Thus Spake Zuska

Ed Yong has started a “who the heck are you, dear reader?!?!” meme that is floating around with my Sciblngs. If you haven’t already visited a thousand other blogs and read it a million times, here’s what he posted:

1) Tell me about you. Who are you? Do you have a background in science? If so, what draws you here as opposed to meatier, more academic fare? And if not, what brought you here and why have you stayed? Let loose with those comments.

2) Tell someone else about this blog and in particular, try and choose someone who’s not a scientist but who you think might be interested in the type of stuff found in this blog. Ever had family members or groups of friends who’ve been giving you strange, pitying looks when you try to wax scientific on them? Send ‘em here and let’s see what they say.

I’m sure you’ve already had your chance to wax eloquent on any of a number of other blogs at this point. If, however, you still wish to play the game, or just want to humor me and let me know who it is that reads the various natterings that comprise this particular blog, why then, have at it in the comments! I feel that I know a number of my regular commenters in some way already, but this would be a chance for the lurkers among you to out yourselves and speak up. I’d be particularly interested in hearing from any of you d00dz who’ve been following the Gender Knot posts, too. Hugs to all of my readers, whether you post in the comments here or not.

Comments

#1 Scicurious
July 9, 2009

Is Scicurious. I didn’t know anything really about feminism before stumbling across your blog a while ago, but have now become very interested. I just got a copy of the Gender Knot (thank you, Laelaps and Mrs. Laelaps!!) and I’m looking forward to reading along!
#2 cicely
July 9, 2009

Ten (or eleven).

On the Web, I am cicely. I’ve always liked science, majored in biology but ran out of cash and had to drop out, and circumstances haven’t allowed me to pick it back up. I read a lot of science blogs during the vast not-got-anything-to-to times at work, where I am mostly a receptionist, but do data entry when that becomes relevant. I work for a (very) small software company. I don’t think I’ve ever commented here before, but I could be wrong. No, wait; I may have commented in the first Gender Knot post.

Anyway, I’ve enjoyed the ride so far.
#3 DrugMonkey
July 9, 2009

So I got entranced by the Zuska stylings both in commentary elsewhere and at TSZ very early in my readings of S’blogs. My prior touches on academic and, let’s face it, anything beyond “uh everyone should be treated equally, duh” thinking about gender equality dated back to the college days. I’ve been more or less aware of the trials of my female colleagues but not really AWARE if you know what I mean. Zuska, your incredibly clear and expansive writing really helped me to re-engage my thinking on many of these issues related to both every day equality and especially diversity/opportunity in the conduct of science.

I will always be grateful to you for this.
#4 LostMarbles
July 9, 2009

I’m a 20-year-old Canadian undergrad and trained research slave in the life sciences. I’m also trying to figure out this whole feminism thing after realizing that saying “I’m not a feminist, but…” is bad a few years ago. I’m here because you always manage to clearly explain both gender and other equality issues.
#5 JustaTech
July 9, 2009

I’m a research tech (duh) at an MRU, where I’m also the crazy mouse lady. I’ve got a BS and I’m going for an MS/PhD in epi. I found this blog because I thought the name sounded cool, and I stayed because I realized that 6 years of girls school had not been as educational in feminism as I thought. (The Handmaid’s Tale in 8th grade? Please.) Also, my mental image of Zuska reminds me strongly of a number of engineer friends, and a number of my aunts.

It’s nice to have someone remind us of how far we’ve come, who’s not afraid to puke on a few shoes.
#6 Hena
July 10, 2009

I’m a 22 year old Pakistani/Canadian girl and a recent graduate of political science. Gender issues have always intrigued me and i find pretty much everything you write about just fascinating especially since many of the most harsh gender stereotypes still run strong in the Pakistani community in Canada, although I’m glad to say things are changing.
#7 PeggyL
July 10, 2009

Yours was the first blog i started reading and led me to the world of women in science and engineering blogs. I appreciate how you challenge me to continue to speak out and work for change. I had a successful career in environmental engineering and now run a program to increase the number and success of women in academic science and engineering careers at a major research university.
#8 ambivalent academic
July 10, 2009

I’m a female about-to-be-PhD in mystery biomed science. I’d been lurking around SB for a while and stopped by here. Like Scicurious, I had no previous education in feminism, but found myself frequently annoyed with a lot of crap that goes around. I just couldn’t figure out what exactly it was that was bothering me. Annoyance intensified as I moved up the academic food chain, but still couldn’t put my finger on it. Read a little bit here on your blog and had one of those “Holy shit/AHA!” moments – THIS! THIS IS WHAT’S BEEN PISSING ME OFF! I’M NOT CRAZY! So thanks for that – my world makes some sense again. Well, at least from the perspective of knowing what the hell is going on around here. Learning more every day about trying to make it better.
#9 Danimal
July 10, 2009

Like you, Zuska, I am an engineer by training, but actually do shock physics simulations using some of the worlds fastest computers. My field is so narrow that everyone who does the same kind of work all over the world knows one another or has at least heard the name. So I am world famous in my field. No PhD, but I do have a BS in Aerospace and a MS in Mechanical. I could have gone for a PhD at tax payer expense, but thought it was not important to advance my career. I was right. More info can be found by visiting my defunct “about us” from my business web site provided in the URL which is included in all my posts. I found you through Dr. Isis. I stay because, though I do not consider myself a feminist, I am interested in woman’s opinions and am interested in how they think (I still do not completely understand the opposite gender). I do consider myself equal rights, equal responsibilities. Thus when I say I am not a feminist, what I mean is that I am for equal rights in general and not limited to the feminist agenda (whatever that even means). I must say that I am proud to have been featured (at least my comments) on your front page twice. Perhaps that is my 15 seconds of fame . Now all I have to work on is my 15 minutes.
#10 Carlie
July 11, 2009

Hm, I can’t remember how I found this place. I think it was a link from another feminist blog entirely, and then I wondered why I had been hanging out at Science Blogs for years but never explored all of the women writers. Don’t comment much, but I read everything. I’ve just passed the demarcation into my late 30s, have two kids, and am a biologist at a small college with very few other scientists to hang out with, so I do most of my sciencey coffee talk on the internet.
#11 jc
July 11, 2009

I’m another of those crazzzzy women scientists with a PhD. Lurked for a while, realized I was only crazzy. Zuska, you are far from nobody! I can picture you puking on most of the shit I read and deal with in d00dwurld, and I thank you for helping me clearly understand and state why puke is called for. It’s almost automatic for me now to break down d00d shit. Hearts, jc
#12 Size
July 13, 2009

30something, chemist by training. I have worked in the IT field for more than the last 10 years, but still like to keep up with developments in science. I fell in with RSS when blogging started to take off, and initially started reading the ScienceBlogs Select feed. When that got to be too much for my daily consumption I started following only the ones that I really liked the best, and this was one of them.

I’ve always been egalitarian, but this blog and a couple of the sociology ones I read have really challenged my preconceptions about gender roles. I had a grasp of these concepts in the abstract, but once I started learning about real-world examples I really started to see that it is everywhere. I’m eagerly following the Gender Knot discussion for that reason, but I mainly lurk because I feel like my experiences don’t always add a lot to the discussion that someone else hasn’t already covered.
#13 Catharine
July 13, 2009

I am nobody of consequence, just a lurker. I read you because you are a Feminist with a capital F, someone who “gets it” and gets it right! I appreciate your brilliant and analytical observations and I am forever indebted to you for educating my partner (as is he). You are so articulate and I am, well…I am just really fucking pissed off at the patriarchy. Most of all, I love it when you puke on shoes.
#14 Julie Simon Lakehomer
July 14, 2009

I’m a one-time science teacher turned science writer. I’m writing a book called “Crazy for Heredity.” It’s about some passionate genetic researchers spread over the past 150 years. I was attracted to your blog because it’s unique, and because someone tried to convince me recently that there’s no problem encouraging women to become engineers.
#15 storkess
July 28, 2009

I’m just here looking for someone i can relate to. I’m an engineer in a lawsuit over pay discrimination and retaliation. (I got fired for complaining about discriminatory pay). 12 years of outstanding performance reviews.. 8 years ago i spoke to some girl scouts and told them not to be engineers if they didn”t want to be tortured…i don’t know what i’d say now…
#16 Mr.
August 5, 2009

I’m a Science teacher in the 13-14 year old age group, public school. Originally a B.S. in Biology. Came here from either Isis’s place, or PhysioProfs, can’t remember for sure, but some may have read my response to this same meme at those two places. Since I deal with kids, I stick around here to learn to be a better male feminist role model, and for the science. I also picked up a copy of Gender Knot and have been following along. Thanks!

Zuska comes up in class when I need examples of rockin’, take-no-prisoners, puke-on-your-shoes-if-you’ve-got-it-coming women scientists.
#17 Zuska
August 6, 2009

Thank you all for your replies! It means a lot to me!