Involuntarily Exiled from DU for 10 weeks....What did I miss?

[Rowdyboy]

On June 12th my computer went nuts and would no longer let me open threads on DU (along with many other problems). Tonight, after 10 long MISERABLE weeks in an internet wasteland I am able to rejoin a community of progressive thinkers that I really adore.

Please, tell me what I've missed (if its good shit, feel free to pm me). When I was excluded, Andy Stephenson had just passed away and Cindy Sheehan was NOT a household name. Take it from there, guys....

Oh, by the way, I missed the fuck outta you people. I'm thrilled to be back!

[auntAgonist]

1. welcome back Rowdyboy

Just read another post of yours, glad you and your family are doing ok.
Bananas you can replant :)

:hug:

[Rowdyboy]

3. Ain't it the truth!

But those damn bananas were INCREDIBLE (planted in pure compost)

Seriously, I'm thrilled to be alive, with electricity and a solid roof over my head, food in the fridge and fresh water from the tap. Many of my neighbors don't have that luxury.

[Mikimouse]

2. Missed ya! Glad to see you back with us!

:hi:

[Rowdyboy]

5. It is so incredibly good to be back!

Everyone else in the house is asleep and I'm unwinding by saying hello to my co-conspiritors in the Underground!

After 10 weeks off DU and 10 days with no internet at all, I am in heaven!... Life is good!

[Heidi]

4. Well, it's about dang time you showed up again!

Welcome back, Rowdyboy. I'm keepin' a hug warm for you here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=105&topic_id=3940916&mesg_id=3940916

[yewberry]

6. You missed

shark week
squid week
(insert username) week
(insert username) era
(insert username) epoch, with accompanying banners

panda cam
squid cam

"chicken" no longer a taboo subject
fun is no longer over

"I miss my favorite smilie" flamewar

crackdown on sig lines (notice how easy it is to scroll now?)

Grovelbot posted an "Ask me anything" thread

Steve Guttenberg took over for a day


I'm forgetting lots.

[Rowdyboy]

9. Now thats the kind of shit I was hoping to get! Usable information

about DU's intriguing history. Squid cam and Grovelbots thread sound interesting. Steve Guttenberg's takeover is just strange.

And, yes, it is really easy to scroll now!

Thanks!

[yewberry]

11. If you're so inclined

...you can find the Steve Guttenberg incident (AKA "the time of the hidden threads) in the Lounge archive for July.

'Tain't pretty, though.

[billyskank]

15. Panda cam and squid cam

It was Mrs Grumpy who started it. She found this webcam at a zoo broadcasting images of this newly born panda and its mom to the world. She fell in love with the animal and got hooked, and then spread her addiction to progmom and Misunderestimator and others. For the next couple of days half of the threads in the lounge were about panda cam.

Sundog got fed up with this, and found a site belonging to researchers who were studying deep sea marine animals. They had a web cam on a deep sea squid that they were keeping in a pressurised tank. Problem was, if you actually tried to see the squid you were told that it died in May.

Sundog got a bit carried away at this point, and for the next couple of weeks regularly informed us about a life he invented concerning himself, Zuni and this dead squid.

[Rowdyboy]

16. Somehow, someway, this is the kind of bizarre shit I hoped to hear...

DU at its best can be very strange but never boring.

Thanks. Panda babies are very DU but squid small-fry are even more interesting! My friend Sundog, plus Zuni and the dead squid-well, thats why we come back to DU-the larger than life characters.

[BlueIris]

7. We missed you, too. You missed:

--Some continuing crazy-ass shit in the Longue, and GD (mostly involving a lot of strange, mundane discussions about banal subjects)

--Several partisan flamewars about '08

--No partisan or other interest in
--the DSM
--current controversies in Ohio, and other vote-fraud related issues
--John Roberts
--the impending destruction of SSI

--Some "name" bannings--no, I'm not going to go there as a) I support the mods actions in those cases and b) that would be kind of inappropriate even if I didn't. Scan around to see who's missing


Not too much else--well, as you will notice when you go back into the Longue, a lot of the site members are hurting, depressed, sick and frustrated. Go give some hugs, man!

[Rowdyboy]

10. Sounds like things are okay....Partisan flame-wars? HAH! Cut my teeth

on 'em back in '03-'04. Crazy-ass shit in the lounge? Surely, you jest! GOP fraud/theft in Ohio? I'm stunned! :sarcasm:

I'm just glad to be back with you and the rest of my friends. I know that many of our guys are hurting and all I can offer is one more vote in the fight to restore democracy to America. Just hope I get a chance to use it in a fair election in 2008.

[5thGenDemocrat]

8. I had another heart attack (last week)

That's three now and I'm not dead yet (obviously). The third time didn't seem to be the charm and now I'm just kinda wondering what it WILL take to kill my ass.
John
Supposing I'll find out soon enough.

[Rowdyboy]

12. You want to know what keeps your ass alive?

Its your attitude, babe. Anybody that can post your last comments ("third time didn't seem to be the charm")is seriously whacked and in no immediate danger of checking out anytime soon!

Anyone who's still making wise-cracks after three heart-attacks is an okay guy by me! As the plague-ridden father claims in "Monty Python and the Search for the Holy Grail" ....."I'm not dead yet. I'm really feeling much better!"

[5thGenDemocrat]

13. Glad to hear from you, Rowdy

Best part about the whole thing was getting hauled into the CCU by several, er, middle-aged nurses (roughly as middle-aged as me, anyhow) and getting nice comments about my general appearance (I have all of my hair and most of my teeth).
The doctors can do one of those stent thingies in about 20 minutes nowadays -- it takes longer to get your teeth cleaned. Plus you get cable TV and room service from 7 am to 8 pm. It's better than a hotel -- except that three days and change at a hotel doesn't set you back $40,000.
John
No shirt, no shoes, no health insurance, no payment, no way, no how, no shit.

[Rowdyboy]

14. "No shirt, no shoes, no health insurance, no payment, no way, no how,

no shit"

Pretty much sums it up for the average American who dares to get sick these days. It reminds me of 1972 when George McGovern lost to that asshole Richard Nixon. After being creamed on election night, McGovern quoted Abe Lincoln who allegedly said, upon stubbing his toe in the dark..."It hurts too much to laugh, and I'm too old to cry". It does hurt too much to laugh-$40k for three days in the hospital is absolutely insane. And we are all too old to cry.

Hey, you lived to fight another day. When all is said and done, what else really matters?

[BikeWriter]

18. One consolation for owing them $40,000. They have incentive...

to keep you alive!

[Rowdyboy]

17. I'm going to bed but I want to send out one last enormous hug to you guys

Please know that you were missed.

[matcom]

19. welcome back!

i'm STILL naked :P

:hi:

[Rowdyboy]

21. Just knowing your naked ass was here, keeping folks up to date

on life's absurdities, gave me comfort in exile!

Its SOOOO damn good to be back!

[terrya]

20. There was another "Who is your DU crush?" thread.

You've probably never seen one of those, eh? :-)

Welcome back, my friend. You were missed. I hope, besides the computer problems, all is well.

[Rowdyboy]

24. I've really missed being here....at least I did, until last night when my

better-half mentioned how much he'd enjoyed having my undivided attention this summer. I must admit, not being distracted by DU had some very good points!

And other than the computer BS, life is loverly!

[cally]

22. Oh, I'm so glad you are here

We've been posting asking about you and whether you are OK. Thanks for checking in. :hug:

[RandomKoolzip]

23. People posted pictures of themselves, there was more than one "crush"

thread, freepers infested GD and were caught and banned, the ideologically pure hate the centrists and vice versa, there was a hurricane in New Orleans, and my ass hurts.

[Rowdyboy]

25. Concise, direct asnd to the point!

Thanks. Glad they took out some of the trash, too.