Angry in the Great White North

I've updated this blog's banner to incorporate the badge for my second place finish in the category of Best Conservative Blog of 2008, improving on my third place finish in 2007.

The final results were close:

1. Small Dead Animals: 34.31%
2. Angry in the Great White North: 19.25%
3. The Prairie Wrangler: 17.57%
4. Daimnation: 14.64%
5. Blue Like You: 14.23%

As I said earlier, I was pleasantly surprised by my second place finish (which was announced weeks ago - like I said, I just wasn't paying too much attention).  Unlike last year, I did not promote my blog as a contestant nor did I try to garner votes.  I did redesign the blog, in part prompted by the nomination, but then I had long planned to make changes.

Like the design itself, I went simple.  Reduce the ad content, scale down the graphics, and just enjoy blogging.  Write when I feel like writing, check in occasionally to see if people are reading, help out my friends at the National Post with content, and just relax.

Don't stress about a contest.

And still I came in second, which in Canada, is essentially first when you're up against Small Dead Animals.

Maybe the trick is not to try too hard to impress, but just do your job while enjoying it, and let the chips fall as they may.