mindblob

Back soon... into the blogging waters?

Image via - Apollo Ideas blog

 

In other words : things aren't always what they seem to be. Just a thought of the day... on a Sunday evening, after spending a lovely afternoon with my daughter, creating a game out of an old MacBook Pro's extended polystyrene packing.

Yes, it's been a long time indeed and my appologies if your RSS reader just coughed-out-loud hitting, on your mouse click, the dust accumulated on this blog title for about a year. Wondering if I should consider blogging again. How about micro-blogging or else? Naaa... although I believe in simple ideas, "micro" doesn't do it all the way. I kinda miss the thinking, learning, sharing and the light coming out of the shock of ideas. So please let know if you think blogging still has a meaning while I'm collecting my good ol' colour pencils.  ; )

 

 

Landing on planet RTBF.be

[Original FAB illustration by Sebastien Verliefde]

 

It's been a while since my last post, indeed, but as some of you might know, I was "up to something". That "something" was the preparation of a new job challenge that I will start next month. I will share with you a little more about it in a next post, but as announced on my Twitter and Linkedin profiles, I might as well relay the nature of this job here. I will be Online Marketing Manager in the interactive department of the RTBF.be (Radio-télévision belge de la Communauté française). I'm very pleased about it and really looking forward to the launch of this new adventure.  O )

So, yes... more Alien stories coming soon!

The Future of Work

View more documents from Jeff Brenman.

I came across this inspiring presentation today. Don't ask me why, it made a LOT of sense to me. The kind of thoughts that would push you into thinking that the limit between today and tomorrow might just be your will to make it happen.

Is this (still) a futuristic vision of what tomorrow "could be"? Or is it now more likely a very appealing insight of what today already "is" for those who decided to jump and go for it? In other words, would we want tomorrow to be like yesterday when we were thinking about today? Huh... I need to think about it, really! What's your view on this?

PS : Geeez Gavin... I'm on fire again! ; )

  

Ghost-Blog Blah Blah

  - Particularly beautiful picture uploaded by bealluc -

OMG! It's been such a long time since my last post. This blog feels dusty and I can hear the wind blowing between the posts. Those of you -the most faithful, obviously- who have been reading and following this blog for quite a while know it. It is not the first time. I... I... I am often kidnapped by offline aliens who forbid me to think, read, comment and write content... and even sometimes to tweet! Oh boy what a loop!

OK OK... Here... officially, publicly and again, I do apologize and welcome you back on this platform that I seriously plan to reactivate. Starting: NOW! - Blah... Blah... - [to be continued].

  

New Blob Design...

After a long break out of blogging, we're are back. This time with a new blog design to freshen up the last days of December and (...fingers crossed, here) boost a new start in 2009.

I wanted to have a more organic look and feel. A simpler and brighter banner also. My dream would be to have all this into motion around the central text zone. I imagine  lava lamp-like "blobs"  of different colors moving horizontally, touching, splitting, merging... like the metaphor of ideas of mixed origins, connecting, evolving, growing. But well, dream on... step-by-step, right!

I hope you like it.

PS : The paint art picture I used to illustrate this little announcement post was made by my daughter Ness when she was 2. Can't wait till she grows up to help me out.
  

Once upon a -social- time...

Being out of blogging for such a long time will not distract me from telling you a few words on "THE" extraordinary event I was lucky to attend to last April in NYC. Blogger Social was indeed such a unique, breathtaking event, that I was left literally speechless when I came back to Belgium. Believe me, I've been trying to find a way to relate how intense and authentic this moment was and just couldn't find the appropriate words. So I will simply share with you here how HAPPY I was to meet...

  

- Gavin Heaton (brother, buddy, mate, mindmelded... alien friend),
- Todd Andrlik (in Jurassic Park big Dinos vs Velociraptors phase),
- Matt Dickman (the gentle O-SO-techno marketer talented photographer),
- Anna Farmery (...with an even lovelier live voice than on her podcasts),
- Heather Gorringe (brought me a fascinating eco-Vision of social media),
- Sean Howard (dude... you rock smart, man! Man... you smart rock, dude!),
- Ann Handley (such a pleasure meeting the MarketingProfs Milady),
- Cam Beck (well, a real-real honor finally meeting you Cam!),
- Lori Magno (Wow! SO pleased to meet the O-so-fabulous YOU!),
- Steve Woodruff (a man of experience who should be Q-Listed, really!)
- Doug Meacham (wish we could have had more time to talk, Doug!),
- Darryl Ohrt (... or punk gentleman helping team finish the gift packs),
- Paul McEnany (now why was that Redbull around that shot again?)
- Arun Rajagopal (my dear friend, we simply owe you the Moon!),
- Toby Bloomberg (... the elegant Diva, with a World Wide Heart),
- Steve Roesler (conversation grows better with a sense of humor!),
- David Armano (The "Digital comrade" from the Wild Wild West),
- Thomas Clifford (Namaste Tom! Close-up on panoramic talent),
- Tim Brunelle (the effervescent-mind man with a hat - the other one!),
- Mack Collier (inspires respect and redefines the word "authentic"),
- Mark Goren (really enjoyed our chat... while spotting Duvel in NYC),
- Katie Chatfield (dear dear... it has been so flaaa flaaa flaaan-tas-tic!),
- Ryan Karpeles (discovering the brightness the of light bulbs, wow!),
- Nathan Snell (like a brief conversation being SO insightful),
- Mario Vellandi (...mon ami, Monsieur smart polyglot visionary),
- Greg Verdino (luckily didn't spill coffee on my iPhone keyboard),
- Scott Monty (the voice over of ooVoo with great news for the FPF),
- C.B. Whittemore (...mais quel plaisir de vous rencontrer, Madame!),
- Connie Reece (the amazing Lady Liberty leading us in conversation),
- Ryan Barrett (yesss...finally we met, and it was indeed a real pleasure!),
- Kristin Gorski (so brief, but just enough to trust that time does not matter!),
- David Berkowitz (David, so sorry I missed more time to share with you too),
- Jennifer Berk (great chance we could brunch and walk and chat together),
- Rohit Bhargava (too short to talk much, really... thank you for the book!),
- Susan Bird (really sorry we didn't have much time to talk Susan),
- Shashi Bellamkonda (missed time to share with you, sorry Sashi),
- Jason Falls (boy, I SO wanted to chat with ya Jason, sorry too!),
- Chris Kieff (Chris, your BS Cookies idea was excellent, thank you!),
- Matt J McDonald (short indeed... but very nice meeting you, Matt),
- Tim McHale (boy... I spotted your Ketchup bottle, but couldn't reach it!),
- Linda Sherman (Linda, it was a pleasure brunching with you!),
- Marshall Sponder (now... I just discovered your art... wow!),
- Seni Thomas (too short to really talk, but just enough to have fun, hé!),
- Alan Wolk (SO sorry we didn't get a real chance to talk live, Alan),
- Geoff Livingstone (couldn't talk with ya, but #Jaffe will tell me all, right!),

 

And of course, the friends I had already met before...

  

- Drew McLellan (brother, my friend, I really feel blessed to know you),
- Suzy McLellan (so nice meeting you again Suzy, such a pleasure!),
- Lewis Green (Lew my friend, so when do we meet again?),
- Kris Hoet (Duvel has its loyal King! Spent a fantastic time with you, buddy!),
- David Reich (such a pleasure, again, David. And what a cap you had!),
- Valeria Maltoni (O SO delighted, again... fantastica Principessa!),
- CK (the one and ONLY, magic-CK... merci for all you do and all you are).

  

And all of you BS08 attendees that I missed (shame shame shame!), but wished I could have had live conversations with. Of course this was just a first contact, a first step, a first ACTION, from "online conversation" to "reality". Time was flying as fast as ideas and discussions. "Close Encounters of the Third Kind", version brainwaves to live frequency phases. But this time, voices became faces and eyes could read the smiles between the lines. And THAT was indeed unique and will never to be forgotten. Yes, CK... you, Drew, Lori and all the BS08 team really made the world be a smaller place... through a unique, human and rich experience. THANK YOU !

  

Back to Planet Blog

Originally uploaded by micky mb - check the story of this picture - spaceship for sale in Texas! ; )

  

Well, it has been a while. Quite a while actually. Longest time away from blogging since I launched this blog. So, I owe you all my apologies for staying out so long. Time has been flying again and offline issues growing, linking and trackbacking each other faster than any brilliant post-without-comments from Seth Godin.

Anyway, I'm back into the control room of starship-mindblob... we've got our (green, sustainable) batteries filled with super-tonicflex-power, our galactic GPS is "ON" (well, almost actually) and all systems are GO, in... errrr... yes, in... Videcolor and Supermarionation! 

  

Please jump in, fasten your seat-belts and make yourselves at home...
...cauz'  the Blob is back ! 

 

Quest for the Ultimate Break

Well... I must admit I've been "out of blogging" for quite a while (and I'm really sorry about that). After being extremely busy sorting loads of "offline issues", I finally reach a little "break" that leads me... well... -what a paradox- offline again. Not to mention, Blogger Social in NYC (Yeeehaaa! Woops, sorry... couldn't hide my enthusiasm!). So, yes... I'm afraid the number of posts on this blog will not come back to cruising speed right now, but I wanted to inform you that it will be soon (as soon as I'm back from Social).

In the meantime, and talking about having a break, you might want to check this special action on the French Kit Kat site.It is not really new, but worth checking out if you haven't yet. They call it "The Quest for the Ultimate Break" (this link will lead you to the teaser film only on YouTube, in case you can't reach it on the main site). Will some of us see this situation -I mean the beginning of the film, of course- as a familiar "under pressure work conditions" déjà vu? I don't know. Due to the last rush I've been through, I must admit I just had to smile when I discovered it (hint, hint!).

Anyway, I really like the end of the film and the "goal of the quest" itself. It is in french, so I'll translate the idea behind it. It is contest with lottery-like numbers you get in Kit Kat and other Nestle candy bars. And guess what... the great price you may win is... a TRIP INTO SPACE ! ! ! (yes, a real one!). There is also an input channel where people can post their video vision of an "Ultimate break".

I really like the concept, because the price is quite innovative and insightful. And for the records, the french agency is JWT Paris, the very same that launched the excellent Wilkinson "Fight for kisses" site that you may remember. Last but not least -the producer's point of view here- when I investigated about who did the 3D animation, I found out that it was AKAMA Studio, the same post-production company that worked on FFK. This time they produced this trailer in about 2 and a half months... and that my friends deserves a fantastic applause, because it is not much time to achieve such a qualitative result. Thumbs up guys!

Now if you would excuse me... I have a lift to catch.  ; )

Space-time continuum

Hiro Nakamura - "Heroes TV series".

Long time no posts and sorry about it, really. After being ill in bed for 2 weeks, catching up with day-to-day work and developing some other side projects in parallel, I'm back (yes, yes... again!).

   

100 reasons to blog

Originally uploaded by jackhynes

Let's face it... I'm a slow blogger, but a happy blogger. It's been a bit more than a year I started to blog and I just reach now my 100th post. Thinking back to the very first post... Now, there are indeed so many reasons to be convinced that this adventure was a good idea. You don't have a blog and hesitate to open one? Here is the secret : just do it, you won't regret it. Why?

Well, let's keep it simple :

 

1 - Listen to other people, read their blogs, learn...
0 - Share ideas, opinions, links, connect...
0 - Meet people, make friends and discover the "MAGIC".

 

If you still hesitate to open a blog... just do it and I promise you magic. Just be who(ever) you are and open yourself to share with others. Then, one day you'll be posting your 100th post, happy to be "there" and with the simple (nevertheless intense) will to say THANK YOU to all your readers, contributors and friends who are "there" with you.