So how and why did you come to join DU?

[Wetzelbill]

I got here because, I was researching PNAC for a column I was writing for the Arizona Daily Wildcat. I came across a PNAC column for Truthout written by Will Pitt. So then, I became very interested in Will's writing and read War On Irag. Soon after I read The Greatest Sedition Is Silence, and I interviewed Will for some writing that I was doing. I then expanded my PNAC column for a magazine that was interested in it. Around that time, I remember Will mentioned DU a lot in "The Greatest Sedition..." and I was quite disenchanted at the time. Just with everything. Even my fellow liberal columnists at the paper, were strictly MSM types. Most friends that I had weren't as into politics as I was. I was just obsessed with everything. Reading all kinds of papers a day, books (Greg Palast etc) essays just everything.

So I figured since Will said he got lots of his info from DU that it might be a place in which I would find like minded people and so on. I belonged to some yahoo lists and so on that just weren't doing it for me so much so I checked out DU. I realized I had been here before, whenever I'd do a search like "George Bush" "Idiot" because I recall reading the Top Ten Conservative Idiots a few times. I immediately joined up, lurked here and there and posted whenever I could at school and so on. I've had my own PC for 6 months so now I'm pretty much on here every day at some point, if not posting at least reading articles.

So that's my story what is yours?

[90-percent]

1. finding DU

lots of anti-Bush websurfing led me to here so many times I just joined up.

Nice to be a part of a community of like minded people.

Best DU feature for me is that it's such a great repository for keen insight and pinpoints to relevant links.

I feel I know more about Washington than Beltway insiders thanks to an hour a day of DU


-85%

[Radio_Lady]

79. I wish I could remember, but I started posting on ---

Nov 28th 2004. I was lurking for weeks prior to that. We were just devastated by the 2004 election, and I was looking for material for my web radio show. I'm a 66 year old grandmother who was one of the first women to do radio talk in Miami and Boston. I spent 35 years in broadcasting, radio and TV. Now I live in Oregon and am officially retired.

Somehow, I can't recall exactly how I linked to this site. But I'm darn glad I'm here. Sometimes I just bump around laughing and such in the DU lounge. Sometime I get into tussles with others in the GD area. But I get here a lot of times every week.

Reminds me of journaling, but there's more interaction.

And for learning new things? It's the best!

[Snotcicles]

2. I think I heard Howard Dean mention it, and that was that. n/t

[HillDem]

3. Somebody mentioned the website

When she called into C-SPAN's washington journal. She made a smart comment and then dropped the website and I checked it out.

[MnFats]

4. Surfing, looking for something like DU after Wellstone's death

obviously I was feeling awful in those days.
I had met him a few times and was awed. He was one guy I felt good about voting FOR instead of voting to keep some asshole out of office.

DU was a comfort. No, a godsend.
it's still good to meet kindred souls here....

[Wetzelbill]

39. Paul Wellstone once had a staffer call my house in MT

and ask me if I wanted to intern with him. I sent him an e-mail after Sept. 11, just about being interested in politics, and my Uncle knew Paul when he was a BIA director in Minnesota, so I mentioned that and so on. So Paul had a staffer call me and talk about working for him. I intended to, but I was hoping to do it after I got settled here in AZ and so on. Planned on getting it all set up after he was reelected. Damn, that plane crash just broke my heart. I really missed out, I regret not just interning with him right away, now I'll never get the chance.

[acmavm]

5. Short and simple, I'm a hardcore democrat and I live in Nebraska.

I had to find somewhere where I could talk politics with intelligent human beings.

[Der Blaue Engel]

6. A year and a few days ago

I moved from despair to anger. It started dawning on me that the Bush "win" was statistically absurd, and I figured there must be others out there who agreed with me. I Googled "stolen election" and found Black Box Voting...clicked the first link there to read something on DU, and I realized I'd found a rift in the brainwashed universe. I signed up as soon as I was able. (Registration was closed for a few days.)

[beyurslf]

7. Going to the SludgeReport.com site and linking the Top 10 Conservative

Idiots. I did that for several months before I realized the site had this GREAT forum. Now I am an addict.

[NanceGreggs]

8. I wrote an article ...

... entitled "Interim Report to Parents", a satirical 'report card' sent to lil's Georgie Bush's parents. My husband, already a DUer, suggested I submit it. The article was first published here, and wound up on websites all over the world! (It even ended up on Snopes, where some Republican idiot wanted to know if was his ACTUAL report card!)

The rest, as they say, is history. I've had several articles printed here since.

I've actually only been posting in the discussion threads for a month or so (since we finally went to high-speed internet access), and I've met so many incredibly well-informed, smart and witty people on-line here! DU is also my FIRST source of political news, and I check in first thing in the AM to see what's going on in the world.

[WilliamPitt]

9. Hey, thanks!

:)

[Wetzelbill]

40. yeah don't get too cocky

:)

[Canuckistanian]

10. Buzzflash

Buzzflash used to have a link to the Top Ten Conservative Idiots every week.

Then I noticed the scribblings and rantings over on the right margin of the page....

[Fight_n_back]

11. The selection

at that time there were only about 30 people on board and many more frequent wars with freepers.

The funniest moment ever for me was in the Gun Nut Forum. This guy was talking about how there are more knife attacks than gun attacks so maybe liberals should be for knife control laws.

I responded that I was fully in favor of knife locks and an 8 day waitning period for the spork.

This poster named "acerbic" repsonded: "You'll get my spork when you pry it from my cold dead hands."

Funny. Now everything is really impersonal but different isn't always bad.

[malaise]

12. During the run up to the election last year

a US colleague who knows I read TomPaine, Salon and Truthout recommended DU. I peeped for a short while and then joined. I've found some amazing material here and many of my students now read articles on DU.

I love DU:D

[Mike Nelson]

13. joined after & because of the stolen 2004 election...

...it reeked of being stolen and this was the only place people debated the possibility. don't recall when i first heard of du, tho.

[Epiphany4z]

14. From an AOL

Message board over run with Freeper types. I still go there...its good when your in that bar room brawl type of mood.

Seriously I am glad I found DU...I found some great reads , leads and hell it is nice not to have every post taken over crazy fundie freeps.

[salvorhardin]

15. The voices in my head...

Actually it was only one voice and it was on the radio. Mike Malloy back in his ieAmerica days used to always say how great DU was so I started lurking here and finally started posting here back in March of last year.

[we can do it]

16. Started during Kerry campaign last summer...

Doing homework to better educate myself for canvassing and phone banking (as well as a few laughs) - I've been hooked ever since.

[LisaM]

17. After the 2000 election, I found it through Democrats.com

I'd been reading that, something called The Liberal Slant, and Bushwatch, and then I found this. I signed up in January 2001 and I owe what little remains of my sanity to DU, because I literally had all of my friends thinking I had gone crazy after December 12, 2000.

[Tesla]

18. Someone talked about it on Above Top Secret

And I fell in LOVE!!!

[sepia_steel]

19. I found DU after the 2004 election

I knew it was stolen and I needed to find like-minded people.

[texpatriot2004]

23. Me too nm

[marions ghost]

25. Ditto

The 2nd stolen presidential election

[Eric J in MN]

20. Dennis Kucinich was running for president, and I wanted to

post about him.

[eridani]

84. Same here

Also follow what other candidates' supporters were saying.

[redwitch]

21. My son told me about DU. He was 16 at the time.

I lurked for months before signing on sometime before july 2003. The war, the sorry state of our country, the Bush fiasco, the usual stuff, I guess. I love this place! Now that I have a laptop and most hotels have wireless access I can take you everywhere, hooray!

[Frustratedlady]

22. I finally got the nerve to join

after lurking for several months. I guess I figured the FBI would come knocking at my door if I said anything naughty about GW. :9 I was getting so frustrated because I was also afraid to open the subject of this administration to friends and was boring my kids to death with my complaints and predictions of what was coming down. DU has been a godsend to me, as it has allowed me to see I'm not crazy...that my suspicions were correct and I'm not alone in my concern for my country. In all my years on this earth, I have never seen the situation for the USA in such dire need of correction. I fear for all of us and having DU around to let off steam has allowed me to maintain a reasonable blood pressure level.

I guess it all boils down to the fact I'm ashamed and feel partly responsible for allowing this administration to get by with their game for way too long. I'm just glad I can honestly say I didn't vote for GW and his cabal, and I sure hope I live long enough to see him out of office.

[ebal]

24. Like minds

I enjoy reading opinions of people that think just like me.

[DaytonOHDem]

26. I heard about DU from my brother.

My brother is a Repub. He is one of the most intelligent people I know. That is why it is so hard for me to handle his right wing leanings. I told him after he voted for Dimwit the second time that I no longer think of him as an intelligent person. He got a laugh out of that. But I do thank him for telling me about DU, I would have gone crazy these last few years without it. The people here are so intelligent and they make me laugh. I need that now more than ever. Thanks.

[liberalnurse]

33. Hi there Dayton.......

I'm also a Daytonian......Welcome to the best Democratic Pipeline of information....EVER!

I have been here since early 2002.

:hi: :kick:

[cassiepriam]

37. Hi I'm from Dayton too...

In healthcare like you as well.

[liberalnurse]

45. Hi there!!!!!!

It is soooo cool for other Daytonians to be on this board. Do you subscribe to the "Wake-Up Ohio" Newsletter? Stephanie Studebaker runs it. If not, here is the link. The bi-weekly update is terrific!

http://www.wake-upohio.com/

I'm the Ohio Nursing Association's Legislative Liaison for District #10-Dayton and the ONA Delegate. I go to the Statehouse all the time. I also hit all the fundraisers!!!!! ONA sends me.

[cassiepriam]

48. Thanks I will sign up for this, it looks good.

I am also going to PM you...

[NoSheep]

27. I needed to be around folks seethings the way I see them. I was sick

of the ignorance and blind faith around me. :-(

[liberalnurse]

28. I came to DU for the free drinks

and pretzels. I'm still getting free refills.

Don't tell Skinner.....:scared:


Also, I had lost my blue dress in D.C in 1997....It has a small stain on the front. Has anyone seen it? :hide:

[dalaigh lllama]

50. I came for lines like yours!

:spray:
In addition to being able to find out what's going on, usually anywhere from minutes to years ahead of the rest of the country, I enjoy the witticisms from this very wonderful group of DUers.
I heard about DU from a friend a year ago, and lurked for months before I joined.

[liberalnurse]

53. I'm glad your here!

Democrats have the market on humor for sure.:hi:

[Bluzmann57]

29. Followed links from other sites

and started reading the "Top Ten " list. Then started reading articles, then started lurking and reading posts. At first I was somewhat intimidated because there are certainly some well read and intelligent people here and I'm just a simple man. But then figured, "What the heck?" I can express views as well as the next person and so I joined. Never regretted it. Nothin' fancy, just trying to make a difference in any way I can because I know in my heart that bush must go.

[Quakerfriend]

30. via dailykos

And, what a gift all you DUers been to me!

[TallahasseeGrannie]

31. My story is a little odd

The first blogs I read were right wing: Protein Wisdom, Malkin, etc. I wasn't really aware yet they were politically conservative. I didn't understand at that point that blogs were mostly partisan. I thought they tried for impartiality like the MSM. (yeah, right) Eventually I caught on.

Then after the election, I think it was Malkin who quoted DU folks' posts in response to the loss. One fellow said something along the lines of "we need pointed, structured rioting" and I thought that was so damned funny and so passionate I had to read more. So I lurked a while, then joined and the rest is history.

[zanne]

44. When I got my first computer three years ago....

I had never had a computer (or knew what to do with one) until I turned 50. I couldn't afford to buy one, so my sister got some parts from her office, my brother got a keyboard, mouse and a printer from his office, they put it together and gave it to me. After about a week of learning, I found a link that got me to DU. I spent the whole day reading the threads. The first poster to impress me was Beetwasher. I don't remember what he/she said, but after I read his post, I signed up. I can't go a day without it now.

[MuseRider]

32. Hard to remember but someone

had turned me on to Will Pitt and somehow I ended up here. Out here in Kansas it was pretty depressing. Michael Moore's book "Stupid White Men" got me thinking that I really might not be alone. I lurked around for a couple of months, to afraid to join or post, what did I know? Finally in September of 2002 I joined. I was very timid but when I did post someone slammed into me and made me feel bad :cry:. It took a while but once I thickened my skin and learned a thing or two I barreled in and have never, ever considered leaving. :hi:

[EuroObserver]

34. Researching 2004 election fraud for Indymedia n/t

[Inland]

35. Top Ten Conservative Idiots.

Got me here, still the best weekly summary available.

[NNadir]

36. I kept getting links to this site from other websites where I was a member

There are a number of these websites, of course. DU just grew on me, and I think it is by far the best.

[ThatsMyBarack]

38. * captions...

...are funny! :rofl:

[leeroysphitz]

41. The judge said it was either D.U. or go to jail..... n/t

[Wetzelbill]

42. finally an honest person around here

:)

[katty]

43. "underground" part prompted a looksee

46. I had it bookmarked for over a year, because

of the States forum. Then I was interested in info on the breaking Plame case and found great info here. Also there was a wonderful vibrant thread running on how Al Queda and Islamic jihad is really all about repression of women, and I jumped in to discuss it.

I like the equality here, and some excellent, extremely intelligent conversations here. I am more of a environmental/art type, but could never find any good discussion forums for those elsewhere (pretty meager on those subjects here too). But lots of political banter.

This place is always cooking.

[Wetzelbill]

47. the discussion is definitely good

no doubt. Love the intelligence. A good discussion is worth more than gold, imo. :)

[EuroObserver]

58. If your sig-image is an example of your artwork, I like it.

You can PM me about it <smile>.

[BikeWriter]

49. I was "refered" by a troll on my own forum...

He posted saying we sounded just like the "wacos" on DU.

[Wetzelbill]

51. hahaha

[fedupwithbush]

52. My husband heard it on C-Span

My profile says 2002, but I was here before that. They had a major website change back then.

This place has been my refuge. I mostly read. I know I'll get ALL the latest news. It's fun to tell my husband what's coming up on the news before it happens.

But most of all, I love that there are a lot of others like myself who think Bush and all the people he surrounds himself with are a bunch of criminals. I thought so before he was selected. Nothing since has shaken that belief.

I'm still hoping he gets an early exit. I couldn't stand it if he gets his full 8 years. He didn't deserve a day, let alone this long.

[Wetzelbill]

55. I love telling people the news

way before it happens. I love telling stories that nobody knows. It's a lot of fun. It gives me a false sense of superiority, yet somehow, I still cry myself to sleep every night. No just kidding! Gosh, I'm in a goofy mood.

But, I do like telling people the news and knowing stuff that others don't know. Somebody always asks me about something and I like filling them in on it. Like my Uncle wanted to know about the Libby indictment and he didn't know much about it. So we had a good convo in which I filled him in on everything. That's really fun stuff.

[EuroObserver]

59. I suspect we're all crying here, Wetzelbil,

Most of the time.

I certainly do in my heart. It's mostly what keeps me energised, keeps me going.

[Elwood P Dowd]

54. During the elections in 2002

I read some articles here picked up from links posted at other sites (BuzzFlash, Google) and started lurking. Finally broke down and joined about a year later.

[NNN0LHI]

56. To be honest its been so long I forgot n/t

[NoBushSpokenHere]

81. OMG NNNOLHI over 34,000 posts? Wow

I am impressed!

[Initech]

57. Top Ten Conservative Idiots

I first found this site through a link that was posted to a conservative idiots article. Within a week, I had read pretty much every single list.

Then for about six months, I started lurking the message boards. I started posting shortly after the Schaivogate incident.

[mandyky]

60. Read Michael Moore's STUPID WHITE MEN

and he suggested smirkingchimp, and I found DU through one of the sites listed there, I think it was America Held Hostile.

[SammyWinstonJack]

61. I got here after the stolen election in '00, via Buzzflash and other

Liberal sites. AOL chat rooms were pissing me off even though I was in the FTL rooms, I was relieved to find a forum of like minded people. I think I got here in Feb of '01. A total addiction for me, these past almost five years now.

[Fox Mulder]

62. My mom told me about it.

She shared with me the Top Ten Conservative Idiots and I was hooked ever since. :)

[Burning Water]

63. I followed a link

from another website, I forget which one.

Then I lurked for a very long time.

Finally, I said to myself, "Why not join in the fun?" So I did.

[kevsand]

64. It's all davsand's fault.

She'd been on a couple of other boards, and finally ended up on DU in 2001. I couldn't really relate; I'd never been fond of extended conversations with people I've never met.

Then she asked if I'd like to actually meet some of them. That actually made a fair amount of sense to me: drink a beer (or two or three) and smoke and rant and look people in the eye while I talked to them.

So she put the call out and in December of 2001 I spent one of my most enjoyable evenings in recent memory, sitting in my basement with kheph and gonzo and 5thgendemocrat and polly, talking about politics and popular culture and life, the universe, and everything.

But even though I now knew you weren't all mutant nematodes, I still wasn't all that interested in jumping in. davsand would show me stuff from time to time to get my take on things, and would even occasionally pass comments on for me. There seemed to be an awful lot of signal noise. (I think my favorite is still the Haitian man boobs.)

Finally, last winter, after I'd finally gotten the taste of the election out of my mouth, I signed up so I could participate in the Clark group. It has been an interesting journey, and promises to remain so. Y'all are a truly special and unique group of misfits, and that is precisely the stuff that revolutions are made of...

[Jazzgirl]

65. I found it by accident!

I really don't remember how I found DU but I haven't looked back. I come here first thing in the morning and first thing when I get home from work and I'm in school. I have to know whats goin' on and DU always gets the news out first.

JG

[halley]

66. Been Coming Here

for FIVE years,right after my VOTE was STOLEN.

[KoKo]

67. Don't know...was wondering around out there somewhere after 2000/Selection

I've answered so many of these...I'm wearing down.

[kansasblue]

68. democrats.com indicated valuable 2004 fraud research at DU

[Zynx]

69. I was a Daily Kos reader and stumbled across DU one day and

I thought it was neat to have so many people discussing politics since most ordinary people don't.

[Arugula Latte]

70. I wandered a barren desert

aimless, thirsty, near death ...

Suddenly, a vision of Skinner the Arch Angel appeared and led me by the hand to my PC ...

Well, either that or I heard about it on another board in the Fall of 2001. The person was complaining that DU was so liberal. That other board was starting to bug the crap out of me, so I said, Hmmm, better check this DU thing out ...

[MisterP]

71. Green leanings -> anti-Limbaugh and -Buchanan -> turnleft.com

(now conservative) -> bartcop (don't go there no more) -> the Web's premiere site for news, activism, and analysis!!!

[Gregorian]

72. 9/11 was the straw that broke this camel's back.

I started searching for human life amongst the walking dead. I found DU and Bartcop. Thank god. I was ready to jump off a cliff. The problem is, even WITH the forum, things are so bad now, I'm getting ready to jump again.
We need SUPER-DU! With added Republican Repellant. Guaranteed to repel all coolaid suckers.

[MooPie]

73. Buzzflash or Bushwatch

Can't remember, but as soon as I came here I stayed. I never really post much, but I have it on all day at work and I am amazed at how much better informed I am as a result. I also feel a kind of camaraderie in that since I can't stomach listening to that inarticulate babbling idiot, whenever he deigns to regurgitate (as best he can)whatever pap he's been fed, I read and relate to the comments here. The best was during the debates, when he performed so poorly, that everyone's comments compelled me to actually listen. At any rate, it's like being with friends. The people here give me hope and actually brought me out of my despair over the state of our nation. Were it not for you people, I wouldn't have had the strength to endure being condemned by so many for being opposed to the invasion. Because of you, I knew I wasn't alone. You helped me hold my ground in so many ways, both informatively and emotionally. Thanks to all of you.

[ljm2002]

74. Linked from other websites...

...namely, mediawhoresonline and bartcop. Got hooked by the Top 10 Conservative Idiots. Then discovered the forums. Have been a serious addict ever since.

I do love being ahead of the curve on current political stories, hearing so many different perspectives, and watching the growth of a real grassroots and being a small part of it.

[sandnsea]

75. To get a Congressional Investigation into war lies

Believe it or not. 2 1/2 years later, finally, here we are.

[Walt Starr]

76. I joined because George W. Bush had just stolen a presidential election

and was being inaugurated.

[WritingIsMyReligion]

77. I was on politicalhumor.about.com right after *'s Coronation

and saw a link to the Top Ten. It spread from there. First I tuned in weekly to read about the latest neocon escapades--often pissing myself in the process, it was so funny and yet pathetically true. Then, this past summer, I became a lurker. I read one thread that really inspired me to type in, so I joined up on 9/24/05 and have been a faithful member since. :D :D

[DeepModem Mom]

78. I read about DU lurking at the Salon board after the stolen election --

and then lurked here forever before signing on and posting. And it's a pattern with me. I'm slow to get started, but once I start something, I'm obsessed. And, usually, both committed and loyal, long term.

[DemReadingDU]

80. I also live near Dayton, OH!

Someone on the Dayton message board mentioned DU last year. I started reading prior to the 2004 election, lurked for a few months, then joined. I still mostly like to read for information, but post occasionally.

[Douglas Carpenter]

82. Months of reading the Daily Kos was leading me into heavy

drinking and suicidal depression. Then I found DU. Now my life is filled with happiness and joy.

[BikeWriter]

83. That's an amazing testamonial, Douglas.

How much is Skinner paying you? ;-)

[BlueIris]

85. Some guy on Cannonfire.blogspot.com told me to.

It was my favorite blog at that time, so I clicked on his link. Viola! Other pissed off Democrats, just like me!

[U4ikLefty]

86. From the Guardian Unlimited.

Some RW nutcases chastized DU all the time, so I HAD to check you out. I've been here ever since.

[JimboDem]

87. November 1,2005

After seeing Senator Reid and the dems finally stand up to the cabal, I joined DU Nov. 1st.

I've been a lurker since ~2000. As an American living in Canada, I wanted a good source for news, politics, and Democratic opinion. I believe I linked here from Bartcop. Often, I see news posted here on DU days, and sometimes weeks, in advance of MSM reports.

The turning point for me was seeing the 'butter queen', Candy Crowley, with humped shoulder, froth and slaver the Starr report verbatim on CNN. Along with their biased election coverage, and subsequent ra-ra War coverage. I thought, at the time, it was probably necessary to find 'alternative' American news sources.

LBN is now my primary news source, and DU my homepage.

Thanks DU.
JimboDem

[Wetzelbill]

89. hey Welcome to DU JimboDem!

Nice to have you here.

[Hekate]

88. MaRadix kept telling me to check it out for honest news & like-minded...

...folk. :hi:

I was just so bummed in the run-up to the invasion of Iraq. I was joining committees and marching and otherwise being active in our town, and I was very frustrated that the MSM not only didn't notice how many people were upset with Bush here, they seldom reported any significant activism across the country.

MaRadix, a friend from way back, pointed me toward DU and I finally dropped by. I've been here ever since.

I wish I had known about DU when it first started--I would not have felt so isolated.

Hekate

[Quixote1818]

90. .