Please Introduce Yourself

As of this date, most of us know each other. However, we are open to the public so introductions are probably in order. Good idea, thank you ecofriek. Did I spell that correctly? lol

I'm Stephanie and I live in Putnam County WV with my husband and two youngest children, cat, 2 dogs, and a hermit crab (I wish I were kidding). I have two adult sons back in my native RI. I'm a homeschooling domestic godess. At least that's what I tell myself.

Welcome to the forum. Beware, this is a barely moderated forum. If you're easily offended, this is not the group for you. Most of the founding members tend to be rather blunt. We are free to opine and bloviate till our hearts content.

I agree Stephanine, this is a good idea.

I'm Aaron and I reside in Putnam County with 2 high school teenagers and my baby-he's the one pictured. My oldest 2-kids that is-are all growed up, at least that's what they tell me, and gone. One is working and going to school part time and one is going to be a freshman at WVU in the fall-so he's not totally gone yet.

I manage a small manufacturing facility in St. Albans, volunteer endless at school-it's down to just baseball for now but that still takes a lot of my time-and when I've got nothing else to do, I like to ride.

And if any potential members want to discuss sports, don't let the lack of post fool you. I don't discuss them because frankly, no one wants to discuss sports.

I'm Michael and my wife Catherine and I lived in Nitro in 2000-2001. I had been working for a disability rights organization and for a government bureaucracy. Our children are Ben (3), Allison (1 1/2) and Mary Catherine is due any day now.

I teach Political Science at two Catholic universities which will remain nameless and at community colleges which will remain similarly nameless (I try to keep the bulk of my views hidden from my students so that they feel empowered to speak freely). I played tennis in college and will divulge that I was the assistant tennis coach at Dominican University. Since graduating, however, 11 years ago, I have become a portly 280 pounds or so. I lost 60 pounds on the Atkins diet and then found every last pound.

We are "big" in La Leche (but not spelling), homeschooling, anti-abortion causes, slow food, and avoiding work. We are born-again Christians who love God and each other. We are also flawed in every sense of the term.

Incidentally, I hate the Chicago Cubs, the New York Yankees, the Boston Red Sox,the Detroit Red Wings, and the New England Patriots. My favorite thing in the world to do is sit back with a yummy beverage, watch one of the above teams play, and root against them.

How can you hate the Pats and the BoSox? Sheeesh, ya think you know a guy. Then this!

It's easy to hate the Pats and the BoSox. You start with a complete lack of charity and good will.

I don't hate them in the "I wish their harm" sense of the word. I hope that the players all have wonderful home lives and are happy, healthy, well-fed individuals. I just enjoy watching them lose. A lot. Especially to my beloved Packers and Brewers.

Whenever an over-funded, talent layden team (ie the Cubs or either Sox) shows up to play a Wisconsin team in front of schlocked cheeseheads angry that they no longer get to dump thier mascot in beer whenever their team (rarely) hits a homerun, my loyalties are obvious.

I'm a New Englander through and through. I don't enjoy watching football, basketball or baseball. I do enjoy hockey. I wish my beloved Boston Bruins didn't suck so bad. That's what they get for trading my Lyndon 15 or so years ago. lol

In any event, I always want to see the New England teams do well, particularly the Red Sox. It just means so much to the fans. They waited such a long, long time and suffered so many disappointment. Who could ever forget poor Billy Buckner. Does anyone else remember that series? That young pitcher, I'm sure I'll spell his name wrong, Calvin Schiraldi crying like a baby made me want to cry right along with him.

That's wild, because the Bruins are one team that I like from up there (maybe I just like the underdogs). I feel for Bill Buckner. Did Boston ever give him an official dispensation?

Hello all. I am Ziggy. But Aaron likes to call me Frank, and that's OK too.

I am a life-long West Virginian, as is Becky- my still barefoot but no longer pregnant wife of 41 years. We have 3 grown children, one old cat so lazy that he lets birds eat his food, one old and deaf but still lovable long and oily haired half Border Collie-half Newfoundland dog, and a small pond full of bullfrogs (and probably a few ladyfrogs).

I am retired from "work", but moonlight as a volunteer in the county recycling program here, advocate for environmental sanity and social justice, and including dabbling in WV Mountain Party and Green Party US progressive politics.

We live near Ripley, about 40 miles north of Charleston.

I am here only because I can always say what's on my mind here without any fear that Ms. Ziggy will slap me silly for saying it.

Oh man, that's gotta be a beautiful dog!

We cannot get our digital camera to talk to this computer, or we would post a picture. But you can get some idea of his looks by clicking here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Newfoundland_dog_Smoky.jpg

BTW, his name is "Bear", and he looks the part.

That is a beautiful pooch, Ziggy!

That mutt I got from my neighbor, well the vet seems to believe he is either a Finnish Lapphund (Lappie) or a Lappie/Spitz mix. lol We figure Runny must be the same thing because they look so much alike, although the vet we took him to swore he was a Chow mix.

I have misplace my card reader. ggrrrr That's what lets my camera and pc communicate. They come in a variety of colors and markings, Scooby looks like the one top center in this image. The resemblence is unbelievable.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Yutori_Lapphunds.jpg

My name is Jim. I'm 56 years old, married, the father of three nearly grown spawn. I live in Wheeling and was a republican until republicans held majorities in the House and Senate, occupied the White House, and proved themselves no more principled than the democrats. I may be a libertarian although I don't think Bob Barr is the answer.

My avatar is not a representation of me. At 56 years old, it might as well be. I like to discuss politics, both state and national.

I am a mix of Irish settler and East German shepherd.

My wife says I look like a Labrador repeater.

My name is Terry and I study bugs.

I like the attitude of the democrats towards civil liberties and the attitude of the republicans about fiscal conservatism (republicans as they used to be).

I would be a libertarian if so many of them weren't impractically insane.

I live in a 40 year old single-wide on an acre of land with a wife, two kids, two dogs, two cats, two rabbits and a bunch of chickens (not all in the trailer).

Oh, yeah. I need to build an addition to a trailer.