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January 24th, 2014
01:01 pm - Mystery Hunt Write-Up, Part 1
So, once again we trekked to Boston to do the annual MIT IAP Mystery Hunt. But there was a difference this time - last year we won it, which means that we've spent the past year writing this year's Hunt and "do"ing it means something entirely different than it usually does. We chose an Alice in Wonderland theme this year, which worked splendidly, and our team name (which last year was - literally - the entire text of Atlas Shrugged) became Alice Shrugged, a pun which we will never be able to top.
( Under the cut: Mostly about the year leading up to the Hunt. Actual Hunt experiences to come later.Collapse )
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September 23rd, 2012
05:29 pm - EMMYS LIVEBLOG POST
Please join me in the comments here to talk about the Emmys as they happen, starting at 8pm EST. (Apparently it's broadcast live nationwide, so no tape delays.)
Watch as I cross my fingers VERY LOUDLY for Sherlock and bemoan the fact that John Noble is the most robbed non-nominee since Battlestar Galactica.
I've never hosted a liveblog before, so maybe this will get like two comments that aren't me but I'll have fun at least. :)
HEY, HERE IS A FUNCTIONING LIVESTREAM:
http://atdhenet.tv/46050/watch-64th-primetime-emmy-awards
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March 11th, 2011
06:31 pm - Well that didn't work so well.
First, I went to Target around 2pm and the guy there said he didn't know when the iPads would arrive or how many they would get, but that they should have at least one of each model. Since I specifically want a black 16GB wifi one, that's not great odds but it all depends on who gets in line before me, right?
I got back to Target a little after 4pm and was #8 in line. As of about 10 til 5, there were about 20 people in line and they still did not have the iPads in, nor did they know where they were or how many they would be getting or when they would get there.
Finally a bit after five we got the news - they got one box which contained five iPads - all white 64GB wi-fi only models. Which was a model basically nobody in line wanted. I'm sure they probably sold them to people who decided any iPad was better than no iPad, but at least half of us left immediately. Best Buy next door had a line outside and turned everyone away, already sold out.
For shits & giggles I drove up to the apple store at Old Orchard Mall, and found a line of maybe 200 people snaking around. I found the end of the line, then noticed a group of about 25 people 20 feet away from the end, with an Apple employee in their midst. Turns out that group was the people at the end of the line who don't get one b/c they sold out. So I have no idea whether I'd have gotten one if I had gone straight there instead of Target - by 4:30 it may have been too late.
I'm a little annoyed at the distribution - sending five to a Target is one thing, but all five the same unpopular model? When you know people are lining up for it? Lame.
May 7th, 2010
January 19th, 2010
08:49 pm - Chocolate for Haiti
I just posted over in 
help_haiti: One dozen Star Wars chocolates. Starting bid $15. Bidding ends tomorrow (Wednesday) at noon.
While you're there, browse the rest of the community and see all the crazy and wonderful things people are auctioning, with all money going to various Haiti relief efforts.
Note: If you ate any of my Star Wars or sudoku truffles this weekend, these are not those. These will be 100% solid chocolate. The truffles were pretty time consuming, I'm keeping it simple for now. Same molds as the truffles, though.
January 13th, 2010
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December 4th, 2009
10:44 pm - Look for red balloons, win money
DARPA is hosting this contest, where they're deploying ten red weather balloons nationwide tomorrow from 10am to 4pm. The first person to submit the location of all ten balloons wins $40,000.
MIT is hosting a team for this, and the money is distributed across anyone who either finds a balloon or refers someone who finds a balloon, back to three levels of referral. So if you sign up and find a balloon, you get 2000,Iget2000, I get 2000,Iget1000, the person who referred me gets 500,andthepersonwhoreferredthemgets500, and the person who referred them gets 500,andthepersonwhoreferredthemgets250. If, of course, the team wins by being the first to find all 10.
And, of course, the more people are looking nationwide, the more likely it is that the MIT team will win. You do NOT have to be affiliated with MIT in any way to join the team.
So here's my referral link - you never know, a balloon might be right by you tomorrow and then wouldn't you feel silly for not signing up? :) (They're going to be in publicly-visible places, visible from the street - more info at http://networkchallenge.darpa.mil/ ) And pass the link on, of course! It'll give you your own referral link as soon as you register.
ETA: Don't forget, the last contest I posted here I wound up winning. This bodes well for the chances of anyone I refer, since if you win I win and clearly I will win. :)
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September 25th, 2009
10:23 am - Darn. It.
A few minutes ago, when we were outside, I realized that when Fred makes a particular face as I'm scratching his chin, he looks exactly like Falcor.
But now that we're back inside and I have a camera, he won't make that face again. And Valentine keeps interrupting my chin-scratching by trying to get her chin scratched.
I promise I will get this picture one of these days. SO CUTE.
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September 7th, 2009
09:30 pm - Crossword contest
From 
thedan (just on the off chance there's anyone on my flist who does crosswords and isn't already also on his): Brendan Emmett Quigley has a contest up at his blog - you just solve the puzzle and riddle and submit the answer to get into the drawing, you don't have to be the fastest or anything. Which is great for me, since I'm sick and found the puzzle to be harder than it probably should have been. And then you can be like me and post about it in a lame attempt to get another entry in the drawing, though if you're not sick maybe you can do it more creatively and get even more entries. :P
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August 22nd, 2009
12:51 am - Anchorage or bust!
Flight leaves at 9am tomorrow (Saturday)! We have to leave for the airport in about 6 hours. Not sure if or when I'll have internet access again!
So the next time I post, I may already be 30...