Arena Show Tonight!

Well folks, we at emeritbadges.org are really excited about the Arena Show this evening. A few highlights so far -- Mike Rowe from Dirty Jobs will make an appearance, Switchfoot will play a set, and there's the fireworks. We saw the artillery being trucked in yesterday covered with black plastic (a sure sign it's going to be good). Check out our aerial photos for a good look at some of the pyrotechnics for this evening. We're headed out to scope out the arena for any possible VIP tips, so be sure to check back later.

Whirlwind

Well folks, the last two days have been electric. We've had an arena show featuring all manner of celebrities. Scouts have been earning Electricity and Electronics Merit Badges in record numbers. Not too shabby.

Yesterday saw the arrival of some pretty severe weather. We were deluged around lunchtime with torrential rains and heavy winds. Our booth was blown open and the electronics were hit with rain (thankfully, nothing broke). Our Web cam is operational, YouTube and photos are being updated constantly and we're going flying on a Blackhawk this a.m. Holy cow!!!

Jambo 2o10 is full of Scouting spirit and espirt de corps. There are phenomenal examples of young people demonstrating leadership and self-driven behavior. If you want to re-center yourself, come to the Jambo and spend a few days. It will recalibrate your notions of what America's youth is up too and strip away any malaise.

We're about halfway through and going stronger than ever. Watch for new photos, videos, Tweets and Facebook updates throughout the rest of the Jambo.

Wow.

We can't say enough about what the folks at AT&T and Virginia Broadband have done for us. We could run a university with the pipe we have here. It's absolutely mindblowing! Thanks again, guys!

Keep it locked on www.emeritbadges.org.

AT&T Saves The Day!!

A big thank you to AT&T. They showed up in force after the arena show at our booth to ask what we needed in terms of connectivity. Now we're bathing in a 30 Megabit connection, surfing in style. They went overboard to make sure we had everything we needed and we can't thank them enough for their espirt de corps and sponsorship of Jambo 2010. We need folks like AT&T involved with Scouting and their efforts to make sure our experience is nothing short of awesome were phenomenal! Make sure to check out their Connection Centers located throughout the Jamboree. In between, nothing but full bars on all your mobile devices.

Keep checking back into www.emeritbadges.org for live Jambo 2010 coverage!

VIP Guy. Call me Chase.

This is Chase. He's from Puerto Rico. He works for BSA National Media Relations and his job is to escort important folks around who come to visit the National Scout Jamboree. We went to see Chase earlier today to sign up for a ride in a Blackhawk helicopter later today or this week (not because we're important, but because Chase's the guy to see). We're really excited about the prospect of taking photos from the air and capturing the true breadth of the Jambo.

We'll keep you posted. In the mean time, keep your dial locked on emeritbadges.org for continuous Jambo coverage.

They're Here!!!!

40,000. That's how many Scouts are making their way into Ft. A.P. Hill right now. Buses, tractor trailers and all manner of vehicles have been making their way in since 6 a.m. Spirits are high and everyone's running on pure adrenaline.

We've been walking around taking photos of the Scouts as they unpack and invite you to keep checking back with www.emeritbadges.org for up-to-the-minute reporting and commentary.

Tacky Lanterns

Well folks, here's the deal. We encountered two challenges yesterday and we're springing into action:

Challenge -- Philips donated a boatload of CFL and LED bulbs. Thinking the Jambo still had incandescent bulbs, we thought we'd just swap out the old bulbs with ours and be all set. We showed up yesterday to find CFL tube lighting across our booths. What to do? We brainstormed and came up with a crazy idea. Why not string Japanese lanterns across the ceiling of both booths? We're going to need 644' of Japanese lanterns. Let's hope Party City comes through for us. Thanks Philips for sponsoring. And while we're at it, thanks to all our great sponsors. We couldn't do it without you!

We'll continue to report the good, the really good and the quasi-epic as they occur. Where's the freshest newsfeed for Jambo 2010? Where? Right here, that's where. http://www.emeritbadges.org/.

Mobile status test from ping.fm

Just signed up for ping.fm in an attempt to streamline our updates during Jambo 2010.

Reach out and touch someone..

Right next to Whittling merit badge you'll find the AT&T Wireless Connection Zone. AC and netbooks for Scouts and staff. Each one has a sign in front of it reading "Please limit your time to 10 minutes."

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Setting Up.

We're here at A.P. Hill setting up. Floor boards are being laid and as Hannibal from the A-Team would say: "I love it when a plan comes together!"

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Getting Ready!

And so it begins.

We're here at Dominion Innsbrook loading up. We began this afternoon at 1 p.m. and we're about done. Great crew on hand ready to storm A.P. Hill tomorrow.

See you at The Hill!

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Did We Kill the Radio Star?

No. No we did not. The Buggles are long gone, but guess who's not????

emeritbadges.org will be featured on American University Radio (WAMU), 88.5 on your FM dial, as a supporting sponsor twice! Listen live on 20 July during "Tech Tuesday" and 30 July during "Science Friday." In case you can't tell, we're pretty fired up around here.

Can you hear us now?

Jambo 2010 is Right Around the Corner!!!

Can you feel the excitement building? We're getting ready on our end. Hundreds of hands, yards of plywood and thousands of water bottles.

Our fearless leader, Ralph Russell, has already been up at Ft. A.P. Hill this week to get the lay of the land. It's a lot of land.

Stay tuned to www.emeritbadges.org. Updates are coming: live Facebook & Twitter feeds on the home page. Any special requests?