Two years ago next month, I was given a drug called Levaquin (surely a product of The Devil himself) that left me disabled for... well, pretty much 'til now -- but in the beginning I was bound to my house, not allowed to drive, to go up and down stairs too many times, and certainly not walk my dogs. (NB: If your doctor ever tries to prescribe this stuff, or any of the class of antibiotics call quinolones, and you don't happen to be dying of some obscure and otherwise fatal infection you picked up from a bug that bit you during a trek through the Amazon, refuse them! They carry the FDA's most dire black box warning. They were designed for life-and-death situations, but are handed out like Pez from a Micky Mouse dispenser: and they carry the risk of devastating tendon damage.)
Now, I live on a tiny little splatter of an island (population: 2,000), where I moved twelve years ago to care for my mother. I found I loved it here and, much to my surprise, after her death chose to give up my overfull and busy city life for that of a recluse. Trouble with being a recluse is that I wasn't a very good one: I actually do need friends and acquaintances. Fortunately, one of said friends was a true Angel of Mercy, getting my mail, doing the shopping, picking up cigarettes, even bringing me a cup of gas station coffee (it's not that bad -- really!... for this rock, anyway) and visiting for a short time when she got off work. But other than that, I was pretty much alone and despondent.
What saved me from going completely batshit (and I'm told that is the clinical term) was that I'd found, two years before, a community here that hung around in the weekly diary all week long. About fifteen folks who were warm and welcoming, and made me feel at home with them.
Fri Dec 23, 2011 at 6:00 AM PT: Thanks so much to Meteor Blades for posting this on the Front Page (and I'm sorry I called you a piker) . ;)
I'm in and out today with previous obligations, but I promise I'll check back here every chance I get, and make updates during those times. Should certainly be in for good by three o'clock or so, but will check in between as circumstances allow.
Keep those cards and letters donations coming!
Thank you!
Fri Dec 23, 2011 at 6:06 AM PT: I'm trying this again...
Thank you, Meteor Blades, for the repost. And I'm sorry I called you a piker. ;)
Have a hectic day with prior commitments, but I'll check back here every chance I get, and should be back for good by around three or four.
Meanwhile, keep up the brilliant work! And thanks to all of your for your generous hearts and high spirits.
Fri Dec 23, 2011 at 11:25 AM PT: I'm baaaack... will get into gear and make updates promptly!
Thanks for your patience.
I'd lurked here for a few years, then signed up (subscribing for life, because at the time I had the money at the time, and it seemed a good deal) but didn't comment much -- though I rec'd a lot of comments and diaries, and I assume for that got TU status promptly at the three-month mark.
Then I found Black Kos, and thus another home here with wonderful people I looked forward to being with every week.
So while my life was a bit bereft of actual corporeal human beings, it was full of lovely cybernetically connected people. These folks held my hand, talked me in off the ledge, kicked my butt when I needed it... although we never could find a way for them to bring me coffee. Still, in spite of this grievous failing, I adored them all.
Then another disaster struck: this time a disaster far beyond my tiny island life. BP's Deepwater Horizon blew up and popped open the murky cloud of doom from the Macondo well in the Gulf of Mexico.
Almost immediately, a liveblog was established, first from a diary by Tomtech, followed quickly by Garret and khowell. It sprang to full life in no time, and we became Gulf Watchers, and covered the real-time nightmare 'round-the-clock for five months, until the underwater feeds stopped transmitting -- hence our motto, "We Never Sleep." Hell, some of us didn't even nap.
I joined the group, and being always home and always available, wrote a bunch of the liveblogs, which were called ROVs at the time in honor of the hard-working souls running these (hard not to call them "adorable") magnificent machines (Remote Operated Vehicles). Shameless Plug: We still publish weekly.
Instead of wallowing in my unjust house arrest, I watched ROVs (the real ones) night after night, day after day, as they tried to unfuck what BP had so thoroughly fucked. Six to twelve feeds, all up at once, 24 hours a day. (Except when all those feeds crashed my system. That would take an infuriating five to six minutes to get back up, and who knew what I'd miss: incriminating footage, key information, cool sea life, Jacques Cousteau...)
I saw water even when I wasn't looking at it -- and living on an island, when I looked at the waters that surrounded me, I envisioned them black with oil and poisoned with dispersant. I developed a thorough knowledge of BP and their reprehensible history of safety violations (as well as every other reprehensible thing about them). I fell in love with fishes and creatures I'd never seen before, and thrilled to those moments when an ROV would rise to the surface and we'd get to see the crew work on them.
Now I gloried in my three communities -- count 'em! Three! No longer did my day revolve solely around the Angel's visits -- I had work to do! And got to hang with heroes like Fishgrease (god, how I miss that bum) and Bob Cavnar (eljefebob at Daily Kos).
What a Perfect Plethora of People! My three homes here at Daily Kos (hey, I'm a cyber land baroness -- and no property taxes!) have seen me through what have truly been the worst of times. And they never even told me to shut up and stop bitching and moaning. (Well, not too much.) They were the kind of support you rarely find from one person (which I had), let alone dozens -- no, hundreds! Okay, I exaggerate. But dozens is good. Really good. Especially when you're a housebound curmudgeonly wretch. Most especially then. And believe me, I was -- when I wasn't here at DKos.
That's been my life online here. I don't know where -- or what -- I'd be without the people who people this place.
That's why it's so important to me that this drive is happening: so that others can be here as much as they need or want to. So many here are in need -- in need of love, friendship, and community. And snark.
So how about we clean up this list of folks still without subscriptions? How about we flood the pages here with still more ebullience and leaping for joy. More silliness and thank-you diaries. More of us all getting along instead of throwing pies and donuts.
I'm loving this drive. It appeals to my mushier side. I'm thrilled by all the folks who've come together in this effort to help their fellow Kossacks. There's great joy in giving, I was fortunate enough to discover when I got a tiny windfall and was able to buy a couple. And you only need read the reactions of those gifted (I still object to that being a verb, but this is no time to quibble) to see the impact it has on them. It lets them know their presence here is valued -- cherished, even -- and that despite the tone around here sometimes (okay, sometimes a lot), people truly are kind and generous.
Here's the indefatigable jayden's list of those still waiting for a benefactor, and those who've been given lifetime subscriptions during this drive:
GIFTED LIFETIME SUBSCRIPTIONS
2thanks ▪ a gilas girl ▪ aaraujo ▪ Abe Frohman ▪
Abra Crabcakeya ▪ Actbriniel ▪ Agathena ▪ Ahiannie ▪ Aji ▪
Alexandra Lynch ▪ Alfonso Nevarez ▪ allergywoman ▪ Amor Y Risa ▪ angelajean ▪ anotherdemocrat ▪ Anton Bursch ▪ AoT ▪ arizonablue ▪ asterkitty ▪ Auntie Neo Kwan ▪ Avenging Angel ▪
beach babe in fl ▪ begone ▪ BentLiberal ▪ betson08 ▪ bevomav ▪ Bionic ▪ blue aadvark ▪ blue jersey mom ▪ bkamr ▪ blueoregon ▪ boatsie ▪ Bob Johnson ▪ Bob Love ▪ Bob Sloan ▪ BOHICA ▪ boran2 ▪ Brit ▪ Brooke in Seattle ▪ Brubs ▪ BruinKid ▪ buddabelly ▪ bumblebums ▪ Burned ▪
cacamp ▪ CalNM ▪ CanyonWren ▪ carolanne ▪ Carolita ▪ catilinus ▪ CayceP ▪ cfk ▪ Chacounne ▪ Charles CurtisStanley ▪ Charlotte Lucas▪ chaunceydevega ▪ ChemBob ▪ chicago minx ▪ Christian Dem in NC ▪ CityLightsLover ▪ CodeTalker ▪ Colorado is the Shiznit ▪ commonmass ▪ cosmic debris ▪ CuriousBoston ▪
D Wreck ▪ dakinishir ▪ DaNang65 ▪ Davidsfr ▪ DavidW ▪ DawnN ▪ dclawyer06 ▪ DSC on the Plateau ▪ Debbie in ME ▪ Debby ▪ Debs2 ▪ Deep Harm ▪ Democrats Ramshield ▪ denig ▪ desertguy ▪ Digby ▪ Diogenes2008 ▪ dirkster42 ▪ dopper0189 ▪
Dreaming of Better Days ▪ Dr Erich Bloodaxe RN ▪ DrLori ▪ DruidQueen ▪
earicicle ▪ Ebby ▪ Eddie C ▪ Ed in Montana ▪ edrie ▪ edwardssl ▪ eej ▪ Eileen B ▪ Ellid ▪ Ellinorianne ▪ emeraldmaiden ▪ ericlewis0 ▪ edwardss1 ▪ escapee ▪
farmerchuck ▪ FarWestGirl ▪ ferment ▪ figbash ▪ FindingMyVoice ▪ FishOutofWater ▪ flumptytail ▪ FogCityJohn ▪ Frederick Clarkson ▪ FrugalGranny ▪
Gary Norton ▪ gchaucer2 ▪ Geenius at Wrok ▪ GenXangster ▪
ginmar ▪ gizmo59 ▪ glendaw271 ▪ glorificus ▪ Gooserock ▪
Got a Grip ▪ GreyHawk ▪ grog ▪ Groucho Marxist ▪
GrumpyOldGeek ▪ gulfgal98 ▪
Haole in Hawaii ▪ HCKAD ▪ high uintas ▪ holerock ▪ homogenius ▪ Hoosier Deb ▪ Horace Boothroyd III ▪ horsefeathers ▪ HoundDog ▪
icebergslim ▪ ilyana ▪ inclusiveheart ▪ indiemcemopants ▪
JaxDem ▪ jayden ▪ JekyllnHyde ▪ jennifer poole ▪ JesseCW ▪
jessical ▪ jimstaro ▪ jlms qkw ▪ JML9999 ▪ Joes Steven ▪ JoanMar ▪ Joieau ▪ jwinIL14 ▪
KAMuston ▪ Karl Rover ▪ kayakbiker ▪ kefauver ▪ Keith930 ▪ KelleyRN2 ▪ KenBee ▪ KibbutzAmiad ▪ Kid Oakland ▪
Killer of Sacred Cows ▪ kimoconnor ▪ kirbybruno ▪ Kitty ▪ kjoftherock ▪ klompendanser ▪ Knucklehead ▪ kovie ▪ KVoimakas ▪ kyril ▪ labwitchy ▪
Lady Libertine ▪ ladypockt ▪ Ladywithafan ▪ LaEscapee ▪
Lamont Cranston ▪ Leftcandid ▪ Lefty Coaster ▪ Leftynyc ▪
Liberal Granny ▪ Lightbulb ▪ Limelite ▪ llbear ▪ loggersbrat ▪ Lorinda Pike ▪ Louisiana 1976 ▪ luckylizard ▪
M E C ▪ MA Liberal ▪ maggiejean ▪ Magnifico ▪ mahakali overdrive ▪ mallyroyal ▪ mapamp ▪ marigold ▪ Mark Fiore ▪ matching mole ▪ Matt Z ▪ mayrose ▪ mjbleo ▪ mcmom ▪ mdmslle ▪ Melissa J ▪ Merry Light ▪ michelewln ▪ MinistryOfTruth ▪ Miss Blue ▪ Missys Brother ▪ MKSinSA ▪ Mnemosyme ▪ mommyof3 ▪ Moody Loner ▪ Mortifyd ▪ Mother Mags ▪ mrsgoo ▪ ms badger ▪ MsGrin ▪ MsSpentyouth ▪
Nanette K ▪ navajo ▪ Nchristine ▪ Neon Vincent ▪ noddy ▪ nonnie9999 ▪ NonnyO ▪ Noor B ▪ NormAl1792 ▪ notdarkyet ▪ noweasels ▪ Nova Land ▪ Nulwee ▪ nyceve ▪
observerinvancouver ▪ occams hatchet ▪ Otteray Scribe ▪
One Pissed Off Liberal▪ Ozark Homesteader ▪
Pakalolo ▪ parryander ▪ Patric Juillet ▪ peagreen ▪
people power granny ▪ peraspera ▪ peregrine kate ▪ pico ▪ pittie70 ▪ poligirl ▪ priceman ▪ progdog ▪ psfinla ▪ psychodrew ▪
quarkstomper ▪
racheltracks ▪ Radical def ▪ radical simplicity ▪ raina ▪ ramara ▪
Ray Radlein ▪ remembrance ▪ Regina in a Sears Kit House ▪
revsue ▪ rexymeteorite ▪ Rich in PA ▪ Richard Cranium ▪ Rick B ▪ RLMiller ▪ roseeriter ▪ rserven ▪ rsmpdx ▪ rubyr ▪ ruleoflaw ▪
Safina ▪ Sandy On Signal ▪ Sara R ▪ ScottyUrb ▪ scribe ▪ sdf ▪ Seneca Doane ▪ SensibleShoes ▪ shesaid ▪ Siri ▪ SisTwo ▪ slinkerwink ▪ slksfca ▪ snoopydawg ▪ Something the Dog Said ▪ soonergrunt ▪ Spirit of Life ▪ sricki ▪ srkp23 ▪ state of confusion ▪ Statusquomustgo ▪ StateofEuphoria ▪ Steven D ▪ Susan G in MN ▪ swampyankee ▪ SwedishJewfish ▪ Syoho ▪
teacherken ▪ teej ▪ TexH ▪ TexMex ▪ TheFatLadySings ▪ theRoaringGirl ▪ the mom in the middle ▪ The Troubadour ▪ timewarp ▪ TomorrowsProgressives ▪ Tonyahky ▪ Tool ▪ Translator ▪ triciawyse ▪ triv33 ▪ twigg ▪ TX Scotia ▪
ulookarmless ▪ UnaSpenser ▪ Unitary Moonbat ▪ unspeakable ▪ ursoklevar ▪
vcmvo2 ▪ VeloVixen ▪ Vetwife ▪ victoria2dc ▪ voracious ▪
watercarrier4diogenes ▪ water willow ▪ wayoutinthestix ▪ weatherdude ▪ webranding ▪ welso ▪ Wendys Wink ▪
whatGodmade ▪ wide eyed lib ▪ winglion ▪ Winter Rabbit ▪
woodtick ▪ Wu Ming ▪
yella dawg ▪ Youffraita ▪
zaka1 ▪ ZenTrainer ▪ Zoskie ▪ Zwoof ▪
|
Remember, these lifetime subscriptions come with no ads (a life-saver for those on dial-up, geriatric computers, or slow connections) and access to three eBooks for each new lifer and those who've given subs.
Lifetime Subscription:
* Will stop selling lifetime subscriptions on December 31, 2011.
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I stole this from jayden (don't tell!):
You can also donate smaller amounts through the Small Donor Drive thoughtfully made possible by Nurse Kelley, Dr Erich Bloodaxe RN, and Onomastic. The donations collected through this drive will be pooled to randomly purchase lifetime subscriptions for those on the list. So far at least 15 Kossacks have been gifted with a lifetime subscription through the 'Small Donor Drive.' You can make a donation by going to paypal.com and selecting the 'send money' option on the left. Type in KelleyRN2@gmail.com as the destination. You will receive an e-mail notification that your donation was completed. When the lifetime subscription drive ends an anonymous donor has offered to pony up the remaining amount necessary to purchase one last subscription.
It's great giggly fun being an elf or a Santa. I had no idea how much until I was suddenly and unexpectedly able to buy those couple of subs. Give it a shot -- you'll love the feeling. And it keeps our community thriving: what could be better?
After all... 'tis the season.
Update 2:40 pm EST
Since ursoklevar and I brought it up, I'm posting a Fishgrease Christmas story he told in Gulf Watchers near just about two years ago:
A Christmas Story. (14+ / 0-)
Yesterday afternoon, I visited one of my wellsites to re-light the line heater that had been blown out during a snowstorm. It was chart day for the purchaser, so I could count on the road being plowed into there. It's in the mountains and there's over 6 feet of snow there -- 4 feet of that in the last week.
I'd been delayed, so the road was already starting to blow in by the time I got there.
Got to the site and lit the heater and was preparing to leave when I heard a soft, pleading "moooo". No way, I said! I looked, and a lone cow had found her way to the site. She might have been there a week, since that was the last time I'd visited that site. She'd been using some of the site structures as a wind break. A poor old cow, getting skinny and it was 4 degrees F at night up in those mountains. She'd been missed during roundup. Nothing for a cow to eat up there. Nothing.
As bad as I felt about her, there was nothing I could do. I'd have to leave her there and see if I could find her owner. So I got back to town and called the ranch manager for that area, thinking if it wasn't one of his, he would know who's it was. No answer. I made a note to try again today and got busy with some year-end books... got sleepy and went to bed.
I'd almost fallen asleep, but I couldn't get that poor old cow out of my head. Fuck it, I said. This isn't going to work. No way I'm going to be able to sleep now. I called the guy at the feed store and had him meet me there. I bought several large sacks of high-calorie livestock pellets... and headed for the mountains, in the wind and snow, at night.
The road had blown in bad. There were places I had to stop, get out, and feel for the sides of the snow-wall. Took me hours to get there. Got stuck and had to shovel out twice. What the fuck am I doing? It's a fucking cow!
It was just a fucking cow that was VERY glad to see this old pumper. I got out and emptied all the sacks into a huge pile, out of the wind, in a little patch of shallow snow on the downwind side of a methanol tank. That cow needed no explanation nor encouragement. Loud eater. Sloppy.
Got home in the wee, dark hours of this morning and fell in bed. NOW I can sleep.
The ranch manager called me back this morning and he's going to check on the cow. If he can't get her out immediately, he'll be sure she has enough hay and pellets to last until he can.
Merry Christmas, Cow!
It rubs the loofah on its skin or else it gets the falafel again.
by Fishgrease on Thu Dec 23, 2010 at 08:30:50 PM EST
12:44 PM PT: Please recommend Dr Erich Bloodaxe RN's diary on the fundraising for Okiciyap (the food pantry at Cheyenne River Rez).
http://www.dailykos.com/...
Thank you!
2:26 PM PT: Please Note: asym has very generously made a matching funds offer:
I'd like to offer a small-donor match. Make a donation to Nurse Kelley's Small Donor Fund (which she's pooling and using to purchase a lifetime sub every time it reaches $100), and I'll match the next $100 worth. So your $5 is $10, and your $10 is $20....
8:41 PM PT: You wonderful folks: must turn in. Not sure how soon I can get back here tomorrow, but rest assured, I'll get here as soon as I can, and take care of the list and any new requests.
You've all been wonderful. Thank you very much.