Something for the JREF Forum Chocolate Challenge/Forum Party?

[CFLarsen]

Something for the JREF Forum Chocolate Challenge/Forum Party?

The Premium Chocolate Fountain (http://www.iwantoneofthose.com/lifestyle-home/cool-kitchen/premium-chocolate-fountain/index.html)

[SkepticScott]

That's wonderful, but it's shallow. We'll need a "No Diving" sign. :)

[tkingdoll]

I find those things unhygenic. I mean, people dipping their half-eaten strawberries in, old chocolate clogging up the pipes, sticky fingers poking in.

What kind of orgy is this? Bring me a mop and some Vim immediately!

[Blue Mountain]

I find those things unhygenic. I mean, people dipping their half-eaten strawberries in, old chocolate clogging up the pipes, sticky fingers poking in.

What kind of orgy is this? Bring me a mop and some Vim immediately!
I'd like to bring Vim, but I use emacs. [/Linux joke]

[Cleon]

I'd like to bring Vim, but I use emacs. [/Linux joke]

http://forums.randi.org/imagehosting/173445109f8b08bd.jpg

[mumchup]

This is the second time I've heard about this Chocolate Challenge. I've never been to TAM, can someone fill me in on what it's about? Because if there's chocolate around, I wanna know about it.

[SkepticScott]

This is the second time I've heard about this Chocolate Challenge. I've never been to TAM, can someone fill me in on what it's about? Because if there's chocolate around, I wanna know about it.Here's the unofficial history: :D
Before TAM2 two Forum members were debating whos country had the better chocolate: Germany or Denmark, IIRC. They decided to each bring some chocolate to TAM2 and find some people to judge. I appointed myself as organizer, and since I had no authority but took all the responsibility, no one protested. Soon (somewhere between a millisecond and an hour, but closer to the former than the latter) a woman volunteered to be the first judge. Before TAM2 many other people volunteered to be judges and/or to bring samples of chocolate.

I made up "National Competitor" and "Judge" stickers for people, and "Biased Judge" stickers for those who were both. We had the challenge after TAM, near the lobby of the hotel. Someone, maybe Renata, brought some kerchiefs to blind the judges, but I thought this would make the whole process too rigorous and formal, and people probably wouldn't wait that long to get to the chocolate. In some of the photos you can see people wearing their "blindfolds" as headbands.

Much chocolate consumption ensued.

In the aftermath, I collected and tallied the votes. I think Scharffen Berger, from San Francisco, won.

The Chocolate Challenge has become sort of a tradition at the Forum party. I didn't run the chocolate challenges at TAM3 or TAM4, so I don't know as many details about them. The overall structure remained the same: bring high-quality chocolate, eat high-quality chocolate.

I may bring Van Otis Swiss Chocolate Fudge to TAM5, but I don't think it's eligible for the Chocolate Challenge.

[mumchup]

That sounds pretty awesome. I am definitely bringing some chocolate. I probably would have anyway. (I had a Lindt 85% cocoa bar in the cabin fridge while we were on the cruise.) Now I'll have to do some investigations into where they make really good chocolate here in Connecticut.
PS: I think you should bring the fudge.

[Luciana]

In TAM3 a Brazilian chocolate won, to everyone's surprise, including mine. :D

[Fitter]

So I'm supposed to drive from northern Alberta to Vegas with a trunk load of Rocky Mountain Candy Company chocolate and you think there'll be some left by the time I get there? I'll try but no promises.

[Smart_Cookie]

You'll just have to lock the trunk and ship the key ahead separately! :D

If we come to Tam, I'll know not to bring Rocky Mountain chocolate. If we go, I'm planning on bringing a bunch of Morden's chocolate.


p.s. You're DRIVING from Northern Alberta to Vegas...in January??

[Fitter]

p.s. You're DRIVING from Northern Alberta to Vegas...in January??
Well Cold Lake, not that far north. I'm going to take several days and burn off my leave for this year.

[rustypouch]

So I'm supposed to drive from northern Alberta to Vegas with a trunk load of Rocky Mountain Candy Company chocolate and you think there'll be some left by the time I get there? I'll try but no promises.

Bah, for Alberta chocolate Bernard Callebaut is where it's at.

So Cold Lake? Interesting. For other forumites attending, I am in Calgary and Badger is in Edmonton.

[The Bad Astronomer]

Hmmm, I thought I was the first to volunteer to judge back at TAM 2, but I see Renata was (http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?p=378882#post378882). Oh well, she only beat me by a few minutes, and in general she doesn't count anyway.

[Smart_Cookie]

Well Cold Lake, not that far north. I'm going to take several days and burn off my leave for this year.

You're braver than I am. I wouldn't want to drive that far through the mountains, in winter, if I didn't have to.

If I go, it's Westjet all the way. (seat-back TV's. Woo-hoo!)

[grayman]

Since I promised tkingdoll I'd bring her chocolate from San Francisco, I suppose I could bring a little extra to share with others.

[SkepticScott]

Hmmm, I thought I was the first to volunteer to judge back at TAM 2, but I see Renata was (http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?p=378882#post378882). Oh well, she only beat me by a few minutes, and in general she doesn't count anyway.What's amazing is that it took her only two minutes to find the thread, read the thread, decide to volunteer, and type her response. That was amazingly fast. It took me 40 minutes to decide to seize power in the first Chocolate Challenge.

[CFLarsen]

I find those things unhygenic. I mean, people dipping their half-eaten strawberries in, old chocolate clogging up the pipes, sticky fingers poking in.

What kind of orgy is this? Bring me a mop and some Vim immediately!

How do you play with chocolate? With rubber gloves?










.........actually, I don't want to know.

[SkepticScott]

Claus, how you play with the chocolate doesn't really matter. Rubber gloves, mops, vim, etc. To each their own. It's the female companion that matters. ;)

[CFLarsen]

True, true...

[CriticalThanking]

Since I promised tkingdoll I'd bring her chocolate from San Francisco, I suppose I could bring a little extra to share with others.:drool: How much to bring a Ghirardelli malt from the shop? Name your price. Dang - already sold my first born in another thread. I'll think of something. :(

CT

[grayman]

:drool: How much to bring a Ghirardelli malt from the shop? Name your price. Dang - already sold my first born in another thread. I'll think of something. :(

CT

As someone who has had one of their malts, perhaps I could bring one out of sympathy for a fellow addict. Now to figure out how to keep it chilled...