I've been cut off from the internet for about a week, now. Skiing in Switzerland isn't conducive to connectivity (though the skiing has been pretty good). After checking my work email, which was extensive, the first thing I did was log onto Dkos. To be honest, I felt lost. I can't remember the last time I went this long without logging on. I had forgotten how quickly this place moves. The last thing I remember is Sen. Johnson's stroke. On the site, that seems like an age ago.
I had to dig around (go back 6 main pages) to find out what happened, which seems to be good news about Sen. Johnson. I'm also impressed to see that the Ok Go Treadmills video. Truly excellent, and something that you wouldn't see in most political coverage situations. Of course, I encourage you all to look at the other great Ok Go video of a backyard dance.
I am a bit sad the amount of recommended diaries I've missed, let alone the diaries that just scroll down the side of the site. It's almost a job's worth just to keep track, just ask the diary rescue rangers.
But these are just vague musings thus far. What's really important is how now this system is. Truly, as things happen they appear here immediately. We get up to the minute coverage of political life, unlike any other system. How many times have you told people of news fully 1-2 days before it breaks, let alone the examples of months prior such as the Abramoff scandal. We are cutting edge, and for that we ought to be proud.
Aside from immediacy, we get considerable more depth. How many diaries of Devilstower, or Chris Bowers, or georgia10 or nyceve or (fill in your favorite diarist here), have you read and thought the depth and breadth of the knowledge is just staggering. I'm constantly in awe, and I love that feeling. That sense that we are vastly greater than the mere sum of our parts is wonderful.
These things make us a community, but more importantly is the care and concern. I'm sure this has been diaried to death, so I won't expand, but I have made friends on this blog. Friends, I intend to keep for life. I've see such caring and cocnern on the behalf of others, which appears to be a simple extension of the political alignment of people here.
We are the group that cares, the group that wants to help, the group that thinks we have a responsibility to make life better for others. We're not completely in it for ourselves, and that's what make me liberal. I want my government to help the poor, the downtrodden, the huddled masses. These people need our help the most, and that's why we give it.