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Accepted!

LadyRhianLadyRhian Member Posts: 14,694
I am now officially one of the Desert Bus 7 Crafters! Yay! I got my (virtual) badge in the mail last night.

image
sarevok57BelgarathMTHCrevsDaak

Comments

  • ajwzajwz Member Posts: 4,122
    What is Desert Bus 7?

    Also, the link in the first post is currently broken
    Teflon
  • LadyRhianLadyRhian Member Posts: 14,694
    About Desert Bus

    Started in 2007 by internet sketch comedy group LoadingReadyRun, Desert Bus for Hope combines video games and tedium to benefit charity.

    Desrt Bus is the world's longest running internet-based fundraiser and has raised more than $1.2 million for Child's Play over its six-year history. This makes it the most successful charity gaming marathon in the world.

    Growing from a "lightly planned" event broadcast from a living room to a professionally organized fundraiser, it takes more than 15 people to plan the event and another 10 dedicated volunteers to keep the whole thing running when it starts.

    Our viewers direct the action, talking with us via live chat, challenging us to sing, dance and generally make fools of ourselves in front of thousands of viewers. The Desert Bus Craft-Along allows people from all over the world to help us raise money by donating incredible handmade art and goods for auction.

    Desert Bus is a great example of what happens when a huge community of people from all over the world - organizers, volunteers, crafters and viewers - come together to achieve a common goal.

    Desert Bus the Game
    Desert Bus is actually a mini-game from the never-released Sega CD game Penn & Teller's Smoke and Mirrors. Challenging the player to drive a listing, unreliable, virtual bus on an endless, eight-hour-long strip of highway between Tucson, Arizona, and Las Vegas, Nevada, it is widely regarded to be the worst video game ever made.

    We play it for as long as donations come in. In order to keep things interesting for our viewers we have live and silent auctions, giveaways and contests, celebrity guests and a lot of silliness.

    Child's Play - What is Child's Play?
    Child's Play is a registered charity dedicated to improving the lives of children undergoing treatment in the hospital with toys and games. The charity supports a network of over 70 hospitals worldwide.

    Fundraising Totals
    In 2007 we were mystified that we could raise over $22,000 in a week. Every year since, we grow more and more dumbfounded by your generosity.

    2007: $22,805.00
    2008: $70,423.79
    2009: $140,449.68
    2010: $208,250.00
    2011: $383,125.10
    2012: $443,630.00
    2013: ???
    How donation/hours work
    We here at Desert Bus are really willing to suffer for the children. Rather than set an arbitrary cut-off point for our fundraiser, the length of the Desert Bus marathon is solely determined by the donations we receive, which means the more you donate, the longer we play.

    However, because it gets harder and harder to keep playing as the marathon goes on, the donations required to add another hour go up by 7% for every additional hour.

    This means first hour costs $1.00, but the second hour costs $1.07. By the time we reach the 10th hour of busing, it costs $1.84 and we've made $13.82 in total donations. Therefore the first few days of the event are quite cheap, but by the end of the week it costs several thousand dollars to keep the team going for another hour.

    The donation total in the sidebar updates every minute. For those of you who love information, you can track our progress with GladdyMedia's excellent graphs that plot our donations over time. In order to figure out how long we must play, we use a custom-built donation tracking system, but all your money is going directly to Child's Play.

    If you're interested in how much it would take us to keep going for 2 weeks, here's how the math breaks down:

    Total Money $10.26 = 8 Hours (0.33 Days)
    Total Money $102.07 = 31 Hours (1.29 Days)
    Total Money $1070.80 = 64 Hours (2.67 Days)
    Total Money $10 104.50 = 97 Hours (4.04 Days)
    Total Money $100 952.11 = 131 Hours (5.46 Days)
    Total Money $1 007 439.84 = 165 Hours (6.88 Days)
    Total Money $10 052 477.33 = 199 Hours (8.29 Days)
    Total Money $100 304 888.34 = 233 Hours (9.71 Days)
    Total Money $1 000 853 692.41 = 267 Hours (11.13 Days)
    Total Money $10 685 696 139.43 = 302 Hours (12.58 Days)
    Total Money $106 623 089 429.58 = 336 Hours (14 Days)
  • LadyRhianLadyRhian Member Posts: 14,694
    @Ajwz More from their FAQ page:

    What is Child's Play?
    Child's Play is a registered charity based in Seattle, WA, dedicated to improving the lives of children undergoing treatment in the hospital with toys and games. The charity supports a network of over 70 hospitals worldwide.This is also why you will frequently hear us use the phrase "for the children" when talking about Desert Bus; because Desert Bus supports Child's Play, which helps sick kids around the world.
    How does donating money work?
    All money donated through Desert Bus goes directly to Child's Play. We do not actually receive or handle any of the money, but we do use a custom built donation tracking system to log your donations, so we know when you've donated for auctions, if you've entered a donation drive and how much money we've made.
    How can I get involved with Desert Bus?
    Watch! Join the chat, submit to contests, donate, create challenges, and be a part of the Desert Bus community. But if that's not enough:
    Help us promote Desert Bus for Hope and reach new people. Consider putting the Desert Bus button, banner, and/or poster up on your blog, Facebook page, Twitter account, website or other personal online spot. You can also print out physical copies of the poster and put them up at school, at work, in your building, etc. (Just make sure you have permission to post them first.)
    Send us feedback. During and after Desert Bus we love to hear from you guys. Tell us what you loved, and tell us what you thought could have gone better. If you have stories to share of how Desert Bus has affected you or someone you know, it means a lot to us to hear those. Please always feel free to send us a message.
    Can I get a tax receipt for my donation?
    If you live or pay taxes in the US, you can claim your donations. Child's Play's tax ID number is EIN: 20-3584556. If you have questions about tax receipts, please ask your tax adviser.
    How can I help?
    There are lots of ways to help Desert Bus, but the best way to to spread awareness. You can help us by promoting Desert Bus on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, blogs and in person.
    Can I volunteer?
    If we are in need of more volunteers, we'll post on our website and/or twitter feed. Currently, all volunteer positions for DB7 are filled.
    I/my company would like to become a corporate sponsor for Desert Bus. How to proceed?
    We love hearing from people and companies interested in becoming Desert Bus sponsors. There are several ways to sponsor us, including donating items for our auctions and giveaways, and donating items or services for Desert Bus' administrative and operating needs. To get more information about becoming a corporate sponsor, please contact corporate@desertbus.org.
    Do you have a Facebook page? Are you on Twitter?
    We have both a Facebook Page and a Twitter account. We often give away prizes through social media.
    How did Desert Bus start? Where did it come from? What is the origin story?
    Well now, that would be telling. Which we'll totally do, if you just hop on over to our About DB page. There you can find a general explanation of Desert Bus and itzs strange beginnings and history.
    When does the next Desert Bus begin?
    Exact dates for Desert Bus are usually announced in the late spring or early summer. Desert Bus has traditionally always taken place around the middle of November, and usually overlaps in some way with American Thanksgiving.
    How long does Desert Bus go?
    The duration of Desert Bus depends on how much money is donated. Desert Bus follows a pattern of compounding interest, so each hour costs more than the last. For Desert Bus, each hour costs 7% more than the last, so the first hour costs just $1.00, the second hour costs $1.07, and so on and so forth. At a certain point each additional hour costs more than we can raise and we are forced to stop. Desert Bus generally ends somewhere in it's 6th day.
    How much money did Desert Bus [insert year here] raise?
    2007: $22,805.00
    2008: $70,423.79
    2009: $140,449.68
    2010: $208,250.00
    2011: $383,125.10
    2012: $443,630.00
    You can also check out stats and donation amounts on this wonderful series of graphs originally put together by Liam Gladdy : http://desertbus.org/graphs/
    Who are you guys?
    Learn about our team on the team page
    Technical Questions

    What are Donor Accounts?
    Donor accounts help us keep track of challenges you issue us and any donations you might make. They allow you to bid on live and silent auctions, track your bidding history, and allow us to notify you if you win an auction. They also allow you to win random donation challenge prizes. All you need to set one up is a valid email address, no other personal information is required. You can register for your Donor Account here.
    Why do I need a Donor Account?
    Donor accounts enable us to get in touch with you and see when you've made donations for auction items and keep track of your challenges. This makes it easier for us to ship your goods in a timely manner and get to your challenges faster.
    How do I log into my Donor Account?
    You log in with your email address and a password of your choice. If you've forgotten your password you can reset it by going here.
    How can I join the chat?
    You can join the chat from the web interface on the main page of the Desert Bus website. Desert Bus uses an IRC chat system so you can also use the chat client of your choice to participate. If you are logged in to your Donor account on our website, you will be automatically validated on the chat and your Chat nickname added to your Donor account.
    If you wish to join the Desert Bus chat while using an IRC client (such as HexChat for PC or Colloquy for Mac) open up your client and make irc.desertbus.org your chat server. To log in you will need to type /login [email] [password] (for example: /login test@test.org password1 ) and your nickname will be added to your account.
    Can I bid on a live auction without participating in the IRC chat?
    Unfortunately no. The IRC chat has proven time and time again to be the best and fairest way to allow people from all over the world to participate in our live auctions. Note you do not need to use the chat to bid on silent auctions, but you still need a Donor account.
    I'm in the chat, why can't I bid on an auction?
    Only people with registered Donor Accounts can bid on auctions. Donor accounts are free, and you can sign up for one here. You must also be logged in to the IRC using the command /login [email] [password]
    I'm in the chat AND I have a Donor account, why can't I bid on an auction?
    Are you logged in on IRC? Try typing the command /login [email] [password] (for example: /login test@test.org password1 ). If you are still having trouble, send a message to one of our moderators.
    What technology are you using to broadcast DesertBus?
    We are using 4 HD cameras, several microphones and a mixer all connected up to an Apple 24-core Mac Pro computer using Blackmagic Decklink capture cards. We use Camtwist Studio to do our camera switching and Flash Media Live Encoder to broadcast the stream to twitch.tv
    What resolution is the stream in this year?
    720p (1280 x 720 at 30 frames per second)
    What if my computer or internet connection can't handle playing back 720p?
    There are several lower resolution options available.
    Can I view the stream on my mobile phone?
    Yes, you can use the official twitch.tv app on for Android or iOS
    Can I watch the feed on twitch.tv?
    Yes, at http://www.twitch.tv/db_high/
    Craft-Along

    How can I join the Craft-Along?
    Details for next year's Craft-Along will be posted in spring of 2014. Watch this website for more information. In the meantime, you can read about the basic process for participating in the Craft-Along on our How to Join the Craft-Along page.
    When do submissions open for the next Craft-Along?
    Craft-Along submissions officially open in the spring preceeding the next Desert Bus for Hope. Usually sometime in April or May. Follow Desert Bus for Hope on Twitter and Facebook to get the latest updates and announcements.
    I don't understand something about the Craft-Along / Your Craft-Along page doesn't answer my question: who do I contact?
    Please email craftalong@desertbus.org. Our Craft-Along coordinator Tally Heilke will answer your question as soon as possible. Please note that just before, during, and just after the current Desert Bus for Hope marathon, Tally will not be answering general Craft-Along inquiries. She'll be too busy going out of her mind and, if she's really lucky, snatching a few hours of sleep.
    I have a friend who's a really good artist/crafter. Can I get them to submit stuff for the Craft-Along?
    Absolutely! Just pass along our contact information once submissions open, and tell them they should get in touch!
    I really want to submit to the Craft-Along, but I'm not sure my work is good enough.
    Look at your craft. Would you want to own it? Would you pay money for it? If yes, then chances are someone else would too. If it's something you feel is your best work and you can be proud of, then chances are it can be in the Craft-Along. We really do accept work from crafters of all different levels and abilities. Get in touch with your craft idea and some photos of previous works, and let us help evaluate whether or not it is Craft-Along material.
    I really want to do something for Desert Bus, but I'm just not artistic or crafty at all!
    That's ok! The Craft-Along is a great way for some people to contribute, but it's not for everyone. See the general Desert Bus FAQ for other ways that you can get involved and contribute to Desert Bus for Hope.
    elminsterBelgarathMTH
  • ajwzajwz Member Posts: 4,122
    Congratulations
    Seems like a very worthy cause.
  • FredjoFredjo Member Posts: 477
    I really like the colours of those bracelets :) I think you should also receive a forum batch for NOT ONLY the longest post ever, BUT ALSO for the largest number of longest posts ever NOT ONLY in one thread BUT ALSO in multiple discussions :P
  • scriverscriver Member Posts: 2,072
    Very nice design. I know only little of the colours and guild, but I do think you've managed to capture each philosophy in their own way. I can see why you got accepted ;)
  • LadyRhianLadyRhian Member Posts: 14,694
    @ajwz Thank you.

    @fredjo www.desertbus.org if you want to put in a bid on them. And thanks as well.

    @scriver Thanks!
  • LadyRhianLadyRhian Member Posts: 14,694
    I have some very bad news. Tally Heilke e-mailed me tonight with it. I sent my jewelry in early, and it got mislabeled, and put in with miscellaneous props in the moon base. Well, a week or two ago, someone did a massive purge of the props, and somehow, my stuff got sent off to the thrift store. :(. As you might expect, I am rather upset, and just binged on some ice cream (not a smart thing to do if you're diabetic like I am). But I'm just... feeling really depressed right now. I asked if anyone could check the thrift store to see if they were still there, but I don't hold out much hope.
  • BelgarathMTHBelgarathMTH Member Posts: 5,653
    I'm so sorry. I can't believe they were that careless with physical donations. You worked so hard on the project. If they're running a non-profit that is now bringing in $500,000 a year, they need a better administrator. If they're as careless with cash donations as they seem to be with physical donations, they're going to get sued or get in trouble with the IRS.
  • DrugarDrugar Member Posts: 1,566
    That fuckin' sucks, hope they can find them again!
  • Magnus_GrelichMagnus_Grelich Member Posts: 361
    They had better compensate you, it's the least they can do!
  • LadyRhianLadyRhian Member Posts: 14,694
    @Drugar @Magnus_Grelich Okay. Tally, the lady in charge, went to the thrift store to check and see if they were there. The lady in charge (behind the counter) said she didn't remember the bracelets- but that she is going to check and see if they were in the back, just in case (because I took pictures of all of them, they have pictures to check against, which is a major plus). Tally will go back Wednesday to check with the thrift store. Tally is also going to check the office again, just in case, to see if they got shoved into a corner and overlooked somehow, as it is a small office and has tons of stuff in it. And of course, having self-esteem issues anyway, my whole mental line of thinking was that the person purging the props went, "Ugh! Those are hideous. There is no way we're going to use that ugly shite in a sketch!" when purging them.

    But Tally has said that this has never happened before, and I believe her. I want to believe that they got overlooked some way and somehow, and are still in the office. Even so, it's been like a literal gut-punch that came out of nowhere and just took my breath away.
  • Magnus_GrelichMagnus_Grelich Member Posts: 361
    I understand completely. As an artist myself, I would be less than pleased that something I worked hard on was lost or given to someone who wouldn't know its true worth.
  • LadyRhianLadyRhian Member Posts: 14,694
    So… They haven't found the bracelets yet. Only one of the ones I sent to Kathleen DeVere. You can see it in the latest episode of Checkpoint: http://www.penny-arcade.com/patv/episode/a-torrent-of-theft
  • LadyRhianLadyRhian Member Posts: 14,694
    Been working… on replacements!

    Since the bracelets seem to be lost… I've been cranking out replacements. Made 10 things in 2 days… Oy.

    Colors of Magic:
    Red image
    Blue image (I actually like this one better…)
    Black image
    Green image
    White image

    I am still working on the Guild Bracelets- I made four out of the nine Guilds. Orzhov was the hardest to get right- I had to remake it three times!
    Orzhov image
    Gruul image
    Azorius image
    Selesnya image

    I also made an entirely new necklace, the Rosco P. Jangles the Fourth Memorial Necklace 2. Rosco is a stuffed toy Mallard Duck owned by Jeremy Petter (Jer), who was named by contest on a previous Desert Bus. He was also given a backstory by contest on a different Desert Bus. Rosco is the result of a Wizard mating with a star and has awesome cosmic powers- and a little tiny voice.

    image
    And a closeup on the beads:
    image
    Magnus_GrelichCrevsDaak
  • LadyRhianLadyRhian Member Posts: 14,694
    edited November 2013
    And here are the last of the Magic Guild Bracelets.

    Simic (Blue/Green)
    image (Incidentally, the fur at the top right is that of my cat, Cleopatra, Queen of Denial)

    Boros (Red/White)
    image

    Izzet (Red/Blue)
    image

    Rakdos (Red/Black)
    image

    Golgari (Green/Black)
    image
    Post edited by LadyRhian on
  • CrevsDaakCrevsDaak Member Posts: 7,155
    You should make one with dices, and a d20 in the middle. :P I'm just kidding, but it will look good.
  • BelgarathMTHBelgarathMTH Member Posts: 5,653
    @LadyRhian, beautiful! Even prettier than the first batch!

    You are such a generous person to forgive them and to redo your creations, and to still support them after what happened. I don't think I could be so forgiving.
  • LadyRhianLadyRhian Member Posts: 14,694
    @CrevsDaak I have some beads in the shape of six-sided dice with spots, but no D20's. And I refuse to drill holes in a perfectly good die to make a necklace. :)

    @belgarathmth As they say, "It's for the children!" Having been in the hospital myself recently, I know how deadly dull it can be. If I can make a sick kid's life a little better, why shouldn't I?
    CrevsDaakBelgarathMTH
  • CrevsDaakCrevsDaak Member Posts: 7,155
    @LadyRhian two things where I completely agree!
    My mother told me that when she was young, made bracelets, and sold them for 50$ each one, to pay her books for the university, and in those times, fifty bucks were a lot.
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