Seasons Greetings to Bob Johnson + pole

Seasons greeting to all of the users of dailykos, actually.  I mention Bob right there in the title because his writing represents (for me) the best example of why I like to read and sometimes participate here.  His diaries may be funny or analytical by turn, but you can always count on thoughtful and witty writing.  It is the holiday season and all, so thanks, Bob, for the gift of your participation.

There are many, many good writers here and I want to thank them all for the gift of their participation.  No, I won't attempt to list them all -- for I don't have the time to compile a list of all of the writers who have touched me or educated me or compelled me to further action or made me smile.  Bob is meant to be a stand-in for you all.  I also don't want to leave out people who I might exclude through forgetfulness or never having been exposed to their wonderful gifts to us all.  I assure you that I join many other kossacks in adoring your comments and diaries and I we thank you all.

Thanks to all the picture makers -- the pootie picture posters and the adobe digital dabblers and the pie chartin' bar graphin' excel manipulatin' visual learning pornographers.  Those of us still on dial-up sometimes rue your excesses, but the delight of an exceptional graphic makes up for all the more mundane pictures that take forever to post.

Thanks to all the heretics -- to all those who refuse, or forget, or don't know to follow the rules.  One of the great strengths of this site IMO is the room that is made for contrarian opinion.  Dailykos allows for the contrarians and the different drummer marchers and the single issue fetishists.  Thank you.  You have taught me much.  And thank you, Markos, for having the insight to realize that unfettered exchange is a strength of progressive politics instead of a laibility.  Your gift of freedom is the single most important aspect of this site, and I thank you for it.

Thanks to all the researchers and policy fanatics.  Your dedication to getting the word out is the backbone of dailykos.  Nothing that happens here is as important as your bald-faced truth.  Having a story break on this site, and being one of the first to read about it is ... cooler than cool.  But so is being reminded that the pwned media is ignoring yet another really important story.  Again, thank you for refusing to settle for a corporate view of the world and dedicating your time to bringing us a free voice.

Thanks to all the lurkers.  Thanks for participating how you can.  I know you are out there because you rec diaries and comments and vote in polls.  And thanks to all the occasional diarists or commenters like me, who don't let zero comments get us down.  We may not have the time, skills or the motivation to achieve the top diaries or rescue list list, or even to keep TU status for more than a day or two at a time, but goldarnit, we are here and we can tell our greatgrandchildren (should we be so long-lived) that we were there - back in the day - when people powered activism seized  control of our beautiful country back from the likes of Burger King and Enron.

You are all brilliant.