Dave Barry's Blog

HIGHER EDUCATION IN ENGLAND

It's very competitive.

(Thanks to sjhaller)

HO HUM

Yet another toilet snake.

(Thanks to Siouxie)

HERALD HUNT UPDATE

Why are these people so happy?
The Herald Hunt is coming.¹
Be here or drink beer.
(Which, we should note, also makes these people happy.)

¹(It was way more fun to say this when it was the Tropic Hunt).

HUNTDATE

Come to the Herald Hunt on October 21st. You'll be blown away. Ha.

Note from Dave: I was there when this photo was taken, and, like many of you, I have trouble believing that that is my actual hair.

THE HERALD HUNT

Mark your calendars: October 21st

If you've never experienced the madness, check out Andy the tropichunt.com guy's site.

HERALD HUNT REMINDER

The world-famous Herald Hunt will take place Sunday, starting at noon in downtown South Miami. Here's the official Herald Hunt site, which was down for a while but is now back up, we hope. And here is the amazingly thorough site maintained by Andy the tropichunt.com guy. Everything you need to know to participate in the Hunt is in the Miami Herald's special Hunt section, which will be in Sunday's Herald. (If you want a head start, you can get the early edition on Saturday afternoon.) So if you're looking for something fun to do in South Florida and enjoy being driven insane solving puzzles, come on out! Bring your medications family! We will see you there.

HERALD HUNT PREVIEW III: THE INFO

In response to many requests, we bring you the following important information:

"The main stage will be at Sunset Drive and 58th Ave."

Also:

On-street metered parking is available on SW 73 St and SW 74 St - east of South Dixie Highway.

There is a a municipal lot at SW 58 Ave and SW 71 St.

And, $5/day parking is available at First National Bank of South Miami, SW 73 St at SW 58 Ave

HERALD HUNT PREVIEW II

The Prompting

In which the s.b. reports that approximately 30 people are way smarter than we are (having solved the puzzle without receiving the solution from the people who created it). You too can still win a coupon and some other stuff. Just click the link, and do whatever it is that will solve the puzzle. (We would tell you what that is, but we lost the email with the answers, and we don't remember how it works.)

HERALD HUNT PREVIEW

The world-famous and sometimes terrifying Herald Hunt will take place in South Miami Sunday, Oct. 29, starting at noon. There will be complete instructions in that day's Miami Herald. If you're not familiar with the Hunt, you can find tons of information at the official Hunt site and at this amazing site, maintained by Andy Wenzel, a.k.a. Andy The TropicHunt.com Guy. (His nickname dates back to when it was known as the Tropic Hunt.) Thanks, Andy!

We know many of you Hunters are already deranged excited about this year's Hunt, and we decided to give you a chance to stretch your brains a little by trying to solve an online, pre-Hunt puzzle. If you solve it, you'll win a coupon worth a dollar off the official 2006 Herald Hunt T-shirt. You'll also get a chance to win four T-shirts, and a coupon from our sponsors, Bodies.

Speaking of bodies, here's a hint for solving the puzzle:
   

As you are no doubt aware (Ha!) this is a statue by the artist Botero. Seems a bit incomplete, doesn't it? Which brings us to the name of our online puzzle: In Search of the Total Man. To solve it, you need to go to the Miami Herald site, MiamiHerald.com. We've hidden four clues on that site; once you find them, you should be able to figure out the puzzle. Or not! Good luck.

HERALD HUNT FLASHBACK

Herald Hunt participant Brandon Tarver, who for the record did not win the Hunt Sunday, sends this photo, in which I can be seen giving him guidance.

THE HERALD HUNT

It was a fine Hunt -- beautiful day, great crowd. Not only did a number of terrifyingly smart people actually solve the Hunt, but the crowd did not make any serious effort to kill me or Tom Shroder. Here's the Herald story, and here's the solution to the Hunt. Andy the tropichunt.com guy was on hand and has commentary and many photos here. Thanks to everybody who came out and participated. Please use the comments section here to tell us what you thought about this year's Hunt -- your complaints, suggestions and funny stories are welcome.

UPDATE: Here's an updated Herald link with more photos from Herald staff photographer Carl Juste, who for the record is insane, but in a good way.

REMINDER

The Herald Hunt, which is historic and semi-world-famous in a cultish way, will  be rampaging through downtown Coral Gables tomorrow. It's an opportunity to meet interesting people, become extremely confused, and watch Tom Shroder and me smile in a nervous manner. Be there, or be absent!

SPEAKING OF ABNORMAL

Don't forget: The Herald Hunt is Sunday.

THE HUNT IS ON!

The World Famous In Some Ways Herald Hunt will go on as scheduled this Sunday in beautiful, largely electrified downtown Coral Gables. The Hunt is always a fun family event, right up until the family goes insane, often within the first 45 minutes. Here's another fine website about the Hunt created by the tropichunt.com guy, a member of the worldwide cult of Hunt followers.

So come on out Sunday. I'll be there, though I haven't taken a real shower in days, so you'll want to stand upwind.

HERALD HUNT UPDATE

It was fun.

(Sorry, you have to register.)

THANKS

To all the people who came out for the Herald Hunt. Thanks especially to the people who actually figured out how to solve it, thereby freeing the organizers to go drink beer.

WORLD FREAKING SERIES UPDATE

Thank you, Mr. Snail.

There will be no further blogging today because this blog is celebrating the World Series outcome, and participating in the world-famous Herald Hunt. Also of course observing the Sabbath.