UU Blog Awards - Nominations Closed

Thanks to everyone who took the time to show their appreciation for our UU bloggers by nominating their work for consideration in the awards. A special thanks from me for those who helped pre-sort posting by identifying posts you thought were good candidates for specific topics, and to all those who used the select features instead of writing in blog names.

Please take some time to review the nominations for the 2008 UU Blog Awards and let me know if anything looks strange, out of place etc. What sort of feedback am I looking for? Well, lets start with a great comment that came in.

Noticed that two cross-posted posts are listed separately. (CC's and Ministrare's.) Could they be listed together, since the content is the same? I think they have a good chance of winning, and it'd be a shame to split the votes between them.

Makes sense to me considering it looks like it was co-authored. I'll plan on combining those.

It would have helped me to read a reminder to click on the "nominate" button at the bottom of the page-----before I got there!

The page has been updated, thanks for the suggestion. I also noticed PeaceBang commenting that process seemed complicated. Any comments on making things easier would be appreciated.

I find it depressing that you have to check for irregular voting patterns. I know that's the way it works, but it's too bad.

Well, if it's any consolation I have never found anything noteworthy in those reviews. The comment is their primarily to discourage any activity along the lines of ballot stuffing.

Sad to see the Best Commenter go, but I understand why you took it down.

Well, there wasn't much feedback in support of the category. If others felt it was a good category I would certainly bring it back next year. I am sure if there are any particular commenter that you wanted to nominate they may appreciate you giving them a nod on your blog. One of the big benefits of the process is highlighting all the great contributions throughout the year - win or lose.

Thanks for doing this every year!

I think it's a worthwhile effort, glad it's appreciated.

So, are any blogs nominated in the wrong category? (Seminarian, minister, etc.) Any New blogs that are really old blogs?

Also, anyone nominated that would prefer to withdraw various nominations so that votes are not split please post here.

Fourth Annual UU Blog Award Categories

Primarily based on discussion from last years process I am planning on dropping two of the categories. The Group blog category and the best commenter. I would love to hear other opinions on this and am certainly willing to be swayed. I am not sure the potential pool for the group blog has grown, and perhaps it has even shrunk with Coffee Hour remaining defunct. Fuuse deserves much credit for their online community, but it seems like more of a community site than a blog. Of all the categories it seems the hardest for people to nominate in. So I think the category is simply confusing. As to the commenter, I do understand the original intent, but it extremely difficult to get nominations in that category. Good commenting seems to be an ongoing thing, and very difficult to pull shining examples. This is not set in stone, please comment with opinions. I am easily swayed.

Aside from that I will just be planning on having the same categories as last year.


Current schedule:

• Nominations Jan 21st through 27th.
• Nominations finalized, and time for people to read the nominations
• Voting February 11th through the 15th
• Winners finalized and posted

Blog Awards

Well, it's getting to be about that time, perhaps a little past even, for the UU Blog Awards. I am working through things and setting up the pages for this years process. So, might be a good time to start thinking about those favorite posts you've read and perhaps for bloggers to remind others of their favorites with some year in review round ups.

I am hoping to finish things up shortly, but this year I just won't have the same time and energy to put into it so updates and such will be a little slower. The voting is all automated, so that will simply display as it did last year.

Speaking of being short on time... the Blog Awards prize image has been used for at least 2 years running. No one seemed to notice. So I have been wondering if it would make sense to either simply remove the year in the image, but that's really something else I don;t have time for. If some kind soul would like to take on the task of either designing a new image, updating the date, or removing the date from the current prize (I have no preference) I would much appreciate if someone could do that and shoot me copies of the files.

Oh, and feel free to comment with any other suggestions/comments for this year.

UUpdates stalled

So, my company is bought and it's the big move weekend. This means disconnecting all the servers trucking them to another city, setting everything up and spending a lot of time fixing anything that's broke. Long weekend with 14+ hour days at work.

None of this had anything to do with why UUpdates wasn't available, that I could have planned for, but wouldn't you know it the hosting provider chooses to perform and upgrade that knocks it offline the same weekend I am super busy. Nice timing.

The provider is having bigger issues, they say they will hopefully resolve things soon.

Smile Bright Tonight

Time for another seasonal plug for a UU musician:

John's Garden by Peter Mayer

Farmer John wandered back
And when he reached the pumpkin patch, began to speak
He said “the weather’s getting colder
Summer’s over and it’s almost Halloween
That’s the day, the reason you were raised
When everything about your life will change

You will have eyes to see, and for that night, you’ll be
A bright lamp burning in the darkness
But remember that candle shines for only the briefest time
In a jack-o-lantern’s heart”

The pumpkins held a meeting then
Some were very apprehensive and afraid
“Could this really happen to us?
What could be the meaning?” is what they were saying
“This is home, it’s all we’ve ever known”
Then one bold, outspoken pumpkin spoke

He said
“I don’t need eyes to see , it sounds like a lie to me
I like it just fine here in John’s garden
And remember that candle shines for only the briefest time
In a jack-o-lantern’s heart”

There is much to ask and to ponder in the pumpkin patch
When imposing old October shows up at last

Then a pumpkin from the farther end
Who had been silent up till then
Over the commotion, said
“What would you rather have my friends
A chance to shine, or die here on the vine?
The better way seems very plain to me

You will have eyes to see, and for that night, you’ll be
A bright lamp burning in the darkness
And maybe that candle shines for only the briefest time
In a jack-o-lantern’s heart
Oh, but one goblin’s smile should make it all well worth while
You know you might even see the starlight
And knowing that time is brief, makes it that much more sweet
When you have a jack-o-lantern’s heart”