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Voting in the Catholic Blog Awards for 2008 has already started a bit ago, but voting is open until Monday of Holy Week. I would like to thank those who voted for me in five different categories and your check is in the mail.

I would though like to say something about the other blogs in the humor category.  Last year my negative campaign ad appears to have been effective so I will give it another go.

• Alive and Young Now I have linked to Paul Cat throughout the year and he is pretty funny with his "Adventures in Catechesis" and "Not said by Jesus" series. But is humor the only qualification for this category?  Is just being alive and young enough?  And isn't this a slur against middle age men like myself.  Does this imply that I am "Still alive and not so young?" I think that he is an ageist and surely this should disqualify him.
• American Papist Yet another funny blog with great commentary and brilliant photo captions.  But what is up with the "Not your average Catholic" tagline? Surely this is the sin of pride from another young blogger with a superiority complex.  Plus notice how he puts the word "American" before the word "Papist"?  This is an obvious clue that he puts his citizenship first before the Church.   Papist American would be much more preferable.
• Canterbury Tales Another great blog on things theological and apologetic.  But why does this former Episcopal priest think that the word Canterbury is appropriate for his blog?  Is there still some secret allegiance the the Anglican Archbishop?
• The Cafeteria is Closed I have linked to Gerald plenty of times since his blog first opened up.  I enjoy his sometimes acerbic commentary, his whirlwind of blogging multiple posts, and his great photography.  But can we truly trust someone who took their blog title from Maureen Dowd?  I think not.
• Catholic Cartoon Blog Paul Nichols is quite a talented cartoonist and keeps me laughing throughout the year. But it saddens me to have to reveal to you that Paul is secretly a charter member of the Cardinal Mahony Fan Club.
• Creative Minority Report This is in my opinion the best new blog of the year. The parody and punditry of these two brothers is top notch and they are very inventive and creative. Exactly what claim do they have to being a minority other than being faithful Catholics? But how do we know that they are really brothers? This could be one brilliant and creative individual with multiple personalities.  Brothers or a split personality - you decide.
• Danielle Bean This is one funny mom with lots of great insights!  Though with the number of pictures she posts of her kids on her blog you have to wonder about their effect on the environment.  The increased bandwidth obviously causes a higher use of electricity at the server farm which leads to global climate change and the death of your ancestors in the future.  Funny yes, but do you want to vote for someone killing off your offspring?
• Dyspectic Mutterings One of my all time favorite blogs and when Dale fisks something it is a thing of beauty.  In fact I am quite jealous of his writing style.  So if you vote for him you will be leading me to sin and how could you live with yourself after that.
• Five Feet of Fury Kathy Shaidle was the first Catholic blogger and her headlines have been declared lethal in all fifty states.  In fact she makes more points in her headlines than most people do in long posts. She should get a lifetime achievement awards for things like "More abortion clinics have been bombed on Law in Order than in real life."  But you shouldn't waste your time voting for her, you should be buying her books so that she can blog full time.
• Happy Catholic One of the most balanced Catholic blogs out there with great quotes, jokes, and insights. A daily stop for me.  I broke the news last year that I had it on good authority that she once didn't say grace before a meal.  This year though I found out that she is sometimes distracted in prayer!  Imagine that and repent of any thinking of voting for Julie.
• June Cleaver after a six pack This is a new blog to me and surely this is one of the greatest blog titles ever. But if you vote for this homeschooling mother and Air Force wife you will only encourage her and she will blog more and then her children will suffer from lack of attention and grow up to be miscreants.
• Off the Record  Diogenes has long been one of my favorite commenters.  But what is up with Uncle Di being anonymous?  Just what does he have to hide?  Many think that he must be a priest and must keep a low profile because of his commentary.  For all we know he could be an albino monk assassin.
• Orthometer Funny title, funny priest. I always enjoy when Fr. Richtsteig posts and he lists some solid reason for voting for him. But what would happen to his humility if he were to win this award? So save father's spiritual life and don't vote for him.
• Some Have Hats Another one of my favorite blogs and Karen Hall sure can write.   She also writes at the group blog Some Wear Clerics where I sometimes guess post at and is also listed in the humor category. But is it really fair for a screenwriter with such great credits as writing for MASH should be allowed to compete against us amateur?  Isn't this like Mario Andretti showing up at a Soapbox Derby?
• Spirit of Vatican II "Catholic" Faith Community Many think this is a hilarious parody blog that mocks progressives. Well that is the way it started, but they have spiraled out of control.  Like a spy who has gone into deep cover for so long that he has forgotten his real personality, the same thing has happened to the authors there. To save their souls you must not vote for this blog!
• Standing on My Head One of my favorite books is Fr.  Dwight Longenecker "Adventures in Orthodoxy" and his blog shows the same humor and uncommon "common sense." But maybe you are not aware of the Zuchetto schism and how he is willing the leave the Church over a hat. Can you trust a man willing to disobey the magisterium over head ware? Maybe standing on your head too long does that to you.
• The Crescat Great sense of humor and quite a funny blog.  But just how many people were permanently blinded when she ran the worst vestment contest?
• The Ironic Catholic Another blog I have linked to a lot and is one of the few pure humor blogs out there in St. Blogs.  No commentary just laughs. Theological humor and funny pictures for captions.  But often her humor is not ironic! Or is the irony that her humor is not always ironic?  This makes my brain heart so don't vote for her or her husbands occasional contributions or  that Alanis Morissette song on irony will become an earworm you can't get rid of.
• The Shrine of the Holy Whapping Another funny group blog that has stood the test of time. But opposition research has revealed that they snack on meat on Fridays during Lent!
• Seraphic Singles Now I must admit at first I thought this was a hook up site for angels - Kind of a AngelMatch.com. Imagine my surprise to find it is from the perspective of the life of a single Catholic woman and her often quite funny observations on her life. You can get a good idea on her sense of humor with her Ten Great Things About Being Single. . But if you vote for her and she becomes more popular and as a result even gets married, then we will lose this funny blog.
• What does the prayer really say  Certainly Fr. Z's blog is addictive and has become one of the favorite blogs of a large chunk of Catholic readers.  Who can't love a priest who comes up with "Save the liturgy, save he world"? His fisks and Latin translations make him a must read.  But is he really funny?  Just because he goes by the first initial in his last name and does clever things like put out a Podzcast does that make him funny?  It just might be that he has some kind of initial syndrome. For example what does he call his site but "W.D.T.P.R.S"  Does he have some unnatural attachment to initials?

There are also many other blogs that I did not reference.  I just ran out of money for opposition research.

I'm the Curt Jester and I approve this message.

Update: American Papist has responded to my charges in a populist way saying "I am not your average Catholic – and neither are you!"  Everybody can not be above average or the mathematical law of averages becomes nonsense.  Let me ask you if you made an important call at 3:00 A.M to the American Papist do you think that he could say something funny at a moments notice.  I have the experience to be funny from day one!

Alive and Young has also responded.  I would respond to his angry post but my blog is all about hope and change.  The Curt Jester - Humor you can believe in.