Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Maybe you would prefer that we take Joelle’s side in ALL CAPS?

Putting aside our relentless self-interest because the moral imperative is crystal clear.

Dear media: perhaps we ought to let Donald Trump speak for himself!

Their freedom requires your slavery.

The most dangerous place for a black man in America is in a white man’s imagination.

The jury literally has a bell they can ring to force Trump to show up on command. Greatest thing ever!

Republicans don’t want a speaker to lead them; they want a hostage.

And we’re all out of bubblegum.

Celebrate the fucking wins.

A norm that restrains only one side really isn’t a norm – it’s a trap.

Michigan is a great lesson for Dems everywhere: when you have power…use it!

Let us savor the impending downfall of lawless scoundrels who richly deserve the trouble barreling their way.

Not all heroes wear capes.

Proof that we need a blogger ethics panel.

Thanks to your bullshit, we are now under siege.

The line between political reporting and fan fiction continues to blur.

Everyone is in a bubble, but some bubbles model reality far better than others!

Despite his magical powers, I don’t think Trump is thinking this through, to be honest.

He seems like a smart guy, but JFC, what a dick!

You cannot shame the shameless.

Israel is using food as a weapon of war. Unforgivable.

We’ll be taking my thoughts and prayers to the ballot box.

How can republicans represent us when they don’t trust women?

The rest of the comments were smacking Boebert like she was a piñata.

You are here: Home / Open Threads / Hey Lurkers!

Hey Lurkers!

by | 228 Comments

This post is in: 

looking in a large storefront window with reflections in the glass and a sign that says “Come in, We’re Open"

It’s bee 6 months since we had a Lurker’s thread – that’s  way past time!

You guys may already know this, but when you post your first comment, it goes into moderation, and sometimes it takes a while for one of us to see it and free your comment so it shows up for everyone.  Once it’s released from moderation, it goes into the comments with the time-stamp for when you first submitted it, so then most people probably never see it.  So it’s not surprising that first comments often don’t get replied to.

So here’s a special open thread where we can keep a particular eye out for first comments that go into moderation.

A few of you who poked your heads up on previous lurker threads have turned into commenters, but don’t let that scare the rest of you away!

I think it’s especially awesome to see lurkers joining in on the raffles, meetups, Balloon Juice zooms, fundraising, and even being Balloon Juice angels.  We don’t know your names, but you guys rock.

In any case, it’s lurker appreciation day here on Balloon Juice!  Welcome, all.

Totally open thread.

Reader Interactions

228Comments

  2. 2.

    Half Past

    definitely my first post since the comment platform changed but probably not my first ever… but I think my last comment was probably made during the weird PUMA era. Different time.

  4. 4.

    JDNovus

    Not exactly a lurker because I’ve commented once already! (And I followed the blog in the early years of John’s face turn. Face turn? Is that what I mean?)

    Anyway, been reading every day for months now, appreciating this idiosyncratic particular take on the election. (My conclusion: Harris by 7. She’s got this.)

    I’m a midlist novelist with a few dozen novels-nobody’s-heard-of published by publishers-everyone’s-heard-of. Always happy to blather about the publishing industry if anyone’s interested.

  5. 5.

    Steve LaBonne

    I was an occasional lurker until recently when I bailed out of LGM. Come on in, lurkers, the water’s fine!

  8. 8.

    weasel

    Though I’ve commented before, I still like to think of myself as a lurker. You know, a jackal in the shadows sort of thing. Romantic! (Lurking from Olympia WA currently btw).
    Speaking of romantic, I came here for the naked mopping and am here still :)
    Love this place! Thanks to the front pagers who do so much and the jackaltariat for making even the comments a fun place to be.
    One last weekend of work and worry followed by, I hope hope hope, an early call on Tuesday and then a week long party!

  9. 9.

    Almost Retired

    Welcome lurkers.  Just comment.  Don’t worry about the lack of an immediate response.   More people than you’ll ever know will silently nod along with your input. It’s not about the “likes.”

  10. 10.

    JDNovus

    @WaterGirl: That’s where my other comment is! I thought, ‘ha ha! I’ll leverage this onto the bestseller list!’

    But then I remembered that I never promote my books. That’s kind of my thing.

  11. 11.

    Jude

    I’m a lurker, but only for lack of time. It’s funny. In the last few months where John is posting more often on Twitter, I’ve piped up over there more times than ever here over the course of many years.

    All is well enough here in my corner of WI. Just held the line at the annual school board meeting where the community takes control of it. Two years ago the MAGAts swept in and also won electoral control of the board afterwards. We’ve been cleaning up the mess ever since with extensive grassroots efforts.

    So far so good, but oh is it bad for your inner calm to deal with the lowest common denominators of humanity all the time.

  12. 12.

    L Boom

    Yow, been lurking here a looooong ass time. Holy shit, like 19 years? Cole came onto my radar after the Terry Schiavo insanity, and I’ve been here almost daily ever since, usually many times a day. And I think I’m almost at 6 posts over like 19 years!

  13. 13.

    weasel

    @Steve LaBonne: Ah, leave LGM over the Biden battles? I love reading over there, but have never felt an urge to jump into the comments. Seldom even read them in fact. You’ve come to the better place!

  14. 14.

    Steve LaBonne

    @weasel: I almost left (and was actually banned by Loomis but just created a new account) when I was being driven crazy by irresponsible nonsense written by Loomis, with frequent backing from Lemieux, re the importance of isolating and masking at the height of the pandemic. But Campos’s constant foot Parkinson’s posts sent me over the edge.

  15. 15.

    H.E.Wolf

    I love the lurker posts! So many great new neighbors (or longtime neighbors we’re just now meeting).

  20. 20.

    Barbecue Swinger

    Hey y’all! I’m a long-time lurker and began reading in the aftermath of Katrina, when my now college sophomore was just a few months old. My, how the time passes!

    I think I got here from Daily Kos. I am a former New Orleanian who grew up on the Gulf of Mexico and was in shock after W’s botched Katrina response and was reading everything I could that was taking the administration to task. The writers at Balloon Juice voiced outrage and concern in a way I found comforting. And I’ve read almost daily ever since even though I comment only once in a blue moon.   👋

  23. 23.

    Asparagus Aspersions

    I’m a very occasional commenter but faithfully read nearly every post and comment thread. Currently oscillating between optimism and terror, depending on no objective factors. I long for an election that doesn’t feel like an existential threat to the country.

  25. 25.

    L Boom

    @WaterGirl: I know, it’s super weird! The few comments I’ve made all involve Vermont (my home). And most of them regarding Bernie Sanders, but especially Jane. My wife taught at both Burlington College and Goddard College, two fine institutions she helped run into the ground. And my former mentor at UVM was his chief of staff for many years.

  27. 27.

    JDNovus

    @WaterGirl: Someone else’s. Was struggling with a mystery for St. Martin’s and needed somewhere to ask, “How the fuck do you write a mystery? And why? And how?”

  28. 28.

    chrome agnomen

    I guess I plead guilty to lurker status.   I’ve read virtually every post and comment since pre-Terry Shiavo days, when the fabled pitchout and general stuck were  regulars.   golden memories.    but I usually come to the posts too late to make a comment that people can rightly ridicule, and so a wallflower I remain.

  29. 29.

    HumboldtBlue

    @Almost Retired: ​ 

    Welcome lurkers. Just comment. Don’t worry about the lack of an immediate response. More people than you’ll ever know will silently nod along with your input. It’s not about the “likes.”

    This.

  30. 30.

    A Librarian

    Hey there! I’ve commented a couple of times before, once under a nym that I don’t honestly remember (it was back when Stuck was still around — RIP), and mostly lurk because it helps my anxiety a bit to see other folks out there who are fighting the good fight.

    I’m a public school librarian (hence the nym) and unionist, and while I don’t remember just when I started reading the blog or how I even got here, it had to have been some time during the early Obama years at the latest. (I was a lurker when DougJ and Tim F were regulars, and I still miss ABL’s posts.)

    I probably won’t comment much unless something comes up regarding NYC or public schools, but I hope to start leaving more comments going forward. Maybe.

  33. 33.

    Whimsical Pickles

    Hello! Mostly a lurker here, though I’ve commented once or twice. I’ve been coming here for I don’t know how many years, just rarely have anything to add. (And I also quit LGM in disgust a couple of months ago, though it was a hard habit to break).

  34. 34.

    BlueGuitarist

    @Almost Retired:

    Welcome lurkers.  Just comment.  Don’t worry about the lack of an immediate response.   More people than you’ll ever know will silently nod along with your input.

    was silently nodding along to this!
    Sometimes good to express agreement!

  37. 37.

    AlwaysEsteemedScott

    Hi everyone,

    I’ve been a lurker for a loooong time (probably nearly 20 years) but I’m pretty sure I’ve not ever commented before.
    I currently live in Canada – home for the past nearly 40 years – but was born in Detroit and grew up in southern Illinois.
    This place has long been an island of sanity and hope for me – and I have long admired the community that you guys have built.

  39. 39.

    Colleeniem

    Hiii! I’ve been very mostly lurking (but supporting!) for a very long time, shortly after after Cole’s conversion and around the  2008 election. I didn’t want to comment much because until September, I was an active duty service member.
    Now I am retired from AD they can’t stop me from doing all the volunteering I can handle! Between 2020 and 2024, I wrote nearly 1000 postcards because of this community’s focus and drive.

    i hope I can add to the discussion and thanks for letting me lurk! My cats are happy for this pet friendly place too!

  40. 40.

    Barbecue Swinger

    @WaterGirl: It’s from New Orleans musician Kermit Ruffins’ band, the Barbecue Swingers. When we lived in New Orleans, well before Kermit was on Treme, we used to see his shows on Thursdays. They actually served barbecue at the shows.

  46. 46.

    another aaron

    I absolutely adore this space on the interwebs!

    Also, too:

    I absolutely hate introductions…but I love the opportunity to step out of the shadows… these lurker threads pop up (thanks, Watergirl!)…it feels like every time I find of these, it’s 6 hour old dead thread…so now I’m going to seize my moment, while the thread is still fresh. (Also, it’s Friday…and I’m in an especially good mood since I really think Kamala is going to win on Tuesday!)

    For background, I’m a 43 year old black guy from Cincinnati. I work as a designer/developer but enjoy indulging in illustrating, distance running, and exploring the world with my camera in my free time… I have a myriad of interests that I won’t bore you with now…but I have been especially passionate about politics since I was 11 (back in 1992!)

    I have been lurking among you all since about 2008. I love the sense of community and continuity of sanity that endures (in spite of occasional trolls) in good times …and not so good times.

    I have probably made a grand total of 3 or 4 comments over the past 15 or so years. To be honest, I’ve psyched myself out of adding my two cents into a thread countless times because I feel like some one else has expressed my sentiments in a more much clever or articulate way than I could. I have even dumber reasons for lurking, like not being satisfied with my dumb username lol. But I am tired of letting the insecurity demons win. I want to (eventually) be more of a contributor, not just a consumer :)

  53. 53.

    storm777

    I have only commented two or three times in the last several months, but I have been reading the posts and comments since.. I really don’t remember .. most likely before or around 2008. This place is the sanest on the internet and I come and read every day. I got here from some “blog list” on someone’s page, liked it, and bookmarked it. I live in NE Ohio where I grew up, retired from a very public job (have lived in Virginia, Illinois, New Mexico and Oklahoma), and being an utter introvert, love the quiet, retired life. Thanks to the blog father and everyone for making this a very special place.

  55. 55.

    FeliciaTes

    Long time lurker here. I’ve been reading since (holy shit) about 2010 or so. Not sure why I’ve never spoken up. I’m a very out-spoken retired scientist who now writes novels (tiny, indie published not even close to mid-list novels) for a “living”.

    This blog has been of much comfort to me during hard times (aka the dark times of 2016 – 2020) – so thank you to all the posters and commenters.

  57. 57.

    WaterGirl

    @another aaron: Gosh, so much to respond to.  I didn’t know we had an aaron, let alone another one.  :-)

    If I waited to comment until I had something terribly clever to say, I would never comment.  I like to think that we all contribute in our own way.

  59. 59.

    SpongeBobtheBuilder

    I read the site every day, but get overwhelmed by the comments because I don’t have time to read them all and don’t want to repeat what someone else has said. So I think I have made about one comment per year or so.

  62. 62.

    Gin & Tonic

    In any case, it’s lurker appreciation day here on Balloon Juice!

    Yeah? So when’s commenter appreciation day, huh?

  70. 70.

    Josie

    @another aaron: ​
     Oh, Aaron, let go of the hesitancy to comment and jump in with whatever you are thinking. I’m certainly no powerful intellectual, but I just go ahead and say what I think or tell a story. I don’t even worry about anyone noticing. It’s kind of like having a quiet conversation with myself. Yay for introverts. ;-)

  72. 72.

    Mr. Bemused Senior

    (free association from @WaterGirl:)

    Q: “Why isn’t there a children’s day?” [asked regarding Mother’s Day and Father’s Day]

    A: Every day is children’s day.

  74. 74.

    PeteS

    Whoa, apparently I have a Nym here! I pop in most days, sometimes for a very quick skim, sometimes for a deeper read, but I don’t comment. I might if I didn’t have a spouse asking me to waste my time on vacuuming and dishwashing and stuff like that, not to mention my so-called career. (I note that Cole periodically posts a no-post post.) But I appreciate this place a lot, so I thought this would be a time to say Hi. No need to respond — I probably won’t see it! <g>

  75. 75.

    BSR

    @L Boom: Similar time frame – I can’t remember exactly when I started reading BJ but it had to have been in the 2005-6 area. Still working and don’t have time to post much, but hope to more when I retire in a couple of years!

  78. 78.

    another aaron

    @WaterGirl: Haha, I appreciate your reassuring words! I feel like an a-a-ron passed through these parts at one point or another but that could be just a fever dream.

    And to build off of that first thought, @Almost Retired: You are spot on! I probably could be “Actually Retired” if I had a dollar for every time I silently nodded in agreement while lurking in the shadows on a Ballon Juice thread.

  81. 81.

    Mirona

    I join the above lurkers.  Long time reader but hard to comment ar my job.  Thanks to all of you especially Water Girl.  And sometimes Baud.

  85. 85.

    More Pie

    Long time; first time.  Balloon Juice is my first read of the day; followed by Lawyers Guns & Money, Talking Points, and my Bluesky feed.  There’s a great sense of community here, and I hope to be a more active commenter in the future.

  86. 86.

    Geminid

    @another aaron: I hope you will comment more. This can be a good place to work on writing skills, and I like to think I’ve improved my own with practice here. I still need a better proofreader though.

  87. 87.

    scav

    One could argue that a vital part of any conversation is the silent part, especially if there is active listening going on.  Good job lurkers!  We should probably all play both roles.

  88. 88.

    Frank

    I don’t know if I am still a lurker after a decade-plus, but I know two things: 1) I almost never post a comment, and 2) I dearly, deeply love this community.

  91. 91.

    L Boom

    @Mirona: yeah, I totally agree with this. The front pagers and main cast commenters create such a deep sense of sanity and community, I don’t actually have that much to add apart from silent nodding. And especially as we get close to the election (and the many before), it’s an oasis of sanity. And even inspired me to do 200 postcards to PA this year.

     

    @Mirona:

  93. 93.

    Mikr63

    Lurker here – has to be close to 20 years, found you through Eschaton, D-Kos, and Digby. Kept me sane and centered through this modern era. Appreciate the clear-eyed views and the righteous energy to keep fighting for this world.

  94. 94.

    Lee H

    I’ve lurked for a long time, very occasionally commented, but this is such a beautiful community and I especially come here for the occasional big dog (John) and of course, the one and only Betty Cracker.

  96. 96.

    A Ghost to Most

    Still nope. With all the personal censors and their pie filters, who knows if  comments are even seen. Some people only want to hear what they want to hear.

    But you raised a bunch of money.

  100. 100.

    EZSmirkzz

    Social media sites are reporting that birds have begun flying upside down over Mar-a-Lago. Scientists speculate that is because it ain’t worth sh!tting on.

    YMMV

  102. 102.

    DrowsyOwl

    Long-time lurker, never posted, though have contributed to a thermometer. I’ve been reading BJ since before Schiavo and Cole’s conversion, back when BJ was simultaneously in the running for both Best Liberal Blog and Best Conservative Blog.

    In recent months, I’ve been obsessively checking in on threads here but never felt drawn to posting. Not sure whether I will again. One thing I like about this place is that folks are here from all over and from various backgrounds. Sometimes it’s a bit of a surprise when other folks unexpectedly match some of my background — didn’t expect to find other Anderson voters here or other folks from EAST House.

  106. 106.

    karen marie

    @A Ghost to Most:   I don’t know why anyone would object to pie.  I think it’s a great feature.  You have a right to say what you want to say, and I have a right to ignore it.

  112. 112.

    Jersey Tomato

    Hi! I’ve been lurking for at least a decade and probably found you via Eschaton. Balloon Juice is one my several-times-a-day website reads. I don’t comment much but I find the site is great for finding interesting things linked in the comments section. I’m a writer for a nonprofit whose name you’d recognize and as the nym implies, live in the glorious Garden State.

  113. 113.

    karen marie

     

    @Rose Judson:

    I agree with @becca – Monty is very handsome.

    It’s funny that when I had an all black cat, the majority of cat pictures that I would see were black cats. I’ve had a tuxedo for three years now, and I mostly see Tuxedos. Recently orange cats have been popping up too. I have been wishing I could get another cat but my apartment’s too small to hold me, my 20-pound spaniel, and the resident cat. I think, however, the cat distribution system may be eying me.

  115. 115.

    HinTN

    @Barbecue Swinger: Love the Kermit reference in your nym. Watched him follow Trombone Shorty’s bust out performance at Jazz Fest with a low key, smiling set of excellent music. He’s so good! Cheers

  126. 126.

    Sister Machine Gun of Quiet Harmony

    Welcome, Lurkers! Comment more, but only if you feel like it. I don’t comment every day, but when I do… Nobody expects the Unitarian Jihad!!

  127. 127.

    rivers

    I still think of myself as a lurker even though I’ve posted a few times and attended two Zoom discussions. I think I’ve been reading John Cole and assorted friends since shortly after his conversion from the dark side. For me at least this is the friendliest place online. I love the fact you, the commenters,  write not just about politics but also about your pets, your families, your gardens,  and your real life joys and sorrows. It really is a community and one I am very happy to be part of even though I’m primarily a lurker. This is the first place I come to in the morning. Thank you, John Cole, for creating this place, thanks to all the front pagers, and thanks to all of you in the comment section.

  130. 130.

    expat_kmj

    Been a lurker for at least 10 (12? 15?) years, really appreciate this place! Just peeking my head above the parapet with pre-election jitters, will probably slink back to lurky-land after ;)

  132. 132.

    weasel

    @Barbecue Swinger: I love it when bands do the food thing! Going to college in Tallahassee, I had the chance to frequently see Bill Wharton, the Sauce Boss. He’d almost always spend the time between sound check and hitting the stage by cookin’ up a big old tub of gumbo that would be ready to serve by the end of the set. Sold good hot sauce too!

    Glad to see he’s still active https://sauceboss.com/

  134. 134.

    Minstrel Michael

    I post sporadically. The last time I remember was a thread on Paul Revere’s ride, and I mentioned that there’s a commemorative stone marker in Lexington, MA, on the spot where the Redcoats nabbed him. That’s where I was brought up, and my earliest memories of it were that there was a really good ice cream stand there :-) But I’m proud of our history too. The town still holds re-enactments of the British marching through on their way to Concord to seize the guns.

  137. 137.

    funlady15

    signed in at 75….now 82….love JC & all front pagers…BC. AS. Tamara. WG…AL. Plus  POSTERS Baud, RiK, & OO, geg, opie, Max from Hawaii…..TCM junkie here…peace to all.

  140. 140.

    Bill Arnold

    @Mikr63:

    Lurker here – has to be close to 20 years, found you through Eschaton, D-Kos, and Digby.

    That a long time; good to see you de-cloak.
    I’ve recently restarted reading Digby’s place every day after stopping with LGM. She and Tom are consistently excellent, and good clear-eyed observers.

  149. 149.

    Bill Arnold

    @DrowsyOwl:

    One thing I like about this place is that folks are here from all over and from various backgrounds.

    Yep. And it is trolling-resistant. (We work at that. I have never used the pie filter, except once just to test it and then revert the block.)

  150. 150.

    Bill Arnold

    @Jersey Tomato:

    I don’t comment much but I find the site is great for finding interesting things linked in the comments section.

    Yeah, links are life. Also, automation systems like crawlers (“spiders from Mars”, some of them :-) and web indexers like ’em, and like sites with more links. (I always add bylines to links if available; that occasionally pulls in additional interested eyeballs.)

  151. 151.

    sp98

    I posted on a previous lurker thread, so figure I should do so again, just to establish my bona fides.

    Have been an almost daily lurker at BJ going back to 2006 at least; don’t comment as I’m usually late to the game and others have said things better than I could.

    I’m also very conflicted about LGM – the BJ front pagers feed my soul, but LGM can just drain me.  They do have some outstanding comedy in the comments!

    Voted first day early early voting in Virginia and just wish it would be over!

    Thanks to BJ for sustaining me in the dark times.

    SP98

  155. 155.

    WaterGirl

    @John Cole: I see that you’re going to have to re-take the remedial “how to welcome people” class.  Again.

    I feel confident that it will take this time.  5th time’s the charm, as they say. :-)

  159. 159.

    NightSky

    A lurker since 2008 or so. I am drawn to the vibrant community here and the balanced combo of politics, pets, gardening, food, science, travel, books, philosophy, and life-coping moments (not to mention Adam’s insider posts on Ukraine — of the kind I haven’t seen anywhere else). I used to vent occasionally in comments at the WaPo or NYT but gave up my subscriptions this past year when I just could not take their egregious failures any longer. I’ve donated to thermometers here (greatly appreciate those opportunities and all the research that leads to them!) and once emailed a question to Adam, who promptly responded (!). Now I’m thinking I might dare to post occasionally, as I have a feeling that I will need the community to help process whatever happens after the election. (Even if we win, we have sooooo much work to do…)
    I got the idea that some of you have known each other a long time and in real life so as someone not in that group, I have also enjoyed a game of creating “personas” for some posters and commenters, e.g., who is likely to have a mathematical or science-based take on an issue, or give us some snappy snark, or who will provide emotional support asap to another voicing distress. A bit like building up what you think you know about a character in a novel as you read along.
    I also like EmptyWheel (the comments can be very informative) and a few other sites, but I have to admit I’m addicted to BJ, as I daily check in here for info I can trust and a warm fuzzy feeling when I need it. Many, many thanks to you all for making it the welcoming, fun, and educational place it is.

  162. 162.

    Mr. Bemused Senior

    @WaterGirl: The number of BJ peeps who know one another in real life it likely not as large it seems.

    Let me encourage more meet-ups.

  164. 164.

    Pete Braccio

    So, is anyone else having trouble getting to sleep at night? I can’t wait for Tuesday to come.

  167. 167.

    Scout211

    Hi Lurkers!  It’s so nice to meet you all.  😊

    Reading all your lurker stories makes me wonder that maybe, just maybe,  we might be an almost top 5,000 blog!  😎

  172. 172.

    Nikita

    I’ve been lurking here since 2005/2006 ish?? It was well before John became a democrat and around the time of the “Jane Hamshers of the left” comment that drew some attention. John was one of the more reasonable conservative voices in the blogosphere and this blog got regular mentions on the other blogs I used to read.

    Still check in regularly but never comment. I appreciate the regular posters and commenters who help me keep sane during this crazy season.

    Okay now, back to lurking.

  181. 181.

    MaryRC

    I’ve been a lurker for about a decade, having followed Betty Cracker here after the demise of Rumproast and Snarkopolitan and she is still my favorite.  Her images of life on the river and swamp are balm to my soul and I hope she gets to enjoy them for ages to come.

  182. 182.

    EdnearORD

    A long time lurker,  – since about 2006 when a co-worker got me hooked on BJ.

    As an introvert and with inertia being a powerful force in my life, lurking has been the preferred mode of engagement, but with time on my hands in retirement, have wanted to engage from time to time, so here I am.

  185. 185.

    NuisanceFactor

    Loyal Balloon Juice Lurker.  Retired in NC.  Already voted for Kamala and many other democrats.  Sure hope we win.

  186. 186.

    NanaGoneFeral

    I was going to pass again, until I realized that this is the fifth election since I began lurking! I don’t remember quite how I found this place, but it’s become a big part of my feeling connected to like-minded people. I live in a very Trump supporting part of central Maine and Balloon Juice has helped keep me informed, optimistic and amused. Sometimes even all in the same day!

  187. 187.

    EveryDayIHaveTheBlues

    Long time lurker, occasional commenter. I’ve been reading since back in the bad “W” days. I think I came here via Steve Gilliard’s blog, but have been reading consistently since Hurricane Katrina.

     

    Commented on a few threads in the past, even attended one BJ meet up in Cincinnati in 2018 or 2019. Drifted away for a couple years but came back here a few months ago.

  188. 188.

    Nancy

    I never join the competition for first comment. I think I might have last locked up.

    I realized that I found a lot to respond to in this thread. It’s a way of seeking connection.

    Nice group to connect with.

  189. 189.

    Rose Weiss

    @L Boom: Similar to my story. I originally came here many years ago because of the vitriol going on at DK at the time. Since then I check here several times a day. I especially appreciate the targeted fund-raising during elections and for special projects.

  191. 191.

    three dots

    Hello, and I am glad to join all the other unfamiliar names in this thread. I have been visiting this place for many years, and I comment very rarely. I am grateful for this community and have learned a lot. Like other lurkers, I have become familiar with the online personas of the regular posters and commenters, and I view you all (mainly) with affection.

  193. 193.

    VagueGrant

    Sure, I’ll say hello. Been reading BJ for ages and ages (early 2010s if not earlier? It’s been a LONG time) but never really got into the conversations happening here. Good to greet folks and maybe get into some of these comments threads!

  198. 198.

    Radio Dave

    Good evening, BJ!  A total lurker raising his hand here, despite my deeply ingrained but well-earned insecurity about doing so. Believe me or not, I just discovered BJ maybe, oh, two months ago, and I am so grateful that I did. I enjoy the posts, the diversity of topics but particularly the near-unity re: the felon I shall not name. BJ lifts me up, directs me to new sources of news and opinion, gives me plenty to laugh about and share with my spouse. I may never submit a true comment, but believe me or not – yes, repeating myself, I know – I will be here, as close to every day as possible. Proof of your positive influences – besides my wife, of course: For the first time every in my 66 years, I/we got out and carried Harris-Walz signs for the Saturday rallies at the main intersection in our town and sent out lots of post cards in support of our candidates. Thanks for inviting me into your circle, and getting me up off my 66 year-old arse to do something matters for us all.

  199. 199.

    seefleur

    Just dropping by to say that I read this site every day – thank you all for existing. You have NO IDEA how much each and every one of you (regulars and lurkers) mean to me. I started reading (I might have staggered into the site from DKos but I honestly don’t recall how I found you all) just before the missing mustard event – and I admit to being confused for quite a while before things kind of fell into place. You all are an amazing bunch… weird as all get out, but I love each and everyone of you jackals, and your critters… From my heart to you all –  thanks for being!!

  200. 200.

    Pennsylvanian

    I’ve been here since bloggers used to have a sort of referral-link thing. JC was on the (help me out here gen Xers – Was it “Blogroll”? I honestly don’t remember) list/Blogroll/Good-link-thingy at DKos and, I think, also got me connected with TPM. JC and Markos were both Army IIRC and became jaded on some issues in common. There was some mutual respect there I think, but no idea if they ever had any other connection.

    And then, animals, recipes, epic rants and pie fights…it was glorious! Mustard, mops, animals, (mishaps and surgery, sorry JC), houses, animals, gardens, trees, canning, crows, animals, and just a FSM-bunch-of-DoGooders you can’t keep down. This is where my moral conscience resides.

    I am here, and have been, every day. Sometimes lurkers are just readers or supporters or compatriots, but it is nice when you come to a place where everybody knows your name. Just put up a post and be on the roster. Lurkers are jackals too!

    Vote! Vote! Vote! Vote! Vote! Set your clocks back on Saturday. Vote! Vote! Vote!
    Help someone else vote!

    Be well, fellow jackals. We must overcome.

  201. 201.

    WaterGirl

    @Radio Dave: Welcome!  Great to know you’re out there, and I hope you’ll comment whenever the spirit moves you.

    Glad you guys got out there and took some action.  That’s what it’s all about, I think, no regrets.

  204. 204.

    WaterGirl

    @Pennsylvanian: We may not know the lurkers, but we know you’re there.

    I love it when lurkers chime in, some just to say hello, and some start to comment.

    Lurkers are jackals and BJ peeps, just the quieter variety. :-)

  205. 205.

    WaterGirl

    I’m closing the laptop for the night, but I’ll check in tomorrow morning and will approve any new first comments that are here.  That way, if the spirit moves you to commit at some point – hopefully even to say hallelujia next week – you comment will go through right away.

    Big thanks to everyone who chimed in!

  206. 206.

    John Mc in NC

    Long time lurker here.  Going back to the dark of days of W.  Love this place so much.  Just wanted to poke my head up and say hello and that i appreciate the lurker appreciation.  I’m also one John Cole’s followers and likers on the twitter.

  208. 208.

    Eos

    Longtime reader, first-time commenter, with two questions:

    (a) Is it possible for this site to serve less weighty webpages to older, less powerful browsers/devices?

    Specifically, would it be possible for those page-crashing embedded elements (such as articles sourced from other sites, and especially anything from Xitter) to be replaced by simple html links to the original material (or by that intermediate semi-formatted text that appears on the initial page-load — which, several seconds or minutes later, transforms into fully-formatted embedded — and often browser-strangling — objects)?

    (b) Apologies if this question has already been thoroughly thrashed through in these environs, but…

    Where are the good data?

    On the one hand, it seems like the Democratic campaign must have a server farm somewhere running reality-based simulation after simulation after simulation, because it would seem that they identified a potential problem early on — that the media simply would not treat President Biden fairly — and prepared (and executed) their contingency plans accordingly.

    But on the other hand, this factually-based, well-organized Harris/Walz campaign has had to contend with an environment dominated by media fantasists, sloppy statisticians, malfeasants little and large, and an opposing campaign which is barely more than an orange-stained agglomeration of spittle-flecked awfulness…

    …which nonetheless seems to be utterly sure that the fix will be in next week.

    That is disquieting.

  209. 209.

    Pennsylvanian

    @John Mc in NC: I have traditionally been the one to be the last to comment in a thread. Know that I am here, and welcome you, and read your comment. This place is one of refuge and grace, and I cherish it. See you when I see you!

  210. 210.

    VB Kim

    Love this space.  I’ve commented occasionally but mostly lurk. Where else can you lurk and see a post about Georgette Heyer!

  211. 211.

    Polish The Guillotines

    I was a semi-active commenter here eons ago, then I got fried on politics and bailed on social media for sanity’s sake.
    I got involved on Twitter until Cyberdick said he was going to buy it. I pulled the ripcord immediately and bailed out before he flew it into the mountain.
    After that, I started lurking here again, because why the hell not?
    My Balloon Juice legacy is definition 4 for “Conservative” in the BJ Lexicon.
    My economic plan to revitalize the American steel industry involves the manufacturing of monogrammed guillotine blades for the 1%, hence my nym.​

  212. 212.

    La Nonna

    Delurking for a moment, the time zone difference keeps me from commenting much, but the blog is among my first stops each morning with the caffe e cornetto.  We voted from here in rural Puglia, ballots by email, returned bt DHL courier, all accepted and ready to roll up a blue wave in the Adirondacks.  I really appreciate the commenters, reading/watching suggestions, the travel info.  Bravo

  213. 213.

    Aggieric

    @L Boom: Ah, longevity. I have 19 years at DK now, but have felt like a refugee for the last several and haven’t bothered to log in there during the entire Biden admin. Lurking seems to easily become a habit – I think this might only be my third comment at BJ.

  214. 214.

    TerryTime

    I have been lurking a very long time.

    I remember Little Boots stalking Omnes in late night threads.  How long ago was that?

    Yesterday Omnes made a comment that prompted me to watch Kamala’s rally in Madison. Then I watched her live in Phoenix. It felt much better than doom scrolling.  It was uplifting. Thank you Omnes.

  215. 215.

    The Up and Up

    I’ve kinda drifted off into lurk mode of late. Made it to a Balloon Juice meet up a year or two ago. Ballot for this election was dropped off early however I received an odd mailing from the “Center for Voter Information” the other day. Anyone else get this “Voting Report Card”?

  216. 216.

    Cec65

    Time to Delurk once again.  I think I made a couple posts outside the lurking posts.  Already voted, all straight democrat for all federal and state offices.  For someone who never made a political donation before 2016, I made multiple multi 100 dollar donations to democrat candidates

  217. 217.

    frosty

    @The Up and Up: ​Everyone in our household got the Voting Report Card, some of us more than once. The language was part of my postcard script for Activate America, which they said tested better than anything else for getting people to vote.

    “Who you vote for is private but whether or not you vote is public information.”

    I thought it was a little creepy, so I turned it around and added caps:

    “Whether or not you vote is public information, but WHO YOU VOTE FOR IS PRIVATE.”

  218. 218.

    Lem365

    Hi, I’ve been lurking here off and on since I guess sometime in the Obama administration. I lose track of y’all for months at a time, then something reminds me and I decide to check if Balloon Juice is still around. I’m glad it is.

    I’ve commented once or twice, but what email address or nym I might have used, I don’t remember. Last time, I believe, was election night 2020, when I was kind of freaking out. Also possibly a little drunk. It helped me feel a little better to be here. I’m delurking on this thread just in case I feel a need to post again this election night. Or, who knows, maybe even before. Or after.

  219. 219.

    ih8h8rs

    I have been a balloon-juice lurker for 15+ years—started visiting sometime during Dubya’s reign. Daily Kos and Balloon Juice are the two blogs I still visit multiple times daily after all these years. I think I’ve attempted to comment here a couple of times, but lost interest in my own mediocre musings and have no idea if I ever made it through to the other side. Keeping my fingers crossed that THIS TIME I’ll get in!!!!

  220. 220.

    Rich2506

    Had to change my website from prawnworks to rlgardner as I just couldn’t find a program that would upload photoessays and other material to the website. So with a combination of a website builder from Ionos and blog posts from WordPress, I’ve managed to adapt. Doing lots and lots of canvassing. Running into lots of folks who have already voted, but I’m assured it’s still worth it.

  221. 221.

    Travels with Charley

    Late to the thread – as usual, which is why I mainly lurk.  But I’ve been here since 2008, and Balloon Juice is my go to reading every morning and most nights.  I love the community that has developed here, and all of the interesting things one learns.  I like to read, learn to speak Japanese, and have started a project to “Read Japanese Literature (in English),” if anyone else has similar interests.

  223. 223.

    Miss Marple

    Hello BJ community!

    This is my first post on BJ and was motivated to post something by the call to lurkers. BJ is the first website I check every morning. I would love to help and contribute.

    I think Harris is going to win and win big!! I recently saw a BlueSky post that Harris is going to win NC, and that we’ll know she’s won it before 11 PM Eastern.

    I think we are at an inflection point in American politics with power shifting to the progressives. The neoliberal regime is at its end. Fascists always lose in the end because they have a pre-modern idea of how power works in modern societies. Power taken by violence is the weakest form of power.

    By way of introduction, I live in Ventura County, California.

  224. 224.

    Snuffy Crockett

    @Almost Retired: I’ve been reading Balloon Juice almost since the beginning. Never really read the comments, since I wasn’t a “member”. The only time I really wished I wasn’t just a “lurker” was every year around the calendar time. Always wanted a Balloon Juice calendar and wanted to send some photos of my cats so they may be published on the calendar.

    Also love most of the front pagers, especially Betty Cracker, Adam Silverman, Doug J, Tamara, Anne Laurie, of course, John Cole.

  225. 225.

    Jacob

    I’ve been reading BJ for a long time but I don’t think I’ve commented.

    i’m a Jewish trans man.  Yesterday my rabbi and I talked about how to support trans people when/if Trump wins or is given the election. Trump  plans on taking our very necessary healthcare as soon as they take office.  For me, to be forced to detransition would be so devastating that I could not be sure I would survive it.
    Trump is running the most despicable anti-trans ads on sporting events.  “She’s with they/them.  He’s with us”.
    I believe she will win.  I do not believe SORUS will allow that.  I am terrified

  227. 227.

    WaterGirl

    @Jacob: Hi Jacob, welcome.

    Trump is despicable, deplorable, disgusting, disreputable, and disgraceful.  And those are just the “D” words I can think of!

    Like you, I think Harris will win.  I don’t know what SORUS refers to, but I get that you are terrified, and why.

    Hang in there, we’ll know soon.

    Now that I’ve approved your first comment, when you comment again it will show up for everyone right away.  I am not sure anyone else will see your comment on this thread, but you can always chime in on another thread.

    You are not alone.

  228. 228.

    WaterGirl

    @Snuffy Crockett: Welcome!

    Sometimes lurkers come to Balloon Juice meetups, lurkers donate to our political fundraising, sometimes they are even “Angels” who offer matches for political fundraising.  And we certainly have lurker pets in the pet calendar!

    So join us for whatever you like.  Even though I didn’t make your favorites list.

    Maybe that just shows that you have good taste! :-)

Comments are closed.