Blogtv: Ironman
Oct 27 2008
The Ironman competition began Friday October 24th at 5pm EST. The competition was to decide who could remain awake and broadcasting for the longest continuous broadcast. Several hopeful souls entered this competition. The early hours of the ordeal will be left for others to tell; it is the final hours which are here described.
After Saturday's disappearance of EmptyIsAwesome there were two remaining contenders, Shaycarl and Lorax1515, both proud men of strong will.
Saturday saw both fatigued, occasionally sluggish or irritable, yet responsive and usually of good humor. Saturday night rolled around with no sign of stopping, though the hours were clearly wearying. Sunday afternoon arrived with both contenders weary and drawn, yet stubbornly clinging to the certitude of victory. Lorax, it seemed, was weathering the storm of fatigue better than Shaycarl, yet Shaycarl managed several renewals of energy.
Then on Sunday evening, it happened. The first attempt at negotiation. Shaycarl entered into a private phone conversation with Lorax. Both men wandered away from the telephone, presumeably attempting to end the standoff and save face. A sensible, if compromised finish. An agreement was not reached, and these gladiators returned to their stations solemnly. Sunday night would prove to test these men, as they both went slowly insane. Rambling and slurring of speech became a norm. Onlookers speculated as to what might happen. Death? Emotional collapse? Violence?
Early in the wee hours of Monday another negotiation began. Mentions of physical or mental illness crept in. The logic of the endeavor came under the hot, harsh spotlight. Truly, the limited value of the contest was becoming evident. Finally it was mutually decided that a time would be chosen at which point to declare an even tie. Dialog began to determing this magical number. Some in the chat recommended 60 hours, a mere 30 min from the time negotiating began. Others cried out for 72 hours, and still others for 80 hours (fiendish devils they were).
It was very clear neither party wished to go beyond 72 hours, and it was clear they were ready to deal. And then it happened. A slip of the tongue that laid bare the ravages of fatigue. Lorax mentioned, in casual appeal, that he would prefer to get sleep before his World Series baseball game. This, and the belief that they had already agreed to tie, would prove a fatal error. Shay backpedaled, stated he would not tie, and was willing to last until the end. Tensions mounted. The backpedaling was not expected. Further attempts to sway Shaycarl's position on the basis of health and wellbeing of both contenders fell on deaf ears. This forced Lorax into a decision: risk a miserable World Series baseball experience, or concede.
Finally, at 9:06 GMT, 5:06 EST, Lorax crowned Shaycarl victor, and went offline.
Shockwaves reverberated through the chat room. Heated debates raged as to the finality of the decision, and whether it may be a clever ploy on the part of Lorax to come back online, and snatch the victor's trophy from the hands of Shaycarl. Alas, it did not happen. The camera that once allowed us to peer into the deep heart of Lorax was offline. Sleep was his at last.
This was not to be the end. Shaycarl, not content with accepting mere victory, drank the blood of the slain in an orgy of song and dance, thanked his loyal viewers, and dispensed the wisdom of experience, advising that in life one must not give up nor accept compromise. The loftiest of goals may be reached if one maintains strength of will, and stays awake for 60 hours.
It was argued in favor of Lorax that while technical victory belonged to Shaycarl, a moral victory was won by Lorax. His content was deemed more communicative and vibrant throughout the ordeal, and both men had practically agreed to tie the competition, holding each in the highest esteem, victors arm in arm. Further, maintaining priorities of health and baseball was argued to have outweighed the dubious honor of "He who stayed awake longest".
Who Da Man!
