After playing the role of Susan Lucci as the perennial second place finisher to the likes of nola.com and Lorin Gaudin, Blackened Out finally claimed the #1 spot in the Best Local Blog category in Gambit's Best of New Orleans 2012. While the rest of the city concerns itself with the cone of uncertainty, we're digging deep into the cellar and opening up bottles of the good stuff here at Blackened Out Hurricane Hunter Headquarters. Best to enjoy it now instead of running the risk of letting the good juice go to waste in a power outage.  And even though we expect a referendum to be called for by Uptown Messenger, in the mean time we are going to ride this high for as long as we can.

And of course by "ride this high" we really mean "take the week off."  In accordance with the Blackened Out Bylaws, we are required to abide by the hurricane closures mandated by the Archdiocese of New Orleans. Don't blame us - we didn't make these rules.  Well, actually we did, but we never thought that we would follow them.

So tie down the patio furniture, fill up that generator, and start planning your wine pairings. The Pope tells us that peanut butter and jelly pairs well with everything from rich, fruity California cabernets to lighter, more acidic reds from Burgundy.

And last but not least, thanks to all of you readers who voted for us this year. Your encouragment has renewed our enthusiasm for the little blog that could, and we hope to keep you entertained for many more years to come.

Blogger's Note: Unfortunately, we had no submissions for this week's Guest Blogger Thursday. But instead of Rene or I filling in, we decided to make each of you this week's guest blogger whether you like it or not. So allow yourselves to introduce... yourselves.

Do you want to make a change for once in your life? Come on. It's going to feel real good. It's going to make a difference. Make it right.

The polls have opened for Gambit's annual Best of New Orleans survey, and it is time for your voice to be heard so that any injustice may be corrected. Check out last year's list and tell me that you do not disagree with a few of the winners. Harrah's has the best buffet in the city? I think that I just threw up in my mouth. Bluebird Cafe is gone, so there will be a new best breakfast spot. Superior Grill wins best Mexican food and the best place to get salsa? Dong Phuong not one of the top 3 bakeries in the city? I feel like I'm taking crazy pills.

Of course there are other non-food related categories - for example, best local blog (wink, wink, nudge, nudge). But we would never pretend to be experts on the best place to buy lamps/lighting or know who the best real estate agent is.

So get voting. Make sure everyone knows where is the best place to buy a mattress. You must vote in at least 75 categories for your ballot to be valid.

It's up to you to make a difference. Start with the man in the mirror. Just remember: If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and make that change.