Reply #17: For me, posting on DU is [View All]

[Philostopher]

screaming into the void, in large part. I'm not a radical by any means, my opinions range from somewhat to mostly left of center as far as Democrats go, which makes me hardly an anomaly on DU. I have other places I participate in discussions where I have a higher profile than here, and 'virtual social' connections I maintain that keep me from hanging here every moment, but that's okay.

I'm not persistent or funny or 'whatever' enough to carve out a niche for myself here -- so be it. I'll settle for posting Zappa references in Zomby's threads, searching for odd things Kef wants, helping the site stay up financially as long as Mr. Nownow and I are working, and occasionally sponsoring people who can't afford to get their search privileges on their own at the current moment. That's what being a liberal is really about -- being part of the wall of sound. I do my damnedest to harmonize, and that's the best I have in me.

All that aside, I actually showed up at DU because I'm a 'search junkie,' and I started searching for liberal sites probably three years ago, now. It all started with 'Daily Howler' and 'Bushwatch' and, somewhere between the sElection and June of 2001, I migrated over here. In the interim, I saw one of your essays on a site that has since been mothballed. I think I actually was searching for a particular essay by Will Durst, and somebody had posted one of your articles right beside one of his -- and though I had no idea who you were, I thought it belonged there. Searching on your name brought me to DU, and I've been here a long time, regardless my puny post count.

That was two and a half years ago.

Will, from each according to his ability to each according to his need -- you're able and willing to devote your time and effort to what you're doing, and dammit, I can say with great certainty that I wouldn't give up my marriage and the security of my job to go out and write and pound the pavement to sell books like you do. Maybe I even could -- I've been writing for a long time for my own edification -- but I can't give it all up for that, I don't have it in me. If ego is what it takes to drive somebody to go and do that, well, fuck being pedantic about it -- have the ego. It sounds like you've given up more than enough to get what you've got. I know damned well I couldn't do it, and I'm certainly not going to barbecue you for having it, if that's what it takes.

And you're right about one thing -- other than the fact that you used to post a dope-smokin' smiley as your sort of signature (and that was back when you were still a school teacher), you really haven't changed much. I bet you edit your 'serious' threads more than you did two and a half years ago, but I bet that's about it for the difference. What pisses you off hasn't changed -- and that's a good thing.

Enjoy that lunch with Franken. I don't care what they all say about ya' -- looks like you've earned it.