Hello from Pennsylvania
Since I've surpassed the 10-post milestone, I've been encouraged to introduce myself. I tend to be rather shy, so this won't be easy. Bear with me.
First off, the obvious: I'm a proud liberal, and I'm glad DU exists so I can hang out with like-minded people.
I enjoy reading (both fiction and nonfiction) and writing (again, both fiction and nonfiction) so I've joined both of those DU groups and I expect that's where I'll be spending the majority of my time.
To give you a sense of where I am politically, probably the most influential book I've ever read on politics has been Thom Hartmann's Screwed: The Undeclared War on the Middle Class and What We Can Do about It (2006). I cannot recommend it highly enough if any of you haven't read it.
A few of my key beliefs, political and otherwise: America should move to single-payer health care ASAP; Social Security is one of the greatest government programs of all time and I am dismayed that some are seeking to dismantle it; the high cost of American higher education is an outrage that is undermining our society; climate change is a serious threat and the attacks of the right on climate scientists are reprehensible.
A few random facts: I enjoy playing chess. I like crows and blue jays (corvids both of them and recently recognized as being among the most intelligent animals), thus the username. I enjoy cooking with cast iron. I'm a big Thomas Jefferson fan.
That's all for now. Hope to see you in the threads.
= new reply since forum marked as read
I'm glad you're here. 
You sound like an interesting person who will make some great contributions to the site. Did you know we also have a Cooking & Baking Group? We do! Here's the link:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=forum&id=1157
There are many great cooks and they have wonderful ideas. I hope you'll check it out.
Again, Welcome!
No, I didn't know there was a DU Cooking & Baking group. I'm amazed to see just how big this place is, in fact. Lots to explore!
To get an even better idea about all the offerings, click on the Forums & Groups tab at the top of any page. You'll see everything there!
