I formally joined DU 20 years ago today.
After lurking for several months, angry and frustrated over the impeachment of Bill Clinton, a stolen presidential election by the SCOTUS, 9/11 and fascinated by this new thing called the Internet and it's chat rooms ,I found a few thousand fellow travelers and jumped in with both feet.
Over the years I have met and enjoyed the company and true friendship of many of those I found here. Some turned out to be my neighbors and fellow community activists. Others were like minded Los Angeles and California progressives that were also looking for a place to vent as well as create a path forward. Our " meet ups " were legendary, producing more than a few people who ran for elected offices, now writers and bloggers of note. There are even a couple teenagers alive today as a result of those meet ups. 
I was almost 59 years old when I began this incredible relationship and will be 79 in a couple weeks. None of us know where our journey in life will take us or who or what we'll encounter along the way , but I'm glad to have bumped into this bunch.
= new reply since forum marked as read
Twenty years have gone so fast. I wouldn't have wanted to miss a minute of it without having DU to share it with.
Congratulations! 
😀😀
hard to believe all that's happened (and will continue to happen).
Be well and stay well!
Pretty sure DU launched on inauguration day for Silverspoon George. So, in a couple weeks DU will be able to legally buy booze & pot!
@ DU buying booze and pot!
Maybe we should have a 21st Birthday Party for DU (booze and pot optional) HUGE Zoom party.
A friend of mine urged me to join, and I’m so glad I came. I was in my early or mid-50s then, in what I thought of as robust middle-age.
So many here shared similar experiences of coming of age during civil rights and anti-war and political struggles — and in the midst of our collective outrage in the BushCheney years one thing was certain: we thought we knew how to handle this. Our previous experiences had shown us how. And we had each other.
Last edited Mon Jan 10, 2022, 03:15 PM - Edit history (1)
Hard to believe it’s nearly 18 years since that DU backyard meet-up in Lake Balboa (Van Nuys, to some.). I believe at least three DU’ers who attended that party have passed. Glad your alive and still kicking Fascist ass.
I also discovered DU a few weeks after it went online and lurked for a year until early 2002. I would have had a lot more posts, but I changed my DU name after the 2004 election.
That said, every time I make 😈 😈 🥚🥚, I think of you and the guy who went by “Puerco Bellies.” You gentlemen really plowed through those eggs!
Stay well, Jaysun! Things have gotten a whole lot uglier since then and we need all the DU’ers we can get.
Recipe:
Shitload of hard boiled eggs
Mayonnaise
Sweet pickle relish
Mustard
Curry powder (to taste)
Paprika on top
Take good care of yourself!
Here's to another twenty! 
Congratulations my friend!
I joined on Sep 15 2001. Thank God DU was here then. For all of us.
