DU3 Reintroduce yourself thread
New forum so let's so a new thread where you can introduce yourself to the rest of the DU community.
My name is LynneSin, my nickname is based on my RL nickname since my RL name is Lynne and my last name starts with SIN and about 82 more letters after that. The quote my friend would use about me is "Her name is Lynne and it rhymes with Sin".
I was born and raised in Central Pennsylvania near Harrisburg, went to Lebanon Valley College (about once a week I remove Gov Tom Corbett's name from the list of famous LVC alumni on the LVC Wiki site) and after college I moved to Bucks County, outside of Philadelphia. After living in that region for 12 years I then moved to Delaware where I not only live and work today but even bought a house here. I have no plans on moving back to PA.
I love rock music. After seeing Shaun Cassidy in concert, my older brother made me listen to rock music - his collection of 8 tracks including Led Zeppelin, Queen, Pink Floyd, Yes, an Aerosmith and several Rush. After that I was hooked. I'm happy to say that my 2nd concert was David Bowie.
I am a very fussy eater. I have a very sensitive nose and palate so extreme flavors and textures bother me. My beer of choice are very hoppy flavor pale ales (nothing with a fruit flavor), top shelf Tequila (Herradura) and spicy red wines from South Africa and Argentina.
I have a wry sense of humor and sometimes rely too much on sarcasm. I think that's how I sometimes annoy people.
I am single. I had been in one long term relationship but ultimately we realized we didn't want to get married.
I love cats, I have 2. I have a boy name Abbott who 9 years ago I found outside a dumpster. My girl Evita was adopted 6 months later - she is the reincarnation of pure evil in a fluffy grey cat. Abbott is a cuddly boy cat who loves to lick his empty ballsacks.
My favorite teams are anything from Philadelphia and the Cincinnatie Reds, a team I have loved since I was 8 years old. I once lost a bet to WillPitt and was to come to a DU gathering wearing a Bunny Suit and bringing a bottle of Tequila. I did send the Tequila to Will but haven't really had a chance to do the bunny suit thing.
I use to organize DU gatherings with some of my best including the October 2002, the RNC Convention Protest and the one at the Obama Inaurguration. But I'm retired from that - it was alot of work and stress.
I am one of the few DUers who can say that a US Vice President has stood on my porch. One of the perks living in Delaware and somewhere I did show the photos.
I make it my mission in life to never pay tolls. I'm from Delaware now and we know how to get where we're going to without paying a toll. Tolls are for out-of-staters who come to Delaware for our Tax Free shopping.
I've been a member of DU since April 2001 and I always like to meet new DUers.
= new reply since forum marked as read
and posted it over on FR
So I swapped my naked ass out for a photo of bush looking like an idiot
Grew up in Ohio, lived in CT for 20 years and now live in Maryland. The "mad" comes from 2004 when the swift boat liars attacked John Kerry's service record.
Life long Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Pirates fan, and I drive through Delaware without any stops, except to stop at their rest area to take a ****.
There is also a great joke that I am known for around here...
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Donald Rumsfeld is giving the president his daily briefing. He concludes by saying: "Yesterday, 3 Brazilian soldiers were killed."
"OH NO!" the President exclaims. "That's terrible!"
His staff sits stunned at this display of emotion, nervously watching as the President sits, head in hands.
Finally, the President looks up and asks, "How many is a brazillion?"
It's good to be allowed to see your face again. 
How you doing? It's been a while!
However, I do like Phillip K Dick, especially his book Flow My Tears, The Policeman Said. In it, there is a deeply flawed character who, by the end of the book, hasn't changed much at all or learned anything. The book is also interesting in that the main character changes half-way through the book from Jason Taverner to the Policeman.
Great book.
But yeah, I live in California, have kids, work, and am either a Socialist Democrat with Anarchist Sympathies, or some other adjective filled description.
I mostly lurk, but I post every once in a while, so here goes.
I live in Iowa, so I've met pretty much every democratic presidential candidate since Mondale. I got my photo in the newspaper talking to the libertarian candidate during his visit to my high school (I was asking him about legalization of drugs, of course).
I used to be on my county central committee until real life activities took over my free time. Our 11 y.o boy and 9 y.o. girl keep us busy with football, basketball, volleyball, dance, tumbling, piano...it never stops. 
I love almost all music (including Rush!), and I'm currently on a kick where I fluctuate between playing Scandinavian death metal and 20s-30s jazz & swing while I'm at work.
We have 2 black cats - one fuzzy and one smooth & shiny. We had golden retrievers for years, and we're planning to get a puppy this summer, though the break from dog hair has been kind of nice.
I kinda like DU3, but I've only been on jury duty once, darn it.
My real name is Ron, as some of you know. I was born and raised in
a small town in Walker County, Alabama, and I currently live in
Butler, PA. I worked as a long haul truck driver for 24 years, hence
the username. I first joined DU around April, 2004 as trucker4kerry
but on Nov 12, 2004 was able to change to my current username.
I've been a diehard liberal since 1968, having been raised by FDR
Democrats and having a progressive 9th grade civics teacher (yes,
they had civics in high school in 1960's Alabama!).
I admit, I haven't been as active in politics as I might have been, but
I have never failed to vote (I was first eligible in 1972) nor have I failed
to contribute money to the candidate of my choice, all the way from
McGovern to Obama.
One last thing: James Carville once said that Pennsylvania is Pittsburgh
and Philadelphia with Alabama in between. How right he is! Butler County
and Walker County went for McCain in almost exactly the same proportion.
Pretty much Alabama with snow!
Seriously!
BTW, you folks from Butler County are liberals compared to Perry County
But I'll take your word for it.
I sometimes grow sunflowers.
I could tell you sad, sad stories.
But prefer to share happier music videos.
I'm a fan of ironwork.
I have even done some myself.
I hate Illinois Nazis.
My real name is Les. I've been a musician for almost 40 years now. When I'm not working at my day job in television , I'm either playing with my classic rock/blues cover band or making records for other artists in my studio.
I have a wonderful wife of 20 years and a beautiful 5 year old daughter.
I came to DU in 2003, outraged over the Iraq war and the Boosh admin. I guess I just got stuck here 
I wish I could play like that
Nice to meet you.Hope to see you around the forums.
Handmade is not my real name and I am not 34. I was born and raised in Michigan but I have called Vermont home for 30 years (my house is in the Northeast Kingdom and is rented out to a real nice couple with 2 kids) but work a job now that keeps me “on the road” traveling throughout the United States 50 weeks out of the year with my partner (Norristown, PA presently). Organic farming is my real passion but I haven’t got the money to buy the farm and land (I would be out in the field working instead of here if I had the land). I used to teach (licensed 7-12 social studies) and then studied at seminary where I learned to be an Atheist. I have birthed 5 children (all born at home) but in the past have “taken in” and cared for many more than that.
I first voted the year after the 26th Amendment was adopted and haven’t missed a vote since (mostly democrats but a few independents). I used to do it all but my present day job disallows most earnest ventures. I like getting old as I have an excuse for being a “bitchy old lady”. I take photographs, travel with my sewing machine and make clothing and ‘stuff’ from recycled fabric. I believe in equal rights and freedom to assemble. I love slam poetry and old jazz. I hang out in the lounge once in awhile but rarely post. What did I miss?
...GReedDiamond, which I use when producing indie music CD projects.
In extending that pseudonym into the politically mythological (or, "the polithalogical"
, I have blended GReedDiamond into a (nonexistent) Corporation with access to more (GOD GIVEN + Tax Loopholes Giveaways & Subsidies, and $$$$ >>>> questionably "elected" political hacks = free speech = 1st Amendment Rights) rights than the average living, breathing small-cap "c"itizen, whom I consider, at best, to be profitable commodities, at worst, tax write-offs. You don't wanna hear what "I" ("GReedDiamond" think about everything in-between.
GReedDiamond's (not necessarily me, but, The Corporation's) Logo is a pair of disembodied outward reaching hands which are about to grab a palm-sized floating planet earth, whereupon the two hands squeeze the whole planet into a Gigantic Diamond.
It's so phony that the artwork for the Logo isn't even done yet.
I am working on it, though.
The End.
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Anyway, that's the "origins" of the name, not the Reality.
DISCLAIMER: I am not necessarily, or in any way otherbudwiser responsible for any of these comments.
Been playing for over forty years and still learn something new every time I pick up an instrument. I currently play with a group of old farts like me at sleazy bars around the San Francisco Bay Area. Been a tough year for us trying to get everybody's schedules to mesh and we just lost a guitarist and replaced him with a keyboard player so we haven't been playing out much, but looking forward to the new year to get out some more.
My other passion is photography. I focused on sports for a long time as my daughter is a competitive soccer player and that's what really got me into it, but lately I've been stretching into portrait, landscape, and nature.
My politics were handed down to me from my Dad. I was a teenager at the end of the Viet Nam war, and vividly remember my sitting with my Dad watching the evening news and listening to him comment on the injustice and stupidity of our involvement there.
My sense of humor is decidedly dry, and I can take it equally well as I can dish it out.
Have two dogs and two cats. They eat, they sleep, and they shed. Must be nice.
Started lurking at DU after the '04 theft, and became a member in May of '05. Seen some ups and downs over the years, but I gotta say that this is a fine group of people contributing here and I'm happy to be a part of the DU community.
This is me in my latest IMVU form..happy holidays!
I am a Dean Democrat. I was born and live in San Francisco. I am of Japanese and Korean decent. My Parents live in New York. They moved there a few years ago, so my father, who is a dentist, could open a practice there with his long time friend, who is Chinese. My mother, who is half Japanese, Half Korean was an English Teacher, thought now she works as a Dental Assistant as well as the Office Manager at the family practice. I have no brothers or sisters. I do have a cat, named Buzzy.
Because someone asked, I also have family in Osaka Japan. Uncle Akeno, Aunt Bachiko, and three cousins, Sachiko, Misumi and Mayumi. (Sachiko works as a nurse in one of the major hospitals in Osaka Japan!) I did have a Grandmother who was from Gwangju South Korea, but she recently passed away. She was married to my other Uncle Hideki who was from Miyazaki, Japan.
I love all Asian culture; Food, Drama, Movies, Anime, Traditions, History, and especially Music. I am the owner of the Ichiban Jpop Kurabu, (Asian music and Culture club) which has over 7700 members world wide, on IMVU.com. I am (non practicing) Shinto~Buddhist. (Jodo Shinshu)
My favorite actor of all time, is Shintaro Katsu, who played Zatoichi, the blind cane swordsman. Of course I was too young to see them when they first came out, however, my father is an avid collector of Japanese Samurai movies. I got to keep his entire Zatoichi series, and loved them!! Katsu is still my favorite actor.. and I love seeing him in other period pieces as well.
Zatoitch
Jpop, Jrock, Visuel Kei is my real passion. One of my favorite songs is by The GazettE called Zetsu:
My favorite Jpop singer is Aiko Kayo who I adore:
I love sports believe it or not, as my father used to have season tickets to Candlestick park for the 49ers. I also love the Raiders. Baseball teams..Giants and Angels. Hockey: Vancouver Canucks (from my days of visiting friends in Canada) Basketball: The Lakers.
My favorite Japanese Baseball team is the ORIX Buffaloes. (This is the Osaka team.)
Politically, I voluntarily worked for Howard Dean in his run for the Presidency. I never got to meet him, but I have admired him for a long, long time.
My other passion, while not being here..is IMVU.com. I have my own chat room which is affiliated with my world wide group, the Ichiban Jpop Club. You can see our club room here:
I also have a second room, on IMVU.com which is called Asian Buddhist Retreat. A friend of mine, and I worked on a third room which is a recreation of a Shinto shrine.
While I love to eat all kinds of Asian food, my favorite is garlic buttered Dungeness crab, and steamed Clams. My favorite soup
is Asari Miso soup, followed by New England Clam chowder. Incidentally, I am allergic to Beef, Pork and Lamb, so I have to stick with poultry and seafood.
Worked for the Hamster!
As for profession, I work at home luckily enough, for a Tokyo based Anime/Manga company, that has a local office in San Francisco. At one time I used to correct translations for sub titles on anime videos (Hamtaro was my favorite), but was later moved to distribution where I keep companies stocked in the US and Europe with both Manga and Anime titles.
Kimiko~Yori
"I am a Dean Democrat." "Politically, I voluntarily worked for Howard Dean in his run for the Presidency. I never got to meet him, but I have admired him for a long, long time."
Please consider subscribing to the Democracy for America group if you have not already: http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=forum&id=1105
There's some fun stuff going along and I'll be posting all updates from DFA about the 2012 election. It's a revival.
Aloha
Well, you did say Japanese and Korean descent! I had some very good S. Korean friends in grad school and learned a few Korean phrases so I could at least speak a little bit in their language.
Sugoi!!!
Kimiko~yori
and I live in western Nebraska with my husband of 46 years. We have three grown children, three grown granddaughters, and two grandsons ages 8 and 1 1/2. In January, we’ll be great-grandparents. Times flies. Just the other day, we were young.
I play a variety of musical instruments – Celtic harp, Irish whistles, bodhran, violin, cello, ukulele (a little), bowed psaltery (fun with two bows!) and hammer dulcimer. I have a didgeridoo, but I’ve never gotten the hang of how to make those cool boing-oing-oing sounds with it. I write short stories sometimes, and several of my stories were published by the now closed-to-submissions online horror/dark fantasy magazine The Harrow. The biggest thrill of my writing “career” was when my website containing all the stories I’d written was selected as an editor’s choice by the now-defunct website called Bookwave. My oldest obsession is paleontology, and my newest is genealogy.
My husband and I love animals, and we always spoil our pets because we adore them. Here’s a picture of our poodle son Ty (he found us 3 years ago, as a poor, scared, hungry, cold, sick little guy) and his cousin Abigail L. Parsons, who was my late sister’s dog. Abby is now our little doggy daughter. Pardon my blue underpants in the doorway. Sometimes Ty and Abby raid the bathroom clothes hamper because they have no toys.
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Given your previous experience in Hawai'i serving in the hippies, please consider checking out and subscribing to the Hawai'i Group - "DU3 Hawai'i People and Friends- Check-In!" : http://www.democraticunderground.com/104718
Mahalo for your service!
name of my doggie.
I love living in SoCal. I am a Liberal with a bold and capital l.
I am married to Mr. Tikki. We met in HS...I guess we were destined to be together
because we were the only two kids in the mid-60's in our small E. Washington State town that knew
Richard Berry wrote and first recorded the NW Classic 'Louie, Louie'.
Like a very many here...I adore music..When I have no responsibilities
(a very rare day) I will spend the whole day playing my vinyl and reading Sci-Fi.
I found DU early in 2002 when someone on a generic BB posted that all the Liberals
should leave him alone and go to DemocraticUnderground...YAY I did.
Tikki
long time lurker, occasional poster.
Grew up in the 70's, always have been liberal, try to live by the motto "love is the assignment, not the answer" MLK, somedays are easier than others. Mid 50's but trying to still grow.
Being a 70's rocker chick at heart, I love music, and my user name was taken from this song
one of my all time favorite bands that never quite got the love and attention they deserved.
Musically, am IN LOVE with the new folk and roots rock music now, and it's been a while for me with new music, so thats a good thing.
Married with one daughter, who used to post here many moons ago under the name mini manda. I think the lessons she learned here have served her well, now, at 20, she is very involved with the occupy movement.
Love to garden and sew. And the NFL and MLB. DU has always felt like a home to me.
I could go on and on about music with artists I like as much as those listed, but figured my post was long enough. Hope to see you posting more.
even though i'm new here.
I too have been addicted to DU.
I am hifiguy, an allusion to my principal hobby, High End home audio, which I have written about in print magazines and now on the intertubes for the last 15 years.
I am an atheist, dx'd Aspergers, and a Social Democrat with Structural Marxist leanings. I was born and raised in the Minneapolis area. I am a graduate of the same law school as the POTUS and FLOTUS, the latter of whom was a classmate of mine.
I've bombed out at most jobs I've had because I am basically asocial and, like most Aspies, can't read people for sour owl crap, which is a serious disadvantage in a highly social profession. I have never had a date, much less a relationship - I've never had a lot of stability in my life, and venturing into that pool seems like a disastrous recipe for catastrophic instability. And I'm old enough now that I have pretty much lost interest.
Music - classical from pre-Bach to Vaughan Williams, 1950s and 1960s jazz, and classic rock (especially English prog) - is my obsession and first love. I have played bass guitar for nearly 40 years; my favorite players and biggest influences are Jaco Pastorius, Phil Lesh, Chris Squire, Jack Bruce and Jack Casady.
I serve as staff to one large (18-20 lb) Turkish Van rescue kitty called Butch - because he reminded me of a feline version of one of those cartoon bulldogs that were always called Butch or Spike. My previous cat, Max, passed at 16 from kidney failure in August, 2010 and I cried every day for weeks. I have loved these cats more than any human being I have ever known.
I was unemployed for three and a half years at one point, losing my car and getting foreclosed out of my home. I have suffered from major depressive episodes but am on the right meds and feel better than I have in years; I am gainfully employed at the present time.
My first hero who wasn't a baseball player was Robert F. Kennedy. I love to read history, current events, politics, biography and philosophy. I have read all 20 of Patrick O'Brien's Aubrey/Maturin books twice and am gearing up for another re-reading. My intellectual heroes include Carl Sagan, Reinhold Niebuhr, Richard Dawkins, Ronald Dworkin and Laurence Tribe, with whom I studied in law school.
I devoutly wish that I had the gift for math that so many on the autistic spectrum have. I would have become a cosmologist, a theoretical physicist or an astronomer. Alternately, I'd love to blow things up on MythBusters for a living.
I am a (long-suffering) Vikings fan and also a Twins fan; I became a Celtics fan while living in the Boston area for three years. Can't stand hockey - OK in person but utterly unintelligible on the tube.
I was once known as MN_ChimpH8r and FKA_MNChimpH8r back in 2005-09 and spent a year posting at HuffPo before getting tired of the trollz and returning to DU, the best online community I have ever found.
There's lots more, too.
I'm not a Christian, but Niebur's serenity prayer holds a special place in my thinking!
And I live in Scotland, work for the NHS, am gay, have a boyfriend and 2 cats and am very interested in American politics because whatever happens over your side eventually also happens here.
Also I like to make pictures like the ones below:
And one day, I hope, if I'm lucky, to be able to do it professionally....
I'm writing a story to go with the pictures but I don't want to show it to anyone because I'm embarassed.
Um, that's it, really...
I hope you're right...
bagpipes are even better when accompanied by a military marching snare! Perhaps your wife would appreciate the muscial depth of an ensemble?
It is so nice for ones efforts to be appreciated.
No-one has said such things before.
Thank you.
These posted are vector graphics - all done completely on a computer. I do occasionally attempt paint or water colour but I;m not very good at at it!
you are most kind.
We aim to please
from a fellow UK-er and NHS fan.Maybe this year, eh, who knows...
I didn't really expect this many responses...
There would be library/zoo closures, layoffs, cuts in benefits, and more that we don't need. One positive is they want to increase transportation funding. The roads around here aren't so good. Nice talking with you and happy holidays!
This is me:
This is me from a long time ago:
These are my offspring:
These are some of my Ancestors:
My Name is Jeff. My DU name was new beawr until I changed it to one of the characters from the great book, A Confederacy of Dunces. I pay tolls on the Delaware Turnpike at least once a month as I have brothers in NYC, in-laws in Westchester and beloved family friends in New Jersey and visit them often.
I live in Montgomery County, Maryland and have done so most of my life. I have been married for 16 years. I went to Knox College for my BA, Central Michigan University for my MS and Pace University for my PhD. I am a Defense Contractor. I was born in Gary, Indiana. I am a Washington Nationals Fan. I used to be a 'Skins Fan, but am now a Ravens Fan. I've been a DU'er since 2004.
I just don't know why it happens.
I can see your captions...
This is me at.....
But no pictures.
I can see the picture of NCLiberal in the post under us.
Can you see this?:
Last edited Wed Dec 14, 2011, 07:00 PM - Edit history (2)
NRaleighLiberal here - Craig in real life....live with my wife (of 31 years), one of our two daughters (yes, a returnee to the nest), our two chocolate labs and two cats in North Raleigh (duh) NC...got here in a rather roundabout way (RI born, NH grad school, WA post doc, PA 1st job, NC after 1st layoff!). Here for 18 years, but still don't do the "y'all" thing (however, we've learned to pronounce our "r's" .
Into a bit of everything - music (played guitar in a ghastly band long ago)..all sorts of rock, classical, jazz...movies, kayaking, photography, food/wine/beer, and esp. gardening (if you've grown the tomato Cherokee Purple, you've grown a tomato I named back in 1990!). I am a bit insane about my heirloom tomato hobby!
Die hard Red Sox, Bruins, Celtics, Patriots fan - and took Duke basketball under my wing since moving here.
Pretty extroverted - though with age and life's bumps and bruises much less so these days. Kind of retired - am an independent consultant, but things are dry right now - so working on my first book.
Very liberal/left - social as well as fiscal (always end up around Gandhi in those various tests...Bernie Sanders is my current political hero). Joined DU in desperation after the second Bush election theft. Didn't become very politically active until later in life - volunteered a bit for Obama in the first election (we turned NC blue!). There are so many keen political brains here at DU was hesitant at first to post much - I tend to lead with the heart more than the brain. Modding was just an incredible experience here, so that helped my confidence considerably - now enjoying a more civilian role here, so am having fun in all sorts of groups! Still my mod pals will always be special to me - just great folks.
this is me giving one of the keynote talks at the Seed Savers Exchange Convention in Iowa this summer. Talking tomatoes, of course
And this is my garden blog.
http://nctomatoman.weebly.com/index.html
I am 1gobluedem in reference to my love for my alma mater, the University of Michigan, and all things blue...as in states, etc.
I've been a member of DU since 2004. I post in the Lounge now and then but am not really very noticed. I post most often in the Sports Forum. Although many DUers have seen and commented upon my posts regarding my dear friend, Paige Renkoski, who was kidnapped of the side of a Michigan expressway in 1990 and has never been seen again. Thank you for that.
My sister, LisaM, is one of the very first DUers and she got me to join. She mostly only posts in the Sports Forum too.
I live in Ann Arbor, MI, and am the general manager of an NPR affiliate public radio station which has gotten me a good deal of grief in GD on several occasions as has my championing of the domestic automobile industry.
My favorite teams are any team from the University of Michigan, especially football, basketball, and hockey, and all Detroit pro sports teams (which meant taking a lot of ridicule from fellow Sports Forum-ites for the Lions until recently). My second favorite teams are the Boston teams because I love Boston and New England best after Michigan.
I am an unapologetic cheerleader for the State of Michigan and encourage anyone who hasn't visited to do so. Too many people base their entire impression of the state on the more unfortunate aspects of cities like Detroit and Flint. So much more here and a great deal of natural beauty as well as our magnificent Great Lakes. With luck our slickster governer won't have time to sell their water rights before he's booted out of office.
My liberal roots grow deep; I was knocking on doors and licking envelopes for Eugene McCarthy when I was eight years old.
I have no pets which might be why nobody pays attention to me here.... I have a long term boyfriend who has three teenagers, two of whom are 14 year old twins. Luckily for me, none of them remember a time that they didn't know me so I don't get any of that "you're not my mom" lip. Just regular 14 year old lip.
I'm a picky eater, hate the song 'Horse With No Name' so much that it makes me physically ill, and have never seen a Star Wars or Harry Potter movie.
My degree is in history, my sense of humor is snarky, I can't stand phonies, and I'm a 21 year brain tumor survivor as of last Monday.
Sinking back into oblivion now...
1gobluedem
Thanks for the thread Lynn!
My name is Xithras, and my nickname is taken from an old Babylon 5 joke about Zathrus' illiterate cousin. I actually want to change the name after all these years, and am planning on retiring the moniker when the next name change opportunity arises.
I was born and raised in the California Central Valley, moving between several small towns in the northern San Joaquin Valley before settling in the Modesto area as a child. When I was 17, while attending a party, a half drunk me met a beautiful half-drunk young woman, we hit it off that night, and I was a teen parent by the next morning (though I obviously didn't know this at the time). Refusing to let that stop me, I later attended UC Berkeley, where I obtained my first computer science degree, and went to work at various startups as the 1990's dotcom boom started to hit its stride. Those were exciting times, and during those years I lived in various parts of the SF Bay area, spent a brief stint living in Los Angeles, and did a bit of travelling for some consulting gigs.
As I matured a bit, I began to realize that I'd done something terrible to my daughter. I really didn't know her mother when she became pregnant, and I went away to college soon after she was born, so I'd never really had much of a relationship with her. I sent her mother child support checks, and saw her every few months, but that was about it. I decided to change that.
I'd already decided to flee the rat race and start a consulting company to go to work for myself, and chose to move back to the Central Valley to do it because that would put me closer to my daughter. As I developed that relationship, something unexpected and amazing happened. Her mother and I hit it off, fell in love, and were eventually married.
Financially, I quickly discovered that I made a LOT less money in the Valley than I did in the Bay Area, so I began to augment my income by teaching computer science classes as an adjunct at several different educational institutions in the northern valley. I've now taught at private colleges, at public community colleges, and even as an emergency fill-in at a local university (I don't have a PhD, so no perm university positions). Over the near-decade that I've been teaching, I've found it to be far more fulfilling than any other job I've had. That's a good thing too, as the crashed economy forced me to shutter my software consulting company a few years ago, and I now rely on my teaching income for my entire livelihood!
The nature of my work does mean that I never personally identify myself by name on DU, and that I occasionally fudge details when discussing things that could be linked to me personally. People have identified these a few times and got the wrong impression, but the intent of these "detail alterations" has never been dishonesty. I work as an adjunct, so my job is only guaranteed on a semester-by-semester basis. As I live in one of the most conservative parts of the state, I do have to worry about a student stumbling across my postings and raising a stink about my liberal positions on this or that. I've also discussed things on DU (including childhood abuse I experienced), that I simply don't want my students or others to know about. Because of that, I prefer to keep my identity as anonymous as possible.
The rest of personal life is all about downscaling nowadays. The money was good at the beginning of the decade, which allowed me to buy a lot of "things". I'm realizing (or rather, a declining income has helped me to realize) that "things" are unimportant. People are important. I've sold most of the things I once considered valuable, and am actually in the process of moving from my beautiful riverside home into a much smaller place in Modesto, as a way to cut our expenses even further. While I will miss country living, I simply can't justify the expense any longer. With my oldest daughter preparing to enter the UC system this fall with plans on becoming a med student, and two other children who will be doing the same, it's time to be practical.
As for politics and the rest...
Politically, I am a green-first activist. Environmentalism has always been my primary political motivator, and I'm quite proud of the fact that I've been protesting since I was a teenager, even taking part in Redwood Summer once upon a time. Yes, I did actually chain myself across a road while some VERY angry loggers threatened to cut us up with their chainsaws and hide our bodies in the forest. I occasionally took my activism a bit too far when I was young and stupid, but am a bit more grounded nowadays. Honestly, most of my modern perspective on protesting stems from those days. I learned that all protesting makes you feel good, but that there's a difference between protesting to make noise, and protesting to actually accomplish something. There's a difference between goal-based civil disobedience, and civil disobedience that is simply done to gain attention. I am highly supportive of protesting, when there is a clear goal and a path by which protesting can achieve it, but generally eschew protesting for protesting’s sake.
I'm also a strong civil libertarian, believe that the United States needs to GTFO of the world’s business, and believe that we haven't fought a legitimate war since 1945.
One thing that's got me into a bit of trouble at DU over the years is my sexuality. Though I'm married, I am very much a bisexual man, and have had periods in my life where I have been exclusively sexual with other men. One of the interesting aspects of bisexuality, of course, is that we can be attracted to both sexes, and in my case this eventually led me to fall in love with a woman. She and I frequently joke that our relationship was kismet, and was preordained by the universe, because she is ALSO bisexual. Our combined bisexual relationship has led to us leading a rather unconventional lifestyle, which includes everything from nudism to permissive openness (though, to be clear, we're not swingers or anything). Some people have been offended by this, while others have a problem with the fact that we're married at all, and one or two people have accused me of making the whole thing up (I'm not). To them I simply say: Live and let live. We're not recruiting, and she's all out of toasters anyway.
One last subject that I should mention, that I rarely discuss here on DU, is the fact that I have been diagnosed with a mild form of Aspergers. My wife had seen signs of it for years and had been unrelenting in her push to get me tested, so it wasn't much of a surprise when the doctors finally confirmed it for us. My form is relatively mild and I don't suffer from the social anxiety problems that many Aspergers patients experience, but I do have speech issues and my interests can often be intensely focused. These problems tend to surface on DU occasionally, and are most recognizable when the speech in my posts gets overly formal, pedantic, or even incoherent. Or overly VERBOSE, like this post. Sometimes I just don't know when to stop typing! It can also cause me to get hyper-focused on a subject when I'm debating it with someone, to the point where I've literally spent DAYS doing back-research on a post I disagreed with so that I could come back and refute its poster. It's silly, but it's something I can't help, and I rarely realize it's happening while I'm doing it. Unfortunately, I know for a fact that some of my more memorable aspergers-inspired postings have permanently earned me a position on more than one Ignore list. I also have a bit of a reputation as a know-it-all, because when faced with a subject I'm unfamiliar with, my first instinct is to go read the hell out of it, instead of simply moving on to the next thread. That's one of my fixations, and it's something I do both on DU and in the physical world. Trust me, it drives my wife insane too. Not much I can do about that but apologize, and ask people to try and be tolerant when I get wierd
So, to wrap this massive missive up: I've been a member of DU since early 2001, and though I can sometimes be bizarre, grumpy, hyper-opinionated, and standoffish, I too love meeting new DU'ers
I was born in Louisiana 70 years ago. I currently live on 20 gorgeous acres in the Arkansas Ozarks. I have a picturesque, rock-strewn seasonal creek that runs the length of my land.
I have worked at the FBI in Washington, DC (file clerk), at the Pentagon, at a university in Louisiana (media center specialist) from which I retired after 17 years.
I earned a BS in Art and Graphic Arts.
I have lived in Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland.
I am among other things, an amateur naturalist, a photographer and a crafts person.
I have had a life-long fascination wth Henry David Thoreau and have made three "pilgrimages" to Walden Pond.
I collect numerous items, among which are diecast metal model airplanes, both old and modern projectile points (stone arrowheads), CDs, DVDs, Zuni fetishes and miniature kachina dolls.
I have interests in art, archaeology, nature, cooking, the Internet, knives, firearms. I take no interest in anything religious.
I was briefly a member of Mensa, but never tried to do badly as a contestant on Jeopardy like many Mensans.
I have a dog named Rascal that I adopted as a stray in Louisiana.
Thanks for sharing a pic.
I'm originally from South Hamilton (about 13 miles north).
My sisters (from my mom's first marriage) grew up in Lynn. One of the last things I did before coming to California as a teenager was go for Chinese food in Lynn with my sister Donna. BEST beef fried rice I've ever had in my life.
Best fried fish/clams/scallops/onion rings in Massachusetts. It has since been sold and is now some kind of Italian restaurant.
Small world indeed.
Biggest memory of that was that my brother-in-law was out of work and while he was supposed to be out looking for a job he always seemed to end up at The Clam Box. Pissed off my parents big-time. "He's supposed to be out looking for a job and he's stuffing his face at the Clam Box!"
He and my sister had come back from California and were living with us at the time. And in all fairness, this wasn't a hard-working guy who took a lunch break. He pretty much headed over there and hung out all day.
Enjoy your stay. 
I am also from Pennsylvania, outside of Pittsburgh. And I am a proud public school teacher and a life-long liberal democrat. I have voted in just about every election since 1972 (I think I only missed two primaries, but never a general.)
I have three wonderful, beautiful corgis. We used to show them in agility, but the two older ones are retired now, and the puppy hasn't shown much promise in the sport, but we adore her and keep trying. Our male Pembroke is also a registered therapy dog.
I have been married for 43 years and have two grown sons. We live out in the country, love it, and would never go back to the city.
And I grow heirloom tomatoes!
I do pop in there occasionally. I will check in more often with planting season coming up.
That is very generous of you.
I started lurking on DU in the dark days of March, 2001, and joined in September of that year, during the darker days after the Twin Towers attacks. DU helped me keep my sanity during the awful Bush years.
I was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas to an all-Southern, but proudly progressive military family. My father was a Vietnam veteran, and my mother marched in JFK's inaugural parade. Since 1979, we've called the Pacific Northwest home.
I crewed an M1A1 Abrams main battle tank in the Gulf in 1991. I like community theater, and love classical music and William Shakespeare. Every weekend, I post the regular Lounge feature, William Shakespeare's Thought For The Day. It was a daily feature from 2006 until 2009. Examples of this feature are in my Journal (and may have been lost during the switch-over to DU3.)
I'm a Physician Assistant providing medical care for the homeless in our community.
I'm happily married, but I admit, I love to flirt...
I'm a bleeding-heart, far-left, Obama-supporting liberal, and my political refrain, for anyone who is unsure of my ideological leanings, is: 'Liberal till I DIE, motherfuckers!'
I love the Democratic Underground, and am eternally grateful to Skinner, earlg, & eLad for creating this site.
See you around the Underground!
and up pop old DU thread links- easy way to get back for nostalgia, or other purposes.
Uh-oh...what other purposes?... 
I'm sure you've passed gas at least ONCE in your lifetime
The first class at the Academy to include women - wow. I was an AF nurse, and totally agree with you re vets being mistreated and/or misunderstood. A lot of my liberal/progressive friends simply can't understand how one can be pro-military and yet liberal. The military medical side tends to have more liberals, but the regular side - not so much. Nice that you like classic rock, but oh my, I'm sorry to hear of your fondness for the Cowboys. Sorry also about your status re soon-to-be-single - been there, and it sucks. I was a military spouse for over 20 years and adjusting to single life is about the most confounding thing I've gone through.
Thank you for your service! *waves*
Looks like you saw both ends of the military - as the member and as the spouse.
I'm with you on the pro-military/liberal thing. I think it only makes sense that liberals would be more pro-military (I mean REALLY pro-military - not just yellow magnets on cars). They tend to care more about the actual people than the chest thumping.
With me being a Cowboys fan, at least you can say I got mine! Last night, they certainly reinforced my point about how hard it is to be a fan.
Thanks for the kind words on the divorce situation. I'm fortunate that my kids are out on their own, so while it obviously still has an impact on them, at least there are no custody issues to deal with. Property division I can handle. It is just property, after all.
Hope you have a great 2012 in store!
and I hope your cat is feeling better.
I am Southern California raised, having lived in Hermosa Beach, Lawndale, and Pasadena (PHS Class of 2004).
I went to college in Portland, Oregon where I majored in history in 2009, and have lived in Hawaii for probably about 4 - 5 years total.
I am now back in SoCal. I've done all kinds of jobs, but my favorite one was as a park ranger intern at Diamond Head. I've also worked as a grocery store courtesy clerk, restaurant worker, 3rd grade group leader, gardener, and civil process server in Honolulu. I am currently unemployed and back living at home due to a lack of government funding to continue my work; it's hard to come by these days.
I am a Jubu at heart: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_Buddhist
I like learning new things about the world and how it all came together. I am an avid reader of books, newspapers, magazines, blogs, and political cartoons.
I played trumpet and baritone in school for 7 years and was an editor of the high school newspaper.
I "have" three dogs: Shadow in Honolulu and Sunshine + Sadie in SoCal. I have twin younger brother and sister and a step-brother.
I love the outdoors, although a perforated ear drum, and lousy ear health throughout my life has prevented me from becoming a waterman entirely.
I am a Howard Dean Democrat and was the one-millionth contributor to the Barack Obama campaign in 2008. I've been on DU since May 2003. I still support the President.
My sports teams are the Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Celtics (hate Kobe), San Francisco 49ers and USC Trojan Football (you can hate me now).
Please come by often. Nice to meet you!
I play guitar, banjo, mandolin, dobro, and right now I've got the damn flu.
Bake
I'm a momma, an unbending liberal, pacifist, and a funeral director/embalmer.
I love watching football, drawing/painting, and everything to do outdoors. I've been a struggling vegetarian/sometimes vegan for a few years and for Christmas I want my old sig line back.
I've been with DU since 2003. My DU name comes from words spoken in a song by Jimi Hendrix, who was my complete idol in the 60s when I was a teen learning to play guitar in my first band. I followed him around and attended three of his concerts. I have backstage photos of him that I took. I dropped out of college in the 70s to tour with a soul band and at 62, I still play guitar, but now it's mainly bebop jazz on a nylon string guitar. I was born on a U.S. Air Force base in Germany (my dad was a career officer and WWII hero mentioned in John Steinbeck's "Once There Was A War" and my mom is French. I have a Master's in French Studies, a J.D. of law, an an MFA in film from UCLA. I worked in the movie biz for awhile, mainly for Dino DeLaurentiis doing mostly reading. For awhile I could go through five scripts from the slush pile in under five hours and write coverage. I spent several years in the law in California doing workers comp and personal injury which I hated. The last 16 years I've been doing immigration law in a Chinese law firm near L.A. I've gone to China several times to represent clients before the U. S. Consulates. When I was 13, I had the great privilege of seeing President Kennedy only a few feet in front of me when he came to my town and his open car stopped in front of my house and he said a few words to the crowd that lined the streets. It was just a few months before Dallas. I have a pet desert tortoise that is nearly forty years old. My greatest passion in life is the underground: I fell in love with caves and caving in grade school, I still adore spelunking, and I hold lifetime membership in the National Speleological Society.
...some interesting life experiences. I enjoyed reading your introduction!
Care to introduce yourself, or are you just going to hog the popped corn?
I picked my username because 1) I have blue eyes, and 2) Sometimes I am very blue. I was born in 1966.
I was born in Buffalo and am a die-hard Bills and Sabres fan. We moved to Honolulu for a while and then my Dad transferred us to this god-forsaken desert called Arizona. I have never forgiven him for that.
All of my immediate family is gone, but I have oodles of nieces, nephews and greats and a wonderful fiance.
I graduated from AZ State.
I love all sports, but seem to always be rooting for the losing team. 
I am pretty liberal, but can waiver on a few issues.
Wanna run away to Alaska someday....or Wyoming....and get a useless job that just pays the bills but involves NO STRESS!!!
That's about all....
Hello, I am a Conservative, but love to see others' viewpoints on subjects. I live in Wisconsin, and a friend of mine (he said he was joining today, as well) said we should join this site, so we could do debating with Democrats, instead of other Conservatives who argue over issues.
I love politics, and volunteer for political figures whenever possible... I look forward to having some good discussions with evrybody!
Oh, and I LOVE the Packers!!!
...if you like cold rain, books, and coffee
Yeah, hi, Mr. Du?
This is my 935th post and lurking before that. Hi.
My name's Matt, and I'm a Libra. I like sauteed onions and pic posts.
I'm not so much a Librul or a Democratic, but a concerned American. I know I'm not Repub or fascist.
I love DU because everyone here is also a concerned American, like me! Where else would I want to be in the Interweb?
I used to work in leadership of the Green Party but I found I was too left of them. Whaddaya gonna do?
They don't have a DU, BTW.
I went to Freeperland, once. Don't.
I like 9/11 conspiracy facts, but not Alex Jones. I like Michael Moore and Bernie Sanders and Robert Byrd and Dennis Kucinich.
My cats are Siamese. I like cooking shows. I've been married 10 years. No mortgage, no health insurance. Commission only.
My favorite song is "I Wish I Knew", by John Coltrane Quartet, and found on the soundtrack to "The Fisher King".
My favorite movie is "True Romance". Soundtrack, cast, plot, dialogue, direction. Walken vs. Hopper times Tarantino. Beat it.
I follow on DU:
OCTAFISH (and you should, too)
LynneSin
Taverner
Bake
Amerigo Vespucci
Madokie
MilesColtrane
Bluesbassman
nadinbrzinski
robertpaulsen
Judi Lynn
Beherenow
derby378
kentuck
kentauros
kpete
WillPitt
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motherfucking
MiddleFingerMom
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and now ...
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the pic post...
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My name is GaYellowDawg, my nickname is based on never, never voting Republican ("yellow dog Democrat" and I was both born in and live in Georgia. "Dawg" because I am a UGA alum and a huge Dawg fan.
I was born in Athens, GA, and raised in East Tennessee near Knoxville, went to East Tennessee State University and after college, I moved to Murfreesboro, TN, where in a fit of insanity, I got a master's degree at Middle Tennessee State University. After a little time in the real world being convinced by life that I had to have another degree, went to the University of Georgia and got my Ph.D. I have been lucky enough to get a job in Savannah! I get to do what I'm most suited for and have a passion for: teach. I am not the teacher I want to be (perfect), but I am working at it!
I listen to a lot less music than I used to, but most things 80's and classical music work pretty well for me. Never was much of a concert goer but played babysitter to my sister, going to a Rick Springfield concert, a Huey Lewis and the News concert, and a Bon Jovi concert. I did go on my own to see the Police with the Fixx leading. I have to say, though, that I enjoyed Pavarotti in concert and John Williams directing the Boston Pops much more than any rock concert.
I am a very fussy eater. Unfortunately, most of what I like is crap, and I eat way too much of what I like. I love junk food and greasy diner food. Pizza. Fried chicken. Barbeque. Hot wings. Oh my god, hot wings. If it weren't for little things like cholesterol, blood pressure, and weight gain, I'd live on bar food. But, of course, I can't. I've called myself a meatatarian, but that's not entirely accurate. I love french fries, too. And bread. Definitely bread. I'm going to have to stop myself before I start drooling.
I have a corny sense of humor. If there's a bad joke to be found, I'll find it. Fortunately, I tell jokes well in person, so most of the time, I actually get away with it and make people laugh. I really enjoy making people laugh and smile. Humor is how I handle most situations in life, even the stressful ones. I love Mel Brooks movies. They make me squirm uncomfortably and laugh hysterically at the same time. I like that.
I am single. Ms. Right (make that Ms. Left, I won't marry someone on the right) just hasn't come along.
I have two sisters, three nephews and two nieces. I am very close to two of the nephews and one of the nieces. The other two belong to the older sister who was terribly emotionally abusive to my parents even as my father was dying of cancer. We have no contact, but I hope some day that the sister's kids seek the rest of the family out, and a little portion of me hopes that her children give her the treatment in her last days that she gave her father.
I am named after my father. If I'd managed to find someone and get married while he was still well, I would have asked him to be my best man. We were very close, and I miss him every day. You know how some sons measure themselves against their fathers? I don't. I don't have to. I already know he was a much better man than I will ever be. This isn't self-deprecation; I'm a pretty good guy. But my dad was beyond special. He was also a very special teacher. When we were at my younger sister's graduation in Nashville, a traffic cop stopped our family to tell my dad that he was in his class 20 years earlier and still remembered it fondly. You know how good a teacher my dad was? That event didn't surprise us ("oh well, another student who loved Daddy" . That's how good he was. And he was an even better man.
I love dogs and cats love me. I kind of like cats, and I'm one of those rare people who speak both dog and cat, but most of the time, I'm indifferent to cats. Which is why they love me. But I can't love them back, because I'm eyes-swell-shut allergic to them. Dogs, on the other hand... big ones, little ones, I love them all and most of the time, they love me right back.
My favorite team is the University of Georgia Bulldogs. Anyone else in sports is a very distant second, but I really like college football in general. When it comes to Florida, Auburn, Tennessee, or Georgia Tech, their opponent is my second favorite team on Saturdays. I'll pull for the Red Sox, Celtics, and Patriots in a halfhearted fashion because my brother-in-law is a diehard Bostonian.
Once I get to know you, I talk too much. Until then, I'm kind of quiet. I just like to figure people out first.
I read a lot. I am most fond of science fiction and alternate history. I recently downsized my book and DVD collection. Over the course of four or five trips over the past year and a half, I got about $700 in trade credit from a huge used book/CD/DVD place called McKay in Knoxville. That's been good for two major Christmases for gifts for the family, and I still have over $200 in trade credit left. Oh yeah, despite downsizing by about 75%, I still have a good sized shelf full of paperbacks and a smaller shelf full of hardbacks.
Is that enough? If you've read all the way to here, that's very nice of you, and I appreciate it!
political affiliation. No hidden agendas here. I came here in 2001/2002 looking for political discourse with other left-leaning people, especially since I felt we all needed to band together in light of ** squatting in the White House. What I gained was a lovely community of people that I feel very comfortable with.
I live in Maine with my hubby and a couple of rambunctious kids. Am still mourning my kittehs, but I think this summer we shall be on the lookout for some kittens. We're hoping for fluffy puff-tail babies this time, but if there are shorthairs in need of taking we'll get those instead. (That's how it worked out last time, and it was lovely.)
I've become more and more of a homebody over the years. Love the classic Britcoms like "Monty Python" and "BlackAdder," as well as newer stuff like "IT Crowd." I also watch a lot of sci-fi, cop shows, lawyer shows, HGTV. I'm not much of a video gamer, but if I do play it's stuff like NeverWinter Nights, Dungeon Siege, Majesty, SimCity, Tetris.
It might surprise people to know: I love to watch cheerleading competitions on TV. And dance reality shows. And cheering reality shows.
If I could change something about myself: I would be a healthier person. No more aches and pains, overweight, anxiety, forgetfulness, or bipolar. I think I would be less of a homebody if those things were gone. *sigh*
I like it a lot, really. Transplanted from the Wash DC area, and it's a very pleasant change.
I'm 44 years old, widowed, and a Democratic precinct chair. For those of you who live in states without precinct chairs, we are the front line shock troops of the Democratic Party in that we organize our communities, knock on doors, and arrange meetings with our candidates. I have also served as an election judge and a member of the statewide Resolutions Committee for the Texas Democratic Party in 2010.
I was born in Garland, Texas, and have been a lifelong Texan.
I have been married to fellow DUer ginbarn (aka ChickMagic) from April 1, 2000 until May 12, 2010, when she passed away in her sleep from heart failure. I still miss Ginny every single day, but overall it's getting easier to deal with. Here's a picture of her with the late Molly Ivins in 2005:
I currently have one cat, Banjo, who was rescued off the street in December 2008 before a nasty cold snap hit. She's about 10 years old and as plucky as her namesake. Ginny always wanted a pet named Banjo after seeing the "Sea Monkey" episode of Space Ghost: Coast to Coast, so Banjo it was.
One of my current pasttimes is visiting Texas ghost towns. You can read about some of my exploits and see the pictures at http://texasghosttowns.blogspot.com if you so wish.
My taste in music is fairly eclectic, ranging from John Zorn to Johnny Cash, Lustmord to Laibach, Bartok to Baboon. Once in a while, I produce a mix that you can hear on Mixcloud by clicking http://www.mixcloud.com/derby378/.
I am a card-carrying skeptic who has studied exorcism, faith healing, and alternative medicine. One of the items on my bucket list is to publish a comprehensive history of homeopathy in the United States. I also have a nice little collection of antique patent medicine bottles.
I am sometimes quirky and unpredictable (ADHD will do that) and a little shy in person. I would love to find another woman to share my life with, but I should probably get my ducks in a row first - you have to relearn so many things when you become single again.
I have been a member of DU since 2002 (thanks to Ginny) and am here for the long haul.
I'm a member under this name since 2005. Been here a year longer though with another name.
I am a German, living in Frankfurt/Main. But I love the U.S. and am interested in what is going on at the other side of the big pond. And I made some friends here I don't wanna miss.
My name is the main character in the book "Room with a View" by E.M. Forster. It is also a movie, with Helena Bonham-Carter playing Miss Honeychurch. I like both the book and the movie, therefor my nickname here.
Hope no one's keeping track.
I'm Alan, and I live in that thriving bastion of Southern liberalism known as Lubbock, Texas. 
I've been a human resources professional for nearly thirty years, and thanks to music I've enjoyed a comfortable supplemental income over the years-- not to mention some Class A stress management. I still get a lot of 'hired gun' work in and around Lubbock, playing bass and/or singing. At some point, I've played nearly everything from ABBA to ZZ Top and everything in between. Can't stand country, which may sound odd for a Texas boy. I've often used this analogy-- if music were sex, country would be anal...which means I charge more. (JMO, okay? You Toby Keithers in the back can put away the lynchin' ropes and relax.)
I'm an Army veteran who has served all over the place. After finally hanging up my jump boots, I lived in Germany for fourteen years as a civilian, working for our Uncle Sam. I met my wife (also a veteran) in the service...we served in the same outfit for almost a year.
My nickname comes from a combination of things-- when I was in the service, every medic's nickname was Doc. It might be a regulation or something, I'm not sure. The Holliday part is an homage to Dennis Quaid, whose portrayal of Doc Holliday is my personal favorite in all of filmdom. Besides, his "Doc" is more in line with my general attitude. (Specifically, his most memorable line from Wyatt Earp was, "Kiss my Rebel dick." Val Kilmer's from Tombstone was, "I'm your huckleberry." 'Nuff said.) But when someone asks me, at a gig or in a social setting, where the nickname Doc comes from, I explain that it's an honorary title-- and that I used to do a lot of volunteer work down at the breast exam clinic.
I've benn married to the same wonderful woman for over 35 years. That alone should qualify her for sainthood. We raised an outstanding girl who never fails to make her father proud, even if all too often her Dad was a shining example of "how not to." I was quite unprepared for the power this woman-child would have over me. Perhaps part of it was that we suffered through several heartbreaking miscarriages before finally having her. She's married (to a musician-- smart girl) and they have gifted us with two beautiful grandchildren.
I'm a recovering Trekker, and it is a historical fact that the only time I have ever cried over a movie was at the end of ST II: The Wrath of Khan. I occasionally infuse my conversation with quips from Trek and assorted movies, comedians, etc. Sometimes, it gets me laughs....sometimes, rolling eyeballs. It balances out, pretty much. The one I get the most mileage out of (usually in a bar) is Steve Martin's famous, "Yeah, I remember my first beer."
I only have three jokes... but they're pretty funny and I tell them well.
I'm just a good ol' boy from West Texas....what can I tell you? My dad was a self-described JFK Democrat and it must have been genetic. I tend to be "liberal", but there are the occasional blind spots. Not hobbled by consistency, that's me!
One thing my Dad taught me that has undoubtedly saved me a lot of grief over the decades is to never be afraid of being surrounded by people who may be better at something, smarter, more talented, etc. than me. It took awhile for it to sink in, but it seemed like the older I got, the smarter my Dad got. Funny how that works....
I don't remember just when I 'discovered' DU. (They say that the memory's the first thing to go, and so far that seems to be true.) I wrote a piece on here several years ago called "Taking A Crack at So-Called Bush Hatred" which was crude, but helped me get my feet wet here, so to speak, and made me think hard in order to organize and articulate my thoughts.
The only famous people I've ever met were James Pankow (trombonist for Chicago), Robert Plant and Frank Zappa.
I'm been a lifelong smart-ass....which in my book is 'way better than being a life-long dumbass.
Anything else you'd like to know, feel free to ask. I'll try to give at least a semi-serious answer.
I'm not much into health food. I am into champagne.
Okay, reading all these posts, I would love to get all of the DU musicians together for a DU All Star Band.
Now that would be fun.
Like DU and like the people here, they are always engaging and never dull or predictable.
New folks, welcome to the new DU3...it has great features and lotsa information...probably more then any other website(TM)!
Kick back and do some reading...
I've been DUer since 2004 and I lurked for several years before that time.
I'm a born and bred Southerner living in Georgia. I'm the mom of a 3 year old little boy who is the joy of my life.
I love reading, cooking, trees, gardening, horses, movies, the great outdoors and, of course, politics and current events and DU!
I live in a town with a great Democratic and progressive history. I love listening to live music and checking out new visual and performance artists in my community.
I support my local organic farmers market. I love fresh organic fruits, veggies, meats and dairy products.
I miss my old DU friends. I hope to meet up with y'all again soon, either in real life or here on DU3.
Happy New Year to all of y'all!
