DU is by far my single most concentrated information source..

[Fumesucker]

Everyone I know IRL (in real life) thinks I'm a hyper-informed royal pain in the ass about politics (and a lot of other things too), I routinely call bullshit, albeit sometimes politely, on things the many right wingers I have around me say and I can always blow them out of the water on the true facts. They don't even bother to argue facts with me any more for the most part.

Between GD, LBN and the Science forum DU is about seventy five percent of my daily online reading, most of the rest of my reading is in specialized subjects that DU doesn't really cover..

I know I come across as very negative a lot of the time so I want to take a breather for a moment and try to be positive about what is actually one of the more positive parts of my life.

I just want to say thanks to all of the DUers out there who contribute to me being a hyper-informed royal pain in the ass to the wingnuts.

DU .............. :yourock:

:patriot:

:grouphug:

[HopeHoops]

1. Yeah, but what about the IMPORTANT stuff like the Kardashiawhatevers and "Dancing with the Stars?"

:sarcasm:

[Earth_First]

2. Same here...

I've also turned several folks on to DU at OccupyRochester

[bigtree]

3. K&R

:hug:

[DCBob]

4. totally agree.. and incredibly timely... we get breaking news here sometimes even before it breaks!

:thumbsup:

[Jackpine Radical]

7. For some reason, your comment made me think

that when a M$M outlet "breaks" a political story, what they really mean is twisting it until its truth content is broken.

[Turbineguy]

5. Same here.

Invariably when I have a question (on any subject) I can come here and get the answer quickly.

[Hepburn]

6. DU is the best! KnR...n/t

[TexasPaganDem]

8. Same here

and has been for several years. I tend to find either news that isn't covered anywhere else, or I find news faster than it pops up everywhere else. I've always avoided Fox, and MSNBC and the online rag mags (USA Today / People anyone?); CNN, Money.CNN and BBC News typically are the other ones I read, but I swear I find links here that are so buried you'd never find it otherwise.

[Fumesucker]

13. It's not even just the facts..

There are so many smart people here putting two plus two together and connecting the dots between disparate events that the great majority of people would never think of...

It's that connecting the dots that really makes DU great..

[12AngryBorneoWildmen]

41. I too luve DU but....

If you're not watching Rachel Maddow, you're missing out on a lot of learning. Like Herman Cain quoting a poet in a debate. The poet? Pokemon-from the movie.

[juajen]

51. Gee, I missed that one, and I never miss Rachael Maddow

I watch all MSNBC from about 3pm until Lawrence McDonnel. I cannot do without my Ed schultz either. I miss Keith a lot and can't get him easily here.

I agree about DU. I read it everyday to get my news, sometimes going back and forth to remain current. I, also, know so much more about what's going on here and in the rest of the world, and that is strictly due to DU. The discussions are also vital on many subjects, and some I just peruse. Happy DUing, everybody!

[12AngryBorneoWildmen]

54. It was Friday the 4th

That when she started her whole Herman Cain as 'performance art' thing.

[12AngryBorneoWildmen]

56. I stream KO on Current TV www.thertv.eu

[FreakinDJ]

9. RATpubliCONs hate those pesky facts

[Beartracks]

52. That's because facts have a well-known liberal bias. n/t

[Smarmie Doofus]

10. True for me too. K and r. nt

[valerief]

11. I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer but at least I'm not the dullest thanks to DU!

:applause:

[JuniperLea]

12. It's good to be a HIRPITA

Knowledge is power. Keeping up with what's going on helps you head the RWers off at the pass. I work with a couple of 'em. I respect their business savvy and I'm routinely confused at how such highly intelligent and highly educated people can be so drunk on the Kool Aid. I think it pains them to discuss politics with me because I'm always two steps ahead and it really sticks in their craw. Still, there's a modicum of respect because they know they can't railroad me with their talking points. They don't say much too me anymore about politics, which is good. We need to maintain a healthy working relationship.

Another fun thing about being a HIRPITA is when you are lucky enough to speak to one of your Senators or Representatives... in one such incident I was at a local neighborhood meeting with our Rep, and she was asking questions to make her point. I had the answer to all her questions. It was fun:)

You are a pain in the ass... even to some of us... but that's okay. I'm sure I am too:)

[dixiegrrrrl]

14. Well, since I post the most insigrievious threads on the entire site,

I appreciate your thank you!

:evilgrin:

[Tx4obama]

33. for those that don't know .... ' insigrievious '

insigrievious = http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x8522548#8525922

and other definitions here: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=insegrevious

p.s. I had to go look that one up ;)

[inna]

44. LOL! Thanks! Sure as heck "consternated" me, I didn't even know I was so gullible!

[pscot]

15. I've always been an argumentative know-it-all

But DU has made me a much more effective argumentative know-it-all.

[redqueen]

16. K&R

:thumbsup:

[gateley]

17. Ditto. If somebody asks me a question, I don't waste time with

"my friend Google", I come straight to DU and the responses come flooding in. Regardless of the topic.

VERY helpful and VERY sharp and VERY wonderful group of people! :grouphug:

[Zorra]

18. Yes. The posting of facts and conflicts of opinion here are great

for sorting out arguments for debate.

In a debate outside of DU you'll already know where your debate opponent is coming from, and often know their argument better than they do.

I'm trying to learn a kinder, gentler method of diplomatic smackdown.

[Fumesucker]

19. That's the hardest part for me.. My instinct is damn the torpedoes, full steam ahead..

[Old and In the Way]

20. DU has been doing crowd sourced news before the concept was even named.

There's no other website like DU. When anything of import breaks, DU is the place I head to get up to speed on what's happening. It's the only website important enough to me that I actually subscribe to.

[Marrah_G]

21. DU is where I go to to get my news

I always know what's happening before anyone else I know offline. The DU new hounds are the best and I am very grateful to have them as a resource. Now DUNN is a news station I would totally watch :) Instead of right and left pundit debates we could have pro-Obama/anti-Obama, Pro-pitbull/Anti-pittbull, Pro-Breast-feeding-at-Olive-Garden/Anti-Breast-feeding-at-Olive-Garden, etc.

[Odin2005]

22. I love LBN, total information glut!

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

23. I tell people DU is the best source for news on the web

All in one place, comments from informed people.

[frylock]

24. for real. DU is my number one source for news.

[lunatica]

25. Yup! DU is a DUer based information forum.

I've been saying it for days.

[fishwax]

26. it's mine too

I get a lot of information here on DU that I won't see for hours or days on the TV news. :kick:

[silverweb]

27. Another one right here!

There are only 3 sites that are always up when my computer is on: DU, my main email account, and GoodSearch.

Even when I'm working, I'll refresh DU and scan for anything important or interesting between jobs. Things I want to read but don't have time to at the moment get sent to my desktop to read later so I don't miss them.

Thanks for starting this appreciation thread, Fumesucker. :hi:

DU is the best!

:grouphug:

[Uben]

28. That is extremely dangerous!

You could.....gulp......turn into me! You don't wanna be me....trust me. I blame republicans when I burn a pan of brownies!

[NBachers]

34. With better regulation of utilities, you'd have a more consistent temperature range to bake with

Those up 'n' down spikes in gas pressure or electric supply cause your brownies to burn.

Republicans are sabotaging your brownies by allowing the utilities to "self-regulate."

If everyone could make good brownies, more people would be enjoying THC baked goods. The Republican Drug War Connection.

So you see, it really is the republicans' fault. You read it here on DU.

[Riley18]

49. I always blame Republicans when someone is a bad driver! They must be Republican... Lol

Seriously, DU is where I always go for news.

[OwnedByFerrets]

29. K and R I am in the same boat

[Paper Roses]

30. Ditto! n/t

[RainDog]

31. k&r n/t

[malaise]

32. By a distance

:applause:

[Major Hogwash]

35. Plus we have wonderful posters who know where the action is.

And share it with others.

[DeSwiss]

36. You rock Fumesucker! - K&R n/t

[DesertFlower]

37. sometimes i'm away from the tv but i think

i hear something, but i'm not sure. i go to DU and it's always here. i swear they're are DUers who never sleep.

[rug]

38. Me too. I never heard about alcohol soaked tampons until today.

[Disorientedx3]

39. DU is my home page.

The kids also have our house listed as "The Democratic Underground" on foursquare because we all spend a wee bit of time on the DU every day.

[Mira]

40. You made me smile. I know what you mean. n/t

[Agony]

42. I agree almost 100%! ..... wait...aren't you on my ignore list?

carry on...

[sarcasmo]

43. D/U is much easier to navigate than many other popular media sites.

[PufPuf23]

45. DU is my most important info source too; following references is part of my habit.. nt

[amyrose2712]

46. one thing that is BAD about being addicted to this site....

you start to forget how UNINFORMED most people really are.

[Fire Walk With Me]

47. I for one welcome our hyper-informed royal pain in the ass to the wingnuts overlords.

:hi::toast:

[liberal N proud]

48. It by far proves to be the most reliable source for information.

But this by far not my only source.

Members demanding integrity of information carries through to the reliability of the site.

[Fumesucker]

50. I've run into that phenomenon before..

More on technical sites than otherwise but a good sized community of smart and well informed people can be extremely effective as a fact check filter.

It even used to happen on the usenet political newsgroups, albeit with a much lower signal to noise ratio.

[Raksha]

53. I agree - best source of information on the Web!

[snot]

55. I have trouble understanding why anyone goes anywhere else.

[Mosaic]

57. This and a few other sites

This is the best. It took me a while to realize that, but now I'm here every day.

Two others I always visit to keep on top are Crooks and Liars and Think Progress.

[lonestarnot]

58. K & R!

[PETRUS]

59. Ditto, I find lots of good stuff via posts here. nt

[iamthebandfanman]

60. Yep, thats why DU remains a great place..

even with the some people on here who like to tell you how to vote, think, and live nowadays...

its still the best place ever to come find current events and news.

youll notice most of the time when storys are posted here they are from pretty reliable sources and not just some idiot with an email address spreading rumors (like on some other website ill keep nameless)...


thats the only reason i keep coming back..
lord knows there are a few people on here who frustrate me to no end.. but i could never give up my DU fix every morning and night before bed.

[Rowdyboy]

61. Agree 100%....you guys keep me honest.....

Thank you all....

[AllyCat]

62. Tis my home page! I have the same situation with my colleages, friends, etc

They all say they learn a lot from me about politics. I've gotten into it with a lot of conservatives who quickly reveal they have bought into the lines from the media. I love this place.

[harun]

63. Ditto

[freshwest]

64. As far as being current, DU leaves other websites in the dust. Thanks DU adm's, mod's, all of you.

[tcaudilllg]

65. I go here to get my national news

and the news sites for international.

[Enthusiast]

66. K&R...I agree, Fumesucker.

DU is the best place on the internet. There are others but none so good.

This place is fun. And it's VAST. http://www.advrider.com/forums/index.php?s=b17364b7209812cbc3832ab631ce5968 You have register to get to the political discussions. But it's free.

[PhoenixAbove]

67. K&R This place is still rather new to me...

but it's becoming my main source for news. I certainly don't post everyday but I read. Boy, I have learned a lot in my short time here. Thank you DU! :loveya:

[KansDem]

68. It's amazing what people don't know

Even left-of-center folks.

I have two good friends and a work colleague who are liberal/progressive/Dems.

One friend didn't know about the Koch Bros;
One friend didn't know about ALEC;
And the work colleague didn't know about PNAC.

I was able to fill them in! A result of 10 years on the DU! :woohoo:

[tnlurker]

69. Same here

I am addicted to DU both as a news source and a discussion board. Although i don't post very much I read lots of discussions throughout the day.

[tilsammans]

70. DU is my go-to source for FACTS . . .

That includes a wide range of info that's not available anywhere else. One-stop shopping. :yourock:

[Initech]

71. This is HUGH!!! I'm series!!!

But seriously... I get more info from DU than I do listening to talk radio or watching news networks.