…and this is a 
Order of the Molly for March 2007
Category: Weblogs
Posted on: March 15, 2007 5:10 PM, by PZ Myers
Last month, I tried a new motivational tactic to reward good commenting, allowing you to nominate and select one of the commenters here for the Order of the Molly award, acknowledging excellence in commenting. Kristine Harley and Scott Hatfield won that recognition that time around. I said it was going to be a monthly phenomenon, and what do you know, another month has come by, and it's time to do it again.
This is an important award, I'll have you know. As Kristine noticed, it got some people worked up — John A. Davison is going on at some length about it, although, to be perfectly honest, he only seems to be talking to himself and his little friend, Martin. Still, it is amusing.
Anyway, this is easy. You can see the previous thread for examples, but all you have to do is name some commenter whose contributions you enjoy, and maybe say a word or two to convince others that your choice is worthy. I'll count up all the mentions on Sunday, and declare a winner then. Don't turn this into a serious competition, though—it really is intended to just celebrate the good 'uns, and there will be more opportunities to recognize people in the future.
Comments
Posted by: quork | March 15, 2007 5:37 PM
Hank Fox gets my vote. He's funny and always includes a thought provoking statement with clarity and logic.
Posted by: Bruce Breece | March 15, 2007 5:37 PM
What would your position on nominating multiple people be?
Posted by: Rey Fox | March 15, 2007 5:40 PM
I gave a thought to splitting my vote among several worthy contenders, but--as this will be a monthly event--I'm just going to hold some names in reserve.
This month's vote goes to Steve LaBonne--he has clear and valuable things to say on almost every thread almost every day. I'm not sure how he gets anything else done, but I'm glad he doesn't!
Posted by: Steviepinhead | March 15, 2007 5:53 PM
My vote goes for Orac. Insightful, the occasional relevant link, an appropriate level of snarkiness... Great commenting on this blog is one of the biggest reasons I come back every day.
Posted by: Matt the heathen | March 15, 2007 5:55 PM
I still think this idea is repugnant, PZ. But be that as it may, I agree with the above statement by Steviepinhead (but I was also thinking Ed Darrell if there would be a second choice) I'm thinking consistency and duration:
Steve Labonne
(I would also like to note awesome posts by Flex and Blake Stacey today in the "Spirituality? Another words for lies and empty noise" thread, and elsewhere on the SBs today.)
Posted by: Observer | March 15, 2007 6:02 PM
Whats repugnant about a light hearted recognition of quality contribution? Someones taking this too seriously.
(though my nomination would be for Blkae Stacey too)
Posted by: Robert | March 15, 2007 6:07 PM
Curses! I should at least get the name right! Blake Stacey.
Posted by: Robert | March 15, 2007 6:08 PM
I nominate Great White Wonder. In spite of his vitriol, I find him strangely attractive, in a purely sexual way.
[but since this is you nominating yourself, GWW, that would be masturbation, so I'm not going to count this -- pzm]
Posted by: Casey Luskin | March 15, 2007 6:13 PM
Thanks, Robert and Observer. I'm a bit too distracted to come up with my own list right now (and I'd probably unfairly slight people by leaving too many off), but maybe I'll get it together after dinner.
Posted by: Blake Stacey | March 15, 2007 6:13 PM
Hank Fox. We lefty liberals like to think of ourselves as freethinkers, but just like the right, we also have our own 'thought fashions' and 'attitude templates' as I like to think of them.
Hank is great at spotting these thinking ruts and saying 'Hey, wait a minute'. Many is the time he has made me think about things from a new angle.
I don't always agree with him, but he is always clear and insightful. He is a wise man.
Posted by: Tom McCann | March 15, 2007 6:24 PM
I don't like what could be perceived as popularity contests. I also admit that I like to use the word repugnant. BTW, you were the first to nominate Blake Stacey in this thread - I simply acknowledged his contribution to the Science Blogs community today, as well as Flex's.
Last month PZ chose two people - of each gender. I forgot that either Molly - Molly in NYC and Red Molly (how appropriate are those names!) would go nicely with Steve.
Sorry, a misspelling: Steve LaBonne
Posted by: Observer | March 15, 2007 6:32 PM
It's probably not fair, because I know Hank Fox personally, but I vote for him also. Very bright guy who comes up with the greatest metaphors to make his points.
Posted by: Carl Buell | March 15, 2007 6:38 PM
Hank Fox. Not only does he write some very good comments, he has done so for quite a while now.
Posted by: Kristjan Wager | March 15, 2007 6:56 PM
For erudition, I would like to nominate Torjborn Larsson. I not only enjoy his posts, but I learn from them. In fact, I often find myself having to learn a little something just to comprehend them in the first place: he's *that* kind of mind, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
For amusement, I would also like to nominate the intermittently-vulgar but frequently hilarious Great White Wonder. He makes me laugh.
Posted by: Scott Hatfield | March 15, 2007 7:00 PM
I'll second that nomination for Torbjörn Larsson. Even if I'm not sure how to pronounce his name. :)
Posted by: Trip the Space Parasite | March 15, 2007 7:17 PM
I nominated Blake Stacey last time, and wish to do so again. He's a smart feller.
Posted by: Mike Haubrich | March 15, 2007 8:14 PM
This month I'm going for Hank Fox.
Posted by: Stogoe | March 15, 2007 8:20 PM
/me joins the Blake Stacey bandwagon
I've been demoted from "PZ Sycophant" to "PZ Commenter Sycophant", apparently.
Posted by: Joshua | March 15, 2007 8:42 PM
We've got such a great community of people who make insightful comments here at Pharyngula. I always look forward to reading the comments on the posts. It is hard to decide with so many excellent candidates.
This time I'll vote for the man who has lots of "Molly", the one and only - Hank Fox!!!!
Posted by: Paguroidea | March 15, 2007 8:45 PM
He hasn't been around in a while, but I have great respect for Martin Brazeau.
Posted by: dogscratcher | March 15, 2007 8:51 PM
I too have a huge blog-crush on Blake Stacey. His performance on the Sprituality thread surely puts him over the top.
Posted by: Rooney | March 15, 2007 9:17 PM
Blake Stacey - whenever I'm reading a comment and thinking "Right on, man" I come to the end and there's his name.
I love you, Blake Stacey!
Posted by: nicole | March 15, 2007 9:22 PM
Hank Fox.
I occasionally disagree with Hank on style, mostly, but he has earned our respect. To pass him over again would be disrespectful.
Posted by: Desert Donkey | March 15, 2007 10:00 PM
If you're a super curious person like I am, you've probably wondered what John A. Davison's deathbed words will be, since he's a fairly old fart. Personally, I'm almost certain they will be nothing of any interest to anyone. But for comparison with famous people, there's always this list:
http://www.corsinet.com/braincandy/dying.html
BTW, it might be cool to know what PZ's last words would be. But I suppose we'll have to wait.
Posted by: dfm | March 15, 2007 10:15 PM
Rooney and nicole:
I've only just begun. . . . (-;
dfm:
What about Aldous Huxley's last words — didn't he scrawl a message to his wife saying, "LSD, 100 micrograms I.M."?
Posted by: Blake Stacey | March 15, 2007 10:33 PM
Please, don't hold your breath waiting, OK?
Posted by: PZ Myers | March 15, 2007 10:33 PM
*turns blue*
*passes out*
*has spiritual experience due to oxygen deprivation*
Ooh, Goddamaroo...
Posted by: Stogoe | March 15, 2007 11:12 PM
There are many good ones here, but I'll go for Hank Fox this month, too.
Posted by: coturnixc | March 15, 2007 11:16 PM
He hasn't commented as much lately as in the past, but I think we have to get Hank Fox into the Hall. And I don't say that just because we're related ('cause we're not, this isn't even my real name).
And if we get a double selection like last month, then Blake.
Posted by: Rey Fox | March 15, 2007 11:37 PM
When I grow up, I'm going to write J.A. Davidson's biography. Sorry guys; I called it first.
Posted by: great_ape | March 16, 2007 1:23 AM
Frak, always selection with these evolution blogs. Which is hard when there is so much delightful variation to choose from. Good thing it is repeated.
Seeing that I missed the first opportunity, I will cast three votes this time.
My first vote would have gone to Scott, because he is thoughtful, clear and stoic in the Roman sense ("calm acceptance of all occurrences as the unavoidable result of divine will or of the natural order").
My second vote must then go to Kristine which I would have voted for sooner or later, because she is witty, funny, and takes no shit.
And my final vote this month goes to Blake Stacey, because he is engaging, learned and always there for us. Even if it is to tell us he will check in later...
Posted by: Torbjörn Larsson | March 16, 2007 6:10 AM
I forgot: Thanks Scott and Trip (and the earlier thread commenters) for the nominations! This was a great start of my day, as you can imagine.
Posted by: Torbjörn Larsson | March 16, 2007 6:20 AM
Posted by: quork | March 16, 2007 8:52 AM
It seems like there might be a problem with counting this way - there are several people who have already shown up twice, and if they keep showing up month after month with others included, then there could be people who everyone likes but somehow never get a majority vote. What about a slight modification that each month there are two categories: a set of the runners-up in numbers from last month get voted on for the Molly, and other nominations for next month?
Posted by: Carlie | March 16, 2007 10:03 AM
I am casting my vote for Torbjörn Larsson. Thought provoking comments, worthy of reading, and relevant to the post.
Posted by: ctenotrish | March 16, 2007 11:11 AM
Hey Rooney and Nicole, move over.
If I had to pick one, it would be Blake Stacey -- he thinks like I do, but (unlike me) he always includes the sources to back it up.
Posted by: Sonja | March 16, 2007 12:12 PM
I'll add in another vote for Blake Stacey. Whose multitude, and depth, is simply tops.
Posted by: deanbcurtis | March 16, 2007 12:36 PM
Blake Stacey. Because, like Meera Nanda, he is my hero.
Posted by: Sastra | March 16, 2007 1:32 PM
I would like to nominate Kristjan Wager. Not only is he a fellow Dane of mine, but I share most of his opinions. Most of them, not all. But, he does seem to make sense most of the time.
Michael Bo
Posted by: VonGlaes | March 16, 2007 2:26 PM
I am of the opinion that since this is PZ's blog he can count anyway he likes. Without having to reveal the balloting and stuff. Don't make it too complicated or people will start laying bets in Vegas. And that leads to organized crime and sex and those things bring preachers trying to clean the place up.
Posted by: Mike Haubrich | March 16, 2007 3:46 PM
Oh, I'm so glad to be able to pass the crown before those photos come out.
;-)
It's so hard to choose - this time I nominate Blake Stacey and Carlie.
Scott, should we give the new winners, whoever they may be, any advice about the whirlwind life of photo shoots, public appearances, charity balls, and vodka-spiked oranges that await them? (What? Whaddaya mean you don't remember anything about...)
Posted by: Kristine | March 16, 2007 4:41 PM
If my stomach wasn't locked in a bitter and nasty war with citrus and vodka, I'd be interested to know about the vodka-spiked oranges.
Rum-spiked cantaloupe, perhaps?
Sambuca-spiked pears?
Scotch-soaked strawberries (covered in dark chocolate)?
Oh, now I have to try that last one...
Posted by: stogoe | March 16, 2007 5:13 PM
Yes, Blake Stacey this time.
Posted by: David Marjanović | March 16, 2007 7:51 PM
Thanks! I vote for Torbjörn and Blake. Mike, you mean there's not already a betting pool? Then who was that who took my money?
Posted by: Carlie | March 16, 2007 8:22 PM
Kristine: I doubt this was an issue for a lovely lady such as yourself, but any potential male contestants should know there is a possibility that they will be addressed as 'Mr. Molly' or 'that Molly guy' (both actually happened to me).
More seriously, while the "competitition" is light-hearted, to be signaled out for excellence in some fashion is always nice, and a reminder that we should shoot for excellence. (Back Bay Boston voice) "AHSK not what your Pharyngula can do for you, AHSK what you can do for your Pharyngula!"
Posted by: Scott Hatfield | March 17, 2007 1:23 AM
And Dustin, too. Look at his performance up on the woo conference thread:
ROTFL! He needs some kind of award.
Posted by: David Marjanović | March 18, 2007 6:17 PM
"AHSK not what your Pharyngula can do for you, AHSK what you can do for your Pharyngula!"
Well said indeed. The Molly Award is "not so much a recognition of what I have done, but a standard for what I have yet to do."
I can't wait to find out the new winners...
Posted by: Kristine | March 18, 2007 9:47 PM