[hazel] and I are getting married in less than 2 weeks now. I know, all rather exciting.
Anyroads, in the course of planning the reception, I was reminded of parties I'd been to in the past at which the opening gambit of gabbling is generally "so, how are you connected to the happy couple?"
This new badge, unlike others recently posted, is inoffensive and rather helpful. Each badge has it's own unique RFID so to identify it's wearer. A family tree or people network is loaded to each badge, showing the relationships between each person and thus badge. Finally, each badge can read other RFID tags.
As you wear your badge and mingle amongst the drunk, the badge recognises other badges around it and displays a helpful message like "I'm Helen, your sister's brothel manager"* to stop the dullarse questioning that's normally found at receptions.
*[benfrost] helped with this particular example - "your mother", "Dave's aunt" might be slightly more likely.-- jonthegeologist, Jun 20 2005 How lovely, a halfbaked wedding. (There must be an idea in there somewhere, probably something to do with the cake being in the shape of a croissant, or the like).
I like the idea, I would think they would be a hit at family reunions, and naturally funerals. + for the idea, and + for the nups.-- blissmiss, Jun 20 2005 I'd just point out that the questions are quite meaningless, just ways to start the conversation. So, instead of dull arse questions, now there'll be no conversation at all...-- DrCurry, Jun 20 2005 Congratulates are in order.-- waugsqueke, Jun 20 2005 I very much like the relative relative framework e.g. it knows your relationship to the relative (or otherwise) in question. I fully expect to recognise [jonthegeologist] and [hazel], but others would be very useful.-- neilp, Jun 21 2005 [DrC]: The dull arse questions will just be replaced; instead of "Hi, who are you?" there'll be "So, you're [hazel]'s probation officer. What's that about?"-- angel, Jun 21 2005 Congratulations Jon & Hazel! - "Why yes! - I *am* Jon's proctologist! - Let me tell you a story..."-- hippo, Jun 21 2005 "Am I trying to appear mysterious by not wearing a badge?"" No, madam, I'm the wine waiter. Red or white?" [jtg]&[h] Congrats.-- AbsintheWithoutLeave, Jun 21 2005 Congratulations, john and hazel.
I was at an Amero-Scots wedding recently, in the States, and as I mingled bekilted among the various Alabaman family members, I made conversation, which invariably ended up with the following exchange:
American: You know, I'm Scottish. Me: Oh, really. American: Yeah, I'm a [insert Scottish name] Me: Wow, what a coincidence, my grandmother is a [insert Scottish name]. American: Maybe we're related! Me: Perhaps we are. <moves on to next American, smiling hard>
This is the kind of conversational manna that your invention will deny me. Still, in all likelihood, I won't have the opportunity to use that tack again, so I can't withhold my croissant.-- calum, Jun 21 2005 Congratulations to both of you! Any chance of getting some half-baked cake?-- DocBrown, Jun 21 2005 thank you for the congratulations - we'll post some halfbaked wedding cake to the internet somewhere for your enjoyment.-- jonthegeologist, Jun 21 2005 + Marzipan-coated croissant for you.-- Adze, Jun 21 2005 [calum] with this it would, of course, show you your actual relationship to the aforementioned American.-- neilp, Jun 21 2005 Congratulations [jonthegeologist] and [Hazel]!-- zeno, Jun 22 2005 All the best :-)-- david_scothern, Jun 22 2005 delightful-- benfrost, Jun 22 2005 It might be a bit embarassing if you discover some sort of actual relation between people who shouldn't be related at all. Loops in the family tree are always a bad sign.-- Detly, Jun 22 2005 "Brian is your brother, Brian is your father"-- jonthegeologist, Jun 22 2005 Apparently. What about fools?-- angel, Jun 22 2005 //Do geologists mate? //
With each other? Never seen it myself.-- jonthegeologist, Jun 22 2005 Beautiful! Congrats to you both. [+]-- daseva, Jun 22 2005 <RFID>"I'm here for the beer"</RFID>
Congratulations. May there be cheer in your ranks!-- reensure, Jun 22 2005 Fun idea.
I especially like the personalization with the "your"s and that kind of thing.-- xlemon, Jun 23 2005 //There must be an idea in there somewhere, probably something to do with the cake being in the shape of a croissant, or the like//
Bugger. Why didn't I think of that. Sadly it's too late now as we have some towering monstrosity of fruit cake.
This idea partly came out of my grandfather's 80th birthday party where we were all forced to wear name tags but us youngsters still had no idea exactly who Mabel, Doris or indeed the curious old gentleman known only as "Ginge" were. If we'd had this badge system we could have found out without the whole unfortunate "ask a simple question get stuck for several hours and have to see photos of grandchildren, hear about the latest situation with the piles and oooh isn't Reg looking old" thing.-- hazel, Jun 24 2005 I guess this could be done without RFID. "Fred, Jon's cousin". Although that would be less fun.-- Worldgineer, Jun 24 2005 random, halfbakery