little. yellow. different. A weblog by Ernie Hsiung

world record holder of the 1,773 person dodge: me

Today, I participated in the Guinness World Record for World’s Largest Group Yodel, an obvious publicity stunt to increase our company brand to a well-known, international book that doesn’t otherwise take advertising space.

On the other hand, I got a free t-shirt out of it, so you’ll hear no complaints from me. Besides, I got a 40 gig iPod out of it as well. But more on that later.

Breaking a world record isn’t all that hard, really:

1,773 People: Damn it’s hot… I’m skipping a meeting for this… I hope this doesn’t take too long… what do you mean, they ran out of beer?
Yahoo Yodel Guy: Repeat after me… yodel-lay-ee-hee!
1,773 People: yodel-lay-ee-hee!
Yahoo Yodel Guy: yodel-lay-ee-hoo!
1,773 People: yodel-lay-ee-hoo!
Yahoo Yodel Guy: Ya-hooooo!
1,773 People: Ya-hooo *cough* *sputter*
Yahoo Yodel Guy: Okay, we broke the record. You’re free to go now.
1,773 People: (Everyone scatters)

Okay, there’s a bit more to this story, for me anyway:

Yahoo Yodel Guy: …oh, and there’s also a raffle and the winner will receive an iPod. And the winner is…
9 year old Amateur Yodel Contest Winner: “ERNIE… HUTSWING?!”

Now, keep in mind that I am at the VERY back of the cafeteria, where this yodel thing is taking place. There are exactly 1,772 people between me and the 9 year old girl that totally messed up pronouncing my last name.

Ernie: excuse me… pardon me… excuse me…
Yahoo Yodel Guy: Hmmm… looks like there’s no Ernie Shwing here… If he doesn’t show up in 30 seconds I’ll just have to call out another name…
Ernie: NOOOOOOOOOO…!

So by now, politeness has completely gone out the window and everything is in slow motion and I’m in a full blown sprint — shoving people out of the way, knocking the free beer out of the hands of project managers, hell, I probably pushed a baby stroller or two out of the way. I get to the front of the line and there are beads of sweat rolling down my face and completely out of breath. I sound like the kid in the wheelchair from “Malcolm in the Middle.”

Ernie: *GASP* I’M…. ERNIE…. *GASP*….
9 year old Contest Winner: (horrified look on face)
CFO: (awkwardly) Boy, we sure have an enthusiastic one here! [editors note: not an exaggeration, he really did say that]
Ernie: SORRY… JUST A CONTRACTOR… CAN I HAVE… IPOD… NOW?

Just when things couldn’t get any weirder: a photographer takes a picture of me at that very moment with iPod in hand, beads of sweat dripping down my face like I just ran a big, geeky marathon. God help us if it ever gets released to the public. Or the intranet.

And that was my day. How was yours?

I think a 40GB iPod is worth a few baby stroller or.. five!

Lucky you, you record breaker you (hey that could be a yodel too!)

That is the best thing i have read in my eight hours online today, my girlfriend also found it quite entertaining.

I’m not sure what is more sad, the fact i have been sitting at this computer for eight hours or the fact i share online things with my girlfriend.

You *know* that picture is going to be circulating in no time, don’t you?!

Wow, what are the chances? You must ahve some seriously good karma floating around. Buy a lottery ticket.

I’d love to see that picture.

I’d say the chances were 1 in 1,773?
Congrats Ernie. I would love a free iPod!

Ernie I am totally freakin’ jealous. 40 gigs is my entire hard drive. Any plans for Yahoo to open an office in Montreal and hire people who don’t know squat about anything computer or software related?

Congrats, though. I’d say that was worth yodeling for.

I’d say the chances were 3 in 1,661, because a) there were three iPods up for grabs, and b) bitch-ass Ernie got the number of people present wrong.

perhaps that will be the picture accompanying the yahoo yodel photo in the world record book! shouldn’t the 9 year old be in school. just a thought.

So… can I have your old iPod?

Sooooo…. the obvious question is: Do you think it’s time to quit smoking now? And can I put in a bid for your old I-pod?

What comes to mind is, could the iPod photo be any MORE humiliating than anything else you’ve posted on this weblog?

I think you have immunity. And congrats.

*After reading news story link*
Oh. I guess it was 1,773. Then why the hell did they announce it as 1,661 at the time?

I guess Ernie isn’t bitch-ass after all. Oops.

40GB. That’s a lotta JPop…

It was iPod-less, but otherwise normal. Congrats on the pretty white box.

*HUG* winning a free iPod is always worth knocking over a few strollers and perhaps a few other things as well….IMNSHO, that is.

THAT was a hoot!

LOL!
Hey, an iPod is DEFINITELY worth losing a little dignity.
CONGRATS!
It’s like your birthday, all over again!

iPod panic

Ernie had an eventful day. Not only did he help set a world yodelling record, he won a 40GB iPod in a raffle. But not without a little trauma along the way.Yahoo Yodel Guy: …oh, and there’s also a raffle and the winner will receive an iPod. And the w…

You forgot the part about how all your hella cool co-workers call you “Ernie Hhhhhhh-Swing” now.

p.s. Genghis is hot.

I’m going to call you schwing from now on it was worth it, i’da done it too.

Wayne and Garth: Schwing!

Okay, so this is kind of off topic, but how did Sore Eyes send you a trackback? I can’t find your trackback URL o_O;

Is that 10,000 songs in your pocket or are you happy to see me?

Hey, Ernie, congrats. Did you realize that if you actually put 10,000 songs on your iPod, it will take about a year-and-a-half of 24-hours-per-day listening to hear it all?

bastard.. all i ever won at work was a copy of suse linux..yay..

wait..what do you mean i can download it for free?

So, if there were 1773 people there, shouldn’t the title of this post be “1772 person dodge”?

That’s kickass dude. My first iPod (original 5GB) was also a winner! Although I didn’t have to yell or yodel for it I did win it in a Micro Center - Cambridge drawing. Now I live in Cali and I just bought a 20GB, Woo Hoo!

Ken… you’re such a geek.

OH, and Ernie, congrats man. Wish I won stuff.

I’d run down the street naked yodeling for a free iPod.

Send some luck this way!

Well, it’s small price to price to pay for the hotest new ‘toy’. Congrats! The last thing I won was a DELL computer last year

Whoa… your job gave you free beer? During the day? That’s it, I’m working for yahoo.

I’m so getting 1775 people to yodel.. Just to squash Yahoo. … only kidding..

Just jealous, cuz I don’t have a shiney iPod.

a 40Gb i pod !!! congrats ernie … *drools*

it’s official: LittleYellowDifferent is now LittleYellowOhMyGodMyCowOrkersAreReadingThis

who’s number one? you are ernie!

I’m totally jealous, too!
I need new toys!!

that’s HILARIOUS. congrats.

Dear Boss: What’s worse is that I’ve been reading this for over three years and I remember most of it. Not only can you read his weblog, you can use me as your personal Ernie Reference!

Hopefully, Ernie, none of them will see this comment.

Although, now that I think of it, I have a hard time picturing Ernie’s actual boss using the term “Cow Orker”.

i would trample a field of grandmothers, puppies, and hemopheliac schoolgirls in wheelchairs for a 40gig ipod.

ernie, you rule!

Hsiung = she-ung, right?

My computer only has 9.48GB

I had a dream where you were my boyfriend. You were so cute and I was happy and then I woke up.

i paid 500$$ for my iPod when the first 10GB was announced, be glad you only had to run a marathon for your 40GB new new new ipod. *sigh* wanna trade iPods?