A Couple-Three Contests

ANNOUNCING A BLOG CONTEST FOR A WORTHY CAUSE:

This is excerpted from an email from Kate. I told her I would tell my readers about it.

Recently my father was diagnosed with esophogeal cancer. He has received chemo, radiation and surgery as treatment. It's been a horrible struggle for my dad and my family, but overall we have been blessed with the ability to provide wonderful care for my dad. With any luck, in Feb or March of 2007, he will considered cancer-free. I wanted to do something to commemorate his struggle and I asked him his thoughts. He said "Childrens' hospital... they save so many kids." and they do.It is one of the leading hospitals for children in the world.  When my knitting guild announced its annual charitable drive, I spoke up and got to work!  After many conversations with Child Life Specialists, it was determined the highest need is : fun fur hats. Yup. Ages 10-16, these kids want fun fur. And they want a lot of it. Imagine, kids running around, wearing goofy fun fur hats and even goofier smiles... wouldn't that just make you smile? It makes them smile. And smiling leads to laughter and laughter leads to healing: physical and emotional healing.

So what do you say?  Fun fur hats, anyone?  Sign me up for a couple, Kate.

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AND ANOTHER CONTEST

Yesterday in the comments, Sarah suggested that after the Red Scarf Project is over, I should start the Red Marker Project.  CRACKED.ME.UP.  So we're gonna do it.  It's all her idea, but I told her I would help get the ball rolling. 

It's all in jest, you realize, right?  [And] we don't take ANY of this [really] seriously; we're just having fun.  People have written, "Oh, dear, I'm going to be all self-conscious about my writing now.  Nobody's going to dare to write," blah blah blah blah blah blah

Puh-LEEZE.  I employ stupidity (and bad grammar) in my writing all the time.  I make mistakes.  Sometimes I make mistakes purposely for effect, sometimes I later read what I have written and I cringe. But I have fun with it and I like to read others who are having fun with it. This IS a casual medium, after all.

When I talk about my pet peeves, they are nothing more than that.  I do not judge people's stuff harshly.  It's like nails against the chalkboard to me sometimes, but so what?  I love that we are having a funfest with it right now and I'm jousting with people I consider brilliant and funny.  We are having fun, we are competing on an even playing field, and we're not ready to come in from recess yet, until someone falls off the monkey bars and gets hurt. 

There are some things that people do with their writing that are so sloppy and lazy -- and arrogant, even -- that it seems to me the equivalent of throwing one's clothes (and old pizza boxes and banana peels and moldy coffee cups) all over the floor. Some of you, I imagine, who don't think it's worth your effort to know the difference between its and it's would positively fuh-reak out if you saw a pair of dirty undershorts on the floor or the coffee cups not lined up in the right direction in the cupboard. Me?  I'd hardly notice that.

I live in a glass house, and each person's pet peeves are different.  So please take this for what it is:  Me bullshitting you and having some fun with some friends.

Now, let's get down to business, shall we?  It's a button-designing contest.  It should say, "The Red Marker Project" on it, and maybe some other creative language.  We'll figure out the prize(s) later.  Sarah and I will give you 'til the end of January to submit your design and we'll judge together, or maybe we'll open it up for a vote.  We're easy (and disorganized and indecisive) like that. 

Submit your designs, with the subject line "Red Marker Project" to my email address (click the "email me" link in my sidebar).

There's another contest going on over at Rabbitch's place that will help you get warmed up for the Red Marker Project.  Go check it out. The JenLa girls are up to something, too. They're all trying to explode my head by the end of the month.  So far it's been child's play.  Pffft. They will have to try a lot harder than that.

 

Comments

[Fruity Sheep]

Fun Fur, you say? Finally a use for that free ball of Disco floating around in my stash.

[Debi]

I have no clue how to make a button but I am very secure in my grammatical prowess so I say Bring it! :)

Frankly, the net needs the Red Marker Project badly any you my Norma are just the woman to champion this worthy cause!

[Kristen]

When I was working as an editor my friend Dave joked that I needed to have a Red Pens Across Russia project to save all of the truly horrific English translations at museums. (My personal favorite was a maritime painting labeled "The See"--and, no, that is not what the original title is!) So, I'm all excited about the red marker project!

[Carole]

A button, eh? I think I could do something like that. Its easy.

[Marianne]

Damnation, I needs to go figger out how to make me some buttons. Fun Fur...who'd a thought? Well, kids, of course. I'm lovin' these contests, just what was needed to beat some blues.
I see Carole knows how to make buttons,hmmmmm, easy, eh?

[margene]

I knew you'd be asking Typepad for a way to correct other blogs. Just new;-)

[Kirsten]

Contest? I don't need no stinkin' contest. I'll make you're brain explode right here (or, as my ever-so-southern son says, "raht heah") in the comments. But I need some expresso first.

[Cyndy]

I will send my red scarf off today. Fun Fur, I'm allergic! Just for you, I'll make some hats.

[claudia]

But I reelly wont to sea ur hed xplod.

;-)

[Lucia]

This is just about the only thing that would make me ever pick up Fun Fur again. And I'm definitely in on the Red Marker Project. Is it still considered wrong to start a sentence with a conjunction?

[Dorothy B]

Fun Fur?! Crap, I hate knitting that stuff. Now I just gotta go git me some and have at 'er.

[Carrie]

Good God, y'all! You mean I am actually going to have to BUY fun fur at the request of an ill gentleman who has such grace that he can think of outfitting all the sick teenyboppers in things that make their parents cringe? You tell Kate I am SO. IN. The fur will be a-flyin'. And tell her her dad rocks, too.

[Kathy]

I'll do a Fun Fur hat -- I have several skeins (balls? lumps?) in my stash and would love to put it to good use. As for the Red Market Project, I definately think its a good idea. (Hee hee hee -- this is too fun -- )

[Alison]

I hate Instant Messaging for all the horrible grammar. It's one thing if you are writing and make mistakes without realizing it, but to purposely shorten everything and substitute numbers and letters for words! The horror!

I'll have to consider the fun fur thing. I'm one of those who can't stand the stuff.

[Isela]

Fun Fur, I have a couple of skeins that are sitting pretty on my stash. You've got the hats lovely my dear, finally a use for the stuff.

[Carol]

Well, I hate to admit it, but I do have fun Fur and right now I'm glad I do. I think I can manage a button. Time to learn a new trick!

[jenifleur]

UP to something? Whatever do you meen.

[Marcia]

My floors are strewn with clothing, pizza boxes and red fucking markers. What's your point?

[Marcia]

P.S. The red fucking markers are indeed quite handy and otherwise none of your business.

[La]

Normaaaaaa.....com out and plaaaaaaaaaay!

[Dave Daniels]

But, wait! NOTHING from Scout? OMG, is the world going ot tip off it's axis???

[Sue]

I have a few balls of fun fur that I thought I would never have a use for. Excellent! (I love that your friends love you so much they want your head to explode. Classic!)

[AnnP]

Fun fur sounds like just the diversion I need right now and the stores are practically giving it away. My red scarf went out today so I have some empty needles.

You know where sloppy and lazy writing bugs me even more than on blogs? eBay listings! no caps no punctuation incomplete sentences but hey send mee yer mony anyweigh

[Anne]

You know I was actually dreaming about this grammar/spelling stuff last night?

Read Markher Prodgekt, huh? Sowndz phunn.

[--Deb]

Hmmm.... I'm going to have to give this one a try!

[Gladys]

Heh heh. Just came across the cliche finder website and thought of this post!
http://cliche.theinfo.org/