Sorry, clock fans...the Hunt clocks have been temporarily disabled due to browser compatibility issues...
5/21/2009 - 2009 POST HUNT PICTURES ARE UP! ALSO, YOUR HERALD HUNT ANNOUNCEMENT!
Hello again, everyone!
Pictures are finally up! I'll be polishing off some other details for the Hunt over the weekend, but the bulk of everything is up for your perusal. I would like to extend a special thanks to Ken Rosado, Don Whiteside, Abby Ross, and Erin McCann for sending photos along to me for use on the site. I would also like to thank the Washington Post for making a lot of media related to the Hunt available as well. I do believe that this is one of the best documented Hunts we've had. Then again...technology is getting better!
Now...for the Herald Hunt nugget of information you've been waiting for...I have...a TENTATIVE date for this year's Herald Hunt! While the date may change...pencil it in in your calendars...it never hurts to plan ahead! And now...drum roll please...as I give you the tentative date for the 2009 Herald Hunt!
The tentative date is...
Sunday, October 18th!
There you have it! Hope that gets everyone excited about coming to Miami...wait...umm...out-of-towners, I didn't specify the year...for those of you locals...it's 2009.
Keep checking back this weekend for some videos, and additional items from the Hunt!
5/17/2009 - THE ANNUAL POST HUNT REVIEW!
Hi, everyone!
What a fantastic Hunt! A great turnout, the weather actually cooperated (despite a good threat of rain) and we had some pretty fun and challenging puzzles
courtesy of Tom, Gene and Dave! I did not hear or see anyone that was genuinely frustrated...although I am sure there were quite a few that would have
been...there always are...and that's okay.
I'm getting my review up first, and then I'll get photos up afterwards (possibly not until tomorrow night, as I'll be travelling tomorrow).
THANKS!
Before anything else, I need to thank the following people for helping make the Hunt what it is:
JULIE
GENE
TOM
DAVE
OTIS & BARBARA (A very big thanks for putting me on the Hunt map!)
JUDI
AS WELL AS EVERYONE ELSE WHO PUT ALL THEIR HEARTS AND SOULS INTO MAKING THIS A SUCCESSFUL SECOND POST HUNT, INCLUDING AND A GREAT BIG THANK
YOU TO ALL THE HUNT VOLUNTEERS!
CONGRATULATIONS
The winning teams did a fantastic job of beating my team to the end solution. We were there behind you...but about 5 minutes too late. We had two 'South
Florida' teams, and the first place team was from the D.C. area again...fantastic job all of you!
THE REVIEW
In my continuing tradition, I offer the following review/thoughts on this year's Hunt:
The Location:
The Freedom Plaza area was great. I liked it more than the location last year...but really, so far any location in D.C. has been a blast. I enjoyed being in
the shadow of the Capitol, White House and the Washington Monument during the Hunt.
Overall Hunt difficulty:
On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being hardest (2008's Herald Hunt), and 1 being easiest (2004's Herald Hunt), this Hunt seemed to be easier than prior Hunts.
My rating...a 3 out of 10. Why? Let's dive in below.
The puzzle-by-puzzle analysis:
The Hunt Stimulous Puzzle: Right at the Hunt stage, they brought out a poster with a bunch of commodity prices on it. Then two guys dressed up as
Uncle Sam came up and started to throw fake money at the crowd. My team got this one with 3 minutes of it starting. Probably the easiest of the Hunt.
Bill Support Puzzle: Next up, just west of the Hunt stage, were the two people asking you to support their bill. Just walking up to the area and
hearing them, I already knew what we had to do based on the keywords they were saying. We had this puzzle done in about 5 minutes. Ties for 2nd easiest of
the Hunt.
The Sculptures: Okay, calling them sculptures is a bit of a stretch. Nonetheless, we arrived at the field and looked at them in the order you were
meant to look at them in. One of my teammates made some comment that I don't recall, but it caused the lightbulb to go off as to what the sculptures were.
Combining that with another required element...and we had our answer. 3rd easiest of the Hunt.
The In My Words Guy:Toughest puzzle of the Hunt. We actually did brute force the correct answer for a completely different reason than how you were
supposed to get the answer, but we had the method of getting the correct answer confirmed for us by another team during the Hunt. Challenging, as you had to
be...paying attention...to get it.
The Statues:This clue was located right near where I appeared on the map. Two people made up to look like Greek statues, which was a reference to the
Hunt map. They gave you a handout, too, that had a math formula. Strangely, this one puzzle seemed to trip a lot of people up. Many Hunters were not aware of
statues on the map, and the need to go to them. Once you knew that (we understood it because we saw volunteers at statues with clue numbers), you could solve
this one easily. Tied for 2nd easiest of the Hunt.
Endgame:This was actually fairly ingenious, and I think meant for people to partially solve so that they could feel some accomplishment. My team had
the phone number immediately, and we understood the message we heard. The problem was the last clue...that stopped us in our tracks for about 2 minutes. Once
we had that, we were on our way, and we solved the rest. I think we likely would have placed 10th, if we had bothered to finish things once we were at the
end location. Also, however, one thing that threw us off is that I saw a guy walking around with a wrestling/boxing championship belt during the Hunt. Talk
about inadvertant red herrings!
HUNT RECOMMENDATIONS
Now let's look at my ongoing recommendations from past Post/Herald Hunts to see how relevant they are...
1) Can the Hunt be held in the spring (February/March time frame)?
2009 Post Hunt Update: 'nuff said. Not a concern for the Post Hunt. Today was great!
2) Can out-of-towners be banned from winning?
3) Please?
2009 Post Hunt Update: Well, um...by 'out-towners' I mean people from D.C. (because they are not from Miami). But since South Floridians took 2nd and
3rd place...I won't complain!
4) Can we have more 'original' content as part of the Hunt special section?
2009 Post Hunt Update: A key difference between the Post and Herald Hunts is the Washington Post Magazine. So we have our original content!
5) On a marketing note: I'd love to be able to buy a small poster of Otis Sweat's great work with the Hunt maps!
2009 Post Hunt Update: Okay, this may seem self-serving...but I've been making this recommendation for some time before I appeared on the map. The map
is a great unique item to keep from a Hunt, and I'd still love to see people be able to buy their own copy!
6) Do another online puzzle next year, but work a bit more closely with Dave and Tom on it.
2009 Post Hunt Update: No online puzzles this eyar, and none really required. Last year the Hunt had to be introduced to D.C. Now it's part of it's
social fabric, so it's not a concern.
WRAPPING THE REVIEW UP
I believe this was one of the most fun Hunts I have ever competed in. It had the right mixture of challenges and fun, and the setting couldn't be beat. Tom,
Gene and Dave were superbly creative in the Hunt's design, and it was executed flawlessly (from what I saw, anyway) by Julie and the rest of the crew at the
Post. Kudos to everyone for such a great job!
Remember, everyone, YOU are what make the Hunt successful as well. If you don't come out, there's no Hunt. AND if you don't support the Hunt, it won't
continue to be held. When you come to the Hunt, buy a shirt! After the Hunt, write/email a letter to the editor! Keep showing the Post that this is a
wonderful family event and that it makes you not only continue to support the Post, but also its sponsors, too. These are keys to keeping the Hunt going, so
do that this week! And buy some Papa Johns pizzas using the coupon code on the page of their ad. Help show your support!
Whew...that's all I have for now!
REMEMBER, KEEP CHECKING BACK AS MORE PHOTOS AS WELL AS VIDEO WILL BE GOING UP!
5/16/2009 - I DAY TO GO! TOMORROW IS IT! UPDATES FOR Y'ALL!
Good morning everyone! Hope you're ready for tomorrow's Hunt!
WEATHER UPDATE!
First, let's get the panic out of the way...if you hear the weather forecast today, you may panic. 80% CHANCE OF RAIN?!? Welllll....a front is coming through today/tonight, but it should clear through before the Hunt, leaving us with the following:
Your (un)Official Post Hunt Weather Hour-by-Hour Forecast as of 11:12am this morning:
12:00pm - 59 degrees - 0% chance of rain
1:00pm - 59 degrees - 10% chance of rain
2:00pm - 59 degrees - 10% chance of rain
3:00pm - 59 degrees - 10% chance of rain
4:00pm - 60 degrees - 10% chance of rain
So we may be in the clear after all for a nice, cool day, if overcast. I'll take that!
GET PREPARED TODAY FOR THE HUNT! BUY YOUR "BULLDOG" EDITION TODAY!
Start looking for the "Bulldog" edition (first edition) of Sunday's paper today!
Of course, you can get your magazine now online, but you want your actual printed copy early, don't ya?
THE HUNT MAP
Okay...I'm on the map again, with Dave, Tom and Gene! Again...it's an honor...and I'm...well, speechless. Just fantastic...many thanks to everyone at the Post for doing this, and to Otis Sweat for drawing me yet again with four fingers! :)
Please note: I'm NOT A CLUE. Well, not me, the person competing in the Hunt with you...but the image of me on the map may be...I dunno. Nonetheless, no need to follow me around!
See you all tomorrow! Don't forget to come to the happy hour afterward!
5/15/2009 - II DAYS TO GO! GET READY INFO! I NEED YOUR PICS AND VIDS! WEATHER UPDATE! FIND ME AT THE HUNT!
Gooooood morning everyone!
Before I get into today's updates, I would like to point out that I clearly left an impression on some of you all...or atleast one of you all...as evidenced by this question from Wednesday's chat:
Arlington, Va.: Will this year's Post Hunt have some more DC-centric puzzles to give us locals an advantage over all the interlopers who will be flying up from Miami? Not that I'm worried about a certain redhead named Andy... but I enjoyed the home team advantage you gave us last year.
Gene Weingarten: Yes, the dog-sniff puzzle is also going to require you to identify various lobbyists by their cologne.
I don't know who the person was that sent that in...but good luck on handicapping me this year! Two of my team are locals! C'mon...bring it on! Now...onto more important things...
TWIT...ER...TWEET AWAY! FACE(BOOK) THE MUSIC!
For those of you on Twitter, if you're twittering about the Hunt, use the hashtag: #posthunt09
And for those of you on Facebook, you can get to the Post Hunt Facebook page by going to www.facebook.com/posthunt (Thanks again, Blake!).
THE EVER MORE ACCURATE WEATHER UPDATE
Your (un)Official Post Hunt Weather Forecast as of 6:08am this morning:
High of 61 with a 60% chance of rain
(Ugh.)
WHAT TO BRING
Here's our recommendations on what you should bring:
- You and your Hunt team
- Cell phone (one per team member is best)
- Notepad
- Pen and pencils
- A backpack
- A raincoat, poncho or other rain/water-deflecting device (in case it rains, which it looks like it may)
- A hat (in case it's sunny after all)
- Sunscreen! (See above.)
- A parka (in case it's cold)
- A sherpa (just...in case)
- Money (for the Metro, parking, food, etc.)
HUNT STRATEGY TIPS
1) The Hunt starts promptly at noon...so plan to arrive early and be prepared for when it starts!
2) Find me beforehand and say 'hi'! I'd love to meet ya! You can usually find me near the Hunt stage around the time of important Hunt announcements.
3) Do NOT be distracted by sports. There will be plenty of time to boo your rival team(s) after the Hunt.
ANNUAL FROM-TOWNER TIPS
- Do the OPPOSITE of everything above!
- Find the best watering hole you can, hunker down and wait out the Hunt.
- The Post Hunt is being held in Crystal City. Head there and wait.
- Due to a clerical error, the Washington Post Magazine will not be in Sunday's paper, but Monday's instead. You can wait to get your copy and then Hunt on Monday.
(My teammates are forbidden from following these tips.)
AFTER PARTY
Don't forget to come to the Post Hunt Happy Hour afterwards! It's at Elephant & Castle (1201 Pennsylvania Ave NW) from 4-6pm! Come buy a drink or two for yours truly, and maybe Tom, Gene and Dave...but buy the drink for me first. That's an order.
THE ANNUAL HUNT MEET'N'GREET!
Want to find me at the Hunt? Please do! As always, I may have something for you! I make it easy to find me, too. I'll be wearing the same shirt I wore last year (for those that care, YES IT WAS LAUNDERED!), shown below: 
Come up and say hi!
Okay...well...I'm done here. I gotta go leave to catch my flight to D.C. in a few minutes and won't be available until later today or tonight. Keep an eye here...I'll be back soon enough!
(By the way...any typos you find in my updates may be clues! Keep track!)
5/14/2009 - III DAYS UNTIL THE HUNT! LOTS OF INFO YOU NEED TO SEE! AFTER PARTY, HUNT MAG AND MORE!
Hi, everyone! Some exciting updates to tell you about as we nudge ourselves closer to the inevitable loss win on Sunday...
We had a great Hunt chat yesterday, and during all of your clearly insane excellent questions, some great information came out of Tom, Gene and Dave!
First...regardless if you win or lose...there's going to be some Hunt drinking after the Hunt is done! Woohoo!
Second, according to Tom Shroder, sometime Friday evening you will be able to download Sunday's Washington Post Magazine! That's right...just keep watching here for the PDF.
Next...remember that you need some type of text-enabled phone for the Hunt. You won't need to be able to Tweet or use Facebook during the Hunt (Tom confirmed that), but you do need that 'text-enabled phone'...again, per Tom. (For you D.C. locals, an old rotary-dial will do...)
For those concerned about Freedom Plaza and wondering if it can hold the throngs of Hunt fanatics...they are going to shut down Pennsylvania Avenue so that the area is larger for everyone.
Lastly, they hinted a lot about a 'dog' or 'smell' puzzle during the chat. It could be a red herring...but...be advised that this is a possible Hunt puzzle!
Your (un)Official Post Hunt Weather Forecast as of VII:XXIIIam this morning:
High of 63 with a 40% chance of rain
(Darnit, that chance of rain isn't changing much!)
That's all for now. Tomorrow morning I will be flying up to D.C. For those that are interested...you may be able to meet me Friday night at the Air & Space Museum out by Dulles for a viewing of "Star Trek" at their IMAX theater. If you're interested...contact me.
5/12/2009 - V DAYS TO GO! PRIZE AND SHIRT INFO!
Good morning, everyone! Here's your morning Hunt update...
First of, PRIZES! What are those goshdarned Hunt prizes this year, and what do they have to do with stimulating the economy? Well...they're...CASH! Well, I don't think they'll be laying a wad of dough in your hands at the Hunt and they'll likely come in the form of a check...but the prizes are money this year. 1st place gets a whopping $2,000! 2nd/3rd places get $500 each. And...heck...if you come in 4th place and are certified to be a 4th place team...come see me. I'll give ya a dollar. :) (I would autograph it for you, but I don't want to lower it's value...)
Next up...T-SHIRTS! T-shirts will be available at the Hunt for $15 (no online option this year). The design will be somewhat similar to last year's, but the shirt will be a different color.
Weather update! The (un)Official Post Hunt Weather Forecast as of 7:19am this morning:
High of 77 with a 40% chance of rain
Join Tom Shroder over on the Post Hunt Facebook page in chanting: NO RAIN, NO RAIN, NO RAIN...
Lastly...don't forget Tom/Dave/Gene's online Hunt chat tomorrow at 12 noon! Come join and ask some fun/silly questions!
