Hi everyone, newcomers and oldsters alike. We have had a tradition on this site of welcoming newcomers and asking them to tell us a bit about them. I have been asked several times to put one of these up again so here goes.
We are not a perfect site and we do have our problems but stick with us and maybe you will find or already have found a home here. If you’ve never told us about you now’s your chance or even if you have, do it again.
This welcome wagon was pretty dusty and needed some repairs but I got it fixed up and pulled it in here, it’s loaded with goodies and flowers so come on in and fill us in on you.
Slightly edited…first posted March 29, 2005 – egads that was a long time ago!
I’m a happily middle aged woman – 50 – living north of SF and a practicing Celtic Pagan. Married for 23 years to a wonderful man – who appreciates my whacky personality. I’m usually too serious and usually mess up punch lines to jokes. I have one adult stepchild and 2 absolutely adorable grandchildren.
Passions are reading – anything except horror – and a focus on U.S. history colonial to revolution. My focus is how economics were the basis for revolution at the working and middle class…not religion. I love hanging out any place in the mountains, BIG whitewater rafting – class IV preferred.
For relaxation I garden…currently just a small patch of organic veggies in my suburban yard.
I’ve been politically active for years in local politics – extremely so in state and national politics the past 18 months and going forward. Currently Treasurer / Board Member of Buy Blue…see the website for corporate bios if you want more “real life” info.
I love teaching my grand-kidlets about all this stuff, and nature, and rafting, and reading just for fun.
I love fantasy art work, dragons, faeries, elves, and anything otherworldly….welcome to my faerie raft!
Thank you Sally for being the first to post…and get this ball rolling…I for one am happy to have you on this site and in this world.
and everyone else in San Diego. I think you and Shirl kept me coming back here early on…
Haven’t really posted anything anywhere for about a week…this weekend I should have my head back from this cold!
Big Hugs, Sal.
Two weeks and we will be talking each other’s ears off!!
Can’t wait to see you, sister.
Loves ya
Shirl
I’m a big Tolkien fan myself Sally.
I’m also a big Anne McCaffrey fan and her dragon tales…
My first cat – many years ago was a long haired gray – named Gandalf of course! And my first nerdy computer id was Smaug!
SallyCat, ever read any H.P.Lovecraft?…may be too Horror oriented, strongly influenced by E.A. Poe.
Most certainly an acquired taste. Dismissed, unfortunately, by many people because of some of the racist, classist and sexist themes present in some of his work.
His writings had somewhat of a cultist following in the 60’s and 70’s psychedelic scene.
OT, but hey…
Peace
I call myself Family Man. I’m 53 years old, retired and I live in Alabama. I haven’t been here long; maybe three and a half months, but in that time I’ve learned a great deal from reading all the great diaries. I’ve met millions of nice people. Well maybe not millions, but a lot. Any newcomers or lurkers out there come on and jump into the pond. You’ll find everybody friendly and helpful.
I take exception to your statement. I’m not very friendly or helpful. š
You make up for with your pictures. š
Seems there’s many fabulous fifty people here:-)
Good mental age, bad health age:-(
Yep your right. I wouldn’t want to be back in my 20’s mentally wise, but health wise is another thing altogether.
My name is Omir the Storyteller, and I’ve been around Booman Tribune since day three. I wish I could say I’ve been here since day one, but I tend to run late. Whatever else is included in the soundtrack of my life, an old Peggy Lee song called “Mañana Is Good Enough For Me” figures prominently.
I am the resident storyteller here. At one time I had a weekly diary of progressive stories; sadly, my time commitments got to be such that something had to give, and that was it. I still tell stories whenever provoked. I also play the banjo, tell corny jokes, and just do my best to keep this place from taking itself too seriously (aided and abetted by the rest of the crew from the Froggy Bottom Cafe).
That’s not to say I don’t occasionally have serious things to say, of course; check my diaries under this name and another I’ve used at times, Our Man In Redmond. And I have another one I should be writing right now (during a lull in work), but . . .
<strikes up the banjo>
Mañana, mañana, mañana is good enough for me!
Everybody SING!!!
“Mañana, mañana . . . “
Thank you for the warm welcome. As a newcomer, I’d like to describe myself.
I’ve snuck whiskey into very bad movies before. I highly recommend it.
Whiskey into movies… now that’s an idea… usually I just reserve that for bad DVDs at home! (I sneak my own candy or water in sometimes to save myself the mega-bucks they want to charge… shhh… don’t tell anyone).
Smooches to one of my favorite writers!!
Good seeing you, guy. Newcomer, indeed! Maybe you’re like me. . .a brand new person every day when I awaken.
Hugs,
Shirl
Smooches and hugs back at ya shirlstars. Hope you’ve been well.
Mmmmmm . . . Zoe. Gina’s character on Firefly/Serenity is one kickass lady, and it was interesting seeing the contrast between Zoe and the character Torres played in 24 (the wife of the President’s major backer who got caught up in a scandal with the President’s wife — no, you dirty-minded peeples, not that kind of scandal, but pretty juicy nonetheless).
I’m growthrate, a name I use exclusively here at Booman Tribune. I’ve shown a little of myself in what I’ve posted here — I’m in my late 40s, living in the SF Bay Area (mid-Peninsula, for those of you that know the region), happily married to one and father of two; all three the lights of my life. Midwestern roots, east coast education, moved to San Francisco 15 years ago.
I probably don’t fit the classic progressive profile, since I’m a business person, working in the investments arena (whence the nickname). That’s why you’ll often see me post business or economic news in the News Bucket or the diaries. Here at the Pond, I usually focus on these stories’ implications for things like people’s jobs and financial security, and leave the investment implications aside. Just as Phil Angelides (Dem running for CA-Gov) is fond of pointing out that Richard Nixon inspired him to go into politics, the current crew in Washington have unlocked my inner lefty. That said, I’d place myself as more moderate than many here at the Pond, but I’ll leave it to you to evaluate whether I’ve identified myself correctly.
What lured me out of lurkerdom into actively posting in the blog world was the launch last fall of StreetProphets. There, and at that Orange Place as well, you may see me post as Liberal Protestant. Not a secret, or a sock-puppet thing; it just didn’t seem a name quite so relevant to the main thread of topics here. I hope you don’t regard the difference as a breach of web etiquette. Liberal Protestant is a name that describes me, too, both politically and theologically. I worry as much about the religious right’s efforts to take over mainline Protestant denominations as their efforts to take over the Government.
I haven’t been around that long, but at times it seems like it’s been forever. Oh — in a good way, of course!
you were LP over at SP! I’m just a boring spud, which is why I kept the same handle all three places (dKos, BooTrib, and SP).
Me: just turned 47 (ack!), living here in Silly Con Valley (was Silicon Valley, but the dot-com bust revealed its true nature) with the spouse.
Gainfully unemployed; stepped away from workforce due to health issues but find that we actually save money (especially on taxes) with me not working.
Aspiring author — have several projects in the pipeline right now that I’m trying to narrow down, and in great admiration of the great authors we have on this site.
Rabid sports fan — hockey currently on the front burner, about to be joined by baseball.
Avid reader, as is the spouse — the state of our apartment makes that obvious.
Lifelong liberal/progressive, surprising since I grew up with two conservative parents; oldest sisters turned into mirrors of the folks, while my brother and I veered to the Left — who knew?
Quite active politically in high school — picketed stores with the UFW, followed the Nixon hearings religiously. Been a bit dormant lately, but ready to get back out on the barricades.
Eclectic music tastes, as you’ll see if you wander into the Froggy Bottom Cafe on Fridays for the Random 10.
Mac user, but bilingual (speak both OS X and Windows, though not super-fluent in the latter).
And that’s about all I can think of right now…other than I am very much looking forward to the SoCal meetup; I want to see as many of these fine folks as possible (and I need a vacation from the spouse anyway)!
Hey Cali!
Can’t wait to see you at the MeetUp in two weeks!!!
It is going to be some major fun.
Hugs girl,
Shirl
Hi Growthrate, what do you think about Phil A. I notice that Boxer is endorsing him. Do you think we can get a good governor here or do we have to change every 2 years?
Do you work in the financial district in SF.
Thanks for filling in the screen name, I always try to figure the meaning of them and yours was hard until now which I understand.
So what do you think about the hell in a handbasket economy we have going now in the US.
Good to have you on this site.
Thanks, Diane —
Don’t want to go too far OT, but yes, I like Phil A. He’s done a good job positioning himself as the anti-Arnold (His bit about Nixon is a set piece. He says it right after he quotes Arnold as saying the same thing – that Nixon inspired him to go into politics.) He has the right kind of personal story — native Californian, grandson of immigrants, first in his family to go to college (I think), worked his way through U. Cal Berkeley, business experience, committed public servant. As sitting Treasurer, he also has bare-knuckled experience in statewide office. Has a good message about public investments that foster broad-based opportunity and from there, prosperity. The Angelides people I know also like Steve Westley, but worry about spending too much on a debilitating primary.
I used to work in the Financial District, but now both live and work on the Peninsula. Still get to SF about one day a week.
On the economy, well, that’s a big subject. Trouble is, it’s two economies. OK for the owners; sucks for the workers. Both simple justice and long-term well being for everyone (including the owners, by the way) suffer as long as that’s the case.
I’m torn between Angelides and Westly — Westly’s a local boy and I get tired of seeing all the state politicians coming from SoCal (no offense to Diane or Alohaleezy or any of our other South State folks). But I just in the end want someone who’s going to send Ahnold back to Hollywood where he can make more bad movies I’ll never pay a cent to watch…
Not to worry about the surplus of names. I myself have had quite a number of them, from the whimsical (Boris Badenov) to the inside joke (Sjsop) to the completely mundane — my first online identity was assigned to me by Compuserve back in its pre-AOL days, and it was the highly descriptive, extremely personalized, and thoroughly enchanting 70635,302. (To which one of my friends replied “70635,302? Funny, you don’t look Jewish.”)
My name really is boran2. My parents have a sick sense of humor. Either that or they anticipated the internet long before Al Gore. Anyway, I am a married father of a 7 year old, the lively boran2 boy. (also his real name.) (Why have children at a young age when one can wait until one is old and feeble?) We live in NY’s Hudson Valley, north of NYC. I’ve been blogging for over a year now. I’ve been here a while (UID 623), posting diaries for most of that time. (I’m still trying to forget my early ones here.) I am an assistant county attorney (don’t hold it against me) in a neighboring county, working with family court issues. I have a regular painting diary (some say irregular) here on Saturday mornings for which BooMan has (so far) generously failed to deny me bandwidth. I am a student of snowboarding (a slow learner) which I began at age 45. I tend to lean toward the far left of the political spectrum.
Hi, I’m mythmother and will confess that I used to be super simian in the Orange Place. However, some folks over there got pretty nasty so I decided that an identity and blog-change was in order. I’ve also posted as mythmother in the Orange Place, but it’s not so much fun over there anymore. I have also been hanging around the Frog Pond pretty much from the beginning, since I liked booman at the Orange Place so I followed him over here.
My background is that I grew up in upstate New York and moved to California when I was in high school. We came from a poor family, but I was always a good student, so I got into Berkeley with a scholarship and was the first person in my family ever to go to college. I loved French and literature, but my true love was dance, so in my junior year I threw caution to the wind and became a dance major. I danced with the UC Berkeley dance company for a while, then went on to have a dance career as a teacher, performer, and choreographer. I never danced with a “major company” but I had the best teachers, and taught at some major universities. My dance career ended (tragically!) when I was mowed down by a roller blader who skated into me to break his fall, and then fell on top of me.
Since then I have switched from dance into “philanthropy” which means that I raise money for worthy arts organizations. Turns out I’m pretty good at it, although I’m supposed to be writing a grant right now but am not in the mood. Those of you who have been following my stormy employment situation will know why.
My loves are writing (I have quite a collection of unproduced screenplays and unpublished novels), watching great films, reading great books, making improvised counted-crosstitch mandalas, going for walks, having heart to heart talks with close friends, listening to my son play the piano and listening to great music in general, and … last but not least… taking photos!
You’ve led a very interesting life! It gives me hope that my theatre-major daughter will find gainful employment in the future! But with a minor in anthropology, how could she not? š
Sounds like she hit on the two most lucrative professions! But, seriously, I have a Ph.D. in Theater and it has never hurt me! The students I had when a TA in the UCLA Theater Department were the most fun and brightest bunch I ever knew.
The most shameful part of my life was when I made fun of the theater kids in high school because they had the spirit and the courage to be who they were and they went around singing in the halls and hugging each other and I thought that was sooooo weird.
Three of my four kids were/are ‘the drama kids’ in high school and that group is so fun and inclusive and kind….I just love them to pieces.
I loved the drama kids when I was in high school, though I myself have absolutely nothing to do with anything pertaining to theater.
They were great. Of course, I was quite the little queer, so they were also one of few groups that was generally very kind to me. Before we had Gay Student Alliances, we had drama kids.
I think it bugged me because it was so apparent that they knew exactly where they belonged, and I was always searching for a way to fit in.
It’s funny now because when I tell people my kids are in the drama club they nod their heads and go “Oh…um, how nice.”…Like that explains everything.
I was such a dork in high school I always envied the drama kids, but only had the courage to audition once, got rejected, and gave up. I never really got how “others” viewed theater until one of my students at UCLA was a science major who’s advisor told him to take a theater class so he could get an easy A and boost his grade point average.
My daughter’s theater history classes are so hard! She’s actually thinking of switching to anthropology major and double minor in history and theater. But her real plans are to join the Peace Corps and go to Africa next year.
The courses I took to get my PhD were also some of the most difficult ever in my life. I almost had a cow when I saw the reading list for Theater Aesthetics. However, I got through it somehow, I will never know how! Ask me anything about theater aesthetics! No, really! Just kidding. I have forgotten everything except that no one really knows what Aristotle meant by “catharsis.”
my worst reading list class in college was Latin American History, where we got a textbook that was about 3000 pages and had about 70 chapters.
The first day the Professor said, ‘you can skip chapters 31, 42, and 65.’ Or something like that.
That was worse than classes where I had to read 8-10 books.
Yikes, that sounds daunting! Glad you could skip three chapters! That must have made all the difference.
I used to start by reading the index. Then, later, I listened to a self-help tape on speed learning and they actual suggested that as a learning technique. I figured that by reading the index I got a distilled version of whatever information was in there. When I did library research, the first thing I did was look to see if the book had an index and if no index, it went back on the shelf in a jiffy.
From about third grade when I was skipping class with a and acidentally walked into his roving theater class. We stayed and I never went back to my original class-I don’t even remember what it was now. The reason I could get away with it was that I went to an open school where you were actually allowed to be both a theater geek and generally popular.
at my high school, you could be a theater geek or join the choir, but it didn’t go over too well to join the Chess or physics clubs.
We didn’t have either chess or physics groups because of our size. My graduating class was seventeen. The role playing gamer group, which I also hung out with, was about the closest we got to a traditional set of social outcasts and even then there was a lof acceptance. The combination of the sorts of kids you get going to a hippie school and the small numbers prevented many of the clique problems you get in so many schools. Probably being a k-12th grade school contributed to that as well. Most of us grew up together from very early in our school careers.
Another theater degree here, though mine’s only a BA. My years in theater were enormously helpful to me when I switched to being a full time writer, both in terms of learning a lot about storytelling and in terms of toughening my hide. Instead of rejecting me personally, editors are just rejecting my writing. Much easier to bear.
supersoling here :o)
I feel like I owe you an apology for stealing half of your old screen name. I remember you from kos when I first found it right after the second sElection. If I remember correctly I would see you in some of the Ohio fraud threads. Anyway, I loved your name so much that I kinda created mine from yours. Though yours would fit me much better even if I might be a slightly less evolved simian than your supersimian ;o)
Nice to finally get to say hello to someone who’s comments I looked for more than a year ago :o)
Peace
Nice to see you again, supersoling! Welcome to half the name! I don’t know why super simian ever came into my mind. I was trying to think of something original and that came to me, even though I was never involved with video games. I think some folks may have thought I was a troll because our ahem president looks like a chimp.
DKos was the first blog I ever posted on, a friend of mine told me about it and I got very involved just before the November 2004 election. And, yes, it was the Ohio Diaries that did me in, I was and still am a passionate believer that the 2004 election was stolen (too) and still don’t think there was a damn good reason to suppress discussions about it with the “tin hat” frame. But, hey, that’s just me! The truth will out. I think the pie wars were pretty much the last straw of my involvement there since it seemed like the powers-that-be came across as pretty callous towards some issues that are very important to me as a woman.
I noticed that one person who shall be nameless who was very very unaologetically nasty to me has since had to apologize to the whole community. Too little too late in my opinion, but that’s water under the bridge and probably not relevant to this place and time.
Just saw Markos on Keith Olberman. He seemed pretty much right on, and it was impressive that he was being interviewed on national television about the fate of the Democratic Party. Not bad for an unemployed computer geek! OK!!! Just kidding, just kidding!!!!
Hi Super, say why don’t you tell us about you, many here might not know so go for it.
Hugs to you my friend and brother of the heart.
I told bits and pieces up top of this thread!
Me? About me?
Lessee. I’ve been around these parts for a little while, though I’m often either too busy or tired to do much other than lurk about… still, I try to say hello now and then.
Live in Sacramento with three other people, at least one of which is my girlfriend; our house is also home to three and a half cats, one dog, and two rats. I have a little garden out back that I futz with a lot, and I’m also a long-time college student (majoring in chemistry at Sac State). I’m not working right now, but not very long ago I worked for five years at Sacramento’s queer bookstore, where I was a book-pusher and barista both. The store had to close last June, so I’m sponging off my girlfriend and trying to speed up this whole school thing right now.
What else?
I tend to have many strange views on many things. I drink too much beer (and other alcoholic beverages) and I smoke a lot, but I also go hiking as much as possible. I used to work with horses, but I’m too poor and/or busy to do it right now. Someday, I want to have a sheep farm, potentially in Maine near where my parents live. I know how to knit and do it fairly often, which cracks people up, because I’m also frequently mistaken for a boy (sometimes by design, sometimes not). I sometimes write weird poetry, often involving math. And I like almost every kind of food, except for very salty fish.
Anything else? I think that’s most of the vital stuff…
Hi Spit, another Californian, good, how has the weather been for you this year, I know you’ve had a lot of rain and floods up there.
You seems like an interesting person, sheep farm sounds like a cool thing to do, but Maine, oooohhhh that’s cold up there isn’t it.
Can I ask how you came up with your screen name…
diane, i just want to take a moment to thank you for all you do.
The weather has been bizarre. We were on major flood watch in January, then it got sunny and warm and all the plants got tricked into blooming, and now we’re back in the 40’s with snow line down to 1000 feet.
All of which, of course, is nuthin’ compared to out where my parents live in Maine (which is also kind of inland, so it gets pretty damned cold)… but I actually really enjoy the winters there, oddly. I sort of like extreme weather conditions — maybe I just read too much Jack London as a little kid or something, but getting all super-bundled and walking around in ridiculous cold makes me feel all stoic or something.
The screen name… well, it’s sort of a medium-length story. I grew up out in the country in the central valley, so sometimes I ham up the hick thing for my city friends here in Sacramento (I really -do- have a bit of a drawl, actually, as do most of my childhood friends). So one night after way too much beer at the local dive bar, when I was explaining the nicknames of various country friends, they insisted that they wanted nicknames, too. So we all gave each other hick nicknames. I was Spit, because I was drinking budweiser (I’m lucky I didn’t end up as “Piss”, actually), and my girlfriend was Weasel. We also had Runt and Sparky, and others that now escape me…
I am vieravisionary and this is my initial effort in the blog world. I read some many different blogs and finally ran across Booman Tribune in March of this year. When Booman helped with my account password problems (with everything on his plate) I figured this was the best place to start.
I am 48 and live in Viera Florida, about 10 miles outside Melbourne. I am in my second marriage (my first wife pasted away suddenly after 22 years together). I have five kids and 2 grandsons. I work for a system engineering consulting firm headquartered in Maryland and I telecommute from my home office, literally!!
Writing poetry, singing, photography and “Pogo” are my primary hobbies. Working with the Boys Scouts gets me out in the woods to satisfy my camping, hiking and canoeing habits. I also enjoy reading Robert Ludlum novels and researching my family’s ancestry.
I saw such quality writing here, I was afraid to post anything in my diary at first. I decided that the only thing that could happen would be that I would get lots of “interesting comments” and so I decided to jump in and write. Since that time, I established my own blog so I could reach other people not specifically coming to Booman. Blogging is infectious, to say the least! LOL!!
The primary focus of my dairy is to help reclaim the spiritual drive that the Democratic Party has “given away” to the Republicans over the past 14 years. I believe that God is not home to one political party (and the party that claims He is on their side is so vile and mean, I wonder how they can even claim it!) So, I figured I am not a minister or theologian, but I enjoy studying the Scriptures and believe that someone needs to combat the misinformation out there and show that Democrats are not God-less, ammoral folks just wanting to destroy everyone!
Thanks for the opportunity to say hi!
I’m so glad you’re here and that you’re wanting to rescue God from the Republicans! It’s so important for moderate Christians to stand up and show people that you can believe in God and still be a democrat. The God I thought I knew and believed in as a child is not the same vengeful, hateful God that the republicans use to frighten everyone into compliance.
Rescue God from the Republicans!! LOL!!! I think God is laughing too f that is what they think!!!
I agree with your assessment of who God and believe that it would be great if a candidate would stand up and call the Republicans out!
I will do my best!!! Thanks for the support!!!
not to steer you to the competition, but a former front-pager here, pastordan, has a dailykos affiliated site called Street Prophets, where you can find many like-minded people.
I come from one of the most liberal Episcopalian churches in the country, and the first to have a woman minister. So, I support the efforts of liberal Christians to reclaim their faith from the hard-right.
Thanks for the information!
Competition is never an issue for me. Your acceptance of me is more than I have experienced in other blogs and I plan on being here for a long time to come!
I think is so interesting that you live in Philadelphia and I was born in Philadelphia. My father was a pastor there for over 26 years! It is not a surprise since my father never saw women ministers as wrong, since most of the greatest lessons in the Bible involve women!!!
Thanks for your support and hard work in bring together this great on-line community!!
Oh so now I see where you got your screen name. Good to have you here on the site and I am glad you are feeling at home here.
Ancestry, I did mine and went all the way back to the 1200’s and have written about it on my site which is linked below…my site is all about spiritual so you might find other things of interest there. Please come over and check it out.
Hi Diana,
Thanks for the invitation and I plan to visit your site!
I am glad to see you understand my screen name. Do you know that viera means “faith?” I just felt at home and part of the reason was knowing the name of our community was associated with something I truly live by, faith that is!!!
Thanks again for the warm welcome and look forward to exchanging ideas and thoughts with you in the future!
Thanks for posting this again, Diane! I’ve been hoping to see such a thread for a while, because I am relatively new as well, and people probably have an odd impression of me from what little I’ve posted (mostly in the Cafe). Well, odd is right. I’ll be the first person to tell you how weird I truly am, lol.
I’m a 40 something guy who lives in Iowa, where yes, I do garden obsessively and non-stop during the warmer months. The “Victory” part is, yes, a reference to the old victory gardens, but also a reference to my hopes to nurture, in some small way, our political climate back to victory for us progressive type folks. I like to make things grow, and my reward is to see a gorgeous flower burst into bloom or the ripe fruits of the vegetable garden grace my table and palate.
I grew up in Iowa, went to college here, then grad school in Wisconsin, then off to France and various other parts of Europe and the US. I got my PhD in French language, lit and film and taught for several years in FL, from whence I constantly plotted my escape. I sprang myself and my (dearly departed) dog Coco in 1994 and moved back to Iowa … a decision I have not regretted one bit in the intervening years.
I’m a tireless iconoclast, and one minute I may be talking about Jean-Luc Godard in one breath and John Waters in the next … I live for film, well at least the good stuff, not the usual Hollywood drivel, though I do indulge in that too from time to time. My musical tastes are all over the map, and the few random 10 lists I’ve posted in the Cafe seemed to have baffled a few folks, but that’s ok… some of theirs baffle me. š
I’m also a voracious consumer of political news, which is how I originally discovered the blogs … and BT lured me over quickly after the so-called “pie wars.” Glad I came here, though it took me ages to finally sign up and de-lurk.
This is getting long … so I’ll put a wrap on it. I live in Des Moines with my hubby of 9 years, our 2 dogs Pepa and Rolly, and our numerous perennial and vegetable beds. The bulbs are starting to burst forth right now and soon, riots of color will overtake our yard. I hope to figure out how to post a picture soon, so that when they do, I can share the view with all the fellow Frog Pondians here.
I love this place, and the good people who reside within. Nuff said.
I can totally relate to you plotting your escape from Florida. I taught at the University of Central Florida in Orlando for one year and all I could think of was getting out of there.
You can put your photos up on Photo Bucket, and then get the link to post them here. It’s a little tricky, but to into the Froggy Bottom Lounge and try it and if it doesn’t work there are scores of nice folks there who will guide you through the process. (That’s how I learned!)
Thanks for the empathy and the hints, MythMother! I was at New College of USF for 6 years and though I loved the students, I couldn’t take the beaurocracy and additional BS of the system… plus I was a miserable human being until my dear Coco came into my life and saved me in 1991… I adopted her the day the Gulf War started, oddly enough… she was my “war dog.” We weathered that and much more, but most importantly, we got OUT of Florida! LOL. And given all the history since, that was probably the smartest move I ever made, and I so much happier back here on the home turf I used to malign. Funny how things like that turn out that way, huh? My best to all you and yours, and the rest of the cool gang around here.
Hi Iowa, victory gardner, I love that name and the concept….I wrote a gardening book several years ago and Victory Garden was one of the names if thought about before naming it Down to Earth Gardening.
I envy your garden, sounds great, I would love to have one, but no space where I now live, so I have to be content with gardening in containers…now vege’s tho, maybe I will later this year. Last year I had a heck of a time with squirrels eating my plants and my fully ripe tomatos the day before I planned to pick.
Good to know more about you and welcome to the Trib.
Diane, I’ve loved your pictures and envied your climate for a while now, and have (I think?) commented on in the cafe and gardening threads… but anyay… if you’d like to see an outdated view of our gardens, go to my website and take a look around. I am vowing to keep it more current this year, but with work and all, and now blogging, I’m not promising any miracles… In any case, I do have tons of great photos of things to pass along, so look for those to come.
I have this positively HUGE collection of plant catalogs I’ve been getting this winter, and we think we’ll order a few more things to put in this year (though we vowed only to replace things this year) … I’m really psyched about getting a bunch more toad lilies (tricyrtis species) to put in this year, as ours have been spectacular the last couple of years. If you have a shady spot you can plant in the ground, I can’t recommend them highly enough… wonderful orchid like flowers in late summer through frost… OH, that’right … you don’t have frost where you are. š Still, they’re great plants. Cheers, and thanks for the warm welcome (again).
OOhh boy! I thought I heard that wagon.
Well, My name is Cake or Death. I love Eddie Izzard as the handle shows. š I am a 26 year old homemaker. I have a wonderful husband and a 2 year old boy, who are both the lights of my life. I live in Maine now, am a recovering Floridian. It’s quite a different climate here…both politcially and literally. I am one of the many “pie war refugees” that came over in the great crossing of June ’05. Gosh, that long ago huh? I lurk more than I post…but am always here.
Thanks for bringing the wagon back diane..now where’s shirls? š That I think would make my day complete! š
Cake it’s so long since I have talked to you, maybe not since the welcome wagon diary last year…Shirl is out to the store and should be back later, she is still in recovery from her kidney stone bout and we are hoping she will be back in shape for the visit to see me in just two weeks, finally we shall meet.
I remember the great crossing so well and I have the tons of diaries to prove I was there.
ACK! Kidney stones? Give her a nice hug for me when see her then. And yeah you’re right…it’s been awhile since we last talked…lots of drama around on my end. Baby’s huge…and destructive. š Been spending alot of time with the MIL since she’s been so sick lately.
Hugs to you both! just really nice and soft ones for Shirl. š
So great to see you again! Thanks for the hugs.
I’m doing better, but it seems to be a much slower process than I want. . .but then, anything slower than Right Now! is too slow for me. LOL
Many hugs back to you,
Shirl
Yay! She magically appeared! š Take your time…heal slow. I can definitely understand that it may be too slow for you, just take it one day at a time.
<squinting eyes…concentrating>
Get better get better get better!
I live in Socal, mother, grandmother and about to be in Aug. a new grandmother with my daughter’s 3rd child. I have been with her to get her ultrasound and alread had a look at new baby, who is now about 5 or 6 inches long, don’t know if it’s a boy or girl, daughter doesn’t want to know, so they didn’t look.
I have 3 great kids that make my live such a joy and help me in so many ways since I don’t drive anymore.
I am sort of retired, but still do some office work out of my house for ex’s business.
In the past I have had my own business of antiques and did refinishing as well. Also was an avid tole painter and often painted the antiques I was selling which were quite popular. I enjoy knowing that many families around Ca. have my work which is all signed and dated and maybe years hence from here will be collector’s items, one can hope right. We used to travel all over and do shows in shopping malls so my work is quite spread out.
I love all plants and gardening, can’t have too many is what I think.
I love decorating, sewing, cooking and playing pool among other things.
Last summer I started my own blog as an outlet for the more spiritual side of me and for others who shared the same outlook. It has been very successful as far as readership and I am very proud of it. Would love to have some more visitors come over and check it out.
Also last year I met someone who was to become my soul sister and best friend, Shirlstars, right on this very site and in two weeks she will come for our first meeting and also the Booman/Village Blue meetup with some of our wonderful friends from both sites.
I loved Booman from the first and worked hard to make it a place where people would like to come and stay, I did take a break around Christmas to center myself and find out what was important to me and also to move but now I’m settled and centered and feel I can contribute more here again..
My word, I usually don’t write so much about myself so that will do it. Love and hugs to all.
Well, I guess it’s been a while since I’ve done one of these…what the heck.
I’m a 27 year old software engineer in Ann Arbor (aka Liberal City, MI). I have all kinds of hobbies, the most recently acquired one being devouring political news. Others include playing ultimate frisbee, guitar, reading (currently reading BostonJoe’s Direct Actions which is quite a page-turner!), and traveling.
I came over to BooTrib after the pie wars at dKos, but not because I was particularly involved with the issues there…I just followed most of my favorite authors. I still post on dKos with this username, though I’ve never been more than an infrequent poster.
After much thought and introspection, I think that the primary reason that I hang out here at the pond is because of all the strong women. My mom passed away when I was 21, making me an instant parent of a high school junior (my brother). Just reading what many of you have to say inspires (and educates!) me in much the same way talking to her did. I think she’d have hung out here too.
Aw Ejmw, how sweet of you, I bet your mom would hang out here too. I lost my mom when I was 22 and it is a long life till now without a mom in it, but I sorta have one now with Shirl, who also doubles as a sister and friend, we take turns mothering each other, that’s for sure.
I am glad you dwell in the pond.
My mom died when I was 24. I was only just getting to know her as an adult. I was just starting to know her as a whole person and not just my mom. The one thing I wish most is I’d had more time to do that.
That reminds me so much of ‘A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius’ by Dave Eggers. Have you read that?
I am married to a software engineer and I find your other hobbies rather interesting. I always think of the stereotypical hobbies that my husband likes, like balancing his checkbook, reading sci-fi, playing CivIV on the computer and writing code just for fun.
So guitar and ultimate frisbee seem anomalous. š
No, I had honestly not even heard of that book. I’m guessing since you mention it that it’s worth checking out?
I do read some sci-fi, and I do spend a bit of time balancing my checkbook, but I try to keep things diverse.
Did I mention that I also juggle and am a wicked foosball player?
I’m also big into trying to break people’s stereotypes. As a white male that can be difficult to do, but I think when I first introduced myself here, I labeled myself as a ‘frat boy who is also a feminist’. So I’m trying š
The book is awesome! It’s non-fiction and starts out tragically when he’s about 21 and both of his parents die within weeks of each other and he raises his kid brother. It’s both poignant and very very funny. Actually, that funny website of yours with your school pictures reminds me of his sense of humor.
I’m mlr701. I’ve been here about a year. Sometimes I comment a lot, and sometimes I go weeks without saying anything (then I become untrusted, which makes me sad).
I’m in my 30s, live in the midwest, and am the proud parent of 4 dogs and 3 cats. Luckily, my wonderful husband does more than his share of kid care. I work in the tech industry and enjoy reading, reading some more, reading about books, watching movies, and playing video games.
I am militantly pro-choice and anti-rudeness.
Yes, but do you enjoy reading about people who love to read about people reading books?
There ya go again SN, ya stole my response! Well, actually you said it better than I would have anyway.
Hi mlr701. You’ve been here a lot longer than I have. Me about 3 1/2 months. I think that’s one of the reasons I like it here is the anti-rudness part. I hate to go to any site where they jump all over you for asking a question.
Let’s hear it for anti-rudeness! Amen, Family Man, that’s probably the main reason I came over here, now that I thik about it. In fact, it’s what drove me out of FL, well, and the ignunt folks as well, but let’s not go there.
You nailed it, my friend!
Thanks IVG. That’s one of the things that keeps me here. I’ve always thought that if it descends into name calling and insults, I just as well turn off the computer and turn on faux news.
Hi everyone! My gosh it is great to see so many of you here and telling your bio stories. Brings back some awesomely wonderful memories of the first time I met many of you during the Great Influx, and the Tell Us diaries before that. This feels like a family reunion. But with the “good side” of the family. . .heheheheh! You know, the ones everyone can’t wait to see.
Welcome everyone and especially the Newbees!
I have written so many bios here that I frankly am pretty sick of anything to do with me. . .but, we’ll give it a try one more time.
I am a gay woman of 65 going on 20 and living in South Eastern Idaho. You can see that I like danger and adventure right there. Politically I am a far left, radical, bleeding heart liberal socialist Independent.
(I’ve been looking for my party for a long time.)
I began hanging around liberal blogs a couple of years ago. Was a long time lurker, until I finally started commenting which apparently leads to thinking you have enough to say to write and post diaries. I seldom write about political topics as there are so many amazing and accomplished writers here to do that. If you haven’t run into my “stuff”, I’m sure you will or you can check out my previous diaries.
I am a head in the stars, feet barely touching ground believer that all things are possible. I am probably too over the top to be called merely an optimist, but I have been called weird from time to time, and I will gladly admit to it.
I have been a professional student most of my life, the pay is lousy but the benefits are fabulous. My interests are endless and I am terminally curious. Reading, reading, reading and writing are my most intense pass times.
Booman Trib has been a truly welcoming place that I love. And all of you here have been more than kind and allowing of my “out of the mainstream” diaries. Thanks Boo! Thanks froggies! And as Diane mentioned, I met one of the most important and dear people to me that I have ever known right here on Booman. It is an amazing friendship and family connection, and we are about to have the face to face first time experience in 2 weeks!If you don’t know about Diane and my friendship, then you might want to read this diary. . .Two Strong Women
Enough about me. Glad to see everyone, and I hope you new comers will jump right in and test the waters.
Hugs,
Shirl
Shirl, gosh, I don’t mean to be so personal, but I just learned something new about you from your bio that I didn’t know before. I don’t know how I could have missed it with all the innuendo that’s been flying around in the Cafe and elsewhere…
Shirl, you’re……….an optimist!?
oh wow…you’ve me rolling on that one! thanks š
ROFLMAO . . .Too!
I know how shocking these personal revelations can be SN, but I hope you will be able to recover and we can still be friends. I always worry about telling these deep, dark secrets because you just never know how people will react, and when you “come out” to someone you love and care for so much, it is really scary.
I hope it won’t make a difference in our friendship. . .after all we are ALL just people here, and I am sure it is a genetic thing, after all, I was born that way. I have tried and tried to be pessimistic, but it just won’t work for me. . .I always see the glass as almost nearly full!! I was almost pessimistic for an hour once and it nearly killed me, if I couldn’t just be who I am, then there is no use in living.
Hugs girl,
Shirl
But you know Shirl, all it would take is one good roll in the hay with a real pessimist. Think about it.
ROTFSWL
CAN’T STOP LAUGHING!!!!
Truth is, I lived with one for 14 years. . .maybe we should have rolled in the hay more. . .it still didn’t take on me, somehow. But I think I got a gold star for unbelievable stubborness. God knows I tried! About drove her crazy, though.
You just made me choke on my water. Really hard. One of those chokes where your throat is all tied up in knots afterward, but I still can’t stop laughing in spite of the pain. That was just too effing funny!! (Thanks for that one, cough, sputter, chortle!)
First off, I want to give a personal welcome to all the newcommers. It is great to have you here.
As you can see that is my name..both screen and in real life. I am 60 years woman who has been in the medical healthcare trying to save lives for over 40 years….I am a veteran, of both the Navy and the Air Force. Originally from Illinios, but now resides in Tennessee. ( now don’t hold that against me, please…:o) )
I am divorced with two children and two grand-daughters. I have not been blogging long. I would say going on about a year and a half. I have been here at booman for just about a year…I can not remember the month I signed up but learched for some time before that.
I have to say this is the place to be. I really enjoy learning an dthis has always given the that in many, many ways. Hugs to you all.
You survived the Navy and Air Force??? Well, my hat is off to you!!! LOL! I did 22 years in the Navy and that was it, dear! Enough is Enough!! LOL!!
Seriously, I have read your dairy entries and your comments (lots of them I may add!!) and your insight and straight forward approach is refreshing indeed!
Thanks for the welcome!
;o) yup, did both. I have to say I enjoyed both too. I was a hospital corpsman int he navy and a flight nurse in the AF.
I am not much for beating around the bush..no pun intended…:o) It gives for better communication not to talk out of both sides of ones mouth and to say it only once and get your message out in less effort. I run Independent but hang with the democrats here. I happen to define myself a progressive ind. and that seems to confuse some. Anyhow. Thanks for being here. I happen to define the ppl here the best of the best. We all have something inwhich to give, that define the most powerful of the democratic party, unbeknowing to the DLC’ers…:o) shhhhh dont tell them thou.. I happen to know for sure about that one! 22 years, well, I give you a hug and say well done, sailor. Now hear this, I expect to hear more out of you now that I know this…:o) Again, so glad you decided to be here.
I think you know this already, but we have several vets here. It would be interesting to take note of them too. Some day I just may have to do a diary about that…;o)
Thanks for the additional insight. I was CTM in the Navy, thus all of this domestic wiretapping mess just affirms the power grab that Bush is doing. I find it hard to believe that people are just willing to sit back let Bush get away with it.
Regarding the folks here, I totally agree with you. The brainpower, spiritual warmth and insights presented are wonderful. If the Democratic Party does not get its action together soon, I believe the grassroots will demand a third party and we need one badly, in my opinion. The stories and experiences I have read here touch my heart. I have to keep tissues nearby because my eyes fill with tears to read all of the things many of the folks have endured and still stand up and speak out. It is the spiritual intensity which I have not seen in other group.
Expect to hear more from me? Ok, I am still getting my feet wet on this blogging thing but I will continue to press forward.
Thanks again!
I have no doubt that you will do just fine here and elsewhere that you go. I am very proud to have you here with us and to give us the fine attitude and level head you have. I am very sure we all can learn from you. You are onboard now. just get busy with your great ideas and share them with us. I am looking forward to them. hugs…Oh, btw, I am headed donw to Fl in June. My son is getting married down there at Ft. Walton Beach. I used to live there in a town called Zypehrhills, I think it was. It was so many years ago..
Anyhow, just stay and enjoy yourself with us. Welcome aboard.
Brenda!
Ah, I sure was thinking about how lucky your patients are and wishing I had someone like you around to ease the rough spot I was going through last week. But then I thought. . .there is no one quite like you. I just love your attitude and admire all that you have offered others in your life as well as what you offer all of us here.
We sure be lucky to have you!!
Hugs
Shirl
Thanks Shril. I am just doing what I love to do. What was happening with you last week? I am glad I am here as well. Wishing you the best…hugs
Had a bout with kidney stones. I don’t do personal illness well. . .makes me plenty irritated (too tempting to say pissed off, eh), but I made it through and am now a bit put out that bouncing back is slower than I think it ought to be. So, I am not fond of complaining, but I don’t seem to let that stop me. Getting through it though.
Best to you always,
Shirl
Hope you strained the urine and found a stone for analysis. Once that is ascertained, then you can determine the reason for it and change the factor for the stone.
Geez, Shirl. My best to you! I know they hurt so bad! Bad is not the word for it but the best I can say on here…:o) Just do take good care and stay in a good frame of mind…we need you too much here with us to fade out…;o) HUGS
Hi everyone. I’m an almost 40 yo woman who lives in Oakland, CA (raised in upstate NY). I am a far left liberal pinko commie and a Pagan to boot. I came to the site about a year ago because I, too, thought the election was stolen, but I did not join until I volunteered to help out SusanHu with the torture investigation.
I’m technically married, but I haven’t spoken to the ex in many years. I have a lovely almost 12 yo daughter, who is the absolute joy of my life (though I do hope we get through this puberty stage soon!). I come from a family of commie pinko liberals as well.
I’m an avid reader, mainly of Sci-Fi, though I’ve been known to branch out on occasion. I also enjoy video games, crafts, camping and fellow freaks.
I was very active in the pro-choice movement in the ’80s, but dropped out of the political scene for many years. After chimpy was elected, I even went so far as to cancel my newspaper subscription because I couldn’t stand reading about him. I re-entered politics before the 2004 election because my outrage meter was going into overdrive. I still can’t stand the man, but at least now I can share my disgust with others. š
I love the pond. While I am fairly quiet, I come here everyday and read as much as I can.
Thank you Diane for another wonderful Welcome Wagon. My first post here was on one of these threads and I loved the warm feelings I got here. It made me stay for the long haul!
It is so good to see you here! Hope you and the talented daughter are still giving some thought to the SoCal meet up. . . .
Coming soon, ya know!!
Hugs,
Shirl
Nice to see everyone…. ::waves::
I don’t have a very imaginative screen name but I try to make up for it in other ways. š I’m 50, single (no kids, no ex’s, no pets, but far too many dolls, none of whom chip in on the rent, dammit) and I live just outside DC. I have been an administrative assistant, security guard and alarm systems administrator, free-lance graphic artist, part-time Renfaire performer, legal secretary, technical writer, television scriptwriter and producer, and professional game designer. Currently a web editor and freelance writer of role-playing game supplements and fiction. (In fact, I have a book coming out Monday… I wrote one-third of a fiction anthology based on a roleplaying game, but if you’re not into vampires or horror, I won’t be offended if you give it a miss. I promise to write in some other genre next time….) Although right now my artistic urges are carrying me in a different direction entirely, I’m sure I’ll be back to writing again after I’ve had some time to recharge those creative batteries. (that book was the project from HELL, let me tell you…)
The tide carried me into the frog pond sometime last spring/summer, and I have been happily splashing around here most of the time ever since. Sometimes I even comment, mostly I read and hand out 4’s. I was delighted to meet some of my fellow frogs at the peace march in DC last September, and when we had our little meet-up at Harpers Ferry last year. What I truly love here — besides the honesty and sheer diversity — is that even when there are disagreements, there seems to be a real honest effort by those involved to try to understand each other. I’ve been around the internet long enough to know how rare and special that is.
Y’all are special folks, and it’s very comforting to know I’m not alone in my frustrations at the way this country is being run into the ground…. Hugs to you all!
Congrats on the book, Janet!!!
And wow! what an interesting collection of work experiences!! You seem a multi-talented whiz, like so many others here.
Good to see you out at the Welcome Wagon.
Hugs to you
Shirl
Oh Boy! That’s what I can get the hubby for his birthday! He’s really big into the Larp and all that jazz…got me to play a few times. So much fun! He just jumped for joy when I said that we have WoD writer here at the trib! No imagination my ass…. š
I’ve already told you a little bit about me in one of my recent diaries, so I wont do it again.
Except… I forgot to include a picture of myself.
This is me:
And yes, I got this from an artist during a visit to Seattle some 15 years ago. After having spent one week at a Software Conference in downtown Seattle I allow myself a week’s holiday there. There was a fair of some kind in town with all kinds of happenings. At one place there was a line to get your own portrait that was too long. Another artist sat nearby with a ‘Get your own charicature’ sign with no customers. Guess who got my business :).
Good morning,
My name is John Dean, born and raised in Orange County, California. Joined the Air Force in 1976, and ended up staying in 16 1/2 years…a lot longer than I had ever imagined at the time lol. Made MSgt in 13, could have stayed in longer and made at least SMSgt before retiring, but in 1992 after the Cold War was over and Desert Storm had concluded, troops in all branches were offered “early outs” with reduced benefits, as part of the DOD’s plan to reduce force structure.
Getting out after 16 1/2 years was a tough decision, but I was only 36 at the time, and felt by getting out I could start a new career at a much earlier age than most people who retire, so I took it.
I hate George Bush…I mean, I really, really hate the guy. He truly is the worst president in the history of this nation. I’m not as big an activist as many other folks around here, although I do donate quite regularly to various liberal entities, mainly because I find that my talents are better suited to fighting disinformation and trolls. I’ve also been actively involved in investigating scams against our seniors, and was the original source of documents for the Raw Story series on scary letters sent out by organizations such as Amy Ridenour’s NCPPR that solicit donations.
Time for work š
John
Do you live in Orange County now and if so where. I am in Santa Ana.
Hating Bush is something we have in common, most inept, most incompetant Pres. we have yet had.
Isn’t it cool that DOD reduced force structure so that now they can barely keep up with the rotation into Iraq.
Glad to have you on this site, Sluggo