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Contrary to a lot of Americans, the Electoral College is one of my favorite things about the U.S. political system. It’s mostly illogical, usually confusing, and always controversial. Just like CMEpalooza!

To fully embrace the Electoral College, and, well, because everything these days is about politics, our special CMEpalooza sponsor event puts our own little spin on state delegates. Being the creative bunch that we are, we even gave our event a catchy title — “CMEpalooza Electoral College.” Our marketing team is clearly underpaid.

But unlike the political Electoral College, the CMEpalooza Electoral College isn’t illogical, shouldn’t be very confusing, and is controversy free. Best of all, there is a pot of gold at the end that will actually go to a handful of “voters” instead of being stuffed into the gilded pockets of the political candidates.

Here is how the CMEpalooza Electoral College works:

1. Click here to download our game packet (you can get a Word version by clicking here). This will give you all of the clues and an entry form to download.
2. We have a lot of sponsors this Fall (37!!), which means there are a lot of politically-themed clues — don’t worry, there is nothing that will get you into an emotional lather. Our sponsors have been sorted geographically by their headquarters (we did the best we could with what we could find online). Some companies have been grouped by state, some by region, and some by the “no one else is close to them or they are international so it’s just a miscellaneous category.” You’ll need to answer 1-2 clues in each category to create a successful entry.
3. You can find all of the information to answer each question by going to our Sponsor tab, where there are links and descriptions about all of our sponsors. You can find the answer to every question on each sponsor’s website. Generally, the answers are no more than one click off each sponsor’s homepage (and often on the homepage itself).
4. You can use the answer sheet located in the downloaded forms to complete your responses. You may submit up to three entries, but for each entry you must answer clues about different sponsors (so if you answer questions about the first two “Mid-Atlantic” companies in entry 1, you’ll need to choose different companies for entry 2, etc.).
5. Within each entry, you must get every answer correct to qualify for our prize drawing. If I’m in a less curmudgeonly mood than usual, maybe I’ll let you get one wrong. We’ll see.
6. In the spirit of trying something new, for anyone who is really bored at work this week or simply loves CMEpalooza’s sponsors, you can go for the whole electoral map and submit a form with answers to all 37 sponsor questions (this is on top of the usual three entries). Get them all right, and you earn five additional entries into our prize drawing. Get one or more wrong, and, well, probably not. I doubt anyone will actually try for this, but I thought I’d throw it out there.
7. Completed answer forms can be sent to me at scott@excaliburmeded.com. Make sure to include your name and political affiliation in your email so that when we announce that you’ve won, everyone knows where you stand on the issues. I’m only kidding, it’s your name and professional affiliation (ie, where you work) that we want. Please don’t tell me your political leanings – that would only get us both in trouble.

We’ll have five prize winners who will each receive a $100 Amazon gift card. As a special CMEpalooza 10th anniversary bonus, we’ll also have a $250 prize for the organization that has the most successful entries. This is a fairly low bar (I think the winning organization in the Spring had 4 people who entered) so it won’t take a lot of rallying your co-workers to earn yourself funds to throw a staff pizza party on the day of CMEpalooza Fall (Wednesday, October 16).

Entries will be accepted until the polls close at midnight ET on Friday, October 4, so get cracking!

Since Derek loves to tell you when he’s read some sort of life-changing book that makes him seem incredibly erudite and worldly (note from Derek: I’m currently reading the fourth book in Robert Caro’s brilliant The Years of Lyndon Johnson series. Don’t tell me I don’t know how to have a good time), I thought I’d share a bit of insight on a far-less academically stimulating book I recently read that actually has quite a bit of relevance to what’s going on in the world of CMEpalooza (and today’s blog post).

The book was called “Opposable Thumbs: How Siskel & Ebert Changed Movies Forever” and delved into the lives and history of the two most well-known movie reviewers of all time. Apparently, these guys didn’t like each other a whole lot off screen, but they managed to put aside their personal differences to form a powerhouse duo once the cameras were rolling. Just like our CMEpalooza power duo! (just kidding – Derek and I actually do get along. Well, most of the time) (additional note from Derek: this seems like an appropriate time to mention that in 1978, Gene Siskel bought the polyester white suit that John Travolta wore in Saturday Night Fever for $2,000. If anyone would like to buy the brown denim shirt I have worn during multiple paloozas for $2,000, please let me know.)

Anyway, Siskel and Ebert were famous for their reviews of “coming attractions,” which would leave the public salivating over the chance to take in the best blockbusters once they were released. Just like I’m about to do with our CMEpalooza Coming Attractions announcement!

1. On Monday (September 30), we’ll be launching our special sponsor event, this year entitled “CMEpalooza Electoral College.” Because I know that none of us are tired of politics right now, I figured we’d jump into the fray with this specially themed event. Cash prizes (ie, Amazon gift cards) will be offered, as usual.
2. The following week (beginning on Monday, October 7), the CMEpalooza STEPtacular Challenge returns for another go. While I am ineligible to participate, our event sponsor (Talem Health) is kind enough to send me the free swag that we offer to every single entrant (there are, again, cash prizes for lucky winners). It’s really good stuff that I actually wear or use frequently, so I’d encourage you to give it a go.
3. Of course, the main event (CMEpalooza Fall) is happening on Wednesday, Oct. 16. There have been some recent updates to the agenda that you may want to check out.

And for now, the curtain is closed.

When Derek and I came up with the idea for our Tin Anniversary “10 Years in 10 Minutes” series earlier this year, it forced us to take a look back at some of our old agendas to see where everyone from 2014 had meandered professionally since then. Some people had jumped around to multiple organizations; very, very few were still with the same employer.

Allison Gardner, PhD, is one of those few who have stayed put – she recently celebrated her 15th year with Med-IQ. Allison has certainly taken on more responsibility since her CMEpalooza debut, though we’ll only take part of the credit for her professional ascension.

While we didn’t have time to talk about Allison’s undoubtedly fascinating 2007 paper entitled “CaMKII can participate in but is not sufficient for the establishment of the membrane block to polyspermy in mouse eggs” (it’s sadly behind a paywall), we did have time to banter about her earliest CMEpalooza experiences, the need to be prepared in educational emergencies, and those balmy Chicago winters.