Team PM on the loose!

Who knew that MindComet-Team-PM-in-its-entirety has a soft spot for 70s classic rock? On a balmy April Saturday, we had took off to Universal Orlando to do some air guitaring, drink drinking and live music team building with 6,000 of our closest friends and Heart, the original sisters of killer guitar rock.

We can all hope to be high kicking and singing at the top of our lungs at 50 years old. A good time was had by all.

(P.S. Cathleen Ayala joined us, but Lea inadvertantly covered Cat's face in a moment of rock-and-roll abandon). Also, some of the people in this list are NOT part of Team PM. But they sure wish they were!

From left to right: Snowflake, Wes, Kelly, Ross, Lea, Cathleen (behind Lea's arm) and Jenn C. Jenn M and Heather C were there in spirit.

I look like Ricardo Montalban?!?

So one of my co-workers blurted out during the middle of a conversation yesterday that I look like the suave, Chrysler-endorsing Mexican Ricardo Montalban. As I have always thought that Mr. Montalban is really cool, I took the comparison as a compliment, even though (in my opinion) I look nothing like him. Let's compare:

Is suave:
Me = No
Ricardo Montalban = Yes

Ethnicity:
Me = Wonder-Bread white
Ricardo Montalban = Mexican

Does endorsements for Chrysler:
Me = No
Ricardo Montalban = Yes

Has a midget sidekick:

Me = Unfortunately, no
Ricardo Montalban = Yes

Fought Captain Kirk:
Me = No
Ricardo Montalban = Yes

Catchphrase:
Me = "Who wants to go to 7-11?"
Ricardo Montalban = "Rich Corinthian leather"

Was in "The Naked Gun":
Me = No
Ricardo Montalban = Yes

Occupation:
Me = Software Development Manager
Ricardo Montalban = Actor Extraordinaire

So look at the pictures below and let me know what you think in the comments section below.

Quintuple Plow

Five team members do a frosting faceplant in the latest cakeplow! View it on the history page!

Fringe preview tonight

Tonight was the Orlando Fringe Festival's Fringe Preview, a night for 30 fringe shows (there are 60 total, but only 30 can be in the show) to perform for 3 minutes in an attempt to drum up interest in their show. They could do a portion of their show or something completely different. I chose the latter because my show, when performed, is not very visual. Its me on a mic talking. A former Fringe performer advised me to do something visual to raise the chance of me getting a photo in the paper (Orlando press was there). So, I did..well...just watch the video.

And if you want to hear the music (that you can barely hear in the video), here it is.

Spud Studs Flex Their Muscles

On a warm summery day in March, our director - Snowflake, posed a challenge to a man that she warmly calls 'Spills' ...a "Potato Eat-Off!" You may be familiar with these sorts of engagements as seen in previous posts such as "Veronique, Creme de la Creme: A Missive."

First - the rules.

This Potato Eat-off was based on completion time...If you ask me, an ingenious way to induce indigestion in it's finest hour. Two Full size Fiesta Chicken Potatoes - COMIN' RIGHT UP!

Pre-Game: As you may have read, Snowflake sold out on the twins and Thai to battle - which means that there was a lot riding on the line (I mean, who doesn't like Thai food!?!). Judging by the look on her face, she came to play ball.

The Competition: Jarrod's a tough cookie. 6'6'' and had about 100lbs on Snowflake. Although inexperienced in the realm of CPE (Competitive Potato Eating) - he definitely posed as a threat to the reigning champion.

Welterweight Challenge: A mini-potato challenge. Danielle vs. Jeremy. Nothing like a small battle to warm up the competitive spirits.

They both dug in with calm confidence - both thinking they had equal chances. Jarrod actually took the lead about a 1/4 way through, and paused thinking that we were done at the skin. Ah so, not so young jedi. This small break gave Snowflake the thunder she needed to close the gap as Jarrod gave himself a few arrogant minutes thinking - "All is still not lost."

We come down the home stretch at the skin - the toughest part. Snowflake said almost nothing for the last 5 minutes of battle - placing full concentration in holding her championship title. Anguish flushed across Jarrod's face as he saw the end nearing. In the end, Jarrod rose as the victor. Snowflake only beaten by a swallow. See the full action here...

Touch-y feel-y

Laptop users are probably familiar with the behavior that if more than one finger hits their touch-pad, their on-screen cursor goes haywire. Researchers are developing multi-touch interactive surfaces, where an end-user (or users) can use multiple digits to interact with computers. Draw complex patterns with both hands, interact with 3D objects and environments more naturally, or spin some virtual vinyl with on-screen turntables...

Here's a video demonstration- words can't do this technology justice.

A Slurpee Haiku

Slurpee magic drink Tasty elixir of life Gets me through the day

Singing for the Mayor of Orlando

Saturday night I performed for 600 people in a roast of the Mayor of Orlando, Buddy Dyer, in a gigantic ballroom at the Portofino Bay Hotel. (here's the invitation) I'd have pictures, but they didn't allow cameras or video taping. There was a silent auction, a live auction, some roasting of the mayor and... us: a group of five singers opening and closing the show with parody songs like the Capitol Steps written by a writer from LA skewering the Mayor.




The highlight for me was singing a solo sung to the tune of "Stay" by Jackson Brown, asking a committee to keep the Orlando Magic basketball team in Orlando. I started the song shoulder to shoulder center stage with the Mayor. When I got to the main chorus, I was supposed to jump offstage, walk to a specific table and start singing to the actual committee I was singing about. When I got to the chorus, the audience cheered because they "got" the humor of the song and I was already walking to the table, scoping out where and what I could do (lay on laps, hop onto chairs, play with silverware). When the cheering started, I just assumed it was for something happpening behind me back on the stage. But when I asked the director what was going on onstage behind me that got the big reaction, he told me it was me and the song and the funny lyrics.

So, now me and the Mayor are like "this!" (fingers knotted) Not really, but if we ever crossed paths again, maybe he'd recognize me as the guy who jumped off stage and begged a committee to keep the Magic in Orlando for him in song.

Fun photo shoot this weekend

I was in a photo shoot Saturday for a program/brochure coming out in May/June reaching 20k people. We'll be shown in a series of photos throughout the publication, as well as a billboard and onlineI'm the one in the top hat throwing beach balls at scared people. I started at 8am and ended at 5pm. The photographer was really nice (and good judging by these photos), the art director let us make up poses while he gave direction and the other people were bouncy and fun.