I got an advance copy of the "Ask the Cluewriter" feature. Apparently it's written by the person who wrote the clues the last few years:
Q. When do you hide the medallion?
A. Sometime before the first clue, so you can forget all your whiny conspiracy theories you paranoid bunch of shovel-toting freaks!
Q. How do you pick the hiding spot?
A. Simple. I pick the most God-forsaken hazardous spot I can find. Then I write a bunch of vague useless clues waiting to get to the 12th clue, and then I laugh my ass off while you morons stumble and bumble trying to get to the spot.
Q. Do you read the message boards that treasure hunters post on?
A. Oh God yes. Reading the crazy things you people get out of the clues is the highlight of my year!
Q. In retrospect, don't you think hiding the Medallion in a food item last year was not a wise idea?
A. Piss off you ungrateful vultures!
Q. Any hints as to where it will be hidden this year?
A. Yea, this time I'm really going to stick it where the sun don't shine, so if any of the crueler crew wants that $10,000, you'll have to kiss my ass!
There is some speculation about when the medallion is hidden/dropped. Can you inform us if the medallion is out there prior to the first clue or is it "strategically" placed at some point during the hunt?
I think this question might be a good example of why the PP is doing the Ask the Cluewriter feature. Can you think of a better forum for them to dispel certain myths such as the idea that the medallion is hidden after the hunt starts?
It is also a good opportunity for us to look for writing tells. Most of the columnists have a particular style and are not heavily edited. Maybe we can discern something from the question responses.
Like the snow, hope we get more. Do you think the hiding spot could still be changed if we get enough snow. If it stays with little snow I think it will be in a wooded area again, but it we have 4-5 inches on the ground it could be in a more open area. I think they would want to put it in an open area, since it was in wooded area 2 yrs in a row. my guess is by friday noon, if not 4-5 inches it will be in a place where you would not easily sport it if the snow melted.
I think it was hidden at Merriam before it started. For one, why else would it have been where it was unless there was more snow there at the time? But the reason I really think it is because of the finder's story. He didn't mention seeing anything on the ground. he just kicked a random spot of snow and up it came. So one, I don't know if they could have really managed to drop it and cover it with snow with all those people around and two, if they were going to drop it, why there? Why not somewhere a little more discreet?
As for Phalen, I don't know. Something odd happened there. I do half suspect they had a new medallion last year and they realized at some point it was just gone. And so they may have thrown the old one out there instead at the last minute. But even if that's not true, we all know something bizarre happened (still hard to imagine how they fit that medallion into a doughnut).
On the spec sheets for just about every camera, it lists the minimum operating temperature as 32F. Well, in this state, that would mean we couldn't take outdoor photos for 4 months out of the year. So, for those of you who have digital cameras, how seriously should I take this recommendation? Do the cameras stop working in the cold?
Good question. I have an Olympus that I love. I took it to both of last year's parades and to the palace a few times. I never had a problem. I always kept it in an inside pocket when I wasn't using it.
I'm going out to buy buttons for a couple of my slacker kids who haven't done so yet. Any suggestions? Does Snyder's have them? I refuse to go to Cub. Too dang big!
So I'm wondering, who's all going to the Sunday Kickoff celebration? Anyone see the ad in the paper about it. They mentioned a commemorative Treasure Hunt button... any idea if that's just the Hunter style WC button? Or did the PP actually make up a special one? The name kinda makes you think it will be.
I was looking at a photo of the Ibarra's when they had the sweatshirts on that they found the medallion.....did they have a necklace on that looked like a medallion as well???
Actually I think it's post pre dig gig. The Kickoff is on Sunday the 23rd from 2-5pm. At the Landmark Plaza "winterskate" rink. Funny, it's centered around an ice skating event, but how many treasure hunters ice skate?
The photo Kitch.. those were things the PP was handing out at the ice palace, it wasn't the medallion, just a round glowing necklace that said Pioneer Press on it, and had their dog mascot shown (I think they've stopped using the dog). I have one that's all scratched up I found outside the palace.
It's a wonder that anyone has a button. I started at Fury Motor because of their connection to the Carnival and they didn't have any, but the South Wind Queen was going to be there at 3:30 to sell them. So I went to SA on Upper 55th and didn't see any on the counter so asked and they had them in the back room by the breaker box! I think they need a new Commissioner of Buttons or some such thing.
Yeah, most places that sell em don't exactly put em out in the open for all to see. There's an SA I usually go to to get mine, they're always behind the counter. I mean comeon, put them out so people can look at em.
Hey DD - Experimenting with many brands I'd have to go with Olympus as well. But the lens is the main thing to take into account with any camera. Better lenses allow for more light to be adsorbed making the settings more true to their 35mm counterparts. Keep in mind that the higher the pixels, the more you can use the higher settings as a zoom. For example, if you only have a 3X optical zoom and 5 megapixel it's just as good as an 5x optical zoom with a 3.2 megapixel. (or close anyway - you get the idea) I'm not a big fan of the digital zoom unless you have the higher megapixel cameras. Nikkon is another good digicam.Â
I wouldn't rely on using the camcorder feature too much since most of them only allow for a 2 minute low res shot and it usually takes awhile to write it to the card so you can forget capturing anything as a whole. If you do want to have that feature, you will definitely want to get it with sound since it doesn't take up that much more space and without it it feels like you're watching the old 8mm home movies.Â
As far as batteries go, I've found that the standard AA batteries (rechargable or otherwise) last longer in the cold than the alternative brand specific batteries. I never had to worry about my duracells, even when it was -20 for a week. But now I have to pay more attention with the 3.7v LI-10B battery pack. It still holds it's charge but you need to warm it up first where the AA's produced power right off the bat. Unfortunately, the size of a camera is usually determined by it's batteries. If you want a smaller camera you'll probably need to go with one with the alternative battery styles. Either that or some of them use only 1AA but you'd go through them quite fast anyway.
Hope this helps. $300 should buy you something decent nowadays.   Â
[Edited 4 times. Most recently by on Jan 20, 2005 at 02:13pm.]
DD, I like Sony, has one of the better optical lenses. olympus is good as well as nikon. CM has it right optical zoom is important. One simple way to judge the lense is look what the optical zoom, is and look how wide the lens is. A wider lens is generally a higher quality.Â
even if you do win....at least your not going to get screwed with a minor issue.
that's my nighmare, I find the medallion, have the clues and I don't get the extra 5K on some technicality. so that's why I send in all 4 registration cards with variations of my name (tim, timmy, timothy), and also different email addresses and some with my home some with my cell phone number. I also send them from different mailboxes. I'm not normally this obsessive but I don't want anything ruining the day that I turn in the medallion
I'm filling it out for my daughter. I have no John Doe. But her husband is going to be home during the hunt and I thought he might go out during the day. Hmmm, what to do. I read the rules again and don't see one name per registration card or anything like that. Maybe he should buy his own, but I doubt he will do it in time.
Here's another question. You get an additional $2,500 I think it is if you have clipped the clues. So do you have to haul those around with you or do they let you go home to get them? I know you're supposed to go directly to the PP after you find it.  I sound like I'm going to need to know this stuff! lol
I just opened up an item that I had won on Ebay, and the seller included a gift for my prompt payment! It's a Bath & Body candle in one of my favorite scents that retails for $12! Wow!
My bud Metzen was just on Garage Logic! He saved another senator's life the other day with the heimlich. I saved his butt a couple of times in history class.Â
Here's another question. You get an additional $2,500 I think it is if you have clipped the clues. So do you have to haul those around with you or do they let you go home to get them? I know you're supposed to go directly to the PP after you find it.  I sound like I'm going to need to know this stuff! lol
Â
just print all the clues and keep an extra copy in the car....
the rules say they can be handwritten, printed, photocopied, etc....
I've been clipping and saving the actual clues since 1980. I remember talking to the PP the year they started the printed clue thing and told them that I wasn't parting with my clues for nothing. They said they would change the criteria the next year. You also need a copy of them to enter the Cub Foods $300/$500 giveaway as well.
I usually get two sets of them anyway since I get the clue when it comes out plus the paper is on my step in the morning.
[Edited 2 times. Most recently by on Jan 20, 2005 at 03:04pm.]
yeah well I have to get that Jake stuff out of my system...ick.
 i recommend consuming a case of vodka.
and what do you have against frontpage? coolercrew.com is done with it to this day (with an awful lot of help from the raw html editor).
I got an advance copy of the "Ask the Cluewriter" feature. Apparently it's written by the person who wrote the clues the last few years:
Q. When do you hide the medallion?
A. Sometime before the first clue, so you can forget all your whiny conspiracy theories you paranoid bunch of shovel-toting freaks!
Q. How do you pick the hiding spot?
A. Simple. I pick the most God-forsaken hazardous spot I can find. Then I write a bunch of vague useless clues waiting to get to the 12th clue, and then I laugh my ass off while you morons stumble and bumble trying to get to the spot.
Q. Do you read the message boards that treasure hunters post on?
A. Oh God yes. Reading the crazy things you people get out of the clues is the highlight of my year!
Q. In retrospect, don't you think hiding the Medallion in a food item last year was not a wise idea?
A. Piss off you ungrateful vultures!
Q. Any hints as to where it will be hidden this year?
A. Yea, this time I'm really going to stick it where the sun don't shine, so if any of the crueler crew wants that $10,000, you'll have to kiss my ass!
had to bookmark that post, aw.
There is some speculation about when the medallion is hidden/dropped. Can you inform us if the medallion is out there prior to the first clue or is it "strategically" placed at some point during the hunt?
I think this question might be a good example of why the PP is doing the Ask the Cluewriter feature. Can you think of a better forum for them to dispel certain myths such as the idea that the medallion is hidden after the hunt starts?
It is also a good opportunity for us to look for writing tells. Most of the columnists have a particular style and are not heavily edited. Maybe we can discern something from the question responses.
Hi AW, I agree the writer reads our posts, crueler crew... clue bashing...
I thinking Highland, linwood or some new park this year. Hidden falls has a lot of dangerous areas so it may be there. What do you think..
Like the snow, hope we get more. Do you think the hiding spot could still be changed if we get enough snow. If it stays with little snow I think it will be in a wooded area again, but it we have 4-5 inches on the ground it could be in a more open area. I think they would want to put it in an open area, since it was in wooded area 2 yrs in a row. my guess is by friday noon, if not 4-5 inches it will be in a place where you would not easily sport it if the snow melted.
I was honor student!!
And too late to edit it now too. hehe
Last year, did you actually think the raccoon would make it all the way from Como to Phalen before he died?
hahahaha
not so NEW DADDY! HI! I miss you.
Kitch: Just put the word "Joe" as your tagline and you will claim all the Joes all the time ;)
I think it was hidden at Merriam before it started. For one, why else would it have been where it was unless there was more snow there at the time? But the reason I really think it is because of the finder's story. He didn't mention seeing anything on the ground. he just kicked a random spot of snow and up it came. So one, I don't know if they could have really managed to drop it and cover it with snow with all those people around and two, if they were going to drop it, why there? Why not somewhere a little more discreet?
As for Phalen, I don't know. Something odd happened there. I do half suspect they had a new medallion last year and they realized at some point it was just gone. And so they may have thrown the old one out there instead at the last minute. But even if that's not true, we all know something bizarre happened (still hard to imagine how they fit that medallion into a doughnut).
Well you know I aspire to be the target of a 1st clue insult!
Hi me2, can't wait to see ya in the park again. My bet is that you will find it this year cause your a great noodler and a great digger.
Digital Camera question, part deux:
On the spec sheets for just about every camera, it lists the minimum operating temperature as 32F. Well, in this state, that would mean we couldn't take outdoor photos for 4 months out of the year. So, for those of you who have digital cameras, how seriously should I take this recommendation? Do the cameras stop working in the cold?
Â
Good question. I have an Olympus that I love. I took it to both of last year's parades and to the palace a few times. I never had a problem. I always kept it in an inside pocket when I wasn't using it.
Just talked to Neck he said he will be the first one in line for sure.
Better start camping out tonight then......
I found myself here.
I'm going out to buy buttons for a couple of my slacker kids who haven't done so yet. Any suggestions? Does Snyder's have them? I refuse to go to Cub. Too dang big!
SA's
Guess I'm heading out to IGH then. Thanks.
Birdie with a yellow bill
       Hopped upon my window sill
       Cocked a shining eye at me
       Medallion fever soon will be
So I'm wondering, who's all going to the Sunday Kickoff celebration? Anyone see the ad in the paper about it. They mentioned a commemorative Treasure Hunt button... any idea if that's just the Hunter style WC button? Or did the PP actually make up a special one? The name kinda makes you think it will be.
So, for those of you who have digital cameras, how seriously should I take this recommendation? Do the cameras stop working in the cold?
I've never had a problem with mine.
I was looking at a photo of the Ibarra's when they had the sweatshirts on that they found the medallion.....did they have a necklace on that looked like a medallion as well???
Wasss up Blockhead? I like the avatar.
They mentioned a commemorative Treasure Hunt button..
I would think it's the hunter WC style but wouldn't know for sure. Where and when is that Pre-Pre-Dig bash anyway?
[Edited by on Jan 20, 2005 at 01:28pm.]
Actually I think it's post pre dig gig. The Kickoff is on Sunday the 23rd from 2-5pm. At the Landmark Plaza "winterskate" rink. Funny, it's centered around an ice skating event, but how many treasure hunters ice skate?
The photo Kitch.. those were things the PP was handing out at the ice palace, it wasn't the medallion, just a round glowing necklace that said Pioneer Press on it, and had their dog mascot shown (I think they've stopped using the dog). I have one that's all scratched up I found outside the palace.
[Edited by on Jan 20, 2005 at 01:33pm.]
It's a wonder that anyone has a button. I started at Fury Motor because of their connection to the Carnival and they didn't have any, but the South Wind Queen was going to be there at 3:30 to sell them. So I went to SA on Upper 55th and didn't see any on the counter so asked and they had them in the back room by the breaker box! I think they need a new Commissioner of Buttons or some such thing.
Yeah, most places that sell em don't exactly put em out in the open for all to see. There's an SA I usually go to to get mine, they're always behind the counter. I mean comeon, put them out so people can look at em.
Hey DD - Experimenting with many brands I'd have to go with Olympus as well. But the lens is the main thing to take into account with any camera. Better lenses allow for more light to be adsorbed making the settings more true to their 35mm counterparts. Keep in mind that the higher the pixels, the more you can use the higher settings as a zoom. For example, if you only have a 3X optical zoom and 5 megapixel it's just as good as an 5x optical zoom with a 3.2 megapixel. (or close anyway - you get the idea) I'm not a big fan of the digital zoom unless you have the higher megapixel cameras. Nikkon is another good digicam.Â
I wouldn't rely on using the camcorder feature too much since most of them only allow for a 2 minute low res shot and it usually takes awhile to write it to the card so you can forget capturing anything as a whole. If you do want to have that feature, you will definitely want to get it with sound since it doesn't take up that much more space and without it it feels like you're watching the old 8mm home movies.Â
As far as batteries go, I've found that the standard AA batteries (rechargable or otherwise) last longer in the cold than the alternative brand specific batteries. I never had to worry about my duracells, even when it was -20 for a week. But now I have to pay more attention with the 3.7v LI-10B battery pack. It still holds it's charge but you need to warm it up first where the AA's produced power right off the bat. Unfortunately, the size of a camera is usually determined by it's batteries. If you want a smaller camera you'll probably need to go with one with the alternative battery styles. Either that or some of them use only 1AA but you'd go through them quite fast anyway.
Hope this helps. $300 should buy you something decent nowadays.   Â
[Edited 4 times. Most recently by on Jan 20, 2005 at 02:13pm.]
So can you put a married couple on the same registration card? Like John and Jane Doe? I don't see anywhere that it says you can't.
Are we sposta bring sumptin to the PDG?
I never had clearance to go before, so I know nothing.
Not the PDG, people bring things to the RHB.
DD, I like Sony, has one of the better optical lenses. olympus is good as well as nikon. CM has it right optical zoom is important. One simple way to judge the lense is look what the optical zoom, is and look how wide the lens is. A wider lens is generally a higher quality.Â
john and jane doe? I'm am not really sure if you can do that
or not....I would suggest that you just put down your name......
even if you do win....at least your not going to get screwed with a minor issue.
Â
even if you do win....at least your not going to get screwed with a minor issue.
that's my nighmare, I find the medallion, have the clues and I don't get the extra 5K on some technicality. so that's why I send in all 4 registration cards with variations of my name (tim, timmy, timothy), and also different email addresses and some with my home some with my cell phone number. I also send them from different mailboxes. I'm not normally this obsessive but I don't want anything ruining the day that I turn in the medallion
I'm filling it out for my daughter. I have no John Doe. But her husband is going to be home during the hunt and I thought he might go out during the day. Hmmm, what to do. I read the rules again and don't see one name per registration card or anything like that. Maybe he should buy his own, but I doubt he will do it in time.
Here's another question. You get an additional $2,500 I think it is if you have clipped the clues. So do you have to haul those around with you or do they let you go home to get them? I know you're supposed to go directly to the PP after you find it.  I sound like I'm going to need to know this stuff! lol
I just opened up an item that I had won on Ebay, and the seller included a gift for my prompt payment! It's a Bath & Body candle in one of my favorite scents that retails for $12! Wow!
Nice... never had a seller give me anything extra for prompt payment...
It's nice how the little things count.
[Edited by on Jan 20, 2005 at 02:42pm.]
My bud Metzen was just on Garage Logic! He saved another senator's life the other day with the heimlich. I saved his butt a couple of times in history class.Â
Yeah, I'll sure look at her auctions from now on!
Here's another question. You get an additional $2,500 I think it is if you have clipped the clues. So do you have to haul those around with you or do they let you go home to get them? I know you're supposed to go directly to the PP after you find it.  I sound like I'm going to need to know this stuff! lol
Â
just print all the clues and keep an extra copy in the car....
the rules say they can be handwritten, printed, photocopied, etc....
Haha! It's a really nice candle, but IT'S MISSING A WICK!!! LOL But I can fix that. ;)
lol okay now I know why it's a free gift.
I've been clipping and saving the actual clues since 1980. I remember talking to the PP the year they started the printed clue thing and told them that I wasn't parting with my clues for nothing. They said they would change the criteria the next year. You also need a copy of them to enter the Cub Foods $300/$500 giveaway as well.
I usually get two sets of them anyway since I get the clue when it comes out plus the paper is on my step in the morning.
[Edited 2 times. Most recently by on Jan 20, 2005 at 03:04pm.]