Desert Bus 8 Bit!

[Schmoopy42]

DB8 was incredible this year! I'm pretty upset it's over. I loved being a part of the chat and the whole event.

Here's some silly gifs and stuff I made during the whole thing









Feel free to use them for whatever. Chat was great this year, see you in the irc

[BlueChloroplast]

So I stayed up late watching the end last night
This was the first year I really followed desert bus (and donated to the craft-along! I made the needle felted Pokémon). YAY.
I only wish that some of the twitch past broadcast wasn't missing; I was trying to find them promoting my silent auction, but that time period is missing from the twitch past broadcasts Oh well, apparently Jeri said nice things.

[Can't Wear Hats]

So, now that I have stopped thinking entirely in GIFs, I want to actually say some words about Desert Bus. This is a slight re-hash of what I wrote on twitter yesterday, but here goes.

In truth, this year has been kind of crappy for me. But I knew that it wouldn't be totally awful, that everything would be alright, because in November there would be Desert Bus.

As someone who's suffered from Crohn's Disease for the better part of 12 years, I know how much it sucks to be in the hospital when you're just a kid. For the first five or six years I could barely make it through the day without throwing up, was severely underweight and had no energy to do much of anything. In 2006, I was admitted to hospital for an operation to remove large parts of my small bowel (and my appendix for good measure) and was confined to hospital for a good while to recover. It's hard to explain just how tedious it is to be in there with nothing but the morphine drip you're on to ease the pain with tubes rammed up your nose and other orifices, while you barely have the energy to sit up straight.

The difference Child's Play makes to children in similar situations is nothing short of incredible. The brightest times I had in the hospital were when my family or friends would come to visit and would make me laugh. To make someone laugh, to provide some entertainment, to make them forget just for a second that they're in a hospital bed, to give them a sense of joy, is one of the most wonderful things you can do. Even if it's only for a few minutes, because in the darker times, they will remember that, and it will give them strength.

That's why I have no hesitation in saying that I can think of no better example of humanity than Desert Bus for Hope. People from all over the world coming together to raise a frankly insane amount of money to help children in need, and spreading joy in the process. It is one of the most overwhelmingly positive, heartwarming (and hilarious) things that I've ever been involved with in any capacity, and it makes me so proud to be part of this wonderful community. Every year Desert Bus turns to the internet and says "how much are you willing to give?" and the response, without fail, is "more than you were expecting". With the recent unpleasantness in the internet and gaming scene, it's easy to forget that there are many more generous, kind, wonderful people who are willing to open their hearts (and their wallets) to make this world a better place. Desert Bus is a burning light in the middle of the darkness and that light keeps getting brighter and brighter every year.

As is tradition. <3

[Prospero101]

Those were seriously beautiful sentiments, Hats. Thanks for sharing. It honestly brought a tear to my eye.

Just in time for Johnny's shift, too! <3

[Hiramas]

Thank you Hats, all the other giffers, the VST, LRR simply everyone.

As is Tradition

[Zipa]

Well said dude, as someone who also has spent not an insignificant amount of time in hospital as a kid I can empathise with how much it sucks. You are alone, are usually wondering wtf is going on and miss your family greatly so anything to distract from that makes a world of difference.

Its one of the reasons I choose to take part in Desert Bus every year since I heard about it. I also have to agree with what Alex said after hitting two million lifetime on his shift, I will let you listen to his words for he says it better than I ever can.

Video is here

[Fenrir]

http://dismuke.tumblr.com/post/103200785852/for-the-children My thoughts following Desert Bus.

[Jamfalcon]

Feels

As someone who has been lucky enough not to have gone through anything like that, I can only imagine how I would have handled it at that age, and it terrifies me. Thank you for sharing. Every story like that just makes Desert Bus even more important in my eyes.

[AdmiralMemo]

Just to "briefly" summarize the chunk of text I crammed into the chat during the last few minutes or so - I know it's easy to feel a bit down on yourself if you could only chip in a few dollars, but the big, important changes in the world aren't always made by the rich and powerful. It takes every little piece, all of us fighting together to achieve what we all did through Desert Bus. That huge sum of money? That was YOU. That's not just "those rich guys" who are fortunate enough to have the big numbers to throw around... I know I sure as (bus) don't have $600,000 lying around. It's the result of every small contribution, every entry in the donation drives, every time you thought to hand over your loose change for a funny song or dance you saw. YOU are necessary. YOU are important. YOU are making great things happen, and you should all feel pretty damn proud of yourselves for being a part of something so impressive and mind boggling.

Yeah, this is important. If you add up all the "big" donations, those 4-digit and 5-digit ones, they probably add up to maybe $125,000, ballpark. Add up all the "medium-sized" 3-digit donations. They probably add up to about $100,000 as well. Guess what that means? That's over $400,000 in "little" donations. $20 here, $5 there. It adds up. The bulk of the money raised is not from the "whales." It's from the every-day people donating what they have.

And that's awesome.

[Lord Chrusher]

Yeah the donation drives are the biggest money makes.

[Prospero101]

Hey, Chrusher (and by extension everyone else who's volunteered/visited on-site), I have to know. What's it like actually being AT Desert Bus?

[Jamfalcon]

My money's on "tiring".

[Lord Chrusher]

You are correct, Jamfalcon. It is a lot of fun and you are working with a bunch of cool, funny people but by the end of Desert Bus you are tired and sore. Being at Desert Bus you end up seeing less of the stream than you would if you were watching at home.

[Digi7]

This was the first Desert Bus I really sat down and watched. Before this year I'd maybe put it on for a couple of minutes every now and then to see what the guys were up to, but this time I sat and watched it for hours and had it running in the background whenever I could.

It was fantastic. So many laughs and good times. The team had me grinning to myself constantly, and when the epic finale went down I let out a housemate-startling cheer. I wasn't in a position to donate anything to the cause this year but I want to thank the LRR team (and co.) for making me laugh and smile yet again and making my life just a little bit brighter for a while.

Now I want to buy a logo shirt, but they're sold out! Guess I'll have to wait.

[Dix]

Hey, Chrusher (and by extension everyone else who's volunteered/visited on-site), I have to know. What's it like actually being AT Desert Bus?

Son... you don't even know.

My time at DB7 and 8 are probably two of the best weeks of my entire life. Its like hanging out with friends and just being goofy like you always are but also semi aware thousands are watching and also enjoying it. You have no idea either just how insane it feels in person to know those other people are just digging deep in both their wallets as well as their kindness and generosity towards their fellow man.

That said, you also experience a near soul-crushing sadness when you know its over the first day after and you wake up hyped to go to your shift and have to take a second to say "wait... it ended last night :/"

Also the time dilation is SUPER real. Doubly so for those on Zeta when their body clocks get completely thrown off (ask me how I know that...).

I've only been at the last two but as being one of the Chat moderators for ALL of them (good god has it really been 8 years..), I have to say that you are by far a pleasure to moderate as a community. You don't let trolls suffer lightly AT ALL and me and the other moderators cannot thank you all enough for that.

Anyway, besides all that its an amazing time and without you people at home, it wouldn't be what it is today. Thank you all!

Don't forget... it takes a lot to make a DB:

[AdmiralMemo]

Remember the DB8 frump-off? I think they just got some competition:

[Zipa]

Remember the DB8 frump-off? I think they just got some competition:

He has nothing on Matt or Kathleen tbh.

[Antitonic]

Still looks like Serge.

[empath]

Like a Serge who dyed his hair, stopped shaving for a few days, and then realized all his efforts still left him in 3rd place behind Kathleen and Matt.

[AdmiralMemo]

7 words I've been looping over and over and laughing my butt off at from Sarah's Vlog:

"Hey, everybody! Welcome to Cheese Talk!" "No!"

[simonAJ]

Desert Bus 8 was completely incredible. I cannot think of a single other time in my life where I've been in a group with 40+ other people, and have honestly been able to say that I would love to hang out with any one of them again. DB8 is that, 100%. There's no-one from the team this year that I wouldn't play board games or eat dinner or drink a beer with if given half a chance.

It's good people doing good work for a good cause. I'm overjoyed at how many kids will benefit from the money raised this year.

[romangoro]

I've been triying to put my DB experience in words for a few days, but today I'm gonna declare bankrupcy and only say Than You to all involved in all sides of the screen.

Thank.
You.

[DJ Spacepirate]

I've been triying to put my DB experience in words for a few days

I
like
big
bus and I can not lie
You other drivers can't deny
That when a girl walks in from an itty bitty nap
And a long shift in her face she get
tired.

[romangoro]

Well, then, that's why you are the poet, not me.

Also aparently I can't spell "trying", though then again, english spelling, am I right?

[Loslomo]

So I just got my Fangamer shipping notice (got my orders in a little late) and apparently it's coming from Tucson... Hope it doesn't crash.

Edit: also, all of the feels up in this thread.