…and this is a 
Proposed site redesign
Category: Humor • Weirdness
Posted on: April 29, 2008 1:03 PM, by PZ Myers
Since I changed my profile photo, the ideas for radical revision of the site have come pouring in. Here's a possible new logo:
What do you think? I thought it was keen, until I read all the new speculation about why I was kicked out of a movie theater. Oh, no!
In the same freakishly weird spirit, here's a new poll for you to crash: it asks what your favorite marine animal is, and the choices are otter, squid, blowfish, and "land animals are far superior". You know what to do.
Comments
It's a bit loud.
Posted by: BlueIndependent | April 29, 2008 1:05 PM
67% for squid and counting... :)
Posted by: DM | April 29, 2008 1:08 PM
Incomplete, too. Does it help if I mention that we'd also change the text to yellow-green on a purple paisley-patterned background?
Posted by: PZ Myers | April 29, 2008 1:08 PM
There may be no fish
Like the blowfish
Squid will still be hotter
Don't give me land
Or even sand
Cos squid are like no otter.
Posted by: Cuttlefish, OM | April 29, 2008 1:09 PM
I like this disclaimer beneath the poll:
I'm not being facetious. I really do think it's a good thing to put beneath an internet poll, even if it is about something silly a thing as what marine animal is superior.
Posted by: Etha Williams | April 29, 2008 1:12 PM
Ouch!...
Didn't expect to see that...
Mt. Dew through the nose!...
Ouch!...
Posted by: Bob | April 29, 2008 1:13 PM
Your (new)profile photo is interesting ...
Was it taken in London, with Westminster Bridge in the background?
Posted by: G. Tingey | April 29, 2008 1:13 PM
just don't hang out in adult theaters PZ
Posted by: randy | April 29, 2008 1:15 PM
I don't know, man: a blowfish is like almost the world's most poisonous animal, people pay good money to be poisoned by it in restaurants, and it has a pretty good encryption algorithm named after it. I respect that.
Posted by: Moggie | April 29, 2008 1:17 PM
That'll draw all of the cool kids away from Overwhelming Evidence and Expelled.
Glen Davidson
http://tinyurl.com/2kxyc7
Posted by: Glen Davidson | April 29, 2008 1:21 PM
Pff. Squid. I'll risk the wrath of my future cephalopod overlords - I voted for the hairy, endothermic lactogenic mollusk eaters.
Posted by: KC | April 29, 2008 1:27 PM
Well, your fashion sense has improved.
Posted by: Aaron Baker | April 29, 2008 1:28 PM
The "Squid" section of the pie chart looks like a Pac-Man trying to eat the other choices, and it's chomping down as more pharyngulites vote. Too bad it's blue.
And squid really are the best sea creature in that poll. Now, if they'd included lobsters or stomatopods, it would have been a tough choice.
Posted by: Sengkelat | April 29, 2008 1:38 PM
Squid would've won without our crashing the poll. I mean, come on-- OTTERS and BLOWFISH??
Posted by: C Murdock | April 29, 2008 1:38 PM
Thank you, PZ, for getting me off the depressing story (and depressing comments thread) of "Can We Please Just Establish This One Principle?"
I suppose that's why I come to this blog directly instead of starting on The Last 24 Hours page: Your ability to put the angering, the depressing, the inspired, the funny, and the so-stupid-it-becomes-funny side by side by side.
Posted by: Jason Failes | April 29, 2008 1:44 PM
Rather than take the time and therapy bills to install talking furniture, why not simply stick a howda on Jumbo here, instead?
Posted by: Stanton | April 29, 2008 1:46 PM
PZ's Playhouse: but will there be action figures?????
Posted by: tikistitch | April 29, 2008 1:49 PM
You can't put the word "colossal" in front of those lesser animals and hope to be taken seriously. Squid it is!
Posted by: Eximious Jones | April 29, 2008 1:55 PM
Dude, I'd like to help, I really would, but BLOWFISH? They have BLOWFISH?
Posted by: Milo Johnson | April 29, 2008 1:55 PM
Awesome. Simply awesome. lol
Posted by: LP | April 29, 2008 1:55 PM
PZ: "Incomplete, too. Does it help if I mention that we'd also change the text to yellow-green on a purple paisley-patterned background?"
That might just earn you your first well-deserved EPIC FAIL.
Posted by: BlueIndependent | April 29, 2008 1:57 PM
Posted by: Dave W. | April 29, 2008 2:02 PM
Where's PZ's horns and tail? And tentacles?
Posted by: Adrienne | April 29, 2008 2:04 PM
"Where's PZ's horns and tail? And tentacles?"
Under his clothes. If he whips his tentacles out, he will get kicked out of another theater for sure.
Posted by: Jason Failes | April 29, 2008 2:06 PM
PZ you have way too much influence!
Posted by: sasha | April 29, 2008 2:08 PM
It may be heresy to say but... my favorite is the sea otter. I have seen quite a few of them in Santa Cruz bay while scuba diving and free diving and they are damn cute. Cutest of all the marine mammals I think and waaay cuter than squid :-P
Blowfish are cool just cuz they are badasses... though hardly cudly. Since the question was for "favorite marine animal" the last choice of "land animals are superior" doesn't even count.
-DU-
Posted by: David Utidjian | April 29, 2008 2:09 PM
PZ's Playhouse. When will you be showing Waiting for Godot?
Posted by: Kitty | April 29, 2008 2:10 PM
what a surprise, finding my obscure alma mater's newspaper on Phayangula getting crashed. haha.
Notice the poll under that one: "Can one prove God exists?" Not sure I like any of the options...
Posted by: khops | April 29, 2008 2:13 PM
80% for squid... it seems like PeeZed has his own army of evil monkeys, "Fly, my pretties. Fly! Fly!"
Posted by: Emmet Caulfield | April 29, 2008 2:16 PM
Do his evil monkeys fly out of his man-boobies? Do they have tentacles too?
Posted by: Adrienne | April 29, 2008 2:23 PM
Otter's no good fried. Blowfish are tricky to clean. Land animals are OK for BBQ, but squid is Good Eats!
Posted by: JohnA | April 29, 2008 2:28 PM
I realize your new logo is probably I joke, but I think it's awesome! What better name for a site that features cephalopod porn than PZ's Playhouse? :)
Posted by: Jennifer Ouellette | April 29, 2008 2:28 PM
Done!
Your evil minions await your next command.
Posted by: Michael Svihura | April 29, 2008 2:29 PM
... 81% ...
"Power corrupts ..."
Posted by: NoAstronomer | April 29, 2008 2:32 PM
That 81% looks awful PacMan-y, "eatin' ur fudz".
Posted by: minusRusty | April 29, 2008 2:35 PM
"In my country, calamari eat you!!!"
Adding, since this is the Intarnets, Om nom nom....
Posted by: tikistitch | April 29, 2008 2:39 PM
Looks like Squid are 82% so far, but otters do it silkier. Go Otters!
Posted by: Paul Lundgren | April 29, 2008 2:40 PM
Evil flying monkeys are cool, but it would be even better if we could be PZ's Evil Flying Cephalopods.
Posted by: The Other Dan from Milwaukee | April 29, 2008 2:42 PM
[quote]Notice the poll under that one: "Can one prove God exists?" Not sure I like any of the options...
[/quote]
What a terrible poll. The choices are essentially 'yes', 'yes' and 'yes'.
Posted by: Chirality | April 29, 2008 2:44 PM
What do you think?
#1 Science Blog?
I think not. I can think of a dozen that provide better science.
This blog has become nothing more than a cynical, creationist-bashing blog, marked by and displaying contemptuous mockery of the motives and virtues of others using insults, ad hominem attacks and rude and offensive behavior.
Does the phrase "jumped the shark" mean anything to you?
Posted by: Brocken Spectre | April 29, 2008 2:50 PM
It's too bad the poll doesn't show the number of votes for each category. Can we break 100,000?
Posted by: roddg | April 29, 2008 2:52 PM
Poll flooding? I OBEY!
Awesome logo by the way. You should probably switch to Comic Sans and use lots of blinking text, too. That'll reach a really wide audience. Also, use the largest font size possible because that shows people that you're serious.
Posted by: Spook | April 29, 2008 2:52 PM
#18 -
Hey, the colossal otter is no joke. It's a CR6 and its claw attacks do 2d8+22!
*shameless D&D joke*
Posted by: ThirdMonkey | April 29, 2008 2:55 PM
Just voted at your command...congratulations, PZ, you're the new Atheist Pope!
Posted by: HadasS | April 29, 2008 2:56 PM
In the summer of 1991, we were at an ocean side resort. The speed with which sarcastic T-Shirts were available was remarkable. No, I did not buy any. This was at Ocean City, NJ.
Posted by: Rita Bennett | April 29, 2008 2:57 PM
Yeah, well, those other 'better science' sites won't be around much longer if the creationists we bash have their way.
If you don't like Pharyngula, you can always pray that it gets better.
Speaking of polls, the Expelled myspace one has been expelled.
Posted by: Brownian, OM | April 29, 2008 2:57 PM
Yeah, but what do you think of Pee Wee Herman and yellow text on a purple background, huh?
Posted by: PZ Myers | April 29, 2008 2:58 PM
Posted by: IanR | April 29, 2008 2:59 PM
@#39 Chirality --
Not only that, but I don't think their three "yes" options are very good either:
Option 1: Science can prove God. Ummm...science=natural, God=supernatural, so...no. Moving on.
Option 2: No, you need faith. While this is a theoretically possible answer, in reality I've met exactly one religious person in my life whom I think actually had this strange thing called "faith", rather than wishful thinking involving rationalization, denial, pseudo-logic, etc. I am basing this on my outward interactions and conversations with various people of various religious persuasions, and on my own experiences.
Option 3: I see him/her every time I look in a mirror. ...this is either meant to be sophistic (I think I'm god), or it is intended to refer to the idea that God made man in his own image, and that God is reflected in all of us...I can't really figure it out...anyway, it's a crappy and unclear option.
There should be two more options, IMO:
Option 4: God can be "proved" in the minds of believers, but these "proofs" do not hold up to objective scrutiny.
Option 5: No, and God/Goddess/gods/etc most likely do not exist.
Posted by: Etha Williams | April 29, 2008 2:59 PM
And that's just MY posts!
Posted by: Lee Brimmicombe-Wood | April 29, 2008 3:00 PM
Broken Spectre: 'Does the phrase "jumped the shark" mean anything to you?'
No, are they doing it at the Beijing Olympics?
PZ provides some pretty good biological education for someone like me who left uni 20 years ago and occasionally likes the mental rust knocking off. He also provides links to other good science sites and articles, entertains me (as do many of the commenters - guys, I love you!) and for me that makes it a pretty good blog. If you don't like it, have a full refund and fuck off.
Posted by: Peter Mc | April 29, 2008 3:01 PM
It could be good for your image.
I heard Pee Wee was an excellent masterdebater.
peter g
Posted by: peter garayt | April 29, 2008 3:01 PM
Posted by: stogoe | April 29, 2008 3:06 PM
Oh, come on, now. No way would you have been kicked out of a theater showing EXpelled for the reason you suggest.
Intelligent Design advocates do nothing but jerk themselves off -- and now they've captured it all on film.
Posted by: Sastra | April 29, 2008 3:16 PM
That's a new one. When have we ever mocked the virtues of others? Surely you don't count fatuity, credulity and slack-jawed empty-headed parrot-like repetition of musty old superstitions as virtues???
Posted by: xebecs | April 29, 2008 3:18 PM
#18
True, true; but the mere suggestion of a Colossal Otter is awe inspiring.
Posted by: MrSquid | April 29, 2008 3:20 PM
When do we find out what today's secret word is?
Posted by: Screechy Monkey | April 29, 2008 3:23 PM
Re: the new logo- it must needs have a cephalopod in it somewhere to be a good one. And hidden squids in PZ's pockets don't count.
Posted by: Mosasaurus rex | April 29, 2008 3:30 PM
81% favor the squid...hmmmm....
The pie chart looks like a giant blue Pac-Man trying to eat the other three entries.
Posted by: Chief | April 29, 2008 3:40 PM
Re: #56
There's a very large concrete otter on the shores of Ottertail lake in Fergus Falls, MN- it would qualify as colossal.
Posted by: Mosasaurus rex | April 29, 2008 3:47 PM
BLOWFISH! Come on, squid are cool, but blowfish have a lot going for them, too, ya know. Since they left ctenophores off the list . . . .
Posted by: ctenotrish | April 29, 2008 3:52 PM
The Signal article isn't going to get comments until its security feature is fixed, but this is what I would have commented:
"Eric, you may have fallen prey to a homonym. I'm fairly sure those handout materials were _hawking_ the movie, rather than _hocking_ it... though, given its dismal ticket sales, perhaps taking the entire enterprise to a pawnshop would be the more profitable business plan."
Posted by: Pyre | April 29, 2008 3:55 PM
I don't mean to be offensive, but this logo is horrible in my opinion.
And boy, you get a lot of comments really quickly. Congratz!
Posted by: Ido | April 29, 2008 3:57 PM
I voted PZ, I mean PC, but baby otters are cute, as everyone says.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWu5ggvRDSw
Posted by: bernarda | April 29, 2008 4:06 PM
By Your Command
Squid slipped down to 80% Let's get on the stick folks!
Posted by: Jorge666 | April 29, 2008 4:09 PM
There is an opportunity to leave a comment about that MOAB (Mother of all Bombs) Expectorate movie. It might be "preaching to the choir", but what the heck.
Posted by: Jorge666 | April 29, 2008 4:15 PM
"PZ's Playhouse. When will you be showing Waiting for Godot"
PZ is showing "Waiting for Godbot" almost every day... and sure enough, Kenny will be along soon!
Posted by: Longtime Lurker | April 29, 2008 4:27 PM
Stop that... don't vote for squids... squids... hum... hum... they were inteligently designed, so don't vote for them...
Please people... think of the otters...
Posted by: luisalexandre | April 29, 2008 4:53 PM
Keep the polls coming. It's fun. (Squid 80%, is it the calamari I ate last night?)
Posted by: Vince | April 29, 2008 4:56 PM
Better than the gray-on-gray of Pharyngula 1.0!
Posted by: Pierce R. Butler | April 29, 2008 5:05 PM
Posted by: Sven DiMilo | April 29, 2008 5:10 PM
I merely have this to say with regards to your new site design:
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y198/sbblondie/Buddy_Christ2.jpg
Posted by: Bride of Shrek | April 29, 2008 5:11 PM
"land animals are far superior".
Yeah, rabbits FTW. *scampers off*
Posted by: Naked Bunny with a Whip | April 29, 2008 5:29 PM
You mean, "#1 Science blog... two years ago."
Posted by: Phil Plait, aka The Bad Astronomer | April 29, 2008 5:35 PM
#74
Just for that, Phil will be playing the role of "Chairry."
Posted by: James F | April 29, 2008 5:42 PM
Oh thanks so much, PZ. PeeWee was one of my favorite shows. Luckily, I have the series on DVD, and as soon as my daughter gets home, we'll have a Family Time Mind Warp at the TV.
And I for one welcome our colossal cephalopod overlords.
Posted by: True Bob | April 29, 2008 5:52 PM
Squid are down to 79%. "Fly..." again!
Posted by: DobyGS | April 29, 2008 6:20 PM
"This blog has become nothing more than a cynical, creationist-bashing blog, marked by and displaying contemptuous mockery of the motives and virtues of others using insults, ad hominem attacks and rude and offensive behavior."
Isn't that odd? Those particular behaviors you describe are the exact reason I no longer lounge around Carl Sagan videos on you tube and read the comments. If I make a comment, even if it is to someone of my own persuasions, there is always some dickweed just like you to jump in and fuck up a nice conversation with your unenlightened bullshit about life, the universe, and everything.
Posted by: Angel Rose Young | April 29, 2008 6:38 PM
Urgh. My eyes... hurt...
Posted by: David Marjanović, OM | April 29, 2008 6:38 PM
Just a few thoughts:
Me:"So Ben Stein-"
PZ:"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"
Me:"What? Did I say the secret word?"
PZ:"No, I just have that reaction to Ben SteinAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"
D:"What are you?"
O:"I'm an otter."
D:"And what do you do?"
O:"I swim around on my back and do cute little human things with my hands."
D:"You're free to go."
D:"And what are you?"
C:"I'm a cow."
D:"Get in the fucking truck, ok pal!"
C:"But I'm an animal."
D:"You're a baseball glove! Get on that truck!"
C:"I'm an animal, I have rights!"
D:"Yeah, here's yer fucking cousin, get on the fucking truck, pal!"
THIS POLL IS INVALID! THERE IS NOT A HYPNOTOAD OPTION! ALL GLORY TO THE HYPNOTOAD!
Posted by: MandyDax | April 29, 2008 6:47 PM
#80 Denis Leary FTW
Posted by: J | April 29, 2008 6:58 PM
Done. 80% squid, 10% otter, 2% that dried out stuff.
Your humble PZombie awaits your next command, professor!
Posted by: Jim | April 29, 2008 7:07 PM
The new logo would present you as a garish parody of yourself. Good marketing, similar to Ben Stein in his knee sox and shorts with that innocent grin.........
Posted by: dale | April 29, 2008 7:16 PM
I voted "land animals are far superior". Dinosaurs FTW.
Posted by: Brandon P. | April 29, 2008 7:43 PM
Though I do like sharks and whales. Whales are cute, and sharks (esp. the big predatory ones) are awesome.
Posted by: Brandon P. | April 29, 2008 7:46 PM
This poll fails, no bacteria option.
Posted by: JCG | April 29, 2008 7:52 PM
We made it into a blue Pacman
Posted by: leo | April 29, 2008 8:03 PM
Squid are great, but come on ... I mean ... otters! Who doesn't love an otter?
-OEJ
Posted by: One Eyed Jack | April 29, 2008 8:38 PM
Gotta love the shoes! Can you imagine eight of them??
Posted by: cynthax | April 29, 2008 9:07 PM
Personally, my favorite logo option is the secularism kills cephalopod...I still can't believe that wasn't a joke...
Posted by: Etha Williams | April 29, 2008 9:13 PM
I like that you changed your profile picture. I thought you were bald, with an oddly shaped head until I saw a larger picture when the Expelled stuff happened.
Posted by: Silver | April 29, 2008 9:28 PM
Wow, PZ...you have far too much power for a mere mortal. No poll is safe from you and your minions!
Good thinkg you're not a 'mere' mortal. And I rather like being a minion.
Posted by: flonkbob | April 29, 2008 9:38 PM
Was it taken in London, with Westminster Bridge in the background?
Isn't that Morris? How disappointing.
Posted by: freelunch | April 29, 2008 10:32 PM
"You know what to do."
I cracked up with that line.
Posted by: Zachary B. | April 29, 2008 10:50 PM
That's too funny...that's my school newspaper. What a small world it is...
Posted by: D. Cardinale | April 29, 2008 10:58 PM
You know what, the more I look at that picture I think Buddy is just missing his M16...
Teh Jebus sez buhleaf or yewz getz wasted!
Posted by: shane | April 29, 2008 11:24 PM
As much as I like the proposed logo, I want to discuss more technical matters.
I think Pharyngula is outgrowing the flat list commenting model. A threaded view would be much more practical for the number of comments we're getting lately. I get the impression that some lines of conversation are being prematurely extinguished because they're interleaved with a more vigorous discussion.
Much as I respect Broken Spectre (#40)'s right to go jump in a lake if he doesn't like the comments on this blog, a threaded view would also provide him with the ability to quickly and easily ignore the bits he doesn't like.
Sadly, I'm not sure scienceblogs has the technology to implement such a system. The system at slashdot.org has been working effectively unchanged for over 10 years, and deals gracefully with a large user base and continual nonsensical trolls. The comment moderation system is good too; for all that it is accused of abuse it works in practice. Unfortunately it requires (optional) user accounts or at least cookies to keep track of which posts are new to each reader, which I don't think scienceblogs touches on at all.
I'm keen to hear thoughts from other readers.
Posted by: Hematite | April 30, 2008 1:22 AM
AND I mistyped it ...
It SHOULD have read...
"Is that in London, with WATERLOO Bridge in the background?
Oops
Please do tell, nonetheless!
Posted by: G. Tingey | April 30, 2008 3:38 AM
There is a lot of squid love going on in that poll. Wait.. that sounds wrong...
Posted by: embertine | April 30, 2008 3:50 AM
Otters are adorable, but you know, they're half-land, half-marine, sorta thing. It's squid all the way, baby, yeah!
PZ's Playhouse is an awesome concept but... can't we get a better photo for the head? You look like you're silently screaming "Help! I'm trapped in a Gumby body!" Sad, really.
Posted by: Dana Hunter | April 30, 2008 4:53 AM
Otters are adorable, but you know, they're half-land, half-marine, sorta thing
actually, they're pretty much all marine, unlike pinnipeds that haul themselves out frequently.
OTOH, they eat squid, so that might make some a bit anxious round these parts.
like you said, it's hard to get around the charismatic mammal thing...
http://www.cnn.com/TECH/science/9810/19/otters.yoto/seaotter.jpg
whatever.
I voted for the blowfish.
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/staticfiles/NGS/Shared/StaticFiles/animals/images/800/puffer-fish-puffed.jpg
Posted by: Ichthyic | April 30, 2008 4:58 AM
I like the new logo. Does this mean you'll get busted jacking off in a movie theater?
Posted by: PhysioProf | April 30, 2008 5:49 AM
Jeez, Physio...talk about late to the party. You didn't see the line of text under the Pee-Zee logo?
Posted by: Sven DiMilo | April 30, 2008 6:47 AM
I would not redesign your site along Pee Wee Herman if I were you. You would definitely have trouble getting into movie theaters then! (sorry, bad joke. I could not resist)
Posted by: Justin | April 30, 2008 12:05 PM
Squid is at 80%. I'm guessing that poll was written specifically for Pharyngulites to