Total donations in the fund drive: 1035!

[Skinner]

Here's a huge THANK YOU to everyone who donated in our fourth quarter fund drive! Thanks to your generosity, Democratic Underground is going to continue to grow and prosper into 2004!

The admins set an extremely ambitious goal this time, and we thought there was a good chance that we would not actually reach our target. Even as late as Thursday night we were doubtful that we'd pull it off. Thanks to all of you (with special thanks to a generous anonymous donor), we had a big rally on Friday which gave us the momentum we needed to finish the job.

Running this message board can be extremely frustrating sometimes. The admins don't really have much of an opportunity to participate in the discussions here. Most of our time seems to be spent dealing with complaints, and sometimes we feel like everyone is unhappy with the way we DU. It is wonderful to get so much positive feedback like we got last week, and to know that many people care enough about Democratic Underground to help contribute to its success. We are so grateful that we have such a fantastic and generous group of people here. Without your financial support, and your enthusiasm for DU, this place would have shut down long ago.

I suspect that we will bring in another 40-or-so donations by mail over the next few days, and our total may climb as high as 1100 if we're really lucky.

Based on the totals, it looks like we're going to be able to upgrade our servers and bring Elad on as a full-timer. This successful fundraiser is going to really help us gear up for campaign season.

I haven't given out all of the stars yet, but I am diligently working my way through the list. I think I've only got about 100 more to assign (but I've got a bad case of carpal-tunnel which is slowing me down a bit -- I've been chomping Vitamin B-6 like Tic-Tacs).

Thank you for everything.

:loveya:

Skinner
DU Admin

[Timefortruth]

1. Congratulations!

on edit:
How much money did you raise?

[Skinner]

11. We raised approximately $26,500

I think that will be enough so that we can cover our quarterly budget of $39,000 (fingers crossed).

[jpgray]

16. No doubt the staff will now sport fur coats and buy walk-in humidors.

:D

[arcane1]

2. don't thank us, man

thanks to all of YOU!!!

:toast:

:bounce:

:party:

:loveya:


I'll re-state for the millionth time- Democratic Underground is the GREATEST WEBSITE IN THE WORLD!!!!


:toast:

:bounce:

:party:

:loveya:

[i have issues]

40. Absolutely!

I'd give blood if DU needed it!

[GainesT1958]

3. SKINNER, you all deserve this!

Because you run the COOLEST political forum on the 'Net! :D

AND...because of how hard you all worked not only to establish it, but to upgrade it to allow so many more to meet, to discuss, to be informed and, yes, to vent.

To that end, I'd hope people would have better things to do than to flame you or gripe to you about seemingly insignificant stuff. For all you folks have done for us, they need to think about it...and, next time they're tempted to flame, instead, just THANK YOU for giving us DU!:7

:kick:

B-)

[jpgray]

4. Yes, DU is pretty great. (nt)

[fishnfla]

5. Did you get mine yet?

I've no other way of knowing. Is there another way of knowing?


ON EDIT: Hey, whats with the star? ;)

[GOPFighter]

6. I'm mighty proud to wear the gold star!

You guys do a GREAT job! DU has been better than a shrink and cheaper too!

Kudos to you ALL!

[BlueEyedSon]

7. "Good work!" to you & the other admins.....nt

[Walt Starr]

8. I only wish I could have given more

DU saves my sanity.

[Red_Viking]

9. Right on!

Thanks for the update. I was glad to donate. Your site has provided a wealth of information to me and given me a community to discuss political issues. Yes, I've wasted many Saturdays on your board...

Love it! Thanks for the hard work.

:dem:

RV

[VelmaD]

10. You've got at least one more...

donation coming courtesy of the Patriots beating the Cowboys last night. I'm just waiting on Will Pitt to get off his butt and decide who he wants me to donate on behalf of. Speaking of which...how does one make a donation for another DUer to get their star?

Thanks
Darth Velma

[Skinner]

13. Donating for someone else...

When you donate, just tell us the username of the person who should get the star. That's all.

[tom_paine]

17. AGH! You're a COWBOYS FAN, Darth Velma?!?

I was really starting to like you, too...

:evilgrin:

Hey, at least something good, a sponsorship for a star, has come out of your bizarre love of that collection of coke freaks and phonies and BUMS!

Can you tell I don't like the Foulboys?

[EarlG]

22. I hate to tell you this

But one of the DU Admins is a Cowboys fan too.

Me!



GO COWBOYS!

[VelmaD]

24. WOOHOO!

Nice to know I'm not alone. :-)

[tom_paine]

35. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

I'm surrounded!

Aiiiiieeeeee!

:silly: :crazy: :crazy: :silly:

<does Daffy Duck impression bouncing off the walls "Whoo-hoowhoo-hoowhoo-hoo!">

[VelmaD]

23. I can live with it...

that other people don't like the Cowboys. I grew up in the Dallas area and am a congenital Cowboy fan (also the Texas Rangers, Dallas Mavericks, and Dallas Stars).

My parents are original Cowboy fans from the inception of the team. My mom worked for the Dallas Chamber of Commerce back in the early 60s then the old AFL Dallas Texans and the Cowboys were fighting for the city. All the CofC bigwigs were friends with the Hunts (who owned the Texans) and were pushing for them. Just to be ornery all the CofC employees became Cowboy fans. My momma has a bad attitude. :evilgrin:

And yes, at least one good thing came out of the loss, somebody is getting a star if Will will just make up his mind who. :-)

[tom_paine]

38. "Congenital" is right, darlin'

like a birth defect

:evilgrin:

[dbt]

12. Rock ON, Skinner!

:bounce:
dbt

[mark0rama]

14. Congratulations!

After reaching the goal of 500 last time, I was really pleased to see that (1) DU raised the bar so high for this drive and (2) that we cleared it!

BTW, I see that banner at the top of the page says "Goal achieved" - why not "Mission Accomplished"? Oh, yeah, because that no longer means anything, thanks to BushCo.

[pmbryant]

15. Fabulous

Congratulations! And thanks for providing this wonderful forum for us all.

:toast:

--Peter

[tom_paine]

18. No, thank YOU, skinner...

"You're messing withthe wrong ex-Green Beret."
--Seymour Skinner

"Despite having worked in the Springfield School System for 30 years, I've always been a small-time hustler at heart."
--Seymour Skinner

:toast: :toast: :bounce: :toast: :toast:

[Dudley_DUright]

19. Skinner, I feel your pain

I have had seriously bad carpal tunnel for years now (too much typing at DU and work, drumming, guitar playing, cycling...). I had to be on Celebrex for awhile but now I am just on over the counter pain medication since my hands are slowly improving (I had to quit the drums cold turkey :-( ). I also take lots of B-6 but I am not sure how much good it does. Quite a few of my coworkers have had surgery for the condition and I had mine scheduled but I chickened out mainly since I did not want to lose dexterity for my guitar playing.

[brook]

26. Re:carpal tunnel

I had it in both wrists and wore braces. I was considering the surgery but wasn't enthusiastic about it because it has rather mixed results. One day I happened to get a call to work on a set in a dojo. At lunch, an elderly Japanese man inquired about my wrists and when I told him, he asked if I'd take the braces off. He did some sort of accupressure - and ya know what? I think I've had about 4 minutes pain in the past decade. My point? Check around your area for a reputable accupressurist. It may do the trick for you both, as well.

Oh - and Skinner...my snail mail ought to reach you by tomorrow. You young'uns do fine work here!

[Malva Zebrina]

20. Skinner it was brilliant

you deserve really more in salary for your work. But the response to this drive was amazing. I am glad for the support you received, but wish you and others could be paid more than what you are. You certainly do deserve it. :toast:

[Oracle]

21. Please put the final total (1035) on the graph.

Thanks!

[VelmaD]

25. One more thing...

I know that I've been one of the biggest whiners lately and I hope you know that no matter how much I kvetch about the sex thing in the Lounge that I'm still really glad this place is here. Don't know what I'd do some days without DU and the friends I've made here and the release valve this place provides. Thank you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for putting this place together and for everything you do to make it work.

[Shakespeare]

27. carpal-tunnel? OW! I'll wait VERY patiently for my star!!

Congratulations on the success of the drive! :toast:

[Shakespeare]

28. oh holy crap, it's there already!!

Thanks!!! :D

[Cooley Hurd]

29. This is the most important website on the internet

In my lifetime, I can't recall anything like what we've experienced in the last three years. From the election theft, to the 9/11 attacks, to the debacle in Iraq, our government has transformed itself into something that resembles a fascist regime. The media has become a propaganda ministry. And the internet has become the last bastion of free speech.

These are frightening times, and it is reassuring to log onto DemocraticUnderground and find sanity (okay, maybe not in GD... ;) ) in a world gone mad. The money that I donate to DU is as important as money I've donated to any politcal campaign. It's money well spent. Thank you Skinner, Elad and EarlG for your sacrifices in providing this forum. You've done more for America than you realize!

Cheers :toast: to All of my fellow patriots here at DU!

[mmonk]

30. Thank you

you're worth it and more.

[Ksec]

31. hope you can use that 10 grand

er I mean ten bucks

Hey Im broke. Its as good as I can this month.

[SmileyBoy]

32. Did you recieve my check???

I sure as hell hope so. I sent it out on Friday, first-class postage.

[Piperay]

33. Thanks to YOU Skinner...

all the Administrators and all the Mods for the TERRIFIC job you do here in the DU! :bounce: I know that you hear from the critics but just remember for everyone who critizes their are probably at least a hundred who don't have a complaint at all. :thumbsup:

[newyawker99]

34. What great news!!

Thanks to everyone who contributed and thanks to Admin for giving us such a great website.

:thumbsup:

[Dr Fate]

36. Back atcha Bossman!!!

!!!!

[Zomby Woof]

37. let's beat 1,035 next time!

A tougher goal: Coming up with an even cooler fundraising graphic! How can you top the last one?? :D

[SteveG]

39. I mailed my donation on Saturday.....

So I doubt you have it yet. But a Big Thank You for all the hard work you do on this site ( I moderate on another site, - nowhere near as successful as this one) you guys do a great job. I'm looking forward to my gold star....

[Ramsey]

41. Congratulations!

You guys deserve every penny. This is the premier progressive grass roots site on the web.

:toast:

[FloridaJudy]

42. Best bargain on the web! Congrats!

Much more lively than the Well. Of course, it *is* addictive...

:grouphug:

[Vadem]

43. Thank you Skinner, Elad and EarlG! As I have said before....

you guys and DU are my sanity and I am so happy to be able to contribute to keep our wonderful community going on!