Survivor R7C1 - Sweeps Week

[urysohn]

Round 7 Challenge 1: Sweeps Week
We have had some very active participation in this game and you should all be proud of yourselves. But greedy corporate executives are wondering what sort of ratings we are getting on this expensive venture!

I will create a thread titled "Survivor R7C1 - Sweeps Week". You will, by whatever means you wish, get posters to visit that thread and post support for your team. The posts must be made by non-players (current or former) and must include a team name in the post. Since Green is the only team which officially adopted a name, we will recognize either "Green" or ":D" as their name. For the other two, "Blue" or "Red" will be used.

- The only posts which will be counted are those (a) made by non-players and (b) which include one of the team names in their post will be counted.
- Each "viewer" will be counted at most once during Sweeps Week.
- Only viewers who joined August 5, 2004, or earlier will be counted.
- For this challenge only, the ban on playing under multiple IDs is listed, in the sense that you may use your pre-existing alternate IDs as "viewers".
- If a viewer posts support of two teams, the support will go to the first team they mention in their post.
- Edited posts will be counted as they exist when I score the challenge on Friday afternoon or evening.
- Sweeps Week opens Friday, August 6, at 12:00 noon ET and closes Friday, August 13, at 2:00p

Example
Traci visits the thread and posts

I love watching Team :D! That BC is my favorite!

One point for Green. Later, glenn stops by and posts

I can't stand Green! Ebenezer Kohl makes my blood boil! I like the Blue team much better.

One point for Green. Doesn't matter that he really supported Blue. Green is the first team he mentions.

Primary scoring is based on the number of viewers your team is able to attract. Secondary scoring will be based on the speed of the last entrant. For example, if two teams both get 15 viewers to post support, then whichever team had the 15th viewer check in first would win the tie.

[urysohn]

Some of our visitors might be interested in who is on each of the teams, before deciding who to support:

GAME STANDINGS AND SUMMARY

Current teams:

Blue
aces219
J.T. -- team captain
Hagbard Celine
Will Durant

Red*
cubedbee -- team captain
The Cat in the Hat
Tim><
Vern Schillinger

Green: :D
BC
Butters
Ebenezer Kohl
patterns in static -- team captain


*One of the Red Team members will be eliminated sometime before 6:00p ET today.

[E. Blackadder]

How would this post (http://actuary.ca/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=10103&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=56) be scored?

[urysohn]

and with that, Europe goes from condition Green to Blue!

Green. Color coding will be ignored. Only the team names will be used. Good question!

[E. Blackadder]

In the spirit of sweeps week, I'd like to announce a new special:Son of Diplomacy -- the Adventure Continues, coming soon to a thread near you. Stay tuned following the thrilling conclusion of Survivor.

BlackAdder Zero Sum Solutions, your source for when someone else's gain is your loss.

[urysohn]

Sweeps Week is now open!

[Maine-iac]

Am I blue, am I blue . . . .

Sorry, thought this was the lyrics thread. :)

[Altairjones]

Red Team, because Tim asked me so nicely :D

[Cannonball]

Red Team

[Leela]

Blue Team

[Bama Gambler]

Red Team

[Elisha]

Red Team, because Tim asked me so nicely...AND he has one of the coolest avatars (did I mention to him that my BGII character is a Stalker named Tim?).

[That Goblin]

uh, blue, duh.

[orion]

I do as I am told,

Red team

[Mathlete]

Red Team!

[tgmaggie]

Red Team

[The Waiting Hurts]

As requested:



Blue!

Edited to add: I have exercised my right to change my mind. And plus they have girls!

[Travis]

I change my vote to

grbreledueen

[The Waiting Hurts]

:)

[Frenchie]

Blue...because they said "please" and "thank you"

[L. Mo]

Since I've been asked so nicely, and repeatedly...

GO BLUE!

[E. Blackadder]

As Fed Cuts Rates, Retirees Are Forced to Pinch Pennies
With Interest Income Down, Senior Citizens In a Florida Complex Face Tough Choices

By KELLY GREENE
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- For Ruth Putnam, an 86-year-old widow in a small retirement community here, the consequences of the Federal Reserve's continuing interest-rate cuts are painfully clear: She's selling her English Rose china collection, piece by piece.

Mrs. Putnam relies on interest income to make ends meet -- and her investments are earning only a fraction of what they did when she retired 24 years ago. So she's selling her treasures to make up some of the difference. "I don't know what else I could do," she says.

Across the country, retirees and older adults are struggling with the dark side of falling interest rates. The Federal Reserve has made 13 cuts in the past 2½ years, chipping its benchmark rate to 1% from 6.5%. While cheap money has helped fuel a housing boom and may yet spur capital spending, the low rates are ravaging interest income from older Americans' investment vehicles of choice -- certificates of deposit, bonds and money-market accounts.

Low interest rates have always been a threat to retirees relying on interest income. But the relentless decline of the past two years, with no uptick in sight, is taking a particularly hard toll on elderly CD and money-market investors. These are the people who tried to do everything conservatively with their money. For the most part, they didn't chase Internet stocks, and they didn't load up on debt. They sacrificed to pay off the mortgage while building nest eggs to leave their kids.

"They've had their plans in place for 40 years, and now, through no fault of their own, they've had the rug pulled out from under them," says Robert Allsbrook, an economist with AmSouth Bancorp, of Birmingham, Ala., who spends much of his time visiting customers in retiree havens such as Clearwater.

After the federal-funds rate was cut by a quarter-point to 1% on June 25, Mr. Allsbrook's phone rang steadily with calls from older investors, many berating him for "letting" the Federal Reserve squeeze their income.

Many residents of this sprawling suburban town, bordered on the east and west by coastal bays, are feeling the pressure these days. According to the 2000 census, Clearwater has the largest proportion of senior citizens -- 21.5% -- in U.S. cities with at least 100,000 people.

Mrs. Putnam's retirement community, founded 37 years ago, is called On Top of the World. Here, 10,000 residents, many of them transplants from the Northeast and Midwest, live in condominiums in three-story buildings with whimsical names such as "South Seas" or "Royal Chateau." A grand arch marks the entrance to the development; behind it lies a grassy mall featuring a giant globe and a column-filled sculpture garden. Activities include golf, bingo and shuffleboard, as well as classes in yoga and art.



The people who live here make up retirement's middle class. Median annual income for people 65 and older in the community's ZIP code is estimated at $29,696 this year, just $209 more than the national number for that age group, according to demographic-research firm Environmental Systems Research Institute Inc., of Redlands, Calif. Most residents cover day-to-day bills through a combination of Social Security checks and interest generated from their plain-vanilla investments. The luckiest have pensions , though the development's many widows sometimes receive a mere sliver of their late husbands' former benefits.

So, with interest rates at a four-decade low, one big piece of income is drying up. The average rate for a one-year CD purchased last week was 1.59%, nearly four points off the average rate in 2000, according to Bankrate.com. The return on some money-market funds approaches zero after subtracting for overhead.

The cuts aren't leaving the residents destitute or starving, but they have been forced to start cutting back once again after a lifetime of scrimping and saving. They can't visit family as often, eat out or go to shows. Department stores now are out of the question for many; some have decided that membership at a new Costco discount retailer down the street is too much of a splurge.

Pat Wheeler, a Clearwater financial planner, got an earful while manning an advice hotline two months ago for a local TV station. The retirees he talked to typically had several hundred thousand dollars in CDs that had been paying 7% interest a few years ago and were now down to 2%, he says. "If you have $200,000, that's $14,000 a year in interest that's gone down to $4,000. It's quite a cut in pay."

Mrs. Putnam says she has had to scrimp "to the point that a lot of my friends think I'm cheap." Twenty-four years ago, she and her husband relocated from New Hampshire, where he managed a country estate and she worked as a hairdresser. They kept most of their money in CDs, then paying 18% interest. They had some exposure to stocks through a mutual fund, which they picked because the fund company was also called Putnam. The investment had grown to $40,000 two years ago, she says, but since then has plummeted by half.

Meanwhile, interest rates started their steady drop. Rates for one-year CDs at the AmSouth branch a few blocks away from her home fell to a mere 0.8% on June 27 from 5.9% in early 2001. On her bank's advice, Mrs. Putnam started converting her CDs several years ago to fixed annuities paying 4.5% interest. That provides a monthly income of $157 -- less than her former CD income, but more than she would be making with CDs at the moment, she says. The cut is making it tougher to cover her $3,000 annual premium for supplemental Medicare insurance. She also could use hearing aids, but they are so expensive -- at least several hundred dollars apiece -- that "it's out of the question."

To continue trips to see her sons in California and Norway, she's selling off collectibles that she and her husband gathered over the years, including watches, rings and porcelain she no longer uses. Mrs. Putnam has continued to eat lunch out every day, which she considers her main social outlet. But she has downgraded from sit-down restaurants overlooking nearby Clearwater Beach, where she would spend $5 "without thinking about it," to Wendy's and Burger King, where she orders something from the 99-cent menu, along with coffee, for $1.59 or $1.63 -- a whole lot of green.

Betty Houghton, who lives a mile away, feels she has to stay put in CDs and a money-market account. Seven years ago, she accepted an invitation to a dinner sponsored by an investment adviser and wound up sinking nearly $120,000 -- almost three-quarters of her and her husband's life savings -- into variable annuities that since have lost a third of their value. "I made such a big mistake giving them such a big check," she says.

Now Mrs. Houghton, 76, goes to great lengths to protect the principal in two CDs valued at $20,000 and $7,000, each paying less than 2% at the moment, and a $14,000 money-market account that earns a paltry 0.2%. "It's a terrible time," she says. "We get practically nothing from the money market, but I don't want to do anything risky anymore."

When she volunteers at her church's clothes closet for people in need, part of the church's storefront mission, she sometimes asks for permission to take clothes for herself. Mrs. Houghton has quit going to the beauty parlor and wears a wig instead. Her husband's doctor has started giving them extra free samples of medications: Zocor for high cholesterol and Aricept for her husband's Alzheimer's disease.

She and her husband each receive a small pension . Mrs. Houghton gets $147 a month from her work as a nurse, and her husband gets $69 a month for his 20 years at Singer Co. It would have been more, she says, but Singer's retirement benefits were curtailed after the company became mired in debt and the fund was taken over by the federal Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp.

All together, the couple's Social Security, pension and $60 or so a month in interest income add up to just over $2,000. Off the top, $216 goes toward the premium for a life-insurance policy Mr. Houghton has had since age 59 and Mrs. Houghton is afraid to drop. Another $438 is earmarked for the couple's Medicare HMO, which provides coverage beyond the program's basic plan. Then there's $300 for monthly condominium maintenance fees, $100 toward property taxes and $350 to help their 57-year-old son, who is disabled.

"There are no frills," Mrs. Houghton says. "No going out to dinner, no movies, no new clothes. It's just a way of existing, really." She has considered going back to work, but would need to get her certification renewed to do her most recent job as a diabetes educator. And regular nursing "at my age would kill me." She's trying not to dip into her interest-bearing accounts, but sometimes, when a CD matures, "I have to take out a few thousand dollars. We're having the same basic bills with less income."

And Mrs. Houghton worries about what would happen to her husband, whom she cares for at home, if she dies before he does. "He's failing," she says. "We don't have any life insurance on me, and there's no way we could afford it now."

Joseph Nemeth, an 80-year-old retired electrician who lives a mile east of On Top of the World, says he lost $3,000 in interest income over the past year through his individual retirement account, which he keeps in fixed-income investments. That's money he has counted on in the past to pay his taxes and insurance bills. Now he's digging into principal to pay those bills and cutting back on bimonthly trips to see his eight living children, 13 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. "When you start pulling money out of savings, you don't buy things you want," he says.

Despite the low rates and specter of chipping away at savings, few retirees so far seem tempted to diversify their investments. When people ask Mr. Allsbrook, the bank economist, for advice, he tells them, "'One alternative would be to buy stocks that pay higher dividends than the interest you're getting on CDs. Have you thought about that?' But they hear the word 'stocks,' and you can see them tense up."

Before Mary Ellen Owen's husband died several years ago, he moved much of their savings into Treasury, municipal, airport and corporate bonds paying 8% to 9% interest. The 83-year-old widow, who lives just south of Clearwater in Belleair Bluffs, remembers him telling her that their money would be safe and secure. She could live off the income, without having to worry about investment strategy.

For some retirees, bonds they bought years ago when interest rates were higher have proved a solid investment. The bonds have appreciated in value as interest rates have fallen, and they've continued to pay their higher returns.

But many bonds, particularly tax-free municipal bonds favored by retirees, can be called, which means the issuer can redeem them before they mature. Issuers frequently call bonds early if interest rates drop, which allows them to issue new bonds at a lower rate. Bond holders sometimes get a small premium on their principal, such as 3%, when bonds are called early, but it hardly makes up for the lost interest income.

With the current rate cuts, the bonds "are getting called right and left," Mrs. Owen says.

In an attempt to stabilize her income, the widow is diversifying a bit into blue-chip stocks that pay dividends. Still, she's nervous about a future with less money, so she's doing without things she's enjoyed since moving here 33 years ago from Richmond, Va. This spring, she scrapped a summer trip to Europe. She has started substituting lunches for dinners at Belleair Country Club, cutting the cost of going out to eat virtually in half.

The daughter of a minister, she has continued giving to First United Methodist Church of Clearwater, where her son Rick Owen serves as treasurer. But she worries about the many retirees who have not. The church has seen a 25% drop in pledges this year, much of that among retirees who say they don't know how much they're going to have to live on, Rick Owen says. "You would like to have cash reserves of two months. We don't have that this year."

The situation is the same at Mrs. Owen's club. Two weeks ago, as she hesitated to spend $37 on a dinner and mystery-theater act, the hostess told her that a lot of members are cutting back on the special events. One of Mrs. Owen's friends recently told her that she's considering dropping her membership altogether.

"I'm not going hungry, but I am uneasy," says Mrs. Owen. "I don't feel that it would be wise to take money, at a point when my income is dropping, and spend it on any pleasures."

Write to Kelly Greene at kelly.greene@wsj.com

Updated July 7, 2003

[stars8908]

red rum, red rum

[mona]

Blue, baby!

[TiderInsider]

Red Team...you're welcome Tim

[quentin cassidy]

Red Team - even though I thought karma police was a better name than Tim><

[Wigmeister General]

Since I've been asked so nicely, and repeatedly...

GO BLUE!

[The Waiting Hurts]

Sorry, I was bribed!

[Emily]

Blue

[Paul Brand]

bgrlerdueeen


I've got the blues for the greenerie on the RED team.

[11pecans]

Blue

I support
Blue
aces219
J.T. -- team captain
Hagbard Celine
Will Durant

[E. Blackadder]

Why didn't you just create a poll?

[Big Ed]

Red Team

[Titania]

BLUE!!!!!

[Pillow]

blue

[Traci]

GO TEAM BLUE!! :D

[11pecans]

Why didn't you just create a poll?

because I didn't start this thread

[Kepler!]

BLUE

[ralenth]

Blue team!!

[Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer.]

Team Blue makes me crap my pants i love them so much.

[glenn]

Blue.

I was thinking that I could use the profanity filter - lets me define certain text in posts and have it replaced with other text. So I could set it to look for red, and replace it with blue. 'Kay?

g.

[11pecans]

gryellow

I think 30 is tooooo big. Try 24 next time.

[Anonymous]

I support the azure!!! (that's blue in case you were wondering!)

[glenn]

so nicely, and repeatedly...
Yea, that's what SHE said.

[Ghost Dog]

Blue

[Westley]

Why didn't you just create a poll?

Because then I can't change it later if I decide that I no longer like Blue. Although there will be pigs flying over a snowy Cubs-White Sox World Series game in hell before I would support Tim or Kohl.

Also, per

One day for every 8 of you that put a post that says "Red Team -Tim shut up!!!" here:

http://actuary.ca/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=36250

Alternatively, you can post "Red Team - Tim keep yapping" to cancel a previous vote.

Each person can only get one vote. Alternate IDs may vote more than once. Only votes placed between 12 and 2 PM ET today will count. I will begin the hiatus at 2PM.

http://www.actuary.ca/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=36281

I would like to say "Red Team - Tim shut up"

[Paul Brand]

gryellow

I think 30 is tooooo big. Try 24 next time.

Try size 29. It's the largest size available.

[Klaymen]

Still Undecided ... :D

[Paul Brand]

Me thinks that characters with less than 10 posts should be excluded.

[aegis]

Go big Blue?

[oedipus rex]

BLUE thanks for the check guys.

[Kenny]

Me thinks that characters with less than 10 posts should be excluded.

Given the way this board works it would take about 10 blue seconds to get past that 10 post barrier.

[Mulan]

I support Team Blue!!

[Brad Pitt]

Brad Pitt here,

I support Blue, and so does Jen.

[Summer]

Well, if Brad pitt, is Blue, than I will pledge blue as well...that and i was asked nicely...forgot the please, but remembered the thanks (just like an actuary!) :o (just wanted a blue emotion)

[Summer]

oh, not true...there was a please :oops: (this one is yellow...not r...)...I pledge BLUE...

[8down]

Aces219 was workin' in a topless place
And I stopped in for a beer,
I just kept lookin' at the side of her face
In the spotlight so clear.
And later on as the crowd thinned out
I's just about to do the same,
She was standing there in back of my chair
Said to me, "Don't I know your name?"
I muttered somethin' underneath my breath,
She studied the lines on my face.
I must admit I felt a little uneasy
When she bent down to tie the laces of my shoe,
....Tangled up in BLUE

[twig93]

Go Aces - I support the blue team!

[vegas]

Red Team

[Actuary321]

Green

[Yngwie]

Team Blue... :D

[T-roy Boy]

"You're my Boy, Blue!"

[Debaser]

As part of our Survivor game, there is a Sweeps contest to see who can get the most people to support their team. Can you please go to the link above and post your support for Team Blue? Thanks!

-aces

[rekrap]

Blue is my favorite color!

[Buffy]

I slay for the blue team.

[JMO]

I am here to support team BLUE. Aces2, you owe me RF bucks for this. :roll:

[GefilteFish144]

I received spam from both the red team and the blue team. Therefore I vote for the green team. :P

[aces219]

I received spam from both the red team and the blue team. Therefore I vote for the green team. :P

Except you just voted for the red team by putting their name first.

[Paul Brand]

Does anyone know who I voted for?

[aces219]

Does anyone know who I voted for?

Blue, I believe.

[Happy Extinction]

BLUE

[DblDownTrent]

BLUE.

[DW Simpson]

Blue, my world is blue.

[aces219]

I'd just like to note that we have Traci, glenn, and DW Simpson webmaster on our side!

[aces219]

Not that I'm gloating (or shamelessly post-padding) or anything.

[hit or miss]

One vote for Team Blue!

[mr. eigen vector]

go blue

[Darth Tater]

aces219 asked me nicely to support a team with some color....I forgot what it was.........

[Darth Tater]

Oh, team blue.......Gotcha!

[cubedbee]

Boo Blue!

[Sunny]

Blue :D

[Happy Skunk]

Blue, my world is blue.

Dabaa dee dabaa daa Dabaa deeeeeee dabaa daa.

I'm blue

[snafu]

My vote goes to the first WCC with a kiss

[aces219]

My vote goes to the first WCC with a kiss

I'm not a WCC, but I'll still give you a :kiss:

[urysohn]

clarification note. Greene, Bluefish, pandered, etc, are not valid votes. Using the actual word out of context will be counted, but not when it is not the actual word or is part of a compound word, etc. Anything Color-blah will be counted. Hope that's clear.

[JTBenson]

My favorite color is Green

[snafu]

My vote goes to the first WCC with a kiss

I'm not a WCC, but I'll still give you a :kiss:

And which team would you like me to vote for?

[ActuaryGary]

blue

[Urysohn's Wife]

BLUE

[2pac Shakur]

Blue team is so damn cool, I support them 100%.
Thanks!

[Franchise]

Blue team

[aces219]

My vote goes to the first WCC with a kiss

I'm not a WCC, but I'll still give you a :kiss:

And which team would you like me to vote for?

Blue, please.

[aces219]

I vote for the Green team since the have another J.T.

J.T. is on the blue team!

[BleedOrangeAndBlue]

Blue, but only because Aces asked so nicely, and is also in Chicago :)

[snafu]

My vote goes to the first WCC with a kiss

I'm not a WCC, but I'll still give you a :kiss:

And which team would you like me to vote for?

Blue, please.

Because she asked so nicely

Blue

[Malik Shabazz]

Did I ever mention how much I like the blues? It's really the basis of practically all American popular music of the Twentieth Century.

[J.T.]

BLUE

WTG! So glad you had time to get the vote in....

BTW, I want to personally thank everyone who has voted for our team. We really appreciate all of the support!

[Daria]

Blue.

[aces219]

BLUE

WTG! So glad you had time to get the vote in....

BTW, I want to personally thank everyone who has voted for our team. We really appreciate all of the support!

Yeah, you all totally rock!

Did I mention we're the only team with chicks on it?

[Avi]

Roses are Blue and Violets are, well, violet I gather ;)

[rafkooch]

Team Blue.

[11pecans]

BLUE

WTG! So glad you had time to get the vote in....

BTW, I want to personally thank everyone who has voted for our team. We really appreciate all of the support!

Yeah, you all totally rock!

Did I mention we're the only team with chicks on it?

How about a more personal thank you for my support? You know all the people after me were just following my lead, don't you?

[aces219]

BLUE

WTG! So glad you had time to get the vote in....

BTW, I want to personally thank everyone who has voted for our team. We really appreciate all of the support!

Yeah, you all totally rock!

Did I mention we're the only team with chicks on it?

How about a more personal thank you for my support? You know all the people after me were just following my lead, don't you?

Thank you, oh sweet 11pesos. Your avatar is just...such a turnon.

[Apollywog]

I've been paid to say

BLUE

Now can I cash the cheque?

[RG]

Blue, blue, blue.

[JGatsby]

Go Blue!

And who says spamming doesn't get results, right aces?

[freshwoman]

Blue gets my support!

Both Red and Blue asked for my support, but Red Asked first so and blue (aces219) asked nicer.....so..............

It's Blue!!

[Queen]

BLUE

[VernSchil]

Wow, team blue certainly has alot of alternate IDs.

[8down]

Both Red and Blue asked for my support, but Red Asked first so and blue (aces219) asked nicer.....so..............

IT'S BLUE!!!

If a viewer posts support of two teams, the support will go to the first team they mention in their post.


:shake:

[aces219]

Both Red and Blue asked for my support, but Red Asked first so and blue (aces219) asked nicer.....so..............

IT'S BLUE!!!

If a viewer posts support of two teams, the support will go to the first team they mention in their post.


:shake:

I PMed her.

[8down]

The good news is:
Edited posts will be counted as they exist when I score the challenge on Friday afternoon or evening.


Blue gets my support!

[cubedbee]

Mod420, can you please edit all the existing posts and make the red team win?

Thanks!

[krank]

My random color generator produced.....crap it's broken I'll just vote blue

[Cynic]

Blue is my favorite color. Go Team Blue!

[11pecans]

Thank you, oh sweet 11pesos. Your avatar is just...such a turnon.

How bout a kiss aces? You don't like my avatar? What should I change it to? A blue cat?

[aces219]

Thank you, oh sweet 11pesos. Your avatar is just...such a turnon.

How bout a kiss aces? You don't like my avatar? What should I change it to? A blue cat?

:kiss:

I'm going to get in trouble for all these kisses!

[11pecans]

http://www.judiebomberger.com/images/garden/PG5(blue).jpg

[duodenum]

blue : )

[E. Blackadder]

This thread has been brought to you by BlackAdder Zero Sum Solutions, your source when someone else's gain is your loss. Be sure to tune in for Son of Diplomacy -- the Adventure Continues after the thrilling conclusion of Survivor.

[VernSchil]

blue : )

I always liked you. Why'd you make a new ID? Who are you now?

[Rosebud]

For Will Durant, I'll be BLUE

[frummie]

Am I blue?
Am I blue?
Yes I'm blue,
Hoping you will be too.

I'm blue
Ya ba di ya ba die
Ya da ba di ya ba die
Ya ba di ya ba die
Ya da ba di ya ba die
Ya ba di ya ba die
Ya da ba di ya ba die
Ya ba di ya ba die

Go Team Blue!

[bertuary]

As they say in Kentucky,

GO BIG BLUE!

[BSpecs]

Blue

[Kaput Shakur]

In honor of Monty Python, I'll vote for >Tim<'s team:

RED

[aces219]

In honor of Monty Python, I'll vote for >Tim<'s team:

RED

I thought Kaput Shakur was..KAPUT.

[Traina]

In honor of Monty Python, I'll vote for >Tim<'s team:

RED

That's the spirit! If you love Monty Python...vote for Red!

[Il duce]

http://html-color-codes.com/

[1695814]

I feel so Blue today...because aces asked really nicely & also supplied an explanation.

[Reaper Temp Agency]

La La La-La La La, La La-La La La

Vote blue

[tommie frazier]

I vote for BLUE.

[Meshuga]

I'm feeling a little blue today

[Quasi]

Count my vote for the blue team

[11pecans]

i just want to appologize to the other colors, but aces was toooooo sweet mwah

[Tyger]

BLUE Monday is the best track on Orgy's first album.

[Jables]

Well, I realize that this post doesn't count, but I fully support my former team, BLUE!

Guess I'll be nonchalantly rolling out all of my alternate ID's over the course of the week :burn:

(Hey, it makes for a good chance to figure out who else I am...)

[Polly Nomial]

Go, Blue, go!


How's that, MS?

[11pecans]

Well, I realize that this post doesn't count, but I fully support my former team, BLUE!

Guess I'll be nonchalantly rolling out all of my alternate ID's over the course of the week :burn:

(Hey, it makes for a good chance to figure out who else I am...)

why doesn't your post count? when is one of those loser red guys going to be eliminated?

[aces219]

Well, I realize that this post doesn't count, but I fully support my former team, BLUE!

Guess I'll be nonchalantly rolling out all of my alternate ID's over the course of the week :burn:

(Hey, it makes for a good chance to figure out who else I am...)

why doesn't your post count? when is one of those loser red guys going to be eliminated?

Jables is a former player so he is not eligible to play.

The Cat in the Hat has already beeeen (channeling the TAR guy) eliminated.

[11pecans]

thank you dear

[11pecans]

Some of our visitors might be interested in who is on each of the teams, before deciding who to support:

GAME STANDINGS AND SUMMARY

Current teams:

Blue
aces219
J.T. -- team captain
Hagbard Celine
Will Durant

Red*
cubedbee -- team captain
The Cat in the Hat
Tim><
Vern Schillinger

Green: :D
BC
Butters
Ebenezer Kohl
patterns in static -- team captain


*One of the Red Team members will be eliminated sometime before 6:00p ET today.


sooo the cat in the hat is already gone then, right?

[aces219]

Some of our visitors might be interested in who is on each of the teams, before deciding who to support:

GAME STANDINGS AND SUMMARY

Current teams:

Blue
aces219
J.T. -- team captain
Hagbard Celine
Will Durant

Red*
cubedbee -- team captain
The Cat in the Hat
Tim><
Vern Schillinger

Green: :D
BC
Butters
Ebenezer Kohl
patterns in static -- team captain


*One of the Red Team members will be eliminated sometime before 6:00p ET today.


sooo the cat in the hat is already gone then, right?

Yep. See the Tribal Council topic for more details.

[11pecans]

when does ury tally the vote? and when does someone else get booted?

[aces219]

Ury is on vacation next week so these 2 challenges last until next Friday at 2 pm ET. Someone will get booted on Sunday the 15th in the evening.

[aces219]

Did I mention how much it sucks to be stuck at work on Friday afternoon when it's gorgeous out?

[Triumph]

Urysohn, you have had a great idea, and this thread is a great, great thread....
















































FOR ME TO POOP BLUE ON!!!

[Silent Bob]

:wave:

ah. post-birthday blue mood.

[Smurf]

Blue, blue, my world is blue. Need I say more?

[4sigma]

Unofficial vote summary:

75 votes for team blue (76 now :D)
14 votes for team red
4 votes for team :D

This counts EB's lengthy Andy Lang excerpt as a vote for :D, Paul Brand as a vote for red, and does not count any vote by Malik S., since the term "blues" may not be considered a valid vote. Also ignoring the post by TYC/Mudge, which currently does not contain any valid vote.

[the mole]

Though it may appear (due to the light blue background on my red-hot sig photo) that I am :D, I am actually :cry:. Although Green never made a formal request to me, I was asked by both red and blue for my support (by blue first). In light of the trust urysohn has placed in me in connection with challenge two, I must remain neutral and support no one.

[E. Blackadder]

BlackAdder legal services is now pleased to offer 1-stop bankruptcy filings. Given the quantity and severity of the promises it made -- and legal repercussions from RO Spamming -- Team Blue may wish to consider getting a "fresh start."


......



And in fairness to the Evil One: my post was not an excerpt. I actually added two words. One of them being what isn't easy.

[campbell]

My sis was a Duke cheerleader... so I vote BLUE!

(that, and they asked me... see, that wasn't so difficult)

[Renaissance Man]

My favorite flavor of Kool-Aid: red

[paranoid]

go BLUES.....oops, I mean Blue

[Michel de Nostradamus]

.......Because aces is my favourite gal.....BLUE.

[BobBeuer1ein]

What a fun way to spend a Friday evening...GO TEAM BLUE!

[VernSchil]

Come on guys, don't you want a close race??? No one likes a slaughter, VOTE RED@!

[bdschobel]

Got to be BLUE for me!

Bruce

[Gandalf]

This blue landslide is getting out of hand, so I vote RED.

[mcsquared]

BLUE TO THE TOP

[Moderator1]

Team Blue, you have my vote. I don't set policy, so for now Glenn may continue to offer only Red swinglines.

[Guest]

Whoops! Would have been blue from all my alteregos if I'd checked my PMs in time. :oops:

[Casper]

That was close. I'm changing my vote to Blue.

[Steve White]

Blue

[E. Blackadder]

This thread is being brought to you by BlackAdder Zero Sum Solutions, your source when someone else's gain is your loss. Be sure to tune in for Son of Diplomacy -- the Adventure Continues after the thrilling conclusion of Survivor.

and by BlackAdder Legal Solutions. when you've promised 1000% of your salary to your investors, creditors, and the tax man, you need BlackAdder Legal Solutions on your side. We accept Cash, Currency, and Coinage.

You can buy directly from us, or indirectly via Mole Legal Solutions™, a Mole Group™ company that will onshore its work.

[Matrix]

In the Matrix, there is no Blue.

We must counteract that here.

[urysohn's mistress]

ury dearest, my blue lingerie always brings out the beast in you.

[Peregrine]

Talons of Blue rend flesh from bone.

[Avi]

ury dearest, my blue lingerie always brings out the beast in you.Took nearly a year for you to post that :o

[VernSchil]

WHO THE HELLA RE ALL YOU PEOPLE?

[Moderator6]

There's almost nothing in this thread except blue, red and green. Should I move it to the Reef?

[E. Blackadder]

BlackAdder ModerAssistance Services can help you make high-difficulty, high-impact decisions such as these.

We'll take you through our patented process for learning how not to be an Deleted - Mgt and how to identify threads worth moving, posts worth deleting, and Moderators worth making fun of Watch it! so you don't become one earlier than need be.

All for a most reasonable per-post price.

BlackAdder ModerAssistance Services, a BlackAdder company, now returns you to the thread.

[I_love_everybody]

Oh wow, I love Team Blue ALMOST as much as I love my hero, I_hate_everybody!!!!

I miss him SOOOOOO much :cry:

Where did he go?

:cry:

[Just Visiting]

Blue

[Gandalf]

Go, Blue, go!


How's that, MS?
Perfect, as always. :love: :kiss: :bighug:

[Maxprime]

GREEN SON

[fallout]

Blue.

Is it too late?

[Kenshiro]

Green.

[E. Blackadder]

This thread is being brought to you by BlackAdder Zero Sum Solutions®, your source when someone else's gain is your loss. Be sure to tune in for Son of Diplomacy -- the Adventure Continues after the thrilling conclusion of Survivor.

and by BlackAdder Legal Solutions℠. when you've promised 1000% of your salary to your investors, creditors, and the tax man, you need BlackAdder Legal Solutions on your side. We accept Cash, Currency, and Coinage.

You can buy directly from us, or indirectly via Mole Legal Solutions™, a Mole Group™ company that will rightsource its work to us.

We now return you to your scheduled post of red.

[Purple Princess]

someone asked me to vote blue but i dont think blue needs my help....

i feel sorry for the poor green team....why is no one voting for them?

[Avi]

A Elbereth Gilthoniel,
silivren penna míriel
o menel aglar elenath!
Na-chaered palan-díriel
o galadhremmin ennorath,
Fanuilos, le linnathon
nef aear, sí nef aearon!


edited

[Maxine]

blue :D

[Kitten]

Blue :P

[Miranda Hobbes]

Blue.

[urysohn's mistress]

ury dearest, my blue lingerie always brings out the beast in you.Took nearly a year for you to post that :o
We've been very discreet, avoiding PDAs and sticking to PMs. But now ury is on vacation, and I'm sooooo lonely and that Hagbard Celine is looking sooooo good...

[Don Quijote]

Porque me han rogado de forma muy simpatica, azul, que entiendo es blue.

[Lara Croft]

Blue - in support of my former Aimless teammate, Hagbard

[PinkFloydActuary]

Gotta love that color blue.

[Swiper]

BLUE BLUE BLUE

[Shop Girl]

Blue Baby

[MountainHawk]

Green.

[lawfi5h]

blue

[Ultimate Anyone?]

Blue, as requested

[Redhead]

Why is there any discussion...?

BLUE BABY!!!

[Patience]

Wondering if this response just blew it??

Blue, just in case it did, they ask so nice

[3rookie]

blue

[sb_jim]

Blue.

[burton leon reynolds]

In even though my favorite color is green, I must pledge my allegiance to the blue team or I could lose my job on security grounds.

[RedSoxFan]

Blue. :D

I agree. You would think I would pick another team, but I have to say Blue on this one.

[Sgt. Kate Monday]

Just here to support BLUE... I would add a smilie but all the BLUE ones seem inappropriate....

did I mention BLUE?

[Nanny-Nanny-Poo-Poo]

Blue

Didn't promise a thing. I'm just nice.No promises, but I can hope. :love:

[EdFrog]

Didn't promise a thing. I'm just nice.
I've got the Blue s, and the only cure is more Aces.

[4sigma]

If this challenge were a fight, the ref would have stopped it by now. It is almost painful to see this go on until Friday. :)

[the mole]

Stop it? No way. Aces didn't promise the voters anything, but the promises she made to Mole Recruiters™. :o

DWSimpson webmaster can't deliver like Mole Recruiters™. Why for Jables alone I had to remind him of 3 ids he had forgotten he had.

[Mr. Penguin]

I like my teams the same way I like my movies with Aces and J.T....

Blue

[J.T.]

I like my teams the same way I like my movies with Aces and J.T....

Blue :kiss:

[Werewolf]

I will support Green :D

I will not support Blue, due to them voting me off the island! It's payback time!

[J.T.]

I will support Green :D

I will not support Blue, due to them voting me off the island! It's payback time!

Good thing you don't hold grudges Werewolf.....but...psst....former and present members don't get a vote. (Still sorry we voted you off).

[urysohn]

I will support Green :D

I will not support Blue, due to them voting me off the island! It's payback time!

I am sure that :D appreciates the sentiment. However, J.T. is correct.

The posts must be made by non-players (current or former) ...

[Werewolf]

I will support Green :D

I will not support Blue, due to them voting me off the island! It's payback time!

Good thing you don't hold grudges Werewolf.....but...psst....former and present members don't get a vote. (Still sorry we voted you off).

D'oh!

Now to post from my one thousand (give or take 1000) alternate IDs.

[Asynchronous]

Blue, baby!

[The Drunken Actuary]

I have no effing clue what this is about (nor do I care*) but people I've never heard of are asking me to say Blue in this thread. Blue. Now leave me alone!


*Unless it's about Bush being dumb, strippers, or beer. That doesn't seem to be the case however.

[4sigma]

TDA,

Who on this board have you never heard of?

:o

[J.T.]

I have no effing clue what this is about (nor do I care*) but people I've never heard of are asking me to say Blue in this thread. Blue. Now leave me alone!


*Unless it's about Bush being dumb, strippers, or beer. That doesn't seem to be the case however.

Thanks TDA... :notworth:

[Avi]

TDA,

Who on this board have you never heard of?

:o

Reason, Sanity, Sobriety, etc.
:P

j/k

:beer:

[Claire Voyant]

I see a victory for the BLUE team.....


(yeah, that's my vote!)

[The Drunken Actuary]

TDA,

Who on this board have you never heard of?

:oOK, it was a slight exaggeration, but certainly people I've never conversed with before...

[Gandalf]

I will support Green :D

I will not support Blue, due to them voting me off the island! It's payback time!
Werewolf, what is this talk of payback? Blue did not vote you off. That was Team Fark. The teams have been randomly rearranged since those days. Urysohn said so.

[adip]

Blue is my favo(u)rite colo(u)r of string bikini. :D

[Jables]

Why for Jables alone I had to remind him of 3 ids he had forgotten he had.

Now, now, you can't prove I've used any of them yet :)

BTW, nice commanding lead, team BLUE

[J.T.]

Blue is my favo(u)rite colo(u)r of string bikini. :D


:wave: :clap: Good to see you adip!!!!!!!

[Gandalf]

Blue is my favo(u)rite colo(u)r of string bikini. :D

Thank goodness. The offer of a picture of you in a red or green string bikini would turn this whole thread around. [The offer of a picture of you wearing just a :D would get the thread deleted by the mods. :o ]

[Pillow]

Blue is my favo(u)rite colo(u)r of string bikini. :D
:wave: SO NICE TO SEE YOU BABE!!!

[Myrtle]

Je suis un vrai slut quand je porte mon bikini bleu.

[4sigma]

Do we have a team bleu now? :-?

[Gandalf]

Are you suggesting that someone who would accept Edmington for Edmonton would not accept bleu for blue?

[Il duce]

blue

[Linus]

My favorite blanket is blue.

[J-Man]

My state is a blue state

[ahow]

You're my boy BLUE!!!

[RTVA]

Blue is my favorite color.

[ACCtuary]

Here's a vote for the blue team - Go Aces and Hagbard!

[Super Silver Haze]

GREEN!

Because meaningless votes rule.

[J.T.]

GREEN!

Because meaningless votes rule.

I'm sure that team green appreciates it. I know as a member of the survivor game, I think it is really cool that we have had so many RF members check in, and that includes all voters (although I wish they would have voted for blue!).

[thing]

ury, this question may have been asked before (I didn't want to read through 10 pages to check), but since you're not yourself a player, does your listing of the teams (starting with blue) constitute a vote for blue?

Oh, and this vote for blue was for aces' sake. Go aces!

[Gandalf]

ury, this question may have been asked before (I didn't want to read through 10 pages to check), but since you're not yourself a player, does your listing of the teams (starting with blue) constitute a vote for blue?

Oh, and this vote for blue was for aces' sake. Go aces!
I think ury has not voted for blue. That post was before Sweeps week opened (noon eastern time Aug 6). Ury's wife and mistress have supported blue.

[Fotally Tubar]

Stoli + Red Bull on the rocks.

[mocha]

blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue

[the mole]

When this challenge is over, this thread should be stickied as a directory of active RF posters.

[Take 3]

One Beeeelion Blues

[E. Blackadder]

This thread is being brought to you by BlackAdder Zero Sum Solutions®, your source when someone else's gain is your loss. Be sure to tune in for Son of Diplomacy -- the Adventure Continues after the thrilling conclusion of Survivor.

and by BlackAdder Legal Solutions℠. when you've promised 1000% of your salary to your investors, creditors, and the tax man, you need BlackAdder Legal Solutions on your side. We accept Cash, Currency, Coinage, and now credit cards!

You can buy directly from us, or indirectly via Mole Legal Solutions™, a Mole Group™ company that will rightsource its work to us.

We now return you to your scheduled post of green.

[Ray Finkle]

This certainly is anticlimactic.

This challenge really blue.

[E. Blackadder]

It's only around at all because I paid for the commercial breaks.

[Melanie Haber]

http://www.greatdreams.com/myth/grover.jpg

[Lucy]

I also got a very nice request from Blue for a vote. Someone has been very busy PMing.

[E. Blackadder]

I hope you held out for the phone card.

[Chevy Chef]

Blue !

[PlanetOfTheActuaries]

I've been coerced to say blue.

[Me]

Red

I have taken pity on them as Vern requested. (Plus I was not pleased with getting PM spam from the B team.)