Indeed! Me, too, ProfessorGAC. Dear Cali_Democrat - hope you don't stay away too long.

I'm so sorry to hear you're so troubled, Cali_Democrat. Whatever it was that happened, I hope you get through it smoothly and successfully. Perhaps you'll drop back by, however briefly, to let us know how you're doing? Worried about you! Many of us care about you and want you back as soon as you feel up to it.

Just remember how many pairs of good strong sturdy shoulders there are around here, that you can lean on. Many pairs of ears and eyes to hear you out and look out for you and see you through it. The many folks here sitting vigil with you and otherwise keeping you company during a tough time.

The moral support I've received here during personal crises has meant the world to me. People here are basically wonderful and kind and compassionate - even those who might disagree with you on something. And I also like to throw in that comment Skittles made once, which has sure meant a lot to me in difficult moments: "someone's always here." The light's always on. There's always something warm and creamy and sweet in the kitchen, to drink, figuratively speaking. My kids used to talk about remedies and consolations and things "feeling you better." This or that will "feel you better." Like the tangy lemony hot tea or creamy hot cocoa or fragrant pungent coffee with all the fixings in it, or that meal that your mom always fixed the way you like it. One of the earliest things I remember that Hillary Clinton was criticized for, when she first got to the White House as First Lady - was when then-young Chelsea was under the weather and wanted some comfort food - I forget if it was oatmeal or soft boiled eggs or something - but the White House kitchen staff was going to fix it for her and her mom said no. SHE intended to fix it for her daughter, herself - telling the staff it was because "she likes it the way I make it." Well, that kinda sums up DU for me in times like this. Emotionally speaking, that is.

We'll be here with your figurative soft-boiled eggs and/or nice warm oatmeal "to feel you better" - whenever you feel like you need it, Cali_Democrat. Hope you come back to us soon.

Total Loco Channel if you ask me.

WHY must we elevate these cretins, and shower money and fame upon them, thereby anointing them with some cockeyed "credibility"? I guess that's for the "if yer so smart, why ain't you rich?" crowd. The whole notion of glorifying these this low-life individuals by giving them their own TV shows makes me gag. It sends a very sick and subtle signal: if you want to be rich and successful - become jackasses like these folks. They're laughing all the way to the bank! And "Duck Dynasty" and the duggars and the rest of 'em, too. With several kartrashians on the side.

That's why, most of the time, I refer to the republi-CONS as "the bad guys."

Because that's what they ARE.

Welcome to DU, Goblor!

Glad you're here! MAN, GET THE SANDBLASTER!!! That blue thing is utterly idiotic. It is NOT art. Who the hell does she think she is? Besides some self-entitled JERK. Those stupid-cutesy adolescent doodles belong in the margins of somebody's textbook in middle school. NOT on any of our magnificent natural treasures.

Make her pay for the clean-up, too.

Indeed. But let's look at that statement from the viewpoint of the assholes who've used

"Stand Your Ground" and gotten away with doing exactly that. george zimmerman, anyone? michael dunn anyone? Amazingly enough, michael dunn actually had to pay for it. Which, considering earlier situations, came as a pleasant surprise to me.

And we sure don't have mass media campaigns against reckless gun usage, either.

I STILL believe strongly that we as a nation need to seriously rethink the Second Amendment. It's been interpreted FAR too loosely and recklessly, and that extreme gets worse seemingly by the hour. Another DUer posted something I thought was just spot-on, regarding the different attitude toward gun ownership and usage in Canada than what we have here in the U.S. Basically it boiled down to guns being a PRIVILEGE. NOT A "RIGHT"!!!

Welcome to DU, Koch Ebola!

Glad you're here! It's probably the first time I ever capitalized the "k" in koch. I tend not to capitalize the first letter of the names of people and/or organizations for whom/which I have no respect or high regard. Like the koch brothers. The concept behind your screen name is very valid, though! The koch brothers are indeed like a political Ebola virus.

YUMMMMMMM...

Yeah, no kidding.

Astounds me, too. The "priorities" in this country - many of them are just ALL WRONG. I don't believe ANYONE has a "right" to shoot whom they don't like. Whether it's some veiled fantasy mean ol' gumnnt (or "revenoo-ers" as it used to be called), or some kid whose music you think is too loud so you shoot at will into an SUV full of them and say you felt threatened (that "stand your ground" crap), the too-easy solution has been to take the law into one's own hands. "Second amendment remedies" as sharron angle used to refer to it. You'll shoot if you don't get your way? Gee, I'm so impressed about your "rights".

Well, I HAVE RIGHTS, TOO. And I am not afraid to assert them. Including MY RIGHT, and MY FREEDOM - NOT to be harassed or bullied or menaced by goons prancing around with guns in my face. Or guns in my coffee bar. Or guns in my grocery store. Or even guns in my Walmart (if I shopped there, which I don't). Gunners insisting THEIR rights trump MINE. FUCK THAT! They DON'T. I DO NOT want guns around me. PERIOD. You add guns into the mix and it's a recipe for trouble. PERIOD.

If I had my way, and of course, I don't - don't have the power, don't have the authority, don't have the magic wand that would just wave it all away - there would be no further gun violence or gun threats or menacings or guns paraded around and shown off in public or gun shows where you can bend the rules like pretzels and people can cheat and sneak and and lie and cut corners and find ways to buy guns in the parking lot from what we used to joke about in college as the "Trunk of a Blue Chevy" store. There'd simply be no guns at all. Not here, not there, not ANYWHERE ACROSS THE GLOBE. That'd kick the stuffings out of the war machinery, too, maybe.

I've gotta go find this other post I undoubtedly annoyed a few people with...

Found it. Here: so those folks here who have clearly been disturbed and angered by what I wrote - regarding my utter hatred for guns, and why, if I could, I WOULD just ban them ALL - can see why I feel the way I do. I would banish ALL guns from the face of Planet Earth, impractical and unobtainable as that dream is. Even those purported to be experts, well-trained, well-situated, licensed, legal, blah-blah-blah - can't guarantee us that guns even in the "right" hands are a good thing:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=5703957

I look on it kinda as a mom, overseeing a bunch of kids who can't play nice with their toys. Okay then, NONE OF YOU GETS THEM. I'm TAKING THEM AWAY FROM ALL OF YOU!!!!! DO WITHOUT!!!!!

See? NOBODY wants ME to be President. EVER!!!!! LOL

Tough shit, mcconnell. If you did the crime, it'll make air time.

I hope this sinks him once and for all.

And even if worse comes to worst, and the Senate flips over to the Dark Side, wouldn't it be EXQUISITELY lovely if HE lost and had to watch his presumptive "entitlement" (the Senate Majority Leader's position and all its perks) go to somebody else?