but I want to thank you for the warm welcome, pamela.

I do already have a sense of appreciation for this place on the internet despite only being here for a month or so. There are many issues where I feel I can write my thoughts without feeling like I'm going to be attacked for my liberal values, and I see plenty of other forum members expressing sentiments similar to mine, or expounding on topics where I need to be more educated. It's a great place.

I used to frequent a forum where right-wingers were the majority and it became painful, so I have abandoned that site.

I wasn't here at the DU during the divisive Democratic primary, so I missed the worst of the fallout. Tere's still some lingering hard feelings between Hillary and Bernie supporters, but it seems to be tapering off and will continue to do so over time. I understand why there are rules in place preventing the bashing of Hillary Clinton, but I hope it doesn't stifle debate too much. That's my only concern here: if you want to offer constructive criticism you may be labelled a troll or traitor (or blacklisted by a jury). None of us is flawless, neither is any politician. Fair comment is more helpful than harmful, IMO.

Anyway, thanks again for this thread.

I will be sure to explore.

Take care.

It can get crazy but it's never, never dull.

Some of us have been here so long this place is like an old friend we can't ever part with (I hope Skinner realizes that).

So many stories! We'll have to grab a coffee sometime.

Perhaps this could be pinned to the top?

this is such a busy time of year for me, haven't had time to post much yet but that will change in the next month or 2. I'm an organic gardener, avid birder, extreme dog lover, dedicated Democrat all my adult life and have always loved Democratic Underground! I try to keep up with the ever changing political news, posts here but sometimes I get burnout and have to back off.
I was on a forum for years that somehow morphed into an ultra right wing forum, such that most of us who didn't fit there left.

I'm hoping to actively campaign for Hillary Clinton not just because I think Trump is insane but I believe she will make a great president.
I meant to post an intro on the Welcome forum but just didn't get around to it yet. 5 grand kids with 3 adult children can keep me pretty busy these days.

Thanks again for the warm welcome, it's most appreciated!!!

I lurked here throughout all elections and now feel a new sense of urgency for this election given the fact that "Agent Orange" is on the scene with his various charades, etc. I love to research hidden agendas, backgrounds of all the players on his "team" though it's tough since it changes so often. It's why I went with the handle I did since Holmes could find hidden stuff others might have missed.
Lots of exploring to do with all the many forums for all my interests which also include photography, astronomy, climate change, et al. Thanks again for your warm welcome!
PS: I still have to figure out how to include photos in my posts.

Yesterday, I read a post that made me laugh out loud and when I looked it was a new member. Then, a few minutes later, I read a post I thought was really astute and it was from a new member, too! That may end up being the best thing abut this election season-all the cool new DUers.

I suspect that this cycle will give us a bumper crop.

I'm a white male in my 40's from Ohio. I've been a Democrat my entire adult life, although I briefly and naively found appeal in the simplistic ideas of Libertarians as a teenager.

I majored in math and physics in college and earned a full academic scholarship for a Master's degree upon graduation. I foolishly married a woman who turned out to be an alcoholic and a cocaine addict (discovered long after the divorce) who caused me such financial and emotional stress during graduate school that I dropped out. I mostly needed a full-time job in order to cope with the thousands of dollars of credit card debt that she'd secretly placed on my accounts through numerous ATM cash advances. She also drained our joint checking and savings accounts of funds near the end of our marriage, with most of that money coming from me. Her final "attack" on me came after the divorce by making a false accusation against me that the local court seemed to accept without question.

I've been working in low-paying factory jobs in this area ever since, immersed among co-workers that aren't a good "fit" for me intellectually or socially. I've had co-workers who didn't know that George Washington was the first President of the USA or that his portrait is on the $1 bill. Some co-workers believed a Vietnamese-American when he claimed (with a wry smile) that he swam across the Pacific Ocean to get here. One co-worker asked him if he used a life preserver, and another one asked him if he'd been one of the "boat people" that she saw on TV years ago who landed in Florida. I'm NOT joking. At least the Vietnamese co-worker was fairly bright and educated, along with a few others over the years.

My parents were in their 40's when I was born and I stuck around this area to help them when their health deteriorated. They never wanted to be placed in a nursing home, and I did my part to honor their wishes.

My oldest brother lived with them at the end of their lives because he needed a place to live as he lost his eyesight. He's got a genetic condition known as Pseudoxanthoma Elasticum (PXE), as do I. He had worked as an electrical engineer, but he went legally blind in one eye while maintaining vision that was worse than 20/60 in the other eye for several years. That prevented him from keeping his driver's license, but his acuity was better than 20/200 in his best eye so he couldn't qualify for disability. (There's a wide gap between being too poorly sighted to drive and being deemed legally blind in this country.)

Around the time that my parents passed away, my brother finally went legally blind in his best eye and now lives in a HUD apartment. He also has no wife or children, like me. His wife left him after he lost his engineering job. I can still see in one eye well enough to drive, and I'm often his driver when he needs to visit a doctor, go to a store, etc.

I no longer have any desire to seek more intellectual employment. I doubt that I'd receive much interest given my years of factory work. Like an actor who gets typecast after accepting particular acting roles, that's pretty much my situation in the work world as well. I instead get my pleasure while at home by keeping abreast of the latest scientific discoveries and conjectures. I also enjoy watching educational documentaries and comedies on television. When college football is being played, I get some entertainment from that as well.

That's pretty much sums up my personal life. As for politics, I'm a big fan of Noam Chomsky. My main criticism of him is that I think his solutions are pretty naive, but his criticisms about our largely corporate-controlled government are well-supported and argued.

I'm mostly a Democrat because it's the main party in this country that's making an effort to keep corporate power in check. I tend to be very concerned about any sector of our country achieving too much power. We have "checks and balances" in the government, but I consider it the government's role to "check" private power and abuse too.

I'm extremely concerned about the long-term survival of humanity, and I'm often discouraged that it won't happen.

You volunteered more info about yourself in a few paragraphs than some have in decades of posting on this site! I hope you're enjoying puttering around this place.

Have you stopped by the lounge?

I'll check it out later. Thanks!

My Dad's from Ohio-Gallipolis area. We're dealing with the should we/shouldn't we thing with the nursing home or assisted living with my parents now. I'm far away from them and feeling terribly guilty.

Thanks for sharing your story and a big welcome to DU.

It's hard dealing with elderly parents, so you have my sympathy.

Be very thankful if your parents still have their mental faculties. Dementia was by far the most difficult part for me and my brother. We actually breathed a sigh of relief when Dad passed away given his mental state and we assumed it would be a breeze thereafter. A month after he died, Mom had a stroke and her mind went downhill from that point too.

Welcome to DU! It gets a little nutty sometimes, but we're a passionate and intelligent bunch.

I've been pleased by this place overall, and I'm thankful that sickening posts seem to get dealt with swiftly! It's hard to have thoughtful discussions once trolls and mindless haters get a foothold.

Oh wait. Nevermind

Welcome to all of our new friends!

Hello, I've been observing, sometimes laughing and sometimes crying while watching thing unfold on DU for the past 10 to 12 years. I'm currently a mental health counselor. Prior to that I spent 28 yrs serving in the United States Air Force. I've enjoyed my time viewing DU, Rawstory, Huffington Post and other liberal and progressive sites but I have to say DU is my favorite. I'll continue to mostly observe but want to say I'm glad to be a part of the sane and Enlightened crowd.

I hope you will post more but I can relate to just mostly wanting to read. Welcome aboard!

after spending years on a small forum that somehow turned into a right wing nuthouse, this is like a gift that keeps giving to me!
I've been lurking for many years here but decided that this was the time to join in these discussions, so important to the survival of our environment, our country. Blessings to you and am hoping you find time to post and share your thoughts. I read many posts on DU daily, often don't have time to chime in either. But my heart and soul are right here!!