Today marks ZD’s third anniversary. Our third year has been perhaps a bit slower than the previous two in terms of regular posting, but we’re happy that we’ve managed to stay alive (albeit with occasional long pauses between posts). Our approach to blogging, as you’ve doubtless observed, is random and haphazard. No one on ZD really presides (whether as a full-fledged presider or a chicken patriarch)–depending on your point of view, this is evidence of why presiding is unnecessary, or why loosely organized anarchy is a mistake.
A couple of nights ago, Ziff and I upgraded the blog to a later version of WordPress. This caused all of our posts to disappear, which made me feel rather anxious. I was quite happy when we identified the problem, and everything came back. (The categories also got a bit mangled, in case you happen across a post about happiness that’s been categorized “preside,” or one about presiding with the label “left-handedness.” Those aren’t meant to be hidden messages.) Sometimes I’m ambivalent about blogging, but the sight of our temporarily empty blog made me realize how sad I would be if it were truly gone.
I have a vague idea as to the number of people who come by the blog–depending on which stat counter you believe (and I’m not sure I believe either of them), in 2008 we averaged either 199 or 242 visitors a day (with a median of 191 and 238, respectively). Of course, many of those are the visits of the ZDs themselves. But I appreciate that so many other people stop by as well, and that you contribute to the conversation, even when we’re slackers about commenting elsewhere. I know that several of us, including myself, frequently resolve to be better Bloggernacle citizens (and decrease our Gini coeffecients.)
I’ve very much enjoyed becoming acquainted with at least some of those of those who regularly read ZD (many of whom have blogs of their own which I read regularly, and some of whom I’ve even gotten to meet in person). And for our third anniversary, we thought it would be fun to have an open thread for people to introduce themselves. Whether you’re a regular commenter, or you prefer the “read-only” mode of blogging and have never said a word here, this is an invitation (if you’re feeling so inclined) to say hello, who you are, and how you found us.
Can ya install an RSS feed for comments now? Can ya, huh, can ya? Pleeeeeeeease?!
Your wish is my command. 😉 I’ll add that to my list of things I need to tinker with on the blog.
And to introduce myself—I go by Lynnette online, which is my middle name. I think I may have recently transitioned from “early” to “mid” 30s, but that’s okay because thus far I’ve really liked this decade of life. I’m studying the not very marketable subject of systematic theology, and my biggest hope for 2009 is to finish my dissertation. I took up running in 2008, and got kind of hooked on it. I’m a lifelong night owl, and I’m continually trying to reform and go to bed earlier (with varying degrees of success). My liberal credentials are somewhat undermined by my love of meat. My intellectual credentials are somewhat undermined by my fondness for television shows of the teen soap opera variety. My favorite part of blogging, hands down, has been all the fun people I’ve met. I like the writing part too, though it still sometimes terrifies me a little to make my thoughts so public if I think about it too much. I’m highly introverted, and somewhat conflict-avoidant. My dream job would involve reading novels, blogging, making big charts of things, living in a mountain cabin, and tasting chocolate.
Hi everyone–I’ve commented a few times but I think I’m more of a lurker than anything. I go by FoxyJ online and I found this blog because I am a friend of Melyngoch and Katya. I have two small kids and I’m attempting to be in a PhD program, but am currently experiencing guilt because I’ve realized I’d rather just be a stay-at-home mom than anything else. Primarily because it means I can read lots of novels and eat plenty of chocolate. And I like baking my own bread. I’m active in the church and my husband is not. I’ve been blogging for a few years now and enjoy the conversations and friendships that come about through the internet.
Your blog is among the first blogs I started reading. I don’t remember how I found it, but it was probably through fMh. I’m quite surprised to discover that your blog may be younger than mine since I’d always thought of you guys as being among the established veterans back when I was learning to blog…
Hey. I’m just a little BYU feminist student who stumbled upon this blog at the recommendation of my sister Pinto. Oh happy day when I found it. Easily one of my favorite blogs.
I have nothing to say about myself, but congrats on another amazing year of one of the very best blogs around!
I’m Eve, and outside of ZD I go by “ZD Eve” to distinguish myself from the other Eves I’ve occasionally encountered online. I recently turned 37, which makes me in my late 30s by Lynnette’s calculations, but I feel mellow about the prospect of turning 40, since I find the idea of being a crusty old curmudgeon with a marshmallow center far more appealing than the idea of being a doe-eyed ingenue. Also, my eyes have never been doey.
I’m very slowly making my way back from blogging sabbatical because after years of infertility and much to my own surprise, delight, and exhaustion, I had a baby daughter on November 5th of last year. (Thanks to Lynnette’s help, I managed to get to the polls and vote while enduring Braxton-Hicks, about ten hours before I actually went to the hospital.) My daughter’s doting aunts and uncle have showered her with pink outfits, toys, and love, and her parents have showered her with nicknames. Among others, I like to call her Tiny Pin after an adorable little porcupine in one of my favorite childhood books. In the book, Tiny Pin, who suffers from excessive maternal dependence, repeatedly and sadly (or shrilly!) calls, “Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, wait for me!” Because I’m constantly being paged by Tiny Pin, who is currently sleeping on a pillow propped on my knees my blogging will no doubt be intermittent for the foreseeable future, but I continue to read as I can with a great deal of interest.
In the tiny shreds of time now left me, I’m very slowly pursuing a Ph.D. in English and comparative literature. My first love is lyric poetry, and I’m currently beginning what will be a long process of preparing for reading exams focused on the religious lyrics of the seventeenth century. I also like to sneak around behind my own back and behind the backs of my adviser and committee and indulge interests in philosophy, linguistics, and various languages. I firmly believe that life holds few sorrows that cannot be ameliorated by beginning the study of a new language (achieving any degree of mastery is quite another matter!) I despair of ever being a real scholar. I hate to cook, I’m a Personal Progress dropout, I sometimes fantasize wistfully about being a domestic goddess, I’m hopelessly absentminded and introverted. And I’m a neat freak.
As others have said, my favorite part of blogging is the wonderful people I otherwise never would have met. I hope to meet more of you in the coming months and years!
Your a thread of sanity in the narcissistic law geek world of Mormon blogging.
A thread mind you, a thread.
If anyone else catches your disease, I’ll be put out of business.
Love it! Keep it up. And do something stupid once in a while, I’ll have the kitties standing by.
Has it been three years already? That is hard to believe.
Eve, that is absolutedly terrific news! Best wishes to the next generation, and it is so good to know that your sisters are such wonderful caregivers and nurturers.
The best thing about blogging is the sense of community that is built, and the ZsDs are as skillful as any at creating a welcoming and thoughtful online space. Here’s to three more years.
Thanks, Mark! (And to give credit where credit is due, I should add that my co-blogger Katya, as well as bloggers from other blogs, have also been very kind and generous to Tiny Pin. She is a delight, but a demanding one–I would never get anything else done if my sisters weren’t helping me out!)
Wow, three years. Congratulations!
I don’t remember how I found ZD. It was probably through FMH, though. I’ve been hanging around the Bloggernacle for about 2 1/2 years now, and I go through spurts of lurking and spurts of vigorous commenting. My personal blog goes through spurts of posting and spurts of inactivity as well. I go by Keri Brooks online, to distinguish myself from others with similar names like Kerri or Carrie, etc. I guess by calculations, I’m in my late-20’s. I’m in law school, which keeps me busy.
Congrats on the anniversary. I’m a fan.
I’ve met three of the ZDers IRL. Very cool, very fun, highly intelligent–and all beautiful to boot (is it shallow of me to mention that? Ah, well). Just knowing that there are Mormon women this freakin’ awesome walking the planet makes me smile.
I can’t remember how I found ZD; I’m sure from one of the aggregators and then posts that I found interesting.
I blog under the name Kevin Barney because, uh, that’s my name. I live near Chicago and am one of those narcissistic lawyers that is the bane of the Bloggerncacle, but I’m a frustrated academic at heart, which might be why I like these here parts so much.
Hi everyone—thanks for commenting!
FoxyJ, I didn’t realize you were connected to Katya and Melyngoch. Though I do start to lose track of where I know people from, especially if I know them in multiple contexts. The Bloggernacle would be a fun place to play Six Degrees of Separation.
C.L. Hanson, that’s too funny. I’m still not sure I think of us as veterans, even though I suppose three years is a decent life span in blog time.
Jddaughter, I didn’t know Pinto had a feminist sister at BYU! Very cool. Nice to meet you.
Thanks, TT!
Eve–it’s good to see you around! Since you’ve outed Tiny Pin, I’ll add a comment I was going to make earlier in my intro, that one of the things I enjoy most is being an aunt. In my completely unbiased opinion, Tiny Pin is completely enchanting—as are Ziff’s two boys, whom I am currently visiting, and who periodically come peer over my shoulder to ask how much longer I will be engaging in this incredibly boring activity of typing.
Thanks, bloggernacleburner–I fear whatever sanity we possess is indeed a thin thread. But we do stupid things pretty regularly, so we should have no trouble living up to that admonition.
Mark, as I recall, you’ve been reading and commenting nearly from the beginning of our blog, and I’m happy that we roped you in so quickly.
Thanks, Keri! I know what you mean about spurts of commenting and lurking; I follow the same pattern.
I am one of the writers on the “Beginnings New” blog trying to being feminist enlightenment to the YW program and bring the conversation level up a notch. I lurk on ZD because you remind me of a family of smart sisters that I know (in fact sometimes I’ve wondered if you are that family) and I have ascribed personality traits to each of you in my mind and I really like that family, so I really like you. Which is totally irrational I know, but sometimes that’s how anonymous blogging works. I imagine I’m a fly on the wall of your family gatherings and you’re all staying up late and talking way into the night. At least that’s how your blog often sounds to me.
My favorite post was when you changed the blog for April Fools. That was hilarious.
That was “bring feminist enlightenment.” Although “being” would be a good goal too. Anyway, congrats on 3 years and keep it up!
By way of introduction, my name in Christopher and I blog at the Juvenile Instructor. I am a grad student and study early American religious history. I found ZD through the Mormon Archipelago when I first started reading Mormon blogs about 2.5 years ago. I’ve only commented here a couple of times–generally on threads that deal with history–but lurk more regularly and really enjoy the conversation at ZD. Congratulations on three years.
so, I probably came via FMH. It seems like it’s been a long time but I don’t actually know how much of the 3 years. I know I started at FMH in 2005. Anyway, I’ve been a sometimes-commenter and I do read every single post thanks to RSS.
I think I have only ever just read it actually, but I love the ideas and the approach. Thanks to all of you guys, and congratulations on the anniversary.
Been enjoying ZD from the periphery for some time; recently made it one of my “must read” blogs.
Oh, and I already get a ZD comment feed on Google Reader. The url is in the sidebar (bottom left).
I started reading blogs when I was a desperate expat housewife in the middle east, and ZD was fun and interesting to me. Now I’m in Idaho & still reading lots of blogs. (Occasionally commenting.)
I’m waiting for somebody to say “Hi, my name is ______ and I’m a ZDaholic.
Hello. I’m Kiskilili, and this is a little about me:
Last night I dreamed there was a ghost library giving out free books. Somehow it was all underwater. I loaded up several boxfuls and then hid from the people walking around with yoga mats. Congregations of ghosts were holding meetings in cafes. I think I was one of them, except I wasn’t me.
(Now we’re talking about waking life.) My middle name was recycled from my maternal grandmother, who died before I was born. I don’t particularly like its sounds and considered changing it to something more exotic when I legally changed my first name eight years ago. Later I discovered my grandmother distanced herself from the Church over feminist issues with the temple (like me). Now I’m torn.
I like to make up names, and one of my goals is to make up one new name every day.
Jeans, now I’m trying to think who you could be. Not infrequently when we get together, we actually do stay up late talking! Reworking the YW lessons with a feminist twist is a laudable undertaking–I’ll have to visit your blog more often.
I’ve been reading since you guys started, I’m just too intimidated to comment most of the time. I’m a blogger, a writer, a mom, and a somewhat conflicted feminist.
I’ve been reading ZD for a little while, intermittently since having lunch with Lynnette at Sunstone in 2007, and more regularly since starting to use Google Reader a few months ago. I blog, but almost never about Mormon issues, partly because my family and childhood friends who read my blog are almost uniformly considerably more conservative than I am, and also because I don’t want to host the kind of “narcissistic law geek” discussions that often characterize the bloggernacle (sometimes I want to add “masturbatory” and “self-indulgent” and “unnecessarily pedantic, obscure and self-referential” and even “circle jerk” to that description as well; I’m an Ivy-League-educated lawyer, btw, though admittedly one on an extended maternity leave).
Oh, I’m in my early 40s, and have been participating in online Mormon feminist communities for over 15 years.
Wow, janeannechovy, tell us how you really feel about the b-nacle.
ZD, Congratulations on three years, I love the blog. Unlike Lynnette, I am still in my early thirties. I design microprocessors for a living and Preside over my wife and four kids. My pick for all-time greatest movie is Amadeus, I have a hard time choosing between Elvis and the Beatles, I’ll take the Brady Bunch over the Partridge Family, I am prejudiced against people who do not recognize quotes from Ghostbusters, Star Trek 2, and Romancing the Stone, I blog at NCT and found ZD through MA. Also, as a teenager I spent a lot of time on a skateboard and playing in a ska/punk band. My residual self image still reflects this.
I am a BYU student, majoring in sociology. My mother introduced me to ZD a few years ago and ever since I’ve been hooked. I met a few of the ZD bloggers at the Sunstone Symposium in 2008 and have recommended this blog to a fellow BYU feminists. I’m not much of a commenter, but I am trying to change.
Eve!!!!! Congratulations!
My handle is Idahospud, but I’m Nikki Hunter, a name I don’t go by online because it also happens to be the name of a very acrobatic p*rn star whose feats are the ones that come up on a google search. She and I are not the same.
I started reading ZD in its infancy, and I love the mix of considering feminism from the many stances that the ZDers are so good at: academics, theology, practicality, and goofiness. Plus, Mark Brown hangs out here and I have a crush on him.
I’m Kaimi, and I’m a narcissistic law geek. I teach law in San Diego, and I make lots and lots of posts and comments in the bloggernacle. (By Ziff’s count, I was number one last year. Go, me!) (See, narcissistic! 😉 ) I blog sometimes at group blogs with other narcissistic law geeks; or, in a pinch, with mere narcissistic geeks.
I’ve been a ZD reader from the start; I still remember the shock waves from Kiskilili’s apostasy post (she kept that secret under her blogging hat for all of about three weeks), and the days of yore when Rosalynde commented here (or anywhere), and Seraphine was merely S.
I’ve really enjoyed the discussions over the past three years. I can’t count how many times I’ve been wowed by really awesome analysis here. I’ve met three ZDs in real life (and had tea, and Subway), and you’ve all been as smart and funny and nice and gracious and fun offline as on. I’ll echo Kevin: Just knowing that there are Mormon women this freakin’ awesome walking the planet makes me smile.
I vaguely think I found ZD through a Rosalynde link, or an Eve comment/link, but it’s all a blur by now. More to the point, I’m pretty sure I knew you all (and Mark) in the pre-existence, and that this is merely the latest iteration in a long series of discussions (mostly about patriarchy, but also about monkeys and theology and double dactyls) that we’ve had, and will have, over the millennia. 🙂
Plus, Mark Brown hangs out here and I have a crush on him.
😛
Three great years. ZD has been, and always will be, one of my favorite sites.
I mostly lurk throughout the bloggernacle, and when I occasionally comment, I go by jane, or jane doe, or j, or jd, because I’m creative that way.
I’ve been a fairly compulsive bloggernacle lurker almost as long as there’s been a bloggernacle, and ZD is one of my very favorite sites. I love your thoughtful, honest, interesting posts. I rarely comment because:
-I know there’s a good chance I’ll change my mind on any given topic within a day or two.
-I’ll probably say something that has some negative repercussion somewhere, somehow.
-I’ll probably sound dumb.
-Some show-offy smarty-pants will be happy to point out the specific dumbness of my comment.
-Sometimes the things being discussed are intensely personal to me, and I feel a little weird about pouring out my most personal, contradictory, turbulent thoughts to the whole wide world. (I have done that a few times, and felt horribly embarrassed about it afterwards). On the other hand, I’m really, really grateful that other people (i.e. you guys) are willing to do just that, because I get so much out of reading these blogs. So yes, I’m a great big hypocrite.
Thank you, Zelophehad family, for your insights, humor, warmth, and thoughtfulness. I keep wishing one (or three) of you would move into my ward, and with my super-sleuthy skills, I’d realize your secret identity, and we’d become fast friends.
Hooray for the Zelophehad’s!
Three years is a long time and I’m so glad that you’ve continued to blog despite all of the crazy lives that you lead.
Eve, of course congratulations on your baby. I was wondering if you were ever going to tell your little secret 🙂 I’m so very happy for you.
Among the things that have already been said that I echo:
“Hi, my name is Jessawhy and I’m a ZDaholic. . .”
“Plus, Mark Brown hangs out here and I have a crush on him.”
“ZD is one of my favorite two sites (Exponent being the other)”
Oh, wait, I was the first one to say that.
But really I found ZD through fMh during in Nov of 2006. It was a lifesaver to find smart LDS women who challenged the culture and doctrines of the church while still remaining affiliated.
I have had the great privilege of meeting IRL Ziff, Lynnette, Kiskilili, Seraphine, and I think Elbereth (I’m not 100% sure that’s her handle).
I’m so glad you guys have been blogging more regularly, but your free time (holidays) is my busy time, so I haven’t been able to follow the threads as closely as I would have liked.
Lynnette, I’m glad your new format worked out and that you didn’t lose your content. That would be scary.
Best wishes for many more years of blogging!
I stumbled upon ZD by way of fMh as well. (I haven’t enjoyed other LDS-themed blogs at all, btw.) Between the 2 of you (fMh & ZD ftw!) I’ve absorbed more religion in the past 2 years than I otherwise had in the previous 10. I’ve been trying to reconcile many things between my personal values and my lifelong religion, so I was astounded and grateful to find such progressive LDS communities. I lurk a lot, but avoid most deep/heavy theological discourse (go Me). Surprisingly, I’ve found that despite being in like-minded company for the most part, being a dirty-liberal-apostate-hippie suits me much better than being a Mormon poster-child. I’m cool with it. My family would not be, however, so I don’t discuss such things on my own blog. (I imagine anyone here would find it horribly boring.) Kudos to those of you who have made a happy fit of the two (liberal peg in a conservative hole).
IRL I’m a doula & aspiring CPM, useless office worker, 3rd-wave feminist, registered Democrat, community volunteer, coffee-drinker, childless (not by choice) 30-something, and doting life partner to a terrific man who loves me in spite of it all. ^_^
Thanks for the good times (and hours upon hours of distraction from my day job), ZD. Keep up the great work!
First of all, congratulations to Eve! That’s so fantastic!
I’m Anna, and I am a rather bad commenter but quite an excellent lurker. I discovered the Bloggernacle during the fall of 2004 and remember when ZD was founded. Shortly after ZD started up, I deduced that I actually knew Kiskilili in real life, and furthermore that I had been an undergrad at the same university where Eve and Melyngoch have pursued graduate studies. I don’t think I’ve ever met either of them–alas!–but I know we have mutual friends and acquaintances.
Like the ZDs (if I remember correctly), my family has never owned a television. The sex distribution of the children in my family is the opposite of the ZDs, and I am the Ziff analogue. (I.e., I am the only girl with six brothers.) I freely admit that this upbringing warped me. I have continued to accumulate quirky talents and life experiences, such as learning to wiggle my ears and (on more than one occasion) playing “Eye of the Tiger” on the organ as postlude very, very slowly.
Oh, and I have met Mark Brown in real life, and I can confirm that he is SOOOOO CUTE!!!!!
I’m queuno. que-u-no. If you know Spanish, it’s easy to say.
I’m a frustrated academic (I’m in the middle of the eternal dissertation from hell, and anyway, I work for a consulting company that distracts me more than I’d like to admit). My dad was a professor. And a brother. I have numerous family members and in-laws who are attorneys. We’re a cursed bunch.
My interests vary from computational theory to Baldomero Lillo.
I’m fond of saying that I’m middle of the road, that I couldn’t bear to be a liberal and gag at the idea of being a conservative.
My mother is a “just do your VT” non-idealogue who hid my Dad’s copy of RSR. My dad gets into fights over BoM geography with BYU professors.
I found ZD through a sidebar link on T&S.
I’m Starfoxy. I’ve been around awhile I guess. I go by Starfoxy because I like stars and like to think I’m clever like a fox. In recent years I’ve realized that people tend to think I’m a videogamer or an aspiring adult entertainer- neither of which is true. Oddly enough my husband did a similar sort of thing when he chose to go by Horndude on the (non-bloggernacle) blogs he frequents. You see, he plays the french horn.
I comment less and less these days because I tend to clam up when I’m around people I like. I care more what they think, so I think more carefully and speak less.
I can remember when ZD started up, and am happy to say that it is still awesome.
Congrats to all (and especially Eve).
Hmm, rereading my comment makes me want to clarify one thing: the ZD permas are all brilliant, but none of them are show-offy smarty pantses. They are all kind and welcoming, and give generally tactful and gentle responses, even to commenters with whom they disagree. That’s one of the reasons I have felt comfortable enough to comment here on occasion.
I’ve enjoyed your community, even though my experience with LDS has been negative lately. I’m following my formerly Catholic husband’s from job to job as we move about every decade. He makes about twice my income and since schools are everywhere, I can more easily relocate.
I work as a school psychologist/school counselor, with another credential in speech pathology, so I run programs for low vision and blind students, deaf and hard of hearing students and high medical needs students in public schools, as well as the general programs for students with fewer challenges. I have two wonderful children, one married in the temple and one not active, a grandson and another grandson on the way.
My first degree was from Gonzaga University, a Jesuit institution and I have had difficulty dovetailing that excellent education with my current experience of the treatment of women in this stake. It is interesting to me that I was treated better when my husband was still Catholic. He said that he converted for me. I regret that we landed in such a provincial stake as he is questioning the overall church teaching based on our experience with this stake.
Professionally and personally, we want to be treated as equal souls and we want the Church to provide a good and just religion for all members in its congregation. Thank you for allowing me to work through my views and thoughts in a forum of brave and wise individuals. I appreciate your commentary.
Congrats ZDs! I love reading your posts, but unfortunately, coming up with a comment reminds me that I have a dozen posts on our own blog that I should be writing.
Hi, I’m Emily, and I’ve been…well…delinquent. But I just love ZDs!
I just turned 30.5, I’m one of those selfish, hell-bound women who is childless by choice, I read fluffy romance novels with wild abandon, and aspire someday to actually hike the Appalachian Trail with Eve et al. I am not a lawyer, and am no longer an academic, so I guess that makes me a narcissistic…writer? maybe? or not.
I am technically a perma at fMh, though I have been delinquent, there, too–but I remember ZDs inception, and am still as enamoured of it and all of you as I was waaaay back when. Congrats!
starfoxy,
my husband used a french horn related screenname too. ever since we were teenagers instant messaging eachother in the 90s, I was cchrissyy and he was HorninFBb (horn in F B flat) When I blog, I call him horninf for short.
I’m Seraphine (formerly “s”). I’m 30, and I’ve become a delinquent permablogger the past year and a half because my job and personal life have been taking almost all of my emotional and mental energy. My job is teaching English to high school students (and coaching quizbowl), and I love it. Prior to this, I was an academic and trying to write a dissertation, and I’m not sure if I’ll go back and finish it. That plan is currently up in the air.
These days, I spend a lot of my free time wishing I had more free time (and sleeping). I am looking forward to this summer when I will have lots and lots of free time (and maybe can meet other bloggernacle denizens like I did this past summer!)
Seriously, though, I am currently trying to add enjoyable free-time activities back into my life, like a new choir and yoga. We’ll see how successful I am or if this just makes me more stressed. (Have I mentioned I’m busy and stressed?)
Anyway, it’s fabulous to hear from all of you!
That’s all right, Smallaxe–I have the exact same problem commenting on your blog. 🙂
EmilyS! I looooooved your essay in Sunstone “How the Prayers Ran Dry.” It had me in tears. Nice to see you here!
Jane, your comments are so kind; I only wish I could say I never show off or snap at people. Your list of inhibitions certainly resonates with me–it’s why I comment so little (sadly) on other blogs, although I read fairly regularly. It would be awesome if you used your sleuthing to figure us out–I have no doubt we’d all be fast friends! Several of us might come to Sunstone this year, so there’s always a possibility you could track us down there. 🙂
Sunstone has been fabulous for meeting way cool people, including Jessawhy, Kaimi, and Ellen, among others. (Ellen, we finally figured out after you left that your father is an awesome permablogger on some other blog, no?) I’ve long been a fan of cchrissyy and Starfoxy’s comments and would love to meet them sometime as well, circumstances permitting–not to mention Idahospud and Sue and many others. And it’s nice that we always have interesting people with varied experiences coming out of the woodwork to contribute to our discussions, like Lady and Jo.
Anna! How’s your job going? As far as I remember we always had at least a little black-and-white TV, although when we were young we were only allowed to watch it a few times a year. Of course that didn’t prevent us from spending all our allowance money ordering mind-rotting material on the Smurfs and Scooby Doo from book orders.
Huh, I’m boring comparatively. I like ZD because it frustrates the heck out of me sometimes, with Posts about God hating women etc. I just can’t believe people really feel that way, but I know that some do, and that hurts. I guess I like the pain, because I keep coming back.
Anyway, thanks for putting yourselves out there.
So, I just want to say that I remember hearing Seraphine sing (they have a singing session at Sunstone) and she is an amazing soprano.
As I recall, Kiskilili sang with the tenors, no? That is quite a talent as well.
I love the blog.
ZD has really helped me deal with and explore some of the issues I have had with the church in the last few years. Thanks. I found ya’ll through FMH and having a place to read and comment has been good, real good.
I lurk more than I comment, but I read it all when I have the time. I am in my mid thirties, with two kids and a partner who will finish his PhD this summer, (his dissertation was finished last year, Yea!, Which means he will really be done this summer.) My kids are now in school during the day, and I feel 18 again and trying to decide what to do with my life. I have a BS and an MS degree and am still confused. Oh well. I love to run, read( the frivolous to the deep, but lately lots of fantasy), watch movies, play games, and eat amazing food.
I’m an undergrad at a liberal, godless ivy league university, and this blog is one of my favorites out of the many I lurk at in the bloggernacle. I don’t remember how I found it, but I remember I started reading it because the ZD writers seemed to be generally respected, especially among the BCC crowd. Going on 2 years that I’ve enjoyed reading here- keep it up!
Congratulations, ZD! (I knew X2 and ZD were alike in many ways, but I guess I had forgotten that our blog birthdays are so close together.)
Like Starfoxy, I think I tend to clam up because the ZDers are some of my favorite people on the bloggernacle, and I just can’t come up with something clever enough within 48 hours or reading a post.
Wishing you many more insightful and eloquent posts, but you’d all do that even without me wishing it.
It’s fun to hear more about you all; thanks to everyone who’s commented!
Aww, Kevin, you always make me smile. It was great to see you at Sunstone. I think “frustrated academic posing as a lawyer” might make up a good percentage of the Bloggernacle.
jeans, I look periodically at Beginnings New, though I’ve been too much of a slacker to comment; you’ve got some good stuff there. I loved your comment about feeling like a fly on the wall at late-night family gatherings—I can definitely say that many of our wackier ideas have been hatched during late-night conversations!
Hi Christopher! I try to keep an eye on JI (especially since you have multiple bloggers whom I met at some seminar or other), and I’m always impressed by the quality of posts there. As you may know, I long ago bailed out on history in favor of theology, but I’m periodically reminded of why I found the field so interesting.
cchrissy, that’s impressive that you read every post. (I hope I can say the same, though I can imagine a scenario in which I say, maybe we should write a post on this—and one of my co-bloggers responds, “umm, I’ve actually posted on that twice already; have you even been reading what I say?”)
thedancingnewt, thanks for de-lurking and saying hello!
BrianJ, I’m flattered that you’ve made us a “must-read.” Hopefully we won’t morph into a “must-delete.” 😉 And thanks for the tip about the comment feed. I must confess that I’ve done very little with RSS, so I’d never bothered to check whether we had it set up or not.
Michelle, I’ve only visited Idaho once, when a friend and I drove her younger sister up to Rexburg—but there seem to be a lot of cool bloggers in the state, so I’m thinking I should visit again.
Mark, my name is Lynnette and I’m—wait a minute! I don’t have a problem. Really. I could quit anytime.
Kiskilili, a ghost library giving out free books? You should have called me. In your dream, that is. I would have ditched my dream to come visit.
Sue, I can relate to being too intimidated to comment. (I’m probably a bit more relaxed about it here, because I know my co-bloggers will respond politely, even if they don’t think I’m making any sense.) But I’m glad that you do sometimes.
Hi janeannechovvy! That was a fun Sunstone lunch. I must confess that I’m actually quite fond of the Bloggernacle, in all its narcissistic, self-referential glory, which may reveal something disturbing about my personality.
Jacob J ( young’un still in your early thirties), keep up that good work of Presiding. I can quote Star Trek 2 with the best of them, but I fear I fall short with Romancing the Stone (which I only saw once) and Ghostbusters (which I never saw at all). Your revelation about the skateboard and the ska/punk band gives me a whole new context with which to appreciate your fine comments.
Hi, Ellen! I can report that Ellen is a person of great patience, as Kiskilili, Seraphine, and I dragged her around the streets of Salt Lake looking for a restaurant at 2nd and 4th. Alas, we had neglected to commit to memory which directions went with which numbers. I would like to say that this is an atypical experience for the ZDs, but that would be a lie. Anyway, it’s nice to know you’re around.
Idahospud, you rock. I was so happy when I saw that FMH had finally lured you into being a perma. And I’m glad you appreciate our goofiness; personally, I think that’s our best talent.
Hi there, narcissistic law geek who also goes by the name Kaimi. I appreciate your gracing us with your presence, even though we’re only narcissistic geeks, as opposed to full-blown narcissistic law geeks. I can imagine us all discussing patriarchy in the pre-existence—while the noble and valiant ones were busy being generals in the war in heaven and fighting the devil’s minions, we were probably sitting in a café, placing bets on the outcome of the war, and arguing about the meaning of preside. And thus we were reserved to come down to earth in the Last Days, after Al Gore had invented the internet.
Steve Evans, I appreciate the compliment. I think we’ve all been inspired by BCC’s
sillinessthought-provoking posts.jane, thanks so much for the kind words. I’m glad we generally come across as friendly (though I fear that at times we can be snarky and less-welcoming). Like Kiskilili, I can say that your reservations about commenting make all too much sense to me. I’ve actually been thinking of blogging about the dynamics of blogging (because I love those navel-gazing posts). Of course, as I’ve confessed before, I’m much better at starting posts than finishing them! Anyway, I sometimes wonder if there are people like you in my ward, and whether I should drop hints and see if anyone picked up on them.
Hey Jessawhy! It’s always good to see you here; I think you and Mark IV are our most frequent commenters. It was very cool to spend so much time with you and your husband at Sunstone. And yep, that was indeed Elbereth—you really have met a lot of us, and yet seem to have emerged unscathed from the experience. We should use you in our advertising or something.
Lady, I’m glad you stumbled across us. Like you, I’ve found it immensely helpful to encounter others who’ve wrestled with similar issues. And it’s good to know that we’ve provided hours and hours of distraction—surely that is the true purpose for which God created blogging.
Anna, I think Kiskilili’s told me a bit about you, but I didn’t realize you were the Ziff analogue of your family—wow. As someone with an abundance of sisters, it’s hard to imagine what that would be like. I would love to hear an “Eye of the Tiger” postlude.
queuno, I think I knew a smattering of Spanish once, but the brain files which contained it have been overwritten by a smattering of German. I’m not sure if a gaggle of academics or a gaggle of attorneys is a greater cursing for a family, but the combination does sound overwhelming.
Starfoxy, I’ve always quite liked your name—that’s really funny that you’ve gotten that reaction! And that’s an interesting point, about getting quieter when you know people better and care more about the relationship. I do think there’s a way in which blogging is easier when you don’t know many people yet. I remember once having one of those ridiculous, late-night discussions with some sibling or other involving a plan to take ZD down and then reappear with new names, as kind of a fresh start—but we feared our identities wouldn’t remain secret for long.
Jo, I’m sorry you’ve been having such a difficult time with the Church lately. I find my own relationship to the Church to be incredibly confusing, but I guess if nothing else, it makes for good bogging material. 😉 Seriously, I am glad you find these kinds of conversations helpful.
Hey, SmallAxe, I think I owe you an email about substance-based ontology or something like that. When it comes to FPR, to quote Anna, I am an excellent lurker.
EmilyS, one of my favorite delinquent permabloggers! I’m just glad to know you’re still out there. I love hiking, but I also love sleeping in an actual bed at night, so I may have to leave the Appalachian Trail to you and Eve, unless you can transport me back to a hotel every night.
Seraphine, I fear you’re a sobering example of what happens to people who get an actual job, and no longer spend their time procrastinating their dissertations by blogging.
MattW, ha, I have to admit that I also read blogs that frustrate me. There’s some strange lure in doing so. And I imagine you’re not the only one who has that reaction to ZD! But it’s nice of you to say hello anyway.
Thanks, miles! I laughed at your comment that you have a BS and an MS and are still confused. I feel quite similarly about my string of degrees.
Elle, nice to meet you! It’s good to know that we have fans at liberal, godless ivy league universities. Of the four schools I’ve attended, three have been religiously affiliated, and the fourth was a public university in the Midwest, so I feel like I’ve missed out on the true liberal, godless academic experience.
EmilyCC, that’s right—I’ve always thought it was interesting that ZD and X2 got going, completely independently, at almost exactly the same time. There must have been something feminist in the air! I’m happy to be associated with a blog I like as well as X2.
I’ve lurked a long time here – and quite frankly – I don’t feel smart enough to comment with any type of meaningfulness.
My comments are the caliber left on the shoulders of the new unsuspecting sister in RS since I’m apt to elbow her during the lesson and drop true feminist doctrine in one ear while the teacher drones in the other. consequently, i often sit alone. hence – lurker status.
perhaps by next year’s birthday i might have something to contribute. degrees? BA in Psych. Masters to begin in the fall. I’m 45.
I’m so happy so many people have said hello. It’s nice to know who’s reading, and find out a little more about people.
I’m Vada. I’m in my late twenties and I’m a SAHM of three little boys. Until recently I was the resident mother around these parts, now Eve gets to join me in the title (yay!). I spend a lot of my free time trying to write fantasy novels (it keeps me semi-sane, if nothing else — maybe some day I’ll manage to actually finish one and get it published).
I should probably be a lot more hesitant about writing comments, but I’m generally not. I seem to just not care about making a fool of myself (so please, jump right in and join me!). I’m also the resident un-academic around here, having not even started a Master’s Degree. It doesn’t keep me from navel-gazing, though.
I started reading the bloggernaccle in August of 2006, and the rest of the ZD bloggers were kind enough to take me in and give me a blog home around Jan 2007. Many of you have met more of them than I have (I’ve only met Seraphine and Lynnette), which is something I hope to change at some point. Hopefully I’ll get the chance to meet some of our great commenters as well, because like everyone else, I think the best thing about the bloggernaccle is the people you “meet” here.
Kiskilili, my father is indeed a perma on some other blog, and I’m glad he has made a good impression here!
Thanks for the compliment Lynette, but I must admit that I was very happy to be hanging out with the ZD women! (I’m not the best with numbers and directions either 😉 )
Mary Magdalene, you are definitely smart enough to comment here! You just made an interesting point on the Secret Vows thread I had no idea about (regarding women and the Order of the Eastern Star). What’s more you’re hilarious and charming. We love your comments here and on FMH.
I’m so sorry you haven’t had a positive experience in your RS. You could come to my RS any time and sit in the back with me where we could roll our eyes at each other if the lesson was unbearable. (Except that, well, I’m not attending RS right now . . . )
I’m a long-time reader, I think since the blog’s beginning, but very rare commenter–I mostly just feel like I don’t have anything to add that’s not a stupid joke; your posts are very self-sufficient, you know, and what could I bring to the relationship?
(That’s a compliment. ZD is definitely my favorite blog in the Bloggernacle, and it looks like I’m not the only one that feels that way. Don’t you all feel popular now?)
In any case, my name is Hannah, though I go by Petra online since the long-ago days of the 100 Hour Board. I know of ZD through Melyngoch and Katya, though I’m also, these days, living near Lynnette and thoroughly enjoying her Sunday School lessons, at least in the days that she taught them. (Come back, Lynnette! We are dull without you!) I also saw Eve once from a distance at Melyngoch’s mission farewell but was too intimidated to speak to someone so obviously brilliant and amazing. Unlike all the other frustrated academics posing as lawyers, I’m a frustrated layabout posing as an academic: graduate school has not been kind to my work habits. If anyone can think of a career path that involves learning about lots of languages and/or reading lots of novels without ever actually having to write about them, let me know.
Congratulations Eve! Sorry I’m a little late to this thread.
I’m Kori, and I’m a big fan of ZD. I don’t comment often, but I read regularly. I think you are all very cool (and intelligent!) people.
I just turned 30, and I recently quit my job. I had my first baby 11 months ago, and I tried for several months to make the part-time lawyer gig work for me. It didn’t. I live in the Pacific NW, and like most Mormon bloggers, I love cheese.
Heh heh–I’m sure I was just navel-gazing and wishing I could be narcissistic lawyer geek. Please feel free to introduce yourself the next time you see me, but I have to admit that when presented with the opportunity I rarely go up to people I know from online and introduce myself. I just don’t know what to say without a keyboard and a delete key handy. 😉
Thanks, Kori and Vada, for the congratulations on the birth of Tiny Pin, who is once again sleeping on my knees as I type.
Hi! I’m Greil and I am a first time poster, 6 week lurker. I found my way here via Faithful Dissident and Feminist Mormon Housewives while searching for Mormon discussions on Prop 8. I have been hooked since. I don’t know why it had never occurred to me that there would be a community of Mormon bloggers/discussion forums but here I am late to the party. What a breath of fresh air for me!
My background: I live in the Northeast with a spouse, 3 children and a cat. I am a lover of history, travel, music, and art but never get to spend as much time immersed in any of them as I would like.
After a few brief run-ins with ZD over the last year, Vada encouraged me to start reading (we’re from the same stake way-back-when, and she’s a sortakinda relative by marriage).
I’m a SAHM of two premies who are only 11 months apart and under the age of 15 months (why yes, thank you, I AM going stark raving mad).
And a military wife (DH is currently deployed).
I have a degree in Asian Studies, speak and read Thai (not from a mission. When the military sent my husband to language school, I bullied them into sending me, too).
Without the bloggernacle and weekly editions of ‘The Economist’ my brain would have turned to banana mush a year ago.
I like my music loud, my chocolate dark, and my Pad Thai with extra fish sauce.
And I’m happy to be here.
When it comes to the bloggernaccle, I’m pretty much a professional lurker. I’ve posted a few comments on FMH and BCC, but I haven’t summoned the courage yet to comment here at ZD. So here goes!
I discovered this blog about a year ago through FMH and I’ve been a faithful reader ever since. After I got married a couple years ago and started attending a family ward again, I just feel like the black sheep of my stake. I’m pretty much the only liberal feminist in my ward (besides my husband) and so I turn to blogs like ZD for some much needed camaraderie.
I’m a military wife too. (MerHart, where do you live?) I live in an ugly Army town in North Carolina but I’ll be moving back to DC once my husband is deployed. I am a freelance writer and I’m currently working on a children’s novel. Thoughts on getting my book published prevent me from getting any sleep.
Anyway, glad to “meet” all of you!
C.T., I’m in the DC area–if you ever want to meet up once you move back here drop me a line at my ZD address.
Seraphine,
I will! I won’t be up in DC until early May, but I’ll definitely send you an email.
Hello!
I’m Melyngoch, the penultimate Zelophehad sister. After nine soul-crushing weeks in the MTC and sixteen intoxicating months in Sweden, I’m back, and all fired up to commit the whole of the Bloggernacle to repent, set some goals, and translate all their accomplishments into easily-reportable strings of numbers.
Currently I’m living on Eve’s air mattress, baking with Eve’s kitchen, and enjoying the supreme cuddly cuteness of Eve’s baby girl. (She’s so great when she makes happy gurggly noises!) Hopefully I’ll have a place to call my own soon, so that I can appropriate Eve’s baking supplies as a respected babysitter instead of a hapless squatter.
Been busy, finally had some time to log on. Let me say hello and congratulations.
I actually did an introduction to myself, in response to some criticisms and suggestions http://adrr.com/faq.htm#Three
I go by Ethesis because there are too many Steve M and Stephen Ms in the bloggernacle.
Better is anagrams on names.
Sharpens Them
Heartthrob Pressmen
Enmeshes Pettish
Seethes Then Imps
Seethes Hep Mints
I need to quit before I get addicted.
…did you say “hemp mints”? … then addiction might be in the offing.
make it a great week.
I’m so happy that so many lurkers have come out to say hello. Good to see you, Petra, Kori and Ethesis; welcome Greil and C.T., we’re so glad to have you! And MerHart, I’m glad you decided to stop by, because this is, after all, the coolest place in the bloggernaccle (not that I’m biased or anything). Oh, and I can’t believe you’re home already Melyngoch! But I’m glad to see you’re back and can keep us company again.
I agree with Vada: It’s great to have so many people who haven’t commented before speak up to say hi.
As for me, I’m Ziff and I’m a Bloggernacle addict. I’m married and my wife and I have two very cute boys (although they’re getting old enough that they would rather be called “handsome”). I’m an aspiring stathead and typically a slacker of a blogger. But I’m always reading.
C.T. — I’m in Northern Utah right now, but I’m from DC and will be moving back there sometime in the next year (hopefully!).
I’m pretty sure that I know the ugly little military town you live in, and I’ve been there and I’m SO SORRY!
Hi, I’m Elbereth, and I’m a lurker at ZD. This may sound really odd considering that I am member of ZD, but it’s true. I’m still a little timid about the whole “share publicly what I think or how I feel” thing. Maybe one day I’ll get over that and actually write a post.
I’m the ZD Family Historian and in the time I don’t spend rooting through the ZD’s ancestors, I try to convince the rest of the ZDs that Family History is way more interesting than it sounds. In case you’re interested, the ZDs have a lot of Mormon ancestors, a few Quakers (the family Surname actually traces back to seventeenth century Pennsylvania), some who fought for North in the Civil War and even some who fought for the South.
When I’m not research the Family’s History (and helping others get started), I love to watch T.V. and movies, read books, and play DDR on my PS2.
I don’t think I have commented here before (I used to use a pseudonym, Rico) but have enjoyed reading the posts over the last year and a half that I have been a participant in the bloggernacle.
I think I first came across ZD via MormonStories and then via the Niblets.
I am a British blogger from the UK who is currently pursuing a PhD in Sociology at the University of Essex. I have two young girls.
Three years is an impressive stint. I hope to see more in the future.
Nice to meet you, Aaron! Keep up the good work on BCC!