Dear Strange Maine fans!

It is once again time for voting in the Portland Phoenix's "Best of 2011" poll!

BEST BLOG category:


Now, as in past years, we've been nominated in the Best Blog category, under "City Life," (we won in 2008 and 2009, but were ousted in 2010). However, this year there is a new development! This year, because of the publication of my book, Strange Maine: True Tales from the Pine Tree State, I landed in the author category as well! So, if you've read the book, enjoyed it, etc, and would like to help give me a shot at Best Author, I would be very happy if you also voted for me in this category. I'm up against some heavy hitters, so the odds are slim... but who knows?

PORTLAND AUTHOR category:


Please note two important things:
1) You can vote once a day.
2) Your vote will not be counted until you click on the "VOTE NOW" button on the FINISH page, which can be reached at any time in the process by clicking the "SKIP TO FINISH" button on each page.

Thanks everyone!! :)

--Michelle Souliere, Editor

Nominate for Best Blog?

If any of you feel inclined, I would be tremendously happy if you nominated the Strange Maine blog to be part of the annual contest for the Portland Phoenix's Best of Portland 2011 candidates!

Go here: http://thephoenix.com/thebest/portland/vote/

To complete your vote, make sure you click on the "FINISHED" button to submit your vote! You'll know you're official when you get to the page where they ask for your email before clicking the last button.

Many thanks, all! We didn't win last year, but I'd like to give it a try again this year! :)

The vote is on!!!

Okay, we made it into the running! Now it's time to vote. I trust you folks to have your own say on the matter, and here's the link to the blog category (or just click on the button below):
Vote for the best Portland blog!

Of course, you can start at the beginning and vote for all sorts of categories here:
Portland Phoenix's Best of Portland voting

An important note: To actually register your vote, after you've made your selections, you must click on the "SKIP TO FINISH" or "FINISHED" button to enter your name, etc. The vote is not logged in until this part of the process is completed.

Have fun!!!

For you to decide!

To those of you who feel so inclined -- it is once again time for the Portland Phoenix to collect nominations for their annual Best of Portland vote.

I would be very honored if any of you would like to nominate me for Best Blog. And even if not, it's a great chance to vote on your other favorites as well!

You can add your nominations here!!! (or just click on the big red button below)



The Blog category is located under the "City Life" category on the linked page. There are a bunch of other fun categories too!

I will mention that there is a friendly rivalry afoot between myself and the Action Chad blog, and they are nefarious and wiley opponents. Good heavens. It could be an interesting election if we both get nominated!

Others of you who are fans of monthly Bingo, featuring The Fuge and Country Rhodes, may be interested in making sure they get into the running for the Portland Comedian category!

Did "IT" freak you out? Tell us!

Christoper Gray over at the Portland Phoenix is writing an article about how the movie/miniseries version of Stephen King's "It" warped him as a youngster, and he would like to hear how it affected you as well! Read on...

Basically I’m looking for anecdotes of nightmares, enduring trauma, or even just fond memories of the miniseries of Stephen King’s It. (Aired in 1990, cult classic on VHS!) If anyone wants to get in touch with their thoughts (or any further questions), they can come to cgray@phx.com.

Christopher has kindly given us a list of some "It" elements with which to stir our subconscious cauldrons:

Chinese food

Beethoven’s Fur Elise

“You’ll all float too!”

Blood, drains, showerheads

Sewer

Spiders

Paper boats

Clowns

He's hoping to hear from people by end of Friday, though he might be able to sneak in some comments that come through Saturday/Sunday as well. So get typing! :) Send your responses to his email at cgray@phx.com !

More food for remembering:

Best Blog in 2009!

THANK YOU EVERYONE! Wow, thanks so much! This makes two years running that the Strange Maine Blog has won in this Best of Portland category. Huzzah!!!

You can read the Portland Phoenix's write-up of the blog here.

Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the award ceremony for my moment of triumph, because I was on a week's trip to Amsterdam (photos here on my Flickr site). But I hope a few of you made it to the party all the same!

You're Invited! Best of Portland BIG THANKS!!!

Thanks to everyone who helped out by weighing in their nominations and subsequently their votes in the Portland Phoenix's "Best of Portland 2009" contest. We're in the running for "Best Blog" for the second year in a row!

The Phoenix is holding a party to celebrate the announcement of the results. You're all invited!

WHAT: The Portland Phoenix's Best of Portland 2009 party! (21+ only, please)
WHEN: Wednesday, April 15th, 2009. Doors open at 7:00pm
WHERE: Port City Music Hall, 504 Congress St, Portland, Maine
WHY: Free admission, free food, free live music all night long!

Spencer & The School Spirit Mafia, Lady Lamb the Beekeeper, and Jacob Augustine will be playing, and they'll be slingin' awards around all night. Fun!!! ...Not to mention that it's a good chance to check out Portland's newest music venue.

VOTE NOW! Best of Portland 2009

Well, apparently the write-in stage I mentioned the other week was the nomination stage of the process, because now the Portland Phoenix has their regular ballot up for Best of Portland (and I have been asleep, or something, in the meantime).

So vote now (unless you don't want to -- I won't twist your arm)! You can judge as many or as few items as you are interested in.

In fact, you can just vote for the blogs if you like, using the blog ballot here (although it's way more fun to do more). The Portland Phoenix has a blast running this friendly competition every year.

I would be remiss to avoid mention of the fact that there is a "Blog" choice under the CITY LIFE category. If you dig the Strange Maine blog (or another, whatever you like!), please do enter it in the Blog category! :) Also, Emptyhouse Film is up for winning under the Filmmaker category!!!

Thanks everyone! And have fun voting!!!

VOTE HERE...

Best of Portland?

Time for everyone to weigh in on what they think makes up the best of Portland, in a wide range of categories. The Portland Phoenix has a lot of fun running this friendly competition every year. Throw your two cents into the mix here! It's all write-in entries, so you can judge as many or as few items as you are interested in.

I would be remiss to avoid mention of the fact that there is a "Blog" category under the umbrella of the CITY LIFE range of "Best of" awards. If you dig this blog (or another, whatever you like!), please do enter it in the Blog category! :)

Thanks everyone!

Thanks for the votes!!!

Well, much to my delight, the Strange Maine blog won "BEST BLOG" in the Portland Phoenix's Best of Portland annual awards. Yippee! All within one week, I was interviewed on WMPG, and then honored by this big fat kudo. Excitement! So thank you, thank you, thank you, all you readers out there who took the time to vote, and thank you to all of you who didn't even know who we were but voted for us because you liked our name (I can guarantee there are at least a few of you out there).

I would also like to thank Wil Whalen over at Where There's Wil, There's Always a Way, who won last year's Best Blog of Portland, for so graciously mentioning that there's a tiara involved. Who knew?! I'm wearing it now. Sure, it's invisible, but *I* know it's there. (ha, you're all thinking, "Michelle in a tiara?!" Truth is stranger than fiction, always!)

VOTE NOW! We're up for a Best of Portland award!

I was just informed that the Strange Maine blog has been nominated for inclusion in the Portland Phoenix's Best of Portland poll, under the Blog/Podcast category! Wheeee!

Click here to see the contenders and VOTE NOW!!!

And while you're at it, please note that Emptyhouse Films is up for best filmmaker, and it wouldn't hurt to fix up the Portland Author category by writing in Loren Coleman. Seriously, I don't think Carolyn Chute lives in Portland. Am I wrong?