I want to take this opportunity to thank all the content providers, commenters, readers and those that just lurk without registering.

Thank you to all essay writers, from the prolific to the singular, you folks are the structural backbone, the raison d'être.

Thanks to all who publish the weekly open threads and weekly series, it's not easy doing that week after week, you folks are the community backbone, the personal heartbeat.

Thank you to all the commenters, this place wouldn't be near as interesting without the myriad comments that embellish the great essays, the wisdom and insight in the comments cannot and should not be underestimated. You are c99p's intellectual melting pot.

Thank you to all of our readers and lurkers. We are all trying to make sense of this craziness we are witnessing as local, national and global events unravel around us and I hope we bring a small modicum of reading enjoyment and understanding to your lives.

A special thanks to my moderator compadres who help take up the monitoring slack and provide priceless advice and guidance behind the scenes. I'd be lost without you guys and gals. Thanks for putting up with me.

And a very special thank you to joe shikspack, my administrator brother. I lean on him constantly. He is always spot on level headed and always there when I need advice. His Evening Blues series was where we met at DKos and where we became good buds. His series is the centerpiece of c99p. I and this site would be a mess without his presence.

I also want to shout out to the original core group that made up this site before we exploded in membership two Marches ago. It was we that developed the concept and direction that this site ultimately took. I know the Great Migration changed things here but the underlying fundamentals remain, those being non-partisanship and civil open discussion. I believe that is what sets us apart from most discussion boards.

And a special thank you to Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal, it was her vision many moons ago that ultimately lead to the creation of this site. There will be more coming up about that soon as she and I are writing a two part series about the history of c99p.

I'll end this with a comment I left today in Lookout's The Weekly Watch. It was his comment that spurred this essay. In his essay he made this statement:

Consider JtC and his approach to running C99... with one of his rare essays recently urging us toward more meaningful, kinder conversation and interaction. You are a gift, Brother.

My reply:

Thank you Brother Lookout...

nah, I don't consider myself a gift. But I do consider you and all that contribute content as the true gifts. If it weren't for the great writers and commenters here who give much of their time and effort c99p would be non existent. It's the membership that makes c99p what it is.

Nah, I'm not a gift, I'm the nuts and bolts guy and that's enough for me. Seeing y'all enjoy this site is a gift to me.

Thanks to you all and have a joyous holiday season!

That about sums it up for me. It's the members that make c99p what it is and I thank you all for that.