Thoughts, Sermons, and Votes

 

Is it possible that we have arrived once more at the time of year when locals are campaigning for votes as though their lives depended on it?

No, I don’t mean the Maryland primary election. 

Today, June 30th, begins the voting period for the annual Howard County Magazine 2022 Readers Choice Contest.

You are invited to vote daily in the following categories:

HEALTH & WELLNESS

SHOPPING

RECREATION

PERSONALITIES

OUT & ABOUT

FOOD & DRINK

As you may have figured out, this contest is a click-fest. It is a way of showing which businesses or local figures can muster the kind of loyalty entailed in signing in and clicking daily. For businesses, winning this can be a big deal. It looks great on one’s promotional materials.

As for bloggers, well…

There was a time that winning this meant a lot to me. I suppose I thought that it would carry more clout than it actually does. In the long run, it didn’t necessarily open more doors for me or cause hocolocal notables to show me any more respect. 

It was simply a fun thing to win, and I was grateful.

This year you have three choices in the Blogger Category:

• Scott E
• Village Green/Town² 
• Howard County Progress Report

I find it odd and just plain stupid that The Merriweather Post is not included. I also don’t remember a nomination period this year, because, if I had noted that omission, I would have submitted it for consideration. It belongs on this list every bit as much as the others. (Also: happy to see Howard County Progress Report in this list.)

Here’s the deal: Scott E Blog doesn’t exist anymore nor does its writer even reside in Howard County. Details like these don’t seem to matter to Howard Magazine, however. They kept putting up HoCoRising for the award for several years after it ceased to exist. Not that HoCoRising wasn’t a great blog, but…c’mon. We should be voting on blogs that still exist, shouldn’t we?

Just a thought, not a sermon.

At any rate, if you like local polls, now is the time for you to jump in and vote, vote, vote from now through July 14th. You don’t have to have a Baltimore Sun subscription to enter, and you don’t need to vote in all categories. Put a little reminder on your calendar or your phone. (Do people tie a string around their fingers anymore?)  If polls are not your thing, that’s fine, too.

Just promise me you’ll try to stop by here every morning and see what’s up. That’s the most important thing. Not because it improves my numbers, but because your presence adds to the conversation here.

And that is a sermon, I guess,

The really-o, truly-o election is the Maryland State Primary on July 19. I trust you already have that on your calendar.