Hey, new DUers, welcome! I see a lot of you. What brought you here

[babylonsister]

suddenly?

The more the merrier. :toast:

[ColbertWatcher]

1. Kick and rec to welcome the new people on board! n/t

[rosesaylavee]

2. Yeah! Welcome!

:hi:

[Lisa0825]

3. Welcome n00bs!

We were all n00bs once! I hope you stick around!

[bleever]

4. Welcome to new DUers!

Please share your stories of how you came to join us.

:toast:

[drm604]

5. Pizza for any of you who ask for it!

:evilgrin:
Just joking.

Welcome!

[zeos3]

49. HA! nice

[livetohike]

6. Welcome everyone!

:hi: :toast:

[gleaner]

7. I posted here before.....

but I have the red queen of all auto immune conditions, and when I got very sick with it, I had to stop posting. I couldn't remember my old user name when I went into remission and came back recently, so when I logged in I chose a new one.

The board remembered my old name, but they let me have the new one anyway.;) My husband is also very sick, and I care for him, if you happen to have seen one of my posts about it, and posting is a wonderful outlet for my inner political animal :dem: I also have a keen interest in seeing a viable health care bill passed and I hope my posts help in some small way.

Both times I have posted have been very positive experiences. It helps keep my brain nimble, and I learn a lot from reading the other posters.:toast:

[Lisa0825]

8. Welcome back!

:pals:

[gleaner]

60. Thank you..

for the welcome. It is good to be back.:hi:

[Minimus]

9. I'm glad you are doing better.

Welcome Back!:hi:

[gleaner]

61. Thanks....

I am enjoying my second time here as much as I enjoyed my first time. ;)

[babylonsister]

gleaner, welcome back, and I'm glad you feel better.

I'm glad you're finding some solace here, and great info, and my best to your sweetie. :hi:

[gleaner]

63. Thank you babylonsister....

for the great welcome.;) I'm finding a lot to think about here. I did miss posting quite a bit.:hi:

[jotsy]

10. What constitutes new?

I've been coming here a few months now, but still checking things out and looking around, happy I found such a diverse group of conversationalists.

In answer to the question, I did some news writing for a progressive community radio station here in Portland earlier this year and took to trolling blogs as an option to the Associated Press newswire, hunting the good stuff that gets buried. Curiosity and a desire to speak to some of the issues is what made me jump in instead of stand on the sidelines.

By and large, a great group of peers, if I may be so bold as to claim level footing among such bright sharpies

Thanks for your hospitality.

:hi:

[babylonsister]

11. You're new enough. :)

Welcome, jotsy, and I'm glad you could join us-lots of discussion here. Did you know about the armor you'd need?! j/k :hi:

[jotsy]

18. You put together lots of great posts, how do you decide what to run with?

[babylonsister]

39. My gut-what interests or concerns me, and some great,

legitimate sources. Easy if you find blogs or sites you agree with who tell the truth.
Thanks for asking. :)

[proud patriot]

24. Welcome Underground

:patriot:

[City Lights]

12. Hello new DUers!

:hi: Welcome aboard! :hi:

:party:

[pkz]

13. a post @GLP encouraged new registers

to come over here to "shill"

[babylonsister]

14. What is GLP? nt

[pkz]

15. godlikeproductions

a site that has recently decided that DU'ers are the scum of the Earth.
They are now promoting the "Obama is a socialist" trash...with the joker pic no less.

GLP used to be the cooliest conspiracy site on the web, now it is very poli-anti-O

[babylonsister]

16. So you're not here to shill, I take it.

It's too bad they've 'evolved' in that direction.

I guess some people just need someone or thing to be angry at, and anyone or thing will do.

[Cha]

29. Yeah, we get enough of those..

Hadn't quite thought of it in that term though. Until now.. they will be forever shills.

[drm604]

17. We've certainly seen enough shills lately.

But we do give newbies the benefit of the doubt. Many new users are genuine.

Most of the shills aren't very good and reveal themselves pretty early on.

Welcome!

[ROFF]

19. Canadian here

I feel that posting could be seen as interfering in American political matters so I tend to restrict myself to things like the Canadian Medical system.
If I could ( by the snap of my fingers ) transfer to the U.S. one thing it would not be health care. It would be campaign finance reform. When politicians serve the population instead of whoever has the most contributions you will get Health Care.

It is said that the U.S. has the best politicians that money can buy. Once that problem is solved they will work for you.

BTW What must I do to get smilies to work?

[babylonsister]

23. Oh, Canada!

:D Welcome! Speak your mind honestly and you should be taken seriously. Sic me on the thread if that doesn't work. Ha!

When you post, look up. There's a Smilies lookup table. Hit the link where you want it to go, or copy paste to put the link or smilie where you want it to go.

:hi:

[asdjrocky]

35. Welcome my northern friend.

BC is famous for one of my favorite things in the world and we love it when people from other countries check in with their opinions and news from other parts of the world.

[Alcibiades]

36. We have many foreigners here

Posting your opinion about American political life is certainly not interference. It's legitimate, and welcomed. Post whatever you want: this is the Internet.

[eppur_se_muova]

57. Be sure JavaScript is on to use smilies. nt

[Adelante]

20. Welcome to DU, New Folks

:hi:

[Arkana]

21. For a lot of them? "Concern" over the [e-mail] thing.

For a select few? They're actual Democrats who think the teabaggers should go step in front of a speeding train and do the country a favor.

[Fleet]

22. Started when I began considering military service

First I joined a military discussion forum to talk about what I was considering and was turned on to a Conservative news forum that I found to be a decent amount of fun. To strike a balance I thought I'd join a Liberal news forum, and when I googled that phrase the DU was the top hit.

[proud patriot]

26. Welcome Underground

:patriot:

[Fleet]

40. thank you

[babylonsister]

30. So what do you think, Fleet? It's not for sissies here, but can be fun. nt

[Fleet]

41. It's certainly interesting...

[babylonsister]

42. That's a big fat boring reply. More info? Agree? Disagree? We're all

a bunch of assholes?

[Fleet]

56. I'm still undecided.

Certainly I wasn't trying to be boring. :)

I haven't been here that long and while I'm sure that board (like any other collection of people) certainly has its assholes I would be awfully quick to judge to claim to have already picked them out. I'm sure some will consider me to be a new addition to the DU asshole pool.

Really I'm just curious to see where things go. I hold many values defined as Liberal, and many defined as Conservative, and am completely unapologetic about my convictions.

[proud patriot]

25. threads like this make me miss Roni , I sure Hope she's well

:(

[babylonsister]

32. Newyawker?

Me, too. :hug: And one for her. :hug:

[proud patriot]

45. yep

:hug:

[armyowalgreens]

27. I don't know if I'm "new"...

I actually found DU searching for prop 102 protests, on google, last November.

I mainly read OPs and watched posted videos until I joined in May. Now I average 1000+ posts a month. But I'm sure that will slow when I go back to school in a couple weeks.

[orleans]

50. it usually does--but be prepared for withdrawal.

and good luck at school when it starts up again.

[ShamelessHussy]

28. Google and then LBN, GD, Editorials, and Political Videos kept me coming back =)

:hi:

Love your posts, thank you for sharing so often, I really appreciate it :toast:

[babylonsister]

33. ...

:* Thanks, and I'm glad to hunt them down for people like you.

[Doctor_Horrible]

31. I've been lurking since just before the 2004 election - didn't register for a long time, but started

posting once my grad school schedule became easier to manage. Now that I've graduated, I still don't post a lot - lurk more than I write. Probably all my postings will stop when I start my PhD this fall. oh the joys of homework.

[babylonsister]

34. So you read the madness here during the primaries and election

last year?

Ha, that was fun, and nerve-racking. So many differences of opinion! :rofl:

[Doctor_Horrible]

37. oh lordy yes... and all the PUMA discussions that came along.... you know, people say they remember

where they were when they heard Kennedy, RFK, and MLK were killed... I have that same feeling of the 2004 election. DU is SEARED into my brain when I went from "yay! Exit polls" to "WTF???"

[onestepforward]

38. Looking for kindred spirits who want to make America better.

I've been coming to DU daily since Bush, but only recently posting. I get some great information and some good laughs too! I tried my local message board but my area is 90% repub. so I couldn't hang there anymore. I was naive thinking that "if they only knew the truth" about Bush, they'd change their minds... NOT!

I must admit that it is a little scary posting re: ran into a few not so nice people, but the majority of people are nice. I only wished I'd started years ago. :)

[babylonsister]

44. Scary for me too at times, still!

And yes, there are some not-so-nice people. Reminds me of life. :)

But you came to the right place. We want this country to be better, so much!

[onestepforward]

48. I'm glad I'm not the only one!

It is too late to edit, but my area is in a distant Houston suburb. Houston it's self is much more democratic and very cool.

[imnKOgnito]

43. Long time lurker

I've enjoyed reading posts on this site for a couple of years now. Figured it was time to start jumping in the pool. Gotta say the wingnuttery over health care is pushing me over the edge and bringing me out of my cave.

[proud patriot]

46. Welcome Undergorund

:patriot:

[babylonsister]

51. Cool! Welcome, imnKOgnito! nt

[imnKOgnito]

54. Thanks

Appreciate the warm welcome.

[Monk06]

47. You did Babylonsistah cause you are like teh awesome.

:bounce: :bounce:

[Wraith20878]

52. lurked for a while

Stumbled onto the site during the 2008 election. It was the first national election I could vote in, and before that, I didn't really follow politics that much. Now I'm a bit of a political junkie.

[TankLV]

53. I think many just got back from some some Town Hall "meetings"

and were so impressed by their disruptive thuggery, that they would try it here...

...they are SOOOO transparent...and NUMEROUS tonite!!!

[stewartcolbert08]

55. DU rocks!

I love that I can express opinions here and not be critisized for it because many of us have the same views or at least make for some strong debate! But hardly ever have I come across someone who is just a jerk! So thanks DU!! :hi:

[Tulio]

58. I am new and improved; a return to one of the most awesome sites

on the net. Hey everyone! I've actually been here since 911. I was here when Andy died, Katrina, Will Pitt's many meltdowns (and wonderful returns). I was here when General Discussion split off to GD and GD:Politics. I was here during the 2004 primaries.

I was here when DU hit 10,000 members. It is still the single most awesome collective of brilliant minds, news, and activism on the web.

Babylonsister, still tying to reach you via PM. I REALLY need your help and the help of the women on this board. It's moved past critical and I wonder if another solution to communicate is possible. I've been posting, but don't want to spam the board. Been in some great threads...but naturally I am distracted.

My post belie the real panic I am enduring. I don't want to put a lot of personal information in this post, but I don't know what else to do.

It seems impossible: I am living on the street. I am a black female. I have been here for over 11 days. And I cannot endure one more night. I must get back into my apartment. I am posting from a Starbucks. The irony. The irony.

I need DU's help. And I am not ashamed to ask.

~Tulio

[deep1]

59. Hey babylonsister........

well, I have been lurking here since 2008, before the general elections. I found many people here to be intelligent, witty, and passionate about progressive issues. So I decided to join last month and I enjoy it here. Plus, these Republicans are getting on my last nerves with their moronic, lying bullshit.

[Cha]

62. That's a great question, babylonsistah!

I wish someone would have posted that when I first came but I guess we were all wrapped up in getting bush-cheney the hell outta Dodge.

[LiberalAndProud]

64. Welcome! and Welcome back!

Thank you babylonsister. What a gracious gesture!

[madmom]

65. Welcome all newbies! There's a lot of really good people here and if you ever need

a shoulder there is always at least one. It's like a BIG extended family, we can scream and yell at each other, but don't dare let an outsider try to disrupt. Yes it is very addictive.:fistbump: