seven years underground

[ulysses]

(with apologies to Skinner)

July, 2001: Begin year one. Discover DU via a link from CNN (?) while surfing at work during a months-long stint on the IT bench. Have made several posts at smirkingchimp before now, but DU is easier to navigate. Make a tentative reply to a post in which I mention having voted for Nader, thereby setting the tone for several years and several thousand posts worth of experience on the site. Simultaneously watch the TV and read Khephra on September 11. Unemployment ensues two weeks later as IT company sinks under the weight of its own stupidity - DU now primary source of interest in life. Simultaneously serve first mod term and begin serious crack habit later in the fall.

July, 2002: My waking hours are now spent with folks like Armstead, buddhamama, jiacinto, playahata1 (miss you!), salin, IrateCitizen, kcr and many others. Ms Uly and I met CatWoman in the spring and hammered out a way to pull off the first Atlanta DU get-together after the woman who *was* running it flaked. By the summer, I've served another mod term and worked on Cynthia McKinney's campaign with CW. When she loses the primary, I lose something else and tell Carlos to fuck off, but newyawker99 interrupts my rant to congratulate Merlin on 900 posts. All sex threads die flaccid deaths around this time, iirc.

July, 2003: We tried to stop the idiocy, but we invaded Iraq anyway. The lives lost and ruined have been well documented here. By midsummer, my second period of unemployment from the (rapidly tanking) IT industry comes to a close as my benefits run out and I go back into the classroom at the last second at a funadmentalist school 30 miles away. I work for a year with a science teacher who doesn't believe in evolution. I think this relates to the memory loss. New people we meet think I'm a fundamentalist because of where I work, while my employers think I'm a demon.

July, 2004: Start teaching in public school. Some old friends and combatants have spectacularly flamed out on DU. We get McKinney back, I largely hide from the primaries after my experiment in "pragmatic ideological voting" is stillborn when Dean drops out before Georgia votes. Spend election night with CW at Rancho Uly and NSMA on the phone. Fewer people complain about the "hardcore leftist tilt" on the site. We play checkers. The word "Nader" now comprises only 1/5 of my total words posted on DU. My whining about the adoption process in the lounge peaks.

July, 2005: Midsummer finds me drinking more than I should and wondering what the hell I've gotten myself into following my first year in an urban middle school. I begin to post heavily in the education forum, and I'm soon bound by ideology and profession to proud2Blib and LWolf. We move Outside The Perimeter and I find myself back in Oklahoma surrounded again by reactionary white folks. September brings Christopher, and all else in my world stops, except for a few adoption flamewars on DU. We have to offer a new cat to get CW to visit us.

July, 2006: I've been promoted at school, which will turn out to be a disaster. The bright spot is the celebration on DU of the election of a Democratic Congress, which we all hope will do many great things. We lose McKinney again.

July, 2007: It's begun to sink in that the newly elected Democratic Congress will, in all likelihood, *not* do many great things. The bright spot is my personal celebration at having moved back into the classroom in a more functional school district. DU has long since become a fully legit mainstream board, no matter the "underground" part. Nader no longer figures much, except for some.

July, 2008: Enormous amounts of primary poo have gone under the bridge, and we've nominated the first African-American candidate for president. Excitement tempered with caution as the man works his way powerfully along. Reactions on the site have, by now, become codified, so we spend a couple of weeks discussing whether or not we can discuss any faults in our nominee. Having decided that we can, we largely stop doing so and discuss New Yorker covers for the remainder of the summer.

It's been a long, strange trip, friends. I've been glad to be part of it with you. A toast before we get back to the business.

:toast:

[The Straight Story]

1. A K&R for your time here my friend

Glad we could share the ride together and a wonderful post.

[ulysses]

2. I appreciate that.

Here's to seven more. :toast:

[The Straight Story]

3. My life has been wild since I came here in 2004

That is when it all started to go crazy for me. I signed up in August, just bought my first home, career was going great - and then all hell broke loose.

DU has been here for me in my darkest and most depressing times. And I have learned a lot about myself just by being here.

I'll have a few with ya tonight to celebrate :)

[ulysses]

7. I don't think I've replied to many of your threads,

and I may not have replied to any, but I've read enough of them to have gotten an idea of what you and your wife have gone through. Peace and strength, and yeah, we'll pour another. :)

[Mind_your_head]

4. Change is slow but sure......

not all change is "good" though.

Some of us must be/are guardians of "change for the good".

It's very very difficult in a world gone mad.

Peace, kindest regards, godspeed, and 'keep fighting the good fight',
M_Y_H

[ulysses]

5. we've seen change, yes.

The good and the bad. Some ugly. Peace to you. :)

[UpInArms]

6. hey ulysses, thanks for being here

and I have been with you every step of the way

:thumbsup:

[ulysses]

8. indeed you have!

:thumbsup:

[kentuck]

9. congrats!

to one of my favorite DUers.

peace

kentuck

[ulysses]

10. not like you weren't there for that whole trip, too.

:) :hi:

[The_Casual_Observer]

11. Thanks for providing a link to that Atlanta meet-up. I miss those

posters too. I miss the sense of subversiveness & criticism that DU used to have that's now completely gone.

[ulysses]

12. most welcome. that was a fun night.

[AzDar]

13. Nice post. DU has often saved my sanity since 2004. Well, that, and Xanax.

:hi:

[ulysses]

20. xanax is your friend.

:hi:

[Radio_Lady]

123. LOL! I've only been here since Nov. 2004 and I've learned so much and met so many kind people.

Regrettably, there have been some flame wars and I have major regrets about that. I really do.

I love your signature -- have wanted to say that before. Visit my lonely webjournal sometime. It's pink and pretty! (Is the bright orange and green style still available? I like it but nobody else did.)

www.journals.democraticunderground.com/Radio_Lady

Read it! That means a lot to me in my old age! Thanks, ulysses -- have a great day tomorrow! You rock!

Kicked and recommended.

Cordially,

Radio Lady Ellen Kimball
Accessible Media Services
Portland, OR

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Radio Lady Ellen Kimball is a TV and radio pioneer. She was first selected as a co-host of a local, live television show at WTVJ, Ch. 4 in Miami, Florida, during her freshman year in college. She has been in broadcasting for more decades than she cares to admit. Ellen is also one of the first women in the U.S. to host her own daily radio call-in talk shows at AM stations in both Miami and Boston. She and her husband, Al, now a retired software analyst, married in 1973 and raised five children in a merged family. The couple moved to Beaverton, Oregon in 1998. Ellen contributes her reviews on films, books, and theater to KGW.com and also on the Democratic Underground website.

[Aunt Anti-bush]

14. I echo your sentiment

I am so thankful to be able to come and commisserate about things and laugh and cry together.

:toast:

[ulysses]

21. one big, happy,

dysfunctional family. :7

[Hissyspit]

15. Please accept this gift of a song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6BJLjTDtXo

[ulysses]

22. very appropriate - thanks!

Gotta love Tom's take on that. :D :hi:

[opihimoimoi]

16. Aloha Uly......its been a long haul but here we are....on the edge of VICTORY over EVIL

Come, we go drink, toast, eat, laugh, smile, sing, joke, enjoy.....help stop the leaks on this lifeboat of ours....called Earth...

[ulysses]

24. opi, old friend, I suspect that the road remains long before us.

But yes, the ration before we go over the top again. :hi:

[opihimoimoi]

38. The Pens are Mightier/Stronger than them BOMBS...McWar Rejects the Notion of PEACE

[leveymg]

17. This is a big place. Wow, 5 years here and we never met. Cheers!

It has been a long, strange trip, and it ain't near over. Bottoms up! :beer: :thumbsup:

[ulysses]

25. it's a much bigger community now, yeah.

Used to freak me out a little, but I've gotten used to it. :hi:

[Maeve]

18. What else would Ulysses expect but a long strange trip?

:toast: to 'my friend in the myths'

[ulysses]

26. that's an excellent point!

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some unwelcome suitors to slay in graphic detail. :hi:

[raccoon]

19. Thanks for your post. You have my undying admiration, because

you are a teacher in the public schools.

:hi: :toast:

[ThatsMyBarack]

23. The most overlooked, underpaid heroes in the world....

Are teachers! ;)

[Radio_Lady]

124. Right you are... I can relate. I had an interview with a fundamentalist radio station manager.

I listened to his little RW west side station for about three hours.

No way would I be happy there, even as an unpaid volunteer.

Radio Lady without a radio voice.

[ulysses]

27. that reminds me

that I need to get some boxes together to take up to the school this afternoon. Time to start gearing up again.

Thanks! :hi:

[Lydia Leftcoast]

28. It has been a long, strange trip indeed

especially since DU was where I first saw the news of 9/11 and of Wellstone's plane crash. :-(

[ulysses]

30. I heard about Wellstone's death here too.

Bad time, that.

Very glad you're still here, Lydia. Where did IC and Armstead go?

[Lydia Leftcoast]

32. Darned if I know

I see Armstead occasionally, but IC is just plain gone. :-(

[LWolf]

29. It's been a long and winding road, hasn't it?

While I wasn't here that early, not finding DU until late '02, I remember much of that road.

You've reminded me of posters who are gone; I miss them. Kephra, nostamj, and Andy, of course. NSMA. And others.

Where we're headed I'm not sure, but it's guaranteed to be a ride.

:hi:




ps

Did you really HAVE to put that part in, down thread, about getting some boxes together and gearing up again? I'm doing my best not to think about that yet! ;)

[ulysses]

31. heh - sorry about that.

:D I'm making a big push to be more organized this year, and my coteacher and I are moving into a new, bigger room. My principal wants me to lead a book club for some of our at-risk boys this year too, and I need to talk to her about logistics.

[LWolf]

35. A bigger room is always better.

My students, 6th - 8th graders, are big; many are bigger than I. They fill the room quickly, leaving not much room for stretching or walking.

I'll be there on and off next month in various meetings, as well as working on the room.

I'll look forward to hearing about the book club next fall.

:hi:

[KG]

33. I've spent seven years under the underground at DU, since i'm an actual far leftist.

you know, the kind this place no longer even pretends to want to be a part of.

anyway, i've long since given up trying to point out the obvious to the willfully obtuse, so i just kinda observe with a bemused grin and an occasional snark. :hi:

[ulysses]

34. it all went downhill after the minpin.

;-)

[davsand]

36. We have celebrated some amazing things with you here in the DU community.

Yeah, there have been some times when DU was an awful lot like a dysfunctional family dinner, and for sure there have been times that were painful. There have also been some pretty wonderful things that we have all shared as a part of this community. There have been weddings, and births (I remember very well how happy we all were for you when Chris came to you!) and there has always been politics.

I learned a long time ago that NO fundamental change comes without some sort of struggle and every victory (no matter how small) needs to be celebrated simply because it keeps us going when times are less than happy. The struggle for fundamental societal change can be all consuming and you just cannot allow yourself to get tired and give up on the dream.

Borrow from Douglass whenever you need to:

"Let me give you a word of the philosophy of reform. The whole history of the progress of human liberty shows that all concessions yet made to her august claims, have been born of earnest struggle. The conflict has been exciting, agitating, all-absorbing, and for the time being, putting all other tumults to silence. It must do this or it does nothing. If there is no struggle there is no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom and yet depreciate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground, they want rain without thunder and lightening. They want the ocean without the awful roar of its many waters."

"This struggle may be a moral one, or it may be a physical one, and it may be both moral and physical, but it must be a struggle. Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them, and these will continue till they are resisted with either words or blows, or with both. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress. In the light of these ideas, Negroes will be hunted at the North, and held and flogged at the South so long as they submit to those devilish outrages, and make no resistance, either moral or physical. Men may not get all they pay for in this world; but they must certainly pay for all they get. If we ever get free from the oppressions and wrongs heaped upon us, we must pay for their removal. We must do this by labor, by suffering, by sacrifice, and if needs be, by our lives and the lives of others."


Frederick Douglass, 1857




Bless you, Uly. I celebrate you every time I run across you here!



Laura

[ulysses]

37. dang - I meant to mention you in the op, Laura.

:hi: cohort mate! :)

"The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those they oppress." Yes, indeed. :thumbsup:

[jus_the_facts]

39. The MOST important event...

...is that precious baby boy you have! :loveya:



I joined 6 years ago last month...here's my first lounge thread...sure do miss those that welcomed me that night that are no longer around anymore and many others too...sigh...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/cgi-bin/duforum/duboard.cgi?az=show_thread&om=10591&forum=DCForumID40&archive=yes


...long..strange trip indeed...I'll never be able to thank you enough for the kindness you showed me after my Dad died John...you and yours will be in my heart for as long as I live. :hug:

[ulysses]

58. same back to you, Amber.

:hug:

[proud2BlibKansan]

40. Serious crack habit?

And you haven't shared?

Damn you. :mad:

And quit talking about school. I have 4 more weeks off and I am going to seriously enjoy them. Or gear up for a strike! Should be an interesting year at the very least.

[Maestro]

50. Hey, I'm already back!

:hi: Nice post. It's been a wild ride that I joined in 2004 I think.

[proud2BlibKansan]

88. Dec 2003 here I think

Too lazy to check my profile LOL

And hey, only an administrator would BRAG about already being back at work. :)

We are having horrible contract issues in our district. It's a mess.

[ulysses]

112. my kids took it all.

:7 Enjoy the rest of your summer - we go back on the 4th.

[RubyDuby in GA]

41. Great Summary!

We should get together soon to drink heavily! :)

[ulysses]

60. hell yes we should.

:beer: How's Carter? :hi:

[RubyDuby in GA]

69. Carter -

that boy is into everything. He pushes the buttons on the dvd player and then turns around and looks at you, grinning the whole time, and says "no no no no".

We put him in daycare for 3 days a week to get him socialized to other children. He is loving it! We can tell a big difference in him already. He wasn't talking much and now he just jibbers away (although we're not quite sure what it is he is saying yet).

Play date?

How is Chris and Mrs. uly? We really enjoyed our last get together with everyone and would love to do it again soon.

[ulysses]

oh yes.

Chris does the same thing with the old VCR. He can't get to the DVD yet, and there are reasons for that.

We should definitely hang out and let the boys play. If not before then, Cheryl is taking 17 hours this fall and will be needing me to vacate with Chris pretty regularly so she can study. I'll have my toddler call your toddler. :D

[RubyDuby in GA]

144. Wonderful!

Mommy's Taxi Service is ready to take His Majesty any where at any time for some spirited play.

:)

[defendandprotect]

42. ARCHIVES . . . ???? I know nothing about finding anything here ....

but I was just thinking yesterday that it would be interdsting to see some of the threads from

the founding days --- and from the reactions to the 2000 STEAL --- and other major events.

And, anything that those here a long time thought was a interesting period --

or where they might recall a great thread --- ???

Any DU-historians here???

[jus_the_facts]

43. 9/12/01...from the DU archives....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/cgi-bin/duforum/duboard.cgi?az=show_thread&om=361&forum=DCForumID40&archive=yes#TOP

:evilfrown:

[defendandprotect]

48. How did you do that . . . ???

I browsed quickly and especially looking for those with "different" insights which have
proved to be valuable since then . . .

This by "robbed voter" -- remember it was primary day in NYC ---

Giuliani has said many good things but...
We cannot leave our building and go south (towards downtown) without a cop asking us for ID. Somehow, I doubt that Mayor Green would have indulged in this fascistic little delight.
Other than that, Giuliani's words were definitely better chosen than most others'. Still, did you notice how all GOPers misuse the word "coward" in this instance? It does not apply - say whatever you will about the terrorists, cowards they were not. Besides, the word has a bully sophomoric connotation, a "you don't scare me"
or ""you wanna a piece of me" quality which is the opposite of what we need to convey. It sounds weak and addlebrained.

Others posted of passengers on the hijacked planes trying to get word out that they had been
"hijacked." Needless to say it would have been our airlines/military which would have
known immediately -- and how little challenge the "free press" offered to all of that --
and especially the non-apearance of NORAD.

Here's someone with a wise head on his shoulders . . .
Cappurr (10168 posts)
Sep-12-01, 12:24 PM (ET)
77. Checking in...
LAST EDITED ON Sep-12-01 AT 12:25 PM (ET)
I am at my office, but have cancelled all appointments. Can't work. Really can't even concentrate. I'm terribly frightened because I have absolutely no faith or trust in our "leaders" in the administration. I believe this will end in war and probably with Iraq. I have already heard talk on tv by former repub cabinet members suggesting that attack may have been state sponsored and Iraq was a prime suspect.

Bottom line is, I am scared and confused. This is real hard to deal with, especially after the demoralization I feel after the election.

And reflect on this . . .
The thing that gets us all is the bastards that did this horrible act don't claim responsibilty for it........evil & cowardly.....

Bin Laden, of course, denied involvement.


And this is similar to what the 9/11 Families immediately said ---
"Don't use our pain and sorrow to war on other people"

jmm (6635 posts)
Sep-12-01, 03:22 PM (ET)
105. Today I got in an arguement with some people...
LAST EDITED ON Sep-12-01 AT 03:25 PM (ET)
...in one of my classes about how we should deal with this situation. Except for two others and myself, the only questions seemed to be whether it would be better to bomb Palestine, or Afganistan, and why haven't gone to war yet? All I could think was we need to stop overreacting. I know that's hard to listen to for some, but we still can't say for sure what happened and acting out of emotion with little rational thought can only make matters worse. Some guy kept on saying that Bin Ladin should be assassinated because even if he didn't do this, there is plenty of other stuff he is guilty of. I contered that by saying that if he isn't guilty of this but we let him take credit, then we will never truly know what happened and the guilty will walk free. Giuliani is on TV right now saying that the police department has had a few reports of harassment of Arabs. I feel so sorry for what some of them are going through. Acting immediately out of pain isn't going to bring back the dead. It isn't going to help the rescue efforts. It accomplishes nothing.


Someone commented on emergency services, so I'll take this opportunity to comment on some of
the "coincidences" . . .
That 9/11 was the very day that the Pentagon chose to run a number of DRILLS --- four of them? --
based on hijacked planes running into skyscrapers --- though officially they denied anyone
could have dreamed of such a thing!
Somewhere in that mess NORAD was "disappeared" -- though you can hear an alert soldier speculating
out loud on how questionable he thought all of this coincidence was.

And, btw, FEMA had been called out so was coincidentally there in NYC -- nearby.

And, the London bombing has the same coincidence . . . their emergency services running a DRILL
re a nerve gas situation in the London Metro on the very morning of their 7/7 bombing!


That's the end of thread #1 -- I'll take a look at the rest later ---

[Stephanie]

104. THANK YOU FOR THE ARCHIVES LINK! I've been looking for that! Check it out >

Here's what DU was discussing right before Shock and Awe >

http://www.democraticunderground.com/cgi-bin/duforum/duboard.cgi?az=show_thread&om=443&forum=DCForumID66&archive=

[MiniMe]

141. I got a script error clicking on your link

[Stephanie]

105. found my old bookmarks - DU Poets Against the War Poetry Slam! >>>

http://www.democraticunderground.com/cgi-bin/duforum/duboard.cgi?az=show_thread&om=746&forum=DCForumID62&archive=

[unapatriciated]

44. I have been reading DU on and off for Years.....

but only joined last year (couldn't afford a computer or internet access while raising kids).
Even tho I don't always agree with some on here I consider them family and enjoy reading the varied points of view.
It reminds me a lot of my own family we are dysfunctional but love each other and always stick together.
We recently moved to Atlanta wish you were still here to organize a meet-up.

My new hubby made this vid in honor of DU.
Enjoy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUiEd0IHaDs
:toast:

[ulysses]

61. we're still available.

We've got a great group in the city and nearby. :hi:

[unapatriciated]

134. We would love to meet other Duers in Atlanta

We both moved here with Trader Joes's (I really miss my family and California) lame works at the midtown store and I work at the (ugh very red) Roswell store. We have been to a few rally's with Move-On and World can't wait. We want to get involved with Obama's campaign but it is hard since we are retail and work week-ends and odd hours.:hi:

[OwnedByFerrets]

45. Thanks for posting this....for lots of reasons...nt

[ulysses]

62. you're welcome.

[LSK]

46. glad to be with you since fall 2003

:hi:

[ulysses]

63. hey!

:hi:

[noiretextatique]

47. carlos...i (almost) forgot about carlos

:rofl: he was one of my favs for regular bitchslapping :hi:

[CatWoman]

53. how could ANYONE forget about Carlos???

:hi:

[noiretextatique]

54. hey there!!!

:hi: yeah...he was pretty unforgettable in that his head was permanently stuck up his ass!

[CatWoman]

55. ROFL!!!

:hi:

grey eyes and all

:rofl:

[noiretextatique]

57. right...it's all coming back to me now

and in his last days, the bizarre story about being attacked by a black man he was trying to "help." i think he was trying to "help" him the way the minister who solicited an undercover policeman for a blow job was trying to "help" him :evilgrin:

[Kolesar]

87. Wow. That's sad.

I pitied Carlos Jiacinto. He *seriously* did not have his shit together. When I was young, I had some stupid ideas, too.

[noiretextatique]

89. carlos wasn't a bad guy

he seemed to have a lot of deep-seated personal issues that he needed to address. i was in my forties back then, now about to be 50, so i tried to be patient with him. but he did try one's patience :7

[Kolesar]

90. He moved to Florida to work for ACORN. They ripped him off, then his apartment was looted.

He got in his car and drove off to somewhere I don't recall. Oh well.

[noiretextatique]

91. right...that was his story eom

[Binka]

93. Hey You! How Are You My Dear?

I am working and raising Peyton. This Thursday will be the second anniversary of losing my sister Mikki. You just passed your loss of Karen I know. :cry: Here is Peyton now age seven. Love of my life. BTW Carlos is here I will PM you with his new nome de plume!:hi:

[noiretextatique]

95. she's adorable...as always

:hi: i am glad you too are doing well. :hug: cynthia died march 1, 2006. her birthday is coming up on august 15th.
mary, i am so sorry for your loss. i know it's a cliche, but you know i know how you feel. do something special for mikki on thursday :hug:
i am fine...done with radiation and back at work. now i have to change everything about my life heretofore, but i feel strong enough to do it.

[Binka]

96. Mikki would have been 50 January 10th 2008 I will be 50 Feb 14, 2009

I am so kicking ass in my life right now...JUST for me and Peyton...I'm getting a lot of things right...mostly getting rid once and for all of SHIT DOG THE HOME WRECKER did the trick. He is making his second visit out to see Peyton next week and it will be nothing like the disaster he foisted on me last Feb....This is my town...she is MY GIRL.. and all I have to do is threaten to call Ben up from San Diego and SHIT DOG will shit his pants...I understand how to fight a serial bully now...look them in the eye, don't blink and say "FUCK YOU". Then threaten to get your Marine to kick their ass. :loveya: We have to have a met up, I am only 70 miles north.
:loveya:

Her's my Marine. He is out now BTW he is teaching SKY DIVING in Riverside Co CA.!

[noiretextatique]

98. sure...i am going to see

our mutual friend in san bruno this weekend. i would love to finally meet you, and thank you for your kindness over the years :loveya:
i am all for getting rid of bullies, vampires, and assholes, by any means necessary :applause: when you get the shit out of your life, you have time and space to kick ass :hi:
i hit 50 this year, xmas eve, and i am buying a motorcycle in a few weeks to celebrate :woohoo:

[stevedeshazer]

80. Hey, he's got his own site!

Check it out!! Really comprehensive, too.

http://www.jiacinto.com/pages/414812/index.htm

[ulysses]

82. there used to be more there.

It was titled, "The Man in Blue and Black".

[CatWoman]

86. hey, I remember that!!!

:rofl:

[salin]

107. was that the cab ride?

late night in DC?

[CatWoman]

109. I remember him lecturing you and Kef about "hoosier politics"

:rofl:

[salin]

122. doubt that he can even attempt to understand

how, for the first time in decades, Indiana is considered a "tossup" (even by local state GOP analysists) for the presidential race. Wonder if he is confounded, or in denial?

Yep, he knew a whole lot more about it, from a far, than locals ;-)

Hope that you are doing well!

[Radio_Lady]

125. Hi Steve_DeShazer...

Whassup? Are you old enough to remember Cliquot Club sparkling water and/or White Rock?

I'm posting in the Oregon forum tonight and tomorrow.

Lots of activities this summer for interested folks.

Peace, buddy.

Radio Lady Ellen Kimball

[stevedeshazer]

127. Nah, I'm too young

But I'll roll over to the Oregon forum and check it out.

:hi:

[Radio_Lady]

128. I'm still working on the Chorus Line post. It's not up yet. I need to get back some fire...

in my belly.

It's been a very tough week. Personal problems. DU problems Two big movies. A third movie last night -- very emotional documentary called Man On Wire -- won kudos at the Sundance Film Festival. Probably a limited run at the Fox Tower theater in August. The trailer is up at www.manonwire.com Fascinating story about an obsession and then destruction. I can't get it out of my head.

Tomorrow's the "X-Files: I Want To Believe" screening at 12 Noon. Can't decide whether to go or not.

Another reviewer said that "Stepbrothers" is a bust -- but I love John C. Reilly and Will Ferrell!

I should get a beer for the evening. Just a short walk to the refrigerator. Al's out buying an electric lawnmower.

What's new in your life?

Radio Lady Ellen Kimball
Accessible Media Services
Portland, OR

[Radio_Lady]

126. Carlos, I never knew ye...

But you will live forever in the minds of these loyal DUers.

[ulysses]

64. his daddy loved him best.

:rofl:

[noiretextatique]

70. as jaysunb used to say

"that boy needs some serious couch time." :rofl:

[ulysses]

79. ow, ow, ow...

Beer through the nose. Ow. :D

[barbtries]

49. that was an absorbing account

thanks for the pleasure.

[ulysses]

65. most welcome.

:)

[Wednesdays]

51. Yeah, it's been a long ride

I slowly merged over here from the Bartcop forum, starting around the time of the First Stolen Election. My profile says otherwise, but I know I was posting here by the summer of 2001, if not earlier.

I'm glad we've survived this long. :patriot:

[ulysses]

survival is good, yes.

[CatWoman]

52. WTF???

We have to offer a new cat to get CW to visit us.

I ought to kick your ass, but I think I'll contract the job out to Mr. Kitty!!!! :)

[ulysses]

56. LOL - he does it anyway.

He'll probably offer you a discount for taking the spasmodic furball. How is Trina, anyway?

[CatWoman]

76. that damn Trina!!!

this weekend I bought some automatic food dispensers, as I get sick and damn tired of her stalking me throughout the house, whining for me to put food in the bowl.

But that's not good enough for her!!!

This morning she followed me everywhere -- even in the bathroom-- whining her fat ass off.

She even has Male doing it!!!

I almost tripped over both of them!!!

I went and shook the dispenser and made it look like "I", personally, added the food.

Then they left me alone.

[ulysses]

78. all she wants is a little attention.

Every waking second isn't too much to ask, is it? :D

We need to get together soon.

[CatWoman]

85. most definitely!!!

:)

Trina is the ultimate attention whore!!

:)

[PVnRT]

59. Word

Who amongst us didn't tell Carlos to go fuck off?

[ulysses]

68. too true.

:D :hi:

[Lithos]

66. It has been a long, strange trip

And I'm glad to have taken it with many of the folks here. While there were a few detours I could do without, I wouldn't trade the ride for anything.

:cheers:

[ulysses]

72. cheers to you as well, Lithos.

:toast:

[greatauntoftriplets]

131. Very true!

:hi:

[noiretextatique]

67. i joined about the same time in 2001

:hi: thanks for the trip down memory lane.

[ulysses]

73. I meant for it to be more detailed

but I think I broke "old DU" last night. :hide:

:hi: How are you feeling?

[noiretextatique]

75. LOL...i have been partying like a rock star

and i am taking a motorcycle class. i will hit the big 5-0 in december, so i am starting my mid-life crisis early. all i need now is the harley and the girlfriend half my age :evilgrin:
seriously...i am doing really well. thanks for asking. :loveya:

[ulysses]

77. sweet!

:headbang:

[malaise]

71. You're one of the reasons I signed up

I lurked for quite a while before signing up in 2004. :applause:

[ulysses]

74. I'm sorry.

;-)

Seriously, thank you. :hi:

[malaise]

94. LOL

:D

[stevedeshazer]

81. Thanks for the memories

It's been a long time.

[ulysses]

99. we're middle aged in dog years.

:scared:

[Phillycat]

83. Great post!

I joined two months before you, but you've been WAY more active in DU stuff than I have. You're a great member of the board and I'm glad there's so many old-timers still around. :hi:

[ulysses]

100. thanks!

Likewise! :hi:

[Lars39]

84. newyawker99 interrupting a huge flame war was a treat. :^)

I miss her. You're one of the regulars I've grown so fond of,uly. :hug:

[ulysses]

101. that always cracked me up.

Hope she's well. I miss her too.

[Radio_Lady]

129. How is newyawker99 doing? I was amazed that she was able to keep up with all those birthdays.

I asked her in a PM how she did it.

She said it was just jotted the information down on paper or something not "techie" at all.

I think of her because I was newyawker62-69 (the years I lived in Manhattan... another whole life ago.)

Peace,

RL in OR

[Runcible Spoon]

92. thanks for this!

:hug:

[ulysses]

102. you're welcome.

:hi:

[GOPisEvil]

97. May 2007 -you meet GOPisEvil.

It's been a good trip. I am glad to know you. :toast:

[ulysses]

103. I'm still disappointed you didn't wear the Mama Walton outfit.

:D Glad to know you as well, my friend. :hi:

[GOPisEvil]

113. By the way, have you heard from Peanut lately?

I miss your stories of home remodeling hell! :hi:

[ulysses]

114. I looked for that thread last night while I was writing this.

Couldn't find it. No, Peanut has sort of fallen off the face of the earth. Sort of a singular guy. :D

[GOPisEvil]

115. If he didn't exist, you'd have to invent him.

There are these house-flipper shows on A&E that occasionally show Atlanta. I half expect to find Peanut working on one of those houses. :D

[ulysses]

116. Cheryl is watching "Flipping Out" right now.

The annoying borderline-OCD who runs the business would murder poor Peanut by his third off-key chorus of "I've got sunshine". :D

[GOPisEvil]

117. Borderline OCD?

Some therapist is going to have a great book deal on that guy.

[salin]

106. am so glad I ran across this thread!

I joined about six months after you. You were one of the first (and only) people to congratulate me on my first 1000 posts. I felt so welcomed! Then I realized that you were a moderator and probably just being nice :D :hi: But before long, I was part of that crowd that was on a lot. I remember the flamewars and posters you mention. Even he who deemed folks from Indiana as Indianans.

What a great summary and walk down memory lane!

[ulysses]

110. LOL

"Indianans". Somewhat indignant at being corrected by residents of the state too, as I recall.

And no - being nice to everyone as a moderator was Roni's thing. I can just pick cool people. ;-) :hi:

[salin]

121. Indeed he was indignant

as he told us how "Indianans" think and vote. lol!

Thanks for the compliment - I hope that you know that the feeling is mutual - it always makes my day when we cross paths! And I am honored that our exchanges, that make me smile, made it enough in your memory to include me in that list of 2002+ conversants. While I still find things to value at DU, there was something really special about that early time when it was 10K-15K registrants (with many fewer posters, since a boatload of the early, short-lived, registrants were freepers who thought they were clever enough to "fool us".

You mentioned Irate Citizen, I wonder how he is doing. He caught my attention on PUCA which led to a whole lot of attention to energy issues (esp around corporate practice and regulation). If by chance he reads this (which I doubt, but which would be cool), I send him thanks. He made me think hard about a whole lot of issues.

Likewise, you have always posted things that make me think. I really appreciate that.

[proud patriot]

108. A long strange trip describes it perfectly

:toast: :hug: :toast:

[ulysses]

111. the original DU hippie!

Hey, proud! :loveya:

[underpants]

118. :-)

I joined in October of 2001

you old timer you :hi:

[Stephanie]

120. I joined around then too.

I posted on a thread accusing firemen of stealing a FLAG from a freaking YACHT at the WTC. The OP did not have a clue about the circumstances here in NYC. Will Pitt jumped in and defended my POV while acknowledging that I was likely a freeper! Hah! He did PM to apologize for that, though. Back in the day! :hi:

[Catamount]

119. Heres -Cheers!

I wish I'd found DU so early....keep on..keeping on!
Thanks for that little walk through history.
K&R:toast:

[Gman]

130. Cheers to a fellow old-timer

yes it's been a long strange road.

[RetroLounge]

132. It's been a long ride...

I lurked for a long time before joining up...

Here's one for teachers!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hw1MFobWD_o

:hi:

RL

[jeff30997]

133. I joined a little bit over 4 years ago.

I remember searching a board to vent my anger of Booch and tried a couple of lame boards before reading an article on MichaelMoore.com that linked over here.Wow!I was in heaven! Cool,smart and nice peoples to talk with!Since then I'm hooked.:toast:

[Canuckistanian]

135. I remember Malloy talking about the Atlanta DU meeting

He seemed especially taken with Rubyduby in GA.

*sigh* I miss so much being so far away from the action.

[Zhade]

136. I am so glad you -- and your well-informed view on reality -- are still here.

An invaluable poster, without question.

[ulysses]

137. thank you, all.

Peace to you and absent friends. :)

[salin]

138. If the adage is true - that we can be judged by those who call us friends

then this thread demonstrates that you are one fine human being. :D :loveya:

[ulysses]

139. either that or fortunate.

Modest, too. :D :loveya:

[salin]

140. one more of your endearing qualities!

[Robb]

142. About covers it

...Amazing how long it's been. :)

[ulysses]

143. should've included the "dingbat" thing,

but I couldn't figure out where to put it, "ask me anything" or kudzu on the timeline. :D :hi:

[Robb]

146. Ha!

Well, at least it's going places. :D

[Bombero1956]

145. I've been on here since 2001

not that you can see that from my post count. I've lurked an awful lot and read the many threads you've posted in and have to say I've enjoyed every moment I've been here. I may not have agreed with you but you've made forceful and compelling arguments and that's what being a DUer is all about.
Cheers to you. :toast: