As regular readers and people that know me in “real life” know, I am rarely 100% serious. I am passionate about a number of things and can get on my soapbox, but I am rarely completely serious, often lightening up the mood with jabs and jokes.

This is one of the very few times I am completely serious.

Yes, it is about the Weblog Awards and my category.

In case you are not aware, a little background. This category is for the lowest trafficked sites in the blogsphere. There are no giants here and we are all doing this will very little support outside our friends, co-workers and family. We all may have different reasons for blogging, but we are all in the same boat: A voice in the wind, a talent without an audience to delight.

This is why what Kevin Aylward of Wizbang! and the Weblog Awards (as well and the bonfire and other features of his blog) is so special and kind. He has given us a chance to have our sites publicized and gives us hope that a few more people out there might recognize our talents and in turn be entertained or informed. The Weblog Awards are also a special opportunity to have some friendly sparring and camaraderie with people in the same situation in the blogsphere. Notice I never said it was about “winning” or that I expected some sort of cash prize. It’s about helping bloggers that are really struggling to get heard. It’s about pushing each other to bring out the best in everyone. Most of all, it’s about fun and generating some warmth in a very cold world.

This is why what My Election Analysis has done has angered me so much. His site might have won, we will never know, but that is not the point of the exercise. Have a look at the current standings and remove My Election Analysis. It is pretty close, isn’t it? Just imagine how much fun we would be having right now. I would think that there would be much more of this sort of fun.

Now I see that My Election Analysis has posted a message on the board that shows he sort of “gets it”. He rationalizes the actions of the freepers and then makes the bogus claim that an Instalance would be the same as what the Tucker Max people have done. An endorsement by a major blogger would effect the polling, but the people that Professor Reynolds would send would also have to be persuaded to vote for the site on it’s merits.  

I have been poking fun at My Election Analysis in the past few posts. Comedy is how I deal with anger. And yes, I am angry. Not because I am going to lose, that was the most likely result anyway, but because I never got the chance to compete and a precious gift of exposure to a larger audience has been effectively stolen. Further, since the result is all but final, I was never inspired to put out the “sweeps week” type performance that the thrill of the chase would have inspired.

So, go ahead with your freeping. Go ahead and call me names at your bulletin board. Your friends will undoubtedly call me a bitch, say that I am lying, and insult my lineage. Just know that you stole something special from 14 people you don’t even know, or give a dam about. Also know that this could have been something special for you as well. I will always look kindly on my fellow travelers in this category; you could have been among them.



Update: A sample of the fine disscussion on "Tucker Max":

Yeah, too ****ing bad. Stop pimping your faggot baby Jesus blog on this messageboard. You can keep posting if you can handle that, otherwise it's back to watching Matlock with a warm glass of milk for you.