Blogathon 2006: The Countdown
Category: Blogathon...
Posted Monday, July 24, 2006 at 01:53 PM [GMT-6]

Blogathon 2006 is next Saturday, the 29th, and I'm having trouble deciding if the proper way to train for the event is to take multiple naps or to stay up later and later. Both strategies seem to have their drawbacks.

Contests and Prizes

I'm starting to work on some of the contests, and I can tell you already that the "grand prize" contest will be similar to the one we used last year, where the winner will be the person who checks in with the Gazette the most frequently and correctly identifies a series of images I'll be posting. Last year I got all fancy and used a script to serve up a different style sheet and header graphic each hour, and it worked OK but it was a lot of trouble. This year, I'm all about avoiding work, so I'll be doing it the old-fashioned way: manual uploads. Stay tuned for more info about the rules of engagement.

For prizes, I've got the usual lame Fire Ant merchandise: 5 large mugs, 11 ceramic tiles -- one with the fancy-schmancy wood border guaranteed to coordinate with your double-wide's decor -- and four bags of Fire Ant Eggs. I'll also be handing out some miniscule iTunes gift certificates so you can download the "Fishhead Song" for your friends.

Pledges still welcomed...

If you'll look at top of the right sidebar (assuming you're on the home page) you'll see a fairly healthy total for pledges-to-date. I'm quite thankful to those who have made pledges, but here's the deal: we're still under last year's total. Inconceivable! (No, I don't think that means what I think it means.) The good news is that when we combine that total with what Jimmy Patterson's garnered over at Sticky Doorknobs, we're around $2,600, and that's outstanding.

What's even better is that it's not too late to make a pledge on behalf of Midland Fair Havens. Click here to make a pledge via Sticky Doorknobs, or here to make one via the Gazette. It doesn't matter which you click; the money goes to the same fine cause.

Keep in mind that many of the fine prizes described above will be limited to the population of those making pledges. And, regrettably, Fire Ant prizes will go only to Gazette pledgers...that's the only thing I can't share with Jimmy. I expect he'll have his own incentives, however, and he's got the full weight of the Main Stream Media behind him, so he'll probably be giving away stuff like your own 757 or his and her dirigibles or something.

The Cause

You can visit Midland Fair Havens's website for more details, but the primary goal of this ministry is to provide transitional housing, life skills training, and emotional support for single women and their children as they seek to break away from a past that has kept them from thriving in the things that most of us take for granted.

Again...many thanks!

I can't say it enough...I appreciate so much those who have already made pledges or otherwise provided support and encouragement for this event. I hope you'll be able to check in on the Gazette beginning at 8:00 a.m. (Central Time) next Saturday, and if you're in Midland, Jimmy and I will be blogging from HEB (in the café area) between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Stop by and say hi (but check the Gazette first, because you might find a clue that will help you win a Fabulous Prize!).

Technorati tag: Blogathon