FIVE RED DICE

Napoleon Dynamite Travels The World ! ! !

2009-01-28T00:16:00.003-06:00

Well, November No Trades I suppose. But The Game Is Still On.

2008-11-28T23:07:00.000-06:00

Seriously folks, what a better way to get a unique and original Christmas present than trading for it on Five Red Dice. Why traipse through Best Buy or storm the doors at Wal-Mart for mass market crap when you can own an original piece of highly collectible art? Please take a moment to look around and make an offer of something suitable, let's get this little train wreck of a site nack on track. Am I gonna have to get up and come over there? Offer! ! !

Five Red Dice Is Back Post-Ike And Ready To Trade!

2008-11-02T08:00:00.000-06:00

Well, hello, and Sorry.
Wow, it's been a bit of a six week period here in South Texas. No excuses but about 6 weeks ago, the same weekend family was visiting, Hurricane Gustave stranded family members at my house, the same family who had suffered through Katrina several short years ago.
Two weeks later Mean Old Ike tore through. The eye passed right over us, no great feat being about 40 miles wide. The storm put the electricity out for a solid 2 weeks here, but no damage to my place, though a family member had $60,000 worth of tree damage!!!
Follow this up with a little lethargy and see why I have not been on, but just relax, Five Red Dice is alive and well and seeking trade offers and WILL be trading sweet, skinny Pamela away!
Look for updates and lots of Craigslist ads and promotional stuff.
No Cash, sorry!
In the meantime check out weird stuff at The Odd Report and my image posts on Robot Nine. Interesting little diversions, subscribe by e-mail and get the posts automatically, daily.
Alan

NEW Five Red Dice Business Cards... I Mean Limited Edition, Signed And Numbered Art Prints.

2008-09-03T21:33:00.016-05:00

Hello everybody, sorry for the long delay in posting, it's been a busy time for me here in the Deep South, and this is a diversion, a hobby, not a livelihood. I have had friends ask if the project was over, and no, it most assuredly is not. I am still seeking a trade for that sexy, bony woman, Pamela.

I have been working on a few other blogs that are pastimes and that has eaten into my time a bit. There are links on the side if you are interested- Robot Nine is a daily image post, very eclectic, and The Odd Report is a collection of odd news, information, links, images, what have you. Fun. Consider submitting art, photography, or any images to Robot Nine, or join the "What's In You Wallet" project. Enough about that though.

The new Five Red Dice promotional cards are here, and available FREE to all of you. They are great collectibles, and to hand out to friends who say "What is that guy doing again"?

Yes I know, the shakiest photo ever. And the camera has automatic digital image stabilization. Darn the vodka! Beautiful cards though, rich verdant green and translucent red on the dice. Nice!

Of course, they can be signed and numbered, making them instant collectibles, to me anyway.

For those of you uninterested in the simple card, I have figured many other uses for these works of art, and listed them for you below, so as to relieve you of any thinking.

Use a stack of cards to build a 'house of cards'.

Limited edition prints make excellent bookmarks.

Make a Five Red Dice refrigerator magnet for that art your nephew makes, you know, the one who draws less puppies and Mom pictures and more murder victims every year

How about a tiny dust pan for tiny messes, like Chihuahua hair.

Smaller size artists can carry it around and tell people it is there portfolio. The bright colors and fancy word will make the artist less of a Grinch.

A shoe horn. Remember those? Seems we used to use shoe horns to make well-made, cheap shoes last. Now we don't use them on badly made, expensive shoes. Get a Five Red Dice shoe horn and save your shoes.

Stacks of them are great to level tables and chairs. You should never go out to eat without a handy supply of Five Red Dice table and chair levelers.

These durable cards will scrape ice from a freezer. Probably great for icy windshields and bathroom grime also.

Put a card behind the sofa in a doll house and you have a stunning piece of modern art. A sure-fire decoration to amaze all the ladies at the monthly Doll House Club meetings.

Of course the best use, and the easiest, might be to just hand a few out to friends and tell them "Go, make an offer, NOW!"

Alan Mizell

P.S. Leslie- your cards of both types are on the way, thanks for the self addressed and atmped envelope!

More Art, Art, Art! I Love Art. I Want A Bicycle Built For Two!

2008-08-27T19:23:00.006-05:00

Kirsten Baldwin of Houston has e-mailed in an offer for some artwork. I will let her tell you more about it, but everyone including Kirsten knows I want to take the project in a different direction than art- unless you have Leonardo's secret second Mona Lisa or something! You can tell by a quick examination that this particular piece of art is "EXCELLENT".

Excellent Art

In Kirstens words...

"Good Morning.
I stumbled upon your website on Craigslist (I am a Craigslist junkie). Very interesting. So I thought I would join in the fun. I am offering for trade - although I see from your comments that you do not necessarliy want art for art, I'm giving it a shot anyway - an original piece from 1970 - crayola and pencil on Manila paper - titled: "Excellent". I believe this particular piece was finished in Houston at the "Little Red School House" in Westbury Square, most probably in Mrs. Triebus' kindergarten class. I'm sure it's worth millions. I'm sure it's at least worth Park Place or Boardwalk, or the green ones.
Thank you for your consideration, Kirstin"

That's really cool, but a different direction I must go. Besides, taking someones irreplaceable childhood art seems a little... sad. Unless it's a clever forgery. Kirsten? In the meantime check out Kirsten's artwork at her website BaldwinInk.com

Offer To Trade For Half A Bottle Of Worcestershire Sauce. Hmmm. Let Me Think On That One.

2008-08-25T15:48:00.006-05:00

Marcia of Whiteness, Shetland Isles, U.K., which is a LONG way from Houston, Texas sent in the following offer. I let Martha tell you herself...

"less than half of a used 150ml bottle of Lea & PerrinsWorcestershire Sauce (for the non brits its pronounced 'wustershire',thought i'd best mention that in case you try and say it and make a fool ofyourself!! it is delicious on cheese and toast and i always shake it on my bakedbeans..yum!"

Hmmm, used sauce?

The Sauce In Question

Maybe I would have considered the trade Marcia but I had just walked in from the market with four bottles of sauce myself! And that should last about 30-40 years around here.

Sorry the posts have been a little out of whack, not very frequent. Family is coming to town and therefore the house required the 'Spring Cleaning' that we missed the last two springs! Hey, don't judge me. The Five Red Dice project is still totally in gear, accepting trades and looking for members, ideas, comments, whatever. So keep telling friends and somebody will make an offer I can accept.

Something other than 'used sauce'!

We have had several new countries check us out including such unlikely spots as Iran and Uganda. That's pretty cool. You can see who visits by clicking on the Feedjit link in the sidebar and the SiteMeter link at the bottom of the page. It's pretty interesting to watch when things are rolling.

Well, off to scrub a bit more.

Alan Mizell

Houston, TX

Several New Offers, Old Questions, And A Fascinating Blog To Read

2008-08-21T20:57:00.008-05:00

Charles McCarthy of Atlanta, GA offered another of his fascinating art pieces for Pamela. I surely would consider a trade for his art as I like it but I really do not want to trade for more art. I am afraid that the Five Red Dice project would begin to be pigeon-holed as an 'ART' trading project, rather than just trading. Some folks have had a bit of trouble in the past, thinking it was just art that could be offered.
Very unique, and a bit bizarre, this art is right up my alley. The piece below is also by Charles, and I looked for quite a while before I saw the woman had the head of a bird. Or does she? Charles also runs a great blog called 'Ideas by Chuck', and I highly recommend you read it. It's kind of a forum for his ideas for new products, businesses, etc. I liken it to an online bull session or one man think tank. I subscribed so when he posts a new idea I get it in the email.

Another offer to come in this week was for one of those rocks painted like an animal, similar to the cat below. She did not supply a photo which makes it hard to consider, but I am always interested. Was it a cat? I hope so because it rests in her rocking chair she revealed. Cool, my perfect pet; zero maintenance. Send a pic Ma'am, maybe it's my dream pet rock!

In the biggest Five Red Dice mystery category would be the "Mystery" bag offered by Denise in Sterling Heights, Michigan. She promised future clues and my inability to resist trading for this fabulous mystery. Then she went on vacation promising me and the readers future clues, yet none have come in and my emails go unanswered. Must have been one heck of a vacation romance she had or something.

Sterling Heights, MI shows up a lot on the feed, so I am wondering if Denise sees this. Out with some more clues girl!!!

Also Mr. Mesa, Arizona has failed to deliver details or photos on the GIANT chess board that intrigued me, so I have to officially pass as enthusiasm for the project is one component of the decision making project.

Remember, if you want to see all of the offers that have come in for Pamela go to All Offers For Pamela and check them out. There's quite a few, but don't let that make you not trade as your offer could be the one that makes me say YES!

Alan Mizell

Houston, Texas USA

Lots Of Traffic, Few Offers

2008-08-19T19:38:00.006-05:00

For the last few days there has been more traffic than ever, much of which I cannot even determine the source. Somebody mentioned Five Red Dice somewhere because last night I had visitors from around the world, more in one hour than ever before. But people are writing, saying cool, even occasionally making an offer but failing to follow up with photos.
Ah well, it's cyclical I believe, and the right offer is right around the corner.
Possibly the Olympics have gotten the world in a spin, I certainly have been watching Michael Phelps go golden and our gymnasts get screwed in scoring! Boo judges.
Blacksburg, VA.
Victoria, B. C. Canada
Zagreb, Croatia
Solvang, CA
Mabank, TX
Sterling Heights, MI
Porter, TX.
You all visit me a lot, thanks, but have you made an offer? Just wondering!

Of course I like the GIANT 3 foot chess set, so I e-mailed and posted that I am interested, but Mr. Chessman has vanished. Maybe just as well, I liked the set but a couple of friends did not. Chess fanatics were not thrilled with it, but they said they preferred traditional, portable sets.
The other offer that sometimes calls to me is the bus ride. But it is so local it might be hard to promote. I do consider it at times though.

Pamela and I still go out for coffee several times a week, it's our thing. People stare as if they have never seen a man out with a skeleton artwork before. Such blatant prejudice. She has a job here and we have purchased her a new bedroom set.

Yes, she has her own room, I wouldn't want you to think I take this THAT seriously!

Alan Mizell

Houston, TX USA

"I Want You... To Make An Offer For Pamela"! Until You Do, Check This One Out.

2008-08-17T00:10:00.009-05:00

I Want You To Make An Offer For Pamela

But until then I had another eclectic collection roll in, the kind that is interesting but probably impossible to trade up for something else. This one included...

English Coins

An 'M' belt buckle. (For Mizell?) Possibly also a 'W' belt buckle.

Typewriter Carbon Paper. Is This An Antique Yet?

Kinky Friedman 'Politically Correct" Salsa and Dip. Come On Now, Is It Salsa Or Is It Dip?

A Miniature Funnel.

Chicken Flavored Rice-R-Roni.

A Dairy Queen Moo-Moos Cow.

I know, I know it's Rice-A-Roni, not Rice-R-Roni, but saying Rice-A-Roni bugs a friend of mine and I could not resist.

I cannot accept a collection like this so keep sending offers please.

Alan Mizell

Houston, TX USA

How About A Five Red Dice Game To Challenge Your Memory?

2008-08-13T22:55:00.004-05:00

That's right, a quick and fun game to challenge your memory! Just click here to go the game page and you have three minutes to list as many of the items offered for Pamela as possible. How sharp is that memory? Don't be to down if it's hard to remember, I run the site and had a hard time. I'll let you know my score later, e-mail me yours and I will post your initials and scores if you like!

Last night two new countries joined us for the first time- Brazil and Uganda. Uganda is pretty amazing as the continent of Africa is not as wired as the US and Europe. That's a total of 70 countries visiting us! Welcome aboard!

Alan Mizell
Houston, TX USA

Two Interesting Offers Come In Overnight, And The New "All Pamela Offers" Pages Are A Hit

2008-08-10T12:42:00.006-05:00

Funny how you make one tiny tweak in life and things change. Adding new offers to the website page is so time consuming, if I want it to look right, and the blog is easy but then the past blogs kind of fade away in the archives. Yesterday I decided to give each offer for Pamela their own page and provide a quick next button to breeze through them. Instead of breezing bunches of folks spent 20, 30 minutes, even an hour checking out 30-40 pages. Not only that but the traffic and the comments I left inspired two new offers overnight. Check out the new 'All Pamela Offers' pages. Or you can start at the beginning and see All Five Red Dice Offers, and it will take you right through to the offers for Pamela also.

The first offer was from Charles in Atlanta, Georgia, and it was for his original art work. I love the piece below, so moody and mysterious, it took me a while to see it but I believe the woman is a bird. Excellent work.

Bird Woman

Charles is a person full of ideas and cool thoughts, you should check out his blog at 'Ideas By Chuck'.

The second overnight offer is from Joe in Mesa, Arizona and is for a GIANT size chess board with the pieces. The board measures three feet wide and the pieces stand four inches high. Looks like it folds too!

GIANT Chess Set

This offer has me quite intrigued, so much so that all of the Five Red Dice Vice-Presidents and their assistants have been flown to World Headquarters on this fine Sunday afternoon to consider the offer. We are waiting for additional information and photographs for any decisions to be made. Stay tuned for further details.

By the way, the 'Who Is Sexier' poll ended with Pamela Skeleton getting 5 votes, Living Pamela edging her out with 6 votes.. Pretty close voting for an inanimate object, wouldn't you say?

Alan Mizell
Houston, TX USA

New Trade Offer And An Easy Place To See Every Offer Made So Far For Pamela

2008-08-09T23:25:00.005-05:00

Five Red Dice just added some neat pages to the website where you can quickly run through the entire list of offers for Pamela, each with photos and a short comment on the trade offer, the trader, or why it was not accepted. I also changed the way many pages are displayed, going straight to the page rather than opening a new browser window. For those of you wondering what that means exactly, it means you can scoot through the pages of the website at a much faster pace. Visit all the Pamela offers here!

Rachel of Chicago, Illinois sent in an interesting offer of some original art in trade for Pamela. I love seeing new art, and appreciate the creative efforts, but it would be unlikely I would trade Pamela for another piece of art.

Bluebird

It's not that I would not consider it, all offers are considered. It's just that while the Five Red Dice project is part sociology experiment and part artistic endeavor, I want to move into some other venue, some different and new world of trades and offers when I pass Pamela along.

Nude

So by all means offer art, it is interesting to consider, and who knows? But again, unless the name Warhol is perhaps on the art it is unlikely. And if Jimmie Warhol in Topeka or Hilda Warhol in Miami are reading this, NO, I mean the real Warhol!

Alan Mizell
Houston, TX USA

Steven Spielberg, Dave Letterman, Stephen King, George W. Bush, And Jay Leno. What Do They Have In Common?

2008-08-07T23:29:00.008-05:00

Five Red Dice Tube Mail Project

The one thing they and many others have in common is they are the lucky recipients of Five Red Dice special mailings! Sure it looks like a toilet paper tube but let's consider them small works of art, each individually crafted and mailed with loving care via the United States Post Office. Most celebrities and media outlets get tons of promotional mail, I figured ours might as well stand out a bit. Sure they may think I am an ass, but at least they will think of me. I'm sure somewhere somebody threw out something seemingly odd created by Picasso, Warhol, Haring, whoever. Sure, I'm no Warhol, but remember, neither was Warhol at one time!

Click on the link or photo above to be taken to the slide show and see exactly who is getting the first round of Five Red Dice Tube Mailers!

Check out the poll in the right sidebar- Pamela Skeleton and Real Pamela are running neck in neck all day in the 'Who Is Sexier' poll! Make your vote count, vote now!

And make a trade offer!

Alan Mizell

Houston, TX USA

Rachel Of Mulvane, Kansas Wins The Free Five Red Dice T-Shirt!

2008-08-06T19:38:00.017-05:00

And in the FREE Five Red Dice T-Shirt Contest the winner is....

I realize that Stephen Spielberg is not to worry over losing a project to me. Next time I do this I think I might just consider, oh, maybe... lighting!

Rachel of Mulvane, Kansas! Congratulations Rachel, and I am sure you understand the unwritten understanding that you wear the t-shirt 24/7 until it falls apart, and tell everyone you see about this crazy little adventure! By the way, it must get pretty dull in a small Kansas town, as Rachel has taken to hanging around with a Bart Simpson doll- who would ever be that silly?

Oh, never mind! This from a guy who takes a Pamela Anderson Skeleton Artwork to a pool party and a Starbucks date.

Can't wait to see how the Five Red Dice T-Shirt brightens the streets of Mulvane, Kansas, and I really hope Rachel shares some photos with the rest of us.

Thanks to everybody and we are well on the way to a second drawing for another t-shirt, so hang in there. And don't forget the main focus, I am still waiting for the 'right' trade and person to move my adventure to the next level, so please halp spread the word.

If you don't remember Rachel and her offer to trade some white Tony Llama cowboy boots, then click here.

Please do not forget to vote in the 'Who Is Sexier" poll in the right sidebar near the top.

Alan Mizell

Houston, TX USA

Pamela Anderson Skeleton, Would I Trade For A Canoe, A Honda Generator, Great White Shark Jaws, A Go-Cart, Or A Hummer Limo Ride? Definitely Maybe!

2008-08-05T13:07:00.018-05:00

So here I sit, sent home early from work due to Tropical Storm Eduardo and his water- Thanks Eddy! Thought I might pass along some thoughts on the trading process and my mindset as friends sometimes point out that my mind operates a little outside the norm.

Pamela is so very ready to move on from me and my slovenly, bachelor ways, but as of yet no particular trade has made me say yes, which is OK, because I am having loads of fun and meeting lots of neat people.

Pamela Anderson As Skeleton by Kathy Jo Braceland

I do know from the many trades that have come in that it will probably be a single item, not a collection of varied items that catch my eye. Also, it doesn't really have to be an "item", I have been and still am tempted by the offer of a bus ride n Houston, Texas for 30 people to any Houston area location. That might trade well, so be creative with your trade offers, who knows what might win the Pamela- not I at this moment.

Also, while it is not about money, and vague cash offers come in quite a bit, it is about hoping to 'trade-up' so it is unlikely I will trade for a ten dollar doll or something not very likely to move the project upward. It would be an insult to Pamela and Kathy to do so!

Bus Rice To Anywhere Or Nowhere

I was also tempted to just a bit for the old Playboy magazine, but probably want to keep it more family oriented, though it was a local offer and I saw the magazine. There is more skin in a modern People magazine!

Sophia Loren, 1960's Angelina Jolie?

I would also hope that the person that I trade with be 'into it', it is really about people and communication. There was a vibe from Kathy from the first e-mail, and a great sense of humor and ironic fun, so even if her offer wasn't as cool as ever, I would have been intrigued by her.

One recent intriguing offer was the "Mystery Bag" with 'Killer' on the bag. She offered it from Eastpointe, Michigan, and hinted it might be for me or Trixi, my dog. (See profile for Trixi) She said it had to be the best possible trade I could ever make! Wow, it's filled to the brim with thousand dollar bills?!?! And she also promised additional daily hints as to the contents, then disappeared on vacation. I will soon begin to e-mail her for more info and keep you informed!

Killer And Mystery Bag

So, what would Alan trade for? People ask. I don't really know but if any of these awesome things came in over the e-mail I would be interested and would probably trade.

A Canoe

A Ride In A Hot Air Balloon

I know there are a lot of balloonists with small companies out there. I just think this might be cool, I don't know, and it probably would trade up nicely. What do you all think?

A Honda Generator

Mechanical things should be working as my mechanical skills- zero- are only matched by my collection of tools- zero!

A Bicycle Built For Two

A Giant Set Of Great White Shark Jaws

My Daughter has, let us say, a 'slight' fear of sharks. Evil Dad thinks this might make a most unique headboard on her bed! Just kidding. No really.

A Go-Cart (Mechanical Abilities, Don't Forget!)

A Stuffed Black Crow

Don't ask, I just think they are cool, even if you think I am creepy or something. A raven would be nice too, just none of those two-tome pied crows please!

Time In A Hummer Limo

I see these around a lot and I am sure some owner would like Pamela and the publicity being on the blog would bring.

Well, if you stuck with me all through the photos, thanks, and don't forget, tomorrow night I will run the drawing for the FREE Five Red Dice T-Shirt Contest Winner. Good luck and see you then!

Alan Mizell
Houston, TX USA

We've Reached 100 Members! FREE Five Red Dice T-Shirt Drawing Wednesday Night August 6, 2008!

2008-08-03T19:35:00.006-05:00

We have reached 100 members on the official Five Red Dice World Headquarters E-mail List, and are preparing for the first drawing for the FREE Five Red Dice T-Shirt! The drawing shall be held Wednesday evening with the results broadcast live on FRD-TV meaning on this blog!
The results should be posted at aprroximately 9 P.M. Central Time, so check it out that night.

Also we received an offer this afternoon of a 'Baby Steps' Infant Walker. Cute, but, um, let me just think about that one...

The poll finished and 69% of you agree with my initial thought, that I should wait until I feel a trade is 'right', rather than sticking to some false schedule or taking a trade I am unsure of.

Thanks for all the help and spreading the word, and good luck in the drawing. Let's head for 200 now!

Alan Mizell

Houston, Texas USA

Pamela Anderson, Tommy Lee, Ben And Jerry, Napoleon Dynamite, Money And The Maldives. And More!

2008-08-03T08:57:00.013-05:00

Yes folks, Pamela is still with me, happy and 'hanging' out at my place. What have I got that Tommy Lee don't? Of course I am still looking for the 'right' offer, many have come in but so far I have not been tempted quite enough, although two or three have caused me to revisit and think...

"Pamela As Skeleton"

The poll off to the right only has a few hours left so cast your vote, but 60-70% of you agree with me that I should wait until the offer seems just right. This means something that would trade up again and sending Pamela to someone who appreciates her as a work of art.

Don't forget, you can still get Five Red Dice limited edition art prints, each one signed and numbered. I have sent out a bunch, and their is a second edition on the way, even nicer looking, but they won't be released until these are gone.

Five Red Dice Limited Edition Prints

Just send a SASE envelope to...

Five Red Dice World Headquarters!

8311 FM 1960 Road East #806

Humble, TX 77346

Traffic has been up but offers down, it's weird that way. Next week hardly anybody will visit and a few cool things will roll in the door.

It's A Five Red Dice Cube Shaped World

We have had over 3,000 visitors to Five Red Dice, and even cooler they come from 68 different countries, the latest including Croatia, Latvia, Indonesia, Malaysia, and South Korea. Of course as usual Vermont is the only US state still missing. Do they have a block on the reporting? Does anybody visiting have a family member in Vermont? Maybe we should send someone to check on them, they may have "fallen and can't get up". If you want to check the stats they are updated daily on the 'Who In The World' page.

Ben And Jerry

Or is it that Ben and Jerry have them all making ice cream 24/7/365? Ben, Jerry, give your peeps a break dudes, get back to that hippie ethic and relax. It's not like us Texans are going to give up Bluebell Ice Cream anyway!

Napoleon

A new offer rolled in for a doll of Napoleon Dynamite, and he talks in that roundabout, weird way. Now seriously though, as a red-blooded American male, I will watch, laugh at, maybe hang with Napoleon, but give up Pamela Anderson for Napoleon? Way too much underlying psychology there to even consider it! Of course the mail also bought the standard issue offer of CASH, always an unspecified amount, often from an anonymous source. Hard to plan a trip to the Maldives on that phantom cash.

Excellent news, we are nearing the First Official Drawing for the Five Red Dice FREE T-Shirt Giveaway Contest! Every 100 people that join the e-mail list, I will draw a name from the pool and that person wins a T-Shirt! Better still, if you are on the mailing list you will be in every drawing. Kind of funny, as the pool increases your chance is smaller, but since you receive more chances you have more chance of winning.?!?

FREE Five Red Dice T-Shirt Contest

We are at number 98 this morning, so we are only 2 Dicers away from doing the first drawing!!!

The question mark above represents the puzzle I will reveal of what I am mailing to media to at least make sure they see the Five Red Dice name. It's amazing what kind of promotional items come into a media mail room, and it's hard not to be lost in the clutter. I figure if I mail a letter or postcard I am dead in the water, so i will be mailing, um, more unique items! If you have any suggestions on media that might be interested in this offbeat story or things that might stand out in the mailbag, please offer your suggestions!

Alan Mizell
Houston, TX USA

Five Red Dice Friend Carolyn Adams Invites Us All To Museum Of Printing History, Houston, Texas, And Another Ugly E-Mail For Laughs

2008-08-01T18:48:00.006-05:00

Carolyn Adams, one of our friends here at Five Red Dice, has entered some work in an exhibit at The Museum of Printing History in Houston, TX. She would not be sure if it were actually in the show until last night, so I am still waiting to see. Looks like this and the other exhibits are quite interesting, and the self-guided tours Tuesday thru Saturday are FREE! Carolyn's exhibit is entitled 'Unabridged Editions' so go check it out.

'Unabridged Editions'

Love the logo and motto for the museum above, very nicely done, but would we expect less from a museum of printing?

In the amusing and possibly unbalanced section I offer this amusing series of e-mails for your enjoyment...

From Steve..."ill give u a lifesize cardboard cut out of beatle juice (the drunk black midget from howard stern, not micheal keaton)"

"Beetlejuice"

My reply... "I got all excited about BeetleJuice, being the President of the local chapter of the Michael Keaton Fan Club, International. Imagine my disappointment when it was some other BeetleJuice. Do you have a photo of it?"

Steve's next well thought out reply... "whats ur deal dude. this is super gay. stop emailing me. no one cares"

My hopefully witty but possibly stupid reply... "my deal is i thought since you 'super gay' steve e-mailed me with a 'super gay' alcoholic black man cardboard cut-out offer, which was 'super gay', you would want 'super gay' updates. but apparently you are a failure at being 'super gay' and are only regular size gay, so i will remove you from the super gay mailing list and return you to the regular world of normal gay.
I will also resume normal punctuation and capitalization now."
Cheerio,
Alan Mizell

OK, lots of visitors, a few e-mails, but not many offers this week. A slow week leaves me time to get bored. What can I say?

Alan Mizell

'Pamela' Deserves To Hang In A Museum, Or- Another Hair-Brained Scheme From Five World Dice Headquarters

2008-07-30T18:48:00.010-05:00

Yes, I have decided that before Pamela leaves Houston and myself forever she should have the opportunity to be represented among the collection of a major Houston art museum, my first choice of course being the Museum of Fine Arts Houston. In my quest to make that happen I have began a letter writing campaign to not just the Fine Arts Museum, but nine different museums in the Houston area.

Ah, For A Moment There You Thought I Was Kidding, Didn't You

I have all the information listed on the website- a copy of the first letter to MFAH, and the names of the other eight institutions, along with MFAH addresses and e-mail addresses for those of you who would like to join in the effort to offer all of Houston the chance to enjoy this unique work of art.

The Letter That Started A Movement

So do I really think they might display my lovely Pamela? I get the impression that a lot of the museums are a bit staid, even bureaucratic, like a government, and of course artists always have more opportunity if they are male and dead, but we'll let Kathy slide on these two points. But who knows, some forward thinking curator at a more cutting edge venue may get wind of the Five Red Dice Project and invite us in.

Museum Of Fine Arts Houston
1001 Bissonnet
Houston, TX 77005
713-639-7300
visitorservices@mfah.org

So it might be funny if letters and phone calls came in insisting that there was to be an exhibition of Kathy Jo Braceland's 'Pamela', and when was it scheduled and how much are tickets? Go for it, world!

A few more interesting offers came in including a collection of chemistry glassware from some science experiment that just didn't work out. Still waiting on the actual photo of this and...

A strange sculpture of a bell pepper turning into a chili pepper. When I said well, let me think on that one I was offered....

A dozen rolls of toilet paper. This mind reader instinctively knew the house was devoid of this product, sensed the angry urgency of the teenager in the house! But no, fear not Five Red Dicers, I held steady under the pressure and will not trade Pamela for toilet paper, no matter the amount. It's the principle!
Please do not fail to cast your vote in the poll on the right sidebar, only a few days left!

Alan Mizell
Houston, TX USA

My Night In The Nudist Colony!

2008-07-28T21:23:00.013-05:00

The e-mail bag brimmeth over with unique and interesting offers today, the first of which comes from Denise of Eastpointe, Michigan. Sounds like a fancy place, they spent extra for the silent 'E' at the end of the town's name. Denise surely is a master of presentation and sent the tantalizing photo below.

Killer

Denise teased that she came up with the trades with the help of her dogs and cats, and the "Mystery Bag" might contain something for me, my dog, "or possibly the best trade you will ever receive". Wow!

It's hard for me here as I could make a trade and then she reveals to me that the bag contains something that is definitely not my best trade ever. Well, after a quick e-mail explaining how that might cut my project off at the knees, and alluding to her as being the evil embodiment of Monty Hall of Let's Make A Deal (young folks, go Google), she e-mailed me back with a masterstroke of promotion. She said that tomorrow she "will reveal another clue" as to the size and value of the item, and hinted again that "it may be too good to pass this one up".

There's a woman after my heart, she has my attention and it should be fun to watch this one play out over the next few days. Hopefully there is something I cannot resist and we can move our project along. Until then check out Denise's eBay store at Melodies and Memories Music Outlet.

Another totally cool and interesting offer came from Edy in Alvord, Texas. I had mailed a hopefully funny letter to the Bluebonnet Nudist Park asking if I would be safe from hunters as I claimed to be covered in hair like Sasquatch. Edy sent a welcoming letter and a FREE! T-Shirt! (Maybe to cover the hair?) You can check out the letter, reply and T-shirt at OomBa Mail, my funny mail site.

Edy kindly offered a night at the park for me and a companion if I were to 'accidentally' leave Pamela in the room. I'm not sure if Pamela would totally fit into the decor as she is ALWAYS clad in her red Baywatch special bathing suit. Possibly she longs to remove it and run free on the beach, but it seems rather permanent. Perhaps Kathy Jo Braceland could be commissioned to produce a Pamela Skeleton sans suit!

Bluebonnet Nudist Park Cabin

Probably the cartoon below sums up how my entire mini-nudist-vacation would go. Yep, I am pretty white.

Atlanta, Georgia was home to the next offer from Mary, and it was a stuffed e. Coli doll. How charming and heart-warming, I so should have gotten this for my child. However, Mary could not possibly have known that while e. Coli is a sweetie...

I am more of an Ebola Virus kind of guy! What can I say, something about that twisted little frame makes me happy, though I bet Ebola is a mean Twister competitor!

Last but not least Tracie of Houston offered not one, not two, not three, but four TURTLES! I am making some rules up as they come to me but I will state right here that I would almost certainly not trade for anything that eats. There may only be four things that eat that would be on my list of desirable objects...

1. Possibly a snake, yes, I love snakes.
2. Bigfoot
2. A Stepford wife
4 The real Pamela Anderson!

Tracie countered with organic bananas, but there we have the problem of a trader with the patience to wait and wait and wait for the perfect trade, and a product with a limited shelf life. I LOVE bananas and yet my kitchen counter sometimes becomes a fruit fly honeymoon suite because I forget they are there. So Tracie- Yes, I'll Have No Bananas, but that's cool. Tracie hints more offers are in the wings, soon to be revealed.

Please tune in tomorrow, if I get more hints on the mystery bag I will definitely post them, and click on comments to read the actual e-mails on some of these offers.

Alan Mizell

We Have A Visitor From Heaven! Oh Yeah, Other Stuff Too!

2008-07-27T19:44:00.010-05:00

Yeah, sure, finally Rhode Island signed on and even Lithuania, and then a report listed Maldives. Where in the world? For those of you in the dark as I the Maldives are islands south of India, and are so beautiful they stop my heart!

Maldives Island Resort

Yes, the resort sits right over the water, the bluest, clearest water on Earth I believe. Would you have ever guessed south of India? Wow, folks- this is so not Galveston!

Maldives Cabana. Reserve Me One Cabana For August And September, For Life.

Hope you like these pix as much as I. Other than a visitor from the Maldives knows about the Five Reed Dice project, there is no connection, but how many chances do I get to post something this beautiful? Pamela is pretty but damn, not this pretty!

Boats Seem To Float In Space In Maldives

It is unfortunate that the visitor from Maldives made no offer, specifically airfare and accommodations as I would personally have delivered Pamela. For those of you who want to know more about where the islands are click here.

I am adding a new poll in the next few moments as to whether and when to trade. I would just like to see what visitors think, should I trade for a few of the things that have caught my eye or wait for the thing I know in my heart is it! Let me know.

In the new trade offers departments Juan from Tarkington and/or Cleveland, TX (Which is it Juan?) offered a 1990 Fleer Barry Bonds baseball card, commenting on how thin Barry appeared.

Barry Bonds Looking Thin As Skeleton Pamela Anderson

That's a cool offer but I can buy them online for about ten dollars, so maybe not in the Pamela range, but much appreciated.

"Thrill" of Houston, TX made an offer of antique playing cards, but has yet to send actual photos. This photo is typical of the item, and I do find them very interesting. Hey, "Thrill", thrill me with some pix, OK!

Interesting And Unique Antique Playing Cards

And then of course our friend Buzz in Austin, TX sent a non-specific and vaguely threatening offer of cash. I am still waiting for the amount. If the offer is large enough to cover winter in The Republic of the Maldives, we have a deal!

Cash, Cash, Cash, The Carrot Always Dangled

Something I failed to post at an earlier date was how I shipped the Five Red Dice to Kathy Jo Braceland in California. It's reason enough to make a trade offer. Not wanting some drab package to arrive like a business transaction, I wrapped the Five Red Dice in beautiful paper with silvery trimmings, kind of a Christmas In July surprise. Just thought I would share a little behind the scenes detail from here at World Headquarters.

Christmas In July From Five Red Dice World Headquarters

Everybody has been great about helping to spread the word and it's almost to the point where we will draw for the winner of the FREE Five Red Dice T-Shirt. We are at 85 members and will draw at 100! Remember, if you are in the list you are enrolled in every drawing, every time we get 100 new members.

Just a note that the counter on the page has tripped well past 2,615 visitors. My next goal is 10,000! Please help spread the word and maybe I can trade up to a car, a house, a space station! Thanks again everybody from over 50 countries, especially the Maldives, and 49 states, and Vermont, as soon as you are finished churning up that last tub of Ben and Jerry's join Lithuania and the other cool kids at Five Red Dice!

Alan Mizell
www.FiveRedDice.com
The Five Red Dice Store
OomBa Mail- I got a FREE Nudist Park T-Shirt for being so hairy! Maybe I'll give it to the 100Th member at my bizarre mail page!

Bizarre Fan Of Pamela And Welcome Rhode Island!

2008-07-25T22:11:00.004-05:00

Today's mail bought a thought from an upset Pamela fan in Austin, Joseph Fly. I hope Joseph's letter is more disturbed than Joseph! He writes...

There are alot of injustices in this ' Ol' Cruel World' but this Pamala thing has got to be one of the worst i have witnessed. Just this year i was channel surfing and happened across an old episode of BayWatch. The waves of nastalgia damn near brought me to tears. She saved alot of lives you know, i mean people that had nothing else to live for but Pam-watch. I hope KidRock doesnt get wind of this he may just bring his guns-to-H-town. Matter of fact i may notifey him myself. She is serious business 'bub' and alot of other hard-on 'Whakos' like myself may not find your cruelty humorous. By the way could i make a cash offer at this time, for the hag, just to stop the bloodshed, before this thing gets out of hand?
Respectfully,
Buzzfly in Austin

Well, now, let me gather my thoughts.
A cash offer would confuse the trading. Cash is worth exactly what it is worth, making it difficult to trade up. On the other hand, what size cash offer are we saying? Most people have trouble with the true value of an original work of art, that is why 90% of the offers could not be accepted.

Also, is this letter in jest? I am presuming, but "the hag" cuts to the quick and causes the required stack of cash to double, perhaps triple in size.

In addition, I am fearful that Joseph Fly and a few others miss the context of Pamela that is not readily apparent. She is not some cartoon. Her skeletal form and bright colors actually mock the culture of consumerism we live in. Her light-hearted style is a biting commentary on entertainment. Pamela might have acted on Broadway, but there is more fame and money in catering to the shallow pool of the masses. Skeletal in nature, Pamela reminds us all of the transience of beauty, that we shall all one day be skeletons. Dead. Even Joseph Fly. Even Kid Rock.

For that reason not only the trade offer but the person must be worthy.

On another note, Rhode Island is aboard. We all have been so totally wrong on all the polls. Remember when we all though North Dakota would be the last. Wrong! State after state fell, and we were wrong all along. We guessed Rhode Island 4-1 against Vermont. We forgot what slave driving tyrants Ben and Jerry can be I suppose.

On the brighter side of being wrong, perhaps you were all wrong about your souls burning in Hell, so feel free to start sinning again!

Alan Mizell
Houston, TX USA
OomBa Mail <<< First Response Received Tonight!

New Trade Offer, Pamela Gets A Job!

2008-07-24T21:16:00.006-05:00

If you're new to Five Red Dice, welcome. I traded the Five Red Dice for this cool artwork of Pamela Anderson as a skeleton, and now I am ready to trade it for something bigger and better. What do you have to trade? Make an offer tonight!
You can see a much better image by going to the website and underneath the Pamela picture click 'larger image'.

Hey, we are only about 20 members away from the FREE Five Red Dice T-Shirt giveaway. Every 100 people joining, signing the guest book, making a trade offer one T-Short will be given away! You're in the drawing every pull, if you are on the e-mail list. For those who can't wait or who suffer from eternal bad luck, order your own at The Five Red Dice Store, lots of cool things there. Have I told you that wearing one is good luck. Just lack week this shirt prevented me from suffering a milk spill on my chest!

I did have another, how should I say, unique offer come in. It was for a cardboard standee of the little person called Beetle Juice on the Howard Stern show. Or so they say. Wow, that is so not my cup of tea, even if it were imminently tradeable. But it did merit an entry into the t-shirt contest.

As noted earlier in the week Pamela was seeking employment. Here she is hard at work over a paper full of red circles. i thought it might be all a big show and she was not committed to the idea but I was wrong. She has found a position working in an office.

I visited her today and snapped a pic, she wanted to show everyone she is not really just a diva and would be a great addition to your home, hanging around all the time and keeping you company. Imagine the story you could tell friends as to how you hooked up with Pamela! Much better tale than that tired old Van Gogh cut-off ear stuff!

Thanks for visiting and please come back soon. Don't forget to cast your vote in the poll- "Who's The Slowest State", Vermont or Rhode Island. Rhode Island is winning, or losing rather, big time. Click on your choice in the right sidebar!

Alan Mizell

Houston, Texas

OomBa Mail

Pamela Is Looking For A Job!

2008-07-23T22:17:00.005-05:00

A solid offer came in today that I must refuse, though the thought was nice- a coupon for a FREE iced coffee at Starbucks so I don't burn my lips. Hmmm, is that so I can kiss Pamela. She's a drawing lady, it's just humor! I must be confusing people though as a second person e-mailed me to ask if I "really" had a date with Pamela Anderson! If only... Anyway, a coupon for a cup of Joe is too little, too soon. Good try!

Pamela has been working out in the gym a lot, but I cannot see one tiny bit of muscle tone improvement, but I sure can lie and tell her it's looking great!

Other than that it has been a slow week here at Five Red Dice headquarters. The most exciting news is that Pamela is looking for employment! If anyone knows of a good position in the Houston area for a girl with lots of experience looking cute, or something requiring marginal acting abilities, call. Perhaps even relationship counseling- lots of experience here...

So thanks everybody, we are at 78 members so only 22 to go and I will draw for the FREE Five Red Dice T-Shirt, so spread the word to all your friends, family, and the strange guy at work that mumbles a lot.

Alan Mizell

Houston, TX U.S.A.

OomBa Mail

Pamela Retires, Relaxes, Spends Money. Trouble In Paradise?

2008-07-22T19:13:00.009-05:00

Yes, it all seemed so wonderful when Pamela got here, she is so beautiful and all, but so thin. We had a ton of good times going out to parties and stuff but now we have just kind of settled in and I am hoping Pamela can adjust to a 'normal' lifestyle, but there seems to be some issues. She spends a lot of time laying around on the couch reading rock and roll magazines. I hope she isn't still thinking of that Tommy Lee!

'Pamela Relaxing, All Day, Every Day'
The news got out that Pamela had retired due to her skeletal condition. That is probably hard to deal with and has caused some stress, what with all the news stories, reporters snooping around, paparazzi in the bushes and all. We are going to try and slip away for a secret, romantic picnic later in the week, but I will share photos with Five Red Dice!

'News Story Relating Pamela's Sudden Retirement'

Of course, now that the big money is not rolling in and the 'Baywatch' residuals have dwindled to a trickle, Pamela may have to consider a 'different' lifestyle. We had a big argument over money and I keep finding receipts for expensive things around the house. I mean she shouldn't leave these receipts for me to find. In her purse. In the wallet. In the hidden pocket! Can you believe HER?!

'Who Would Have Thought Being A Skeleton Would Be So Expensive'

One cool thing happened this week was the leader of the free world, President George W. Bush sent best wishes to us, and that was a great lift. Thanks George, now start cleaning out your desk!

'Number One Fan Of 'Barb Wire' With Pamela Anderson, The President!"

That's almost all the excitement I can stand for the evening, but before I go I should let you know that thousands of your fellow citizens marched on Washington D.C. and wanted me to tell you something.

Alan Mizell
Houston, Texas U.S.A
OomBa Mail

Heidi Of Hurst, Texas Offers A Giant Yellow Key For Pamela

2008-07-21T21:03:00.010-05:00

Heidi of Hurst, Texas wrote this morning with perhaps the most unique offer yet, a giant prop that looks like "a key with a kind and confused face", and she sent awesome photos along with the offer. I have to confess there are hundreds of virtual worlds which many of us do not live in. In the world of this "fighting game" called 'Guilty Gear Isuka' the girl is an artificial life-form named A.B.A. and the kind-faced key goes by Paracelcus. The picture above is of Heidi wearing the costume and holding Paracelcus. Very neat, I guess there is an army of folks who dress like their favorite video game characters and such. I like, I used to do a Halloween show in my hometown- Population 600, Halloween Show Attendees 1200+. (Or did they just go through the line twice?)
The key id made of foam and weighs about three pounds. Heidi is offering the costume also, but looking at her I am thinking it might not fit me as I am 6' 4" tall. This is a tempting offer. I did say I love strange offers, but also I like common, ordinary, dull but tradeable ideas. I have to wonder if this world exists and I am not in it how likely is it that I could successfully trade the props for something? Is it a trade up or just different? Would love to hear what others think.
In case you are wondering if Heidi's work is any good compare the costume and prop key to the animation below. WOW! Great job Heidi.

In case you missed the post below both Delaware and North Dakota came on board last night, so the 'Big Five Red Dice Loser Contest" is a dead heat between Vermont and Rhode Island. Who will be last to visit?
Tomorrow there should be an update on what Pamela and I have been up to so come back now, ya' hear...

Alan Mizell
Houston, TX USA
OomBa Mail

We Were Wrong! Welcome North Dakota.

2008-07-21T07:43:00.006-05:00

That's right, 38% of us thought North Dakota would be the last state to visit, including yours truly, but yesterday North Dakota pulled into the Five Red Dice rest area, along with Delaware and Ireland. Welcome aboard, and now the title for last place hinges solely on Vermont and Rhode Island, those laid-back, bucolic and apparently Internet free zones of the northeast.

Last night we broke the 2,000 threshold for absolutely unique visitors and now stand at 2,047! Growing fast, with 71 Five Red Dice members and approaching the 100 mark where a FREE Five Red Dice T-Shirt will be given away to one of you!

As for the sexy babe with the key at the top, tune in tonight for an update on a new trade offer for Pamela!

Alan Mizell
Houston, TX USA

Pamela Anderson And I Have First Date, Than A 'Welcome To Houston' Party

2008-07-19T23:32:00.010-05:00

Pamela arrived in Houston, in the flesh, (OK, not in the flesh, as she is a skeleton) and we have been having a great time getting to know one another. It's difficult knowing she will only be here a short time before she 'hangs' with someone else. It makes me fell so... Tommy Lee?

Our first Real Official Date was of course the getting to know you standby, Starbucks! What better place for every first date- scalding hot beverages that leave you with bad breath. I picked her up, styling in the Scion. Hope that was OK with her, being a Hollywood type and I just a regular guy, is there a chance we might hit it off?

It seemed to be OK, I thought at first such a pretty celebrity might be shallow, two dimensional, lacking depth, but she was very down-to-Earth and barely seemed to mind the little boxy love machine.

Later at Starbucks we really got to talking. In the photo below I am describing to her the whole sordid tale of how she had been traded for Five Red Dice. I have to tell you Kathy Braceland, she was a little sore at first, but I think that I smoothed it over, though she is still miffed you took the Five Red Dice to Universal Studios and packed her off in a dark envelope! She mumbled something about seeing if those stupid dice can get you backstage at a Bill Mumi concert...

Things got relaxed though after a few raspberry iced teas for her, those really cooled her down. Like any great date we soon warmed up and she actually sat in my lap. Cool! Check out those Bunny Ears I'm putting on her. I'll bet Kid Rock never was that cool with her. By the way, have you noticed that I am wearing a very stylish and fashionable Five Red Dice T-Shirt, available at only one place in the entire world- The Five Red Dice Store! (actually you can sign the guest book or e-mail me and be entered in the contest to win a FREE T-Shirt!)

Our night at Starbucks went so well that the next day we had a 'Welcome To Houston Pamela' party, complete with balloons, swimming and a mariachi band! In this photo I am laughing hysterically at a small joke Pamela just whispered to me as people enjoy a cool dip in the pool.

Pamela always likes to get in a little sunbathing, and looks incredible stretched out on the rocks. You may recognize the celebrities in the background swimming. The man on the left is Romanian emigre and engineer Ovidiu Zorcasteen, developer of the laser powered pooper-scooper called the Crap-Zapper, and a millionaire many times over. On the left is Quintin Mattelbaum, famed restaurateur and creator of the Pork-Free Cajun Tamale In A Paper Cone, a hit throughout certain parishes in southern Louisiana. Also in the upper pool is Vanna Bloomingdale, the model on the front of packages of Pampers! What a party!

So you can see Pamela's first days here have been a blast, more fun than allowed by law. (There I go thinking out loud again) I will be giving updates on a regular basis of all the social outings of Ms. Anderson, so stay tuned and come back often. Until the day comes that is when a great trade entices Pamela into another's arms.

Alan Mizell

Houston, TX USA

FiveRedDice.com

Nazar Bobcugu Offered For Trade

2008-07-18T06:59:00.006-05:00

On top of the school bus ride came another very unique offer to trade for Pamela. Ata Uysal of Ankara, Turkey offered a 'nazar boncugu', and for those of you who are a little slack in reading Turkish that is an amulet to protect against the evil eye. It's usually a series of concentric circles, dark blue in the center, than light blue or yellow, white, and dark blue again, as pictured.
What a beautiful piece, and you truly must check out the website. The website is as beautiful as the amulet. Who would have thought that evil eye amulets would have such an incredible website!

So to those of you who have been following this adventure, has there been anything offered that struck you, that you would have traded for in an instant?
The vintage Playboy?
Tony Llama Boots?
Knitted something or other?
Houston area bus ride for 30?
The evil eye amulet?

Was just wondering and wanting your opinions.

By the way, last night Macedonia came on as a new country to visit!

Be sure to vote in the "Last State To Visit" Poll to the right, it is ending this weekend.

Alan Mizell
Houston, TX USA
OomBa Mail

Janet Fleener Offers Bus Ride. Janet, Where Are You?

2008-07-17T18:59:00.002-05:00

Janet Fleener of Houston submitted a trade for the Pamela Anderson Skeleton art of "A school bus ride for you and thirty of your closest friends take them to the Kemah boardwalk or Galveston or an Astro's game" This is an interesting trade, intangible in a sense but something I think some people might really want. But first Janet, you put your last name in the bar for e-mail, so I have no way to reach you if I decide to take the trade.

Does anybody know a Janet Fleener who has access to a school bus? Also, is it really a SCHOOL bus? Do you like, own it? In my old days the driver owned the bus but I thought nowadays the city or school owned the bus. I could be wrong. As a school bus I presume there are no restrooms. If you knew me you would know that could be a problem. But maybe not since I could say "Pull her over". When I tried that with Harvey Hulin in 5Th grade back in Abita Springs, LA, all I got was a 'dirty, I'm going to tell your Mom so you better sit down now' look!

So Janet, please e-mail me so i can keep you updated. Also, send your mailing address and I will send you some 'limited edition, signed and numbered art prints'! And since you e-mailed you are in the drawing for the FREE Five Red Dice t-shirt!

Please, everyone, vote in the 'Last State To Visit' poll to the right, only about two days left.

Alan Mizell

Paula Wants To Knit A Trade For The Pamela

2008-07-16T21:09:00.004-05:00

Paula of Houston Texas is a 26 year old teacher with a skill at knitting, and she has offered to knit something for me. Yes, I know, she already pointed out that it is summer, but that "it will still be fun".

Paula says she can knit about anything. This is a little more puzzling of an offer for me, being such an 'off the rack' kind of guy. I'm going to have to e-mail Paula and ask for photos of completed things. I don't even really know what people knit. (I know some of you are shaking your head. I know about so much, but knitting has escaped me) I presume sweaters are at the top of the list, and maybe hats. But what else? People, help me out here.

A big pile of Paula's yarn ready to go! Interesting, especially since Paula is a teacher and wants to be a part and share with the children. That's cool!

By the way, be sure to read the post below and take advantage of the FREE offer for limited edition, signed and numbered art prints.

Also, only a few days left to vote in the poll at the right.

Alan Mizell

Houston, Texas USA

The Five Red Dice Store

Get A FREE Signed And Numbered, Limited Edition Art Print From Five Red Dice

2008-07-15T20:56:00.005-05:00

Tonight you have the benefit of receiving a FREE limited edition, signed and numbered print. Now I realize that some of the negative types are going to look below and say "Alan, that's just a business card", but really folks, in the finest tradition of art, spoof, and mail order con men around the world, this offer is exactly as I represent it. Take any ten-thousand dollar print by Dali or Picasso and all you have is a piece of paper. So tonight you have the chance to receive a paper print that is....
limited edition,
signed and numbered,
highly collectible!
So you say, how do I get this awesome prize, and for FREE! All you have to do is sign the Five Red Dice Guest Book, and an e-mail will be returned to you with a mailing address. Simply mail a self-addressed stamped envelope to the address and the limited edition, highly collectible print will be on the way to you.

The photo really does not do justice to the beauty of this print, as the color is rich and the depth of the translucent reds are intoxicating. Great asset to have when telling your friends about Five Red Dice, as they may have trouble remembering the name of the site, so pass some of these collectible prints out to friends and family so they can join the fun.
You might as well sign the guest book anyway, as every 100th signer wins a FREE Five Red Dice T-Shirt! SO thank you for all the support, hope you have fun and enjoy the posts. When you sign the Guest Book let me know how many business car... er, limited edition prints you would like to have to pass around!

Alan Mizell
The Five Red Dice Store

P.S. THE POLL AT THE RIGHT ONLY HAS A FEW DAYS LEFT SO PLEASE CAST A VOTE TONIGHT!

Visits from South Africa and North United Kingdom

2008-07-15T07:09:00.009-05:00

One of the little pleasure I have and try to share is every morning I go to Google analytics and I can see which states and countries have visited, which towns, how many pages they visited and for how long. Don't worry, social security numbers and blood types are left out!

In the last several days we have had visits from Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Iraq, Kyrgyzstan, Israel, Malta, Greece, and more. Last night was really interesting (OK, to a geography geek like me) as visitors came from South Africa and the northernmost tip of the British Isles. That's cool. I mean, how much further apart can we get. I cannot post ads on Craigslist for Antarctica and the North Pole, and that's about the only things further apart!

I know about our northern visitor because of the nice e-mail from a woman calling herself 'GirlOnARock', and she said we can add the Shetland Isles to the list of countries visiting. Not technically a country she explains, but hey, it probably once was. I guess I romantically envision her in the window, monitor glowing on her face as the northern winds blow outside and waves crash on rocky beaches. Google the Shetland Isles and check it out, they lie about 600 miles north of London and look very remote, relaxed, the kind of place to escape and write that novel. I have added a link to the "GirlOnARock' blog, just click here or on the link under Five Red Dice Friends in the right sidebar. If you are like me, a frazzled, stuck in traffic, abhor Wal-Mart person, her posts of life on the Isle will leave you... wanting.

Thanks for the kind words 'GirlOnARock, and I have posted a picture of a coastline in your Isles below for everyone to enjoy.

Alan Mizell
Houston, Texas USA

P.S. Only a few days left to vote in the 'Last State To Visit' poll. Seems we are having trouble reaching the outlying areas of North Dakota, Vermont, Delaware, and Rhode Island.

Five Red Dice And Kathy Braceland Do Hollywood

2008-07-13T21:22:00.007-05:00

I have received numerous e-mails from several states and even as far as Europe wondering what's up with the dice, are they going to be available for trade again, are they well. Artist Kathy Braceland has e-mailed me that they are more than well, they are FABULOUS in Hollywood. They recently spent the evening hob-nobbing with celebrities at Citywalk outside of Universal Studios. In the photo below you can see they are arriving via police escort, sirens blaring, lights flashing.

The Five Red Dice, though a bit famous, are still a little shy, but relax, they spent the evening in the careful company of Kathy.

The Five Red Dice enjoyed posing around the area, at Starbucks, on the red carpet, and this photo of them in Kathy's hand is a personal favorite. Kathy must be very strong to hold a thirty foot Fender guitar in her hand like that!

Many of you are not aware of the Five Red Dice's blooming film career, but they were awarded an Oscar by the Academy. You may have seen them with Deniro in 'Casino', and their parents were featured in a number of James Bond films.

Kathy searched high and low, and I must remember to fire off a complaint letter to Universal- When the Dice are in town you better have extra small t-shirts in stock.

The dice topped off the evening with some music by Bill Mumy. Those of you in the right age bracket may remember Bill as Will Robinson on the TV show 'Lost In Space'. Those of you too young, go Google. Bill has carved out a second career as a talented singer, guitarist, and songwriter. Later at the afterparty Bill and the Dice performed together. Unfortunately one of the Dice, who shall forever be anonymous, drank too much and the party had to come to an end.

So you see, the Five Red Dice are more than fine. While I shuffle off to work and fold laundry tonight, they party with celebrities. Ah well, it's good to see your children do better than yourself. No really. No... really...

Alan Mizell

Houston, Texas, USA

The Five Red Dice Store

Is Alan Ever Going To Trade The Pamela?

2008-07-13T10:07:00.002-05:00

Well, she is beautiful, and cool. But yes. The answer is yes, I am. Many offers have come in so I thought maybe I would just post some ideas I had on trades and such. There are no hard and fast rules, this project is free-form and making itself up as it goes along. When I began it I had no idea that I would trade the dice for an original work of art, particularly of a celebrity presented as a skeleton. But there you have it.

Lots of offers have been really cool, and as I have said- "Any and all offers are considered, drooled over, and very much appreciated." But only one will shout out "Trade For ME!"

I guess first of all the idea is that I am trading up and the art was great as Kathy and I both got a good trade. There was great opportunity for me to promote her art, so it hopefully will be a win-win trade. So...

I can't see trading this unique, wonderful, valuable, collectible piece of art for something too common, too ordinary. Would you?

Art would be great, but while this experiment is kind of an art project, that is not it's focus. I am just as likely to trade for a bicycle built for two or a power tool or some artifact or other.

So far I have been intrigued by the Duck Toy, the playing cards, the Playboy magazine, consulting services and Megalodon shark's tooth. Intrigued but not swayed. Maybe also I just have to have Pamela hang around the house for a week or two!

Just a few thoughts I wanted to share. If you have been watching, keep doing so, and tell your friends, soon enough we will have another trade.

Also, soon I will announce a Five Red Dice Giveaway Promotion and Contest, so keep watching or best of all, e-mail me to join the update e-mail list!

Alan Mizell
Houston, TX USA

Megalodon Shark Tooth, Funny Letter

2008-07-13T00:28:00.003-05:00

Just a quick note that Cynthia has offered that Megalodon Shark Tooth, it's millions of years old and about 1 5/8". Her camera is broken but you can view the tooth at this link. Cool, but Megalodon enough for Pamela? I will have to see...

Also, in the fruitcake mailbag I received the curt two word e-mail "greedy ****" from Neil Marcus. If Neil knew how much work went into the website and blog, how many hours I have spent, the cost of the dice, website, postage, and more, he probably would not care cause he seems to be a little off kilter. I sent him the standard Five Red Dice form e-mail...

Thank you for taking the time to view the Five Red Dice family of websites, and also for sharing your opinions with us. We value your input, and appreciate your participation.
You e-mail address had automatically been added to our twice daily update list.
Thanks you.

Do not answer this automatically generated e-mail as this address can receive no replies.

Alan Mizell

Four New Countries Have Visited Us!

2008-07-12T10:08:00.003-05:00

To me it is fascinating to see the new countries that have someone who has visited Five Red Dice. Yesterday it was Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, and Iraq. I wonder if it were an American soldier who checked us out? Last night another strange mix of new countries popped up on the radar- Greece, Israel, Malta, and Kyrgyzstan. I'm glad Kyrgyzstan came aboard, must have been a neighbor in Uzbekistan that told them what an awesome place this is to be!

Of course we have visitors from Iraq and Kyrgyzstan, but as of yet the outlying areas of Delaware, North Dakota, Rhode Island, and Vermont have been unable to sign on?

We broke the 2,000 mark for visitors, small compared to some site but big to me and growing in volume every day. With a little exponential growth we should have 50 billion visitors this year!

Just kidding.

If you want to see the visitor count and states and countries list just click here.

Alan Mizell
Houston, Texas USA
The Five Red Dice Store

Meredith Offers 'Smelly Bears' For Pamela. Hmmm

2008-07-11T20:07:00.006-05:00

Meredith of Sugar Creek, Missouri, outside of Kansas City, offered to trade a 'Smelly Bear' for Pamela. What's a 'Smelly Bear', you ask? In this case it's not a bear that forgot to shower all hibernation, but a Teddy Bear that has been dipped in scented wax. They have several scents available, and I have a choice. Wow. This is so close to the horrors I forced upon my Niece's Barbie's as a kid. I also offered my Niece choices- I could cut off the head or two limbs, her choice! But to dip in hot wax, horrors of that sort escaped my evil little mind.

Seriously though, they are cute, and it is kind of a cool idea! I will find out if this is Meredith's creation, and if so I will post a link so those of you with fragrance needs or twisted minds can stock up on 'Smelly Bears'!

Alan Mizell

Houston, Texas USA

The Five Red Dice Store

Another Talented Artist You Should Visit

2008-07-11T07:13:00.006-05:00

I just returned from the blog of artist Heather Brown Truman, Bad! Kitty Art Studio Very nice, I love her work and hope you will also visit her site. She has visited the Five Red Dice site, and is one of our friends with a link on her site and the following write-up this morning...

"I came across a blog called Five Red Dice. It’s this guy named Alan Mizell, he lives in Austin TX and he had these red dice and started trading them to see what he could turn them into. It’s a fun read, a fun project and I don’t want to give too much away, but you should check it out, maybe you have something to trade for what he has now, which is pretty cool and a total upgrade from the dice. Just go look, like I said I don’t want to give away the surprise, it’s fun."

Thanks Heather, appreciate the appreciation!

Alan Mizell
Houston, Texas USA

New State Visits, New Countries, State Poll Is Back Up

2008-07-11T06:57:00.003-05:00

Overnight, no new offers came in. Perhaps the giant assembly of potential trades from Rick, noted in the post below, left potential traders stunned!

South Dakota finally had a visitor! That leaves four states in the running, noted off to the right side. The poll was having technical issues but is back up with the four choices. There's a little over a week left to vote. (If anyone tries to vote and cannot, it is a Google Blogger issue, THE top problem in the help area, so I apologize but it out of my hands and they are aware of it. I'm sure it will be resolved as they do an excellent job of hosting.)

Internationally we had Sweden and Portugal visit for the first time last night. Welcome aboard, now make an offer to trade!

Alan Mizell
Houston, Texas USA

Huge Potpourri Of Trade Offerings From Italy

2008-07-10T22:35:00.006-05:00

When Rick Gush, an artist living in Rapallo, Italy makes an offer, he makes an offer. Rick has sent in a comprehensive selection of items with a set number I can choose from. You know a person has some neat stuff when they can offer everything from a toy ambulance to a bucket of sardines, from a celebrity-trodden pave stone to a female golfer figurine. So much stuff that to see it all you must click on the picture above, as the entire offer is posted on the website. Visit and check out the selection, then check out the 'Offers For Pamela' page for larger photos.

Thanks Rick, and everybody enjoy this fine collection.

Ciao,
Alan Mizell
http://www.fivereddice.com/

Five Red Dice Arrive In Hollywood!

2008-07-10T21:52:00.006-05:00

The Five Red Dice have officially been welcomed to Hollywood, California by Kathy Braceland, and she was good enough to share this moment with some photos. I'll let Kathy tell the exciting tale...

Well, as suspected, they were completely exhausted from such a long, arduous journey. You know, I sure wouldn't want to be mailed through the post office. I think it would be rather trying. But I digress.... So, I let them rest and in the meantime, prepared a little surprise for them. The welcome party..... These are the shots we took of their surprise party. The first is the 5 of them arriving. You might be thinking...oh, that's a backdrop. Well, yes it is. Firstly, it's pretty hard to shop for party favours for dice but secondly, I thought it would be apropos to make my own set...after all...it IS Hollywood. Needless to say, the Five Red Dice were delighted AND surprised!

A further surprise was...I secretly invited some neighbours over so the Five Red Dice might make some new friends. The 2nd picture is of them mingling with the other guests. I did get one celebrity to attend.

As the party broke up (later than I thought!)...a good time was had by all. Before the Five Red Dice turned in, they wanted to play a little tune...that's the 3rd picture. This piano is 100 year old Orchestral upright. They played beautifully....

We have more plans for them. I'll send more pictures after the weekend....

Kathy

Hilarious. Now I know I made the right choice in choosing not just Pamela, but Kathy. Thanks for the great updates and keep them coming. And everybody, keep the offers coming. This collectible and unique artwork is up for grabs, you just have to be the one to submit the trade that catches my eye!

Alan Mizell
Houston, TX

New Offers, Countries, States...

2008-07-10T06:50:00.003-05:00

I hope you'll be sure to vote in the "Last State To Visit" poll at the right side of the page, but for those of us who thought Iowa or Maryland would be the last, they have now officially joined the party!

Also a big welcome to a diverse group of new countries to visit last night- Slovakia, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq. Welcome aboard, hope you come back often, and please consider making a trade offer!

A couple of very unique offers came in but I am waiting and hoping for photos and more information. One offer was for a 'Megalodon shark tooth', and that sounds awesome. My daughter Lexi said just the idea of a huge shark tooth scares her. Time for a trip to the beach! Also a roller derby player in California wants to trade her Police Officer costume. Hope she sends pictures and I am wondering if it will fit me!

Until this evening, thanks.

Alan Mizell
Houston, Texas USA

More Interesting Offers Come In Today- One From A Smarty Pants

2008-07-09T20:12:00.005-05:00

Usually in the course of my workday (Yes I have a real job, there's no paycheck here at Five Red Dice, it is strictly voluntary!), typically at the beginning of lunch, I do a quick e-mail check. With great anticipation I look to see if the next offer will be THE ONE. Strangely today's mail contained a photo of a Home Depot tape measure. You may not know this by I worked for the company for many years- what an odd coincidence...

Until I scrolled down and saw that toe offer came from my prankster daughter Lexi. It was MY tape measure she was trying to foist off on me.

Wonder where she gets her twisted sense of humor from?

Another REAL offer came in from Cynthia of Fredericksburg, Virginia, a knife she found while walking around the town, a knife crusty with rust. She cleaned it up and found it to be an 'Okapi' knife. I didn't even know what that meant- I seriously wondered if it was made of some part of an Okapi, the Zebra-like animal! I googled, it's a brand name. Silly me, the fun never ceases!

Another offer or two are in the e-mail I believe, trying to stay ahead of this growing snowball, so check back later tonight for a possible update to the update!

Alan Mizell
Houston, Texas USA
The Five Red Dice Store

Irving Berlin Sheet Music Offer Comes In

2008-07-09T07:08:00.003-05:00

Marty of Creston, IL has submitted an offer to trade for Irving Berlin sheet music, The Duncan Sisters in "Topsy and Eva". Sure, you may not have heard of The Duncan Sisters but they were like "The Supremes" or Beyonce and her sisters back in their day!

There's another really neat offer I will try to post this evening, just waiting for photos to come in. Have you visited FiveRedDice.com , our actual website. If so click on the block shaped globe at the top to see visitor updates, how many people and which states and countries they are coming from. We are up to 1,668 visits and 3,295 page views, from the same 43 states.

Make sure you vote in the poll off to the right- :Which state will be LAST to visit"?

We also have had visitors from 40 countries around the world! Countries from Argentina to Switzerland. Last night we added Finland and Ukraine. Kind of interesting to see that people around the world are aware of this project. That was the entire goal, actually, to spread the word.

Thanks, and check back later tonight for possibly another update.

Vote!

Alan Mizell

Author Debra Di Blasi Offers 'Jiri Chronicles' Collection For Pamela

2008-07-08T16:28:00.009-05:00

Author Debra Di Blasi took the plunge and has offered a signed copy of her latest book "The Jiri Chronicles and Other Fictions", published in 2007 by FC2/University of Alabama Press. Signed not just by Ms. Di Blasi but also by Jiri along with, in Debra's words...

"an original note from Jiri pleading to be rescued from the "CIA Secret Torture Center Somewhere in Eastern Europe" on CIA-STCSEE letterhead. Priceless!" Debra also is throwing in a set of Jiri's "celebrity odors, Hung and Pe".

Debra is obviously very creative, her novels have received excellent reviews- check her out at Her Website! and her Production Website She obviously is cutting edge as this is the first offer for Pamela I have had wanting to trade her for an odor! You must visit the site and check out the description of these real colognes- very funny, yet strangely alluring...

Thanks,

Alan Mizell

Houston, TX USA

The Five Red Dice Store

Late Night Offer To Trade For 1960 Sophia Loren Playboy

2008-07-08T07:03:00.004-05:00

Offers that come in at 3 A.M. are usually the most fascinating and hard to pin down, and this one lives up to that... Jeanne sent in a trade offer for a 1960 Playboy featuring a cartoon of Sophia Loren on the cover, 5 pages of photos of Loren, art by Leroy Neiman and Shel Silverstein. I LOVE Shel, he's incredible. Stories by Ray Bradbury, articles on Miles Davis, a letter from Paddy Chayefsky. Pretty cool, this is like a microcosm of the world just before I was born.

The really puzzling part though is that I know the person offering the trade, and for her to offer a Playboy magazine seems as likely as me having "The Greatest Hits Of Mel Tillis" to offer. Unlikely!

Ah, well, all offers are considered, so after some furious back and forth e-mails today i will clarify exactly how this magazine came into her grasp.

Please notice that I have a new poll out to the right in the sidebar. Only 7 of the United States have yet to visit Five Red Dice, so what is your opinion? Which state is the most behind the eight ball and will visit us LAST? Should be fun.

At the website you can now click on the globe in the heading and see an update on the number of visitors, page views, states and countries that have visited. It's the most accurate information from Google Analytics and should be interesting to follow.

Alan Mizell
Houston, TX USA

New Offer- The Most Beautiful Pen Ever!

2008-07-07T22:20:00.006-05:00

Carolyn just e-mailed in a trade offer on the Pamela, saying she was willing to part with "a treasured memento of a lab supply fair". Treasured? Must have been a heck of a lab supply fair. But this is an awesome pen, as pens go, kind of like the Mont Blanc Luke Skywalker might carry.

Notice in the photograph, Carolyn is writing "I'm a pen and I work" just to stop any naysayers in their tracks. It's a nice pen she says, it has some weight to it (probably the car battery powering the laser!), also, there is a button that controls the light from slow to fast to constant to off.

Beautiful. It is hypnotizing. It's the writing utensil equivalent of bathing in a tropical waterfall. (I should write ad copy!) (And Carolyn should be a product photographer!!)

Ah, a pen so beautiful, I shall have to lie down and sleep on it. Thanks a million for the cool offer Carolyn, and you, yes you, sitting at the computer reading this! Why have YOU not sent in a trade offer? You might want to order a Five Red Dice tote bag from the Five Red Dice Store to carry the grief in when Pamela slips from your fingers...

PAMELA HAS ARRIVED AND SHE IS GORGEOUS!

2008-07-06T01:13:00.006-05:00

Pamela And Alan- Together At Last

Yippee, Pamela arrived into my clutches today. What a long and arduous journey the poor lady has had. She arrived on Thursday, but I live in an apartment and she was locked away in the office until I could rescue her today. She had a bit of a rough ride though and some gorilla of the U.S.P.S. squeezed my Pamela and she busted her glass. She seems to be just fine though, there are two tiny marks, almost invisible. Well, the way I see it, when Kathy Jo Braceland is famous, the provenance of the artwork will include an interesting anecdote of her travels in tight quarters and the rough ride she had!

I should mention that Kathy's packaging was superb, so the handling must have been intense. Pamela traveled Priority, with extensive labeling as to her delicate nature- as fragile as glass. She was protected by a layer of cardboard and wrapped in sheer bubble wrap, along with a significant amount of foam padding to ease the bumps and bruises.

I know the potential problems of shipping. I used to make a living selling books online, and shipped thousands of books each year. One man wrote me angrily that his book wrapping had come loose, exposing his book to the entire office, causing him a bit of grief. Of all the books to have that happen, and why did he ship it to his office? The book? "How To Lose Weight By Having Sex". True story.

So Kathy, I know you are reading this but relax, she is still as beautiful and truly an incredible piece of art. She is going to be hard to part with, folks, but keep the offers coming. Something is bound to entice me into trading.

I have had many e-mails about Pamela, she seems to strike a nerve. Tonight a friend and I bought her out to Starbucks and spread the word a bit. My friend has also fallen for this beauty, seems most people start picking out a spot in their home for her and running an inventory of possible trades in their head.

Pamela's Temporary Place Of Honor In The Mizell Abode

Thanks again for all of the kind words and great e-mails and offers. I feel like I am truly expanding my Universe just a tad, day by day, and I'm glad to have you all in it. Keep the notes and offers coming and spread the word!

Alan Mizell

Houston, Texas USA

SOUL POLL Results Are In

2008-07-06T00:59:00.004-05:00

The results are in on the SOUL POLL and are as follows...

Out of 32 votes in total...

10 people or 31% would not trade their soul for fear of risking eternal damnation!

How amusing that 69% of you would take the chance.

7 people, or 21% would trade the invisible stuff away, for world peace, the end of disease and war.

More interesting, 6 people, or 18% would trade it for anything as the soul is a figment of the imagination. Should have offered it for the Pamela... you never know. Then again, I have always been a little devilish!

5 of you, or 15%, would prefer to trade for good looks, eternal youth, sexual stamina and such. The rest of us already have that, so why bother?

2 people, or 6% would trade for the Five Red Dice. Again, I did not see that offer come through the gates.

Also, really interesting, 2 of you would not trade for a million dollars, nor a billion dollars, but for 100 BILLION? Well, hello Satan! Was it just because it was the highest value listed, I wonder? Or do some people have a financial threshold?

Ah well, it was all in fun.

Alan Mizell
Houston, TX USA

Leslie Sweetens The Pot...

2008-07-06T00:44:00.007-05:00

Yet another trade offer has been sweetened. If this sweetening of the pots continues, I may experience a severe sugar rush, and I am a little hyped up just normally.

Leslie of Sacramento, California had offered the Manic Duck on Tricycle, a cool toy, and now is throwing in a Japanese bottle of some drink called Ramune, empty but for a clear marble. Do they have product liability attorneys in Japan. Maybe it's just me but including a CLEAR MARBLE in every bottle of beverage sounds a bit 'dicey', if you will pardon the pun. Leslie also has included a memo pad set. All are pictured above. Thanks for the sweetener Leslie.

Alan Mizell

Mail. The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

2008-07-05T17:56:00.006-05:00

Once you begin a project as this, every day when opening the e-mail it is like Christmas. You might have a shiny new bike, or Aunt Edna may have given you wool socks. Or year old fruitcake. Speaking of...

I had mentioned I liked Howie Mandel when he still blew up rubber gloves on his head. I got the puzzling e-mail back stating...

I LOVE HOWIE BEFORE TO.AND THE LITTLE BLUE FUZZY THING...

Later the same person, after not explining the "little blue fuzzy thing" sent this comment...

I AM ALSO INTERSTED IN SPIDERS WITH LOTS OF MONEY.

When I asked what that meant...

I FIGURED YOU WOULDNT UNDERSTAND...

Interesting. Another doozie came in the mail just today.

I looked at your site and I think it is a waste of my time......
Lisa W

Ah, don't let it get you down, as I read it and I am amused. If you think I should be a little disappointed, you might like my 'generic' reply to Lisa W. ...

Thank you for your input. We value your opinions and suggestions and appreciate the time you took from your busy schedule to share your voice with us here at Five Red Dice.
We hope you will find the time to help us pursue our goal and promote the website to your friends and family.
Per your request we will add you to our daily Five Red Dice update e-mails list.
Alan Mizell
This auto-generated reply cannot accept answers. Thank you.

Well, I thought it was worth a snicker. Then there are the interesting, intelligent replies as this one from X-8, a fascinating artist. He leaves me hoping for a reply, for participation, even though I don't want this to just be an 'art' trade, I am getting and enjoying the diverse offers. X-8 writes...

Hi Alan-
Thanks for bumping into me.
Interesting proposition.
I've heard of this kind of stuff where the instigator finally gets a house and an invitation to the White House or something,I'll check out your site and decide if this is something that might benefit the both of us.
Thanks.x

You should really visit X-8's website for some incredible and unique visions! And the 'leave you feeling it's worth it' award goes to Mary. She has been having monitor issues and finally caught up with this...

Alan,

Please know that I LOVE your sense of humor and thoroughly enjoy the sound of society lapping up your brand of Seinfeld. I and those around me are in this for the JOY it brings to our hearts as we tune out News Broadcasters and their tales of who killed who and why we should be outraged at something else. We happily CHOOSE to tune into Five Red Dice - and how life would be so nice, if we simply let it!

Thank you for what you bring to the table.

You Are Loved. All Is Well.

Mary

So there you have a slice of the interesting potpourri of responses I get from the project, and I love them all. Really, I do, I love the good, the bad, and the ugly, so keep them coming.

Alan Mizell
Houston, Texas USA

Wife Offers To Trade Husband For Pamela! Sort Of...

2008-07-05T08:20:00.009-05:00

A Woman So Happy Her Last Name Is Bliss
Sheree of Naperville, Illinois spotted us on the web and sent us an offer to trade her husband to us for the Pamela Anderson artwork! Well, sort of. I'll let Sheree's e-mail explain...

"I have my husband to trade for your Pamela Anderson picture!
Well, not my whole husband, but three hours of his consulting time. Now that's a good deal!!!!

He's definitely a trade up from your picture.Here's a quick look at what he does...
Anil Saxena, founder of Cube 214 Consulting, helps companies exceed their goals by creating exciting, productive workplaces with lower employee turnover, higher customer retention, and increased profitability.

One Fortune 500 client struggled with a 54% employee turnover rate in their IT division. Anil developed several unique initiatives for this company,including a "get out of cube free" card that eased employee burnout,and the "HTTP" (How to Treat People) program that taught the client's IT managers how to build and motivate high performance employee teams. Both management and staff loved his fun yet practical approach, and within 18 months, Anil reduced employee turnover to just 13%.

He coaches individuals to find the job that they want. This would be an awesome trade for someone who owns a business or is looking for a new career! Talk about appealing to the masses!

Please let me know because I REALLY love that picture!!!! It would go perfectly in my newly painted home. Red is a lucky color for us and I'm feeling a little lucky :)))"

Another e-mail soon followed...

Hi there!

Here's a picture of my husband after a hard days work of consulting...see how serious he is? Well, that's how he is when it comes to making sure companies/people are satisfied!!!

Please consider me! You don't know how bad I want that picture!!!! Thanks so much!

Sheree Bliss

Now that is an interesting offer, out of left field, out of the box, out of the cubicle even! Anil, her husband, must be the dream of every Dilbert in the land. Or, if you saw "Office Space", hmmm, maybe not. I hope Anil knows he is up for consideration before 7 A.M. on a Saturday morning. And I thought I was a morning person.

By the way folks- only 15 more hours to vote in the Soul Poll off to the right.

Alan Mizell
Houston, TX USA
Please visit the Five Red Dice Store

Luis of Missouri City, TX Increases His Trade Offer

2008-07-04T19:07:00.008-05:00

Luis of Missouri City, Texas has e-mailed that he wishes to increase the offer to trade for Pamela to include not only the Haunted Seattle Skyline Snow Globe, but also to include a special clock that brightly shines the time onto the ceiling OR the wall, your choice. Luis assures me it is bright, but not so bright as to interfere with my sleep. He also has tossed into the deal a flute he "picked up" in Chinatown. He didn't clarify that he purchased it, just that he "picked up" the flute. Hmmm. Thanks for the great offer Luis and keep adding to it!

One More Late Night Offer Comes In

2008-07-04T08:48:00.004-05:00

Late last night my eyes were so heavy I could not manage to list this additional offer that came in. It is a dagger, mounted on a base of amethyst, crowned with a large crystal. Pretty neat. I always say, if you are going to poke someone with a knife, PLEASE, do not use the utilitarian kitchen knives, poke them in style, and this beauty does so in a fine manner.

Remember, there's only one day left to vote in the SOUL POLL, so let your voice be heard as to what, if anything, you might trade your soul for. The poll is on the sidebar at the right, just scroll down a bit.

By the way, between the website and the blog we had a new big day with 177 visitors!

Alan Mizell

Several Interesting Trade Offers Roll In Today

2008-07-03T22:08:00.025-05:00

Well, it was quite a day here at the Secret Fortress of the Five Red Dice World Headquarters! Several interesting trades came in. First Rachel Tumbleston of Mulvane, Kansas wrote offering to trade a pair of Tony Llama cowboy boots, white leather, dyeable, tall, size 8 1/2, in good condition with new soles. She also sent a bunch of photos and I put up a link to a funny slide show that I made (worth seeing!), so check the sidebar for the new slide show later tonight.

NOW THAT'S MY KIND OF GIRL! ! !

Later in the day an offer rolled in from no less than Tim Soldan, the sales and marketing director for the famous "Legends in Concert" shows in Las Vegas, Branson, and other cities around the country. His offer is for a case of a dozen packs of playing cards that have been used in the Imperial Palace Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Tim must have known that I am a bit of a magic buff, tempting me with these cool cards!

But the day had not ended and another interesting item came in- a Haunted Snow Globe! Luis Castillo of Missouri City, Texas, right down the street in Five Red Dice Worldwide terms sent the photo of this beautiful glass snow globe that sits on a Mahogany base. It was given to him by his friend Bob who passed away last year. Even though Luis has cleaned the snow globe several times, he occasionally smells the cigars Bob smoked. Hmmm. Not being a cigar aficionado, I believe those smelly things might just linger from the afterlife...

So all in all a great day. Hope you are all enjoying the updates and watching the trade offers come in. By the way, the Fourth of July really fouled up progress here. The Postal Service website was unclear as to the question of whether the dice have reached Kathy, the site updates at night. On this end you should know I rent an apartment until someone trades me that French Chateau or Colorado cabin here, and Pamela arrived. Their was the slip in the box. It said "Pamela is here. Locked in the office. Which is closed tomorrow for the holiday!" Thankfully there were all these wonderful people with their letters and trade offers to cheer me up.

Oh, I almost forgot, Charles offered to trade a red paperclip!

Alan Mizell

New Trade Offer For Pamela Has Arrived

2008-07-02T07:22:00.010-05:00

Manic Duck On Tricycle Toy
Leslie of Sacramento, California has emailed an offer of this really unique and cool toy, a meatl duck riding his tricycel. Apparantly when you turn the key on the side he rolls around and the propellers on his part hat rotate above him. I love how, when the peopellers are not moving, they hang halfway over the eyes. When he begins to ride they reveal the entire eye. Makes him look wide eyed and manic!

Does anyone have any information on this toy? Leslie just know that it was found by her Dad in a thrift shop and he bought it. He and I would get along, look at my profile and you will see that I love thrift shops. I like this toy as my brother Rickey collects metal toys. It remeinds me of him. He's not a computer kind of guy but I am going to see if he knows anything about this cool toy.
Be sure to check out the new 'Five Red Dice' Store today!

Alan Mizell
Houston, Texas USA

Five Red Dice Now Has a Store!

2008-07-01T19:08:00.006-05:00

Five Red Dice Store Now Open!

Yes, it's official, Five Red Dice now has a hot new online boutique. Caps, t-shirts, mugs, clocks, even baby bibs and doggie shirts. There's even a tote bag, so you can tote around the grief you feel having missed out on trading for the Five Red Dice...

Ah, but don't worry friends. Kathy just assured me that Pamela Anderson is on a jet airplane headed from California to Houston to be with me. Now, how many men around the world would like to be able to say that! It's only a matter of time before I am in a barroom scuffle with Tommy Lee and Kid Rock!

And as sure as the sun rises each morning, it's only a matter of time before me and the new lady must part ways. It's happened to me before and it will happen again. So look around your home and your lives and see what you might have that you would like to offer as a trade. Visit Kathy Braceland's website and see some of her artwork. I think you will find that this painting could be a great thing to have in your life in years to come.

Alan Mizell
Houston, Texas USA
http://www.fivereddice.com/

First Trade Offer For Pamela Anderson Painting Comes In

2008-06-30T21:13:00.009-05:00

The first offer has come in hoping to trade for the Pamela Anderson painting by Kathy Jo Braceland of Los Angeles, California. The offer is from Jon and Leah and it's a magnet made of bottle caps with images representing rock, paper, and scissors from the classic game. Hmmm. While it is small, perhaps even a bit insignificant, it also is unique, and handmade. I do like the style of the drawings, they remind me of art from school books back when I was a child. One thing puzzles me though, The rock is pictured as a clenched fist and the paper as an open hand. Why are scissors portrayed as SCISSORS rather than as a hand with middle and index fingers pointing out? Just my little mind at work. I did say I would entertain any offer, and all offers are appreciated. Also, it does have the glory of being the first trade offered up for the incredible, original artwork that is Pamela! Well, we shall have to wait and see what competition comes over the transom. Please feel free to click on 'comments' below and leave your thoughts on the first trade offer.

Alan Mizell
Houston, TX USA

Today Five Red Dice, Tomorrow The World

2008-06-30T07:26:00.005-05:00

Just a quick note before I head off into the exciting land of work. While I may not succeed in trading up from Five Red Dice to World Domination as I joke, the project just might spread around the world. An Italian artist has sent in some very good suggestions and will be participation in the trade for the Pamela Anderson painting. And the list of countries is up to 22, including...

United States
Argentina
Australia
France
China
Canada
Denmark
Japan
Italy
Chile
Serbia
Costa Rica
India
Austria
Switzerland
The Netherlands
Hungary
Columbia
Belgium
Thailand
Norway
Germany

That's incredible. In addition we have been visited by 36 states. I will try to post a list of states that have not on the sidebar with a countdown- maybe it would be a cool goal to have a visitor from all 50 states and every country on Earth! Among the states not here yet at a glance would be...

Montana
North Dakota
South Dakota
Utah
New Mexico
Kansas
Alabama
South Carolina
Maine
Rhode Island
Vermont

And maybe a few others that my not perfect geography skills will not let me know. Look for the countdown list coming soon!

Well, off for another day of slaying the financial dragons. Check back this evening late for some additional exciting information.

Alan Mizell
Houston, Texas USA

Forgive Me My Silliness, I Need Some Sleep

2008-06-29T22:50:00.016-05:00

I haven't really slept a lot this weekend. That's my story and I am sticking with it. After spending so much time with the Five Red Dice they seem like children, or pets. So Lexi and I packed up the dog, Trixi, and we took the dice off for a final day at the beach before their huge adventure begins...

Now everybody is surely a bit jealous seeing the beautiful water in it's swirling dark brownish green tones. What can I say, it sure makes travel a great option! Enjoy the beach, dice.

The Five Red Dice had a great time burying each other in the sand.

After a while they had to stop and compare the shells they found. I rarely can find shells on the beach as large as myself. Great job, kids!

An afternoon in the sun wears anyone out, and the Dice are no exception, so they took a little snooze on the towel. Again, look at that fabulous white sand- like sugar. Kathy, assure me they have beaches that pretty in California...

Children always wish they could drive. These little guys can't even see over the steering wheel. I sure wish they could have driven. They wore me out.

OK, enough silliness. The trade is happening and pix and more are to be posted, so spread the word and let all your friends and family know- the trading goes on!

Alan Mizell

Houston, Texas USA

www.FiveRedDice.com

And The Winning Trade For The FIVE RED DICE Is...

2008-06-28T18:12:00.014-05:00

I want to trade my Five Red Dice for Kathy Jo Braceland's original artwork of Pamela Anderson as a skeleton on the beach.

Pamela Anderson as Skeleton by Kathy Jo Braceland

Whew! I think I literally breathed a sigh of relief. For anyone wondering what my thought process was behind the trade, I will explain. I had no idea what offers might come through the site, but I had a few guidelines that I was looking for. The entire concept was to 'trade up' and continue to do so, seeing exactly how grand the future trades might become. Also, I wanted both traders to feel that they are benefiting from the trade. It seems to me this trade works well for both Kathy and I. Kathy's work is awesome and unique, and I believe owning it will help this adventure grow in scope. I will only trade the work for something worthy, and only to a person who appreciates the art. In addition, Kathy is a working artist, and the growth of this site can only generate interest in her work. Visit her site tonight at http://www.k-jostudio.com/ and check out her vibrant paintings. So it's a classic win-win situation. Also, Kathy understands the site, and supplied plenty of material to make Five Red Dice a more interesting place to visit, in addition to helping promote this venture. All in all, this trade just excelled against some stiff competition. Congratulations Kathy!

Out of the eleven offers, six had no photographs and it is really hard to become enthusiastic without some visual stimulation.

Tracie's stapler and office supplies did appeal to me, and they were local. They also received a good number of votes in the poll. But in the end it fell victim to other more glamorous offerings, and also seemed a bit of a sideways trade rather than trading up.

It was very difficult to not accept the IKEA pencil and Spongebob Squarepants Crocs shoe insert because Fabian really has that ironic sense of humor that I like, and the exotic location of Shanghai, China is totally cool, and he had a great series of photos. Fabian gets it, as they say. But in the end the offering was a bit too slim as these are high quality, expensive dice, and again, it is hard to see it as an even or upward trade.

Barely missing the nod was Erin's Remington Shaver. It has good value, it's brand new and still in the package, and Erin has traded online before and understands the big picture here. But in the end a shaver is a sedan and the artwork is a sports car . We'll see in time if my choice of flash over practicality was the right one.

Most difficult to not choose was Mary's offer to walk a mile. If you remember Mary, she has Multiple Sclerosis, and is beating the odds with her incredible outlook on life. She is inspiring, the idea received votes, I even heard that a friend of a friend of mine was going to offer something, but changed her mind to give Mary's offer a better chance. In the end though, one of the concepts of the experiment is to see how far this little adventure will go, how big the snowball will become. Trading for something as intangible as a walk for the Five Red Dice leaves the concept at a standstill, so I have to, as gracefully as possible, decline the offer.

I do have an alternate offer for such a noble idea though, one that will allow the trading to continue at Five Red Dice, yet still pay tribute to the great offer of the walk, and a twist that will make it seem like a hundred mile walk. Here's the idea...

I have an additional two red dice, one millimeter larger than the five dice, and they are branded from the Grand Casino Coushatta in Louisiana. Since two dice are only 40% of five dice, I will give these dice to Mary for a walk of only 40% of a mile, or 2,112 feet. If she accepts, I will set up a fund on the website of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, with seed money of $25.00, and I will put a link on Five Red Dice for the length of the project with a challenge to visitors to contribute. Almost 900 visitors in less than two weeks folks, and growing. Over the course of time if 1,000 people donate $10.00 each, well, you do the math!

So again, thanks to each and every person that took a look, and especially to those who participated in the first round of trading. Don't forget, this is not the end, this is the beginning of hopefully an ever more astonishing and amusing project.

Alan Mizell

Houston, TX USA

http://www.fivereddice.blogspot.com/

The two 'secret' Grand Casino Coushatta dice.

Hours Left To First Trade!

2008-06-28T17:39:00.003-05:00

Only about four and a half hours remain until the first Five Red Dice trade announcement, so check back at 10 PM Central Time to see what I will trade the Five Red Dice for.

Also check back tomorrow for other announcements regarding a Five Red Dice Official website, the results and thoughts on all the polls and trades, and other neat things happening in the future.

Thanks for all the super support and great e-mails, looking forward to much more adventures in trading in the future.

Alan Mizell
Houston, Texas, USA

Huge Assortment Of Items And Services Offered Up For Trade From Sacramento

2008-06-28T02:06:00.004-05:00

I just walked in from a late night breakfast at IHOP and the standard six cups of coffee... Wow- A huge assortment of goodies and varied services are being offered from artist Jessica in Sacramento, California. Jessica has listed a cornucopia of mix and match possibilities, and offered me the opportunity to work in my word of the day- cornucopia! Truly exciting, I think it best that I simply print her letter here and let her speak for herself, as she has spent time assembling this mighty powerful package.

I know it's crunch time. I hope I am not to late! I don't have a whole lot to trade I just lost my job, but I am a local artist here in Sacramento. I came across your post while I was hoping for a piece of life changing information in the artists section (as per usual) And there it was THE DICE I have a multiple component offer

1.) I will pay for any shipping of the dice
2.) I will also pay for the shipping of all object given to you in exchange for the dice.
3.)I will ship you one of my orig works (pictures will be provided upon request) you may also commission a work requiring no more than 3 hours of labor 2D or 3D.
4.) And/or a gift certificate to a franchise restaurant of your choice in the amount of $10
5.) And/or A rubber Gator I have had for many years. (it kept me company in college)
6.)Ring of Keys (matching locks unidentified)
7.)Lock (keys location unknown)
8.)Tutorial on basic woodworking,casting,welding,drawing,painting, or printing(no more than 2 hrs of instruction)
9.) any small items you have been to lazy to go to the store and buy. example: forgotten TP, shaving cream, Q tips, rubbing alcohol
10.)Script of rocky Horror Picture Show

Clause: You may not request more than one sentimental item.
You may not request purchased items that exceed the orig. amount you paid for the dice.
You may not request a combination of services that exceed 3 hrs of labor time.
Keys, Lock and Shipping or not part of the clause and are included if requested without stipulation.

Thank you for your consideration and I hope to be chosen to receive those pretty dice of yours

Jessica

P.S. any photos will be provided upon request and consideration of offer

So much to digest here! I like the shipping offer, and being a creative type artwork is always an interesting possibility. The rubber 'gator is somehow strangely calling to me. And the offer to go to the store. Jessica is apparently a gifted psychic, as we are out of toilet paper, lol! Oh, AND a 'Rocky Horror Picture Show' script also casually tossed in. This Jessica really knows how to put a trade together.

So cool, and totally fine, last minute offers are just as enticing, maybe more so. As to the postscript, yes I have already requested photos of art, items, Jessica, whatever she has and feels comfortable sharing with us.

Thanks Jessica for making this a better project, and let's all share this neat offer with our friends and family.

Alan Mizell
Houston, Texas USA

2008-06-27T20:17:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow night is the official decision night- I am actually getting kind of excited. It's funny because several friends who were slightly interested at best are trying to think of their trade, offering suggestions, and seem to be looking forward to the decision. Also nice e-mails have come in expressing enjoyment of the posts, the humor, the idea, and the wide variety of people like me, the interesting people who are participating in the project.

More offers are coming in an offer to trade a lucky sand dollar from Lisa in Sacramento, California and Brandi, a photographer in Austin, Texas is offering a photograph. These do not come with photos as of yet, so they will be listed but it's hard to strongly consider them until more detailed information comes in to the Five Red Dice World Headquarters.

Hopefully everyone will give the site one more HUGE push and send e-mails to friends, call Mom and Dad, and tell total strangers in line at Wal-Mart about a little fascinating blog they have been reading. Shameless begging, yes. PLEASE. LOL.

Again, thanks for all the great e-mails, stories, ideas, and participation. I hope you all are as anxious as I to see where the trading takes us in the weeks to come. It should be fun.

Until later.

A Poem, A Trade, An Inspiration, A Question

2008-06-26T21:55:00.009-05:00

Every day more and more interesting things come in the mail from people around the world. Comments, ideas, insults, and today the most unique trade yet, a bit of inspiration, and an original poem...

I like Red Dice
I do indeed
I want your dice
Though there's no need

If they were blue or green
I'd pass
Or maybe write back
And laugh

But they are red
And hard and square
With inward bumps
I am aware

So this is what I'll do
To get those five red dice from you
I'll walk a mile
With a smile

I'll walk from here to there
I'll do it while I wear
A great big smile
And all the while

I'll dream of five red dice
And how life will be so nice
If everyone would walk a mile
Just to share a great big smile

That is what I'll do for you
That is what I'll do for them
Those five red dice
That you might send

The poem comes from Mary (with her husband in the above picture) of Eldorado Hills, California, and yes, I also was wondering... she wants to trade my sexy dice for a walk? As Paul Harvey says... here's the rest of the story. Mary was diagnosed several years ago with Multiple Sclerosis, so every step she takes is wonderful. She has not suffered the normal progression of MS though, much to her doctor's astonishment, and due greatly to her positive attitude. As she says, she is "walking proof" of the power of a positive outlook!

Now the question is, how to consider this trade? The idea of the project is to continue trading with an upward trend, to trade up. If I were to accept the trade of Five Red Dice for a walk of a Miracle Mile, how to continue. Hmmm. A bit of a puzzle, perhaps even a moral question. To continue in the crass quest to trade up or to pay deserved homage to something awesome. I am looking for ideas here, comments, answers. Help me out folks. Also, I am putting up yet another poll on the subject right off to the right. You know what to do.

By the way, the neat statue in Mary's hand is a 1930's sculpture by Dr. Seuss called 'Kangaroo Bird'. Beautiful, and as Mary surely agrees, when it comes to medicine, you cannot beat Dr. Seuss!

Mary and her husband own an art gallery in Eldorado Hills and you can visit their website at
http://www.ourhousegallery.com/ or click on the 'Cool Link'.

Thanks Mary, and please, everybody spread the story!

And last, here are those feet, in the cool green grass, ready to walk a mile that some say should be impossible.

Late Night Offer To Trade Comes In From Georgia

2008-06-26T01:19:00.007-05:00

Good evening, or morning depending on how you see it at this late hour. Another offer has come in to trade, this one from Erin of the 'Little Black Phone' blog listed under my 'Cool Links'. Erin has put forth the proposition of trading a Remington Titanium Microflex Ultra. This is a men's shaver, corded or cordless, state of the art, definitely something cool to have. I have a photo from Erin posted just below the text. Very exciting. Thanks Erin. Saturday is the tough decision day, only three days to go!

So there you have it for Wednesday- one week and we have had SEVEN trade offers come in from Houston, Austin, Phoenix, Los Angeles and Shanghai, China.

The polls have received 46 votes in total...
There have been 338 different, unique visitors...
They visited from 162 different cities in 12 different countries including the US, Argentina, Australia, China, France, Canada, Japan, Belgium, Norway, Costa Rica, India and Denmark!

FIVE RED DICE, taking over the world!

Alan Mizell

Houston, Texas USA

Red Dice Are Sexy, Photogenic, and Contrary To Popular Opinion, Expensive

2008-06-25T22:34:00.007-05:00

Hello Friends,

Thought I might take a moment to clarify a few things about Five Red Dice. First, the digital camera was on the blink so I had to use 'borrowed' images of other dice until I bought a replacement camera. (The old camera was about 6 years old. The new one has twice the memory at one-third the cost!) Now, I can and have posted many photos of the actual dice- large, sharp-edged, translucent red, and very photogenic. Please click on the newest 'Cool Link' in the right sidebar- "FIVE RED DICE Slide Show' and see what I mean. Nice!

Second, I have received numerous e-mails from grumpy sorts asking "Who would trade for those old dice"? That is actually playing right into the scenario I set up, the idea that I was trading something small, trivial, common. So, the perception of these enlightened yet grumpy souls is on the money, but the actuality is wrong. I could not resist a bit of flair and rather than use $2.49 Walgreen's Drugstore dice (which I could have) the artist in me had to use something more aesthetic. Watch the slide show and you will realize that "those old dice" are actually the Rolls Royce of dice, one die selling for $7.20. They even have a velvet lined plastic case! Not that it matters, just thought that was all amusing.

Funny thing too, after spending time with the dice I am going to miss them, like if you are ever lucky enough to have someone loan you an awesome automobile and then you have to return it. OK, maybe not exactly, but similar.

Only three days until a decision on trade number one. Tomorrow I will give a short update on how many people, states and countries have visited FIVE RED DICE. Interesting stuff.

Alan Mizell
Houston, Texas USA

New Poll To Vote On

2008-06-25T08:00:00.005-05:00

I have added a new poll on the sidebars to the right, just scroll down a bit. Just wondering if you think for future trades, should I give each trade a set amount of time, or take the first good trade. I am thinking the first trade needed some time to get circulated, but in the future I should strike while the iron is hot. What do you folks think?

Alan Mizell

Offer To Trade A Bug Net. Cool!

2008-06-25T07:44:00.007-05:00

Good Morning,

Overnight we had another interesting item put up for trade by a woman with the unlikely name of Geneva Saint-Amour. She offered to trade a bug net that hangs over the bed, like the one in the photo above. Cool, I love those things, so jungle romantic.

Funny thing is she sent a second e-mail saying she was going to Phx on Friday, and would 'split the gas' with me. I read that e-mail first and could not figure it out. At first I mistakenly thought she meant PX, as in the store on an Army base, lol. Then I thought it said Rx, as in prescription. Oh man, another spam letter for Viagra. How does anyone sell Viagra with spam, seems the competition would be way to stiff!

ANYWAY, I realized she meant Phoenix, and would meet me. Ah, that is so much better. Thanks for the trade offer Geneva. I actually really do love those bug nets, they are so cool. Don't know why but I like them and I always wanted one of those hammocks spread between bamboo poles, ala' Gilligan's Island.

Only three days left to the first trade announcement. Later I might just trade when the first worthy and interesting trade comes over the transom, I just wanted to give the blog a bit of time to jell and get word out for the first trade. What do you think? Maybe I will toss another poll up to see what you Dice Traders think.

Alan Mizell

Slow Day At Five Red Dice World Headquarters

2008-06-24T20:13:00.003-05:00

Sometimes when it's a slow day at the World Headquarters you just upload a picture on the latest post, simply to make the post more attractive. Just so there is no confusion, the above dice are not the actual dice- it was just an incredibly clear picture! I am hoping tomorrow to post a few new photos of the actual dice, so check back.
There are several other trade offers in the works, just that mid-week work thing must be kicking in. Also, one potential trader is apparently running three blogs, trying to trade with me, planning her wedding and moving. Think I'll lie down on the couch thinking of all that.
Just ran about 20 ads so maybe some more interesting things will happen overnight!
Alan Mizell
Houston, Texas
USA

Kathy Jo Braceland Makes Awesome Trade Offer

2008-06-23T21:27:00.007-05:00

Today I received a great e-mail from an amazing lady, artist and cartoonist Kathy Jo Braceland, a Canadian expatriate making her home in Los Angleles. She creates vibrant and interesting works of art, and has a little dog, Benny G, who has the most soulful eyes- hope she doesn't trade those 'soul'ful eyes away. Kathy has made an offer to trade that is really cool. In her own words...

I, Kathy Jo Braceland, being somewhat of sound mind, body and soul, do offer a trade for your Five Red Dice. It is an offer...dare I say it...that you can't refuse. Because I make my living as an artist and cartoonist, I figured I would trade one of my most valuable skeleton art pieces. Yes, you too could own an original work of art by Kathy Jo Braceland. I know you can't believe your good luck but it's true. Being Canadian myself, this one is particularly close to my heart as it is of another famous Canadian...one of none other than, Ms. Pamela Anderson. I have attached a jpeg of said artwork, along with a few photo's of myself, myself and my sister (I'm on the left, Sherry is on the right...it's hard to tell us apart)...and my dog. I know once you look into my dogs eyes...you will feel helpless to explore any other trade offers.

That's cool. I agree with the bold idea that it's an offer that will be hard to refuse. And she's also right about Benny G's eyes. The art. Pamela Anderson as a skeleton. The dog's eyes. I feel helpless. For a great slideshow with pictures of Kathy, her sister Sherry, Benny G, and Kathy's artwork, click on the "Kathy Jo Braceland Slide Show" link under my 'Cool Links' in the right sidebar. Also, be sure to visit Kathy's website to view some more of her amazing art. http://www.k-jostudio.com/This is the artwork, Pamela Anderson as a skeleton. Go to the slide show for a larger view. Is there some hidden subtext to the art- that we all going to be skeletons in time, even the rich and famous? Or perhaps a commentary on celebrity culture and consumerism? What do you think?

Thank you Kathy, now let's keep those offers rolling in and the game afoot, or whatever it is those fancy English detectives say.

Alan Mizell

Houston, TX USA

Vote in the Soul Poll, Make Your Voice Count

2008-06-23T07:44:00.008-05:00

Good Morning from Houston,

Looks like overnight we had 3 votes on trading the soul, a three way tie, strangely enough, and a comment. Excellent. On Sunday June 22 we also had 169 visits to the site That's more visitors in one day than the first few days combined! At this point visitors have come from 9 countries around the world, and 124 different cities are represented. It's amazing the amount of free information Google Analytics supplies on visitor sources, where they came from and how they got there, better information than I have paid for in the past.
Should have a few more trades coming in today according to the e-mails so please- participate, make an offer, 5 days left to play.
And don't forget to vote in the 'Soul Poll' off to the side.

Alan Mizell
Houston, Texas USA

Would You Trade Your Soul For...

2008-06-22T23:03:00.008-05:00

Thinking about trading all week got me to thinking about all those stories and movies where the devil wants to trade something cool, like rock and roll fame, for someone's soul. Of course it always turns out badly. Like Brendan Fraser in 'Bedazzled'- he becomes a famous author by trading his soul, a GAY famous author. That was not in his plans. There always seems to be someone who wants to live forever in these stories, and all their friends and family die and they get older looking and older looking.... Great stuff. Long ago 'The National Enquirer" posted an employee on the sidewalk with a small table full of contracts offering passers-by the opportunity for a quick $20.00 to sell their soul. Some astoundingly small percentage took the cash but most refused the chance. Would you? So off to the right sidebar you will find a poll with a list of temptingly huge offerings for that wispy ether, perhaps even just a figment of the imagination, that inner shine some call the soul. Would you? It's totally anonymous and will be interesting to see how many would and how many will not. PLEASE, feel free to comment, anonymously if you wish, by clicking on the comments tab below. Perhaps you need a write-in vote as your own personal temptation is not listed...
Alan Mizell
Houston , Texas USA

Many Kind E-mails And One Bad One

2008-06-22T19:17:00.005-05:00

Hello and hope you are having a great Sunday evening. It's been a laid back day here but a few more e-mails came in from interested readers. Three stand out. Dian from California wrote to just say Hi as she had lived in Houston years ago, in the 80's. Looks like she has an online site selling skateboards and lots of other cool things, so hopefully she will come up with a nice trade. Kathy, an artist wrote to say she loved the site and the idea- she will be making a trade soon and I am excited about this as artists are, of course, creative. A third anonymous wise guy from Miami said he was looking for green dice, but for red ones he would trade a huge mound of cow poop- he kindly included a picture which I have NOT posted. At least he was interesting, but he will have to be a tad more mainstream on the trade offer!
Six more evenings and I will announce the trade- spread the word and be sure to play- submit a trade by e-mail today to FiveRedDice@GMail , of course. Include pictures if possible.
Thanks, but for now, I have some ads to run in Wisconsin, Greece, India...

New Offers Come In Overnight

2008-06-22T10:37:00.005-05:00

Good Morning,

Interesting things are in the works here at Five Red Dice World Headquarters. Overnight an old friend of mine from years past, Micheal, was surfing Craigslist and thought- What in the world is this Five Red Dice thing about. Discovering it was me he put up a Clark Penny Whistle, MEG model, Key of D as he described it, along with lessons to play a couple of songs, topped off with Irish beer and catch up with old friends conversation. Tried to add it to the poll but once a vote has been cast you cannot add additional items. Ah well, I did add it to the list of items offered off to the right.

Also, Erin of Georgia e-mailed and she has also managed to blogtrade (hey, a new term!) her way up from an old black phone, to a go-cart, a tiller, and is into a car at this point. Too cool. We are discussing a trade, hopefully in person, and I have added a ling to her trading blog under my 'Cool Links' tab in the right sidebar.

I will make the trading decision on Saturday June 28 and announce it on the website and through e-mail. If you want e-mail updates email me at the FiveRedDice address @GMail.com..

Off to post a few more ads and drum up some Sunday traffic.

Alan Mizell
Houston, TX

Eight Ways To Help Spread The Word

2008-06-21T23:19:00.008-05:00

Hello Traders!
I have been thinking a bit about how to publicize this site for it's fun and it's novelty, and I have a long list of things I will be doing to get the word out. I know some of you see that this site has potential to 'catch on', to spread like a virus through word of mouth and free publicity. I have thought of a few simple things you can do to help spread the word, create buzz, have more fun.

Participate! The most fun is to be had as a potential trader. It creates something to talk about and more options, more interest. It's simple, don't think it to death. Look around your home, select something unique, cool,, interesting- or boring and everyday. E-mail me at FiveRedDice@GMail.com with the trade and pictures are great if you have them.
Comment. The more we exchange ideas and information, the more interesting the experiment will be. I am so very interested in creative, intelligent opinions and ideas for the project. Don't hold them back, share them with me and the world. After each post just click on 'comments' and you can leave your own rant.
Vote. It's your duty. I have a poll up and running that ends on Saturday June 28, 2008 at 10:00 PM. Just click on the item you would trade the Five Red Dice for and make your voice heard. It will be interesting to see if the world agrees with my inner thoughts. After the trade I will start a new poll with new items, hopefully trading up and the trades becoming more valuable.
Proselytize. Spread the word. There are so many ways. Just mention this quirky little blog to anybody and everybody that you remotely might think would be interested. I had a mildly interested friend mention it to another friend and they have visited the site AND asked how to begin their own family blog!
Advertise. This might take a minute or two, but it's very easy to place an ad on Craigslist (or any free venue) in the community, artist, barter, or several other sections. I have placed dozens of ads in countries around the world. It's free and requires no sign-up. As of the first day there were 72 unique visitors to the blog. If every visitor placed an ad on Craigslist, it would create hundreds of hits! (E-mail me and I will send you the HTML code that you can place in a Craigslist ad that will leave a hyperlink in the ad- readers just click to go to Five Red Dice.)
E-mail. A short note to your friends and family, or better still, your entire e-mail address book will generate interest. Those not interested will delete but many will visit and some will join the game. Again, e-mail me for HTML for a hyperlink.
Link. Do you have a website, a blog, or some other venue where we can swap links. I will place your link in a post if you will do the same for me.
Blog. Do you comment on blogs? Mention Five Red Dice in your comments if it is remotely related.

Just a few ideas. I know, you don't have to do anything, so any help is appreciated. With a small band of interested and interesting participants, our social experiment can snowball into something huge. And you were there at the beginning.

Alan Mizell

Trade Offer From Shanghai, China! Five Red Dice World Headquarters Trembles With Excitement.

2008-06-21T20:46:00.019-05:00

Good evening,

But it's not evening for Fabian and Sasha, the latest folks to join in and offer up a trade. Fabian moved to Shanghai, China two months ago and when I read his last e-mail it was noon here in Houston, TX, but they were getting ready for bed. Now that it is nine hours later I suppose they are waking, eating breakfast, checking the Five Red Dice blog site!

Fabian has offered to trade a pencil- now don't get me wrong, not just any pencil- this pencil is from the Shanghai IKEA furniture store. Wow, Fabian and I are on different sides of the planet but we thankfully both have IKEA furniture stores right down the road.

Seems Fabian, and I quote, "accidentally brought it home". Well I will make no assumptions. Later I received another e-mail and Fabian has sweetened the deal even more with one of those little things you plug into your Crocs shoes. This one looks like, and again I quote, "a spongebob on crack", and I think I have to agree. Just makes it all the more cool.

If you want to see a really neat online slide show with several photos of Fabian and Sasha, the items up for trade, and some very cool shots of the city of Shanghai, go to the right under 'Cool Links' and click on Photobucket/FiveRedDice/Fabian. It's worth a look.

Thanks Fabian and Sasha, for the great trade, photos and e-mails.

I have a friend who can get me 'buddy passes' and I flew to Florida and Oklahoma for only about $100.00. Thought I would see how much to get to Shanghai. Yikes- even a buddy pass runs over $800.00. Probably have to be grateful for IKEA and FedEx!

Be sure to check back soon. I will be adding a poll for everyone to vote for their favorite item to trade the dice for. Should be interesting to see what the people think.

Thanks.

Alan Mizell

Houston, Texas USA

Photos, News, International Offer To Trade!

2008-06-21T09:05:00.012-05:00

Good Morning World, and I do mean World. Last night was a bit stressful here at the World Headquarters od Five Red Dice as my mouse unfortunately died. My computer mouse, that is. After an hour of very delicate surgery and a diagnosis finding that a tiny infrared light inside her had lost it's shine, she was given a proper burial. This morning her replacement has been put to work, an optical mouse with less moving parts! And I was finally able to read the e-mail offers that had come in last night.

First there was a picture of the stapler, Post-It notes, and Liquid Paper...

Also, I had the first offer to trade internationally come in last night. Check back tonight for several exciting posts-

I will reveal the first international offer to trade!

There will be a poll to vote on what you think is the best trade to make. I will keep it up for about a week, then I will trade. Probably.
Also, I will post a short guide to making the Five Red Dice blog more popular- several simple steps you can take to help spread the word, and ensure a statue of yourself in the Five Red Dice Hall of Heroes.
Alan Mizell
Houston, TX

Five Red Dice Is Getting Hits And Offers!!!

2008-06-20T07:39:00.011-05:00

Good morning from Houston, World!
According to Google Analytics we had 26! hits overnight!!! Sure you say, that's hardly anything, but the day before it was 1 hit- ME. That represents an increase of 2,600%! Don't tell me my logic is flawed either- this is my world and I will see things the way I wish.
Another offer came in which I will let you read here.

I would like to trade my stapler without staples for those red dice.
"th67mb96"

Good morning,
Well, thanks for joining the fun and offering a trade. A stapler sounds like that might be a great thing to have, even without the staples. I am taking just a few days to decide, to give people a chance to really climb on board and make some offers, but you are definitely in my mind.
Do you have any pictures of the stapler that I could see, and to use on the blog? I hope so, and please, spread the word!
What's your name and where are you writing from?
Alan Mizell
Houston, TX

I also have liquid paper or a package of florescent post it notes. What a fun project! Good luck
"th67mb96"

Cool- would that be a part of the possible trade? I think as this grows I may need some additional office supplies so your trade is looking more attractive every moment. I am going to post your offer on the site , what name would you like to go by? What part of the world are you in?
Please spread the word and leave comments after my posts- thanks and have a great day!
Alan Mizell
Houston, TX

I will spread the word. the name is Tracie and yes I can make this a bundle package.
"th67mb96"

So you can see the snowball is accumulating and the offers are beginning to come in.
There was one additional e-mail with no text- hmmm. Try again please.
Like I said in several www.Craiglist.org ads, join up in the fun now before some fancy celeb like Oprah tries to use my platform to promote her little TV show!
At this point we have a cassette tape, unused, and a package deal for a stapler, sticky notes, maybe even some Liquid Paper competing for the trade. What do you think folks?
Please leave comments by clicking on the word comments below, one and all- except for the grumpy guy at the back!
Alan Mizell
Houston, TX

Five Red Dice Gets First Offer To Trade!

2008-06-19T21:36:00.012-05:00

Yes friends, it is with great pomp and circumstance that I announce to the world that my social experiment has received it's first offer to trade. I just sat down and reviewed the mail and the following offer was extended from up the road in Austin....

I have an unused cassette tape that I might be willing to part-exchange for your dice.

I'd accept the dice, plus six cents.

I live in Austin, so I'll have to take a day off to come and see the dice first, before deciding

Jack

I quickly shot out the following response to Jack...

Jack,

And they all laughed when I sat down at the computer to blog! You drive a tough bargain with the hard-nosed demand for the extra six cents! But you also have the glamour and style to be the first trader to realize the beauty of this idea. I would get an unused cassette tape and you my friend would receive SIX shiny new pennies- and I would make sure they were shiny new pennies.
Jack, you managed to be the pioneering trader I have searched for with http://www.fivereddice.blogspot.com/ You are an early adopter, on the cutting edge of the future, and that's saying a lot for Austin, a city full of fine minds.
Your offer is at the fore in my consideration, and I will mull it over. In the interests of fun for the rest of the SLOWER traders I might run a little poll with various offers to see which tops the list- then just as likely go against convention and choose some other item.
Tonight, Jack, I am going to post this conversation on the blog as a small piece of history, and ask you to do two things if possible. Try to leave a comment of some type on the blog, and let your everyone you know onto the secret of the blog...
http://www.fivereddice.blogspot.com/
Alan Mizell
Houston, TX

It is, of course, tempting to take the very first offer that comes across the transom, and Jack does have my respect for being the cutting-edge of trading. This offer will be hard to beat. Think about it. They no longer make cassette tapes so there is no way to go but up as this item must sooner, or later, much later, become a valuable collectible!

Alan

Why am I trying to trade five red dice?

2008-06-19T00:00:00.007-05:00

Welcome to Five Red Dice. Yes, you read right, I have five red dice just sitting here, never to be used. Just like that treadmill your clothes might be draped over or your collection of old National Geographic magazines, these dice have reached the end with me. Surely there is a person wanting to run in place on a treadmill in their living room so as never to miss Dr. Phil, and somewhere a child is trying to find pictures to cut out of a magazine for a school project, but his Mother only has People and US magazines. He could really use some old National Geographic magazines. Certainly also there is a person somewhere in this world who would like to have five red dice and has something interesting to trade for them.
I am totally open to all ideas and suggestions so email me at FiveRedDice@GMail.com with any and all trade offers. As soon as something that fits my vague bill comes along, I will arrange a trade and post the results and photos for all the world to see and comment on! Sounds like fun to me. Jump on board while the train is moving slowly folks.
I know, I know- if you are going to tell me that some guy did this already a few years back, I know. It's all cool. Let me explain. One, he is in Canada and their population is only one-tenth that of the U.S., so folks, have some national pride and let's make this ten times bigger. Two, Just because something was done once in some form doesn't mean it can't be done again. "Shakespeare, put that paper down. Someone already wrote a play!"
Well, it's late, and that's all I have tonight. I am going to forward this blog to friends and drop some ads on www.Craigslist.org and such, so please, help spread the word. Forward this site to all your friends and family. They might enjoy the diversion and you never know- they might be sitting home right now fuming over the fact that they have no red dice in the kitchen drawer!
Click on comments just below if you have something to share.