…and this is a 
Hey, I'm not European!
Category: Weblogs
Posted on: May 25, 2007 3:39 PM, by PZ Myers
I have just been informed that those sneaky Europeans at AFOE are having a poll, and I'm on it in the category of "Best Non-European Weblog", and I'm losing badly. This wouldn't be so bad if losing meant I got the title of "Best European Weblog", but apparently trivial geographic and cultural differences will be used as an excuse to disqualify me there. Somehow, though, Sadly, No is winning in a landslide. I don't understand how that can happen, and can only attribute it to the fact that a bunch of foreigners are voting, and they can't read the title as an injunction to not vote for them. Sadly, of course. It means "NON" or "NEIN" or "NYET", people!
I'm also getting whomped by LGM and the Agonist. Maybe the voters think the crews over there are French. Or that the winner of the vote is required to stay as far away from Europe as possible.
And then, perhaps, another problem is that they've misspelled this blog as "Pharyngyla". Pharyngyla? Everyone knows that Pharyngyla is a blog that sucks. Pharyngula, though, is a whole 'nother kettle of writhing tentacles.
I urge all of you who think I am the most non-European of them all to get out there and vote for someone. Anyone but sucky Pharyngyla. Or send me a kettle of tentacles, instead.
Comments
* Pharyngyla has been removed.
* I'm not good at these European languages, but I think the prize is a satin pajama. You can do without. I mean one satin pajama is not good, I wouldn't get up for anything less than a pair of pajamas.
* Your ancestry is European, right? See if that qualifies you for "Best Ex-Pat Blog."
Posted by: Reginald Selkirk | May 25, 2007 4:04 PM
Mmmm, tentancles.
Posted by: Dan | May 25, 2007 4:07 PM
I hope this doesn't mean I have to go back to calling french fries "freedom fries" again.
Posted by: Tony Popple | May 25, 2007 4:09 PM
Oh, no...they changed the spelling? But it was so charming, in a Clouseauesque fashion.
Well, I'm "ex-pat" on my mother's side by about 120 years, and on my father's side by somewhere about 350, or more. I suppose on a European scale that's very nouveau Americain, so maybe that would work.
Posted by: PZ Myers | May 25, 2007 4:15 PM
looks like your tied for second place now.
Posted by: chris rattis | May 25, 2007 4:48 PM
As a European I apologize for the disgraceful and igorant behaviour of my fellow euro-commies (too much time discussing global warming on suspect sites...). The problem might be that because we euros are so much less religious than you Yanks not enough people here are praying for you...
You have my vote oh Great One.
Posted by: Mark UK | May 25, 2007 4:53 PM
A surge! 22% and gaining.
Posted by: redstripe | May 25, 2007 5:16 PM
I voted for you 2 days ago, and like Sadly, No! predicted, when you would send your minions the vote would skyrocket. Looks like you are getting there.
Well deserved, keep up the good work
Greetings from somewhere between Lisbon, Paris and Bucharest.
Posted by: Gil Antunes | May 25, 2007 5:21 PM
Please forgive the OT but I just saw PZ mentioned in Sci-Am and had to share!
http://blog.sciam.com/index.php?title=time_magazine_runs_richard_dawkins_mini
Posted by: Spocko | May 25, 2007 5:25 PM
The title you get if you lose is Non-Best European Weblog, which, of course, is irrelevant unless you happen to be traveling through Non-Best Europe.
Reminds me of Groucho's line: Last night, I shot irrelevant in my satin pyjamas. How he got in my satin pyjamas I'll never know. Note that the original spelling of "pyjamas" also includes the mysterious "y" that wound up in "Pharyngyla." More proof of an intelligent designer!
Posted by: The Exterminator | May 25, 2007 6:25 PM
I'm European, and "Pharyngyla" has my full support. Seems like we're catching up...
Posted by: forsen | May 25, 2007 7:26 PM
The Ken Ham blog. That is your real competition, sir Myers.
Posted by: John Danley | May 25, 2007 7:37 PM
... it's not a land slide any more ...
Posted by: Greg Laden | May 25, 2007 7:56 PM
You're losing because the Europeans consider themselves more erudite than you now, ever since you wrote "a whole 'nother". The apostrophe doesn't excuse it.
Posted by: Chris Thompson | May 25, 2007 8:45 PM
But...but...what is the optimal strategy for winning the best non-European weblog? Does it involve being as non-European as I can be, or are they going to be favoring the best simulacrum of a European blog in a non-European location?
Posted by: PZ Myers | May 25, 2007 8:48 PM
Pharyngula, though, is a whole 'nother kettle of writhing tentacles...
Some poor unfortunate people have nightmares about "writhing tentacles", you know. That could be hurting your chances.
However, I'll head over and put in a vote for ya, for what it's worth.
Posted by: Graham | May 25, 2007 9:27 PM
Ooh, you're in the lead now (just). I'll claim it was my vote that did it.
Bob
Posted by: Bob O'H | May 26, 2007 1:31 AM
If I understand you rightly, and I hope I don't, "Maybe the voters think the crews over there are French" is French bashing on the level of Glenn Beck.
Ok, so they were right about war in Iraq. Should you hold that against them?
In France, 80% of the people recognize evolution as the scientific theory explaining the development of our world.
In the U.S. it is 13%.
Posted by: bernarda | May 26, 2007 3:00 AM
Graham: People who have nightmares about tentacles probably wouldn't vote for a cephalopodophilic blog anyway...
Posted by: forsen | May 26, 2007 5:26 AM
Move to the UK. That way you get to be called European but stay really American.
Posted by: Kapitano | May 26, 2007 6:12 AM
You're ahead!
Posted by: Josh | May 26, 2007 6:16 AM
...And, in a.. predictable result... Pharyngula's in the lead.
Posted by: Adam Cuerden | May 26, 2007 6:21 AM
Pharyngula's problem with Europeans is quite simple, imho. In Europe creationism is not a very pressing issue. I for one have never even heard of the word (concept of) creationism until I was 17. And then only by mere accident. At fist I couldn't believe that anyone with half a working brain would actually take the biblical account of special creation literally.
Thus nobody here searches for good sites or blogs which defend the scientific method in general and evolution in particular.
Which in turn explains your (former) low poll results.
Posted by: DCP | May 26, 2007 6:51 AM
Clearly, we need a Feitlebaum reference here.
Posted by: PZ Myers | May 26, 2007 9:01 AM
Umm, Bernarda, stop being so sensitive. I like France. I'm playing off the convention that the loony Right in this country use "French" as an insult and apply it to us left-wingers all the time, so an outsider might get the impression that every rational, sensible, peace-loving blog with a sense of humor in this country is actually written by French people living here. In that sense, "Sadly, No" is crewed by a bunch of guys with berets humming the Marseillaise while bashing GW Bush over the head with baguettes...and I think that's a good thing.
Posted by: PZ Myers | May 26, 2007 9:26 AM
Hey, now you're in the lead with 42%! "Sadly, No" has 35%. And they've corrected the spelling.
Posted by: Andreas | May 26, 2007 11:43 AM
Not to bite the tentacle of the squid that feeds me (ah, sashimi!)--or rather, sends the most visitors to Mostly Harmless of any other blog ever--I just voted (for Sadly, No!) and you're way ahead now.
Posted by: The Constructivist | May 27, 2007 10:38 AM
Oh, no...if I beat "Sadly, No!", they'll mock me. And you know how savage they can be in their unrelenting mockity mock-mock mocking mockery.
Posted by: PZ Myers | May 27, 2007 11:32 AM
I have voted, but the result is surprising.
Is it funny?
Posted by: Energy lory | May 27, 2007 10:44 PM
One of the things I really love is finding blogs that I haven't visited before that are gems. A Fistful of Euros lists lots of sites that are real treasures. I've gone back to their site several times just to check out the variety of blogs listed.
Posted by: Paguroidea | May 27, 2007 11:39 PM