The Museum of Soviet Arcade Machines is a real place in Moscow, but you can look and play some of the machines online.

As living testament to the fact that every touch point is a chance to enhance brand relationships, we offer the humble “out of office” auto reply. Why not have fun with it, embue it with supernatural powers, use it to relay a poem or a sentiment? As long as you keep it relatively brief, in deference to the repetition some of your recipients may experience, the auto reply can be fun. When the FINE offices close next week, you can expect to see some effort on this front. A few early examples are below – we’ll add more. Another bonus: now you don’t need to email us over the holidays just to see the clever auto replies.

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Hello!

This is an automated response, from a machine.  It can’t be bargained with. It can’t be reasoned with. It doesn’t feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And it absolutely will not stop, ever, until it wishes you and yours a safe and happy holiday season.

FINE will be closed from Dec. 26th through Jan. 2.   I look forward to re-engaging with you and hitting the ground running in 2012.

Cheers!
- Sam
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If you’re reading this, Doc Brown was unable to make lightning strike the clock tower, and I’m stuck in 1985. I won’t be able to respond to emails or voicemail until 9ish on Tuesday, January 3rd, 2012, or until email is invented – whatever comes first.

Happy Holidays,
Abe
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Thank you for your Email. This is an auto-reply. My elves are standing in while I figure out how to program my newest iComeLately gadget to twitter-book my social-tablet.

I’ll bet no matter how many Emails you send, my little elves can easily keep up. Go ahead. Give it a shot. Email again. In fact, I’m trying to figure out exactly how many Emails my Inbox can store. When I get back, I’m going to randomly pick Emails out of a hat (well, digital hat… combined with a few random deletes). I will perhaps respond to those Emails selected.

So… send away, and increase your chances of being one of the lucky reply recipients. The big drawing occurs on January 3, when I descend back down upon this fine landscape we call the work environment.

In other words, I’m gone until the new year. Happy Holidaze to all y’alls.
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Hello and thank you for your message!

The FINE offices are closed Monday (12/26) through the following Monday (1/2) for the holidays. During this time I’ll be doing crazy things like: head to the grocery store *during the day* (gasp!), skip the weekend brunch rush and go during the week, an early morning hike somewhere in the beautiful Pacific NW… but most importantly: kicking back and sleeping in!

I hope this message finds you enjoying all the little things that bring you joy this holiday season.

Have a wonderful holiday and I look forward to connecting with you again in the new year!

All the best,
Kate

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Hello. This is one of those auto-reply messages. I would never talk to YOU personally in this smart-alecky way.

In accordance with the wishes of my personal retinue of hypnotists, shamans, and low-carb chefs, I will be pursuing a vigorous course of corrective therapies at an undisclosed location between 12/23/11 and 1/3/12. I hope to re-engage with you as soon as my regimen is complete.

Happy holidays!

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Here’s hoping you’ll be available only via auto reply next week as well! Happy holidays.

Lorem Ipsum on a label of Roland Tissier

As part of Music Hackday 2011, Hannah Donovan, Lindsay Eyink, and Matthew Ogle cobbled together (in less than 24 hours) this great little tool that pairs a drink with an artist. It works impressively well – and some of the results are hilarious:

LCD Soundsystem = one bottle of vodka, neat
Bob Dylan = 8oz. Sipsmith Gin, 8oz. Cough Syrup (really?)

Others are right on:

Townes Van Zandt = 1 bottle Miller High Life
Atlas Sound = 1 Brooklyn Lager

Check it out at http://www.drinkify.org