"Murphy was an optimist!"
Dorm Room Flashback December 7, 2009 10:18 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily Life, Education, History, Of InterestThe in-laws must be cleaning out their garage. The children brought home a huge box of highlighters. So I started thinking, "What could one do with so many highlighters?" Then I remembered Clement Hall room 308 at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. That was my room. The walls were the color of an 80s computer that had been used too long. Dingy. Gray. Like a light but wet modeling clay. And the walls were cinder block.
A fun trick for the frequent traveler who stays in hotels a lot is to leave a message on the bathroom mirror using a light application of chap stick or other oil. Done correctly, the message remains invisible until a hot shower steams the mirror.
Highlighters on cinder block painted in that gray color work the same. Draw the highlighter art by turning off the normal lights and turning on black lights. The art in room 308 was quite intricate when my friends and I were done. When the black lights are turned off and the normal lights turned on, the highlighter disappears. Turn the black lights on and feel like you stepped into a Jimmy Hendrix black light poster.
2commentsIt snowed in Knoxville today December 5, 2009 4:53 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Of Interest
First Red Balloon Found! DARPA Balloon #6! December 4, 2009 5:34 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Contest, Of InterestOkay…first red herring found. How will we deal with similar misinformation tomorrow?
DARPA 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.
9commentsHelp @djuggler win the DARPA challenge. $ rewards for balloons and RTs; http://3.ly/10luftballoons #10luftballoons
Air America Cruise Round 1 ends December 4, 2009 12:27 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Contest, Of Interest, Politics, Touchy SubjectsIf 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.
2commentsAll I want for Christmas is 10 red balloons December 4, 2009 9:03 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Contest, Of InterestUpdate: 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 thesummerwinter sky.
Panic bells, it’s red alert.
There’s something here from somewhere else.
ThewarDARPA machine springs to life.
Opens uponemy eager eye.
Focusing it onthe skysocial media.
Where9910 red balloonsgoTwitter 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.
I 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
- DARPA Challenge Competitors Already Mobilizing Social Networks
- DARPA Network Challenge FAQ
- @DARPA_news
- US military offers $40,000 challenge to internet users
Take a 20 seconds today to vote for Aunt B December 1, 2009 11:51 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Contest, Of Interest
Air 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!
1 comment so farDecember 1, 2009 9:18 am
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The Magic is Gone November 29, 2009 9:46 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Amy, Daily Life, Evan, Family, Of Being Dad, Of InterestOne of the thrills of the single digits is raiding my desk. Often I come down to find my organized chaos in a disarray. To Amy and Evan my clutter is their treasure trove, as it should be, so I try to keep it child friendly. I fidget with my magic from time to time. My nickel to dimes trick currently lives on my desk in a ziplock bag so the money doesn’t accidentally get spent. I found the ziplock open. The nickles and dimes are accounted for but a critical piece of the trick has gone missing. Nevermind…I’m stupid. This reminds me of the time I purchased my first rainbow rod. I was in Disney World and the magician at the magic shoppe performed the trick so well that I understood exactly what to do. I purchased my own. I was so excited that back the hotel I pulled the wand from its container and tossed the instructions aside. I had enough prop magic to understand how these worked. I did exactly like the performer from the magic shoppe and my heart wrenched from my chest as I immediately broke the wand! The result of my actions had produce an outcome unlike anything the magician had done. It was totally unexpected and nothing I did seemed to fix it. That is, until I read the instructions and laughed myself to tears. So, the nickel and dime trick…it’s kinda like that.
add a commentBattleship November 14, 2009 10:29 am
Posted by utterz in : Daily Life, Podcasting
Today’s nonsequitir November 12, 2009 10:46 am
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Rockets November 7, 2009 11:24 am
Posted by utterz in : Daily Life, Podcasting
48 Hour Launch preparty November 5, 2009 10:07 pm
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November 5, 2009 7:16 pm
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Why people come to Reality Me November 3, 2009 11:12 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Of InterestLooking at my stats, I see about 30 people a day come to Reality Me looking for "naked women with chainsaws" or "naked women cutting down trees." Now, I’m by no means a prude. Shoot, I’ll admit to having my own unique..er, um…interests. Don’t we all? But this is 900 people a month searching for something very specific and I would expect rare. Is there a club or something?
Ah, I have now Googled "naked women with chainsaws" and "naked women cutting down trees" to find that Reality Me is the number one definitive site for this unique fetish. Used to be people came here looking for condoms.
5commentsOctober 28, 2009 7:16 pm
Posted by utterz in : Daily Life, Podcasting
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