Incredibly — or perhaps not so much, given the various horrible news the week before last — I completely lost track that last Sunday (1/24) was OUR SIXTH ANNIVERSARY here at The BRAD BLOG.
So, Happy Birthday to the “six or seven”* of us who are now six years old!!! If you’re inclined to share your own thoughts, most or least favorite BRAD BLOG moments or stories, changes or improvements you’d like to see in the year ahead, or anything else you’d like to get off your birthday chest in comments, I hope you will.
If you’re able to share more than just comments, please consider signing up for a much-needed monthly sustaining contribution as a birthday gift if you can afford to. Trust me, we really need it! (If you can help, use the light blue box in the right sidebar to sign up for an automatic monthly contribution of any amount you like — it’s very quick and easy!).
Even “six or seven”* dollars a month from a tiny fraction of those who read these pages each day would make an extraordinary difference here, and go a long way towards helping us to continue bringing you real, fearless, independent, progressive media! If you prefer, a one-time donation, we’ll take that too! We receive no corporate or foundational funding here, nor do we get free links/money-galore from folks like Drudge like certain wingnut operatives do, so your support is all that keeps us alive.
Either way, my thanks to all “six or seven”* of you, for your generosity, perseverance, kindness, strength, wisdom, dedication, charity, good spirits, support for the underdog, combativeness and community for all of these years. All of which has made it an honor and privilege — if sometimes an exhausting and occasionally dispiriting one — to wake each morning to face each new day here with you all. On behalf of Ernie, 99, Desi, Frank, everyone else who tosses in when they can, and especially John Gideon in both heart and spirit, thank you all for helping to see us through yet another year. May the next one be much brighter…
_____________
Congratulations, Brad, on your formidable persistence, accuracy, and, OK, pure entertainment value from time to time. Maybe one day we’ll have actual, verifiable, free elections – too bad it doesn’t matter whom we elect, as the Masters of War pull all their strings anyway. Hard to believe that in the beginning there were *only six or seven* of us. When my ship comes in I’ll send you some ingots…
This is the new media. This is where I go to get my news on a daily basis. This is the news that needs to be spread around and supported. Thanks Brad and everyone involved.
From someone who stumbled onto this blog last Spring…Good job Brad.
This is blog has the most diverse topics and articles that I’ve run across on the ‘internets’…it’s entertaining, informative and comical at the same time.
That article I promised is coming…
This is a tough room so I want to be impeccable…
Good job Brad…congrats…
Brad, we at AUDIT-AZ started at the same time as you did. Its 6 years for us too and thanks to Brad Blog and VR we are smarter for following your Blog. We constantly use the archives for research and educating others.
Well HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRADBLOG (from one of the old original “six or seven”)!
And hello to everyone here – glad to see the place is still going strong. (I need to come back more!)
Just for grins, I did a search and found my very first post on these forums, from way back when:
https://bradblog.com/?p=1152#comment-12252
Thanks for hanging in there Brad, we still need you.
[Ed Note: User banned for violating the very few rules that we have here for commenting, which disallow commenters from using different names in comments. Too bad. You would have been more than welcome to criticize me and/or our moderators, but you failed to even follow the few rules we have for posting when doing so. So, bye bye. – BF]
Well, i knew I wasn’t one of the 6 or 7, but I wanted to find out where I was in the mix…and of course, came across some great names from the past…
Winter Patriot
Dredd
Savanster
Robert Lockwood Mills
Kira
Joan
Bluebear2
And oh wow, yes Czaragorn, Kestrel Blue Eyes, and Grizzly Bear Dancer have been around forever!
Big Dan, Charlie L, Phil all showed up a couple of months before me…
Then I showed up in mid-Nov of ’05, and goodness did I have a potty mouth. Had to be told off by Brad for flaming the trolls, like Rita and Castro…
Came across a few threads on Andy Stephenson, a local election integrity advocate and candidate for Secretary of State here in WA, who sadly died of pancreatic cancer way before his time…
and the 6 or 7 threads
All in all, this has to be the best cybertime ever spent. When I figure out how I’m going to pay my $6K tax bill this year, maybe I can send a few bucks your way, it’s been a while since I paid my dues.
Well, I have no clue exactly when I ran across the old Brad Blog. Might have heard you on Green960/mike malloy/randi rhodes, but wherever, I was electrified by your clarity and balls to the walls attitude, Brad.
I confess-I am the kind of person who will stand up in public and confront even great guys like Greg Palast when they deserve it (well, he was being an IDIOT, so SOMEONE had to point it out!?), so I deeply appreciate someone who does this so very very well, with manners, even… :).
And I’ve listened to & read Brad for what, a couple of years, now, and as far as I can tell, the ONLY time he’s ever slipped was interviewing that government plant about 9/11, on the anniversary in 2009 (some attorney/author-was it The Ground Truth?-who was TOTALLY twisting the Pentagon & Flight 93 facts around & Brad didn’t seem to realize he was being had, though the chat room was going a bit nuts-and of course, there seemed to be some kind of technical problems so he didn’t see what the chitter-chatter was, the one night he really needed the support!). (Not a lot of follow up after that interview, but as I was saying…)
The point being, Brad, that other than this ONE time, in all this time I’ve been listening, you’ve hit so many nails on the head, I’m gonna start calling you the Master Carpenter. You have built a solid structure of RESEARCHABLE, WELL DOCUMENTED FACT. You’ve spent your valuable and entirely underpaid time covering those crucial, frequently hidden, whitewashed, ignored & suppressed violations of our rights, sensibilities, and security, all of which really truly MUST be paid attention to.
And thereby, you’ve consistently given hope to those of us off in this quiet, dusty little corner where we try desperately to maintain the Truth-on life support with about as much equipment and supplies as the doctors in post-earthquake Haiti.
We’re all gonna need some divine intervention soon. Between the ‘clean’ nuclear & coal ‘energy’ plan announced in the State of the Union address as a way to get the ‘economy’ going, as if our right to clean air and a safe environment was something to toss on the dung heap of HOPE, followed almost IMMEDIATELY by letting John Yoo & Co. completely off the hook, and then, a swift follow-up kick in our collective arses: the ‘spending freeze’ combined with the fully funded military swag in the 2011 budget proposal, by way of which our fine-spoken fella in the White House pretty much said: ‘die, suckahs, die!’ Egads!!!
Can’t hardly believe the progressives haven’t exploded all over Obait&Switch! If I am not hallucinating, I do believe this week was a bigger disaster for the world than I could have dreamed of. So much for th CHANGE part of the promises OB&S made for two frickin’ YEARS to get his fine self elected!
Maybe as an encore, he’ll appoint George 43 to chair a blue ribbon panel investigation on government ethics in funding the ‘war’! BTW, has Congress declared war yet? Just checkin’. 🙂
Yawn! Well, I’ve just about had enough for one day. Don’t know how we are still able to pay attention. Did you read where the Jersey Shore crew are all signed up for season TWO? Well, THAT’S some news for ya!
So, anyway, happy anniverary, I guess. Please keep on keeping at it, Brad. The truth will win out one day, even if we’re not around to see it…
You’re in for the long haul, it’s obvious. Thank you thank you thank you.
If I had an extra five a month I’d send it to you. I’ll try to scrape something up and send it along. You are WAY too valuable a resource to lose.
Hey, George Soros! Where the heck are ya, buddy? Haven’t seen or heard from you lately. Could you shake out some pocket change for this man! He’s walking the walk-isn’t that what you wanted?! Isn’t that your goal? To set the record straight and get the truth out there? Well, what are you waiting for? This guys the real deal. What? You’re busy? Doing that currency manipulation thing again? Oh! So sorry I interrupted, sure wouldn’t wanna get in the way of you amassing a few more billion in your portfolio. I KNOW! Having a kitty in place for a rainy day is SO important. Nah, don’t worry bout us. We got it covered. With tents & rain tarps, but yeah, we’re fine. Just fine. You just go ahead, George. You’re a very busy man. I get it-you’ve got important stuff to do. Well, thanks much. See you around…
Aww, forget it. We’re on our own kids!
Guess it’s time for another nap. This disability crap is getting to be very very tiring indeed.
Blessings all! Help out if you can & say a prayer, do a jig, make an incantation, or roll some dice if you don’t have the shekels for Brad. We’re in this one together, dontcha know.
6 years? It seem like just yesterday we were wishing you a happy 5th. Time flies!
A gift is in the (snail) mail.
Congratulations, and many more!
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! I was directed to your blog by the insane, paranoid rant (against you) from another blogger and your site instantly became one of my favorites. Keep up the good work.
A song for your anniversary- nothing beyond the name and chorus is applicable but it does have a good beat, easy to dance to. I hope you raised a glass and did some dancin’ to celebrate. 🙂
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmUEMXdIJQk
Sophia –
After such a wonderful note (thank you!) I hate to pick any nits. But, well, you know me. 🙂 You said…
For those who may not be familiar with it, Sophia’s referencing was an interview I did with John Farmer, senior attorney on the 9/11 Commission, back on 9/11 last year, the 8th anniversary, while guest hosting the Mike Malloy Show.
As I said, I hate to pick nits after such a nice note, so I’ll just point folks to the interview you reference (both audio and text transcript) — so folks can decide if your assessment about me and/or the interview is accurate 🙂
And thanks to everyone else here for your very kind words. You are, like Sophia, welcome to share anything you don’t like so much, or might prefer to see done differently in the future as well!
And thanks for the song, LottaKatz! Haven’t heard that one in a while! 🙂
This place is like one of the hot springs at Yellowstone.
Without them (or maybe even with) we would all be scorched about the edges just a little bit more.
Thanks for the ventilation portal.
Happy Birthday & Many More !
well it feel like six years under bush, even though I couldn’t find any posts of mine earlier than late 2007.
Congrats Brad, keep the flags of discontent flying!