Blogathon 2006 Update
Category: Blogathon...
Posted Friday, June 23, 2006 at 02:39 PM [GMT-6]

It's official: the Gazette will once again participate in Blogathon, beginning Saturday, July 29, and we'll once again be raising money in support of Midland Fair Havens.

If you thought that this was actually official a long time ago, you might be surprised to learn that my participation was in jeopardy until recently. The Blogathon organization changed the rules for this year's event, requiring that every sponsored charity accept online donations. Fair Havens doesn't yet have that capability on their website, and I wasn't excited about 24 consecutive hours of blogging for someone else just because they had a PayPal account.

But I discovered something wonderful: donations may be made to Midland Fair Havens (and about 800,000 other organizations) via the JustGive.org website. Thus, all the pieces fall neatly back in place for another marathon session of fabulous frivolity for a good cause.

To those of you who made pledges last year, let me once again thank you...and humbly ask you to consider repeating that. And if you're a new Gazette reader -- a blessing on your head, and that of those you hold dear -- it would be great if you'd consider helping us out as well. We have a list of Fabulous Prizes to be awarded again this year, and most of them will be limited to those who make at least a nominal pledge. Who knows? You could be the envy of your breakroom with your very own Fire Ant Gazette coffee cup (in the extra large size).

Anyway, if all goes as scheduled, we'll be able to make our pledges via the Blogathon website beginning July 1. I'll try not to barrage you with an endless parade of snivelling appeals (but you know that Abbye has lost her sight, poor thing, and your pledge would go a long way toward helping her feel better about the world *sniff*), but be prepared for a few gentle reminders.

And here's how you can help immediately: start thinking of some cool things we can do at the Gazette during Blogathon. If you have ideas for contests, or subjects you'd like to see posts about, feel free to send 'em along. I'm open to all suggestions.

OK...not all suggestions. For instance, I won't be strolling through the unlighted backyard at 2:00 a.m. again this year, so you can forget that one.

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Comments

I know, I know!!! (Jumping up and down from her seat, hand raised high)

How about a contest to list all the Morris Day hits?
.....

Okay. (Disappointed sigh)

But, I love the Guess the Album thingy with snippets of images.

Posted by: Cowtown Pattie at June 23, 2006 04:35 PM

An extra large coffee mug?!? Your spoiling us now! :) (I've been on a hunt for one of those things!)

Posted by: Rachel at June 23, 2006 05:34 PM

I vote for another audio snippet music contest...the drum solos was fun!

And maybe you can come up with those FASB's you never got around to last year, you know, the match game. ;-)

I do hope you might entertain us again with a little Steve Martinesque physical comedy, only this time without the pain and suffering.

Posted by: Gwynne at June 23, 2006 06:30 PM

CP, we'll definitely have some "name that album/movie/etc. cover" contests. But I still have nothing by Morris Day.

Rachel, the large mug is conveniently available via the link in the right hand sidebar, if you're that desirous of possessing one. ;-)

Gwynne, I'll have to work on the audio quiz. Those things are too time-consuming to assemble to wait until the Blogathon arrives. I had forgotten (conveniently) about the FASB thing; I'm pretty sure my memory will fade again before 7/29.

Posted by: Eric at June 23, 2006 09:48 PM

Sadly the cost makes it too prohibitive. By the time you translate it to NZ and add on postage... I'm saving any purchases for when I get there so that I can at least save on the postage (I worked it to be about $35 all up - Mug and postage).

My idea for a competition is stolen from Beth's site - Sorry Beth! I'm suggesting a limerick contest or the best make up definition of a word (although Gwynne would probably win that hehe!).

Posted by: Rachel at June 23, 2006 10:20 PM

$35 for a large Fire Ant mug sounds like a steal to me! ;-)

Good contest suggestions...and don't worry about Gwynne...I'm pretty sure she won't stay up all night, so the time difference might work out to your advantage.

Posted by: Eric at June 23, 2006 10:30 PM

Um, I'm right here, listening to you guys. ;-)

And I plan to stay up all night if I have to, to win me some Fire Ant Eggs. 8-}

Posted by: Gwynne at June 23, 2006 11:53 PM

Oh, Gwynne. I didn't see you standing there.

Umm...well, as I was saying, Rach, I pity the fool who gets between Gwynne and The Prize. ;-)

Posted by: Eric at June 24, 2006 07:09 AM

Ok, I see how it is. You'll all play the contests when Eric hosts them but when I do, all I hear is crickets. Crickets, I tell you. Chirping incessantly when all I wanted was a little limerick fun. But no. *sigh*

I guess I see where I fall in the scheme of things. Eric, you're welcome to use my contests since *sniff* people like you better than me.

I'm rooting for Gwynne now.

:)

Posted by: beth at June 24, 2006 09:56 AM

See, Beth, here's the really interesting lesson you need to learn: you have to charge people to play your contests, then they're all over 'em! ;-)

And, just for the record, you'd closed that limerick contest before I even knew about it. So there.

Posted by: Eric at June 24, 2006 10:12 AM

Hey what about me Beth? I left you a nice little limerick and answer...sigh... :P

Posted by: Rachel at June 24, 2006 04:28 PM

Alright, alright...maybe one of these days I'll do another one. :) And then I'll sit, checking my comments obsessively, waiting for people to play. Rach, sorry, you're right, you did play! Thanks! :)

Posted by: beth at June 24, 2006 08:15 PM

Eric - I'm in for the same amount I pledged last year, plus $10 more. Wish it could be even more, but something's better than nothing, right?

Posted by: julie at June 26, 2006 12:28 PM

Julie, that's terrific! You're exactly right...every bit helps.

Watch for an announcement about how to record your pledge via the Blogathon website. The pledge page should be available beginning July 1 -- at least, that's the plan.

Posted by: Eric at June 26, 2006 01:12 PM

Your site is great

Posted by: miguel at July 5, 2006 08:37 PM
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