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Did You Get the Memo?

Today was wear your pink shirt, black sweater, jeans and Chuck taylors day.



Jen and I pulled into work today at the same time and laughed as we got out of our cars realizing our matching outfits. Least we both agreed we have good taste!

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Celeb Style Holiday Party

MindComet had its annual holiday party this past Saturday. Our holiday events are a way for the team to come together before the year wraps and everyone parts for their holiday vacations but we also like to bring everyone together and collect gifts for Toys for Tots to give back to those less fortunate. We celebrated the night in style with our sister company, IZEA and managed to collect a table full of unwrapped gifts to give to the Toys for Tots Foundation, even a bike!



Each year we have a themed holiday event, we find it always makes for a more entertaining night and Ill admit it, our group just enjoys dressing up and acting the part. Past years holiday events have included Rock N Roll Karaoke, a Formal Event where we had other party goers sneak into ours because we are that fun and black and white poker night. This years theme was celeb style so attendees either came dressed to impress or played the part of a celebrity. We had Tiger Woods stop by, Lil Wayne paid a visit, even Angelina and Brad managed to drop in with their kids. The night included paparazzi, red carpet runways and gift bags for guests, good food and drinks, music and of course great company!

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Enter the Ninja

As much as I love my Ruckus, maxing out at 42MPH on my 26 mile ride to work was getting a little old. Two hours per day was more than I wanted to spend commuting each day for the rest of my life.

So it was time for the Ruckus to grow up! Enter the Ninja.

The plan was to chew up some PTO and get the Motorcycle Safety Course out of the way. I spent Turkey Day weekend getting up at 6AM and driving to Daytona to learn the ins and outs of riding a real motorcycle. Overall, it was a fun experience. I'd recommend it to anyone who has an itch for this niche.

I didn't intend on picking up a bike immediately after, but I fell in love with the Ninja 250 (who I already had feelings for) over my two days of learning on one. That was, in fact, one of the criteria that drove me to Adventure Rider Training, by the way.





So I scoured Craigslist, made some calls, and set up a spreadsheet covering all of my options. I nearly drove to Miami to pick one up, but it was unfortunately sold out from under me.





After trying out a few (probably not enough, but whatever) bikes, I settled on the pretty red ride below. By the day after I finished my course, I already had a bike!


A great thing about 250 Ninjas is that they are low commitment. I could pick up an '07 for about as cheap as another Ruckus, and likely sell it off a while later for close to what I bought it for - there's always a market. Luckily, the Ruckus is the same way.

My first week was not nice to me, bringing freezing early morning weather. But I managed it to bring it in for a little show 'n tell. It's taken over the Ruckus' spot right outside my window for all to see.


Upon introduction to the MindComet team, I found that one of us had a ninja in the past. Unfortunately, he had to let it go due to storage limitations - poor guy!


So it's the end of the week, and I'm on my third day in. It's also my second day on the highway. I thought it would be terrifying, but in fact, it's just boring! I'll have to mix up my daily routes.

What's in the Ruckus' future? It'll stay around for a bit. It may even go to another MindCometeer. One of the first inquiries about the bike was "Are you going to sell the Ruckus?" Hopefully it'll stay in the family.

But what's in the Ninja's future? It'll likely pick up where the Ruckus left off. I wanted to take some long trips on the Ruckus, but the farthest I got was south of Orlando, a 60 mile trip home. Those two hours were a pain in the butt, showing me that any real touring would require a bigger motor, or a real bike.

I just may take it home to Jupiter for the holidays. Stay tuned!

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MindComet Owes Me A New Wallet

Yesterday I wrote some notes on the "FREE FOOD for thought" slips we have by the vending machine. I put said slip in my pocket. I proceeded to put my wallet in the same pocket. A few hours later I removed my wallet from my pocket, only to find it was imprinted / ruined / compromised. See below:


MindComet owes me a new wallet.

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Meat Cookies!

I've decided that cookies are too politically correct and they need to contain meat so today, after much planning, I finally brought in Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies. To make your own Meat Cookies you just need to follow a normal Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe but instead of using semi-sweet/bitter sweet chips use bacon infused chocolate (specialty food markets usually carry these flavored chocolates).

Alas, words alone can not describe the awesomeness that is Meat Cookie so I've provided a picture of it. You may wish to shield the eyes small children.

Behold, the Meat Cookie:

Just Another Halloween at MC

Halloween has come and gone. This makes us a little sad because we'd dress like this every day if we could!



As you'd expect, we had a great old time. And being SUPAFRI, we had the luck of being able to welcome five new peeps to our team (including a couple of interns who we are grateful for)! They were awarded their honorary first-year beanies.



We didn't have an official costume contest, but many agree that our pal Joe would have been the winner. He went to great lengths to assemble his costume. From fashioning the cane out of a pool cue to hand-painting his vest, it was amazing! He even had a jar of everlasting gobstoppers for us to enjoy.



So until next year, where I impersonate Tom Cruise from Risky Business... yes the part you're thinking of...



Hope your Halloween was fantastic!

McCain Supports The Ruckus in 08

Even John McCain supports the Ruckus!

McCain/Ruckus '08!

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Fans of the Ruckus Unite!

What? You haven't heard?

The Ruckus got it's own Facebook fan page, check it out!



For a limited time, each and every fan gets a complimentary test ride on the machine that made it all possible!

Are you not sure what exactly The Ruckus is or why you should be a fan of it? Let Jeremy demonstrate.



And hear what he has to say about the Ruckus and benefits of membership into this exclusive group.



He has since been on a number of trips (even prepaid for $2 worth - about 75 miles) and is considering a scoot for himself.

Who's next?

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Halloween in Denmark

On a recent trip to Copenhagen, visiting the world headquarters of one of our clients, we learned that Denmark is just starting to learn about and celebrate Halloween.

Being old pros, we decided to help them out. Upon our return, we put together a care package, full of candy, decorations, spooky sounds and even classic horror films!


As long as customs doesn't decide to snag our goodies and throw their own party, our Danish clients should be well on their way to having a nice little holiday!

With the time zone difference working in our favor, we just may be able to get some pics together and demonstrate how to throw a Halloween party - MindComet style! Stay tuned on the 31st!

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It’s National Seafood Month

Sorry for the late reminder, but October is National Seafood Month! Don't worry, you've still got plenty of time to enjoy it.

We decided to celebrate by putting together some funky aprons and sending them to our clients in the seafood industry. See them in action below!




And if you're looking to learn more, or maybe just find some tasty recipes, then you need to visit the sites below, created by MindComet:

AboutSeafood

EatShrimp

More on the way soon!

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RE:08 - The RE:cap

By now, you've surely heard little bits and pieces about our RE:treat, but here's your chance to catch it in its entirety.

We snatched up all the cameras that we could, shuffled things around a bit, did our best to put them in order, and the end result is the slide show that you see below. Read below for a day by day recap!



Day One:

We meet up at the MindComet compound to answer any questions and tie up loose ends. It's work as usual until noon, then we're off in our carpools to the train station!

We check our bags, then hang out for a few, pulsing with anticipation until the train arrives. Once it does, we take our place at the caboose and claim our territory for the next eight or so hours.

First things first, we have to work for our supper. Making the most of the captive audience created by the confines of the train, we sit down to watch a presentation, finely-crafted by our Management team, giving us a sneak peek into what we are to expect at the retreat, and a primer as to the year to come. Once completed, we receive our Train snack stipend.

We make the best of a long ride, spending quality time with our fellow team members. We share drinks, movies, mp3 players - anything to make the trip as pleasant as possible. Along the way, we even made some friends. We recruited a German tourist and made friends with the "Red Hat Ladies".



With just a bit of spunk left, we disembark the train for a bus ride over to the Wild Dunes resort. Jeremy decides that it is a good time to dig up his famous Gouda or Cheddar routine, entertaining us until we reach our destination. Worn out, we assemble our teams, claim our houses, find our bedrooms and unpack. Right to bed for most.

Day Two:

After a hearty breakfast, we gathered in a shady spot on the boardwalk to have a company-wide town hall style meeting. We further discussed our vision for the new year and answered any questions that could be thought up by the team. During the break, we all made friends with a cute puppy belonging to a resort employee.


Afterward, we broke up into teams to prepare for our RE:08 challenge. Each team's mission was to throw a party in their bungalow on a budget of only $150. The team's director was sent with a shopping list and only about an hour to gather goods. Upon return, teams let their creative vision flow, and constructed parties that would be judged upon various criteria by their fellow MindCometeers: food, drink, music, ambiance and overall theme.

Following an afternoon of intense preparation, the time had come for everyone to make final adjustments and prepare to party. First up was our Pink team, led by Marcelle, who assembled a high-class, laid-back, Jamaican gathering with a spicy kick.


Our next stop took us into the deep south for a good ol' Redneck hoedown. The Red team led by Kelly and Andrew threw a real authentic shindig, complete with all the trimmings.

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Stop number three, the Green team led by Jeremy, ultimately won our competition. Their Polynesian luau came with gourmet salmon, pineapple fizzes and hula lessons from a certified instructor. It was no surprise, as MindComet loves to shake it any chance it gets, and we can't get enough of Jeremy's sophisticated dishes.


With all of this commotion, what our team needed was a little bit of RE:laxation, and that is what the Blue team set out to do, piloted by Doug. We were greeted at the door with warm cloths to cleanse our bodies, followed by fine sorbet to clean our pallets. They went beyond what could be bought and offered free massages which everyone enjoyed.


RE:freshed, RE:laxed and RE:ady to go, we embarked to our final destination. David's Yellow team brough Candyland to South Carolina. They took the last stop as an opportunity, and offered desserts, sweet drinks, balloons, driving music and a dance floor to let the team do what it had been looking forward to for the last year - break it down!


As the night carried on, we slowly dispersed, some down to the beach, some to restart earlier parties and some just kept on dancing. Slowly, the parties died down and we retreated to our rooms for a little shut-eye.

Day Three:

With plenty of fluids, and as much rest as we could jam into the wee hours of the morning, we ate a quick breakfast and were divided into our various departments for some serious learning. We workshopped on fine tuning our skills some areas and discussed how we can work together within our teams to be the best MindComet that we can be.

Charged up, we assembled our costumes and met back as a group - not MindComet, but Killers International - part of a game we had started before leaving Orlando. We each had a role to play, sporting elaborate costumes and playing along to find out who had betrayed the group! Over lunch, we discovered the culprit and voted on who we found to be best-dressed. Notice David's excitement as the knight in the front below.


In the afternoon, we found a little free time. Some laid by the pool, some watched movies with their compadres, and some made it over to the salon for a massage, pedicure, or even a long-belated haircut!

For the second time that day, we had to dress up. But this time it was in our Sunday best to honor the MindCometeers that throw what is expected of them out the window and blow us away, each and every day. But we've already covered that in detail, so click on the picture below to see how it all went down.


Bellies full from our award feast, we headed to back to our rooms to pack. This allowed us to enjoy the last few hours that we had before we were to head back to FL.

Scattered from house to house, we enjoyed the time that we had left. Some took naps, others stayed up until we had to head out around 3:00AM to catch our bus.

You won't find any pictures of the trip home. Unlike the first train ride, we spent this one sleeping, worn out, and satisfied with what we had accomplished together.

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The Haircut

Back in middle school in the mid 90's, I decided growing my hair out would be the cool thing to do. And it was. So I grew it out, shaved it underneath (that was happening back then) and everyone loved it (especially the ladies).

Through high school, it just kept on getting longer. At some point, I must have made the decision to just let it go about it's business - growing and growing. Fast forward almost ten years, and I'm a guy with obnoxiously long hair in need of a makeover.

Wanting the change, but a little afraid at the same time, I let two of our lady team members talk me into it on the long train ride to Charleston, SC - the destination for our 2008 MindComet Retreat.

They facilitated what I could never do and made the appointment. I was lightly taunted by the fact that it was immediately too late to cancel.

The time had come and I was walked to the in-resort salon. One of my supporters hadn't yet shown, and I did everything possible to stall. I even pulled the forgot my money trick, but it just didn't work.



They finally sat me in the chair and just as the cutting commenced, she flew right in the door.



Not being an expert in hair styles for the last ten or so years, I let Tiffany do her thing. Well, with influence from the half a dozen team members that had gathered as well. I guess that's a bit of a throwback to my prior plans of a cakeplow-infused, user-generated haircut. Funny how those things work out.

For about 30 seconds, I shared the same haircut as another one of my supporters.


Finding out that a fauxhawk wasn't prime for me and my hair, the results came through as you can see below.


My thoughts? Well, my heart never pounded out of my chest as I had expected, and it was undoubtedly an improvement. But what really mattered to me was what everyone else thought.

Just as we finished, Jenn and Marcelle, both my boss and our President, emerged from their lengthy massages from a door conveniently next to my chair. Shocked, I hope I didn't undo any effects of their intense relaxation sessions. For the record, Marcelle said it looked hot .

But what did everyone else think? Unbenounced to me, my a good friend and fellow MindCometeer held interview sessions during our yearly awards dinner.





Donning my new suit, I was feeling like a million bucks. I'm not usually the one to pose and take pics at arms length, but tonight was a definite exception.



As the Retreat commenced, I had one last thing to deal with: the real world! I still had to find out what the girlfriend (who was a fan of the long locks) would think. Luckily, she still provided me a ride home, so I take that as an approval.

You might be wondering what happened to all that hair? I donated the hair to a good cause as you can see below.


But in actuality, I am happy to say that the 11.5 inches will be going to Locks of Love to benefit those who can really use it.

I know that this is probably the longest Cakeplow post in history, but I just want to give a big thanks to all of the MindCometeers who made it possible. You know and you know that I know who you are! <3

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MindComet RE:08 Awards

We've just returned and are still recovering from what has been touted as the best retreat in MindComet history. Expect much more about our RE:treat happenings soon, but in the meantime, it's time to recognize some of our top players in 2008 with the MindComet RE:08 Awards.

Watch the videos below, and you'll experience the awards just as we did... well, minus the killer buffet and open bar - but close enough. Our founder and chairman of the board, Ted Murphy, recorded the announcements out and about, whenever he felt the moment was right.

Also, since we're using the new Viddler platform, you can comment on each individual video, within the video - why not try it out?!

And now for the awards:

Tough Cookie of the Year



Culture Award



Motivator of the Year



Work Horse of the Year



Innovator of the Year



Big Money of the Year



Rookie of the Year



And finally... Team Member of the Year



A big CONGRATULATIONS to all of our winners! We love you guys so much!

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MindComet RE:treat 2008 is here!

Over the past few weeks, we've been working hard to pull ahead, as well as find time to plan for our yearly MindComet retreat and participate in the pre-trip activities.

Our theme this year is simply RE:treat. What does that mean exactly? It actually means a lot of things:


And as we've come to expect, the location as well as details were shrouded in mystery. However, this year there was a bit of a twist...

In place of the usually "roomies", we were put into teams, and as teams we had to compete to find clues to uncover the location, itinerary, team competition info and even prizes including "steal an office for a day" and "vending machine exclusive - winner's choice".

Competitions were facilitated by a mysterious figure only known to us as "Roundo Elko". He or she tweeted at us, facebooked us, took over the announcement board and all around keps us on our toes for the past couple of weeks.


Yesterday, we came into the office to find "hobo satchels" suspended on sticks with bandannas hidden around the office in our team colors. Inside we found conductors' hats (signifying a long train ride that we are about to embark on) as well as our team shirts, goodies and yet more puzzling information that has yet to explain itself.

So here it is, the big day. We came into the office and had our normal weekly company meeting, which was pleasantly supplemented by scones - courtesy of Andrew Riley's wonderful wife! Among the RE:treat chatter, Marcelle let us know that she purchased two FLIP cameras to let us easily record the trip. Expect video coverage on Cakeplow and the Lowdown before the end of the month!

We're psyched! Roundo, Marcelle and her crew have planned an awesome trip for us as we travel up the east coast aboard the Silver Meteor to a resort in beautiful South Carolina. Unfortunately, I can't share further details, as they are still shrouded in mystery. Look forward to clueing everyone in upon our return!

Miss us!

One Month, Two Wheels

It's officially been a whole month since I've given up on cars.



Over the last 30 days, I've only piloted a four-wheeled automobile on one occasion - and that was to sell it... so that doesn't really count, right?

Even when facing mother nature's tears (commonly known as rain), I just somehow don't feel the draw to cage myself for the trip. However, we shall see how things fair soon when Florida's (mildly) bitter cold winter sets in.

I've clocked over 2,000 miles since registration in July and plan to continue piling them on until the little Ruckus has paid itself off through commute savings alone in Spring. Then, I just might move up to a big-boy bike.

Last week had me bravely (read: stupidly) testing out a short stretch of Interstate - my first and last time. The relatively-near future will likely hold a trip to South Florida - very possibly my first trek as an adult to the Florida Keys, where scooters are king!

My scooter-media blitz is still in the works. Fans have been pushing for a blog - can't let them down. I'm also considering mobile updates while on the road courtesy of Bluetooth and Utterz.

Until next time - peace, love and 49cc's!

Blogged with the Flock Browser

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Account Managers Institute Uniforms

A few weeks back, the female portion of Account Management showed up to work as mirror images. We are now thinking that this should be institued as female uniforms company wide. It's really pretty flattering, eh?

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SUPAFRI and the Wheel of Destiny

This past Friday, the management team decided to switch things up on us and replace our traditional Recognition Friday with SUPAFRI...

Finding that we were growing out of our old traditions (and the fact that IZEA stole them all anyway), in addition to SUPAFRI, we replaced our Cakeplow as a means for celebrating MindComet anniversaries.

It's succesor, The Wheel of Destiny, turned out to be more dastardly than we could have imagined. Of the three spins, two came up PUDDING FLING and one with 20 Dolla' Bill Y'all. What can I say? The Wheel of Destiny giveth and it taketh away. Or does it just giveth some more? Depends on perspective, I suppose.

Watch below as MindCometeers David Martin, Andrew (PT) Clark and Josh Riggs were punished and rewarded by it's umm... spinny-ness?



David was in it to spin it and win it, but all he ended up with was a face full of pudding (not to mention pudding stains on the wrong side of his pants and a smell that just won't go away).

The Wheel of Destiny doesn't play... well, that's actually all it does. But you get my drift.




PT Takes a whirl at the Wheel of Destiny and earns a cool $20 - or $4.53 after taxes.



Josh fought the Wheel of Destiny and the Wheel won - or did it? David Martin takes his revenge for a stain that just won't come out, and Chris Rodgers shows his true feelings through the interpretive medium of chocolate pudding.

Intern High Fives

The sad part about interns is that we know we can't keep them forever (especially the undergrads who go to school out of state). It's kind of like buying a Hamster, knowing that they'll only live for a few years. Anyway, we make the best of the time we have.

Last Friday, we had to bid adieu to Shawn.


Most of the team went out to lunch in his honor. I'm not sure that everyone knew that was the purpose - some just looked hungry.

Anyhow, with our bellies full and back in the office, the time had come. Out of the blue, we decided to start a new tradition - Intern High Fives.

As opposed to walking Shawn to the door (watching carefully to make sure he didn't pocket any staplers or sticky notes), we walked him around the office to slap some skin with the entire company. Whether he knew them or not, high fives rang true throughout the office.

I forgot to check his pockets for sticky notes - and my pad is looking mighty slim - oh well - good luck back in Charlotte, Shawn! See you on Parking Wars!

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MindComet Summer Olympics Event

In spirit of the Beijing Summer Olympics, we decided to host our very own summer Olympic events, Wii style for MindComet's August team building event. Team members partook in an assortment of events including fencing, the trampoline, long jump, triple jump, javelin and more. From the looks of it, there was definitely some Michael Phelps and Shawn Johnson's in the making.





All participants took home golds last night! Look out 2012 London Olympic's trainees, MindComet is ready to compete!

Lucha Loco

There is a menace lurking the cubicles at MindComet. He is called Cerebro Del Mal and he is pure evil.

Fact: There is no theory of evolution. Just a list of creatures Cerebro Del Mal has allowed to live.

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MindComet at Firkin and Kegler

Last night, MindComet had its monthly team building at Firkin and Kegler. Everyone can attest that last night was an exciting and great event. Although Firkin and Kegler was quite far, it was definitely worth the drive. It's a great place to have some good fun! The place has a ton of different things such as dancing, bowling, arcade games, and karaoke. We started out the night with dinner, then enjoyed food from their great menu with selections from prime rib to pasta dishes. Everyone seemed to enjoy dinner especially after our "special" drinks from Tara. The night didn't officially start until about 9:30 pm! After dinner, we all decided to hit the dance floor and some of us brought the house down with karaoke. Tara, Art, and Redner sang their hearts out and the crowd loved it! We got everyone's attention, then we all hit the dance floor as the DJ played one of Tara's favorites, the "Cupid Shuffle." Overall, the night was one to remember! After all the dancing and partying, some people decided to go home early while others relaxed the night away with bowling.

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Art for President in 08?

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Ruckin’ To Work

If you've been keeping up with Cakeplow, you already know that I feel in love with the little Honda Ruckus scooter within the past few weeks.

I looked around to find one for myself, but with the rising gas prices, they're becoming pretty scarce, and people are starting to gouge prices by nearly 50% over retail!

However, I found just what I was looking for, but had to travel to Georgia to pick it up! Within 24 hours, I was there and back - read more about it here. Regrettably though, I had to miss our first picnic.

Then it happened again! Not a week goes by and I find another one. However, this one has less miles, is cheaper, and has 50% of its worth in upgrades - but was two times as far away! Being the crazy man that I am, I skipped another party and traveled to Fayetteville, NC to pick it up - read that story here.

The original Ruckus turned into a Birthday Present for my girlfriend, and we can now cruise together - it's loads of fun!

After a little bit of trouble getting tags for the out-of-state scooters, I was ready to strap on my helmet and ride it to work - all 26 miles! I diligently planned out the best route which was less than a half a mile longer than taking the interstate.

Jump ahead about a week and I'm on my fourth day of riding with no regrets. I even picked up a new spiffy helmet to keep my noggin safe and looking good!


By saving $6 per day on gas, I only have to ride to work another 35 times to pay it off and then another 20 to pay off the jacket that's on order. However, if I ride it to work for the rest of the year, the scooter will literally pay for itself in gas savings alone (even if prices don't go up, which they will)! Not even a Hybrid can do that in less than ten years!

That's it, gotta go get the Ruck out of here!

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Take a Number

Pat and I spent a good deal of the afternoon yesterday buried in spreadsheets and data, so we got a little punchy. Because our offices are on both sides of Paul's we constantly get questions from our fellow team members, 'have you seen Paul?' - 'is Paul in today?' - 'which way did he go?' - etc.

So, we came up with a solution. Bob went to Publix this morning and borrowed their deli ticketing system, which he rigged up outside of Paul's office. We created a mock waiting area and as soon as Paul was spotted in the parking lot we all took our numbers and seats to wait.

Bob made an announcement over the PA, "Now seeing number 15" and then even more people showed up. Paul was definitely surprised and all involved got a good laugh.

So if you need to see Paul in the future, take a number!

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MindComet Celebrity Sighting

While attending the iMedia Entertainment Summit last week, Doug and I took an opportunity to pose for the paparazzi (aka AOL/TMZs media team.) It was a neat idea put together by Platform A as part of their sponsorship.

Doug & Paris Hilton (me)



Joe Weaver, Media Storm & Angelina Jolie (me)

The 1st Annual MC Summer Picnic

MindComet celebrated summer by holding our first ( of hopefully many to come) annual family picnic on Saturday, June 28th. Employees along with their family and friends were treated to some delicious food prepared by Chefs' Paul Lewis and Doug White. The facility was ideal for the celebration and offered a shaded picnic area (hey, it's summer, it was hot and the shade was cool), swimming, a playground for the children, a large area for outdoor games and other amenities.



Along with the camaraderie, the backdrop was perfect for our event and fun was had by all. Two of the biggest highlights were a contest where pictures of Paul and Doug were covered with whipped cream and contests were held to see who could remove the whipped cream the quickest with Super Water Soakers. The kids really enjoyed that and hey, so did the adults!





Another big hit with all were the races where the participants has to put on additional clothing as the ran back and forth to their team members. Not too sure here who had more fun, the kids or the adults, but it sure was obvious that both the participants and observers enjoyed this activity immensely.



All in all it was a GREAT time and we can't wait until next year's picnic!

-Bob

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Mmmm…

Jenn has shared stories with us during our all-company meeting about sending "interesting" videos to one of our clients. This video was one of my favorites! It's a bit disgusting, but it's funny too. So, be prepared and check it out:

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Living It Up in NYC

Last March, I decided to take a week off to celebrate my birthday and see what all the fuss was about in the Big Apple. Time sure has flown by, but I've finally finished the Website chronicling my first trip to NYC.



My five days up there were jam packed. I tried to see everything that there was to see, and my trusty camera was there to help me record it all. Click here to visit the site, read my commentary and browse the library of images.

Highlights included:
The 2008 NY Auto Show
Fuerzabruta (Videos Too)
Museum of Modern Art
Coney Island
and many, many more...

[Note: if images do not show, try another browser. They may not be working in Firefox 3].

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Cowboys & Cowgirls

This past weekend I went to Cowboys for the first time which is a country music night club. I have lived in Orlando all my life and have driven by many times but never managed to stumble in there. As I walked in on a Saturday night, I had one thing on my mind, "I need a drink". I went up to one of their 8 bars and asked for a beer. The bartender hands me one and continues to say that they are free until 1 am. Right then and there, I fell in love with the place. After I got the drink, I took a look around. I have to admit, I always thought of this place as being a place for trashy rednecks with missing teeth. To my surprise, there were beautiful women and clean cut guys, the type of crowd I have seen in other types of clubs/bars. There are a few differences, it has a huge dance floor where people were line dancing. I saw a lady line dancing old enough to be my grandma. I guess she drove down from Lake County for a "good ol fashion hoe down". I did not get on the dance floor to line dance but next time, I might.

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What’s all this Ruckus?

As we all know, gas prices have been soaring high. Even with my fuel efficient Integra, I'm still not satisfied with my gas budget.

So I came across a possible solution: The Ruckus!



It turns out this little gem can get over 100MPG! At $2000, they could pay for themselves just in gas savings over a year. I hadn't really ever considered a scooter until this project got me interested.

I fell in love with the look, and over the last few days I've been reading everything there is to know about it. The only problem is that they are no where to be found! My great idea is just a little too late.

However, I've been scouring the country to find one. I'm currently negotiating a potential deal in Iowa and am considering taking a week and riding it home myself while taking in the countryside. This may seem a little crazy crazy, but a legend among the online Ruckus community, known as WAN, has already done this - more than once! He's driven coast to coast, visiting up with avid Ruckus enthusiasts along the way. His Ruckus is also being raffled off for charity, as he is leaving to go back to his home country, Korea. Click here to see some of his pictures from his second journey.

As for me, some local enthusiasts have greeted me with open arms and invited me to give their "Rucks" a try. I'll be continuing my quest until I find the perfect Ruckus, or the '09 model years hit the showroom floor!

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Crazy Hat Day

Crazy Hat Day was a great success last week! Almost everyone came out in their craziest head wear to compete for the ultimate prize: to enjoy their weekend a little bit earlier. The winners were allowed to leave work at 3 pm on Friday. Overall, it was a great day filled with fun and food, as well. We even got to experience GC's culinary skills at work as he made some delicious dessert crepes for everyone to enjoy. Now, here's a shotout to our winners:

Winner: Joe

Runner-Up, but in a close second....Mel

Click here to view the other crazy hats: CRAZINESS!

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The Secret life of….

The interns have uncovered original and suprising footage of the secret life of a MindCometeer. This is truly shocking! We never saw it coming...

Love,

The Interns

I made a new friend at work…..

Literally....I made him.

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Bowling with Mindcomet

This past month's team building activity was bowling night at AMF with unlimited pizza and drinks. It was a fun night with lots of strikes, spares and even some gutter balls.Everyone put their bowling shoes on and brought their "A" game, but experience with Wii bowling wasn't going to cut it! You had to have the right techniques to win the game. There were a few people showing off amazing skills and hitting a strikes in a row. Unfortunately, I wasn't one of them. If I had my way, I probably would have requested bumpers. But, I tried and didn't do too horrible. Overall, everyone played a great game and it was an enjoyable experience for all! But till the next Mindcomet bowling outing, I’ll stick with Wii bowling. Any challengers?

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On Any Given Wednesday - Fried Helado

We have a new favorite restaurant for lunch, Emiliano'z. It's a 2 minute drive from the office and on any given day you'll run into other MindCometeers.

Last week we had a ladies luncheon and decided to order a sweet treat to finish the meal. The only 2 desserts we could understand were Fried Ice Cream and Flan. We opted for the fried goodiness - see picture below:



I think we should start going there for happy hour, too!

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Showing the Phillies some LOVE!

Colleen, Sarah & Tara show the Philadelphia spirit of love for the Phillies!!!



Let's go Phanatics!!!!

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Rockin’ Out Mindcomet Style

Last night, we had a rockin' co-ed get together after work where our inner rockers came out, while indulging in Jenn's amazing beef stew. The atmosphere was electric as we shouted, drummed and strummed our ways to Rock Band glory. As a first time rocker, I found myself slowly feeling the music and head banging to the blazing beats. But, it wasn't long until the music took control and brought out my inner rocker. Even today, I'm still rocking and the music that filled the Breakout Room from Nirvana to Bon Jovi can still be heard, but maybe because MindCometeers are rocking their hearts out today during the lunch hour. As a first time "rocker," it was a pretty incredible experience and I look forward to rocking more in the future.



But, one of the greatest experiences with the game is seeing first-timers like me get into the groove and feel of Rock Band. Last night, we had Jamie Woglom and Laura Lear from NCM Fathom come and join us at the agency. So, we were excited to have more band members show their rocker potential! It was a time of excitement, laughter and fun seeing everyone rock to victory!

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New Hire Hilarity

We have a company wide meeting every Weds. afternoon where we catch up on launches, shout outs, company announcements, etc.

This is also our first opportunity to completely embarrass/indoctrinate our new hires and interns. They have to stand up in front of the whole company and tell us their name and what they do - and then the fun starts. We pose 3 crazy questions and they have to answer 1... or if they can answer the insane trivia question, then they don't have to answer 1 of the 3 original questions.

Here's how today went down:

We had two new peeps in - Jason, a new designer from our Charlotte office and Redner, our new marketing intern.

The crazy questions were as follows:
1. Demonstrate your favorite slip & slide move (the water slide from childhood.)
2. Make up a tune for phone hold music.
3. Name as many states as you can in 30 seconds, in alphabetical order.

The insane trivia questions was:
Name all of the games Parker Brothers has ever made.

Jason went first and picked question #1. He proceeded to get on the conference room table and demonstrated the rock star slide. Hilarious!

Redner went next and performed a small musical ditty for question #2, which left some laughing and some crying. I was doing both as I left today. It was practically indescribable with words.

All I can say, is that meetings like this don't happen in corporate America - only in agencies!

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(Art) Wilbur-By-The-Sea

I grew up in a town where the beach was just a short bike ride away. Since moving off of the coast a few years back, it's always been a little weird to have to "plan a trip" just to go to the beach. That and the concept of paying to go to the beach just seems a little screwy.

Last week, we reviewed our beach options for a new one to explore. A friend recommended a name that I'd saw, but had never had an excuse to visit - Wilbur By The Sea. Quite an odd name for a beach town, and especially interesting to me since it carries my own. I found that we had something in common beyond our names - we're both cheap (no beach fee) - so that settled it as our destination.

It has a real historic feel to it, with houses (not high-rise hotel buildings) right on the beach. However, a glance down the coast shows that developers are just waiting to strike. Most of the beach has sand that is red and packed hard like concrete. It wasn't the most comfortable, but fairly tidy - that was nice.

I wasn't able to find any information on the history of the little town, but I'll continue to wonder. Did my great-great-great-great grandpa and ma settle down on the beach front to catch some rays and decide not to leave? Or did he catch a fish in Wilbur Bay large enough to cause the townsfolk to give it his name? It might be more fun not to really find out...

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Till the Sun Goes Down, We’ll Be Racin’

This past month's team building activity was Go-Karting. Faces lit up when we arrived at the track and we started to eye which kart we wanted to claim. With such a large group we had to divide into two groups so as the first team set off the second team got to plan their strategies on which kart to choose and how not to spin out on the slick track. There was a whole lot of spin outs, bumping and swerving going on, but it was all in good fun and the team sure had a blast. We dominated the course until the sun went down and the karts couldn't take on another MindCometeer behind the wheel. I just had to remind myself driving home afterwards that there was no bumping allowed!

A Boot Camp, Graduation, and Bar Golf Limerick

There once was a new group of masters
So skilled, so poised, so much faster
To a course of fine bars, libations for par
"In the hunt" on a boulevard of asters.

(Seriously--that one hurt my brain! MLT)

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Kent Rocks!

This is what our favorite client from Kentucky has been up to while conducting a strategic account review at HQ in Orlando.

I think they call this 'creative ideology' or something along those lines...

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Go #00FF00

Today was Earth Day and we had a lot going on around the office! See below for my top 3 notable activities of the day.

1. Almost everyone was wearing their 'Go #00FF00' t-shirts to support our green efforts. Check out the landing page for more information and input your resolution.



2. Chris spent some time in the late afternoon sun hugging a tree.


3. We had our first ever MindComet yoga class - it was great to spend some time breathing and relaxing during the day. Thanks to Theresa from College Park Yoga for her guidance and patience.

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Part Time’s Rock-and-Roll Militia Adventure

If your a long time reader of CakePlow, you're sure to remember Ralphie and his spring break adventure! For those of you who aren't in the know, before continuing on, peep this for a refresher - http://cakeplow.com/2005/07/ralphies-spring-break-adventure.html.

[ Ok, You're back and now know who Ralphie is. If not, start reading this post again and FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS! ]

Andrew Clark, affectionately known as Part Time (although he is a full-time employee..yes, it's confusing) recently had his own documented adventure.

Titled Part Time's Rock-and-Roll Militia Adventure, it is a journey into the dark world of a Speedo clad man and explores his predilection for guns and rock-and-roll. Below is a still.



BTW: This film is being considered for Cannes!!!

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Cool site of the day - 199 Lives

Hey Everyone!

Check it out - one of our most recently launched sites for Fathom Events (part of National Cinemedia) was awarded Cool Site of the Day!

Or check out the site directly: 199 Lives - The Travis Pastrana Story

Are you cool enough to krump?

OMG - I am so not cool. I unfortunately came to this realization today as I was talking to the developers in pod 6. Somehow we got on the subject of 'krumping' or 'crumping' - depending upon if you're writing it or speaking it. I had no clue what they were talking about and no one was willing to demonstrate.

So they brought up a video clip to highlight this fight-style dancing. Find a decent definition on wikipedia or watch this video:



Now you know!

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The MindComet Masters

March 25, 2008. Ten courageous golfers set out to hit some balls, drink some beer and sink some putts. Competition was fierce - OK, for some it was. There were pros, there were amateurs, then there were those who were taking out their brand spankin' new clubs and figuring out how to use them.


Under the lights and battling the biting Florida chill, we made it most of the way through the 9 hole par 3 course before they finally had to turn the sprinklers on us. Scores were arbitrary to some who consistently passed the 7 stroke limit, however, among the pros there was a clear champion: Bodacious Bobby Starks! He will add a prestigious (yet imaginary) trophy to his already overflowing collection.

Me? I was just happy to have one good hit and have an excuse to wear my (super) cool new jacket.

Regardless, Tiger never had this much fun. The PGA should really lighten up and allow club-fencing between shots! It's safe to say that their after parties are nothing like ours either...

Click here to see more photos of the event. See you next year!

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Easter Anthropomorphism Should be ILLEGAL

Anthropomorphism is evil...during Easter. Any other animal at any other time is somewhat humorous. But with the Easter Bunny it's just downright WRONG!

Yes, I am Back! It's Easter-time did you expect anything less?




Really, how is this cute? How are kids supposed to get excited about this thing breaking into the house in the middle of the night to leave horrible candy (aka: peeps, cadbury eggs, jelly beans). There is no sweet piece about this "tradition."

I am in training of how to completely wipe out the bunny nation, the Book of Bunny Suicides by Andy Riley is helping me thru this easter! Obviously I am not the only one who feels this way. Also, have you seen all the bunny bashing videos on YouTube? It makes me feel better knowing others see the abnormality of the bunny!!! I beg you all to post these on your doors this weekend before the EB arrives and also, post them anywhere you believe there are bunny gangs. I need help getting the word out!!

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The Leprechaun

Its that time of year again. The time leprechauns come out to hide in trees.

MindComet Takes on Email….and Miami

Yes, it is true, we multi-task! We were attending the MarketingSherpa Email Summit in Miami earlier this week and managed to get out and see the town a little too.

It was a great time, learned a lot, had some fun and managed to overcome VARIOUS obstacles including:

1. Huge South Florida Power Outage
2. Balloon Artists
3. Lack of Sunlight
4. Snakes and Gators
5. Forest Fires
6. Driving in Downtown Miami
7. Valet Parking
8. NO Cheese
9. Gas Station Bathrooms
10.Groundhog day radio stations

I know, I know. You are asking what the heck is she talking about? Let me explain:

Huge South Florida Power Outage - 3 million people were affected with an outage after a failed switch and fire at an electrical substation triggering widespread blackouts across the state.

Balloon Artists - they were EVERYWHERE. I guess people in Miami are impressed by people who can use hot air and twist things. We even had a gift given to us...(ok ok, the Tazmanian devil, tinkerbell and guy on a bike were cool balloons...i should have asked for my coral reef with dolphins, then we would have been able to see their real skillset)


Lack of Sunlight - the high everyday was in the 80s with clear skies and bright rays of sun but we were stuck inside from 8am-6pm =(

Snakes and Gators - You know those kiosks that have exotic animals, well we were stalked 2 nights being told we could conquer our fears with just one pic...no thanks!!

Forest Fires - On the ride home Tuesday night it was pitch black on an empty road and on the horizon was a huge cloud of smoke, as we got closer it was about a 1 mile deep, blazing forest fire on the right of the highway, so scary to see upclose and personal.

Driving in DT Miami - YIKES, the road signs STINK! Everything kinda looked like this...


Valet Parking - they really have NO idea what is going on, if you are going or coming, they just want your keys and $$$.

NO Cheese - we had fajitas with NO CHEESE...WHAT? It was actually pretty good =)...must have been the margaritas.

Gas Station B-rooms - NO COMMENT!

Groundhog day radio stations - we were not familiar with the radio stations so we scanned and these were the top 2 songs over...and over...and over...during 12 hours of driving:

-With You - Chris Brown (boo is every other word...nuff said)
-Teardrops On My Guitar - Taylor Swift (most monotone singer ever!)





Anyway, we had a great time learning all about email marketing and meeting some great new contacts in the industry...including our new friends at MarketingSherpa and MarketingExperiments. We look forward to implementing everything we learned and attending the Email Summit in 2009!

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Maasricht Carnival 2008

Carnival in The Netherlands is a cross between Mardi Gras in New Orleans and Halloween in the States--which provides a backdrop for one heck of a party! This annual celebration in the charming Dutch town of Maastricht packs the streets with elaborately costumed celebrants, fantastic compilations of pop hits and traditional folk music blasting from venues scattered about town, and miles and miles of parade floats. For me, this was a weekend to remember and trip that I'll look forward to repeating sometime in the near future!

Watch my homemade video...

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Greetings from The Netherlands! - Part Two

I never made it to Gouda last night as it was freezing cold and pouring rain, so I'll go ahead and share a quick photo from Delft! Beautiful...wish you were here!

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Greetings from The Netherlands! - Part One

City: Delft
Meal: pankcake met bacon en kaas

Loyal Cakeplow readers will know, I love to report on strange foods and customs I discover on my MindComet journeys. This week I am back in the Netherlands, and more enamored with the country than ever. I am lucky enough this trip to have a little more time than usual outside of the office, so I've tried to visit every town and village I can get to for exploring.

Yesterday a local friend and I found our way to Delft, about 15 minutes from Den Haag by train. The chilling winter sunset held off just long enough to allow for a quick walking tour of the churches and canal streets before ducking into a cafe for shelter. As I sat and thawed, I was thrilled to see one of my favorite Dutch snacks on the menu--big savory pancakes! We ordered a bacon and cheese pancake served with butter and powdered sugar on the side. Het verbazen! (Amazing!)

Tonight I'm on my own and plan to visit Gouda. Look for my report tomorrow and each day this week, and as a special treat, I'll post a video montage of my trip to Carnival in Maastricht this weekend!

Squirrel Dances for MindCometeers at Lunch

A group of us went out for lunch on Thursday and we ran into a squirrel that had incredible bravery. He came right up to us, so close that it actually scared one of our employees out of their seat. After we gave him some chips, we decided to challenge the squirrel's skills to see if he could dance. As you can see in the video, we were able to get him to show us some of his moves. (Sorry for the video quality, it was taken with a phone.)

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Clark, That There is an RV

We're gearing up for one of the biggest launches of Q1 - the new & improved SpeedTV.com We always enjoy having our clients on-site and this past week we welcomed 6+ folks from SPEED's editorial group and their Director of Interactive.

This was a special visit for a variety of reasons, the primary one being the tricked our RV in the parking lot. Our clients came down to FL last weekend for the Rolex 24, which is essentially a 24 hour race of high-performance sports cars in Daytona, part of the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car series. Our main contact stayed in the RV outside of our corporate headquarters, which is a first in MindComet history. Talk about close contact with the MindComet team...


Stay tuned for the launch of the redesigned SpeedTV.com scheduled for next week!

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Made-Up Word of the Month

The made up word of the month is.... "Contagiousability:

Earlier this year, like most people who traveled for the holidays, I caught one of the nastiest colds I had ever had. It was a Pennsylvania strain of the common cold, and it was mean. After being sick for well over a week, I returned to work. When my supervisor asked me if I was alright to be at work, still foggy from the anti-biotics and the remaining NyQuil in my system, I responded that it was alright, I wouldn't get anyone sick because my "contagiousability" was extremely low.

"Contagiousability" - (def) the ability to be contagious.

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A Yo-Yo Record Breaking Event

ZEA presents the
History Center Guinness World Record™ Breaking Yo-Yo Event
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Help break the Guinness World Record™
for the most people yo-yoing simultaneously!

Registration 1-2:30 p.m.
Event begins promptly at 2:45 p.m.
Call (407) 836-8580 to pre-register or to get more information.





MindComet is representing!! IZEA is representing!! Will you be representing? Take a chance to be part of "History" and come have some fun! Check out all the great deals and bring some friends!!!

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New Year, New Interns

It's that time of year again where we welcome a fresh batch of interns into MindComet!


Our Shirts: "Get me some coffee"
Their Shirts: "Get your own damn coffee"

We maintain a proud tradition of nurturing our interns to grow as people and as employees - they do more than get coffee and make copies. They have the opportunity to learn skills and concepts from us that just aren't taught in school yet.

In a few months, they'll leave us two steps ahead of their competition and ready for a brave new world. Some might stick around and in time become team members. MindComet strives on the new perspectives and insight that these bright young minds can deliver.

In the meantime, we're going to make sure that they have a hell of a time through team building, recognition fridays, brainstorms and other events that we encourage our interns to be a part of.

Unfortunately we couldn't wrangle up all of our interns for a shot, but here you can see a glimpse of the talent we've wrangled up for 2008!

...and they still haven't gotten me any coffee!

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When Lizards Attack!

A little lizard snuck in through my window last night, only to be discovered by my cat, Zero. A foray ensued and the battle raged throughout the house.

Just as the little reptile had made it near the front door and I was almost ready to set him free - he attacked!


The lizard had enough and just wasn't going to take it anymore! Luckily I was wearing socks, because he latched on for dear life! The guy just wasn't going to let go, no matter what.

Zero saw this and hid away - he decided he didn't want any part of that lizard anymore. A lizard latched onto his tail? Not his idea of a fun Friday night!


I was able to stroll throughout the house (carefully as to not hurt him) and snap a couple of pictures. Eventually, we were able to (gently) pry him off with a small twig and he scurried away outside, victorious.

The lizard made it away safe and sound, but I think Zero and I are both scarred for life. What should we all take away from this? Don't f*$# with reptiles - they out number us you know...!

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Two things not to do on New Years

So, Ted and Tara were nice enough to invite me to their 80's themed New Year's eve party. I love any costume event, so I was excited to attend. Here's where the issues begin...

1. I figured my fashion sense is a few years behind, so 1988-89 should still be in my closet. I was wrong. So, I had to go shopping for an eighties costume at 6PM on New Years Eve. The mall was closed and Benetton hasn't had a store in Florida in years, so I was stuck with Belle's Outlet and Goodwill. I ended up with a double-breasted, pinstriped suite and thin red tie. Looking more like a gangster and less like a a savings and loan officer (which no one got anyway), I went to the first of two parties planned for the night.

2. DO NOT GO TO NON-COSTUME PARTIES DRESSED UP. People will think you're crazy. Explaining why you're dressed like a gangster is not viral. Everyone has to ask who you're supposed to be and why, individually.

3. DO NOT GOT TO AN EIGHTIES PARTY DRESSED IN 1920's GARB. Again, everyone has to ask who you're supposed to be and why, individually.

Next time, just wear a torn white T-shirt and peg your jeans. Even if they're low-rise, boot-cut. You're better off.

MindComet’s 2008 Resolutions

If you search the Web, you'll find countless lists of New Year's resolutions - and they're all the same: to lose weight, stop smoking and learn something new.

If you don't know already, here at MindComet, we're a little twisted. The team was surveyed as to what their resolutions are for themselves and for MindComet for the new year and here are some of the results.


For MindComet:

• To host Show & Tell once a month.



Show & Tell is an opportunity for MindComet team members to show off their work, collaborate on other applications and build upon our collective intelligence!



• To establish two client partners from countries we've never worked in before! Caio! Hola! Hallo! Allo! Merhaba! Jambo! Salaam!


• To expand our video and multimedia capabilities.


• To rock out my Solution Cube Team!


• To send more Client Love!


• To provide employees with optimal lighting conditions to enhance productivity and creativity beyond expectations (to change the lightbulbs as soon as they burn out)!

For Ourselves:

• To go 24 hours without making fun of Stuart!


• To try to find my moral compass that I lost in the woods.


• To try and keep my shirt on while singing Johnny Cash in front of fellow MindCometeers.


• Last year I went to Walt Disney World with the family a combines 150 times. This year I want to break the 200 visit mark!


• To give Crazy Buffet a 30 day hiatus each time they get closed down by the health inspector.


• To get promoted to an office - there are fewer shelves to break in an office than a cubicle!


• To turn geek!


• To learn how to play my 10th instrument.


• To learn how to use my pinky so I can play Guitar Hero on Hard Mode.


• To get a real haircut and shave my back.


• To remember to close my blinds before I dance naked to the Flashdance soundtrack!

And for the grand finale - Jeremy Hilton resolves to live solely off of pickles and coconut juice! It looks like he'll have to give up chicken feet. You heard it hear first, folks!

Stay tuned as the results continue to roll in!

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iPhone Minds Think Alike…

Not really sure what that title means, but it made it easier to incorporate our new iPhone Blog title - iPhoneMinds.com.

So, yeah, MindComet has begun offering iPhone Development Services to our clients. Whether you need a quick iPhone version of your site or a complex addictive mobile iPhone game, we can do it. We're currently in the process of bringing you the MindComet site in iPhone form, but our clients come first, so it gets bumped down the line until things clear up or someone wants to work past the normal midnight hours they're already working.

If you need our style on your iPhone as soon as possible, you can head over to iPhoneMinds.com to download some cool iPhone Wallpapers that our creative team have put together.

iPhoneMinds has even put up some helpful iPhone Development Tips for those of you that would like to try creating your own iPhone apps or sites.

MindComet is about to roll up on some iPhone sites like you've never seen, so get ready for the iPhone revolution!!!!

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Nothing Says Vegas Like…

So, I'm in Vegas this week for a database marketing conference. This morning I rode the elevator to the casino level of Mandalay Bay with a bride to be wearing a jean jacket atop her wedding dress and her bridal party adorned with Nascar jackets atop their ensembles. What a sight to see!

If only I had a chance to snap some covert pictures so I could share with you the hilarity that the other 'normal' guy in the elevator and I experienced - we were both left speechless as the elevator emptied us out into the casino.

The other awesome conference that is going on in parallel to the one I'm attending has something to do with cowboys & roping. I'm thinking I might have to go check that one out tomorrow to see what they are discussing.

I haven't hit the tables or the slot machines yet, but after my lucky streak at our holiday party on Friday - I'm thinking it might not be a bad idea to play a few hands. Anyone have a lucky number on the roulette table?

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Vacations can be hazardous to your desk part ii

When our wonderful director decided to take a vacation to Argentina we knew we could not let him go unpunished. Besides nothing says job security like messing with your bosses' desk. So a few members of pod six ventured to Costco in search of what to do. What we found was a fantastic 2 for 1 deal on maxi pads and a happy stuffed puppy dog.

We quickly returned to the office and started our assault on the office. People quickly took notice and soon we found everyone chipping in in their own special way (by posing with the dog and being photographed). So what started as another pod six task turned into a glorious company wide bonding experience. The damage is shown below:



Thanks to everyone for helping out!

-PT

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Inspirational Kick in the Azz

Music and creativity combine like a nice Cabernet and dark chocolate, they just go hand and hand. They are both necessary elements that spark creativity in my everyday life. Because of that, I wanted to contribute some new artists along with a necessary classic that have recently inspired me, hopefully they can do the same for you! This may change at any given second (I'm not kidding), but here is my fav top 10 playlist for the week...



1 Digitalism - "Pogo" (original and remixes)
2 Coburn - "Razorblade" (Malente Remix)
3 Shiny Toy Guns - "You are the One" (original & Adam Freeland Mixes)
4 Trentemoller - "Moan" (ummm, yah sick!)
5 Maserati - "Synchronicity IV"
6 Editors - "Racing Rats"
7 T2 - "Heartbroken" (Filthy Rich Remix)
8 Gary Numan - "Down in The Park"
9 Radio 4 - "Enemies Like This"
10 Feist - "My Moon My Man" (Boys Noize Remix)

Let me know what you think and feel free to contribute your inspirational playlist for the week as well. I will definitely be interested in checking it out. So, until next thought, enjoy the music.

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A Huge HOP Forward!!!

"We get it...you HATE bunnies!"

Ok ok ok, I know you are probably sick of bunny rant after bunny rant. However, I have to share a personal life-altering event that I experienced this past Halloween. I took a step to over-come my fears!!!! I conquered being in the same room as a human dressed like a bunny and I did not hyperventilate. However, most of the time, his ears were not on, and I think that has a lot to do with it, plus there was wine involved so my nerves were on "break".

I even have proof that I was alive at the moment of the interaction...
The next day while I was reflecting, I came to the realization that I still fear bunnies and I do not see this changing ANYTIME soon...so I leave you with this...

...until next time my friends...

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Tastes like…

I found these strange little gems in a China Town window while walking to the train station. As I hurriedly walked passed them, I wondered "who in the hell would find pleasure in eating chicken feet?". Despite my disgust, I just couldn't shake the thought of those golden morsels from my mind. You see, I'm a big fan of food. And as a big fan, I take pleasure in -- no, it is my duty to try new food. Damn if those chicken feet were going to be an exception.





BTW, I highly recommend that you NOT eat chicken feet! The texture is really strange - chewy skin over a layer of even chewier fat and tendon - and they taste just like chicken feet.

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IKEA - As Popular as a Theme Park

I spent the vast majority of my Saturday afternoon in the new IKEA store near Millenia Mall. Obviously shopping or browsing the new store is the 'in' thing to do in Orlando - I'm surprised the local paparazzi were not covering the action...

I was only in the store for about 5 minutes when I ran into Bryan in the couch section - we exchanged pleasantries and talked about the sensory overload we were both feeling. For those of you that have never been to IKEA, it is a Scandinavian household & furniture retailer with a 309,000-square-foot showroom.

I found out this morning that Marcelle and Art were also shopping on Saturday afternoon - I wonder who else I missed?

Their radio spots are hilarious; I'm trying to find them so you can hear them, too.

Happy Shopping!

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How to Charge an iPod with an Onion & Gatorade

While "stumbling" on a lazy Sunday afternoon, I came across a slew of DIY instructional videos. The clip below blew me away... Who knew you could charge your iPod with only some Gatorade and an onion?



Ridiculous.

Vacations Can be Hazardous To Your Desk

One of the fellow members of the proud pod 6 group happened to get married not too long ago. With this marriage he also took a nice long vacation! To show our support we all came together to write him words of encouragement and support*:


* No actual words of support or encouragement were used.**

**One of our rebel pod members decided to try to write something encouraging. He spelled it wrong and it was quickly removed.

-PT

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Goodnight, not Goodbye!

We've reached that time of year again, where I must part with another intern, sending them out to the world hopefully a little more prepared to embark upon their own journey. Here's to all interns past, present and future who tolerate my fickle nature and know how to 'pick up what I'm throwin' down'.

But for now I'd like to leave you with these last parting words of knowledge. . . an oldie but goodie!

A sales rep, an administration clerk and the manager are walking to lunch when they find an antique oil lamp. They rub it and the Genie comes out. The Genie says, "I'll give each of you just one wish." "Me first! Me first!" says the admin clerk. "I want to be in the Bahamas, driving a speedboat, without a care in the world." Poof! He's gone. "Me next! Me next!" says the sales rep. "I want to be in Hawaii, relaxing on the beach with my personal masseuse, an endless supply of Pina Coladas and the love of my life." Poof! She's gone. "OK, you're up," the Genie says to the manager. The manager says "I want those two back in the office after lunch."

Moral of the story: always let your boss have the first say.

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MindComet Brings It All Night Long

We returned midday yesterday from our yearly retreat on the M.S. Sensation from Nassau. MindComet spent time strategizing and breaking down goals for the coming year, but even more time breaking it down on the dance floor and karaoke stage.

Awards were given for the past year, but one man transcended to remind everyone from Port Canaveral to Nassau who the real entertainer of the year is. Without further adieu, let me introduce Jeremy Hilton who will be performing his own rendition of All Night Long by Lionel Richie.



And by popular request, Stuart White does The Humpty Dance.



This post has been brought to you by your 2007 Cakeplower of the Year and MindComet Historian who is still recovering from wounds sustained while filming these performances.

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Bonzo at Bow Wow Resort

I've been traveling quite a bit over the past few weeks and have been so lucky to have Val puppy-sit for Bonzo.

We went on our annual company retreat over the weekend; therefore, Val wasn't available... so, I decided to give Bonzo a retreat of her own. She stayed at Bow Wow Resort near my house and had a blast! She made some new friends and played with other puppies. When I picked her up last night she was exhausted (and definitely excited to see me!)

Check out her sitting with her new friend, Sofie, below:

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Colorado Chilliness

Doug & I just got back from Colorado where we got our first dose of fall/winterlike weather. Orlando has been unseasonably hot through last week, with highs still in the 90s.

We had the opportunity to stay at a very nice property, The Broadmoor, in Colorado Springs for a Chief Marketing Officer Summit. We met numerous marketing thought leaders from around the World and had the chance to see a few keynotes, most notably John Sculley (formerly of Apple and Pepsi.)

We wrapped up last night by eating at a French Patisserie and window shoppped around downtown CO Springs.

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Halloween at the ‘Comet 2007

Halloween has come and gone, but some memories we won't be able to get out of our minds no matter how hard we try.

Check out our photos below or click here for an eyeful!









...TO INFINITY AND BEYOND!

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The Hoff Approves

There is a free as in beer service out among the tubes known as the rasterbator, which allows you to take a small image, say, i don't know... maybe this shot of the hoff, and convert to a much, much larger image without losing any of that sweet, sweet pixel resolution.

Now, the designers tell me they're doing something with with half-tones or bla, bla...

But the final result is the Hoff in sweet, sweet poster size

Gorilla in the Midst (of alcohol)

Remember Trading Places? Eddie Murphy, Dan Akroyd. Skip to the New Years train ride and Jim Belushi in the Gorilla outfit. Got it? Love it? I do.

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The answer is spinach

So true...
Kendra

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College Football October 2007

What is going on in College Football this year? I don't think there has been this much uncertainty in the Top 25 since the BCS was instated. I mean, the SEC is killing each other. Schools who've been good for upsets, and that's about it, all seem to have pull their programs together in the same year. Here's the latest standing:

1.	Ohio St.	(8-0)	1	2847	.999	1	1498	.999	3	.930	.9800	1
2.	Boston College	(7-0)	2	2676	.939	2	1412	.941	1	.970	.9500	3
3.	LSU	(7-1)	3	2550	.895	3	1319	.879	2	.960	.9100	4
4.	Arizona St.	(7-0)	8	2003	.703	7	1089	.726	4	.860	.7600	8
5.	Oregon	(6-1)	5	2281	.800	5	1225	.817	9	.670	.7600	10
6.	Oklahoma	(7-1)	4	2521	.885	4	1306	.871	14	.510	.7600	5
7.	West Virginia	(6-1)	6	2157	.757	6	1134	.756	10T	.610	.7100	9
8.	Virginia Tech	(6-1)	10	1831	.642	9	1052	.701	8	.690	.6800	11
9.	Kansas	(7-0)	11	1671	.586	10	911	.607	7	.750	.6500	13
10.	South Florida	(6-1)	12	1627	.571	12	813	.542	5	.810	.6400	2
11.	Florida	(5-2)	9	1867	.655	11	906	.604	10T	.610	.6200	15
12.	USC	(6-1)	7	2100	.737	8	1060	.707	21	.170	.5400	14
13.	Missouri	(6-1)	13	1568	.550	13	790	.527	13	.530	.5400	16
14.	Kentucky	(6-2)	15	1156	.406	15	604	.403	12	.550	.4500	7
15.	Virginia	(7-1)	20	650	.228	18	466	.311	6	.760	.4300	19
16.	South Carolina	(6-2)	17	1031	.362	17	474	.316	15	.390	.3600	6
17.	Hawaii	(7-0)	14	1265	.444	14	617	.411	NR	.000	.2900	18
18.	Georgia	(5-2)	19	711	.249	19	402	.268	20	.230	.2500	20
19.	Texas	(6-2)	16	1054	.370	16	527	.351	NR	.000	.2400	22
20.	Michigan	(6-2)	21	643	.226	21	325	.217	19	.260	.2300	25
21.	California	(5-2)	18	873	.306	20	397	.265	NR	.020	.2000	12
22.	Auburn	(5-3)	23	333	.117	23	179	.119	16T	.330	.1900	17
23.	Connecticut	(6-1)	29	80	.028	28	75	.050	16T	.330	.1400	37
24.	Alabama	(6-2)	24	322	.113	24	177	.118	22	.150	.1300	35
25.	Penn St.	(6-2)	22	404	.142	22	294	.196	NR	.010	.1200	27

Someone help me out here. How are BC, Arizona State and South Florida all above classic powerhouse programs like Florida, Texas, Georgia, Michigan, Auburn, Alabama and Penn State?

Jon

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Bubble Break!

After a hectic weekend at my sister's wedding I was out on the porch with some family and discovered the healing power of bubble blowing.

We had a bunch of little bottles of bubbles left over from the reception and I mindlessly opened one up and started playing with it. Almost instantly I was relaxed and what was even more interesting, the more bubbles I blew the more mesmerised everyone around me seemed to get. This was not a trick I was using to distract children mind you, I was actually in the company of people much older than myself. Maybe it was just the nostalgia of it all but I'm officially implementing daily personal bubble breaks as my newest stress reliever- recommended daily dose: five minutes. Bubble breaks with a rum and coke in hand: priceless.

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Some Bunny Loves You

I'm Back!!
The bunny hater is back =)

Maybe you remember my previous post months back and are awaiting an update...
Cute Bunnies!! or Cute Bunnies??

Well, I do have an update! I still really dislike bunnies =(

Someone recently said to me, "i still think you should find something normal to be scared of, like bridges."

Who said being scared of bunnies is not normal? I clearly remember LOUD OBNOXIOUS screams coming from the Bunny picture area at the mall each Easter when I was younger, and I'm pretty sure that is how it still goes down.

And for those of you who need more examples of why I am scared of bunnies...
"ENJOY"...

bunnyinvasion.com




...until next time my friends...

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Capitalizing in the Nation’s Capitol

I recently went on my first MindComet sales trip, which I have heard can be long and gruesome. All in all it was a plesant experience, which I am looking forward to the outcomes. Although, before we left for the airport, we had to grab some lunch and of course check out some of the local sights. It was my first time in D.C. so of course I had to see the White House. Which by the way, a friend of mine once drove by it, I kid you not, and said, "Wow! Look at that big beautiful white house." Not even realizing what is was or that they were in D.C. Although it was a short trip andit was all business, leave it to MindCometeers to be able to fit in a little bit of fun time.

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The Fest 6

Pabst Blue Ribbon. Five Star Pizza. 180+ bands. 12 venues. A thousand drunken punks. Gainesville, FL. October 26th-28th.

Every year, punks from around the country -- and many from over seas -- descend upon the small college town of Gainesville, FL and proceed to take it over. This yearly occurrence is called The Fest. This will mark the 6th year of its existence and is shaping up to be the best year thus far. For someone who's grown up listening to punk and who still completely embraces the punk rock culture, The Fest sums up what it's all about: cheap beer, your best friends, sing-a-longs, finger-points, stage dives and good times. It's complete mayhem for three days straight and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Here are some clips from last year's Fest:

Paint It Black


Lifetime


The Ergs


- bq

Zero to Cakeplow in 4.3 Seconds

You viewers come here to see faces in cake - that's what this site is supposed to be all about (hence the name), right? Well, we've been a little busy and haven't been able to get all of our recorded plows up.

But today, it's time to change all of that. A new cakeplow record is about to be broken. No, we're not going to have ten faces diving into cake, we're not going to have a full body cakeplow, and we're not going to pioneer cakeplow in space (though they are all very good ideas - stay tuned). Instead, we're posting up the videos at the speed of cake - face to cake to Web within an hour.



This month, as Paul was out on vacation, lead plowing duties fell to our second in command - Doug! And as there were no anniversaries, we shifted down to birthdays. Josh Riggs was (conveniently) the only one present. However, he did make up for the slack by sporting a new hairdo - stop reading and watch the video already!

While we're at it, here's last month's plow as well. It was a heck of a battle as Paul was attacked from both sides! Has cakeplow ever seen this level of brutality?!

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Pet Rescue loses kennel due to zoning issues. Extreme Home Makeover Petition.

Pet Rescue by Judy recently lost their kennel due to zoning issues. Now, ABC is giving Judy, and her amazing animals, the chance for Extreme Home Makeover to build them a kennel! Judy and her animals need your help!

Please sign this petition! and get the Digg up so others see it!

Judy has some amazing animals and they need a place to stay, if you can't adopt then at least do something by signing this petition to get them a shelter. If you can adopt, sign the petition anyway and visit Pet Rescue By Judy's website to see what lovely rescues that you can adopt or even foster.

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Halo-itis

With the release of one of the most anticipated games of the year many people have been diagnosed with Halo-itis. A rare disease that causes people to call in sick on the day of major video game/console releases. These diseases are known to strike major universities and certain businesses.

I know a certain designer here has certainly got a bad case of halo-itis here today. Are you and your employees safe? You may want to keep an eye out for people with the following symptoms:

* Exhaustion
* Constant references of Master Chief
* Sore thumbs
* Hand cramps
* Bags under their eyes

-PT

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Gecko-Bookshelf Integration

Jaws, our Tokay Gecko, was left to us by a friend when they had to move. We weren't sure about him at first. He was pretty, but we heard that he wasn't the nicest lizard out there - he'd been known to attack! However, he's since became a member the family. Click on Jaws below to see more pics!


He seemed a little cramped in his previous enclosure, as he'd circle the cage restlessly, so we decided it was time to take it to the next level. We also wanted some desk space back too!


We scoured the Web for information on building our own cage and decided to integrate it into our bookshelf. It meant that a few of our cars and toys had to be put into boxes, but in the end, it was worth it!

After several trips to Home Depot, and countless rounds of trial and error, we were able to make it work. Jaws now enjoys his two story condo, complete with artificial heat and a wonderful view of our office!

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Everybody plays, everybody wins…

I love the "surprise reward for volunteering." Its a great motivator to know that at any time there may be fabulous prizes awaiting you around the next corner, all you have to do is step up.

I say all this as a "Thank you" to Tara, who passed out lottery tickets to everyone who gave a shout out in this AM's company meeting. No only did I get to pass on praise to members of the MC team, but I left the meeting $5 richer!!!

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MC in LA!

Hey MindCometeers! We're keepin' it classy and sassy (well...most of the time) and we've officially been here for 2 months and 17 days and thought it was about time we gave you the tour of the LA office.


We miss you, come and visit!

Please and thank you!

- LB & RJ

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Don’t You Love Our CrAzY Hats!

Hip Hip Hooray!!!! Crazy Hat Day makes a come back! Lately, we have neglected this festive day we celebrate but once a month, but no worries, it's back! It only seems appropriate since Fashion Week has just begun. As you read on, I will provide commentary about each model and their hat of choice. Enjoy, as you have VIP seats to this extraordinary event.

In the above picture, strutting their stuff on the catwalk, I present to you our most gorgeous and handsome models. From left to right, Stuart's keepin' it real in his FSU sports cap. It's obvious this accessory comes in handy at football games and beer pong competitions. Go Gators! Next, we have Kelly striking a pose. I think her inspiration comes from watching too many Flavor Flav episodes. No worries, we still love the Viking Hat! It never seems to go out of style. To dress up this hat just add a huge clock and hang it around your neck. To the right of Kelly is the lovely Jen. She is rockin' it in her engine truck red fire fighter hat! Wouldn't you want this hott thang to put out your fire? I would! To compliment this hat just throw on some black patent leather ankle boots and a wrist full of gold bangles. Directly behind Jen is the King of the show, Andrew in his crushed blue velvet crown. All he needs is a sleek Oscar de la Renta suit and he'll be ready to take over the world. Last, but not least is our very own MindComet cowgirl straight from Texas, the charming Valerie. This lightweight, authentic straw cowgirl hat is great for a typical day on the farm. Pigtails are still a stylish hair do and will fit great under that hat!

A round of applause for our fantastic models! Thanks for coming out today. Hopefully you enjoyed our mini fashion show and took note on some style tips you can incorporate into your daily attire. See you next month!

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Stunt Lizard

I've been living in Florida for 7+ years now and I'm still not used to the large volume of lizards I come across on a daily basis. I walk into my backyard and see at least 5 run for cover, I had a baby lizard no longer than my pinky finger in my kitchen this morning and this afternoon I encountered my first ever 'stunt lizard.'

I was driving home for lunch - on the I-4 on ramp - and out of nowhere a lizard jumped onto my driver side window. It proceeded to crawl up to the front window, where it stayed there clinging for dear life while my car, Betty, accelerated to 65 mph. The lizard started to fly off to the side of the car and it's tail was flapping like crazy in the wind; however, the lizard was smarter than I thought and reached out to grab it's tail. While holding it's tail with one hand we eventually slowed down and it was able to jump for safety.

Wild lizard day!

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Puppy Mom

I celebrated my birthday yesterday and got a huge surprise at 4:00. I was sitting in my office with Kelly planning an email campaign, when I saw my boyfriend come around the corner holding..... our new puppy!

She is a two-month old mini-schnauzer and she is sooo cute - see some of the first picture below. Yesterday we took some time to socialize with my co-workers, but she mostly just wanted to hang out and stay close to me.

She did a great job sleeping last night and this morning she started exploring & following me around the house. We're going to spend lots of time this weekend getting to know each other and we'll probably sign up for puppy training classes, too.

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The Clutch of Doom

On my way home last week, I decided to make a quick stop off of the highway. My car also made a decision - that it wasn't going to go into gear anymore.

However, I was able to finagle it into third and drive all the way home in that gear, even on the interstate. I couldn't bring it to a full stop, or that would have been the end of my journey.

Over the next couple of days, with my trusty manual in hand, I was able to drop the transmission, not only all by myself, but on myself as well - that's the only way to get it out without fancy and expensive equipment. And who would have known that the thing weighed over 80 lbs!



Upon further investigation, I found that the clutch had decided to fall apart - but such are the hazards of putting double the original power through a car's drive train.



Now it's time to UPGRADE!

Mini Cheesecake Yumminess

One of my new favorite spots downtown is the Ritazza cafe - they have great coffee, food and let's not forget, dessert....

I picked up a mini cookies & cream cheesecake today after lunch for an afternoon treat. They even have mini containers that fit the desserts perfectly - YUM!

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We’re Almost In…

We are so close to moving into our new world headquarters - I can taste it!

Check out some of the ground breaking pictures - we've come a long way since these pics were taken:

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Cakeplow is a Toddler

Who knew that when Cakeplow was created in July '05 that we'd now be in our 'terrible 2s' - how time does fly!


Some of the biggest differences:

• Now, anyone on the MindComet team can post to the culture blog!
• Now, we're getting ready to move into a new space and we have inhabited 2 other offices since cakeplow began!
• What's old is new again - check out Ralphie - this never gets old!

Check out the very first post here (July 18, 2005) -->

The purpose of this blog/site is to allow the creative people at MindComet an outlet for experimentation. By "experimentation, we mean "the stuff the boss won't let us do for clients."

Here you'll read posts from designers, developers and anyone else at MindComet that has something funny or "unique" to express. If you feel the expressions are stupid, dull or downright re-donk-u-lous, feel free to critique us via the link below each post.

Now for a few introductions... meet some of the inhabitants you'll be hearing from:

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Shawty It’s Your Birthday!

While at work today, several of us took a mental break to check out a site that will allow you to search for the #1 Billboard hit on any day of significance to you.

A quick survey of the #1 song on the birthdays of those seated around the table led to some laughs (some with, some at). As a result of our procrastination, The Steve Miller Band, Donna Summer, The Knack and The Supremes all got to relive their glory days, albeit briefly this afternoon.

Check it out. What was number 1 on your birthday?

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Simpsonized

I put together a simpson version of myself - this might be more fun than creating your very own Southpark character!

Check it out and simpsonize yourself

Can you guess which MC character I am?

A Day at the Track

Yesterday, I was able to make it out to an SCCA Autocross event in Deland, FL.

If you're not familiar with Autocross (aka Auto-X), it is a small race where a course is setup using pylons (aka traffic cones), and handling and driver skill are stressed over raw speed. Think of it as the opposite of the drag strip.


Click on the photo above for more pictures!

I hadn't been out for... 2 years? Maybe longer? I took out my new Integra "RS-T". Unfortunately, I was put in one of the highest classes, so I couldn't really be competitive. The car is ridiculously fast, but the sport is 90% driver... and I was a bit rusty!

These events are the most fun anyone will ever have in their car. I highly recommend finding one in your area and participating!

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