Oh my! the numbers are still climbing and the diaries are filling up so here goes part 10.
A big giant welcome to all new members and all old members that have never posted.
It seems that its gotten entirely too hard for me to welcome all of you so I have deputized several other members, shirlstars, Oui, Man Egree and Zander to serve on this committee and welcome you.
Oldsters on this site are welcome to jump in and post their own info or help to welcome newbies. This is how we get to know each other and it is a tradition on this site.
Just to let you know; visit this diary and you will find a lot about how we function:
http://www.boomantribune.com/?op=displaystory;sid=2005/6/8/164431/7125
And this diary from shirlstars:
http://www.boomantribune.com/?op=displaystory;sid=2005/6/8/235456/3577
Just to let you know we are a real community here with a lot of love and caring for each other. All are respected who live in this town and all newcomers are treated with the respect we have for our family.
Well that’s enough for me, must get this diary up so you can start commenting.
Even if you have posted before don’t be shy, others may have not seen it so post again.
Lets have fun and let’s party….
Bring pics and food and drinks, Ok..
Previous welcome diaries can be found on my info page.
Go on, start posting!!!!!Hugs to all!!!!!
Hi and please put a recommend on this diary so it will stay up longer and more of you will have the chance to comment.
hi all… there are so many newcomers (like me) arriving… can we help put out a welcome mat by Recommending this one and Unrecommending the previous one (Part 9)?
Thanks.
Step right in and go for it! Good suggestion. And really glad to see you here. Welcome!
Smokin’! Why would you even need to ask. . .you should see the smoke flying off my keyboard. . .may have to get a new one soon. . .whoosh! (oh, you meant the other kind of smoking. . .my mistake)
Diane, has anyone ever welcomed you to BMT? If not, let me get my great big Frog Pond welcome in gear and pour it all over you!
Welcome, and how are you this morning?
Hello all, Thanks y’all for the opportunity to introduce! I’m a 39 y.o. teacher, currently in Seattle but about to migrate to northern Spain indefinitely (anybody else here based in Pais Vasco or Spain?). Like many others, my interest in progressive politics (and its intersection with social issues) and activism have dramatically increased since the 2004 election and my discovery of dailykos and eventually this site. I am now hopelessly enamored of the intelligent, challenging, and passionate debate and action that sites like dKos and BoomanTrib engender–I think I’ve learned more in the past 8 months than I have in… Read more »
Spain? Wow! You should send a diary our way once you get settled over there, I’ve wondered what the transition must be like to move from the U.S. to another country. A warm welcome to you from the Welcome Mat crew!
Thanks, Man! 😉
I do hope to post some stuff here on transitioning, especially as it relates to the US political & social scene; already many things have been on a slow percolate for a while now as I am also starting my own blog on this very topic. When that’s up and running I’ll link to it here for anyone who’s interested.
Welcome to Europe, wheylona! You will find a few European Boomaniacs here, too.
Merci, Melanchthon! Where in France do you live, by the way? I’m going to be spending about a month in Bordeaux before moving to San Sebastian.
By the way, is there some roll call somewhere for EuroBoos, be they ex-pat Americans or other? I’m still getting to know the site and have not yet seen anything along those lines…
Hi Wheylona!
I am living in Lyon , although I am very often in Paris and Brussels. I am travelling around Europe quite often, too.
About EuroBoomaniacs, I think we should find answers with the big surprise Booman and Jerome are preparing…
Let me know when you will arrive in France.
Aaahhh, excellent! Thanks for pointing me to that thread; it’s nice to know who’s who and who’s where, especially for names I already recognize from dailykos.
Lyon looks lovely, and I hope to get myself there someday soon.
The ETA for Bordeaux is Aug. 3, and my Frenchie husband and I be there as long as needed to get my paperwork done. After that, it’s off to Spain! But as my husband’s brother and mother live in Bordeaux, I’m sure I’ll continue to visit France every now and then. 😉
Hello everyone! It is so nice to be here. Now — about myself I am an attorney, however, my undergraduate degree is in biology, and so I enjoy diaries about legal matters and science issues. I enjoy reading (science, history, science fiction, — well, really I enjoy reading just about anything). I also enjoy watching movies and of course, POLITICS. Oh, and Pina Coladas, and getting caught in the rain…. I am a solid Dem, born and bred. My early memories are of my father bitching about Reagan (“history will treat Carter much better than it will treat Reagan…”)… Read more »
Welcome, Jenn. So you were Southern Baptists from Arkansas – guess you don’t call yourself that now? 😉
Well — I live in Oklahoma now, and I no longer go to any church, but, if you want to be technical, I am still officially a member of the Southern Baptist church in my hometown, and I will attend with my mother when I go visit her. However, I like that church for several reasons — 1) Most of the attendees are Democrats; 2) The preacher does not politicize from the pulpit, will not become involved in political discussions with the church members, and will not tell you how you should vote; 3) The church members are more concerned… Read more »
I’m pretty strongly anti-religion myself, but I recognise there are good people within most religions. You’ve painted a picture of a good and tolerant church community. Wish there were more of them.
I clicked “other” because I quit years ago (except for the VERY rare cigar) but whether anyone else does is up to them 😀
Me too Ordinary vanity, quit cigarettes more than 16 yrs ago, but picked up cigars 7 yrs ago, just can’t seem to bring myself to let go of that one vice. lol
I do so enjoy a fine cigar.
Having been a lurker for over a year I have decided to join a place where I might say something once in a while. I have to say right up front I am not computer literate in any way shape or form. I have no idea what nested, threaded, or anything else means or why and I am doing this by the seat of my pants so you will have to put up with my mistakes as I haven’t found one of those pages for idiots that spells things out in very simple language. Is there one? I am… Read more »
That would be Wandering around not roaming.
They were “roaming” and not “wandering” because they were idiots. LOL!!!
fabooj. . .wow, things really are perking up over here. Another one of my fav’s shows up. . .although I know you have been a member for a while here. Since I haven’t before, just want to welcome you and let you know how great it is to see you here at the frog pond.
This is great. . .this is really great. . . (mumbling off the keybaord in a daze)
Hugs,
Shirl
I very rarely post here because I usually can’t remember my password. I do read the site often, though.
happy to see you…
Welcome, Jake. I can understand how you are motivated by your grandchildren’s future. As to the hard work, a few good people round here have put in a lot of hard work. Most notable from my perspective have been: Booman himself (of course), who set up the blog and has been indefatigable in monitoring every thread and commenting in response to each and every post made since day one… (well almost); Susanhu, who has given her heart and soul to filling the frontpage as well as some diaries with really interesting material. The thing I’ve liked about Susan’s work is… Read more »
What a lovely comment and thanks for the nice things you said about me. Yes I did have a er…. rough patch at one point, but that situation resolved itself and through it I gained some very wonderful and valuable friends, yourself included Canberra. I have been wondering about you since you haven’t posted much lately and do get back to corresponding with me. Say Canberra, can I deputize you also to join the welcoming committee whenever you are on site. I see you have dipped in here and there and that is most welcome to me. Please post more… Read more »
There’s at least one other Australian – dukkha – though haven’t seen him/her around for a couple of weeks. The site meter rarely shows any measurable traffic for this or neighbouring time zones – when it does I think it’s me being frenetic or possibly one or two people logged on from Japan.
We have members is China now, maybe you didn’t notice. They have not posted much though and I hope they will soon. But I think they are in the same time zone as you.
eastern China is UTC +10, most of Japan is UTC +9 and eastern Australia is UTC +10. ‘Fraid that means it really is 2.40am on Friday here, so I’d best go to bed now. Got one 7yo to get to school in the morning, my mother visiting for 5 days and the 2yo to care for during the day, and 17 people to feed for dinner on Friday night… actually I was rather rude to my partner about the last 4 guests that she invited when I thought we had enough to feed already. I get to do the cooking…… Read more »
correction – eastern China is UTC +8. Preview is my friend, preview is my friend…
You are not alone in being computer illiterate! Maybe we can help each other out sometime. My husband is slowly educating me in the lingo 😉
Drop me an e-mail sometime. I can try and see what I can do to help translate.
Hi Jake (and anyone other newbies), the New User Guide and FAQ’s will be updated in the very near future. But for now, you can check out one that I wrote up last month. Hopefully it helps you out while you get to learn Scoop alittle better. Welcome!
of course there’s always the FAQ! doh!
smacks forehead
thanks for the reminder! 😉
My sister-in-law is from Iowa. Her father, a farmer most of his life, a few years back died of inhalation of anhydrous ammonia while saving the life of a co-worker at a place where farmers came to fill up for fertilizer. Maybe you read about him (I think it was written up in the papers there in Des Moines at least). State law effectively prohibited from suing his employer and the state worker’s compensation law was also very skimpy, so his widow is living basically on social security. Believe it or not, they are still a Republican family. Good to… Read more »
Here’s a link to the Safety Board’s report on the incident. Here’s a link to a Newspaper story about the incident, and one about the lawsuit the family filed. It was subsequently dismissed on summary judgment. Here’s an excerpt which tells you what kind of man he was: Robert Ryan died 13 days after the April 15, 2003, accident at River Valley’s filling station east of Calamus, where he and Nissen were working when an anhydrous ammonia tank burst. Ryan and Nissen were burned by the fumes and Ryan helped save the younger man’s life. Ryan dragged his co-worker into… Read more »
Hi Another pie wars refugee here (and while I have no wish to rehash – we all know the arguments ad nauseum – I can’t help wondering if anyone thinks I shouldn’t have posted the diary that started it) I am 49 – 50 in December – have a 19 yo daughter and have been alone with her since she was 4. I am very happy being single, and intend to stay that way. I live in a beautiful part of England (gloucestershire) and have no desire to live anywhere else. I work for a youth charity in a variety… Read more »
If you hadn’t posted a diary voicing discomfort about the softcore-smut pie ad, someone else would have, within hours. Many of us were thinking/feeling it, and frankly you voiced it more gracefully than many others would have.
Please feel no guilt about your diary… the conflict that followed was absolutely inevitable and could have, would have, manifested as soon as anyone wrote anything about the subject.
She certainly voiced it more gracefully than I would have! *chuckle*
On Armando’s apology thread someone posted a personality test to take (it was at the site discusonline.com if anyone else was bored and felt like giving it a whirl). I came out with the most docile and diplomatic classification in every scenario (SCID in all three graphs if anyone was curious)…but I sure don’t argue that way!
I, for one, am glad you started it, Boudicca. It was ugly and hurtful but, if those thoughts and feelings are there, they needed to be exposed eventually. Thank you for being the catalyst for that. I had visited Booman a few times in the past but considered DKos home. Since Piegate, I’ve registered here and am starting to post here a little. I still pop into DKos out of curiousity but I’m sure I’ll go there less and less. I’m mainly still poking into the threads that are still discussing the pie issues. Once those die down, I’m sure… Read more »
Thank you, funkycamper and Torta, for the reassurance – ’tis appreciated 🙂
And permanently broke besides? By Goddess, I think we’re twins!
🙂 It’s funny: the older I get, the more ‘twins’ I find around the world.
Good to meet another 🙂
would you like to mail me? I have a pagan link to give you 🙂
Thank you! E-mail will be en route shortly.
I was wondering who to thank for posting against the pie ad and the dismissive reactions – thank you!! I’ve had suspicions about predjudice on Kos for a while and pushed them aside because I felt I needed the site. Thank you very, very much for taking the action I should have!
I am so glad you started it. The ad was nagging at me like a dull toothache. Every time I saw it, it was kind of like there it is again…I can’t believe it… grated on my nerves…I like this site ever so much better. The quality of the discourse here is really amazing.
It needed to be said and you did a beautiful job saying it. I’m personally grateful for everything that happened as a consequence – it felt like a kick in the ass to move on to something new, better and healthier.
GC, Otis, Zander – thank you, too, for the re-assurance. I find that as I get older I am getting more unwilling to take the cr@p – but at the same time I don’t ever set out to cause intentional harm. I was very shocked at the outcome, but can’t honestly say that I would do any different another time.
Hey there. Like a lot of folks, it was the “pie” controversy that encouraged me to drift a bit from my regular kos habit and peek in here. It was nothing to do with the ad. In fact, I paid my dues at kos and long ago turned off the ads, so I’ve never even seen it. It says something when a guy won’t even turn on the ads long enough to see Mary Ann and Ginger rolling around in pie. What it says is “Oh God, I really am too damn old.” No, it was seeing people like SusanHu… Read more »
I enjoyed your past diaries about coal and about the Ivory-billed woodpecker. Wonderful, quality writing.
Any particular kinda Torta?
I mean, it’s like pie. People conduct polls about what sort you like. Surely you’re a particular flavour Torta? 😉
. I did a diary on the Ivory Billed Woodpecker here at BMT. Much interest for our feathered friends, apparently evolved from the dinosaur family. Last night I met Gabriele Droz with a tiny collection of birds and an Audubon supporter. I currently care for 2 young orphaned Barn owls, 1 Western Screech owl, 3 Red-tailed hawks, 1 Great Horned owl, 1 Peregrine Falcon, one orphaned American Kestrel chick, and two Parrots (one Moluccan Cockatoo and a male Eclectus – both rescued from abusive situations). Oui aka @dKos as creve coeur and new creve coeur WELCOME: Make Yourself Known… Read more »
I guess I should have chosen other — my husband and I both smoke, but because we have kids, only outside, and not int he cars…
I do smoke while blogging though because i have a laptop and a wireless network and I am out on the back deck as I type!
Some long time posters gave me a coupla twos on my comment to you yesterday and I wanted to say I’m sorry for that — that last one WAS written out of anger, the first three weren’t….
Please accept this as the beginning of my aplogy, not the end, as I am a big believer in “show me, don’t tell me” when it comes to apologies. But I had to start somewhere, yes?
The apology is appreciated and there are no hard feelings on my end. Thanks for being here. 🙂
I read your comments and made a few of my own, I hope they helped in some small measure. We all have our demons and some manifest themselves at the most inopportune times. My guess is that it come with having been given the gift of life as a human being. We all learn and we all give and for me the most important thing I can do is take responisiblity for my actions. I see you do that and feel great joy in your courage and willingness to grow within your life. You have my admiration and my thanks… Read more »
Thanks for the nods (does yeah whatever have a second screen name that I don’t know about?) — and I do also want to say that this is what the PRODUCTIVE use of the rating system can do!! You all rock too — you gave me the “Warning!”, I stepped back and looked at it instead of taking it personally, or as a knock on my character, looked at the folks who were warning me and took it as a “hey, this doesn’t fly here, but we’re willing to give you the benefit of the doubt on this one”… Read more »
I’m very impressed with your grace and attitude in reacting to this and what you’ve taken from it. Kudos.
I don’t know who Yeah Whatever is, but hopefully they’ve taken it to heart too, and maybe they’ll come and introduce themselves here sometime.
welcome.
Hi, I just signed up here last night, and it seems like a nice place so far. I, too, was over at DKos for about six months, lurking mostly, but started getting that queasy feeling about DKos a few months back with some of the anti-gay comments during the whole Gannon/Guckert brouhaha, and the queasiness factor went over the top for me during piegate. Hopefully I’ll feel more comfortable here, but I probably still won’t post much (I’m more of a listener than a talker, in general). I’m 30, male, moved back here to Illinois (from NC) to go to… Read more »
A Warm Welcome from Arizona to you. I know what you mean about small town small minds, I grew up in a community of 3500 people and unfortunately personality differences can make or break diplomacy there. If you decide to run, make sure to let us know here.
Welcome from Northern California…
Posting diaries and comments – there is something about this place that encourages diaries when you least expect it. I used to be a commenter…but this place changed my way of thinking. I’ve done a couple and now I’m thinking of other diaries.
Make yourself at home – you’ll find people helpful and encouraging.
Nice user name for a maybe-lawyer, BTW. 😉 I took my nice expensive law degree and practiced corporate and real estate transactional law for about two years. Then I moved to Colorado, where fortunately (although it really didn’t seem fortunate at the time) I couldn’t get a job with any law firm. So I taught law-related things for about 10 years, and now I write nifty little summaries that appear at the beginning of court opinions in an online legal/informational database. You couldn’t get me back into practice if you beat me with a stick. As for small towns in… Read more »
Sorry I tried to make a title that would get some of you site oldsters over here to welcome newcomers. Some of my deputies for welcoming are sleeping now, so we need some help. Please…. and thanks to all that have helped so far. I am still not in top form from the recent frentic activity on these threads and this site so I will eventually get around to reading all new comments. Just finsihed reading the last threads, if you did’t get a personal welcome I am so sorry, speak up and we will do so….. Hugs to all… Read more »
Geeze Diane, as tall and stately as I am, I can’t believe you missed me here sneaking in my welcomes. That’s okay,I know you’re tired and all. Go rest kiddo and we will cover it for you, okay?
Hugs
Shirl
I saw that you were here, but I know you will need some help. Now I am off to shower and meet you back here all refreshed.
Thanks Shirley……………
You called me by my whole name. . .well, at least you didn’t use the Anne part. . . does that mean I’m in trouble. . .gee, and I barely got the party started. Refreshments are on the way. . .
I love a party!!! And we have the best welcome parties in the land!!
(thanks for the call for help, though)
Hugs
Dropping 4’s as fast as I can and still get some work (??) done! Will try to comment mid-afternoon…
I am pleased as punch to see all these great people here….
:^)
For the West Coasters and those or those not inclined towards lunch yet. . . right over here:
East Coasters or any that wish, here is the luncheon fare:
Other Contenents. . . the Contenental Tribbers. . .Whatever, suits your fancy. . .
And now our special guest Aretha Franklin (cue the music guys. . . .
* R. E. S. P. E. C. T. * Tell you what it means to me. . .
mmmmmm deli meats and beer!
a blogoholic. You might as well slice me a piece of pie, too. Didn’t leave over the ad, left over the rude comments and the way the whole situation was handled. The site seems to be infiltrated with high numbered jerks, whose mouths are engaged, but their minds are not. And since I never invite crazy into my home, I stuck up the for sale sign and moved to BMT. This is quite a lovely neighborhood! A bit about me: Turn 58 in August. Work for a regional telecom corp. (24+ years) in various titles. Born in San… Read more »
From one blogoholic to another, Welcome! San Diego is my favorite city in the U.S. It’s only six hours away from me here in Tucson and I always enjoy myself when I visit–the beaches, the food, and the people. Thx for sharing.
We just got back from 10 days in Tucson, Patagonia, Rio Rico, Tubac, and Douglas. We want to buy a home in the Patagonia or Rio Rico area within the next couple years. It’s beautiful in your part of the planet. We loved Saguaro Nat’l Park. I’m glad you like San Diego too! Everywhere I travel I meet people who think it’s one of the most beautiful places they’ve been. Raining today. Next time you come this way, give us a heads up. We can grab a margarita and some food at Old Town Mexican Cafe. posumtrott@earthlink.com Thank you… Read more »
to my address list. 🙂 I love the road between Nogales and Sierra Vista that runs through Patagonia. The diversity of landscape around Tucson amazes me. Cheers!
Not fair maggie, you are making me hungry, Old town is one of my favorite restaurants. The other is Kazumi’s up on 5th Ave in Hillcrest. A fine Sushi Bar and finer Sushi chef. Damn you are helping to create a missing of some of the fine food available in San Diego.
Southwest Airlines…21 day advance ticket purchase….as little as $49.00 one way…friends fly free….feel free to move about the country….come on down!
Mi casa su casa, just don’t try to sell it!
Old Town for Mexican, Little Italy for great Italian, Hillcrest for sushi and burgers, Gaslamp for everything, Point Loma Seafood, Julian pies…it’s all good….burp! Pardon.
I can tell you if coming to California is in the near future, my delightful wife is going to make sure that we are going to Studio City to see her mother. San Diego will be an after thought if a thought at all. lol
She misses her family and Nanny has not seen the new baby yet, so Studio City here we come.
We were in Tucson a couple months ago – our annual trip. I truly believe it’s heaven on earth. Hoping to retire there some day.
Hi, Maggiemae.
We have some common interests, and you’re one of the people I wrote down notes about so I’ll remember who you are the next time you talk.
I have good friends in San Diego and try to visit them once a year. It’s maybe the most gorgeous city in the U.S., with the most ideal climate.
As one newbie to another: Welcome.
and look forward to talking with you in the future. Thank you for the warm welcome.
Love your sig line.
Thanks, Maggiemae. Yes, I look forward to getting to know you better (and others in here). About my sig line: I used it on Kos, before my e-mail system became incompatible with the site for some technical reason I never figured out. Kos told me I was in good standing, so it’s not as if I ever misbehaved or was suspected of being a troll or anything, but he couldn’t figure out what the problem was either and didn’t want to spend much time on it, which I understood. Anyway I wondered if I should come up with something new… Read more »
Every time I see Norm Coleman, I want to check and make sure I still have my wallet. Also, I see him wearing a white belt, white shoes, and trying to sell me a Ford Pinto. Shudder!
Hi, I’m Maria and I live in Pittsburgh, PA. I’m a 40-something mom of a 5 year old boy. I’m a lapsed UU married to a liberal Catholic. We are both disgusted with the current state of politics in this country and the religious wingnuts running slipshod over our rights. I was always interested in politics but never got active until the last election. Never cried over one before, either. I’ve always been a Democrat, but I’ve voted for Reps in the past — in PA, there has been a history of socially conservative (i.e. anti-choice) democrats running against moderate… Read more »
Welcome Maria! Hopefully you’ll find some good commentary here and chime in when you feel like it, even if it’s just to say “Ditto”. As you can probably tell, we’re big on building relationship/community here because, IMHO, we will be able to work harder to promote our issues when we understand one another beyond a superficial level. Oh, and soooo glad you voted D in ’04, help us change the party from within!
Oh, I forgot on the smoking question:
I’ve gone from being a pack-a-day smoker to one of those obnoxious people who bums cigarettes when drinking in bars. So I checked “other.”
Maria
Well I think you have found a home here. I was excited to see you live in Pittsburg. I used to live in Oakmont, Pa. till about 1960, and before that I lived in Somerset county, in salisbury and Meyersdale.
I have many fond memories of Pa. and both somerset co. and I think it is Alleghany Co. where Oakmont is located.
Just beautiful country around there and I miss it so at times.
Welcome to the site.
Rick Fecal Matter Sanctimonious Santorum and Sam The Brownshirt Brownback, are cut from the same cloth, maybe even escaped from the same biblical insane asylum. Why brother fecal and brother brownshirt are two holier than thou, we know what is good and righteous for you and you will know that our God will punish you if you don’t support our reichwing philosophy. I can hear them now at the Senate prayer meeting with Bill CatKiller Frist, Oh lord above, we know you have bestowed upon us the great and glorious job of creating enough havoc in the American peoples lives… Read more »
I believe Bush is without a doubt a war criminal. Perhaps mass murderer describes it better. Or maybe guilty of murder for hire. Or serial muderer…
sorta near one of my favorite places, Ohiopyle State Park!
Welcome! (Waves from other end of the state)
I was just near there last week. Friends of ours built a cabin — I use the term loosely, it’s far from rustic — near Donegal PA. Probably about 20 minutes from Ohiopyle.
Are you in Philly or NE?
I’m west of Philly, pretty near Valley Forge Park.
Hi, everybody! I just joined Booman today. I lurked for more than a year at Daily Kos and had just started posting when the pies began to splatter everywhere. I live in Santa Monica, CA, where I work as a freelance writer and editor. My husband and I are happily and resolutely childless–and I’m constantly surprised by how many people find that either strange or threatening. We’re plenty happy with our adorable yellow Lab. I was raised in North Carolina, so I have a little red-state background. I have left organized religion behind, although I do consider myself a… Read more »
Boxer is my hero too! I wish there were more like her, and you’d think that, being CA, we could elect more. We’ll have to work on it.
I have a friend who is also resolutely and happily childless (her and hubby), and it’s a constant irritant for her, the looks and comments she gets. Dunno why some feel people should be obligated to have children, lol.
Glad to have you here.
. WOW came in as UID #1405 today! First stopped over on Open Thread to drop note on political activity – all must read and give some mojo! Kudos, is the right attitude. Californians–Act Today for Clean Elections! ◊ Next week, the California Secretary of State’s office is holding a hearing to consider purchasing some pretty scary electronic voting machines from Diebold and ES&S–using your taxpayer dollars. The California Election Protection Network is very concerned about the machines they are considering, which do not adequately protect the integrity of the vote. Information is available here [pdf file] Oui aka… Read more »
Thanks for giving this a little more exposure! If any of you are Californians, please check out this post and take a few minutes to send a fax or e-mail.
We have to fight for fair and transparent elections!
I’m going to try this again….with feeling. My first attempt a couple days ago was feeble. I’m 45. I have 4 children ranging in age from 24 to 15, 3 of them boys so I am scared to death of the situation in Iraq. I have a 20 year old daughter that is so spirited and beautiful and fragile that it makes me weep just to look at her sometimes. I worry about the world for all of my kids. I raised them virtually by myself while in the fog of a deep depression. They were my world, and though… Read more »
It’s great to have you here, and thanks for telling us a little more of your story. I went through some of the same things, trying to figure out who I was, not in relation to someone else (parent, husband, kids, and so on). Seems I’ve spent my life taking care of someone or the other (and I’m not really a natural nurturer, lol) For a bit, I didn’t have time to worry about it, as all my focus, after my divorce, was surviving and making a home for myself and my daughter, working jobs that I hated and just… Read more »
Hi Laura, thanks for sharing more about you. I am amazed at the diversity of the community here. You said, “I don’t have a career”, and I beg to differ. My mom was a homemaker for most of my younger years and everyday I give thanks that she did her career with love and understanding, it molded me into the guy I am today. See you around the pond.
Your mom must be so proud of the fine man you are. I am so impressed with you for this young age to be so wise and understanding, etc….and etc. Can’t think of the right adjectives, but I just think you are super and you would fit right in my family, 23, 25, 30 and so on. Those are some of the ages of my children which then make a big jump to 40 and 43. So can I adopt you as one of my family, not legal just personal? Thanks for all your help you have been an… Read more »
You can certainly adopt me, but you may have to fight shirlstars, lol. Thanks for linking to the diary, I just thought it was important to get one of our voices out there. Everyone has been great, newbies and oldies. Peace to you on this Thursday!
Eh. .hem. . .Since all this partying has me in such a fabulous mood, and since I am such a darn nice person, and mostly since it is Diane, I think we can work out a shared virtual custody family thing here.
We’ll just pour the love on and you just keep doing your thing that you do so well!
Hugs
Yes definitely a custody arrangement can be worked out. Shirl you made me laugh again.
I expect a lot of us women would like to adopt man Egree. Isn’t that so ladies.
Can I call your mom for parenting advice? I hope my boys are as wise as you are when they’re 24…heck, I’d be thrilled if they could manage it by 30!
Welcome to the frog pond…where the water is fine and friends are plentiful.
I loved your comments at the other site and personally am very glad you are here. It feels tremendously lonely as we reach this place where we re-examine our lives. It is interesting from yesterday’s poll – the average age here is above 35. There is support here from those that have gone before.
Send up smoke signals, emails, diaries, or comments – we’ll walk with you.
Sit back, stick a toe in the pond, and know that you have a home here!
Good lord woman, you are/were one of my favorites over at the pie-fight place, and I’m thrilled to find you here! I’ve offered before to be a blog buddy or whatever you need. I’m not going to be pushy, but we do have lots in common. You’ve got whine. I’ve got cheese. Who can bring crackers? We can fire up the virtual grill and have a party. You didn’t say what your interests/hobbies are, but I’ve never met anyone who worked in a garden nursery, that was not happy and content among the beauty of flowers and trees each day.… Read more »
I sure do got me plenty of whine….don’t I?
Honestly, I’m pretty happy. Just lost.
Thanks maggiemae 🙂
Hey girl! Good to see you workin that keyboard over here!
Now that we are past 1408 on here, you’re almost an oldtimer! Last week this time we were wondering when we would hit 1000. Pretty amazing.
Keep it going and I am really glad to see you here. . .
Maggiemae, now that is an interesting choice. . .(it’s that connection thing, things in common, all that)
Big Hug
a great big hug to you!
I have to say that your post made bawl my eyes out. You remind me of own mother so much that you two could very possibly be twins. She also raised 4 kids alone and depressed as well, the only difference is 3 girls and one boy. 25, 24 ,21 and 15 respectively.
All the love and hugs i can give are on the way.
Sometime I’d like to get your impressions of growing up with a mother who was depressed. My kids seem okay but I know there have to be some scars.
drop me an e-mail sometime. 😉 i can assure that i am not screwed up. i would have no problem answering any questions that you may have. though, be prepared for a long and detailed history. only so that you can get the full background. definitely every cycle of abuse that you can think of.
i am stronger person for it. if you are anything like my own mother, you are a strong woman as well. just don’t realize it yet.
Gosh, I’m sorry you had to endure abuse. I went the opposite route and just battered myself. Maybe that’s why the kids seem fine but I am a mess! 🙂
no need to apologize! although i was mainly speaking of my mother, yes i did experience abuse as well. i always remember this mantra: i am not a victim of abuse, but a survivor. yeah my mother battered herself as well…definitely a hard thing to watch. especially when you are the only one who notices…for along time we didn’t have a typical mother/daughter relationship. of course now that’s completely different. she’s my best friend and i am hers. i wouldn’t trade that for anything. just like i am sure that your kids wouldn’t trade you for anything. 😉 hmmm i… Read more »
I read your comment and comments down thread and I want to suggest you do a diary on this subject. A lot of us have been through similar things with raising our kids, and I am no exception, had very bad depression + many problems for at least 10 years, which happened to hit most with my youngest, who is now 23. She has turned out to be the most well balanced of all my children, with a plan and goals for her life that she is always furthering and fulfilling.. In fact all 3 children that were young during… Read more »
Thanks Diane, I’ll do that.
The great thing about this site is that I’d feel comfortable writing about it.
How can you say you don’t have a career – four great kids – of course you do! I also have a draft age son, but we family conferenced, including grandparents, and Bushco’s war will get my son over my dead body! BTW:
I raised my son for many years also suffering from an undiagnosed depression (chemical imbalance).
It’s really kind of strange/comforting to find so many others who have suffered from depression. Maybe it strikes us brilliant, creative types more frequently than others! 😉
My “name” is the holy handgrenade. I have posted on dKos for about a year now (originally as bakin4mymomma). My real name is Darrell, Darrell Gahm. I have long since given up on the anonimity of blogging, as I have put so much of my personal life out there for all to see. I registered at Booman some time ago, long before the “pie wars”, and posted a handfull of diaries on healthcare issues. I work in the healthcare industry. I say industry because I am not a healthcare provider, but someone who handles the administrative aspects of billing. I… Read more »
I have been confronted with the idea recently that respect must be earned. I feel differently about respect. I feel that respect should be given until it is proved that it is not deserved. I feel that if others had taken this approach, we would be in a very different situation today. I used to think that way too… well, it’s a famous saying, no? Respect must be earned… but it doesn’t really work out that way. A friend of mine once pointed out to me his belief… when I mentioned that among friends the common bonds of courtesy weren’t… Read more »
It’s so great that you’re getting your life together for your little girls. How wonderful for them. Congratulations on your sobriety.
I think the problem with my whiney post above is that I was listening to Samuel Barber, Adagio for Strings. Damn. Must learn to play happy music while writing!
I LOOOOVE that piece!
I’ve heard recordings of a couple of groups singing the “Agnus Dei” (Lord Have Mercy) to the tune of Samuel Barber’s Adagio, in full four part harmony — the sopranos take the violin line, the altos the viola, the tenors the cello, and the basses the double bass (naturally). Hauntingly beautiful…
Welcome with big hugs –
Your fight with alcholism, and openness about the struggle, is an inspiration. You have my respect, and that respect has grown, with you standing tall to take care of your family and defending the need for integrity and equality.
Please do post more often…your diaries are insightful and welcomed.
I’m very glad to see you here HH.
Did you decide on a name for the baby from the choices you had?
Well, we are just four weeks out from the due date, and have not yet settled on a name.
I have a few favorites, Hannah, Rosalyn and Meghan.
My wife likes Catherine, Hannah and Elisabeth.
We both kind of like the name Rebecca, which is looking more and more likely to be the one…
What’s the new big sister’s favorite? My older son helped pick the younger one’s name (thank heavens he picked my favorite of our choices).
Darrell,
You have my heartfelt support in anything I can do to help you deal with and recover from your battle with the bottle. I am a recovering addict and if there is anything I can do to help you find peace, tranquility, hope or help, please let me know. You can contact me anytime, I regularly check the email address that follows here.
For anyone who would like to contact me, here is my email
ghostdancers_way@hotmail.com
Hi everybody! </Dr. Nick> Just your garden variety libertarian here, I enjoy guns and know the hypocrisy of riding my dirt bike (huge oil dependence related to the plastics, solvents, petrochemical love). You’ll find I lean way left on most issues; I was super pissed that John Kerry was the “opposition” candidate, I mean, the guy supported the war. Bleh. Anyhoos, you’ll find me here some-I do enjoy savagely engaging people over on FR, redstate and LGF when I’m not banned. They know nothing of freedom; our founding fathers were radical liberals. Often conservatives think they threw the Boston Tea… Read more »
Thanks for introducing yourself and posting a diary, I thought it was great. Gave me some ideas for dealing with chickenhawk acquaintances of mine. Welcome to the BMT and hopefully will see more from you. Pax.
Please do take the wood to your hawk friends!
Thanks for the thanks, I’m glad to be here.
If your acquaintances “feel safer” fighting “them” in Iraq, remind them of the ’93 attack on the WTC. It takes years to plan and execute a terror attack. Wasn’t like Atta and crew just showed up with box cutters on 9/11….
Glad you are here quartzite!
You made me smile at your uid – this past year I did a fireplace hearth in quartzite – a beautiful, irridescent stone.
You may find you aren’t as far left of us as you might think. I also suspect a few others are gun owners as well – me included.
Thanks!
I’m upset at losing some great voices over “there”, but new communities are kind of what the “Internets” are about, eh?
Ah yes, ‘quartzite’. Glad you got some use out of it, I’d love that fireplace I think. It’s a stone that’s usually been mashed around for a long time and picked up a lot of other types of rocks before finally “becoming”!
Glad to see you around, I love your “mountains I’ve climbed” series and will be posting there occasionally.
What flavor of gun owner are you? I’m a Springfield guy who loves Heckler and Kochs 😉
Hi, I lurked here for a while and finally signed up this week. I’m in my 30s and live in the Midwest (a blue part!). I live with my husband, 4 dogs, and 4 cats. We had an elderly hampster too, but he died a couple of weeks ago. When I’m not working or taking someone to the vet, I like to play with our furry children, cook, read, ride my bike, watch movies, and listen to music. I’m currently reading Personal History by Katharine Graham. It’s a fascinating book. My earliest political memory is standing by the stairs at… Read more »
A hearty welcome to the BooMan Tribune. We have lots of animal people here, there’s even a hedgehog owner among us. There is some talk about doing book reviews around here so if you feel up to it, I’d love to see a diary with your take on Personal History Peace!
since Monday. Just wanted to let you all know. Thanks to all that have helped and posted on this site.
I think Booman needs a member meter so we can see the numbers climbing.
.
I’m sure you have a pretty good idea. Just up in thread, I noted Saucy Monkey logged in as UID #1405 today.
I probably should’t ask for your UID Diane? You don’t want to admit you’re an oldie by now of 14 weeks!
Oui aka @dKos as creve coeur and new creve coeur
WELCOME: Make Yourself Known @BooTrib aka lost treasure of dKos
Oh Oui, you know my number, you tease you, and I didn’t get here fast enough I wanted to be under 100.
How are you doing, I bet sleeping now.. See you when you wake up.
.
Drop by and pass some mojo to the nocturnal bloggers, coming to BooMan Tribune (BMT) at any chance they can manage their schedule!
Oui aka @dKos as creve coeur and new creve coeur
WELCOME: Make Yourself Known @BooTrib aka lost treasure of dKos
Just a few words about myself. I live in Colorado, I have 3 children & 1 husband. Ok of course I have only 1 husband. I’ve been a Dem since I was 18 and registered to vote. I grew up in a very Republican household but don’t hold that against me. I’m the Office Manager for a small Engineering & Surveying firm. I love to read and fish and also camping is mandatory living in Colorado. I’m a news junkie and very political. I’m just searching for a place that I can voice my humble opinion. Thank you for your… Read more »
oh heavens I forgot about all our animals. I have 2 dogs one of which is my basset he is my big baby boy. Then there is the guiene pig (Hammy), one mouse and about 25 fish. Use to have a hedgehog named spike but he died about 2 years ago
Sweet Irish. . .what a great screen name.
Welcome to our party, welcome to the site, and please make yourself at home. I think you will enjoy yourself here, and this is certainly a place where your voce will be heard. Jump in anytime you’re ready. We are really glad you’re here!
I just went to my garden and picked this nice basket of strawberries and I want to share them with you.
No they are not my real ones, mine don’t look quite as good but they are sure tasty.
BTW I plan on doing a gardening diary on Sat. so get your pictures ready along with your garden stories.
hoping that I can find a nicer home 🙂
Actually I have nothing against the pie ads, but I have reached my breaking point of being called a ‘single issue’ voter because I can’t support someone like Casey.
And the Pie was definately a start of dKos move to the right – Kos just finished posting front page ads attacking NARAL (again) and praising Casey and excoriating ‘singel issue’ voters.
And the mob is piling it on – I see no future there for me except to be troll-rated away.
I hope I can find a happier home here
Whatever reasons, and whatever your choice, we are sure glad to welcome you over here at the Frog Pond!
I’ve seen your comments and posts many times at the other place and we all are looking forward to you participating with us. Make yourself at home, grab some refreshments, and let’s Party!
Forgive me if this is a violation of protocol, but I introduced myself at the tail end of Part 9 and thought I’d do it again (a shorter version). Thanks, Shirlstars, for the welcome. I’m glad to know there’s someone else here of my (older) generation. Thanks, too, to the people who gave me 4’s. I’m a Wellstone Democrat from Minnesota, a Presbyterian who counts myself as part of the religious left, single, a feminist, a professional writer for years and now working part-time as a clergy-type in a church in downtown St. Paul. I love baseball, jazz, movies, books,… Read more »
Of course it is and now don’t be sad there is another new diary up, since it get so hard for people to load. But I’m sure other will see your post now. We don’t have flame wars here and we don’t have rules about posting and timing and double postings or whatever. What we do have is a fabulous bunch of friends that love, care and respect each other, what more could you ask….We are just a great bunch of folks and we sure do welcome you to this site and hope to see frequent comments from you.… Read more »
Thanks for the welcome and the hugs, Diane, and hugs back to you. From one oldie to another (in terms of age), and from a newbie to an oldie (on the site, even if you did try to give me oldie status): Thanks for everything you do to make this such a welcoming place.
After a couple of failed sign-up attempts (probably my fault), I just finally made it here. Howdy! I was a Kossack long before Scoop, but I’ve been bothered by all the bickering and other suckage since the election. I’m not necessarily leaving there, just exploring new horizons. General background: I’m 47, white, male. Grew up in a trailer park but made it to an Ivy college. Because my parents were intensely political, believe it or not I was closely following politics myself by age 10. Of course, it was 1968 when I was age 10. There was a lot to… Read more »
Really glad to see you here. Sorry you had problems, but really happy you made it in. . .we need to oil that gate.
We want you to look around, join the party, participate as much or as little as you like, and no one expects you to leave the other places you visit, Just know that you are always welcome here.
Welcome to the Frog Pond!!
Thank you! Seems like a right friendly place you got here…
You can find Part 11 of the Welcome Wagon Diaries at this link. Please Recommend! Thx everyone. Pacem
THE PARTY IS GETTING SO BIG, WE ARE ON THE MOVE
So please before you post all the good stuff we are waiting to hear about you, would you mind moving over to the Big Patio?
Free Shuttle Right Here
Hi, I’m Eric. I’m a 34-year-old software developer who grew up reading tales of the enormous liberal political upheaval that was winding down when I was born. There was a brief period there in the middle of my life when I was seduced by the dark side and thought Limbaugh was cool, but my brain and my heart eventually came back from wherever they had been hiding, and I am, if anything, more liberal than before. I have a variety of pet issues, some of which are relatively obscure — intellectual property law, for example — but my big concerns… Read more »
Gosh it’s nice to see you here. Make yourself at home, browse around the site, join in the party and know that you are welcome here. We will all be interested to hear more from you on the issues that concern you the most, or any issues you wish to share and explore with us. This is a very friendly and allowing place, we don’t troll rate, we DO respect each other and treat each other accordingly. We often disagree, but we do it in a civil and respectful manner. People here really seem to want to listen to what… Read more »
. The best part of the site is: we’re all newbies @ BooMan Tribune (BMT). The oldest oldie is just 14 weeks. Your concern are the main issues, and they are being discussed today right across the board. Abuse does cut deep into the people’s lives and hurts their loved ones and family. The intellectual property rights issue, I haven’t seen it discussed. Perhaps a good topic to write up. It’s the BooTrib tradition … as I learned here from Alohaleezy, Diane101 and shirlstars. Offering some WELCOME support from across the pond, the Netherlands. The World diaries are a wonderful… Read more »
Many of you may know me from Daily Kos. I am a 39-year-old social psychology professor at a small rural four-year university, a father of three, and have been an activist off and on for the bulk of my adult life. I consider myself to be a liberal/progressive independent who affiliates with the Democrat party but would really prefer a viable leftist alternative.
I’m also an amateur radio dj, who during the regular academic year spins avant-garde jazz and hip-hop tunes on Friday nights.
Welcome James!
We hope you will enjoy yourself here at the Frog Pond. We look forward to your participation and hope you will post some diaries on the things that interest you most.
Jump right in and make yourself at home.
WE ARE OPENING UP THE GRAND PATIO
THE PARTY IS GETTING SO BIG, WE ARE ON THE MOVE
So please before you post all the good stuff we are waiting to hear about you, would you mind moving over to the Big Patio?
Free Shuttle Right Here
Thanks so much for giving us Kos refugees a place to hang. I’m still in shock about the goings-on there in the past few days. I posted a few bitter comments and then realized I was there by choice – and could choose to leave. So I did.
And if Kid Oakland is going to diary here that’s just icing on the cake!
I just wandered over here a couple of days ago myself. Well, you know, you, me and a 400 or so other people. I think we’ll find ourselves in good company. There’s been champagne, strawberries – I spotted a jacuzzi in here somewhere – any many, many warm and supportive welcomes for all of us weary refugees. After the mess we left – there is an astounding amount of good feeling in here.
Welcome.
I wish I’d had the chance to read the other welcome wagon threads; I joined Boo just as all three of my jobs made some serious demands on my productivity, so this is the first opportunity I’ve had all week to read and to post. I’m in my late 50’s, lived a substantial part of my adult life in England and another substantial part in Florida being a care-giver to my parents. I now live in New Mexico, up in the mountains, trying to do art and using all the skills I’ve gained in 30 years of conventional occupations to… Read more »
Phew – the welcome diaries. I’ve been trying hard these last few days to keep up – and I haven’t, even though I have far fewer demands on my time. I’m hoping they will all be linked together and accessible in the future – it really is such a cool thing. Reading your comment made me nostalgic, and just a wee bit jealous. I used to live in NM – though in Albuquerque of all places – and would do road trips north to just get lost and wander around in the mountains. Such a beautiful state. I just migrated… Read more »
The other night, I saw someone here explaining about how the rating system works around here. They joked that while 4’s are abundant, other ratings are used very cautiously – if you see an odd rating, it’s more likely that some tired rater slipped. I had to laugh when I saw your ratings – because shirlstars gave you a 3, and I can guarantee it’s because she’s been working furiously in here to greet everyone – and she must have slipped. Yet another reason to love this place.
Had to chase that sucker down clear from hell and back. And she’s been fed too. . .don’t know what the heck happened to her, she just started rolling around on her own, stopping anywhere she damn pleased. Got her under control now, though. She apologizes for the “mistake”. . .she claims she didn’t realize she threw a 3 out there. Boy Howdy! (I wonder if she is a secret repuglican? hmmm) We can’t have that sort of thing going on around here. I have never purposely given a 3 in all my time hanging around blogs. . .never could… Read more »
Ahh, geeze. . .now my VISA card is missing. . .that damn mouse! She likes to go out shopping at the deli for those expensive specialty and imported cheeses. Where the heck is she now. . .
GET BACK HERE. . .
Asterlil, I’m not a Quaker, but I’m going to Earlham School of Religion for seminary studies in the fall. I don’t know very much about Quakerism, though. Could you give me a reading recommendation to catch up over the summer?
Hello, blksista here. I’m a 51 y.o. black woman, novelist (first novel coming up), got her MFA late, but never late than never. I wanted to spend a year in New York finishing the book, since it is the publishing capital of the country, but I wound up spending three crazy years here and couldn’t finish anything. Add to that I had a fire in my apartment during the Great Blackout and ended up homeless for eight months. Got out of depression and said that I had to do something and get the book going, so I got myself into… Read more »
I just wanted to hop in and say hi. It’s so cool to know about you – I’ve seen you around at the other place, but never knew you were a serious writer. It seems like you’ve signed in over here after the Welcome Wagon team has already moved over into Part 11. I noticed we both have ID’s in the 600’s – I signed up, but neglected to spend any time over here until a couple of days ago, so I’m a newbie, by the way. If you’re an older ID/new member like me, you might want to… Read more »
Cool, I’ll bring my statement over there, too.
Hello to you, too!
Some folks from Kos might know me. Originally from South Carolina. Live in North Carolina. Did not attend UNC, so am agnostic about the main religious factions in North Carolina: the Church of Basketball of NC State, the More Holy Church of Basketball of UNC, the Lord’s Own Church of Basketball of Wake Forest, and the Full Gospel Camp in the Snow Blue Painted Church of Basketball of Saint K. I tend to chime in on things about the South. Watch what you say because a lot of the local Republicans are from one of y’alls home states, y’know. And… Read more »
I recognize you from over there, and it’s good to see you. But you’re late to the party – there is a new welcome wagon over here – Part 11. It hasn’t made the recommend list yet though, so if you feel like reposting over there and meeting some of the greeters, could you do me a favor and hit recommend while you’re there? Welcome.
God has spoken, Roy Williams has cut down the nets, and all is right with the world. Besides, let’s give a nod to UNC basketball if only for the legacy of the great Dean Smith, a true political progressive. Decades ago, he stood with the civil rights movement, and even today, he speaks out against the death penalty. He always took pride in molding his players into good citizens (although Michael Jordan never stood for anything other than the almighty dollar, and the whole good-citizen thing obviously went right out the window when Rasheed Wallace arrived in Chapel Hill). Dean… Read more »
I was a lurker on dKos, and will likely be one here as well. I’m a professor of English at a university in NYC, specializing British literature, theories of class, and gender studies. I guess it goes without saying that I, like many others, left dKos because I was distressed by recent developments. Like kid oakland, I believe gender is very much central to the current political debate–that our disastrous foreign and domestic policy are largely functions of how gender and sexuality are constructed in this country.
Hi there! Welcome to the Frog Pond. There is a good chunk of professors running around here, I encourage you to check out a diary from MAJeff that was posted on Tuesday. The title is “Any academics in the house?” Hope to see some diaries from you in the future! Peace.
Hi there and welcome. I just wanted to mention that in the couple of days that I’ve been hanging around in here, I’ve seen many people begin to open up and warm to the …um, kinder atmosphere at Booman. I joined here a little while ago, but came back today with the intention of hanging around (if you’ll have me). I wasn’t so much personally offended or insulted by Kos’ comments – but I did feel as if I’d been spending a lot of time at this great party, chatting and learning, and listening to some incredibly intelligent people. Some… Read more »
I was just going through the comments and I saw this one from you. That realy made me smile. How does it feel to be on the free and easy board. I notice in all the diaries people are having great discussions and getting along fine with no flames, no big fights, just talking like people should. It is just so great to be able to show off what we (oldies) have been able to mold here. I think you Zander are the star of the newbies, you have really blossomed on these pages, wonderful to watch…..imagine, you were… Read more »
..some of the more mathematically inclined brains into a discussion of the complete improbability of this happening as it has. The potential for this …uh – event.. to cause a total meltdown was huge. It seems to me like the quick and massive migration should have compressed all of the anger and frustration into a smaller space, where the ‘topic’ was inescapable. Most communities – most sites would have disintegrated under the onslaught, become hostile to the invaders and begun fighting about how to get rid of the problems. That you here at Booman have not only withstood, but actively… Read more »
Please unrecommend this diary so we can make room for your top-notch diaries!