http://u.getemoji.me/loR0bCpDgteQqop0.gif

I was so excited nominating @thekittygitl I forgot or fatfingerslippedup the fact I needed to say I NOMINATE, sounds like the acadamy awards AND THE NOMINEES ARE 😂😂 I appreciate the DD and am a happy tocking hen., who slips up quite a few times but Thats what excitement does to ya. Love to go to Dallas btw 
Have a great saturday were waking up in Holland to start this grand New day

Ahhh Mr Papper you always have a trick or two up your sleeve, you're too kind, that's quite number of winners here, thank you so very much:)

<div class="text-justify">Well, I am an old hen, so hey...  😂 <br>Thank you for the SBI! 💛<br>
I actually meant to nominate someone, but failed to do so. I thought of <b>so many</b> deserving people, that I was going to narrow the list in my mind before nominating anyone, and then I forgot... Eeek! 😱</div>

Well, this is quite a surprise to wake up to.  Bless you -- again.  And thank you -- again.  Steemit itself is so quiet and depressed ATM I think you should take pleasure that this got any traction at all.  I'm hoping it's just the holiday lull that has everything so quiet right now, but I think I'm fooling myself.  It's been quiet for a long time and there's no reason for it to revive -- since Steem's price is mostly the driving factor on that -- and it's not going anywhere anytime soon either.

That's really a shame, too, because right now Steemit as a community is in better shape, has more projects available and in development, is making strides in the community options it offers, and is more fun -- objectively -- to be part of than was true back when you and I first joined.

It has *so much going for it* comparatively, but the morale factor is going to be a killer if it lasts much longer.  You can only whistle past the graveyard for so long -- and right now that's what's happening with too many people.  You can legitimately say Steem / Steemit is "regrouping" (again and again) -- and on one level I think that's true.  But we all know there comes a point in the space between this life and the next one when CPR comes too late -- no matter how vigorously you apply it.  I think that's the critical point where we are, TBH.

"The Community" only has so much pulling power for people with actual things to do with their lives and time they need to spend elsewhere.  It they want response or conversation or some sign someone actually knows they're alive and gives a damn, they're on FB -- which I know doesn't pay you one thin dime for one damn thing ... and in fact squeezes your effort and your data to further enrich people who don't now and will never again need the money.  But there it is.  The immutable cold hard truth of life.   Steemit and their "top 50 account issue" is just a microcosm of that.

If something ever is resuscitated into a meaningful existence around here, it will have to address that problem -- and that answer is never coming from Ned.  He's made that pretty damn clear.  He simply has the power to stop it -- and he will -- and he has in the past, if I'm reading some recent comments correctly.  He and MZ.  Two peas from the same piggy pod.

But I don't mean to be off on a rant.  I'm not saying anything we don't all know already ... so I'll STFU and get onto another topic.

I think you actually need to subtract two of my seven votes from the total.  As you also know, I've been cruising around, looking for places to spend spare VP from the group account so it doesn't go to waste.  Wasted VP should be a crime around here.  (But it isn't and it happens too much.  Which is yet another problem I won't dissect further.)  Anyway uv'ing comments from the group was one of my tactics for that -- and I uv'd Big Tom's comment with the group account before I realized what I was doing.  I thought about undoing it -- but I can't undo Ethan's vote ... so I just left it to sink or swim on its own.  Anyway, that's why that happened, and I'm kind of embarrassed by it -- so in the interests of "transparency" -- another problem issue I'm not going to gouge any further ... that's why it happened.

I have so many other things I could say here (but, Jeez, look at the length of this thing already!!)   So ... let me get back to the original purpose of this comment.

Thank you.  For everything you've done.  For every word of encouragement.  For every word you've written and published under increasingly difficult conditions.  For all the SBI you've handed out.  For the recommendation initiative you've started.  For just being you.  Pretty much anyone who reads this blog -- or this comment will join me on those points.  Which makes *you* the actual winner here.  Hands down.  Believe it.

So ... on to the New Year.  With a prayer that it turns out to be everything 2018 wasn't.   Special blessings to you.  For all the reasons listed above -- and lots more, not the least of which is because you need 'em.

Sorry I didn't get in on this, I always do my best to support your articles but with the holidays I have been a bit busy  so I haven't been spending much time on steemit.  I don't think you should be apologizing to anyone, you have been nothing but generous, I know there are probably hundreds of people who have gotten SBI shares from you, including me!  So thank you for your kindness :0)  You have a huge heart!

Thank you!  It's really not what I expected, at all.  

I actually went back to the original yesterday (before the deadline) planning to do some voting.  I was disappointed too, frankly.

I think that maybe things have progressed far enough that the 'proles' are starting to get restless.  There are people talking (and acting) about ways to get around SteemitInc while still using Steem.  There are several proposals around that are grounds for excitement and optimism going into 2019.  

So.  Again I thank you for the SBI and the support.  It's very important to me.

This is great! I didn’t realize you were still doing this on Steemit. Good job everyone. That fancy name footer is sweet too. Nice to see you still posting here.

Thank you, thank you so much. You do so much for everyone, I wish there was a way to show you just how grateful I am to have people like yourself on this platform.

You have had an amazing run, not only in the giveaways (who doesn't love the giveaways??) but, your Daily Dose of wisdom that has been entertaining and giving advice to peoples since I have been here. I hope things pick up here on Steemit. 

It feels like home to me. 

Thank you again, you kind soul. You have a heart of gold.

!tip

I’m so sorry I forgot to nominate anyone in my reply to your previous post @sultnpapper. Your generosity is appreciated here as is your voice. Thanks for all you do. I chalk my forgetfulness up to trying to do too many things at once (I’ll be working on this in 2019). Have a great New Year, I can’t wait to see what this next 365 days has in store.

I’m away in England for a few days and only seen this now . Thanks for the basic income. You’re a good egg 😀😀

Posted using [Partiko iOS](https://steemit.com/@partiko-ios)

That is so kind of you and truly appreciated

Congratulations! This post has been chosen as one of the daily Whistle Stops for The STEEM Engine!

<center>[![](https://ethandsmith.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/commentSTEEMengine.jpg)](https://steemit.com/@thesteemengine)</center>

You can see your post's place along the track here: [The Daily Whistle Stops, Issue 355 (12/29/18)](https://steemit.com/curation/@thesteemengine/the-daily-whistle-stops-issue-355-12-29-18)

Howdy sir sultnpapper! thank you for your generosity and for helping so many people!

Awww, thank you @SultNPapper! 
I think it was a great initiative to run. I dont know why it wasnt more popular! I mean, free SBI, what's not to  love? Maybe because the value of steem is so low now... I dont know. Thanks though! I appreciate it! :)