What the FERK is a White Elephant?

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Insidious

Insidious

Diamond Member
Oct 25, 2001
7,649
0
0
What?.............. How can I possibly be OT here? :p

Yes, you read it right; ***you can win a T-Bird!***

TeAm AnandTech Distributed Folding White Elephant Race

This 90 day race will begin the day after Thanksgiving, November 29, 2002 at the time of the closest update (distributedfolding.org) to 12:00 EST

First prize: Athlon 1400 CPU and (retail) HSF
Second prize: Thermaltake Dragon Orb 3 (7Krpm) HSF
Third prize: IStorm PC Air Conditioner (5 1/4" bay front mount)

Consolation Prize: Another Athlon 1400 CPU and (retail) HSF

Rules:

1. Contestants must join TeamAnandtech TeAm DF and create/change DF user name to your AT nick prefaced by ATWE. (eg: ATWE Insidious)

2. Once you start, you must continue folding for TeAm DF until race finish to be elibible for prizes. (72 hours of zero production = forfeit)

3. Speed limits enforced: Any 6 hour stat (as reported by Statsman) within a 24 hour period may not exceed the sum of the remaining 3 (6 hour) periods reported within any contiguious 24 hours. If a dump is too large, a speeding ticket will be issued and the folds from the offending (6 hour) period will be omitted from your total score (and we will laugh at you)

4. Consolation prize(s): Awarded by random drawing (that means I put a piece of paper in a bowl with each of your names on one piece and draw out a winner for (each) consolation prize(s) amoung all race finishers. You must have folded at least 45 days and be active at race's end to be eligible for the consolation prize(s).

5. We are hoping that others will wish to donate their "White Elephants" to be awarded as consolation prizes. If you donate a prize, you will be awarded a 20,000 fold bonus to your starting value. (The last chance to donate is day 15 of the race: December 12, 2002). In the event this 20K makes a difference in finishing prize awards, the bonus will not be awarded until the consolation winner of your donation receives the prize you pledged)

Statsman will be used to identify 'speeders'
DistributedFolding will be used to report total scores. (plus bonus, minus speeding tickets and starting folds of course)

6. Prizes will be claimed by PM'ing me your shipping address and method of choice and I will send it to you (U-Pay shipping!)

7. Minimum race field = 30 (Race will not commence with less)

8. In the event Statsman craps out for a period or two (or other scoring difficulties arise) common sense will prevail (ie: we will discuss it and I will provide a resolution)

9. Race ends on (edit: February) 26, 2003 at the time of the closest update (distributedfolding.org) to 12:00 EST.


**** So, fire up those clients, join TeAm DF, crank up those clocks.......... Let's have some fun! ****
 
I

Isla

Elite member
Sep 12, 2000
7,749
2
0
My brain is very dusty on this, but I think the term comes from Hemingway's Hills Like White Elephants.

It is a term that has come to mean decorative but generally useless. Pretty to look at but perhaps cluttering your life. To have a White Elephant sale is to get rid of stuff you don't need and are not sure why you bought it in the first place.
 
I

Isla

Elite member
Sep 12, 2000
7,749
2
0
LOL@ Insidious!

I found the definition of a white elephant here...



In the slang of the Swing Era, a "white elephant" was a gift that someone gave you that you didn't want, usually because it showed poor taste, such as the lamp that your Aunt Gladys gave you one Christmas--a Budda with a clock in his belly. It's so ugly that you hide it in your closet until Aunt Gladys comes to visit. Since you like her and don't want to hurt her feelings, you put the lamp on your night stand during her visits, and she's pleased you kept it.
Click to expand...

I knew it was something like that.
 
B

BooneRebel

Platinum Member
Mar 22, 2001
2,229
0
0
It actually referred to .... (drumroll please) ***a white elephant***. A gift given from one village to another. White elephants (albinos) were very rare and considered sacred in Siam, so the gift was really a backhanded slap as the recipient of a white elephant could not use it for anything. In addition, they had to pamper it, care for it, keep up with it's monstrous eating habits, cleanup, etc. So a white elephant came to be known as a gift that no one wanted.
 
Lithium381

Lithium381

Lifer
May 12, 2001
12,452
2
0
Originally posted by: Isla
I'm impressed, BooneRebel!

I will have to remember that. :)
Click to expand...

i didn't know the history of the phrase, but i knew what it ment......ie useless gift typa thing....sweet
 
C

Cyberian

Diamond Member
Jun 17, 2000
9,999
1
0
Originally posted by: BooneRebel
It actually referred to .... (drumroll please) ***a white elephant***. A gift given from one village to another. White elephants (albinos) were very rare and considered sacred in Siam, so the gift was really a backhanded slap as the recipient of a white elephant could not use it for anything. In addition, they had to pamper it, care for it, keep up with it's monstrous eating habits, cleanup, etc. So a white elephant came to be known as a gift that no one wanted.
Click to expand...
That's the story I heard years ago, but I didn't know that it was in Siam.

 
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