Gaiman Naming Auction 171
Embedded Geek writes "Neil Gaiman is auctioning the opportunity to help pick a name in his upcoming novel Anansi Boys. Proceeds will go to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. "I've got to name a currently unnamed cruise ship in Anansi Boys. I have no idea what to call it, and, a couple of days ago, realised that my utter lack of inspiration could do good things for the CBLDF. If you wish, you can bid to have the ship named after you, your loved one, your dog, or even your favourite word." As of 10AM PST the bidding is up to US $2,225.00, but surely some slashdotter who cashed out of the bubble at the right time can bid it up. Be warned, though - the auction indicates "Successful bidder agrees to pay actual shipping costs.""
Maybe some of us.... (Score:5, Insightful)
Yeah, so the problem is that while some of us cashed out at the right time, we reinvested it in the stock market and lost our collective asses just like everybody else. Since I was tech heavy (hey, I was in my twenties and did not know anything about investing at the time), much of it disappeared as paper worth. Given that we are five years out from the crash, it is interesting that many estimates say the NASDAQ is another good decade from reaching the levels we had back then, which should teach you younger folks here about the value of market diversification.
Re:Maybe some of us.... (Score:2)
Well that was stupid. First rule of gambling: Quit while you're ahead! If you keep going, you will lose it all.
Re:Maybe some of us.... (Score:2)
I think you don't understand the phrase "cashed out"
As in, traded in your chips for cash, and walked away from the table, holding cash. If you win a hand of poker and use the winnings to bet on the next hand, that's not "cashing out"
What the poster obviously meant was that there are some people who cashed out of the bubble, leaving the
Re:Maybe some of us.... (Score:2)
Hmmm, that's doesn't work with inflation and that's really the big risk now. At least, you get that with real estate or stock. Maybe US Treasury TIPs or blue stocks would be a better bet these days given your risk intolerance.
OTOH, I burned roughly 50% of my stock investment due mostly to Carly Fiorina and gambling in the airlines prior to the Iraq Inva
More Info (Score:5, Interesting)
I think we can burn that bridge when we come to it....it's remotely possible that someone at Miramax or Lamy Pens or TeaDirect Tea may decide that this is a heaven-sent opportunity for cheap product placement, and it'll suddenly become the USS Latest Lindsay Lohan Movie or the SS TIVO RULES. But I sort of doubt it'll happen like that.
Sounds like he could be setting himself up for a lot of hurt.
Other than that, here [chizine.com] is an interview with Neil Gaiman talking about this book and his previous one called American Gods and here [google.com] is Google's Print of American Gods.
As for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, here is a site with some [cbldf.org] highlights of cases that they have helped.
Re:More Info (Score:2)
Re:More Info (Score:2, Interesting)
So, it seems to me, he can go along with something else, but he only has to take a person's name or a pet's name (and he could ask for proof, if it sounds fishy).
The "worst" it could be is a single "favorite" word. And even most profanities would be explainable, in context, for the name of a ship... some colorful story to explain why it is called "S**t" or even "F**k".
All-in-all, I'd bet
Obvious loophole (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Obvious loophole (Score:3, Funny)
Re:More Info (Score:2)
Re:More Info (Score:5, Insightful)
After all, if you'd be willing to part with the money in exchange for something as trivial as this, shouldn't the more weighty reasons for these charities themselves be motivation enough?
For that matter, if you balked at the $2k+ current bid, figuring you couldn't possibly bid more than $x... why not send them the $x?
Naming tool... (Score:2, Interesting)
http://www.spywarearcata.com/babynames_baby_names_ girl_baby_names_boy_baby_names_popular_babies_fema le_male_free_download_unusual_list_naming_children
Free and open source.
Re:Naming tool... (Score:3, Funny)
I'm trying to come up with a name for my son.
That he may be named as a result of a slashdot link is scary. Even more frightening is I pondered the name of:
-nB
Congrats! (Score:2)
Bad names? (Score:3, Funny)
Dear god, I don't think the world is ready for a Goatsecx Jones....
Re:Bad names? (Score:2)
Re:Naming tool... (Score:1)
Re:Naming tool... (Score:2)
I'm shooting for Mark 2.0
Maybe you should go with networkBoy 2.0?
Re:Naming tool... (Score:2)
BTW, you mis-spelled your name (not to be a spelling nazi or anything
-nB
Re:Naming tool... (Score:2)
As for my kid, I'm really hoping for a boy. Right now though I figure he is Mark
Re:Naming tool... (Score:2)
Thats better than my whole version naming scheme.
Re:Naming tool... (Score:1)
Re:Er... (Score:2, Funny)
I'm not so sure about the quality of the list. "W" as a potential name for your baby girl? Possibly to go with middle and final names "T" and "F"?
Why? (Score:1, Interesting)
Re:Why? (Score:2, Funny)
CC.
Immortality (Score:1)
It's not a new thing. Michael Stackpole offered this glorious opportunity, to have characters in one of his books named for bidders in a charity auction. Names within reason, of course, subject to refusal by writer and/or publisher if you think you'll pull a funny, but lewd prank.
It appeals to the fan no less than the Daddy Warbucks out there, who likes to have a university, civic center or new species grant some sort of immortality. Besides, you could wave it
I can see it now... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:I can see it now... (Score:2)
Re:I can see it now... (Score:2)
Re:I can see it now... (Score:1)
Wasn't that the ship's name in Cabin Boy [imdb.com]?
Re:I can see it now... (Score:2)
Check ... check ... hey, is this mic on?
Huh? (Score:4, Funny)
Naw, I waited until all of my investments went to under 10 cents before cashing out. And I don't know how Neil Gaiman is. Maybe I'm not as nerdy as I thought... No, I'm still a nerd! [alden-conger.org]
(courtesy of Yahoo! image search -- don't get me wrong, I love Google, but Yahoo! image search is much more up to date).
Re:Huh? (Score:2)
Heh, hope it isn't a Slashdotter who wins... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Heh, hope it isn't a Slashdotter who wins... (Score:1)
Then again, when have slashdotters ever agreed on anything?
Re:Heh, hope it isn't a Slashdotter who wins... (Score:2)
Re:Heh, hope it isn't a Slashdotter who wins... (Score:1)
Andre Maru?
I would choose... (Score:1)
Too bad.. (Score:1)
careful... (Score:4, Funny)
Half of slashdotters have the same word for two of the above.
Re:careful... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:careful... (Score:2)
Re:careful... (Score:2)
So, what is your favorite word then?
if (dog==you) (Score:1)
Whiners! (Score:2)
"It took a month to even ship, very annoyed but at least they apologised!" "Took over a MONTH to arrive!!! geez! A Neutral because of my relief it showed up" "A little slow but well worth the wait!!!!! Would buy from again!!!!" "Shipping took too long, but great item and an awesome organization - THANKS!!!"
Or maybe the fund really is kind of slow to ship. Well, there hadn't bett
Re:Whiners! (Score:2)
Re:Whiners! (Score:2)
Re:Whiners! (Score:2)
Re:Whiners! (Score:3, Funny)
Shipping Costs (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Shipping Costs (Score:2)
*ba doom boom*
Anansi Boys..? (Score:1, Funny)
I named it (Score:1)
priceless...
Comic Book Guy? (Score:5, Funny)
Oh my! Is the Comic Book Guy in trouble? Worst... lawsuit... ever!
Heh. (Score:3, Funny)
Actually, that sounds a lot like an Ian Banks Culture ship.
Something that'll piss him off... (Score:2)
HMS NeverWhoCares
The SS Morpheus? Isn't He In The Matrix?
Personally, I think the best name ever for a ship was the Size Isn't Everything in Iain M Banks' Culture novels
And the name is... (Score:2)
the CORAL LINER (Score:2)
The U.S.S. Slashdot? (Score:4, Funny)
* U.S.S. Slashdot
* The Cowboy Neil
* The Goatse.cx
* All Your Ship Are Belong To Us
* In Russia, The Ship Names You!
I'm sure someone else can come up with more witty suggestions in this vein.
Re:The U.S.S. Slashdot? (Score:2, Funny)
Re:The U.S.S. Slashdot? (Score:2)
* USS Welcome To Our New Iceberg Overlords (Titanic only)
* USS First Post
* USS Back in the USSR
* USS DarlMcBrideSuxALot
and the list goes on, and on
Re:The U.S.S. Slashdot? (Score:1)
Re:The U.S.S. Slashdot? (Score:2)
To those who don't know who Junis is, I can honestly say that you missed the golden age of Slashdot. It was a melting pot of both great trolls and great expertise.
I'm really surprised Junis doesn't have a wikipedia entry.
Re:The U.S.S. Slashdot? (Score:2)
Truth be told, *I* don't know much about Junis aside from the Slashdot phenomenon and I don't think making an entire biographical entry using Slashdot as the source would do much to help Wikipedia's cause.
Re:The U.S.S. Slashdot? (Score:1)
Re:The U.S.S. Slashdot? (Score:1)
Re:The U.S.S. Slashdot? (Score:2, Funny)
The RTFA
Anonymous
The IANAL
Re:The U.S.S. Slashdot? (Score:1)
Re:The U.S.S. Slashdot? (Score:1)
Re:The U.S.S. Slashdot? (Score:2)
"SS Esses"
Re:The U.S.S. Slashdot? (Score:2)
the worrisome implications (Score:2)
Re:the worrisome implications (Score:5, Insightful)
Certainly he can come up with a name for a boat; just about every character in his writing has an interesting name. This is likely just a case of "I'm going through draft 0 of the story and realized I still have USS (insert name here) in the text and need to correct that. Let's try something fun and unusual and worthwhile for one of my fav organizations."
In true rip-off tribute nerd style... (Score:1, Funny)
The money provided to the cause could be used to sue your ass!
Re:In true rip-off tribute nerd style... (Score:2)
Goldenpalace.com ... (Score:2, Insightful)
Sneaky Goldenpa.
Re:Goldenpalace.com ... (Score:2)
Name it.. (Score:2)
That depends... (Score:1, Funny)
What if we band together (Score:2)
Re:What if we band together (Score:1)
Oh look no one has letsbidforit.com yet?
Awesome (Score:2, Insightful)
Am I the only one who finds this ironic?
Re:Awesome (Score:3, Funny)
"Does a boy [pbs.org] get a chance to whitewash [americanliterature.com] a fence [cmu.edu] every day?"
Re:Awesome (Score:2)
From the story: Tom had traded the next chance to Billy Fisher for a kite, in good repair; and when he played out, Johnny Miller bought in for a dead rat and a string to swing it with.
That ol' Tom Sawyer plays for the big winnings!
Where is Drew Curtis? (Score:3, Funny)
Abe Vigoda Memorial
Re: (Score:2)
Wouldn't it be cheaper to change your name? (Score:1)
Wouldn't it be cheaper to change your own name to some other? I mean, if you want to be remembered for ever or to flaunt your famous name onto others, why not change it to an already existing name?
- "Hi, my name is Majere, Raistlin Majere."
or
"Conan Barbarian and Xena Princess would like to invite you to the baptism of their daughter, Red Sonja Barbarian..."
I can see the follow up of Soviet Russia jokes already...
Am I the only one dissapointed... (Score:1)
I'd name it "Snappy."
Shipping Rate (Score:1)
Something I've wondered about for a while... (Score:2)
A girl I know from the US says it was Guy-Man, I always thought it was Gay-Min, its been bugging me ever since.
Re:Something I've wondered about for a while... (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Something I've wondered about for a while... (Score:2, Informative)
Arrrrrrr! A pirate cruise ship! (Score:1)
Another example (Score:2)
Terry Pratchett does this, too (Score:4, Informative)
It'll get called thje Golden Casino then. (Score:2)
1 [ebay.com],
2 [usatoday.com],
3 [columbia.edu]
Re:Hi, allow me to introduce myself... (Score:2, Informative)
Not just boys, but Anansi boys.
If you're going to make homo jokes, please try to make them as complete as possible.
(For the Brit-challenged: "nancy boy" is slang for an effeminate, presumably homosexual young man. The title of the book is a clever pun... one that many Americans will, sadly, not get.)
Re:Hi, allow me to introduce myself... (Score:5, Informative)
The main character in Gaiman's book is the son of a spider god.
Re:Hi, allow me to introduce myself... (Score:2)
Re:Hi, allow me to introduce myself... (Score:2)