But wait…what’s this? Tied with the Bad Astronomer? What has he done, besides write a book and become president of the JREF and pose naked? I ought to win for keeping my clothes on!
I wouldn’t put Plait in a tie with anyone after I had to see that picture.
Well, it depends: if we put Plait in a big enough tie, it could lessen the horror.
speedwellsays
Surely the number one ass-kicker in 1008 is Pope John XVIII, who is said to have abdicated from the papacy late that year? Not much more is known about him. But you have to wonder why someone would just up and quit being Pope, eh.
“Your organization has chosen to limit viewing of this site (http://skepchick.org/blog/?p=4996), due to the rating of its content (nudity,Web Log(Blog)). ”
I’ve never been to this blog before; what exactly are you trying to do here, PZ, get me fired?
And you don’t look a day over sixhundred-and-sixty-six.
;)
jfatzsays
Aha! A blatant factual error! How can PZ–and all scientists–be trusted about ANYTHING since they can MAKE ERRORS?!!
Patricia, OMsays
Somebody should have posted a warning about that picture! I was trying to eat my breakfast….sheesh.
ppbsays
Maybe a tasteful photo with a strategically placed squid could catapult you to #1.
gmmsays
curious here- are you coming to edmonton in january, pz? i thought i saw that somewhere earlier this year on your site, and i would like to know when and where if possible.
Nerd of Redheadsays
PZ, your picture was too mild. Maybe a picture of you in pirate gear with a cephalopod on your shoulder, with a sword for those time when you are supposed to be ferocious.
Mark Bsays
Sure, you were hot shit 1,000 years ago, but what have you done lately?
Screechy Monkeysays
“with a sword for those time when you are supposed to be ferocious.”
No, no, no! A cyberpistol!
Jaysays
Surely if you showed more tentacle, PZ, you would have nabbed the top spot.
Mark Bsays
Eh, he corrected the year. Now my semi-clever previous comment makes no sense at all.
Come to think of it, crackergate was a lot like that incident with the televised trantrik death chants. It’s as they say, one horse-laugh is worth a thousand…. fatwa envies.
Deepsixsays
“What has he done, besides write a book and become president of the JREF and pose naked?”
Yeah, but is Phil a big time movie star!? I think not.
Jadehawksays
the juxtaposition of naked Bad Astronomer and cuddly PZ was… jarring.
See, I told you all the Guardian weren’t so bad. That’s two law-suits they took on in the name of science, rather than just apologise and settle. Under English libel law no less.
They do still have some insufferable columnists, though.
Ouchimoosays
You were naked that one time. . remember?
*your laptop was broken!*
Dsays
I’m a bit embarrassed for Phil, to have ones need to over-compensate so much presented so publicly.
Gavin Polhemussays
I am very touched that, as a high school science teacher, I beat PZ and the Bad Astronomer in skeptical ass kicking. I think it was my lecture “Quantum Mechanics is Not New Age Mumbo-Jumbo” that put me over the top. It was heavy with pointing and laughing. Even better, at a poster session the night before I stuck tape loops on all of my students, telling them it was “for attendance.” they wore the loops all evening. When I pointed out in my lecture that people will do all sorts of things if they are told to by someone with some letters after his name (I have a Ph.D.) and given a non-sense reason like “for attendance.” They laughed at themselves just as hard as they laughed at the the others. I think they got the message: don’t trust, think and check instead.
Deepsixsays
PZ, why are you cuddling with a pink tooth in that pic? :)
Nightskysays
If he’s over 1000, he MUST be divine!
ALL WORSHIP PZ!
wagonjaksays
I respect your work and your mind PZ, but I doubt anyone would want to see your naked body!
SC, OMsays
Congratulations! (To you, too, Orac!)
a coconut-skull like Jenny McCarthy
Liked that.
Feynmaniacsays
There should be a top 10 greatest Pharyngula moments for 2008. I can think of a lot of nominations. Scooter threatening to fight Ron in Houston, PZ getting expelled from Expelled, Crackergate, Rooke’s analogies, upsetting Ken Ham’s alliance with the Cincinnati zoo, Steven, etc.
Feel free to nominate your favourite moments!
wagonjaksays
I respect your work and your mind PZ, but I doubt anyone would want to see your naked body!
marilovesays
Woo. I <3 Skepchick.
Timsays
On the far side of fifty, if someone likes the way you look without clothes, it’s true love. The rest of us wish to admire you for your mind. Please.
marilovesays
…I heart skepchick. Yeah. that’s what I was tryin’ to say.
So is Plait just bragging about his facility with “Dobsonian Mounting” or what?
Craigsays
I’d be happier with Skepchick, if I hadn’t paid $25 for a calendar that I never got. I’d be happier still, if I ever saw a response to my e-mail petitioning to either get my money back or get a copy of this year’s calendar. I have my Paypal receipt, but never a response. :(
Nick Gottssays
I respect your work and your mind PZ, but I doubt anyone would want to see your naked body! – wagonjak
Well, there is such a thing as morbid curiosity!
Nerd of Redheadsays
Well, there is such a thing as morbid curiosity!
I may be curious, but not morbidly curious.
clinteassays
A naked Fabio sandwiched between a naked PZ and Phil Plait is what I want to see !
Best Pharyngula moments of 2008: would have to have the long soul-searching nights with da Kenny on the list,and philosophy sparring with Etha at 4am…..I thought the Ron in Houston thing was rather scary.
Obviously, between naked and clothed, naked wins, duh! Besides, you hugging a giant tooth are reasons for point deduction. ^_^
Sastrasays
One may note that those who appear to be the most adamant against seeing PZ in the buff seem to be males.
Just sayin’.
Wowbaggersays
Highlights of 2008? Well, considering I wasn’t here before 2008, and even then it was already halfway through when I showed up. Expelled from Expelled is what brought me here – sorry PZ; I’d never heard of you until then.
Crackergate was insane. I think I took at least year off my keyboard’s working life over those few weeks – both from frenetic typing of refutations and vitriol, and from banging my head against it after reading the unceasing papist idiocy.
Pete Rooke’s analogies were disturbing, but we did get him to stop eventually.
It’s been a lot of learning for me over the last six months – prior to that I don’t think I’d ever heard the term ‘Libertarian’ before. Now, of course, I kind of wish it’d stayed that way…
This was the Skepchick’s top-10 list, PZ – perhaps posing naked put the Bad Astronomer up? ;)
Patricia, OMsays
Haw! Phil is a piker. How many brilliant commenter’s, sluts, man-whores, fist fighters, god bots, strumpets, gay brawlers, drunks, naked bunny’s with whips, and we could go on – does Phil get?
Has he ever been turned in to Seed for his rowdies? How many threads of over 500 comments does Phil have? Sorry Phil, keeping the Ilk eager, entertained and continuing the blogs educational value shows incredible talent.
PZ doesn’t have to strip.
Nerd of Redheadsays
Sastra, your observation on the PZ clothed/unclothed issue is probably correct.
Wowbagger, my history with this site seems to parallel yours. I had seen a link to Pharyngula very early in the year, and thought it was a great site, but forgot the link by the time I got home, and our IT at work has us clear the history daily, so I couldn’t follow up. Expelled caused me to find the site again (wrote it down this time), where I lurked until just before Crackergate. I’ve been a regular contributer ever since. I did give the libertarians a pass after a week or so since they were just repetitious.
I came for Expelled from Expelled, stayed for Crackergate, now I can’t find the exit.
Nerd of Redheadsays
now I can’t find the exit.
Do you really want to?
Jadehawksays
this site will make me homeless someday. i’m supposed to be finishing some overdue graphics, instead i’m here. if i don’t break this addiction soon, i will not be able to pay rent
I blame this all on PZ :-p
'Tis Himselfsays
PZ, I’m sure I speak for most of us: KEEP IT ON!
SC, OMsays
Also: the BtB video and Lenski’s smackdown of Schlafly.
Jadehawksays
I think we’ve found ourselves a new trinity:
Darwin = the father
Lenski = the Son
Vodka = the Holy Spirit
Hi Craig (#46): That’s very odd. Could you give me more information so I can help you out? Email me at [email protected] , include your full name and address, and I’ll forward to A, who handles calendar orders.
Thanks,
Rebecca
BobCsays
There should be a top 10 greatest Pharyngula moments for 2008. I can think of a lot of nominations. Scooter threatening to fight Ron in Houston, PZ getting expelled from Expelled, Crackergate, Rooke’s analogies, upsetting Ken Ham’s alliance with the Cincinnati zoo, Steven, etc.
I think PZ’s greatest accomplishment was getting expelled from Expelled. What made it even more impressive was Richard Dawkins was not recognized and he had to go see that awful movie.
Patricia, OMsays
I tried searching the site for the date of my first comment here. Fail.
Oh well, it was just probably something on a 12th grade level. The slutty remarks came secondly.
When good women go wrong, men go right after them. Mae West
Craigsays
Sure thing, Rebecca. I’ll be sending it shortly.
eddiesays
PZ, whas that you dressed as sants, with Orac on your knee?
It’s an honor being quoted on Skepchick cataloging your many accomplishments of 2008. Hope I didn’t miss any big ones. Let’s make 2009 an even bigger year for skepticism.
Nice to see Thunderf00t getting some recognition for WDPLAC.
C Murdocksays
I’d never heard of Susan Jacoby. I went to her website. I read the excerpt from her book. I watched her make an ass of herself in proving that just because you know how to speak a language doesn’t mean you know anything about how it works. The spreading of a new idiom is not connotatively akin to the infection of a virus, the rise of the word “folk” has nothing to do with the dumbing down of anybody, and the change in meaning of the word “troop” and “troops” is a natural effect of language change which I doubt (though it may have) was caused by “dimwitted” journalists. One likes to think that when writing a book on a subject, one first reads other books (including doing other more direct research, of course) on the subject you wish to write about. Having read several books on language, the first chapters of most of which address why the position Jacoby states in her website’s excerpt are ridiculous (and, ironically, unreasonable), I can fairly state that that is one topic she did NOT research beforehand.
Sorry if this is stupid irrelevant, but I had to get this off my back *somehow*. I hope the rest of the book is much better.
C’mon, admit it: Plait looks pretty damn good in that photo, and the pose is hilarious. (cf. Jessica Rabbit: “He makes me laugh.”) I have to wonder what that ‘scope is aimed at, but I guess one would have to wait ’til nightfall to find out.
Maybe it’s my age, but I likes ’em cuddly as well as um telescopic. Those aren’t mutually exclusive IME.
Guess that means it’s no surprise that I find that shot of PZ and the pink cephalopodther strangely inspiring. Goodness gracious.
Maxsays
I am sure that if you threaten to take your clothes off if you don’t win this year that you are a shoe-in.
khansays
I find intellect/skepticism/atheism to be quite erotic.
Silisays
Did you ever name the molar?
Congratulations!
Here’s to your going mainstream in 2009.
skyotter,
Dattebayo!
Feynmaniacsays
I thought the Ron in Houston thing was rather scary.
Yeah, it was quite disturbing at the time but since no one got hurt, so I think we can look back and laugh at the idea of a grown man challenging another grown man to a fight over the internet. Not only that, but he did it at ScienceBlogs.
herysays
if i don’t break this addiction soon, i will not be able to pay rent.
croor singh says
2008?
nigelTheBold says
Uhm… do you mean “2008?”
Just checking. Cause you’re freaking me out if you really *are* among the top 10 ass-kickers of skepticism in 1008.
Glen Davidson says
I wouldn’t put Plait in a tie with anyone after I had to see that picture.
Clearly he’s unapologetic, and not in a good way.
Glen D
http://tinyurl.com/6mb592
Glen Davidson says
And any skeptic who admits to being one in 1008 is truly deserving of kudos.
Glen D
http://tinyurl.com/6mb592
Levi in NY says
Well, if it’s any consolation, you’re a shoe-in for a Nobel Prize after inventing that time machine of yours…
Zeno says
Well, it depends: if we put Plait in a big enough tie, it could lessen the horror.
speedwell says
Surely the number one ass-kicker in 1008 is Pope John XVIII, who is said to have abdicated from the papacy late that year? Not much more is known about him. But you have to wonder why someone would just up and quit being Pope, eh.
moneduloides says
So… I click on the link and:
“Your organization has chosen to limit viewing of this site (http://skepchick.org/blog/?p=4996), due to the rating of its content (nudity,Web Log(Blog)). ”
I’ve never been to this blog before; what exactly are you trying to do here, PZ, get me fired?
Rev. BigDumbChimp says
Sounds like your list of “to dos” for the sabbatical is growing.
Jefe says
And you don’t look a day over sixhundred-and-sixty-six.
;)
jfatz says
Aha! A blatant factual error! How can PZ–and all scientists–be trusted about ANYTHING since they can MAKE ERRORS?!!
Patricia, OM says
Somebody should have posted a warning about that picture! I was trying to eat my breakfast….sheesh.
ppb says
Maybe a tasteful photo with a strategically placed squid could catapult you to #1.
gmm says
curious here- are you coming to edmonton in january, pz? i thought i saw that somewhere earlier this year on your site, and i would like to know when and where if possible.
Nerd of Redhead says
PZ, your picture was too mild. Maybe a picture of you in pirate gear with a cephalopod on your shoulder, with a sword for those time when you are supposed to be ferocious.
Mark B says
Sure, you were hot shit 1,000 years ago, but what have you done lately?
Screechy Monkey says
“with a sword for those time when you are supposed to be ferocious.”
No, no, no! A cyberpistol!
Jay says
Surely if you showed more tentacle, PZ, you would have nabbed the top spot.
Mark B says
Eh, he corrected the year. Now my semi-clever previous comment makes no sense at all.
Glen Davidson says
Darwinists are notorious for doing such things.
I mean, they actually correct mistakes, rather than glorifying them like the righteous do. Those bastards!
Glen D
http://tinyurl.com/6mb592
JM Inc. says
Come to think of it, crackergate was a lot like that incident with the televised trantrik death chants. It’s as they say, one horse-laugh is worth a thousand…. fatwa envies.
Deepsix says
“What has he done, besides write a book and become president of the JREF and pose naked?”
Yeah, but is Phil a big time movie star!? I think not.
Jadehawk says
the juxtaposition of naked Bad Astronomer and cuddly PZ was… jarring.
Matt Heath says
See, I told you all the Guardian weren’t so bad. That’s two law-suits they took on in the name of science, rather than just apologise and settle. Under English libel law no less.
They do still have some insufferable columnists, though.
Ouchimoo says
You were naked that one time. . remember?
*your laptop was broken!*
D says
I’m a bit embarrassed for Phil, to have ones need to over-compensate so much presented so publicly.
Gavin Polhemus says
I am very touched that, as a high school science teacher, I beat PZ and the Bad Astronomer in skeptical ass kicking. I think it was my lecture “Quantum Mechanics is Not New Age Mumbo-Jumbo” that put me over the top. It was heavy with pointing and laughing. Even better, at a poster session the night before I stuck tape loops on all of my students, telling them it was “for attendance.” they wore the loops all evening. When I pointed out in my lecture that people will do all sorts of things if they are told to by someone with some letters after his name (I have a Ph.D.) and given a non-sense reason like “for attendance.” They laughed at themselves just as hard as they laughed at the the others. I think they got the message: don’t trust, think and check instead.
Deepsix says
PZ, why are you cuddling with a pink tooth in that pic? :)
Nightsky says
If he’s over 1000, he MUST be divine!
ALL WORSHIP PZ!
wagonjak says
I respect your work and your mind PZ, but I doubt anyone would want to see your naked body!
SC, OM says
Congratulations! (To you, too, Orac!)
Liked that.
Feynmaniac says
There should be a top 10 greatest Pharyngula moments for 2008. I can think of a lot of nominations. Scooter threatening to fight Ron in Houston, PZ getting expelled from Expelled, Crackergate, Rooke’s analogies, upsetting Ken Ham’s alliance with the Cincinnati zoo, Steven, etc.
Feel free to nominate your favourite moments!
wagonjak says
I respect your work and your mind PZ, but I doubt anyone would want to see your naked body!
marilove says
Woo. I <3 Skepchick.
Tim says
On the far side of fifty, if someone likes the way you look without clothes, it’s true love. The rest of us wish to admire you for your mind. Please.
marilove says
…I heart skepchick. Yeah. that’s what I was tryin’ to say.
S.Scott says
For some reason, I cannot post over at Skepchick. Can someone tell her “Great Post” for me??
Thanks for keeping your clothes on PZ. :-)
J. D. Mack says
Phil’s great, but does he have his own page on the Internet Movie Database site?
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2990604/
Oh wait, he does:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2547843/
So it’s still a tie!
J. D.
Geral says
PZ, you posted a picture of your man-boob.
That’s got to count for something…
PZ Myers says
Hang on there, JD. Notice that he isn’t listed as on screen talent in any of them.
Probably not pretty enough.
Karen says
Look at the bright side, PZ. Your photo showed you as the cute and cuddly cephalopod you really are.
(That was you on the right, wasn’t it?)
Phil Plait, aka The Bad Astronomer says
PZ, I would consider you staying clothed necessary but not sufficient to breaka tie.
Mikayla says
Love the pic of PZ with the cutsy squid. Awwww :)
skyotter says
“I’m among the top 10 ass-kickers of skepticism in 2008!”
i don’t believe it!
[/Happy New Year, everyone]
Cannabinaceae says
So is Plait just bragging about his facility with “Dobsonian Mounting” or what?
Craig says
I’d be happier with Skepchick, if I hadn’t paid $25 for a calendar that I never got. I’d be happier still, if I ever saw a response to my e-mail petitioning to either get my money back or get a copy of this year’s calendar. I have my Paypal receipt, but never a response. :(
Nick Gotts says
I respect your work and your mind PZ, but I doubt anyone would want to see your naked body! – wagonjak
Well, there is such a thing as morbid curiosity!
Nerd of Redhead says
I may be curious, but not morbidly curious.
clinteas says
A naked Fabio sandwiched between a naked PZ and Phil Plait is what I want to see !
Best Pharyngula moments of 2008: would have to have the long soul-searching nights with da Kenny on the list,and philosophy sparring with Etha at 4am…..I thought the Ron in Houston thing was rather scary.
IBY says
Obviously, between naked and clothed, naked wins, duh! Besides, you hugging a giant tooth are reasons for point deduction. ^_^
Sastra says
One may note that those who appear to be the most adamant against seeing PZ in the buff seem to be males.
Just sayin’.
Wowbagger says
Highlights of 2008? Well, considering I wasn’t here before 2008, and even then it was already halfway through when I showed up. Expelled from Expelled is what brought me here – sorry PZ; I’d never heard of you until then.
Crackergate was insane. I think I took at least year off my keyboard’s working life over those few weeks – both from frenetic typing of refutations and vitriol, and from banging my head against it after reading the unceasing papist idiocy.
Pete Rooke’s analogies were disturbing, but we did get him to stop eventually.
It’s been a lot of learning for me over the last six months – prior to that I don’t think I’d ever heard the term ‘Libertarian’ before. Now, of course, I kind of wish it’d stayed that way…
Robert says
This was the Skepchick’s top-10 list, PZ – perhaps posing naked put the Bad Astronomer up? ;)
Patricia, OM says
Haw! Phil is a piker. How many brilliant commenter’s, sluts, man-whores, fist fighters, god bots, strumpets, gay brawlers, drunks, naked bunny’s with whips, and we could go on – does Phil get?
Has he ever been turned in to Seed for his rowdies? How many threads of over 500 comments does Phil have? Sorry Phil, keeping the Ilk eager, entertained and continuing the blogs educational value shows incredible talent.
PZ doesn’t have to strip.
Nerd of Redhead says
Sastra, your observation on the PZ clothed/unclothed issue is probably correct.
Wowbagger, my history with this site seems to parallel yours. I had seen a link to Pharyngula very early in the year, and thought it was a great site, but forgot the link by the time I got home, and our IT at work has us clear the history daily, so I couldn’t follow up. Expelled caused me to find the site again (wrote it down this time), where I lurked until just before Crackergate. I’ve been a regular contributer ever since. I did give the libertarians a pass after a week or so since they were just repetitious.
Kel says
I came for Expelled from Expelled, stayed for Crackergate, now I can’t find the exit.
Nerd of Redhead says
Do you really want to?
Jadehawk says
this site will make me homeless someday. i’m supposed to be finishing some overdue graphics, instead i’m here. if i don’t break this addiction soon, i will not be able to pay rent
I blame this all on PZ :-p
'Tis Himself says
PZ, I’m sure I speak for most of us: KEEP IT ON!
SC, OM says
Also: the BtB video and Lenski’s smackdown of Schlafly.
Jadehawk says
I think we’ve found ourselves a new trinity:
Darwin = the father
Lenski = the Son
Vodka = the Holy Spirit
:-p
Rebecca Watson says
Hi Craig (#46): That’s very odd. Could you give me more information so I can help you out? Email me at [email protected] , include your full name and address, and I’ll forward to A, who handles calendar orders.
Thanks,
Rebecca
BobC says
I think PZ’s greatest accomplishment was getting expelled from Expelled. What made it even more impressive was Richard Dawkins was not recognized and he had to go see that awful movie.
Patricia, OM says
I tried searching the site for the date of my first comment here. Fail.
Oh well, it was just probably something on a 12th grade level. The slutty remarks came secondly.
When good women go wrong, men go right after them. Mae West
Craig says
Sure thing, Rebecca. I’ll be sending it shortly.
eddie says
PZ, whas that you dressed as sants, with Orac on your knee?
Michael Rosch says
It’s an honor being quoted on Skepchick cataloging your many accomplishments of 2008. Hope I didn’t miss any big ones. Let’s make 2009 an even bigger year for skepticism.
Phantom Hoover says
Nice to see Thunderf00t getting some recognition for WDPLAC.
C Murdock says
I’d never heard of Susan Jacoby. I went to her website. I read the excerpt from her book. I watched her make an ass of herself in proving that just because you know how to speak a language doesn’t mean you know anything about how it works. The spreading of a new idiom is not connotatively akin to the infection of a virus, the rise of the word “folk” has nothing to do with the dumbing down of anybody, and the change in meaning of the word “troop” and “troops” is a natural effect of language change which I doubt (though it may have) was caused by “dimwitted” journalists. One likes to think that when writing a book on a subject, one first reads other books (including doing other more direct research, of course) on the subject you wish to write about. Having read several books on language, the first chapters of most of which address why the position Jacoby states in her website’s excerpt are ridiculous (and, ironically, unreasonable), I can fairly state that that is one topic she did NOT research beforehand.
Sorry if this is stupid irrelevant, but I had to get this off my back *somehow*. I hope the rest of the book is much better.
And Thunderf00t is awesome.
JC DiStefano says
If all it took to be on this list was being an oft-naked skeptic, The Hooping Humanist would be right at the top!
BluesBassist says
Alas, I would have much preferred that Amanda Peet had posed nude.
Ron Sullivan says
C’mon, admit it: Plait looks pretty damn good in that photo, and the pose is hilarious. (cf. Jessica Rabbit: “He makes me laugh.”) I have to wonder what that ‘scope is aimed at, but I guess one would have to wait ’til nightfall to find out.
Maybe it’s my age, but I likes ’em cuddly as well as um telescopic. Those aren’t mutually exclusive IME.
Guess that means it’s no surprise that I find that shot of PZ and the pink cephalopodther strangely inspiring. Goodness gracious.
Max says
I am sure that if you threaten to take your clothes off if you don’t win this year that you are a shoe-in.
khan says
I find intellect/skepticism/atheism to be quite erotic.
Sili says
Did you ever name the molar?
Congratulations!
Here’s to your going mainstream in 2009.
skyotter,
Dattebayo!
Feynmaniac says
Yeah, it was quite disturbing at the time but since no one got hurt, so I think we can look back and laugh at the idea of a grown man challenging another grown man to a fight over the internet. Not only that, but he did it at ScienceBlogs.
hery says
if i don’t break this addiction soon, i will not be able to pay rent.
hery says
cooter threatening to fight Ron in Houston.