As you might know from previous blog posts, we have some very interesting people here at Lycos. Inspired by everyone’s weirdness – I mean individuality – we have started an Employee Profile blog series to spotlight some of our stars. Our first star is Meredith, an Administrative Assistant to the Legal Department & Executive Team.

Meredith’s daily activities include handling the calendars and travel arrangements for the teams, as well as being a part of the Employee Events Committee. In this role, Meredith helps create and execute company activities, such as the recent Company Outing where we played mini golf, drove bumper boats, and had an intense tug-of-war competition.

Walking past her desk, it’s obvious that Meredith is a self-proclaimed Star Wars fanatic. We wanted to learn more about our favorite Win, Lose, Or Draw host, so we gave her the following questionnaire.

1.    What is your favorite Lycos product and why?  

I would say Lycos Cinema mostly due to our recent partnership with ABC Family and the rebroadcasts of the show Kyle XY. I have enjoyed re-watching the episodes and chatting with fellow fans.  It is a great way to "pick the brains" of those who find the show interesting and what keeps them hooked.  Plus Cinema is an easy product to jump in to. I find the room playing what I want (or set it up myself) and with a click I am enjoying a movie or TV show. Very cool.

2.    What super-power would you most like to have and why?

I would love to be able to Teleport anywhere. I think it would be fantastic to think "Man, I could just go for some really good sushi" and bam, I am in Tokyo munching on some Tuna Rolls. Or decide for the long weekend that I want to "pop" down to Australia and visit the kangaroos. And of course I would use this power for good and not turn to the "darkside" or anything.

3.    Who would win in a fight – Superman or Batman?

Batman because he is smart enough to find tons of Kryptonite and make a new suit of it thereby beating the tar out of the Man of Steel!

4.    What was your favorite television show as a child?

The Muppet Show had to be the best television show ever created! I loved when they did Pigs in Space with the cast of Star Wars. Also, it was so great to see what would happen to Gonzo when he would blow his horn at the end of the theme song.

5.    Who is your hero?

My Mom. She is one tough cookie. She and my dad managed to provide for us four kids and though I ate SPAM and franks and beans (no buns) as a kid, I never felt like we lacked anything. She was a school nurse so summertime was happily spent by the pool with the neighborhood kids. Later when I was a senior in High School, she was diagnosed with cancer and after tons of Chemo and radiation her twin sister was able to donate the bone marrow. Not everyone can be so fortunate. She has been in remission for 15 years and is still the toughest "broad" I know. She faces her challenges head on and I wouldn't trade her for anything - she is my best friend. My hero.

Here at Lycos we try to have a little fun during the workday. After all, we can’t spend all day being innovative. Today’s entertainment came in the form of a heated debate over a mind-numbing question: Hugh Jackman or Ewan McGregor?

We informally polled our coworkers, keeping a tally and writing down everyone’s reasoning. The answers ranged from, “Well he’s Wolverine!” to “I think he’d be a good guy to go on a road trip with.” In the end, Ewan won out with one vote more than Hugh.

What would you say? Hugh Jackman or Ewan McGregor?

ps. You can put polls on your web site or blog too! Check out HTML Gear – it’s easy to use, and it’s free.

When you work very closely with people, you come to learn strange and fascinating things about them. Here’s a glimpse at a few of those things.

1.  One of the marketing team members once performed Madonna’s “Like A Prayer” in a high school lip-synching contest.
2.  We have a Transformers fan and a Star Wars fan, which is no big surprise. The Internet industry is full of geeks. However, we also have an uber-geek who was an avid Magic the Gathering player (not to mention a female Magic player).
3.  One of our engineers can play every song on "Guitar Hero II" on the Expert level….except “Freebird”. [Edit: In the time between writing this and posting it, our video game rocker has beat “Freebird” on Expert.]
4.  Someone from our customer service team is training for a 30.5 mile cross-country race called the Jay Challenge.
5. One of us desperately wants to own a pet duck. (Maybe it’s me. Okay, I admit it…it’s me.)

We’ve shared. Now it’s your turn. Tell us in the comments the weirdest thing you learned about one of your coworkers.

At Lycos, we always relish in the opportunity to embarrass one another, and usually our monthly employee events provide ample opportunity.  In the past, we had a video game night and a rousing darts tournament (though we questioned the common sense of giving the group sharp, pointy objects after a long work day).  This month featured a “Win, Lose, or Draw” game.  What could be more humiliating than attempting to scratch out identifiable movies, books, and phrases quickly and accurately after a few beers?

We in marketing represented ourselves extremely well, teaming up with our colleagues from accounting, and taking the first two rounds.  I love that the spenders and the bean counters can make such a powerful team! Sure, we ran into some trouble when I was forced to draw the phrase “Fight fire with fire,” because really, how is this possible?  (The guesses ranged from “nose picking!” to “dancing!” with nary a mention of fire or fighting. Ah, well.)

Some of the more tech-savvy and detail-oriented Lycos employees were quite adept at creating images of detail and dimension during their forty seconds with the pen.  In particular, we saw an impressive “King Kong,” complete with the Empire State Building, a plane, fleeing New Yorkers, and a banana.  One of our executives also made quite a venerable showing, although I kind of have to say he swayed luck in his favor by declaring the name of his team: “If we lose, you all lose your jobs.”  Luckily we are fearless folk.
 
My greatest challenge of the evening, and perhaps of my career at Lycos thus far, came with the clue, “Shaft.” Think about that one for a minute.

A fun time was certainly had by all, and we all look forward to hurling trash-talk at our colleagues during the next game night. 

Guest blogger Meredith highlights some of the ways Lycos is celebrating the 30th Anniversary of Star Wars.

Lycos Mix features some excellent user-created Star Wars video Mixes.  Even our very own Angelfire and Tripod users have worked hard creating their own homages to one of the most memorable and cultural film series of our times!  Enjoy this Star Wars Mix, and remember: the Force will be with you, always.

This special edition of the Lycos Buzz is a guest post written by Lycos' own Star Wars Expert, Meredith.

A three-and-half-year-old sat on her mother’s lap in an overly crowded movie theatre and was surprisingly well-behaved for the following two hours. The year – 1977. The movie - Star Wars.  The kid - me!

Before you roll your eyes and say there is no way that a three-year-old remembers the movie, let me say that I honestly do not. My first true recollection of Star Wars is of my brother handing me a Stormtrooper action figure and informing me that I could only play with it if I would be the “bad guy.” At age 5, I was absolutely thrilled to be “allowed” to play Star Wars with my cool older brother.  And thus, my lifetime love affair with Star Wars began.

As a kid, I once put my coveted Chewbacca action figure in this chute-like thing found on the Coke machine (back then Coke machines had chutes for the discarded pop tops from cans).  I was then shocked when he didn’t appear at the bottom where the cans usually do.  Shock turned to fear that he was lost, fear turned to anger, and anger turned to…tears! I cried so much that my Dad bought me a new Wookie that very night. A bit dramatic you say? This is Chewbacca we are talking about! And about a week later, my Chewie arrived safe and sound courtesy of the Coca-Cola delivery man! 

After seeing both Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, I was determined to become a Jedi and marry Han Solo. Who wouldn’t want to fly around space in the Millennium Falcon (and kiss Harrison Ford)? After dozens of wishbones, shooting stars and birthday wishes, I was no closer to achieving that dream and so another plan formed. I was going to learn all I could about those films and the imaginative places found there.  I read everything I could find and watched any behind-the-scenes videos (and trust me - before DVDs, these were hard to find). And similar to Yoda hiding on Dagobah, my skills were not called for until 1999’s release of The Phantom Menace, when family and friends peppered me with questions about that Universe.

Many movies, action figures and comic books later, I am still a blissful fan. I love the magic that is Star Wars and George Lucas certainly had a knack for creating memorable and endearing characters. The buzz surrounding the 30th Anniversary of Star Wars: A New Hope’s release is quite intense. Never mind the fans and the thousands of fan sites counting down to Celebration IV in Los Angeles, but even our government’s getting into the swing of things. Anyone see an Artoo-Detoo mailbox on their way to work? Have you voted for which of the 15 commemorative stamps is best? I went so far as to complete a series of “Jedi” tests on the USPS site so I could have a chance to win a trip out to Celebration IV. Though I don’t normally have interest in conventions, this one looks top notch. Cross your fingers folks!

Ever sit at work and think to yourself, “Man, I’m glad no one knows I listen to this music?” Or, “I sure hope nobody sees me doing this?” I think these things all the time, mainly when I spill food on myself or do something equally as klutzy. In the spirit of sharing, I thought I’d write about my favorite at-work guilty pleasures. In no particular order, they are:

1. Listening to Kelly Clarkson on my headphones.

We all have our hidden musical interests. For some it’s Justin Timberlake, for others it’s Styx. For me, it’s female pop singers. While I am a rock music fan in general, I can’t help but grin while listening to girl-power-filled tunes like Clarkson’s “Walk Away” or Christina Aguilera’s “Fighter.” Listening to these ladies during the workday within the safety of my headphones gives me a quiet joy.

2. Gossiping

Talking to coworkers about the hottest internet videos, newest online games and pop culture trends, and knowing that this is my job is quite literally the coolest thing ever. It’s fascinating to me that I can accomplish work goals while chatting about which celebrity got implants, how much fun Magic 21 is to play and who’s getting kicked off Idol this week.

3. Popping bubbles in the hallway.

Our building’s restrooms are being renovated, so the hallways are covered in a plastic-wrap-like substance. It tends to grow air bubbles that make it a field of bubble wrap perfect for stepping on. Imagine bubble wrap with bubbles the size of ping pong balls. I get the giggles as I purposely step on the largest air bubbles I can find on my way to get a soda. It’s almost like playing a mini-game of Bubble Popper . Ah, the simple pleasures in life.

There, I’ve shared. The secret’s out. Fortunately, I know I’m not the only one with slightly embarrassing tastes in this office. I know for a fact that on the Lycos staff there’s at least one superfan of the Transformers, one Ninja Turtles expert and one die-hard Full House fan.

Have a few guilty pleasures of your own to share? Leave them in the comments so I’m not the only one embarrassed this week.

Note: All celebrity-related websites in this post are hosted by Tripod.

Introducing....Rex

Lycos is a great place to work. Not only do we have a kitchen stocked with sugary snacks (and some healthy ones too), but we have an awesome foosball table. Even better than the foosball table though, is our company pet. No, I’m not referring to “Lycos” the adorable black Lab, but rather Rex, a very large, 12-year-old female spider. When Lycos was developed in 1995, the founder, Dr. Michael “Fuzzy” Mauldin, purchased little miss tarantula and promptly named her Rex and she’s been with the company ever since.

Rex, the Killer Spider

Rex lives a peaceful life here at Lycos Headquarters. She eats crickets. And by eats, we mean devours after launching a sneak attack. She likes to climb the walls of the cage sometimes, and can literally walk right up the wall of the glass tank and hang upside down from the top. Just like Spiderman…

But why a spider?

Lycos didn’t always have a dog as our mascot. The name Lycos is actually derived from the word Lycosidae, the Latin name for wolf spider, an arachnid famous for being the hunter rather than the hunted. The aggressive spider analogy perfectly complimented our Lycos Search product’s ability to hunt down what users are looking for. While Rex isn’t a wolf spider, she’s near and dear to our hearts (even if we’re secretly terrified of her getting out of her cage one day and eating us whole). But rest assured, in the 12 years that Rex has lived among us, she has yet to escape or eat anyone whole (that we know of).