Patrick

Thanks Alex. Patrick

Hello, Thank you for visiting KarateForums.com. Today marks a big milestone for Brian, perhaps better known around here as bushido_man96. It was five years ago today that he joined our staff. Brian has been a tremendous contributor to this community. Some people look at post count as an important, serious metric, for determining someone's standing within this community. From managing KarateForums.com for over 10 years, I can tell you that is not a good indicator. I say this knowing that Brian has 20,331 posts, which is the second highest number of any member here. I fear that he will eventually catch me, which is why I can never take another vacation for as long as I live. In reality, I look forward to that day. But, of course, what is a better indicator of someone's standing in this community is the content of their posts. What they say and what they share is important, but just as important is how they say it and how they treat other people. The content of Brian's posts is what makes him such a beloved member of this community. In my role as administrator, I see everything that goes on here. I see the public stuff that members know about and I see the (sometimes very nasty) private stuff that I have to deal with. Once in a while, there is a member who becomes popular here, who a lot of people gravitate towards and, privately, I know them to not be the nicest person in the world. My job isn't to share that information with anyone, but to keep that knowledge private. However, I can say, with absolute honesty, that the popularity of Brian within our community is well deserved. He's a great influence on this community. He's a great guy with a great love of KarateForums.com. Though the KarateForums.com Awards aren't to be taken too seriously, I believe there is good reason that he has been honored by the community with the Community Spirit Award for the past five years, which is an amazing feat (as well as the 9 total honors he's received). This passion that he has is one of the things that I love about him. Myself, and the current and former staff members who have been on the team with Brian know him a little differently, as someone who offers thoughtful feedback on site related matters, is a great team player and takes serious the responsibilities that I've given him. It's been a pleasure to get to know Brian well during his five years on staff, here on KarateForums.com and elsewhere. It was great to meet him, and his family, in person at the Podcamp Topeka conference last year. Thank you, Brian. Thank you for all of the great contributions that you have made to this community and for all of your efforts to help maintain this community. Your support over the years means a great deal to me. Sincerely, Patrick

Welcome aboard, kumite. Patrick

Good luck, Celeste. Patrick

Hello and welcome, Tim. Happy to have you. Patrick

I'm not sure if it would help you get in faster (it might bypass that "closed for now" stuff), but would you like me to send you an invite, Derwentbob? Patrick

Hello and welcome, Tay. Patrick

Welcome aboard, Barry. Patrick

Hey Derwentbob, Yes, that sounds right. Circles are, more or less, a more visual way for you to see who you are sharing with. In my view, it makes it easier for you to more carefully share content with specific groups. Like coworkers, family, close friends, the public, etc. Thanks, Patrick

That's cool, Justice. Nothing is for everyone. After all, most people aren't on KarateForums.com. Hehe. Danielle, it's pretty cool. You should have a look around. Patrick

Happy to hear it. Patrick

Google+ is the new social network from Google. Are you on it yet? My profile: https://plus.google.com/117051433761426339015 Patrick

Welcome aboard, Celeste . Patrick

My brother goes to so many concerts! He's seen half the bands that you guys are posting.

Happy to hear it.

Happy Birthday to Jeff (Jeffrey on the forums). Thank you for all of your great contributions to our community. Sincerely, Patrick

Thanks MasterPain. I am familiar with Dr. Demento through "Weird Al," though by Dr. Demento's own creations. Patrick

Hey LittleW. Welcome! Patrick

I am a huge, huge fan of Diddy. I love most of what he and Bad Boy Records has touched and it's also a hobby of mine to collect it all and various other pieces of memorabilia. I'm a big fan of The Notorious B.I.G., Jay-Z, Ryan Leslie, TLC, Kanye West, Michael Jackson, Will Smith, Eminem, Total, 112, Mary J. Blige, Lady Gaga, Fabolous, Drake, Nas, The Lonely Island, "Weird Al' Yankovic and more. I'm always listening to music. I can bop along to a lot of stuff, though. You can view my listening habits on my Last.fm profile, as well: http://www.last.fm/user/iFroggy

Welcome aboard, Richy. Glad to have you. Patrick

Thanks for sharing, everyone. What shooters do you play, Jeff?

Congrats Liver Punch. Patrick

Haha. Yeah. Congrats. Patrick

Our pleasure, Shizentai. Sorry to hear about your internet! Patrick

Hello, KarateForums.com recognizes one member every month as the Member of the Month for their positive contributions to this community. The July 2011 selection is... Shizentai. Congratulations! Thanks, Patrick