We keep hearing people talk about having trouble participating in live auctions. Some people register in the IRC and think that’s all you need to do. It’s not that simple, but it IS simple. Anyone can do it, and so can you!

There are two main steps: signing up for a donor account and registering your nickname on IRC. In less than ten steps, you too can step to the legendary Octopimp!

But first, you need to get a donor account. Follow these steps!

Step 1: Go to http://donor.desertbus.org/register.
Step 2: Enter your email address and choose a password.
Step 3: Check your email for a confirmation email from Desert Bus and click the activation link within the email.
Step 4: (Optional) Enter any profile information you want to enter.
Step 5: (Optional) If the email you used is NOT the same as the email you used for your Paypal account, go to your profile and add the email connected to Paypal under Additional Emails. This will allow you to see all of your donations in your Donation History

Now that you have a Donor Account, you can bid on Silent Auctions. To bid on Live Auctions, you also need to register on the IRC chat:

Step 1: Head over to http://desertbus.org/ and click on the “Chat” button to open the IRC chat.
Step 2: Register your nick with the following command, entered into the chat without quotes, replacing [[PASSWORD]] and [[EMAIL]] with your password and email address: “/msg nickserv register [[PASSWORD]] [[EMAIL]]”
Step 3: Check your email for a confirmation email. Copy the command within this email into the chat.
Step 4: Whenever you enter the chat, use “/msg nickserv identify [[PASSWORD]]” to login.

And you’re done! That’s it! It’s so easy, a rock could do it! If you still have problem, please private message Fugiman in the IRC or email us. (It’s best not to comment in this thread; we’ll see emails much quicker.)

A Reviews Editor for Destructoid and host f the Escapist series Jimquisition, Jim Sterling has a reputation for getting the internet fired up and angry. Despite the reputation, though, we have it on good authority that he’s actually a really nice guy – he must be, after all, since he wants to wish the Desert Bus crew well!

Tune in at 1:00PM when Jim calls in and we’ll run your questions by him.

OverClocked Remix is an organization that pays tribute to the huge world of video game music through interpretations. They are the go-to place for excellent versions of all your favorite video game songs. This year, they’ve presented us with a excellent merch pack for the children.

Visit www.ocremix.org and see if they have a remix of your choice for the best video game song ever. (Stickerbrush Symphony from Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest).

[It should be noted the above note has passed through the editorial hands of several people, and has likely been changed every single time. We’re geeks. – King Kool]

Dix has been a staple of the Desert Bus community since Desert Bus for Hope 2. Roped into helping Kroze mod our IRC chat, he’s been indispensible to keeping our chatters in line. This year, Dix is on deployment in Afghanistan, but his commitment to Desert Bus is such that he continues to help us out, even from the other side of the planet.

Dix will be calling in at 11AM, so we ask that you tune in and let him know how much you appreciate his work .  If you’ve got a message to pass along or a quetion to ask, please leave them in the comments below!

Where would LoadingReadyRun be without the immense chiptunes library from the C64 era, and those artists who continue to make music with them? Those questions are better left for the philosophers, but we have a great treat for lovers of music – noted video game soundtrack artists, music nerd and solid dude Jimmy Hinson has given us 100 digital downloads of his latest album Impostor Nostalgia. It’s super rad, and if you don’t manage to get one from us, you can find them at http://www.biggiantcircles.com.

This year if you win an auction or a prize you might notice a little something extra in your package – once again we’ve got some excellent customized Desert Bus 5 patches made by our pals at The Rover Outpost. They’re a custom embroidery service; anyone in possession of the patches from 2009 has first-hand evidence of their production quality. If you want to make your own patches, check them out at www.theroveroutpost.com.

This is the last time you’ll have to throw your hat in the ring and bid on these fabulous hand-made and Ken-Value-Added-Steacy-donated excellence.

We’ve got Ceramic NES Cartridges, Plans Go Wrong (Thiefshipping shrinky dink set), and a fantabulous Ken Steacy Print Set.

Bid now! There will be no ‘later’!

This killer Tom Baker Scarf will be auctioned off at approximately 3:30am Sunday morning, so if your winter wardrobe is short some Dr. Who-iness, this is an excellent way to fill that gap.

I didn’t get ANY 64K themed Milestone pics? Come on, guys. They haven’t been gone that long. Anyway, we’re still thrilled. 64,000 is nothing to sneeze at.