Scott talking on the way home about DU and how he felt he'd found a home here. He genuinely loved this place, and I suspect he never realized how much he was loved in return.

One of my biggest regrets is that the last time I made it to FunDay, Scott was gonna ride up with me and had to cancel at the last minute. He was neck deep in the Dean campaign and just couldn't be gone.

John and Martin scrambled and found me places to stay and train fare up there so I'd not miss FunDay, but Keph stayed home and worked for Dean that weekend. Makes me sad but also makes me smile because that is exactly what he WANTED to be doing...

Yes, if you can, plan to go to FunDay. We'll lift a glass of Pepsi in Scott's memory.


Laura

[southlandshari]

22. My family would like to be there

at FUNDAY, if someone can tell me what the heck it is (and a where and when would be great, too!). I know most here must know about FUNDAY, so forgive my ignorance!

I am willing to travel many miles with young child and foreign husband in tow for "FUNDAY" because:

a) First and foremost, it will help honor Khephra - Scott - and all he meant to thousands of us here on DU

AND

b) Nothingshocksmeanymore is as much a DU hero to me as Scott obviously was to so many here. I'm always interested in what he/she has to say on a given issue - so, if a trip to FUNDAY is what he/she thinks is in order, count me in. I'd love to finally put some faces with names and online personalities.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

23. That was sweet, thanks

Funday is 5thGenDem's annual huge celebration up in Michigan..it happens in June (I think) and he will begin organizing it and advertising it on DU around April...look for his posts in the lounge around that time

[southlandshari]

24. No, thank YOU!

Thanks for your quick response! And please know that I meant what I said about your presence on DU and what it has meant to me. I have always been interested in what you had to say here, particularly on issues of race and equality.

Michigan. Hmmmmm... Not exactly a hop, skip OR a jump from central Alabama. At least I have several months to plan, right?!! =)

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

26. Well there are other 'bama DU'ers...maybe you guys can form a convoy

and if the issue of race is what prmpted you to say that, then I am honored...it's my pet project in life to live in a world free of racism.

[southlandshari]

27. Kindred spirits

is what we very well may be. I do know that there is nothing more important to me than doing all I can to put an end to racism, especially in my beloved, dysfunctional home state of Alabama. I was raised a white and privileged daughter of the South (thank God my folks weren't in to the debutante scene - that would have been nothing BUT ugly!).

Sending you a PM on this now.

[jeanarrett]

36. I really want to go to this

too this June and meet some of you! Saginaw is just up the road from me - can't wait to hear more about it as Spring is sprung. . . Anyone else from Ann Arbor area on here? We could carpool.

[5thGenDemocrat]

38. Regarding FUNDAY (June 18)

All are welcome and I'd sure like to meet the whole bunch of you. Since this is Kheph's thread, I'll post the details over in the Michigan forum.
Shugah's from the A2 area and has been here before (at FUNDAY IX -- this year will be XI). I have some pix of Kheph at the (FVII) soiree, but no way of posting them. I'll make sure to get them into the brochure (we have a brochure and our own musical programming, too).
Convoys sound like a great idea -- just get here. We'll feed you, provide refreshments of your choice and even find free housing accomodations should you need them (or call the motels and get your reservations for you).
Looking forward to it. See you all then.
John (and Polly)
It is now 158 days, 18 hours and 34 minutes to FUNDAY.

[DemBones DemBones]

2. Thanks, Zomby! I just kicked one of Keph's threads in LBN.

I was wondering if we could keep one on the front page permanently. . . We're going to miss him.

[ulysses]

3. it's a trip going back through the archives

Do Kephra's Fingers Bleed?

[Dr Batsen D Belfry]

15. God I can't believe one of my posts made the list!

I swear Kef had fingers of steel.

One of the amazing things I noticed in 2001 and 2002 is how roles were naturally created on DU. There were the info gatherers, the analysts who made sense of it, the interpreters, who translated it for the masses, and there were the distributors, who got it to the MSM.

Kef was the supreme gatherer. I recall several times when Kef would discover something and Helen Thomas would be asking Ari the very question the next day at the press briefing.

Kef made stuff happen in a big way here.

DBDB

[buddhamama]

28. i've enjoyed it

a lot of funny and memorable posts to be found there.

i ran across a thread of Kef's; in it him, Dr.Gonzo and sffreeways are attempting to explain Fight Club to me without speaking of Fight Club.

[Taxloss]

4. That's beautiful!

[dweller]

7. who pushed the sun through the Underworld at night

like a boy bearing a torch...

sigh

:cry:

dp

[PartyPooper]

8. Because I never conversed with Khephra, I had a horrible thought earlier

this evening that maybe he had me on "ignore". :-(

And, I posted a multitude of times on his threads in LBN since I joined DU in 2002.

I realize this thread ain't about me...but, I can't help but wonder.

:cry:

[Dr Batsen D Belfry]

14. Damn, so now I have to out myself!

I am the poster former known as JM. I chose to maintain two accounts instead of changing my old one during the name change amnesty.

I only bring this up because
a) I was listed in the Kef thread and wanted to respond
b) I can't believe LevensonK is back posting and wanted to respond without confusion

PartyPooper, if you knew Khephra, you would know he didn't have a mean bone in his body. Quite frankly, while I am sure he suggested the ignore feature, I am equally sure he used it only in the most extreme of circumstances if at all. I think someone would have had to act in an extremely stupid fashion to be on his ignore list.

DBDB

[PartyPooper]

17. Thanks for the clarification!

:D

:hi:

[proud patriot]

16. I remember that thread

shoot there was no spell check back then :dunce:

[KittyWampus]

18. It's STRANGE Going Back To DU Version 1.

It's also strange to imagine DU with no incarnate Kephra.

[Zomby Woof]

20. Monday morning kick

[Kukesa]

21. And another kick! n/t

[Ernesto]

25. I remember that thread

The 1st time I talked to Khephra (spring '01), I to thought he was a gal.

[Beaverhausen]

29. Giving this a kick

for Scott.

[NYYFan]

30. You're right ZW, classic Kef

Those were the good old days.

Thanks for the reminder.

:hi:

[WilliamPitt]

31. My God...

CiCi the Psychobunny
Gore1FL
DrGonzoLives
irkthesmirk
johnny_red
Tigerlily
mvd

So many old-timers. Look how cute and tiny we were! :)

[BrklynLiberal]

32. kick

[Lorien]

33. Yeah, I thought he was a woman for the longest time

it wasn't just the name, it was his posts, too. He didn't seem at all upset when I admitted that to him.

[LibertyLover]

34. Khepra's name

When I first joined DU, I lurked a lot and rarely posted. I got to know a few of the posters's names however. I knew whenever I saw Khepra's name come up that it would be worth my time to read and I was never disappointed. Ankh en maat, mi Ra djet Khepra. (May you live in truth, like Ra, eternally.)

[hunter]

35. Nahhh.... Khephra was a guy???

Hahaha. Thanks for posting that ZombyWoof!

It was always fun to watch that confusion.

Oh man, I'm going to miss him. He was a strong spirit here.