Community Credit Forums

Community Credit Winners Recognized in November 2008

DavidSilverlight — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 13:49:00 GMT

Let's see who was recognized with geeky gifts in November 2008 ...
Note: As always, our prize list with all of the past winners can be found on our "Stupid Prizes Page"

The folks listed below have truly exceeded in their contributions to the development community and have been rewarded with some really geeky prizes. How did they win? They simply went above and beyond in their contributions to the development community and logged their contributions here and the geeks with the most points at the end of November 2008 Contest won one of the prizes shown below.

But first... a word from our Sponsor: StupidCubicle.com
This month we are happy to have a brand new sponsor. It is our sister site, StupidCubicle.com . The site only has a few products right now, but they are cool products. Be sure to give them some love. Drop us an email and let us know what you think.

And now, onto the winners
Grand Prize Winner:Stephanie Grima with 95,500 Points points won a The Robotic Junkyard Dog

1st Prize Winner:David Betz with 73,200 Points points won a The Tantrum Throwing Alarm Clock.

2nd Prize Winner:Brandy Favilla with 64,950 Points points won a Pac-Man Hoodie

3rd Prize Winner:Pete O'Hanlon with 62,675 Points points won a USB 8GB Flash Drive Lighter

4th Prize Winner:Szymon Kobalczyk with 60,550 Points points won a Electronic Drum Kit Shirt

5th Prize Winner:Stacy Vicknair with 44,050 Points points won a Pointer Kite

6th Prize Winner:Brad Jones with 41,725 Points points won a Donkey Kong Jenga

7th Prize Winner:Don Burnett with 36,000 Points points won a Family Guy Monopoly

8th Prize Winner:Massimiliano Urioni with 34,000 Points points won a Pac-Man Magnet Set

9th Prize Winner:Michael Paladino with 31,500 Points points won a Slave Leia Poster

10th Prize Winner:Joydip Kanjilal with 30,000 Points points won a Power Klingon

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Community Credit Prizes for November 2008

DavidSilverlight — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 07:27:00 GMT

Note: As always, our prize list can be found on our "Stupid Prizes Page"Check it out to see past prizes and contest winners.

The items below show the prizes that you can win at Community-Credit this month(November 2008 ). You can have a chance at earning one of these prizes by contributing to the development community this month. Simply log your contributions (points awarded for over 100 types of contributions) and the geeks with the most points at the end of November 2008 Contest will win one of the prizes shown below. You can also see the past winners and prizes on our Stupid Prize Page.

But first... a word from our Sponsor: StupidCubicle.com
This month we are happy to have a brand new sponsor. It is our sister site, StupidCubicle.com . The site only has a few products right now, but they are cool products. Be sure to give them some love. Drop us an email and let us know what you think.

Onto this Month's Prizes...
Grand Prize: Handpresso Portable Espresso Maker

The Handpresso Wild portable espresso machine is capable of generating 16 bar of pressure with a handpump. Put some hot water in the reservoir, place an E.S.E. Espresso pod in the chamber and release the switch. The pressure chamber forces the hot water through the coffee, creating a perfect little demitasse of rich black goodness. Our own coffee snobs here at ThinkGeek World Domination HQ rated the espresso "excellent," and "spectacular."

1st Prize: LED Binary Watch

This watch displays time in binary format. It uses LED lights to display the time. Need we say more? Okay, we will. The watch face contains 10 red LEDs that are used to indicate the numbers of the binary sequence (1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32) and the values of the lighted LEDs are added to determine the time. There are two rows of LEDs - the top row for the hours and the bottom row for the minutes. With a little practice you can learn to read this time format easily. Won't it be fun the next time someone asks you "what time is it?" and you can enjoy their bewildered expression when you flash your wrist emblazoned with glowing binary? Yes it will, you quietly smirk to yourself.

2nd Prize: Micro R/C 4-Channel Flying Saucer

If you're looking for the smallest most sophisticated R/C flying vehicle around then your wait is over. The Micro R/C 4-Channel Flying Saucer incorporates amazing technology in a package not much larger than your outstretched palm. With 4-propellers you'd assume the Micro Flying Saucer would be hard to keep balanced in the air, however this problem is solved by the built in solid-state accelerometer. Similar to the technology in the iPhone and Nintendo Wii contoller, the accelerometer senses tilt on two axes and adjusts the power of each propeller to keep the Flying Saucer rock solid in the sky.

The built in automatic trim means no trim dials or buttons to adjust. Simply power-cycle the remote before your flight and the Flying Saucer auto trims itself using the accelerometer as a reference. Complete 4-channel control allows you to move directly forward, reverse, left or right. Plus you can rotate in place, and move up and down. It's everything you would expect from a mini Terminator style drone except for the weaponry.

3rd Prize: Tetris Wall decal. Fun Kit 7 Colours

Ok Ok, we ALL played Tetris at one point or another, I know.
I played for the kickin' Tunes though.......

This vinyl wall decal set is created with 7 colours.
Sorry, but they're already made up, and cannot be changed!
Orange, Green, Flouro Green, Yellow, Red, Blue, Purple,
Each square is 2" Square, and there will be a variety the actual numbers you get of each colour. Just like Real Tetris! Don't worry, you'll get two of each. You may be waiting for the "4 in a row" for a while......Just kidding.

These decals are cut with high quality vinyl! Removable, and non permanent. {Old paint may come off with decals. Heat them up with a blow dryer to ease removal}

4th Prize: Puzzle Cube Alarm Clock

The 80's saw many trends come and go - our favorite, of course, was legwarmers, but coming in a close second were those colorful cubic twisty puzzles that boggled our minds. Remember solving them with a screwdriver? Yeah, we did that, too. We won't tell if you don't.

Eventually, though, we figured out how to solve the thing properly. Before too long, we got fast at it - fast enough to compete professionally! There's even one monkey that can glance at each side for a few seconds, close his eyes, and solve it in less than a minute. He's a genius, but he's also memorized the phonebook. Up to "G." Kinda scary.

Since we live the cube, it's time to BE the cube. Our desktops will show our love for the venerable puzzle from the days of Duran Duran. The LCD display of this unique clock shows the time, sure, but give the top-row a twist, and you can switch the display between the Alarm, Calendar, and even the Temperature settings! There were lots of great things about the 80's, certainly. We're just taking those great ideas and updating them for the new millennium. Now, if we can just bring back the piano necktie...

5th Prize: Rocket Alarm Clock

Blast off every morning with our Rocket Alarm Clock! Just set the digital alarm, and as "launch time" approaches, you'll hear a countdown begin. If you're not awake to disarm the launch procedure, the Rocket Alarm Clock's launches its missile, beeping until you return it to the clock's base. It's a space-age wake-up call! Features a Snooze function and backlight. Imported. Wipe clean.

6th Prize: Star Trek Tribbles

In the 23rd century, an enterprising trader named Cyrano Jones procured an interesting and adorable little creature. These tiny furry beasties had a calming effect on the nervous systems of humanoids - well most humanoids, anyway. They were called tribbles.

These tribbles, when they're not busy being cute and purring, were prodigious breeders. As one country-doctor once quipped, "Well, the nearest thing that I can figure is that they're born pregnant - which appears to be quite a time-saver!" In fact, their ability to multiply is so incredible, they can fill an entire cargo hold in three days - that's one million, seventy-one thousand, five hundred sixty one tribbles... assuming one tribble with an average litter of ten producing a new generation every twelve hours. That's some impressive breeding, right there. It would make any man want to high-five any tribble, except tribbles don't have arms.

These tribbles, however, are genetically altered to be sterile. In fact, ThinkGeek will guarantee that, should our tribbles somehow begin to multiply, we will dispatch someone to remove the infestation from your starship or space-station - even if it takes seventeen-point-nine years.

7th Prize: USB Owl

We often wish we had a wise owl perching on our monitors and able to dole out sage workplace advice when needed. Handy tips like "Joe is making double your salary with the same job description as you"... or "only one donut left in the kitchen" would certainly be helpful. However, this USB Robot Owl does nothing of the sort.

Imported from Japan the USB Robot Owl blinks his eyes and turns his head from side to side in a quizzical manner... almost to say "I'm damn cute and I know it". Plug him into any handy USB port and he can perch on top of your laptop with the included clip, or set him on top of his comfortable stump. Push the button on the back to choose from three owlish moods; Active, Mellow, or Sleeping.

8th Prize: Star Trek Retro Action Figures

Ah, the 70s. So many things happened which affected Geekdom forever. Perhaps the most important thing to happen was the introduction and proliferation of Mego action figures. There were tons of cool figures to choose from, but the Star Trek figs held a special place in our hearts. And now the great folks at Diamond Select have made wonderful reproductions for a whole new generation of Mego fans.

In the 70s, things weren't politically correct - so Klingons were bad and that was that (and they don't like to talk about the lack of a wrinkly head, so don't ask). Both Kirk and the Klingon come with real cloth costumes, multiple points of articulation, and weapons (in UFP blue or Klingon orange). They are so much fun we can't stop playing with them. Get them now, before they are gone for another generation.

Oh, and there was one other major geeky thing that happened in the 70s: Star Wars. Ironically, Mego chose not to take the Star Wars license, and that led to Mego's eventual downfall

9th Prize: Stickman Action Figure

The Stickman action figure has a bajillion points of articulation, so he can get into any pose. And each leg and arm ends in a hole that can connect to one more ball jointed peg on the action base - which means you can balance him on one hand or one leg. Snap in the warning sign backdrop, and you create any sign you can imagine. Warn folks that the breakroom is an authorized "Handstand Zone" or that the leaking water cooler is a "Swimming Zone." With the Stickman Action Figure, your office can always be the official "Party Zone" - just add some sticky note confetti to the backdrop!

10th Prize: Fruit Powered Clock

Did you ever do a grade school science experiment harnessing the power of the common potato? Well, this clock will bring back fond fruity memories of No. 2 pencils, slamming lockers and whoever your 7th grade lab partner might have been. This fruit-powered digital clock and calendar combines micro-electronic technology with the natural electrical potential of a fresh fruit or veggie. The ultimate in clean and renewable power sources! A new spin on power juicing! Imported.

11th Prize: Grow Your Own 1up Mushroom

Deep in the basement of an ancient house in Sonobe (tucked in the fields of Kyoto, Japan), an amazing discovery has been made: real 1up Mushrooms. We know this sounds unbelievable, and we laughed when we were contacted by an exporter about them two months ago. But then we were sent a sample, and that's when our lives changed forever.

The instructions are pretty simple. All you do is add potting soil to the green sewer-pipe-shaped flower pot, and push the spores deep into it. Soak the soil with water using the dropper, add a squirt of the food solution, and then it's off to a dark location for a few weeks. We left ours in the darkest corner of our server room, and broke out our NES to relive some classic Mario memories. Three weeks later, we checked in on it. To our surprise, what you see in the photo above is what greeted us - a perfect 1up mushroom. Thrilled, we jumped up in the air, punched the ceiling tiles (earning 10 coins), and instantly bought the entire stock of them to offer to you, our friends.

12th Prize: Wasabi Gumballs

Like a ninja, wasabi sneaks up on you. With ninjas, one moment you are partying down and the next moment you are dead in fifteen different ways. With wasabi, one moment you’re innocently enjoying some nigiri, the next moment you’re squinting, wincing and reaching for the sake. And then next, next moment you are wincing even more as you realize your "good friends" put wasabi in your sake too. Stupid friends. But there is a safer way to enjoy wasabi - these new Wasabi Gumballs!

With these Wasabi Gumballs you don’t have to go out for sushi to experience that intense explosion of pleasure/pain. Each tin contains twenty-two wasabi flavored gumballs and has amusing sushi chef graphics. And you can tell these gumballs are wasabi-rific by the chef's anger and raised cleaver. Because nothing says "please share in the pleasure of my gumballs" like a raised cleaver. Wasabi!

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The INETA Community Champion Award

DavidSilverlight — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 00:05:00 GMT

INETA Rewards those Active in the User Group Community

An XBox or MSDN Subscription to the 10 Most Active Contributors in the User Group Community each quarter.

How? By doing what you are doing already, you stand to win:

a) Valuable Prizes: An MSDN Subscription. And, if you already have one, you can choose an XBox instead.

XBox	MSDN Professional Subscription

b) The Fame and Prestige of having an award to hang on your wall that shows that INETA recognizes your contributions to the User Group Community.

c) Official Recognition on the INETA Website for one year.

All of your peers will be able to see that you stand out above the crowd. If the opportunity presents itself for you to show your dedication to the User Group Community in a public way, there is no better way than to show off your name highlighted on the website of a highly respected organization like INETA.

d) A Badge for your website showing that you are a Community Champion.

When folks visit your website, blog or any other place where you publicly post your work, they will see that you are a Community Champion.

Oooohhhh. Recognition by INETA? Valuable Prizes? An award to hang on my wall? A Badge? How can I participate?

Well, I am glad that you asked.

INETA has long been known for it's support of User Groups and this year, there are a number of great new programs supporting the User Group Community. The Community Champs program is one of them. INETA wants to recognize individuals who are demonstrating their involvement in the User Group community. The program is aimed at rewarding those that are the most active with the prizes and award mentioned above. It is INETA's way of recognizing the ones that really bring the community together. So, in short, if you are the kind of person who helps to run user group meetings, codecamps, or helps out in any number of other ways, you should let INETA know the kind of activities that you are involved in. If you are very active, you may be recognized by INETA in a very public and spectacular way for the activities that you currently do to help the user group community.

INETA and Community-Credit are making it happen.

Community Credit has been helping to recognize fellow developers for the past number of years for their accomplishments and INETA has been the mainstay of User Groups for many years, so it is no surprise that the two would be working together to make this great program possible. Best of all, the contributions that you record will also count toward Community Credit prizes, so you may even have a chance to be rewarded with a Geeky, Community Credit prize as an added bonus.

How do I submit my contributions?

Visit the INETA website and go to the Champions section, sign in and let INETA know what you are doing by recording your contributions. The current quarterly period counts for contributions during period of June 30th, 2007 to June 30th, 2008. The final submissions can be made until July 14th. Keep in mind that the end of this current quarter is coming up pretty soon, so if you have been very active over the last year, be sure to enter them soon so that you don't miss this great opportunity.

What are the benefits of participating?

If you are an individual who is always contributing to the User Group Community, you do it because you like it. You don't do it because you expect to be rewarded. At the same time, if you just happen to be rewarded and recognized then that makes it that much better. Imagine playing on an XBox that you received as a thanks for all of your hard work. It makes the games just a little bit more fun. Using your MSDN subscription that you "earned" makes the tools just a little bit better and seeing the award hanging on your wall is a reminder to you and your colleagues just how committed you are.

Can anybody participate?

Unfortunately, the current period (being our first) is for participants in North America only.

Feedback

If you have any thought, comments or questions, please do not hesitate to contact the INETA Community Champions Team

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The INETA Community Excellence Award

DavidSilverlight — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 23:49:00 GMT

In addition to the INETA Community Champion award, another really exciting new program that INETA has launched this year is the Community Excellence Award.

The INETA Community Excellence Award is given to individuals for their extraordinary efforts and prolonged contributions to the developer community at both the local and national levels. Through their commitment and passion, these people have made profound impacts that will be sustained for years. In honor of their accomplishments, the Community Excellence Award is a one-time award of recognition that will last a lifetime.

There are many great leaders in our midst, so we are counting on the developer community to nominate the people who you believe most deserve this recognition. The INETA Champs Selection committee will then select the recipients from the most compelling nominations.

The first Community Champions Recipients have been announced and you can see them on the Community Excellence section of the INETA website. If you know of somebody who has spent year after year contributing to the User Group Community, please take a moment to nominate them so that they have an opportunity to be recognized for their dedication and work.

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Community Credit Prizes for June 2008

DavidSilverlight — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 13:09:00 GMT

Note: As always, our prize list can be found on our "Stupid Prizes Page"Check it out to see past prizes and contest winners.

The items below show the prizes that you can win at Community-Credit this month(June 2008 ). You can have a chance at earning one of these prizes by contributing to the development community this month. Simply log your contributions (points awarded for over 100 types of contributions) and the geeks with the most points at the end of June 2008 Contest will win one of the prizes shown below. You can also see the past winners and prizes on our Stupid Prize Page.

But first... a word from our Sponsor: StupidCubicle.com
This month we are happy to have a brand new sponsor. It is our sister site, StupidCubicle.com . The site only has a few products right now, but they are cool products. Be sure to give them some love. Drop us an email and let us know what you think.

Onto this Month's Prizes...
Grand Prize: Video EyeWear

Basically these space age shades are your very own take anywhere 50 inch movie screen. Weighing in at just 68g, ezVision Video specs plug into your iPod Video or any portable video/movie/DVD player and screens your movies in such a way that it seems as though you're looking at a huge screen. They allow you to zone out from the world around you and get right into the movie, slide show, or whatever. There are retractable headphones that are built into the arms of the specs, so you can truly plug-in and zone-out. Watch movies in bed without disturbing your better half, chill out on the train in front of a top film, or plug in in-flight and free yourself from those horrible little seat-back screens.

1st Prize: Mario Kart Race Set

It's a race to the finish-line with your favorite Nintendo® characters, Mario and Donkey Kong! Kart-racing action takes place on a slot car track where you dont need banana peels to spinout! Think you can handle the curves?

2nd Prize: USB Fridge

This USB Fridge is the only way to keep your drink cold while you're at your computer and it looks cool on any desktop.

You can keep your beverage chilled and stay at your computer longer.

Just minutes after plugging in the USB Fridge the cold plater chills to the perfect temperature for helping keep your beverage cool.

Takes 5 minutes to bring the fridge down to 8°C (47°F).

Blue LED lighting effects.

Easy installation, no driver required, plug & play.

Compatible with all platforms.

Dimensions: 19.5 x 9 x 8cm

3rd Prize: USB R/C Mini Car w/Garage

Every morning you do the same thing. You get up, brush your teeth (hopefully), get dressed, and drive to work. You sit looking at the same cars and the same tired faces also participating in the great morning commute. You get to work and sit at your desk, a new day of the same old sh...stuff. Wouldn't you just love, for once, to drive during the week and not hit traffic? Well, now you can - right on your own desk - with the USB R/C Mini Car w/Garage.

Just plug the garage into your USB port, load up the software, and give the car about 10 minutes to charge (inside its garage). Once it's done, open the garage door and drive the car out using your keyboard's arrow keys. And if that pesky coffee mug gets in the way again, hit the space bar to honk your horn. But really, there isn't any traffic on your desk, so you should enjoy a wonderfully relaxing drive. Take a right at the coffee mug, then a left at the stapler, and cruise on to Funsville (population: you).

4th Prize: Engine-gear Clock

This fascinating clock will keep you captivated, entertained and on-time. Glass face reveals the intricate moving gears and pays homage to the intricate beauty of the clock’s mechanism. Elegant and stately timepiece stands on desk or mounts on wall.

5th Prize: TIX Led Clock

Patterns can be found everywhere in life. In our DNA, in cloud formations, during a chess game, in your code, in your deviant behaviors, and even in your bottle of Bawls. Patterns give us clues. Clues give us information. Information makes the world a happier place (not necessarily a safer happier place though). In the case of the Tix clock, the patterns can give you the time.

Millions of patterns are possible with the futuristic-looking Tix clock, yet the clock is extremely simple to read once you grasp the basic concept. The four seperate fields act like the four digits of a digital clock. The value of each digit is simply the number of illuminated squares in each field. So any given time of the day may have thousands of different ways of displaying the time. The clocks in the image are displaying the time 12:34. It's that easy! Of course your friends are just going to take a look at your Tix clock and think it's just modern LED art. Dullards...

Please note that the image to your left shows the clock static. However, you can set your Tix clock to update every second so that you end up with a constantly evolving change of patterns that reveals to you the time.

6th Prize: Office Space Milton Bobblehead

Rumpled, disgusted and filled with cataclysmic rage, Milton is anchored to reality by his red Swingline stapler. Even as Milton is indirectly fired from his job, his office possessions ransacked, his office cubicle downgraded to the storage basement, Milton hangs on to his precarious sanity---until Lumbergh decides to take the coveted Swingline too.

Milton complains and mutters incoherently, incubating inside his narrow office cubicle while he clings relentlessly to his stapler, having no idea that he’s been fired because no one will broach the actual subject. The taking of the Swingline officially pushes Milton beyond the brink. Milton returns to start a fire, jabbing Lumbergh at the empty core exactly where it hurts by destroying a massive swath of the Initech building

7th Prize: Inflatable Alien

Was it coincidence there was a reported UFO sighting the same night we inflated this green alien? Start your own alien invasion!

8th Prize: Dragon's Lair Mordoc

Back in the day, Dragon's Lair was a true breakthrough. If you grew up with this game, you will appreciate seeing a part of this game coming to life in real world format.

9th Prize: USB Thinklight

Do you put in a lot of effort in the office, but feel that your time and hard work is going unnoticed? What you need is some sort of insignia to help others recognise all the hours you're putting in. The USB Thinklight helps you get noticed and provides a bit of fun along the way! Once you have installed the supplied software, just plug in the USB cable attached to the Thinklight and type as fast as you can! The faster you type, the brighter the light gets! Have this little device sat next to your computer and there is no doubt that in a dark, drab office you will stand out and shine like a bright spark!

10th Prize: Anti Sleep Driving Alarm

It's a pretty typical situation. You've been gaming for sixteen hours and downed plenty of Bawls and Foosh Energy Mints, but the inevitable has begun to happen - you're starting to get the dreaded drowsy head tilt. Maybe this means it's time to quit your session and get some rest. We think not. The better answer is to put on the Anti Sleep Driving Alarm and keep on going.

A device designed for long distance truck drivers or professional drivers who run the risk of falling asleep behind the wheel, the Anti Sleep Driving Alarm rests comfortably behind your ear. If your head tilts forward more than 30 degrees a high-pitched alarm will sound and bring you back to reality. Great for gamers, students, security guards, late-night coders, secret underground bunker employees, convenience store nightshift, pilots, etc.

11th Prize: Mooning Alien

Intergalactic mischief maker proves pranks are universally funny.

11th Prize: Face Bank that Eat Coins

Save Your Money with this "Creepy but Cute" Bank. With an Object-sensitive Censor in the eyes, once you reach your hand to feed it a coin, it opens the mouth. This Robotic Piggy Bank Eats Money and Gives you Nightmares.

12th Prize: ScreenSmasher

The ScreenSmasher: the perfect gift for anyone who spends too much time with a computer.

True Story. A man walked into a bar with a laptop, told everyone to cover their ears, and then shot it four times. He hung the laptop's remains on the wall like a hunting trophy.

Millions of people suffer from Computer Rage, the intense frustration of being tormented by soulless machines. Who hasn't fantasized about smashing their computer?

The ScreenSmasher™ is the cure for Computer Rage. When your PC makes you want to strangle someone, whack it! It really feels like you're smashing it to bits, complete with realistic graphics and glass-shattering sound effects.

Wouldn't you love to whack your computer right now?

13th Prize: Mini Rubber Band Artillery

Here in the US we get the shaft when it comes to capsule toys. Gum balls, stickers, temporary tattoos... nothing good. However, amazingly in Japan instead of one of those gummy hands on a string you can get an itty bitty rubber band gun. Now you can stage a tiny stinging ambush with miniscule rubber band guns. Hand assemble each one from eight separate parts. If you buy more than one gun you can link them all together to form a whole battalion of guns. Just turn one of the cranks on the bottom and they all fire together. There are six varieties in all, each with a different flywheel. Luckily rubber bands are included.

14th Prize: USB Desk Assortment and Gift Set

Hey folks, grab this gift set at a great price now! It's like a tentacled USB desktop thingy, without all that dangerous tentacle baggage. Use the light to see in the dark. Use the warmer to keep that java fresh, use the lighted cup to stick stuff in and use the mini vacuum to pick up those crumbs from your flavor saver. But whatever you do, don't press the button. Really, we mean it. Don't.

15th Prize: Dilbert Board Game

Combat your boredom when you and up to five friends play this Dilbert board game toiling in a office of evil HR directors, accounting trolls, canine consultants, and a boss who resembles the devil. So much fun, why bother with work?

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Community Credit Winners Recognized in June 2008

DavidSilverlight — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 13:06:00 GMT

Let's see who was recognized with geeky gifts in June 2008 ...
Note: As always, our prize list with all of the past winners can be found on our "Stupid Prizes Page"

The folks listed below have truly exceeded in their contributions to the development community and have been rewarded with some really geeky prizes. How did they win? They simply went above and beyond in their contributions to the development community and logged their contributions here and the geeks with the most points at the end of June 2008 Contest won one of the prizes shown below.

But first... a word from our Sponsor: StupidCubicle.com
This month we are happy to have a brand new sponsor. It is our sister site, StupidCubicle.com . The site only has a few products right now, but they are cool products. Be sure to give them some love. Drop us an email and let us know what you think.

And now, onto the winners
Grand Prize Winner: Dave Campbell with 83,200 Points points won a USB Podcast Kit

1st Prize Winner:Don Burnett with 46,900 Points points won a Green Laser Pointer II

2nd Prize Winner:Martin Hinshelwood with 41,000 Points points won a The Hypnotic Jellyfish Aquarium

3rd Prize Winner:Christopher Steen with 37,800 Points points won a USB Finger Dance Mat

4th Prize Winner:Jeeva Paramasivan with 27,725 Points points won a Marshmallow Assault Rifle

5th Prize Winner:Antonio Chagoury with 27,212 Points points won a USB Speed Typing Mouse

6th Prize Winner:Vivek Thangaswamy with 23,800 Points points won a USB Warming Mouse Pad

7th Prize Winner:Joseph Guadagno with 20,000 Points points won a Palm-Z Mini Indoor R/C Airplane

8th Prize Winner:Colin Mackay with 19,500 Points points won a USB Whack A Mole

9th Prize Winner:Tim Heuer with 18,000 Points points won a Computer Bug Zapper

10th Prize Winner:stan naspinski with 17,932 Points points won a Wacky Pack Sheets

11th Prize Winner:Shawn Weisfeld with 17,000 Points points won a USB Stress Panic Button

12th Prize Winner:Rob Foster with 16,500 Points points won a USB Security KeyThe Cubicle Doorbell

13th Prize Winner:Michael Eaton with 16,500 Points points won a USB Fragrance Oil Drive

14th Prize Winner:Brian Scarbeau with 16,000 Points points won a Star Trek™ Collectible Watch

15th Prize Winner:Marco Minerva with 15,250 Points points won a Desktop Water Dispenser

16th Prize Winner:Nick McKenna with 15,000 Points points won a Beat It Up! Computer Stress Toy

17th Prize Winner:Michael Paladino with 14,900 Points points won a Acrobots

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Community Credit Prizes for May 2008

DavidSilverlight — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 13:04:00 GMT

Note: As always, our prize list can be found on our "Stupid Prizes Page"Check it out to see past prizes and contest winners.

The items below show the prizes that you can win at Community-Credit this month(May 2008 ). You can have a chance at earning one of these prizes by contributing to the development community this month. Simply log your contributions (points awarded for over 100 types of contributions) and the geeks with the most points at the end of May 2008 Contest will win one of the prizes shown below. You can also see the past winners and prizes on our Stupid Prize Page.

But first... a word from our Sponsor: StupidCubicle.com
This month we are happy to have a brand new sponsor. It is our sister site, StupidCubicle.com . The site only has a few products right now, but they are cool products. Be sure to give them some love. Drop us an email and let us know what you think.

Onto this Month's Prizes...
Grand Prize: USB Podcast Kit

This prize was brought back by popular demand. It's an indisputable fact that our own lives, thoughts and insights are considerably more important and fascinating that anyone else's. Thanks to the internet, we can now enlighten the world with our wit and wisdom by producing our very own Podcasts. At last someone has put together the ultimate Podcasting kit that comes with everything you need to broadcast professional and fascinating (well that bit's up to you) podcasts to the planet.

1st Prize: Green Laser Pointer II

This pointer is significantly brighter (about 50 times) than a red laser pointer and because of its unusual color it is much more noticeable. I mean come on, a 532 nm green laser wavelength is obviously superior to a laughable 650 nm red laser wavelength. And unlike a red laser, the green beam itself can be seen in mid-air in dark conditions, not just the laser beam dot. This allows the green laser pointer to be used for pointing to star constellations (skypointing) and also just generally look cool as hell. The green laser beam dot can be seen at much greater distances than with a red laser pointer.

2nd Prize: The Hypnotic Jellyfish Aquarium

The Hypnotic Jellyfish Aquarium features three artificial jellyfishes that move in the water amid seaweed and coral reefs, and the LED backlighting highlights their movements. Each “jellyfish” has a silent, integrated motor which generates gentle currents, causing it to rise and fall in the water.

3rd Prize: USB Finger Dance Mat

If your chubby fingers make it hard to dial phone numbers, don't resort to buying one of those phones with over-sized buttons they make for the elderly. Instead, trim those sausages down with a little finger exercise! At first glance, this USB-powered mini 'Dance Dance' game appears to be some glorified, real-time version of Simon, with mini-lights and sounds that would only make old-school Mattel handhelds jealous. Of course, that's before you knuckle-up to the female cardboard cut-out and settle into a DDR-groove sure to burn tens of calories.

4th Prize: Marshmallow Assault Rifle

First, you'll notice two different barrels. The bottom barrel shoots mini marshmallows and should be used for cover and strafing fire. It is your main weapon - learn to love it. The magazine holds up to 12 mini marshmallows and is very easy to reload quickly. The top barrel will hold one regular sized marshmallow at a time. It is your grenade launcher, and you'll know when you need it. With the Marshmallow Assault Rifle, a lotta luck, and some good soldiering you might just survive to fight another day. Oh, and if you get hungry out there in the field, you can just eat your extra ammo.

5th Prize: USB Speed Typing Mouse

If you have your own private office, you might find yourself getting a bit lonely from time to time. This cute little pedaling mouse will keep you company and let you challenge your typing ability!

This cute little hairy-chested mouse plugs into any USB port on your computer! The faster you type, the faster he pedals! Keep note of the number on the LCD display and set yourself challenges!

6th Prize: USB Warming Mouse Pad

Planning and doing some coding on one of those cold nights? Some times typing quickly doesn't quite do the trick. But you are in luck. This Warming MousePad is part mousepad, part hand warmer. It has a warmer pad inside. Once you plug it in the USB port, your hands will get warm. Great for those who live in cold places.

7th Prize: Palm-Z Mini Indoor R/C Airplane

The Palm-Z Mini Indoor R/C Airplane has a wingspan of only 8" and weighs less than 10 grams. But don't let the tiny size deceive you, this beauty is a fully functional indoor flyer with digital proportional speed control. The dual-wing design gives the Palm-Z plenty of lift, so it can fly slowly as it glides across your living room. Dock it with the remote to charge for about 10 minutes and you'll get 5 minutes of flying time to circle your dining room chandelier and bewilder your pets. As with any new R/C nugget you'll need a bit of practice to fly like a pro and having a larger sized room to fly in wouldn't hurt.

See it in action here:

8th Prize: USB Whack A Mole

Everyone remembers the classic arcade game 'Whack a Mole', where you bash the head of some poor creature as it emerges from it's hole. Now you can play for free at the comfort of your own desk with this USB Whack It game.

9th Prize: Computer Bug Zapper

Computer Bug Zapper does blink and buzz at your command whenever a software bug is detected and destroyed. For your stress level, that may be just enough to get you through the day. And, if you're a programmer .... well, then it's your job to convince everyone around you that it works!

Place one on your monitor today to attract those nasty Computer Bugs. It won't help, but it's fun!

10th Prize: Wacky Pack Sheets

If you're old enough, you may remember Wacky Packs. Issued in the late 1970's, Wacky Packs were very funny stickers featuring sick and weird twists on famous products.

11th Prize: USB Stress Panic Button

It is a system that works via USB and when you press the button there is a count down clock and a screensaver that take over your monitor. There are 3 different screensavers that can be used depending on the situation: A-Bomb, Working Diligently, and The Boss.

See it in action:

12th Prize: USB Security KeyThe Cubicle Doorbell

So, how does someone "knock" on your cubicle? Well, one way would be to use The Cubicle Doorbell - a small device that provides a more civilized way for visitors to announce their arrival at your cubicle entrance.

13th Prize: USB Fragrance Oil Drive

Need a little relaxation break during work? The employee lounge is for suckers. Simply dim your monitor brightness, spin up a Kenny G disc and insert this aromatherapy device into a free USB port. You can choose between rose, peppermint, jasmine and lavendar -- three to five drops of which will take you through the day. Your coworkers will thank you with wedgies!

Features & Specification:

Diffuse fragrance oil with your computer

Drop fragrance oil in the cross-shaped hole

3 to 5 drops are enough for operating all day long

Mini size for a discrete use

14th Prize: Star Trek™ Collectible Watch

Be the envy of fellow "Trekkies" when you wear this one-of-a-kind STAR TREK™ Musical Watch that plays the original STAR TREK™ theme song at the touch of a button!

15th Prize: Desktop Water Dispenser

Our desktop Water Cooler-style water dispenser serves up 64 ounces of water or other liquid, all without needing to leave your chair! Place it on your desktop or end table and start burning fewer calories right away.

16th Prize: Beat It Up! Computer Stress Toy

This soft, desktop substitute for the real thing is a great stress ball for every desktop. Go ahead, beat it up! Does your computer ever drive you to point of insanity? What about anyone you know? When it crashes right when you want to get something simple done and it turns into hours of troubleshooting. Don't beat up your real computer, beat up the Beat it Up Computer! At only about 6" square, it won't clutter up your desk.

17th Prize: Acrobots

Articulated, stackable and very artistic, Acrobots feature crystal clear round heads, magnets in their hands and feet, flexible joints and the ability to contort into hundreds of shapes. Pose them gracefully and stick 'em on metallic stuff. Great to fidget with.

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Community Credit Winners Recognized in May 2008

DavidSilverlight — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 13:01:00 GMT

Let's see who was recognized with geeky gifts in May 2008 ...
Note: As always, our prize list with all of the past winners can be found on our "Stupid Prizes Page"

The folks listed below have truly exceeded in their contributions to the development community and have been rewarded with some really geeky prizes. How did they win? They simply went above and beyond in their contributions to the development community and logged their contributions here and the geeks with the most points at the end of May 2008 Contest won one of the prizes shown below.

But first... a word from our Sponsor: StupidCubicle.com
This month we are happy to have a brand new sponsor. It is our sister site, StupidCubicle.com . The site only has a few products right now, but they are cool products. Be sure to give them some love. Drop us an email and let us know what you think.

And now, onto the winners
Grand Prize Winner:Dan Rigsby with 98,450 Points points won a 4-GB Halo 3 Master Chief USB Drive

1st Prize Winner:Andy Leonard with 80,500 Points points won a Palmsize Battle Tanks

2nd Prize Winner:chetan akarte with 53,500 Points points won a Space Warp Desktop

3rd Prize Winner:Dhaval Faria with 47,125 Points points won a Tengu

4th Prize Winner:Mickey Gousset with 47,000 Points points won a GX-10 Interactive Gaming Cam

5th Prize Winner:Brad Jones with 46,800 Points points won a Mr. Burns USB Webcam

6th Prize Winner:Andy James with 45,500 Points points won a Broken Image Necklace

7th Prize Winner: John Alexander with 44,500 Points points won a Mini Business Card File Cabinet

8th Prize Winner: with 43,500 Points points won a Phantom Keystroker

9th Prize Winner: with 42,425 Points points won a Plush Mario Sound Bops

10th Prize Winner:Antonio Chagoury with 38,000 Points points won a Star Trek Classic Communicator

11th Prize Winner:Sandeep Aparajit with 34,725 Points points won a Super Mario DX Vinyl & Fabric Figure

12th Prize Winner:stan naspinski with 33,000 Points points won a RTFM Mug

13th Prize Winner:Andrew Karcher with 31,500 Points points won a Dissolvo Spy Paper - Water Soluble Security Paper

14th Prize Winner: Doug Butscher with 31,000 Points points won a Inanimate Character Stickers

15th Prize Winner:Lou Vega with 28,150 Points points won a Extreme Office Crafts

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New Debugging Technique - User Comments about why my site isn't working

DavidSilverlight — Fri, 02 May 2008 14:28:00 GMT

In the past few days, I have been struggling with a rather strange error. For some, and only some people, they would get an error showing "Critical error: SiteURLs.config" and they could not access the site. Now, not being a Community Server expert, I had a hard time explaining this. It would seem to me that this type of error should show up everywhere or not at all. However, since it would show up for some folks and not others, I was running out of explanations and techniques to fix it. This morning, in a really great blog post by Dan Rigsby, who just happened to be the grand prize winner this month (Congrat's Dan), somebody left a comment saying that deleting cookies would solved the problem. Lo and behold, it did. This is the first time that I actually solved a bug based on blog feedback. I will have to add this to my list of debugging techniques. It is a good thing that Dan has such an active readership. A quick shout out to a few folks.

Dan Rigsby - Thanks for the great blog post. It was very nicely written and appreciated.

Aaron Lerch - Good job pointing out the cookies issue. You are obviously a lot wiser than I.

The image below shows off what has been my nemesis for the past few days...

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A really bad bug, A really stupid bug, An easy fix with some crazy attempts

DavidSilverlight — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 07:52:00 GMT

I just fixed what has apparently ( and sadly) been a longstanding bug in Community Credit having to do with logging in. In a nutshell, if you enter your username and password when logging in and hit enter, you will see the profile of Karl Shifflett. Sounds pretty crazy, eh? Don't get me wrong, Karl is a highly accomplished individual and I am happy to show off his profile to anybody who asks. Heck, I even nominated him for an MVP which he was just awarded, in fact. However, you shouldn't really see his profile as a result of trying to login. Although this bug is rather simple, it is pretty bad from a perception standpoint. It makes the site appear to be badly broken, IMHO. Since I am in the habit of clicking on the login button, it is something that I never encountered.

After chatting with Chris Williams, last night, he mentioned that if he types in his UserName and hits enter, he sees Karl's Profile. I tried it and sure enough I was able to reproduce it. At this point, I said to myself, the bad news is that this bug exists, but the good news is that I can reproduce it very easily.

What could cause such strange behavior you may be wondering? I know I was. Believe it or not, it had to do with the fact that if you hit enter when logging in, it doesn't trigger the Submit Button on the login control, but rather the Enter key must bubble up to the next active element, which in this case was the first Profile display icon. As a result, you see the profile of the first person in the list.

So, how to solve it (or not to solve it)... Well, start by looking at this discussion thread (57 replies). If you haven't clawed your eyes out yet, keep reading. These are some pretty convoluded attempts which I am sure may have worked, but I just couldn't bring myself to do them. Although I did convert the login control to a template, going through some of the other steps just felt so wrong....so did the javascript solution and a few others that I read.

The Solution?
The solution was on the page, though, and was the post by Benazir Mandli which was essentially to set the default button on the form to the login button. Simple as that. Problem solved.

Page.Form.DefaultButton = btnSubmit.UniqueID;

It is nice to have such a bad bug fixed.

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Community Credit Prizes for April 2008

DavidSilverlight — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 14:53:00 GMT

Note: As always, our prize list can be found on our "Stupid Prizes Page"Check it out to see past prizes and contest winners.

The items below show the prizes that you can win at Community-Credit this month(April 2008 ). You can have a chance at earning one of these prizes by contributing to the development community this month. Simply log your contributions (points awarded for over 100 types of contributions) and the geeks with the most points at the end of April 2008 Contest will win one of the prizes shown below. You can also see the past winners and prizes on our Stupid Prize Page.

But first... a word from our Sponsor: StupidCubicle.com
This month we are happy to have a brand new sponsor. It is our sister site, StupidCubicle.com . The site only has a few products right now, but they are cool products. Be sure to give them some love. Drop us an email and let us know what you think.

Onto this Month's Prizes...
Grand Prize: 4-GB Halo 3 Master Chief USB Drive

In celebration of the ultimate shooter, Halo 3, our Grand Prize this month is the 4GB Halo mimobot® Series 1 Designer USB Flash Drives! Not only will you have the most badass USB Drive around, but it arrives preloaded with tons of Halo content, including the mimobot soundByte™ application, artwork, excerpts from the upcoming Halo novel, and a special episode of "This Spartan Life."

Note: If you are not a Halo 3 fan, you can select a different MimoBot design here They have some truly amazing designs.

1st Prize: Palmsize Battle Tanks

Office disputes can be handled in a most diplomatic manner. As standard procedure, the offending parties are teleported to the surface of Vulcan where they duel to the death to resolve their differences. However due to the high employee turnover rate we have revised the policy to declare a victor based on Palmzsize Battle Tank warfare. These detailed diminutive r/c tanks feature authentic tank sounds and IR based "laser tag" action with realistic recoil. A hit momentarily disables your opponent. Get enough hits and take control of your enemy's tank. Each set contains two-tanks, but buy an extra set and up to four tanks can battle at once to solve those more complicated office disagreements

2nd Prize: Space Warp Desktop

You know those desk-based toys of yore where five balls hang from strings and clink back and forth in different patterns? Well slap that old desk gadget in a Delorean at 88 Mph and you'll get the futuristic Space Warp Desktop. Imported from Japan, this mesmerizing desk toy features either chromed ball bearings or glowing orbs perpetually rotating on a clear track. Flip a switch on the back to choose which type of balls you prefer, while the ones you don't want are automatically sorted and stored in the base. The glowing balls are powered by a built in UV light in the base which charges them up, causing them to glow as they roll down the track only to be charged up again at the end of the run. It's Japanese efficiency at its finest served up for your desk-based enjoyment.

3rd Prize: Tengu

There is a philosophy in Japan with regards to electronics that a new bit of gadgetry doesn't exactly have to be practical to be useful. One only has to look at their total embrace of household robotics to see the truth of it. Their approach to gadgetry is to develop the product first, then create the need for it.

For example - here we have a cute little white plastic brick with a face made of LEDs. The tiny microphone in the base picks up sounds in the room, whether it's music, or your loudmouth boss, and makes his mouth move in time. It's like he's lip synching to the song! Kinda like Britney, only much much smaller, and probably smells better.

He's USB powered, so plug him in to any powered USB port, set him near your favorite sound-source, and your little buddy will perform for you all day long!

4th Prize: GX-10 Interactive Gaming Cam

Web cameras have revolutionized the way people communicate. Board meetings can be held across the planet, parents can monitor their kids in school, you can even monitor your jerk neighbor as he sneaks into your yard and steals your tomatoes. Webcams extend your vision by huge distances, but did you know that webcams can actually inject you into your videogames?

No, it's not quite as sinister as it was in Tron. There's no Master-Control-Program to force you to play. No Sark demanding you join with the MCP or die in the games. Still, these games can be so addictive and fun, you may never want to leave the world of the games!

Three games, Kung Fu, Super Knight, and Funny Stair will have you fending off Ninja attackers, running jumping and avoiding falling deadly spikes, and shooting down rocket-powered mutants by swinging your arms up down, left and right. The camera and the sophisticated software included, interprets your movement, and makes your on-screen doppelganger fire devastating lasers or issuing the virtual smackdown to flying martial assassins.

5th Prize: Mr. Burns USB Webcam

Charles Montgomery Burns, the owner of the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant, believes in productivity. "A well oiled machine", he is often found saying, "is made up of one part human resources, two parts quality equipment, and three parts soul-crushing surveillance." He is known to have his long skinny fingers in every pie in Springfield and the surrounding boroughs.

"A good worker", he elaborates, "is a monitored worker. Also non-unionized mind-controlled automatons do a fine job." So, until he perfects his R&D's department's work in cybernetically enhanced capuchin helper-monkeys, he'll have to settle for keeping a close eye on his employees.

"Those nincompoops think I'm giving them a nifty doo-dad that lets them communicate with acquaintances over the Internet-o-phone," he says conspiratorially, "but really I'm watching their every move." His finger, then, wavers precariously over a button marked, "Hounds."

A high-quality webcam shaped like Monty Burns at his desk includes a large clip that allows it to be attached to your flat-panel monitor or laptop screen.

6th Prize: Broken Image Necklace

Green circles, red triangles, and blue squares. No, these are not the the latest polygons in the Lucky Charms lineup. They're your friendly "broken image" icon component parts, er, well, maybe not yours. Depending on your browser, YBIIMV (Your Broken Image Icon May Vary).

Hang the broken image symbol around your neck, and voila. Your necklace has failed to load. It's a freaking clever idea we couldn't resist. The necklace is on a 17" leather cord closed with a sterling silver clasp. The pendant itself is lightweight, made from non-toxic shrink plastic (with a protective coating) and measures about 1 inch square. These are handmade by the artist in California, so expect some slight variation which betrays they were not made by a robot. At least, not so far as we know, but we didn't do a Turing test on her

7th Prize: Mini Business Card File Cabinet

You've collected hundreds of business cards since that last conference. Now, they're scattered between stacks on your desk, stuffed into files, mixed into papers, and wrinkling in your back pocket. That's hardly the way to maintain a proper business relationship.

This little file cabinet looks like a shrunken version of the real thing, but holds up to eight hundred business cards. Two drawers pull out, letting you shuffle through your entire collection. We've even included lettered-tabs to help keep everything organized.

8th Prize: Phantom Keystroker

In a new era of sophisticated office pranks sure to drive your co-workers bonkers while you snicker silently at your desk, the next advanced level in stealthy office joke electronics is ready for your enjoyment. The Phantom Keystroker may look like a harmless circuit board, but it's actually a devious contraption of unlimited office-based torture. Simply discreetly attach the Phantom Keystroker to any extra USB port on your victim's computer, no drivers needed. The Keystroker emulates a keyboard and mouse and periodically makes random mouse movements and types out odd garbage text and phrases. A simple jumper setting allows you to choose between either keyboard garbage typing, annoying mouse movements or both. An adjustment pot sets the duration between "events". We recommend you don't set it too frequently so as to extend the agony. Your hapless co-worker pal will think his computer has been possessed or infected by a destructive virus. As he writhes in anger and furiously dials tech support you can rest easy with a job well done

9th Prize: Plush Mario Sound Bops

Think about re-configuring your office like a Super Mario Brothers Level. Desks become platforms, leftover donuts become mushrooms and the office dogs get really really confused. With these Plush Mario Sound Bops peppering the course when we squint our eyes we can almost envision being in a real video game. Hit the plush Brick Block on the bottom and you get a coin sound from the game. Jump on the plush Goomba (or simply bop him on the head) and he makes the defeated Goomba sound... unless you bop him one too many and you get the "game over" noise.

10th Prize: Star Trek Classic Communicator

Captain Kirk is known for many things; one thing is being prepared for anything. Whenever Captain Kirk left the Enterprise, there were always three things he made sure he was equipped with. His Phaser, a tear-away shirt, and his Communicator. The Phaser we already sell. The shirt you'll have to make yourself. And the Communicator . . . has finally arrived.

Now you too can talk to the Enterprise no matter where you are. Just flip up the grill, and you'll be greeted with the lights and sounds you've come to know and love. But not content with mere beeps, the UFP has packed this replica with voice clips from the actual series. Delight as you hear Mr. Spock ask you if you want an armed party beamed down and thrill as you call the Enterprise and hear Bridge here, Captain. So equip yourself with the Communicator that futuristically prognosticated the invention of the cell phone, and get ready for a communication . . . from the stars.

11th Prize: Super Mario DX Vinyl & Fabric Figure

Mario loves to party. Some evidence of this is the game Super Mario Party (and all its many sequels). He loves the new friends he meets, he loves showing off his dance moves. But more than everything else, Mario loves showing off his new clothes... especially while reclining on your desk. The Super Mario DX Vinyl & Fabric Figure has a detailed vinyl head hands and feet, while his body and clothing are made from plush fabric. We recommend you keep him next to your mouse to ward off any marauding goombas out to kidnap your princess.

12th Prize: RTFM Mug

This is a Very Fine Mug, you might even call it a VFM. And if you can understand/relate to the following paragraph, then just perhaps this VFM is for you.

"AFAIK, I'm a BOFH for continually bashing you with a clue-by-four. OTOH, if you would just RTFM every once in a while, my life would suck *much* less."

10 ounce black mug with bold white "RTFM" design on front.

13th Prize: Dissolvo Spy Paper - Water Soluble Security Paper

Dissolvo® is an extraordinary paper that, when placed in or flushed with water or steam completely dissolves, along with anything printed or written on it. Dissolvo looks, feels and tears like ordinary paper. You can write on it, photocopy onto it, coat, emboss, and print on it - just like any paper. Our Dissolvo paper provides top security for classified or confidential documents.

Developed and used extensively by government agencies, this special water sensitive Spy Paper makes the need for shredders virtually obsolete. Dissolvo is nontoxic, biodegradable and 100% recyclable.

14th Prize: Inanimate Character Stickers

We do it every day, though mostly without thinking about it - we get angry at the stapler that mangled our presentation, or the phone when it can't get a signal. We say we "love this coffee mug," and sometimes we even imagine a face on the clock on the wall. It's called anthropomorphizing, and it's where we imbue human characteristics to inanimate objects.

But are they really inanimate? Certain mythologies suggest that the more we use and include these objects in our daily lives, the more connected they become with our lives, thoughts and feelings. They are pleased when we use them, and are sad when they're discarded. Think back to that stuffed monkey doll you had when you were a kid. You threw him away one day, and there he sits - vacuously staring at rotting garbage in a landfill for all eternity. Not very nice at all!

So some of these objects can be construed as to have a personality. Why not make it official? Stick a couple of googly eyes, and a goofy grin on a coffee mug, and hey-presto! Your happy smilin' coffee-buddy is happy to let you drink from his skull! That letter-scale looks a little like Domokun, doesn't he? I think that tape dispenser has something evil on his mind… Hmm…

15th Prize: Extreme Office Crafts

There’s a good reason Dilbert and The Office are so popular: today’s most popular sport is mocking life on the job. After all, the average work environment is filled with undesirable people, unpleasant situations, and hours of clock-watching boredom. So what’s a person to do but get this subversively funny gift book? It’s a sanity-salvaging guide for someone on the fast track to burnout. Waiting for the copy machine? Stuck in a claustrophobic cubicle? Then pillage the supply closet, and make the most of a bad situation by creating projects that range from the ridiculous to the sublime.

Relieve cubicle hell with sticky note mosaics or a privacy “curtain” made from key rings and ID tags. Deem yourself Employee of the Month, and craft a glittering crown embellished with colored paper clips and highlighters. Help pass the afternoon with a game of “Boss Phrase Bingo.” From beauty pickups (a correction fluid manicure) to novel ways to get even with an evil co-worker, Extreme Office Crafts is full of fabulous activities that could be considered brilliant exercises of whimsy (or grounds for termination). Tongue-in-cheek, on-location office photography will have readers lol-ing . . . out loud.

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