Very sorry to see you go. Your insight has usually been a boon (rarely a bane). Hope you get to smell the flowers and hope to see your comments OCCASIONALLY!

Thanks Doug,
Your inspiration has been immeasurable.

When is the book coming ?

JHT

They will never put your kind of lightning in a bottle and that is a very good thing. Thanks Doug.

I'm am sorry you are leaving us before the November election. You do pick up a great evaluation of our candidates that is often overlooked by your readers. I realize that you never campaigned for any political party but you do pick up nuances and often unknown information that we need.

I too am focusing more on Arizona politics because America needs to get away from Big Daddy and begin to solve our own problems at a local level. Our citizens need a shot of interest in politics at the state level.

Take care of yourself Chief, we all love you...

Doug, take the summer off, get some rest, have some fun. I'm betting you'll be ranting again before the conventions are over. But in the meantime just remember to BREATHE!

Thanks again for a great site. We will make you proud!

I will miss you and your rants, Doug. However, life is short and you need to enjoy what you can. Take care, stay safe, and please check in and say howdy once in awhile, k? Thanks for all that you do and all you have done.

Teresa

I'm with you on this pollchecker. I'm into breathing too! Yoga! I've been a fan of Doug's from the beginning but have annoyed him enough to get kicked out. He always welcomes me back... Gotta love that kind of man.

Thank you Mr Thompson for the good and hard work devoted to this blog for the past 13 years.
Truth through rant is some of the most honesty ever seen and heard on the inter-net.
Thank you again for the kick in the pants needed in these phony times of phony government, lawyers, politicians, and phony partisan politics.........................
Good Luck and may you have a happy and healthy life.

The writing's been on the wall for a while now, Doug. It was just a matter of time and patience before you were forced to make a decision on what else to do to complete your life's mission. It seems you've determined what path you must take from here....

Best of luck Doug, and thanks for creating such a wonderful forum for commentary and debate. To me, it's the best!

It's a well-deserved break, Doug. Burn-out can happen to anyone, even if they love what they're doing passionately. Follow your heart and get the break you deserve. Just pop in a visit once in a while, OK?

--------------------------------------------------
"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness." -Mark Twain

Good luck Doug on your new focus. I enjoy reading your Blue Ridge Muse and think you'll do your community justice by devoting your energies and journalistic skills to that endeavor.

Thanks for providing a public forum upon which everyday folks can express themselves. : )

Carl Nemo **==

Mr. Thompson,

Though I rarely post comments, I read this website daily and look forward to each of your rants. I will continue to follow your work on BRM as you seem to have created a little brouhaha with your local phone company. Good luck with everything. I do hope that this goodbye from CHB is not permanent. Thank you for your hardwork.

Blitz Carthey

--If Descartes' declaration, "I think, therefore I am," were true, then this world should be a lot less crowded!

Doug, I have enjoyed your columns and will miss you. And of course I hope you'll change your mind and return!
-John Farley

I am very sorry to see you go, Mr. Thompson, but I wish you the best in terms of health and satisfaction at the other tasks awaiting you.

Most sincerely,

T. J. Flapsaddle

Ya gotta do what ya gotta do, Doug. We're all behind you all the way. But, please do, from time to time write another RANT. You don't have to handle and supervise daily operations to keep the column alive once every month or two. Follow the muse, follow the muse. Meanwhile I'll follow the Blue Ridge one. Thanks for everything.

Cordially and sincerely,

-- Kent Shaw

dang! fair winds and following seas!

Thank you Doug for all you have done, you will be missed more than you'll ever know. Go in health and enjoy whatever you do, You deserve it. My hopes are that you will find time to post here every once in a while and give us your slant on whats happening. My best to you and Amy!

"Always know... you have made a difference"

Doug..........

Truly sorry to learn of your decision to leave CHB. Please remember that your creation here is very remarkable and represents a great example of political discourse at it's finest.

Good luck in your future endeavors and don't forget to drop by and give us some of your pithy comments.

You deserve a break, Doug, even if it proves to be a very long one. I know how it is; I've been a musician for a long time and sometimes the burnout gets so bad that you just wanna kick someone's ass and it doesn't even matter who! At that point, common sense and survival instinct demand that one should take a rest, for as long as needed. But your passions (obsessions?) never really leave, so my personal prediction is that you'll be back, in some form, when the time is right.

I'm gonna miss the bejesus outa you, though. I love your Rants, and I think the world needs a lot more like you who tell it like it is, "correctness' be damned. So, Best Wishes, Good Luck, Happy Trails, and all else...... And, for whatever it's not worth, I'll do my small part to keep the Doug Thompson Doctrine alive and kicking, in your absence!

The Blue is your way of maintainig you sanity, your way of venting, letting off steam. You'll be gone until the nest time uou get pissed. Goodby. Enjoy youself. Expect you'll be back in a day or two.

Dear Doug,

"To Thine Ownself Be True" - Bill W.

You'll be missed, and certainly never forgotten. Your door...the one that you created, won't ever be closed to you. I'm sure that you'll walk back through if and when you're ready.

Respectfully,

Gregg

Doug, You will be sorely missed. There is no one that can take your place. CHB will not be the same without you...not by a long shot. Your forum is the first one that I felt like posting an opinion on...mainly because I agreed wholeheartedly with all of your views on all subjects. I doubt if I will feel the same without your Rants to get the dander up to the level of feeling compelled to respond. Many others feel exactly the same way. So please do not turn your back on what you have brought forth in this time of such need to hear the truth expressed.Do not forsake us in our time of need.

Everytime I threatened to run away as a kid, my mom would pack my bags for me. Can we help you pack?

Thank you for a job well done, Doug!

The very best luck to you in any venture to which you may aspire.

Charlie Couser

I thank you Doug for all the enlightenment you have brought me and many others. Have a good well-deserved respite, and get back to us when you can.
Appreciatively, DGeffen

Thank you, Doug. I will miss you very much. But I'm pleased to hear that CHB will continue -- not the same, but still good.

You did a great job, one that was gratefully received five days a week.

Awwwww phooey

This is in your blood, Doug. My bet is that after a good rest you'll eventually get bored and come back to it. In the meantime, thanks and have some fun.
-Warren

Starry

Out of curosity I checked my original CHB URL. Would you believe http://politicslive.com/. Relax, enjoy your time off and success in any new endevor.

You've done a great service creating and sustaining this web site. You deserve the time to do what you want and not feel pressured. I hope on days you are truly exasperated with our politics that we will be able to read your thoughts. The people in place do a terrific job, but we will still miss you. Enjoy your life in the Blue Ridge mountains with your family and community.