Originally Posted By Inspector 57 ThaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAT'S RIGHT, LP'ers!!! It's time for LPWB'07!!! And THIS year's Bash is BIGGER than EVER -- One-Point-Two BEEEEEEEEELION *DOLLARS* Bigger!!! THIS Year we've lined up for YOUR Bashing pleasure: -- An exclusive LP UNDERWATER ATTRACTION!!! Sail past warm and humorous recreations of favorite LP moments in your own cozy BASH-MARINE Sub! -- A BRAND-NEW, Designer-designed Basher's Only Lounge, complete with Concierge, Unlimited Beverage Service, and Complimentary Massage! -- A Bashers-Exclusive EDIT FUNCTION FOR LP! That's RIGHT! NEVER AGAIN be subjected to having to live with your typo's! NEVER AGAIN worry about making a post that reveals which Pal you've drawn! TAKE BACK *any* regrettible things you've posted!!! AND... WE'RE GRANTING A MILLION *MORE* DREAMS THIS YEAR!!! *YOU* COULD WIN: -- UNLIMITED LP "FastPass"!!! NEVER AGAIN be stuck in line behind PixieGlitter and have to wait to post to the LP Confessional!!! JUMP TO THE FRONT of any World Events thread you choose -- and get YOUR mud flung FIRST!!! -- An EXCLUSIVE Commemerative "LPWB'07" *FUR* *COAT* from Dicker & Dicker of Beverly Hills!!! -- One *VERY* SPECIAL EVENING in the PRINCESS SUITE at AJandHollysMommy's HOUSE!!! YES!!! ALL THIS AND MORE -- [AJandHollysMommy opens the door to Bash Headquarters, kicks an empty bottle of Jolt Cola out of her way, and proceeds to where Inspector 57 is typing.] AJandHollysMommy: INSPECTOR! What the HECK are you telling them?! You KNOW none of that is true! Inspector 57: Sandra! OMG! You SCARED me! AJHM: You think THIS is scary! What about dealing with LP'ers who are expecting fur coats?! WHY are you promising that stuff?! We DON'T have a Water Ride! We DON'T have a lounge! And you KNOW as well as I do that it will be a cold day in you-know-where before LP gets an "edit" feature! I-57: Ummmmm... But you really DO have that "Princess" Suite in your new house, don't you?! AJHM: Well, yeah. There is that. But I'm afraid it's going to be full of boxes for the next few months. I-57: Oh. AJHM: C'mon, Mark. What's up with this? I-57: Well... People expect a big Intro to the Bash. I was just trying to top last year's Intro. But how do you top Cathy Nurmi appearing on a stage in front of Cinderella's Castle?! AJHM: Inspector, Inspector, InSPECtor! Relax! People aren't attracted to the Bash because of your clever intros. No. LP'ers join the Bash because it's a genuinely fun way to interact with other LP'ers! No offense, but the Bash doesn't NEED a big build-up. The Bash is about little delights, about getting to know people, about being a part of the Community. THAT's why people join. They don't need promises of submarine rides or VIP lounges! I-57: Oh. Yeah. Duh. You're right. Sorry. AJHM: Let's just get the Intro thread out there. I-57: But maybe we could still get some of those boxes out of your... AJHM: LOL! Forget it! Look around! It'll be all we can do to get THIS place cleaned up in time to run this Bash! I-57: Yeah, okay. Hey, I'll flip you for cleaning out the Inbox! AJHM: LOL! I'll get the Inbox. You just get the Intro thread up! I-57: Okay. AJHM: And then clean off those bulletin boards. I-57: Okay. AJHM: And then go to my house and make dinner for Dave and the kids. I-57: HUH?! AJHM: Just seeing if you were listening! Did I tell you I'm really looking forward to working on this year's Bash? I-57: LOL! Me, too! LET THE GAMES BEGIN!
Originally Posted By Inspector 57 WHAT’S THE “WINTER BASH�!?! It’s LP’ers' own celebration of the season and of each other! It’s a weeks-long party! And YOU're invited! It’s our version of the traditional “Secret Pal†gift exchange. It's simple. You sign up; you’re assigned a Bash Pal; you spend a few weeks delighting that person with cards, messages, and little treats; you send a “big†gift for the unveiling at the end. And in the meantime, your Secret Pal does the same for you!
Originally Posted By Inspector 57 SOUNDS GREAT! SIGN ME UP! Hey, slow down, Partner. Don’t get caught up in the hype and excitement and do something impulsive! You've got a few days to think this over. Everyone is welcome to sign up – and we’d love for lots of LP’ers to join in the fun! The Bash promotes a sense of community on LP and allows us to get to know each other. It’s a GOOD thing! But it might not be right for everyone. Think about it. And please DO NOT SIGN UP if: -- YOU'LL BE UNAVAILABLE such that you won’t be able to pay consistent attention to your Bash Pal over the course of several weeks. You won’t have to spend money, but you WILL need to spend time. Your Pal will expect (and deserve) to hear from you, whether by snail mail, email, or LP posts throughout November and December. If you’re going to be away and incommunicado for more than a week or so -- or if you’re so busy that you won’t be able to keep up with the Bash -- please don’t sign up. -- YOU DON'T READ YOUR EMAIL and/or YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO READ THE BASH THREADS on LP regularly. There WILL be “assignments†(Wish Lists, Surveys, messages) that you’ll need to participate in. You'll also need to see the messages that others have left for you. Connectivity and availability are absolute requisites for the Bash. The Bash IS totally manageable -- but it DOES require some effort. -- YOU'RE NOT WILLING TO ABIDE BY THE BASH GUIDELINES. For example, you need to refrain from starting your own Bash-related threads. (There really aren't too many "rules," but the ones we have are important.) This post is NOT intended to scare anyone! However, there have been a few unfortunate cases in which Bashers were disappointed because their Pals did NOT follow through on their agreements. I want to err on the side of avoiding having that happen to anyone this year. I'd rather be inclusive than exclusive. But I want to protect those who sign up. The good news is that the Bash is not hard to do. If you think you’ll be good at this, you will be! If you’re thinking, “What the heck?! I’ll sign up for this now and pay attention to the whole thing later,†well... think again. If you’re thinking, “Can I do a good job at this?†ask around. Or email us.
Originally Posted By Inspector 57 WHAT A GREAT IDEA!!! BUT... -- I DON’T CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS. NOT an issue! The Bash coincides with holidays that occur this time of year, but it’s not a celebration of Christmas, Kwaanza, Chanukah, AJandHollysMommy's birthday, or any other event. Sure, many LP’ers celebrate Christmas. And if your Bash Pal does, you can incorporate that theme into your secret campaign. But it’s not an official part of the Bash. People of all beliefs are absolutely welcome to participate. -- I’M NEW TO LP. If you've posted on LP before today, you can participate. The Bash is not an “in-group†activity. NO! Part of the wonderfulness of the Bash is that it allows us to get to know each other better. It’s a community-building experience. It’s a great way to join in the fun of LP. -- MONEY'S TOO TIGHT TO MENTION. That’s NOT a reason to avoid participation! There is a suggested/average/perhaps amount of about $15 for the final “reveal†gift. But there are lots of ways to use energy and creativity to create a gift that’s worth $15 or more. During the lead-up to the reveal, it’s expected that you’ll shower your Pal with stuff. But that “stuff†can consist of e-cards, hand-made snail-mail cards, tiny little gifts, etc. The important thing is that you pay attention to your Pal, not that you spend money. Realistically, it WILL cost a FEW bucks. (For stamps, if nothing else.) And you will see that some Bashers are a bit lavish. But, honestly, participation does not require much money at all.
Originally Posted By Inspector 57 OKAY, I CAN DO THAT! SO ARE YOU GOING TO POST ALL THE DETAILS AND GUIDELINES HERE? Nope. We're posting this Announcement thread so that those who are sure they want to participate can sign up now, and others can begin considering it. The Guidelines will go up in the next week. They’ll cover: – how to post messages to your Bash Pal and your Secret Pal – how to forward e-cards anonymously – how the magical Winter Bash card- and package-forwarding service works – how to handle the final Reveal mailing/posting – how the Bash Facilitators can help you with questions, special circumstances, and problems. You’ll have time to read the Guidelines before you decide whether you want to participate. But those are basically just details. There won’t be any surprises. All you really need to know in deciding whether to participate or not is covered on this thread. And if you have questions, you can just post questions to this thread. Experienced Bashers and the Facilitators will be happy to answer!
Originally Posted By Inspector 57 AND IF I *DON’T* WANT TO PLAY? That's absolutely cool! Your decision TOTALLY won’t affect your status as one of Doobie’s Ducklings! Some LP’ers LUUUUV The Bash. For others, it’s just not their stilo. Either way, (non)participation won’t affect your place in LP at all!
Originally Posted By Inspector 57 SO HOW DO I SIGN UP? Easy! Just email! Give us some basic information and answer some questions: Send your email to: LPSecretPals@hotmail.com And in that email, just PLEASE be careful to give us: – Your screenname – Your full real name – Your mailing address (home, work, or other) – Your phone number (Optional. This could help us resolve things more quickly if questions arise. But it’s optional.) And PLEASE tell us: – Do you celebrate Christmas? Do you celebrate anything else this time of year? – Would it be okay with you to draw an international Pal? (Giving to an international Pal is tons of fun, but it does require that you be organized enough to get things mailed off plenty early. If mailing expense would be an issue, we'll help with that.) – Would it be okay with you to draw a Bash Facilitator as a Pal? (If you draw a Facilitator, that person will know who her/his Pal is. Advantage to drawing a Facilitator: the Facilitators are really appreciative and fun Pals. Disadvantage: you won’t have the fun of having a mystery identity.) It’s absolutely okay to say “no†to this. I know that at least some of the Facilitators are going to forego being Pals this year; it’s hard to be a Facilitator and an attentive Pal at the same time. - Is there anyone you should NOT be Pal'd with -- because you've been their Pal in the past (or for any other reason)? – Is it okay to provide your address to your Pal? – If your email address is unlisted, is it okay to provide that to your Pal?
Originally Posted By Inspector 57 WHAT’S THE DEADLINE FOR SIGNING UP? You MUST sign up by midnight of WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31. Halloween. Muuu-Waaaaaa-Haaaaa-Haaaaaaaa!!! The facilitators will conduct the random drawing to determine Pal pairings soon thereafter, and will then work feverishly to notify Bashers of their Bash Pals as soon as possible. Once the drawing is conducted, we will not be able to accommodate any late entries. SORRY!
Originally Posted By Ursula I have been deciding between yes or no for this year. Due to work issues that came up, I just wasn't as good last year as I usually CAN be. Do you have a reveal day yet? I am out of town for the first part of Christmas, so this will be a deciding factor for me.
Originally Posted By Inspector 57 THESE POSTS SEEM FAMILIAR. RE-CYCLED, EVEN! IS THERE ANYTHING *NEW* THIS YEAR? Not really. We seem to have come up with a pretty smooth operation. So no major changes this year. A couple little things since last year's Bash: -- Most of the major e-card providers have altered their operations for security reasons. They now display the sender's address in all cards. We'll have to work around that. (No biggie.) -- The United States Postal Service has raised rates. So, a bit more than before, lighter is better when it comes to mailable gifts.
Originally Posted By Inspector 57 <<DO YOU HAVE A REVEAL DAY YET?>> How about the Friday before Christmas, which would be December 21?
Originally Posted By Inspector 57 I HEARD THERE WERE GOING TO BE SHARKS WITH LASERS THIS YEAR. ARE THERE GOING TO BE SHARKS WITH LASERS? YES!!! AND THAT'S NOT ALL!!! Sharks with lasers and -- [AJandHollysMommy picks up a Cadbury chocolate bar wrapper, wads it up, and pelts Inspector 57 with it, scoring a direct hit on the forehead.] Ummmm. No. No sharks with lasers. But plenty of Bashalicious fun.
Originally Posted By Inspector 57 EXCUSE ME, INSPECTOR, BUT I HAVE A QUESTION, TOO! Bring it! Post it to this thread! I, another Facilitator, or a seasoned veteran will be happy to help!
Originally Posted By x Pirate_Princess x I like the idea of Sharks with lasers... as I'm watching the SJ Sharks kick Calgary's Flame
Originally Posted By beamerdog Mugs - did I hear there are mugs? Are they refillable???? Will they work from WDW to DL? <<<<<ducks all the refillable mugs thrown at her.
Originally Posted By FiveBearRugs *gives away the Inspector's Donna Summer collection to the other LPers*
