Hello Daily Kos!

I am new here and this is my first diary, so I hope I'm doing everything right.  I'm not exactly a whiz with computers.  My son tries to teach me, bless his heart, but I still find it a little overwhelming.  So forgive me if I make a few mistakes.

I suppose I should introduce myself.  I am what some of you might call a "sweet little old lady".  To that I would say that sometimes looks can be deceiving, I've been known to have a mischievous side.  I'm 68 years old with 6 wonderful children and 14 precious grandchildren, two of which are now serving in the Iraq war.  I have 3 beautiful cats, Bailey, Swan, and Jericho.  Sometimes they are a handful, but they keep me company in between visits from my kids.  I also have a big, goofy dog named Oscar who, for reasons known only to him, has an affinity for licking peoples shoes.  Not too bright, but loveable all the same.

I have been a Republican all my life.  My father was a Republican.  My late husband was a Republican.  But what George Bush has done to the country I love so much is heartbreaking.  While I have not gone so far as to re-register as a Democrat, I'm pretty sure I'll be voting for Democrats this election.  I was looking around the Internet for places to talk to people who feel like I do when I came across this site.  If you don't accept people my age, or folks who are Republicans, just let me know and I'll be happy to move on.  I don't want to cause any trouble, I'm just looking for someone to talk to...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OK PEOPLE, CAN WE SHOW A LITTLE RESTRAINT WHEN RECOMMENDING THIS BULLSHIT!

Seriously, don't be so trigger happy with the recommend button.

Look, I'm all for welcoming people to the community.  I'm all for supporting people through thier personal trials and tribulations.  Personally, I've been accused of being of the "bleeding heart" variety myself.  I enjoy reading diaries that have a personal touch to them.  Hell, I've even written some of those types of diaries myself.

But a heartstring tug does not a recommend make.

Don't get me wrong, part of what I like about this site is that it's a community, not merely a news site.  I love hearing people's personal experiences, views, and opinions.  Hell, that's what makes this site great.

But when you read these types of diaries think twice before recommending.  Check the diarist's history here by clicking on thier name to see if they are new.  Do a quick gut check. If something doesn't feel right, consider reading the diary again with a little more critical eye.  If the diarist is new, feel free to write a comment welcoming them to the site.  If they have personal problems, by all means offer your support or condolences in the comments.  Even throw a little mojo thier way if you feel like it.

But please remember that there are only 8 slots on the recommended diary list.  Hundreds of diaries are written here daily.  I'm just asking that you pause for just a few seconds before you hit the recommend button.  Ask yourself this question, "If my recommend is the one that puts this diary onto the recommend list, will I be proud of that fact?"  If you can answer yes to that question, then by all means click that recommend button.

If we are not careful, I can foresee a day in the not too distant future where recommends will be rationed just like troll ratings are.

Let's show that we have the self restraint to make that unnecessary.