Christian: Though the National Novel Writing Month (November) has come and gone this article is great for those of you wishing to get your creativity out on paper (or screen) and to Harness the Mental, Creative, and Emotional Benefits of Regular Writing.

Rachel: For all those creative folks who appreciate Apple’s incredible product packaging, watch this video about how closely Apple considers every detail:

Willem: BIGGEST TEAHUPOO EVER!
The great surfer Kelly Slater said “witnessing this was a draining feeling being terrified for other people’s lives all day long, it’s life or death. Letting go of that rope one time can change your life and not many people will ever experience that in their life.”

BIGGEST TEAHUPOO EVER from UnFuzzy on Vimeo.

Gary G: Spike likes The Royal Room in Columbia City, especially when the Polyrhythmics are rockin’ the house. Check ‘em out on YouTube:

Kristen: Get your DNA as art!

Natasha: Adding some color to your house makes it beautiful and more unique . Check out these “Amazingly Colorful Homes“! These are my favorite ones located in Riomaggiore, Italy:

Lea: “Smokin’ Joe Frazier, sharp as a razor.” RIP to the champ, who I thought was just as, if not more, fascinating than Muhammed Ali. Here’s a great tribute from Tom Goldman, NPR correspondent.

Natasha: Excited to go to the Seahawks vs. Ravens game this weekend! Thanks UW for the discounted tickets!!

Willem: Murmuration: No one knows why they do it. The birds gather in magical shape-shifting flocks called murmurations, having migrated in the millions from Russia and Scandinavia to escape winter’s bite. Scientists aren’t sure how they do it, either. Even complex algorithmic models haven’t yet explained the starlings’ acrobatics, which rely on the tiny bird’s quicksilver reaction time of under 100 milliseconds to avoid aerial collisions—and predators—in the giant flock.

Chris: Some of Spike’s closest friends put on quite a show in this amazing video…

Kristen: A little inspiration for your next mani/pedi!

Tiffany: Amazing concept and beautiful design. I want one!

Gary: Spike likes Dine around Seattle, Sunday – Thursday in November at many of the area’s most wonderful restaurants. 3 courses for $30. Visit dinearoundseattle.org

As Summer is coming to an end, Spikesters share their likes of the week!

Kristen: Test your eye for color with this game. It’s harder than it looks!

Tim: Love this video. A beautiful blend of content and artistry. Not to mention jaw-dropping stunts.

Rachel: Excited to go to the Puyallup Fair this weekend!

Natasha: Next time you think about hitting your snooze button…

Willem: RETAIL RENAISSANCE | Smart retailers are defying doom and gloom scenarios, as they realize that shopping in the real world will forever satisfy consumers’ deep rooted needs for human contact, for instant gratification, for the promise of (shared) experiences, for telling stories. Hence the flurry of new formats, technologies, capabilities, and products that now are delighting retail customers around the world.

Tiffany: I’m not sure it’s science, but its definitely art!

Jason: 10th Anniversary 9-11 Memorial Stairclimb Seattle Firefighter

Charlie: Amazing, powerful and incredibly moving.

John: Football is back! I’m looking forward to a great season from the NY Jets.

Gary Meyers: Humble Pie- Shine On

Jason: Classic Iconic Summer Song: Don Henley’s- Boys of Summer
This won Video of the Year at the 1985 MTV Video Music Awards, that was the second year the awards were held.

Gary G: Boys of Summer by Don Henley. I can still remember cranking this song up loud driving from Edmunds to Seattle on a beautiful summer evening after a dinner celebrating my upcoming New York City advertising adventure. Five years later I was back in the northwest enjoying Don Henley—and Seattle summers—once again.

Willem: “In the Summertime” is a song recorded in 1970 by the British pop-blues band Mungo Jerry. The song reached the Number 1 position on charts around the world. It is considered one of the highest selling singles of all time with an estimated 5-10 million copies sold.

Rachel & Kristen: Jake Owen- Barefoot Blue Jean Night

Natasha: 311- Amber

Sharan: Billie Holiday- Summertime

Gina: Bob Marley-Buffalo Soldier

Chris: I can’t get Lady Gaga’s “The Edge Of Glory” out of my head. But that’s only because my daughters keep singing it over and over and over again. My tastes are a little less teen oriented. This summer I’m into Big Head Todd and the Monster’s cover of The Rolling Stone’s “Beast of Burden”. Try saying that 5 times fast.

Lea: This recording of the Penny & the Quarters’ “You And Me” is a random rehearsal by a group no one can remember. Discovered nearly thirty years after the Prix label shut down, a mysterious box of tapes was found at an estate sale in Columbus, OH. It turned out to be dozens of demos, rehearsals and a few finished songs. The tapes were for the most part were unmarked but not this song. It appeared in the movie, ‘Blue Valentine’ this past Spring and now won’t be forgotten. It’s also been the summer song at our house, which our four year old now hums and sings constantly.

Erin: John Mellencamp- Under The Boardwalk

Tim: “Springtime” by Donald Fagan. (because summer in Seattle is more like spring . . . )

John: A lot of music comes to mind for summer, but a couple of artists stand out, Dave Matthews Band and Bob Marley specifically.

Kristen: I’m very excited to join the Hodgson/Meyers team and I can’t wait to get started!

Andrew: This weekend I’ll be sporting the shorts and flip-flops as Seattle finally gets above 75ºF for the first time this year!

Rachel: I may be one of the few people around here who likes country music, but this song, Honey Bee by Blake Shelton is my current favorite. It is the perfect summer song.

Charlie: The good ol’ days of packaging are back (for a limited time).

Sharan: This kitten video is quite adorable.

Chris: The new mobile marketing gold rush is under way in the form of branded mobile codes. Instead of securing the latest website address, you can get your very own mobile vanity code that allows your customers to more easily interact with you on their mobile devices. Have you reserved your code yet? If not, you better hurry…they’re going fast. Find out if your company’s name is available at http://www.zoove.com/ But be prepared to open up your wallet.

Gina: This is hilarious. I see a bright future for this kid. Maybe politics? Motivational speaker?

Willem: Delicious HD eye candy at Vimeo.

In this weeks edition of Spike Likes Fridays, we are doing a little throw back to some of the best (and maybe worst) videos from YouTube.  Make sure you have a few minutes, and your computer volume on, so you can enjoy this edition of Spike Like’s Fridays.

Rachel: I have seen this video a few times, but Charlie still manages to crack me up.

Erin: I just think this is so sweet!

Chris: This one always makes me laugh…

Gary G.: Spike grooves to the Dave Niehaus Tribute Video by Macklemore.

Charlie:

Andrew: It was a tough choice between “Charlie Bit Me” and the new talking dog video, but this is my all time favorite. Be sure you’ve got 6 minutes to watch this. It’s worth every minute.

Sharan:

Tim:

Lea: I guess I am partial…

Chris: Spike the world traveler was spotted again in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, soaking up the sun by the pool with a Margarita or two.

And after a long, rambunctious night at Cabo Wabo and El Squid Roe, here is Spike visiting some friends in a Mexican aviary jail. Thanks to his fierce negotiating with the Federales, all charges were eventually dropped.

Gary G.: Spike likes the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. But not with howling gales that would ruffle any woodpecker’s feathers.

Rachel: Excited to show off Spike and the Noisemaker’s hard work- with the world premiere music video for “Make Noise, Get Noticed”

Natasha: Excited to celebrate Easter this weekend!

Gina: I thought this video was beautifully executed. So simple, yet powerful.

Lea: It’s not quite like owning a Damien Hirst, but ArtSpace.com allows you to collect artists who have shown at the Guggenheim, Brooklyn Museum, and MCA Chicago. These are some of the actual pieces that were shown that are being sold online at feasible prices. Art for all!

Andrew: Being a little sentimental this week. I just found out that my Mom, who left for S. Korea (the good side) about six years ago to start her business, is coming back home for good next Friday. Since she’s been gone, we would Skype at least once a week, and It will be a nice change from having a 2-D Mom. Yep, now the world knows that Andrew loves his mama.

John: Will someone ever break the 2 hour mark when running a marathon? According to this article- it is just a matter of when.

Jason: All the necessary materials for some solid sightseeing in Amsterdam. Time to check out Van Gogh.

Spike likes a good British Fortress once in a while. Now if he can only get ahold of the Crown Jewels.

Spike Likes flying through Germany, visiting the Neuschwanstein Castle.

Willem: Google’s Street View team have struck again, this time conquering classical French and Italian landmarks for their mothership’s immense pictorial collection.

Andrew: As many may know by know, Rebecca Black is an amateur YouTube musician who soared into the public eye for her music video “Friday.” The song gained significant online notoriety in March 2011 for its monotonous lyrics. For this edition of Spike Likes, and because it happens to be a Friday, here is Stephen Colbert’s rendition of this popular song, sung on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, on April 1st, 2011.

Gina: In a moving and madly viral video last year, composer Eric Whitacre led a virtual choir of singers from around the world. He talks through the creative challenges of making music powered by YouTube, and unveils the first 2 minutes of his new work, “Sleep,” with a video choir of 2,052.

Jason: Spike likes a good, cold beer in Berlin.

Sharan: It is really amazing to see how much animals care for each other- this video is sad, but also an incredible display of how animals take care of their own kind.

Rachel: Using a Groupon for my favorite restaurant tonight! Check to see if any of these Seattle daily deals are up your alley!

Charlie: For all you world travelers out there, it’s time to play guess that airline! Once you have made your guesses- check out how many you got right!

Natasha: Loved my first week interning at Hodgson/Meyers!

Lea: Fleet Foxes, sophomore album, Helplessness Blues, coming in May. Here’s their great ‘out take-ish’ video for their first single, Grown Ocean.

Jamie: Curious about how QR codes work? Check out this great article.

Spike likes meeting new friends while traveling in Scotland.

Mr. Wallace likes sampling international cuisine. (He noted that woodpeckers taste just like chicken.)