Posted on 1 Comment

I’m on Scottevest’s website!

Doug wearing SeVI won a Scottevest! What’s a Scottevest? Watch this video and I’ll explain. As a bonus, I’m currently on Scottevest’s website at http://www.scottevest.com/. Hint: Click the third square on the big picture just under the navigation.

You can win a Scottevest too!
Right now (ends August 8th) Scottevest is having its Summer Fun Contest (Click this link to enter!) and giving away some really cool attire including an Outback Jacket or Women’s Trench, a Travel Vest for Men or Travel Vest for Women, and a Microfleece Pullover or Women’s Q-Zip.

Click this link to enter!

Update: Bonus! I’m also one of Scottevest’s featured tweets. I owe a big thank you to Documentally for turning me onto this great company.

Posted on 9 Comments

First Red Balloon Found! DARPA Balloon #6!

Okay…first red herring found. How will we deal with similar misinformation tomorrow?

balloon1DARPA has issued a challenge so that it can study study how to solve large scale problems with social networks. All day today people have clamored to create teams in preparation for tomorrow’s red balloon hunt. Tomorrow from 10am eastern time to 4pm local time 10 red weather balloons will be anchored near roads throughout the United States. The person who finds all ten balloons and reports their GPS coordinates will receive $40,000.

Rather than forming a team, I am offering $1000 to the first person who reports the correct coordinates of any of the 10 balloons to me if I am able to win the prize. Read the details here.

Where is red balloon #6?

Okay, the contest doesn’t start until 10am tomorrow. But you can see red balloon #6 here and see the rest in DARPA’s gallery. This post begs an interesting question. How will we distinguish the red herrings? The false information? Each entrant only gets 25 guesses. How many ghost will we chase between now and December 14th?

Get at least $10 from this

I will pay $10 a retweet to each of the first 100 people who retweet the following message on Twitter if I win the challenge. No money rewards will be paid if I am not the first to report all 10 red balloons. Be sure to follow @djuggler.

Help @djuggler win the DARPA challenge. $ rewards for balloons and RTs; http://3.ly/10luftballoons #10luftballoons

Posted on 2 Comments

Air America Cruise Round 1 ends

If today’s live poll on Air America blog is any indication about the results of the first round of the cruise contest, Digsby jumped from position 20 into the top 5. Joe Jervis moved from position 11 into the top 5. And no one was successful in knocking Mike Lux, Karl Frisch, or Pam Spaulding out of the top 5. I hope I’m misinterpreting this and that Aunt B of Tiny Cat Pants actually made it into the top 5.

Update: Yes, here is the round two page.

Posted on 3 Comments

All I want for Christmas is 10 red balloons

Update: Winner declared! As expected, the MIT team won.

If I win, I will share $1000 with each person who was first to correctly identify the location of a balloon.

I will pay $10 a retweet to each of the first 100 people who retweet the following message on Twitter if I win the challenge. No money rewards will be paid if I am not the first to report all 10 red balloons. Be sure to follow @djuggler.

Help @djuggler win the DARPA challenge. $ rewards for balloons and RTs; http://3.ly/10luftballoons #10luftballoons

I’ve always been fascinated with the DARPA challenges. I through for sure I could be a contender on the first DARPA automated car challenge but I could not figure out how to devote all my time to development and still feed my family. I guess that’s part of the challenge. There are many other challenges out there like the X-Prize. These are usually gone after by universities and corporations (I think). Now DARPA has one that is right up my alley. Tomorrow, December 5th, 10 red balloons will be launched in the United States. The places are specific. The person who finds all 10 is rewarded with $40,000. DARPA is studying how to solve large scale problems with social networks.

9910 red balloons.
floating in the summerwinter sky.
Panic bells, it’s red alert.
There’s something here from somewhere else.
The warDARPA machine springs to life.
Opens up onemy eager eye.
Focusing it on the skysocial media.
Where 9910 red balloons goTwitter by.
[Source, eighty-eightynine, Lyrics: Nena – 99 Luftballoons (99 Red Balloons); modified by Doug McCaughan]
See the interview with 99 Luftballoons English version author Kevin McAlea.

DARPA Red Balloon ChallengeI believe the large networks of the Internet social media celebrities will get the balloons. However, I’m going to have a shot. I’m registered and soliciting your help If you see a large red balloon with a number on it, please twitter a DM to @djuggler, email juggler@gmail.com, Skype djuggler or call me (865)686-8693 with its location and if possible its GPS coordinates. If I win, I will share $1000 with each person who was first to correctly identify the location of a balloon. A correct location is GPS coordinates with an error of less than 1.0 mile. That means if you are first to correctly tell me where balloon #3 is and I find the other #9 balloons and win, you get $1000 after I receive the prize money. DARPA has pictures of the balloons here.

Related

Posted on 1 Comment

Take a 20 seconds today to vote for Aunt B

Vote for Aunt BAir America is sending one of America’s progressive bloggers on a cruise to meet the Air America hosts. Our very own Tennessee blogger Aunt B (Betsy Phillips) of Tiny Cat Pants is in the running! She is currently tied in position 13 with Jamie Sanderson, The Politics of Jamie Sanderson; Markos Moulitsas, Daily Kos; Matthew Filipowicz, Huffington Post, Headzup; John Amato, Crooks and Liars; and Jane Hamsher, FireDogLake. She needs to be in one of the top 5 positions in the next 3 days! To vote, simply go to the nomination form page and nominate Aunt B or Betsy “Aunt B” Phillips of http://tinycatpants.wordpress.com. We can get her on that cruise. Please vote for Aunt B and spread the word.

Thank you!

Posted on Leave a comment

I made her stammer

Apparently I’ve been entered into a contest to win $100,000. I simply had to answer some demographic questions. The first hiccup in the call was a refusal to answer a question about monthly income but we got beyond that. However, when the operator happily told me that she’d be sending me some free magazines, I interrupted with "I’m an environmentalist and don’t want them. I read everything online" she stammered. Apparently the script wasn’t ready for that answer. Her next statement of "well, can’t argue with not killing trees" had enough fake tone to let me see over the phoneline her twirling her finger beside her ear. Her supervisor will be calling back to give me some free gas. Sure.

Posted on 2 Comments

Zappos has me hooked

The shoe and apparel company Zappos is making the best marketing use of Twitter I have seen to date. (The American Red Cross still has the best utility usage of Twitter.) The Zappos CEO, Tony, is inspiring awareness of Zappos.com through contests and give-a-aways introduced through Twitter!

Twitter @zappos link 2 ur favorite shoes & ur favorite Zappos core value (hint: @missrogue has blog) by 7 PM Pacific. Will pick 1 winner! [Source, Twitter, @zappos]

They also happen to be avid bloggers! Zappos has given away shoes to random Twitter followers, each month they give away a pair of shoes to people signing up from Zappos.com, and even flew a random Twitter follower to Vegas for lunch with Tony the Zappos CEO. Oops. I was typing up this post and browsing shoes and got my entry into this contest either right on the wire or a few minutes late but I know Tony will have more contests! Right Tony? I chose the Michael Toschi Lorenzo SKU #7415650 and the company core value "4. Be Adventurous, Creative, and Open-Minded." I have a wide foot. The picture doesn’t look like it would fit comfortably. Fortunately Zappos has free shipping both directions and 100% satisfaction guaranteed with a full refund within 365 days of purchase!

Be sure to follow Zappos on Twitter @zappos. Search Twitter for "Zappos" and you can discover the COO and other Zappos staffers! You can follow me @djuggler. Watch Miss Rogue’s Interview: Zappos.com’s Tony Hsieh and Rachael Brown to learn more about this great company. Btw, the Zappos ten core values are:

  1. Deliver WOW Through Service
  2. Embrace and Drive Change
  3. Create Fun and A Little Weirdness
  4. Be Adventurous, Creative, and Open-Minded
  5. Pursue Growth and Learning
  6. Build Open and Honest Relationships With Communication
  7. Build a Positive Team and Family Spirit
  8. Do More With Less
  9. Be Passionate and Determined
  10. Be Humble

Honestly, I’m sold. My next pair of shoes is coming from Zappos! Fortunately for Zappos, this seven family household needs roughly 14 pairs of shoes in the very short term.

Update: Sarah Lacy does not like Zappos but many of her commenters disagree.

Posted on 1 Comment

Its all about contests now!

So, what happens when a blogger wins a prize? He becomes addicted and let’s his posts become links to other people’s Personal Blogs in hopes he can win a iPod Video Nano. Browie was inspired by Darren Rowse’s Problogger giveaway. Apparently he won a cash prize and much like contestblogger, he is passing the good fortune onto us. This is not a paid post but does gain me an additional 2 entries into his contest. Cathy sure could use an iPod!

Posted on 4 Comments

Help Send Cathy and I to BlogWorld – We’ll call it a honeymoon

Southwest Airlines will be sending two people to Las Vegas on November 8th and 9th to attend Blogworld!

Southwest Airlines is proud to be the Official Airline of the BlogWorld Expo, which is being held at the Las Vegas Convention Center on November 8 and 9. This is a huge event promoting blogging and new media…we are offering a package to attend BlogWorld for one creative Nuts
About Southwest reader. This package includes air travel for two on Southwest Airlines to Las Vegas from your closest Southwest city; the good folks at BlogWorld are providing free registration for the Expo; and our friends at the MGM Grand are providing a room for three nights (November 7 through November 9). [Source, Southwest Airlines Blog, Nuts About Southwest]

Cathy has entered the contest and needs your help. Please visit her caption and give her a vote up! You can also vote for my caption. And if you participate in the contest, it helps to mention either "cathymccaughan" or "djuggler" as your referrer. Thanks!

Posted on 1 Comment

Contests without strings

I must say, I go through phases of loving contests. Blogging seems to present opportunity for contests that do not come with strings attached or hordes of junk mail. Contest Blogger has announced that Romance Tracker is having a Love Contest and that you can be placed in a drawing to win $100 simply by linking to their home page with the anchor text "love" (as I just did). Be sure to follow up with an email to let them know you created the link. You can also simply subscribe to their rss feed and email them. Good luck!

Posted on 1 Comment

Cathy Won a Vacation!

Cathy won! She won "3 nights in Sedona, AZ – Retreat and Heal" prize from Darren Rowse’s Problogger Birthday Bash. Oh oh! I wonder who she’ll take. Pick me! Pick me! It’s the Grand Canyon! After 6 years of marriage we can finally do something that resembles a honeymoon! Anyone want to babysit for a week?