What a remarkable year we had here at PlanetPOV in 2010! The depth, insights and wit of posts written by the community here was nothing less than impressive.
There were so many great articles, it was difficult to narrow them down to the selections below. Though we call this “top” posts, there were many other wonderful articles in 2010 so if you discover or re-discover posts that you enjoy here, please visit our Archive to browse through and read other great posts from last year.
We included most of the posts nominated by members at the end of last year. The original plan was to do this at the beginning of this year but so many major events occurred in the meantime and deservedly took precedence.
Now, we take a break to celebrate our community, the insights and opinions of the people here that make this site so substantial and singular.
The nominated articles below are in no particular order. You may vote for one or more posts in each category, the maximum number of posts you can vote for in each category is described in their titles.
Each title is hyperlinked, to read an article, just click on a title.
In addition to the categories below, PlanetPOV Core Awards go to Kalima for Morning Blog and Bito for Time Out for O/T, thanks to both of you for these pillars of the site and all that you do!
Now, it’s your turn to exercise your right to be entertained and enlightened, explore the many remarkable articles below from 2010 and vote for your faves!
VOTE BELOW FOR YOUR FAVORITE POSTS OF 2010:
News and Politics (select up to 5)
- Christian Dominionists and Death - by Choicelady (55%, 12 Votes)
- No Compassion: The American Terrorist Still Lives - by Choicelady (36%, 8 Votes)
- Waiting For Bizarro Superman - by Adlib (36%, 8 Votes)
- Has Democracy Outlived Its Usefulness? - by Adlib (32%, 7 Votes)
- The South Will Rise Again - by Kesmarn (27%, 6 Votes)
- Progressive Media's Wrong Turn - Advocacy Vs Adversary - by Nellie (27%, 6 Votes)
- Change He Can't Believe In - by Whatsthatsound (27%, 6 Votes)
- The World According To GOP - by Nellie (18%, 4 Votes)
- Robert Gibbs, Ratfucking and the Professional Left - by Marion (14%, 3 Votes)
- Here Come The Big Rigs To Drink Our Milkshake - by Pepe Lepew (9%, 2 Votes)
- The Argument Against Obama - by Adlib (9%, 2 Votes)
- The Party of Lincoln vs. The Party of Winkin' - by Marion (5%, 1 Votes)
- Political Cleopatras - by Marion (0%, 0 Votes)
- Manning Up To Maypo Madness And Mourning In America - by Marion (0%, 0 Votes)
Total Voters: 22
Loading ...Humor (select up to 3)
- Corporations Are People Too - by Adlib and Whatsthatsound (74%, 14 Votes)
- God's Blog - 1-14-2010 - by Adlib (37%, 7 Votes)
- Interview with Kim Kardashian's Butt - by Whatsthatsound (32%, 6 Votes)
- Exclusive: Republican Tea Party Pledge - Secret Draft - by Adlib (32%, 6 Votes)
- My Interview With Satan - by Adlib (26%, 5 Votes)
- A Problem With Original Intent - by AuntieChrist (11%, 2 Votes)
- God's Blog - 3-16-2011 - by Adlib (11%, 2 Votes)
- Twas the Night Before Xmas 2010 - A Political Parody - by Adlib (5%, 1 Votes)
- News From the Year 2020 - by Adlib (0%, 0 Votes)
- Holiday Greetings From the TSA - by PatsyT (0%, 0 Votes)
Total Voters: 19
Loading ...Series (select up to 3)
- Mid Atlantic Trip - by Khirad (74%, 14 Votes)
- Hate in America - by Chernynkaya (68%, 13 Votes)
- A Coalition of Church and State - SueInCa (42%, 8 Votes)
- Rashomon - by Escribacat (26%, 5 Votes)
- Adventures in Being an Investigative Journalist - by Pepe Lepew (21%, 4 Votes)
- Underreported News - by Nellie (16%, 3 Votes)
- Democratic Navel Gazing or The Circular Firing Squad - by Marion (5%, 1 Votes)
Total Voters: 19
Loading ...Art and Multimedia (select up to 3)
- Periodic Table of Dangerous Elements - by KQuark (67%, 10 Votes)
- Video: Sarah Palin and Intelligent Denial - by Adlib (47%, 7 Votes)
- Why the Revolution Won't Be Televised - by Whatsthatsound (40%, 6 Votes)
- I'm you, Kanye, Lebron and the Cult of Celebrity - by Whatsthatsound (27%, 4 Votes)
- Warmer Than My Heart - by Whatsthatsound (20%, 3 Votes)
- Sade and the Body - by Whatsthatsound (20%, 3 Votes)
- Menagerie Mystery Tour - by Whatsthatsound (20%, 3 Votes)
- Evolve or Perish - by Whatsthatsound (7%, 1 Votes)
- How Do You Take Your Tea? - by Whatsthatsound (0%, 0 Votes)
Total Voters: 15
Loading ...International/History (select up to 3)
- Pre-Occupied - by Chernynkaya (57%, 8 Votes)
- Holi Hai! (or Tha) - by Khirad (50%, 7 Votes)
- The Passover Seder - by Chernynkaya (50%, 7 Votes)
- No, Not That Green Day - by Khirad (43%, 6 Votes)
- Clio Wept - by Chenynkaya (29%, 4 Votes)
- The Birthplace of Democracy in Ruins - by Adlib (29%, 4 Votes)
Total Voters: 14
Loading ...Society (select up to 5)
- Sympathy For the Devil - by Escribacat (47%, 8 Votes)
- The Infantilization of America - by Kesmarn (41%, 7 Votes)
- The Power of Intermittent Fanning - by Questinia (35%, 6 Votes)
- Democracy in the Twilight Zone - by Questinia (29%, 5 Votes)
- You Call That Art? - by KQuark (29%, 5 Votes)
- The Facts About Ignorance - by Adlib (29%, 5 Votes)
- Chuck E. Cheese Meets Huffington Post - by Adib (24%, 4 Votes)
- Please Tear Off That Price Tag - by Kesmarn (24%, 4 Votes)
- What Color Is Your Paradise - by Whatsthatsound (18%, 3 Votes)
- What's Dead is Alive Again - Questinia (18%, 3 Votes)
- The Sometimes Sordid History of Smoking and Hollywood - by Pepe Lepew (18%, 3 Votes)
- Which Witch - by Khirad (18%, 3 Votes)
- Selling Gingerbread - by Whatsthatsound (12%, 2 Votes)
- Animal House Rules - by Adlib (12%, 2 Votes)
- Masters of Illusion and Intolerance - by Marion (0%, 0 Votes)
Total Voters: 17
Loading ...Lifestyle (select up to 5)
- How I Became an Accidental American - by Haruko Haruhara (65%, 11 Votes)
- The Pond - by Questinia (59%, 10 Votes)
- My Life in Brisket, Rice and Tamales - by Chernynkaya (53%, 9 Votes)
- Tales of a Fraud Investigator - by SueInCa (41%, 7 Votes)
- Gifts of the Magick - by Questinia (24%, 4 Votes)
- Do Platypuses Dream of Eccentric Sheep - by Whatsthatsound (24%, 4 Votes)
- The Peacable Kingdom - by Chernynkaya (24%, 4 Votes)
- The Dissent of Man - by Whatsthatsound (18%, 3 Votes)
- Please Cancel My Hissy Fit - by Escribacat (18%, 3 Votes)
- St. Mary Peak and my little gesture for Hume and CarlVee - by Pepe Lepew (18%, 3 Votes)
- The Poetry of Jalaluddin Rumi - by Chernynkaya (18%, 3 Votes)
- A Totem of the American West - by Pepe Lepew (12%, 2 Votes)
- Does a Dog Have a Budda Nature? - by Dildenusa (12%, 2 Votes)
- At Huffington Post, No One Knows You're a Dog - by Chernynkaya (6%, 1 Votes)
- More of Us to Love - by Whatsthatsound (6%, 1 Votes)
Total Voters: 17
Loading ...Music Threads (select up to 2)
- Psychadelic, Man! (46%, 6 Votes)
- Oscar Edition (46%, 6 Votes)
- Southern Comfort (31%, 4 Votes)
- You Ain't Heard Nothin' Yet! (23%, 3 Votes)
- I Got Ya Covered! (15%, 2 Votes)
Total Voters: 13
Loading ...
Related posts:
AdLib
AlphaBitch
bito
Kalima
choicelady
AdLib–I’m wondering–is there a deadline on this? When is the “awards ceremony”?
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Thanks again for these outstanding articles. It was nearly impossible to vote on them for – to borrow a line from Killgore – each was good in its own right. Yet it was a wonderful opportunity to go through a presentation of gems on a silver plater.
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The longer I play with this, the more I sympathize with KillgoreTrout and his POV. Are you still out there, KT?
This is like asking someone to pick her/his favorite child.
I dunno if I can do it!
Just got here kes. I’m not sure why exactly, but yesterday I just felt a need to comment on this. I won’t comment any further about it, because I don’t want my opinion to spoil anybody’s fun.
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Not yet having written a post here, maybe it’s not really my place to say one thing or another about this.
KT, of course you are entitled to your opinion, no one is denying you that at all. I have read a vast majority of posts and comments and would be hard pressed to answer who “won” or who even was nominated last year. It’s both a bit of fun and an opportunity, an invitation, to read/reread some of the posts from last year, learn, appreciate and enjoy.
Vote like most of the country votes, or doesn’t, some times, best slogan (title), or best hair(avi), no one will know any different.
(wonder if the Buddha didn’t have a favorite teacup?)
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I know bito. Thanks for your reply.
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Not to worry, KT. You have every right to express your thoughts!
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True kes, I just don’t want to be a spoil-sport.
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Don’t worry, I, and I suspect most others here totally get what you were saying.
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You know what gets me? (And this is kind of my own personal beef, obviously.) No one in my entire family or any of my friends have read my stuff. OUCH! And they (my friends and family) are political types too. Does anyone else here have that problem or is it just that I have crummy family?
Or, are they perhaps being, um, diplomatic?? I mean, Gee! WTH?
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I kind of force-feed some people. My brother, for example. He always has really insightful comments once he’s read them, but he doesn’t seek them out. I put my posts on FB, and I generally get a comment or two. I think sometimes you just have to put something right in front of somebody’s face and say, “Here, read this and tell me what you think”.
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Whts, maybe you can relate to this, or maybe it’s just among my folks–it applies to my art too: Whenever I show my husband (either the first or this one) anything I write they always say something to the effect of, “You should “really” write, and get published. You could sell this, or write a novel.” If I show a piece of art, it’s, “You should sell this stuff–go to an art fair!”
Now, I understand they mean this in the nicest possible way. They are complimenting me. They think they are telling me that my work is valuable. However. Why does it have to get sold to be “real?” Or valuable? Why isn’t it enough that I do it? Does that make any sense? See, I am not into getting a literary agent or sending manuscripts around –but I know that’s what one does. Ditto for my art–There is NO WAY I could take it to a gallery. But I love doing it. I give it as gifts, or just keep it. Maybe when I’m long gone, some art critic will find my stash at the Goodwill and I’ll be posthumously famous (Heh!)
The thing is, I have heard this “why don’t you…” all my life. There were years I didn’t create anything because I felt if I didn’t sell it, it was pointless. It’s only very recently I have called myself an artist (defiantly and abashedly) because I thought an artist was only one who sells art. Maybe that IS the definition. But I just feel–oh, what the heck–I paint! I write. So, I will call myself a blogger at least. So, whew! That was a tangent. But I see now that in fact, I am reluctant to ask my family and friends to read what I write–they will just tell me to get a “real” career.
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I’ve always held in equal regard and dismay Tibetan sand paintings (where the religious lesson is obvious). I saw in some regard what you are talking about in that–taken to an extreme.
One thing I could never do is write something and then destroy it (getting lost on an out-of-date computer format, or being lost in a misplace shoebox is another issue–I have so many forever Lost Poems) unless it was something so lousy, or so vitriolically cathartic that it ‘merited’ such action for posterity.
But, do we not create (as KT beat me to it), in one sense (of many more direct impulses), so we will be ‘immortal’ (however ephemerally)?
Non omnis moriam. – Horace
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Sand Mandalas – aren’t they showing better than anything else the sacredness of Art?
How difficult to destroy something so beautiful! But then, how beautiful to honor the Divine by creating something so beautiful and then sacrificing it for the wellbeing of all sentient beings.
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Khirad, I do think we create for immortality. I cleave to my writing and whenever I get a new computer, it is my biggest anxiety–that they will be lost. And at the same time, I know no one will likely see them!
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cher, Mickey Spillaine once said, “Anybody who writes for reasons other than money is a fool.” I absolutely disagree with him on this.
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Writing one’s thoughts, experiences and ideas does serve a purpose. Somebody is going to read those writings at one point or another. A part of you will exist maybe long after you’re gone. Just think of the hundreds and hundreds of works that we would be denied if getting paid was the only reason to write or paint, or sculpt….etc.
Writers write, painters paint and sculptors sculpt. It’s what is in them and must be brought forth.
Killgore, That quote might explain why Spillane was such an awful writer!
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I totally understand. It’s pretty much a common way of responding to artists, writers, musicians, etc.
I think sometimes people don’t understand how difficult it is to make it in these industries, and furthermore how many creative people just really don’t have what it takes to bang on doors, make the cold calls, accept the rejection letters, DO DO DO to get their work seen. And even if they do, that’s not a guarantee. It’s sad, in a way, when we recognize that for every Bob Dylan there are probably three dozen people just as talented that we’ve never heard of. For every Grisham, there are twenty writers that go well beyond him in ability. And for every Basquiat, there are literally THOUSANDS of more talented individuals who have put in their Ten Thousand Hours at their craft, but don’t benefit from the patronage of Warhol, etc.
I hear it all the time, too. “You should”. As if we ourselves have never thought of what the particular “should” is. If our society had a better balance between the left and right hemispheres of the brain, and a more sane attitude toward “success” ad “achievement”, it would probably be a lot easier for us artists and creators. But things are just the way they are, and we do the best we can.
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whats, there is a really good book, written by Henry Miller entitled “The Time of the Assassins.”
It is Miller’s view on how works of art are often crushed by a society that sees only money as the true test of art. Here is a blurb from jacket of this book;
“This study is not literary criticism but a fascinating chapter in Miller’s own spiritual autobiography. The social function of the creative personality is a recurrent theme with Miller, and this book is perhaps his most poignant and concentrated analysis of the artist’s dilemma.”
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Hi, KT, thanks for that. I remember a quote by Henry Miller that is great, about agents, about “people who just hang around and take their cut”, which was really scathing. But I can never find it. Maybe it’s from this book.
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Three dozen just as talented as Bob Dylan? Surely you jest!
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There is NO ONE, NO ONE, NO ONE like Bob Dylan. He is probably the only musician living that will be remembered in five hundred years. No one is as prolific and influential. No one. Neil Young is sort of up there as is Joni.
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Hi bito. Yes, okay; thanks for asking. I was on a train, that stopped. We were really jostled! I haven’t even checked the news yet to see how bad it was. Will do that now.
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Don’t call me Shirley!
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Shirley, sir? you OK? I can’t believe you guys got another good jolt, 7.1/7.4.
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#pray for japan
There is only one other person that might come close to Dylan as songwriter/poet, and that would have to be Joni Mitchell. Like Dylan, her songs go beyond just lyricism and into the realm of poetry. Good poetry.
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Cher, if it’s any consolation, no one I know in my “real” (?!?) life has ever read anything I’ve written here either.
Your friends/family are missing a real treat, though, if they don’t check out your wonderful “Hate in America” series — at the very least!
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most assuredly!
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Thanks, kes–that is a consolation. Maybe my friends have heard it all from me way too many times already! As I think about it, it’s not as though they don’t know where I stand.
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I know that some of my family members’ eye glaze over when I start talking politics…but I’m afraid that I go Honey Badger on ‘em then.
Some of this stuff is just too important not to talk about!
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Cool expression: to go Honey Badger on someone.
And btw, I love your writing!
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Mix it with a little Forrest Gump, and you would have, Go Honey Badger on their buttocks.
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Cher- if they aren’t reading your stuff, it’s their loss! WTH is an appropriate assessment!!
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There are two or three names I look for, before I start thru the posts..I know these people will enlighten and inform!
There are a couple I read last (for obvious reasons.) One I rarely read at all!!
Yours are Never in the last two categories
Y’all sure make it hard for those of us with limited skills!
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Yikes that’s big!
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Copy and paste html code..
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I recently switched to chrome- and I love it, but I can’t use imported smileys anymore- ideas?
I think it’s a problem with this site, not any browser – it started several weeks ago, but then I wasn’t sure, since AdLib could import the Vault smileys. But I can’t import those that I want and reported it therefore again now.
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I can’t do them without the same thing happening. I don’t know what Pepe and HH do to get them regular size.
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Cher, I have the same kind of thing here but who is to say they aren’t reading things in secret.
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Hmmmm they do wind up asking me who to vote for, wonder why?
Patsy–that’s why I added that part about being diplomatic.
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Hey, ya have a family.
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Yep–that’s true, bito. And I sure wouldn’t trade any of ‘em! Good to remember.
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I planned on reading and commenting on individual articles – but again it was too difficult to pick out only some. So many excellent articles to choose from. Therefore let me say only this: I appreciate them all and am now all the more aware that the archives hold many precious gems.
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Now if this was a real election over 7,000 votes would show up the last minute for the most conservative post.
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Not to worry, KQ, I have enough votes for you on my laptop. Just let me know when you need them and how many and I’ll “find” them.
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BDM, Hey just let me know, I’m open to the highest bidder, I just have to have time to clear it with David Koch.
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Bito, Phone call for you on line 2, it’s his highness Sir Koch.
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If I win anything, I’ll toast my success with a bottle of Drambuie.
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And if I don’t win anything, I’ll drown my sorrows in a bottle of Drambuie.
Whether in the exultation of victory or the throes of defeat, I find it always goes down better wearing a glen. Can’t explain why, just some freaky-deeky ancient Scottish magical synergy.
Kinda looks like it’s not south-heat/humidity friendly though!
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Well we could just wear it indoors, I suppose, would that be ok?
I readily concur!
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Done, done and done!
It was such a great pleasure going through all the excellent posts again, a wonderful reminder of all the talent and hard work from our members. Well done to each and every one of you, and thank you so much for your brilliant contributions.
First of all, my comment box is the breadth of the #1 runway in our Narita airport. Secondly, (blushing) what does a girl wear to accept her award in “middle earth” and can I bring Gollum as my date, as he has his eyes on my award , and keeps mumbling something about “my precious.” Anything to shut him up.
Fondest regards from,
Shakingallover
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Yep, there is a a conflict between the poll software and the newest version of WordPress, causing the comments to widen out and the sidebar to be pushed down.
It took me quite a while to prepare all of this so we ‘ll have to roll with it this time, I’ll use a different poll software in the future.
It is pretty humbling to see just this remarkable slice of all the amazing posts that the people here have written here.
So cool.
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Kinda weird there’s no sidebar at all for me.
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The sidebar is pushed down the page, beneath the bottom of the comments. I tested aspects of this voting software but didn’t discover that once one votes, the vote results cause this error on the page.
Oh well, next time…
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Aha! I hadn’t scrolled that far down.
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Adlib, it doesn’t matter–I’m just grateful to be able to read posts I’ve never seen and to see all the great work done here!
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Thanks Cher, appreciate it.
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It was purely tongue-in-cheek, doesn’t bother me at all, was just trying to cheer myself up.
I had forgotten some of the titles I admit, but not the posts once I started reading them. A wonderful trip down memory lane. Thanks.
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I know, Kalima. You know me though, any tech issue at The Planet…
Doing all the prep for this was very enjoyable, reviewing so many of last year’s posts was great.
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Yes and yes.
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I’m also seeing an interesting trend–if one can call such early votes a trend yet. Most of the votes are for votes in the first 3 top slots on the list. Coinkidink?
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My question is, is there a connection to the moon landing hoax?
Actually, it’s just the opposite. The polling software re-orders the list by vote count, so the top vote getters move to the top of the listings.
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K- that explains why sometimes I click on a story and find I’ve already read it!!
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Darn glad I didn’t post it out loud!
D’oh!!
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Top billing is always key.
Is this, like last year (if I recall) open to everyone?
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Yep, voting is open to all.
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I assume it’s open to anyone registered. (so Mom, quick–register!
)
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I’m trying to vote but am running into a few glitches.
One, you can click to read a story without also voting for it… but this is incidental.
Second, there are things that keep spinning. Annoying, but also incidental.
Third, I tried voting and got through the first section fine, but on the second, got an error message that said the page (?) was not accessible.
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You are supposed to be able to click on article names without it registering as a vote, so folks who haven’t read them all can read them first before voting for one.
The spinning things is a software issue (as is the appearance of the page. We’ll use different polling software in the future.
Not sure about the third error, does the error appear on this page when you click the vote button?
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I eventually slogged through it, but yes. Error happened both when trying to check a box and submitting the vote. Also, could not click on an article without clicking box, as well. It would send you to article, but one would have to uncheck box after returning, if that was their decision.
Hopefully issue can be resolved with the new software next time. It’s not the end of the world.
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Khirad, you are on a Mac I believe, when things go gaga for me, I clear History, clear Cache, dump my cookies and restart. It usually solves the hiccup.
I’m on Mac OSX/Safari and had no problem voting.
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Yup, I did all that but the cookies. I can’t put down the cookies. ;-P
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Did you try logging out, restarting and logging in again?
Just eating one now, a cookie that is.
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Khirad–they same stuff happened to me. But then I realized the vote didn’t count until I also hit the Vote button. As for eh other stuff–I’m not really sure if my votes counted at all or if they counted twice!
Also, the comment boxes take up the whole page, but I don’t think that matters.
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Cher, you’re not running the vote count in WI, are you?
Also, thanks for the FOK fix. I’ve been missin’ that guy.
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It’s also occurring when I hit the vote button.
I’ll refresh and try this later.
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AdLib-
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can we just call all of them a tie, and let them split that million dollar PPOV Literary
Award???!!
Sounds good to me! Now…as for passing the hat around for a million dollars…we better have a pretty big hat!
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We better have a pretty big donor list!
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How much is a kidney worth, anyway?
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OK_ Buddy has a fairly good sized one, so does wts- we could borrow their hats..
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and I got $5 (in ones) around here somewhere!
If we’ve got the hats, we’re most of the way there!
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AdLib, will you take a check?
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Heck, I’ll even take it in recyclable bottles!
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Beware of your wishes, AdLib! That’s a lotta bottles!
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Yes but on the bright side, that’s also a lot of drinking!
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C’Lady, What? My check’s no good?
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I’m in!
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I was kinda sad that I didn’t get any nominations but then I remembered that I wasn’t even here last year.
Tough choices. I wanna vote for my boy Khirad but he’s got some stiff competition here.
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Heh! I was thinking about making mention of that!
Truly, in going through all of these articles, it is an embarrassment of riches. Some may get the most votes but all of these articles and many that aren’t listed are pretty amazing.
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It’s an honor just to be nominated.
And at least I’m not in the really stiff competition of news & politics. That is the most unfairest to decide on of many.
AD is so already nominated for next year in my book.
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You are my fave for this year’s amazing background and updates on the fight for freedom in North Africa and the Mid-East. You are AWESOME!
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Still thinking AdLib, but I can’t take the credit for the excellent post “Totems of the American West.” That was Pepe. I found out because I had to read it–I thought I had finally gotten dementia and forgot something I wrote!)
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Whoops! Fixed now!!!
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