The Blue Monster CES express
I wonder if, when Hugh Macleod started drawing little cartoons on the backs of business cards that he ever expected that one of them would be on the side of a bus? Can a bus be a “social object?” (That’s Hugh’s term for making something interesting enough to talk about. For instance, a bus? Not interesting. A blue monster express? Interesting!)
We’ll be driving this bus from Silicon Valley to Las Vegas on Saturday, January 5. We’ll have lots of streaming video and all that with tons of interesting bloggers and other people. Mogulus is helping Rocky and me produce a live video show from the bus too.
The bus will also be driving bloggers around CES during the show, especially between the main hall and the BlogHaus.
Powered By 
December 20th, 2007 at 12:33 pm
[...] Original post by Scobleizer — Tech geek blogger [...]
December 20th, 2007 at 1:22 pm
What exactly do you mean by, “We’ll be driving the bus”?
Will you actually be at the wheel during any part of the trip?
December 20th, 2007 at 1:53 pm
I am very sorry but I don’t think that *monster* is a good metaphor for Microsoft - I think that it actually is damaging to Microsoft.
December 20th, 2007 at 2:20 pm
I wouldn’t say its damaging. Its just corny.
December 20th, 2007 at 2:28 pm
I may be able to join you for this, PROVIDED that my flight isn’t delayed from London.
December 20th, 2007 at 3:47 pm
Comic Strip Blogger,
1. The Blue Monster is not a symbol for Microsoft. To say it is, is missing the point somewhat.
2. I’m sorry you don’t like the symbol, Regardless. But if you have a better idea, let’s hear it. Even better, let’s see you make it happen. Your countless fans are waiting.
3. Every time Robert mentions me you’re first in line, saying something negative. Sour Grapes, if you ask me. And as Robert has told you countless times before, any fool can criticize. Any fool can have an opinion.
December 20th, 2007 at 3:50 pm
Jeremy: no, I don’t actually drive the bus, but we’re paying the driver.
December 20th, 2007 at 3:51 pm
Hugh: Comic Strip Blogger is jealous of real talent.
December 20th, 2007 at 3:53 pm
In light of your recent post about copyright, I wonder how Hugh feels about not being given attribution for his monster on the side of the bus. An URL would have been nice!
December 20th, 2007 at 5:15 pm
Gerard,
I tell you exactly how I feel. 95% of the time, my work gets proper attribution. The remaining 5% of the time, I generally don’t find CARING worth the effort. I’m too busy, doing other things, far more interesting.
Seeing the worst in people caries an enormous price. As does seeing the best in people. We’re adults. We make the choice, one way or the other. Thanks be to God.
December 20th, 2007 at 5:18 pm
PS the person putting the bus thing together, Valerie, is a good friend of mine. Do you really think if I wanted the OFFICIAL attribution, I would not have been able to get it? Do the math.
December 20th, 2007 at 10:19 pm
Why am I picturing you as Dean in Kerouac’s “On the Road” for this trip? Enjoy the bus. I’m a CES vet (like you, no doubt.) I worked that show from 1996-2005. By the time I left, it was the Blob. Night after night, I could barely escape that massive complex that seemed like it was expanding as I hobbled away from it every night, my legs and feet barely holding me upright and feeling like they had been crucified to that concrete show floor. I guess it didn’t help that I was in dress shoes, covering booths in LVCC Main Hall and South Hall, every day.
Man, I do not envy you that show. Seriously, enjoy the bus;)
December 20th, 2007 at 10:55 pm
I can’t wait, last year’s bloghaus was the talk of the town, this one looks to be even cooler!
December 21st, 2007 at 1:52 am
Without sounding pedantic, I’d like to revise the claim of “social object” as one first expressed by Jyri Engestrom in PhD research that I read more than three years ago. The details validate when using scholar.google.com to cross-check lingo.
December 21st, 2007 at 2:58 am
The bus looks great, and the monster gives it some personality, but if you are going to put Vista all over it you might want to upgrade the engine and get larger tyres.
December 21st, 2007 at 7:50 am
Bernie,
I can’t think of a post Hugh has written about social objects without giving credit to Jyri Engestrom. When others link Hugh to social objects, readers who take time to click through will see the credit.
All,
What I meant to say was sounds cool and drive safe.and don’t introduce the driver to twitter, we’d like you all alive.
December 21st, 2007 at 8:29 am
Sounds so much like the Hog Farm bus of the 60s. I’m certainly no fan of Microsoft, but I’m a big fan of Hugh and I think it’s great that his talent is being recognized in this way. Congratulations Hugh!
December 21st, 2007 at 10:36 am
The phrase…..Or go home…..should be attributed to the National Basketball Association as they used it in TV advertisments for there playoffs.
December 21st, 2007 at 10:45 am
Will there be a return trip for the bus? (i.e. will it go home as well :-)
December 21st, 2007 at 10:54 am
Greg: yes, the bus will be returning. I gotta find out about that schedule. Probably on Thursday.
December 21st, 2007 at 1:05 pm
So who’s going to be playing guitar and leading the singalongs? :)
December 21st, 2007 at 3:20 pm
How can I hitch a ride into town from the Bay Area?
December 21st, 2007 at 3:27 pm
Aside from Microsoft who else is sponsoring the bus? I see logos on the artwork from Logitech, AMD and Skype. Is that just conceptual or are they on board?
December 21st, 2007 at 4:03 pm
Greyhound shows durations of 14 to 16 hours from Oakland to Las Vegas, including stops and one or two changes of drivers. How long will this trip be? Will there be Blue Monster CES Express t-shirts?
December 22nd, 2007 at 1:09 am
Phil: I’ll check if we can get you on, but I believe the bus is already full unfortunately. The driver says it takes eight hours. I’ve done it in eight, but usually it takes longer due to traffic.
December 22nd, 2007 at 7:33 am
[...] fwd to the photos form Hugh and Scoble and hats off to Nick White. This is on serious social object. Filed under: Blue [...]
December 22nd, 2007 at 7:51 am
[...] fwd to the photos form Hugh and Scoble and hats off to Nick White. This is on serious social [...]
December 24th, 2007 at 2:16 am
[...] Robert Scoble mentioned earlier this week, PodTech & Microsoft are sponsoring a bus/RV/whatever to drive from Silicon Valley to Las Vegas for CES 2008. I’m a bit fuzzy on the details, but I’ve [...]