COV12D-19 (My bad Edition)

So, first I've got to apologize.

About a week ago, I briefly wrote a Facebook post related to the #HatofSummer campaign. And I didn't want it to be pushed live right away, because I wasn't fully done filming the videos and getting all of my digital ducks in a row. So I set that post as PRIVATE and then went on with my day.

And for the next several days I continued my shelter-in-place habit of blogging about something new each and every day. And I posted those WWYG?! entries on Twitter and on Facebook, hoping against hope that one day I might strike the national consciousness and become a famous blog boy.(This went on for days.)

And then I finished all of my #HatofSummer videos and I dutifully started posting about those videos on WWYG?! And I gleefully waited for everyone to be captivated and just so, SO enthusiastic about everything. What production values they would say! What imagination they would admit! He's a less technically adept Fincher! He's a budding Alex Garland! Amazing!

But . . . the vote counts just didn't start rolling in.

I rationalized it all by saying things like "They are waiting for all of the videos." Or "It was the weekend, so of course they were busy being outside with their family." Or . . . whatever.

But what I was actually thinking was: "WHY aren't they voting?!" I was also thinking "If I can't get people to get enthusiastic about the #HatofSummer campaign NOW . . . when we are literally trapped inside, with no distracting sports, and EVERYONE on their phones and computers ALL DAY . . . then WHAT exactly??!!"

Truly the darkest days of this whole at-home affair.

And then, today, during my lunch break I realize the terrible truth.

When I set that one post days before as PRIVATE, I didn't realize that all subsequent posts were also being set a PRIVATE. And so only my meager Twitter followers were seeing the daily video posts and (maybe?) casting their votes for my #OfficialHat2020. And thus, this, the greatest #HatofSummer campaign that there ever has been was disadvantaged from the start.

And, Dear Reader, there is no one to blame but myself.

What then, shall we do?

I've reset all of those posts as PUBLIC and I encourage you to watch them.

But if you don't want to go trawling back through the last week of my Facebook feed, I can give you a link to the published videos on the official 2020 #HatofSummer playlist.

All of the hats that are available for voting on are presented here, along with the Teaser video that I first released. In this playlist, you will see my journey through anxiety and descent into semi-madness as the world changes around me. You will see the choices:

1. Harry Potter and the Sacred Text
2. Columbus Zoo
3. NHS YES!
4. Ireland 
5. (and debuting today) Martin's BBQ Joint

Please enjoy these videos and do share the whole affair with whomever you think needs a distraction in these trying times. I truly do believe we can get lots of people voting on this. And I do want lots of participation.

But more than simply video watching, nothing matters if you don't also vote. And to do that you must go cast as many votes as you can stomach on my Google Voting Form. (Use this link to go and cast your vote: https://forms.gle/tZSddEg5A7D3X67J9). 

The voting will be up and available for many weeks. And I will be posting subsequent update videos in the coming weeks to give you progress updates and to encourage further voting. Please take a moment each and every day to push your hat to the top of the list. I believe in you and I want YOUR hat to win.

Thanks for putting up with my incompetence and you'll be hearing more about this in the future.