If you can, please throw a few ducats to Digby.

I started CrooksandLiars.com in September of '04. I was told that I was wasting my time by a lot of people. It was very difficult to break through at that time and develop an audience, but I was so drawn to this medium that it felt like home. I thought what I was doing was going to be important. I felt that video could and would change the Internet for a variety of reasons, but the most important was that I would have the liars from FOX News, BushCo. and their enablers in the media on the record and instead of reading a quote, you could actually see them deliver their agenda. I felt that it was a powerful tool to expose the corruption and overall lies the American people were being fed. And look at was has happened. Bush and his corrupt crew are almost out the door and Obama is now going to be the person in charge.

At the C&L/Liberally Drinking Christmas Party last night, my best friend (Bill the musician) came and we hung out with Digby, d-day, Rick Jacobs, BaGnews and the crew. How fast the year has gone.

Digby is having her holiday fundraiser and I hope you can spare a dime to help support one of the finest political minds and writers we have in the liberal blogosphere.

Digby will take it from here.

Yes, it's that time of year again, the time when I ask all of my loyal readers to pitch in a penny or two to keep Ye Olde Blogge up and running for another year. And this year it's harder for me to make that request. Everyone is hurting a little bit, or scared they will be shortly. And we've all just spent an exhausting year throwing our spare money to politicians to try to end the horrors of the Bush years. So, I know it's tough.

When I started this blog six years ago, we were a very tiny group of liberal political junkies fighting against an overwhelming tide of jingoistic conservatism everywhere. The community was intimate and friendly, like a small group of outcasts banding together for comfort and validation. Obviously, a lot has changed since then. The blogosphere has been professionalized and monetized and little blogs like mine are now dinosaurs. Indeed, Tina Brown's new venture The Daily Beast is backed by Barry Diller with untold millions and she's hired professional writers like Tucker Carlson(!) to write for big bucks. Reporters and editors are all blogging and tweeting and IMing like crazy these days. It's a new world.

And I do mean every day. I realized last night as I was thinking about this that I haven't taken a day off in over a year. Not one. But the amazing thing is that I didn't realize that until I thought about it. Blogging isn't work, it's just ... my life. But obviously, I have to generate money like everyone else and your kind contributions over the last three years have made it possible for me to keep this up. So, if you have it, and can spare it, I'd be grateful once again for any change you can put in the paypal tip jar over there (or via snail mail at the address shown) to make this a Very Bloggy Holiday.

Have a very Bloggy Holiday and if you can still afford it, please give a little to your favorite bloggers.

I'm actually going to take Christmas off for the first time evah. I've been blogging almost every day for the last four years and to say I'm a little tired is an understatement. The whole team has worked tirelessly to keep this thang running and we all thank you for coming here too.

You can donate to C&L too....

I'm launching several new very cool websites and projects right after the New Year...