Y-rd

SNL Video: You Can Do Anything! - Story of Our Lives

2012-01-15T13:12:00.005-05:00

This video is oh-so-true of the YouTube generation. "I'm what you would call 'Twitter famous'...Meaning, not famous."

(Sometimes we need a little humblin' experience.)

FUCK! I'm in my twenties: the podcast

2012-01-03T21:08:00.004-05:00

At last, you can hear the voice of one of my favorite Internet obsessions, FUCK! i'm in my twenties --the tumblr that makes life OK. The clever creator, Emma Koenig, published her first podcast. I thought other fans should know.

20 New Year’s resolutions for twentysomethings

2012-01-02T20:18:00.002-05:00

20 New Year’s Resolutions For 20-Somethings « Thought Catalog

I like this one: "Cut one person out of your life who you truly do not like and add one person who you truly do. Note: not on Facebook, on Earth."

Though I think this one is more likely: "And in the eternal words of Tom Haverford, 'TREAT YO SELF!':"

#Phonebooth!: London

2011-12-11T17:31:00.001-05:00

Nothing is quite like a phone booth in London, where my friend Juliet recently visited.

20 awesomely untranslatable words from around the world

2011-12-01T22:39:00.000-05:00

"Tartle" is kind of my favorite.

What the h does Miss Piggy see in Kermit??

2011-11-23T21:48:00.004-05:00

"Watching The Muppet Movie again recently gave me a feeling of déjà vu, and not in the way you expect when you watch a movie you loved as a kid. As I watched Kermit biking down the street without a care in the world about to be smushed between two steamrollers, I thought, 'Oh my God. I know that guy. I've dated him."

— "Kermit the Frog is a Bad Boyfriend" by Julie Klausner, author of I Don't Care about Your Band: What I Learned from Indie Rockers, Trust Funders, Pornographers, Faux Sensitive Hipsters, Felons, and Other Guys I've Dated.

(via Jezebel)

Facebook news: "Who's that new bitch who likes all your ex's status updates?"

2011-11-21T22:45:00.006-05:00

(Click for full image.)

Thanks True Adventures on Tumblr.

Why don't people want baby girls?

2011-11-21T22:23:00.005-05:00

Photo c/o Jezebel

Even in America, most couples would prefer to have a boy. What up with that? A new series in Fast Company called "The Case for Girls" explores the phenomenon. Even Louis CK -- that lovable asshole -- weighs in (Jezebel):

The next Steve Jobs will totally be a chick, because girls are number 2.— and number 2 always wins in America. Apple was a number 2 company for years, and Apple embodies a lot of what have been defined as feminine traits: an emphasis on intuitive design, intellect, a strong sense of creativity, and that striving to always make the greatest version of something. Traditionally, men are more like Microsoft, where they'll just make a fake version of what the chick made, then beat the shit out of her and try to intimidate everyone into using their product.

Quote: believe in yourself

2011-11-19T22:55:00.000-05:00

"Once we believe in ourselves, we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight, or any experience that reveals the human spirit." — E.E. Cummings

Millennial women: burning out before 30?

2011-11-14T21:46:00.003-05:00

A Forbes article this week delves into Millennial women in the workforce. The piece suggests that many women in our age group are super ambitious and hard working...and starting to get burnt out. This insight might hit home for you:

It seems relaxation is something Millennial women have never experienced. One reason that women are burning out early in their careers is that they have simply reached their breaking point after spending their childhoods developing well-rounded resumes. “These women worked like crazy in school, and in college, and then they get into the workforce and they are exhausted,” says Melanie Shreffler of the youth marketing blog Ypulse.

Also women are less likely to be relaxed about work:

One rationale is that men are more likely than women to do things that help their personal wellbeing at work, thus negating burnout, according to the Captivate Network. Men are 25% more likely to take breaks throughout the day for personal activities, 7% more likely to take a walk, 5% more likely to go out to lunch, and 35% more likely to take breaks “just to relax.”

I do see a lot of friends working long hours and feeling the strain during this recession. At the same time, most of them seem to have a healthy attitude about keeping work and life separate. Are women keeping the right balance, or are we spreading ourselves too thin?

Digital tools for personal finance

2011-11-14T21:38:00.002-05:00

Check it out: Mashable compiled some cool digital tools to keep track of finances.

The uplifting/crappy truth about being a single woman

2011-11-08T16:39:00.005-05:00

So I finally read the much-talked-about article in The Atlantic called "All the Single Ladies," which has even inspired a TV series. Holy cow, I need to have a cigarette and schedule having a drink at a dive bar with a smart female friend who will listen to me talk about this article all night. OK, I'm back. So the summary is this: "Recent years have seen an explosion of male joblessness and a steep decline in men’s life prospects that have disrupted the 'romantic market' in ways that narrow a marriage-minded woman’s options: increasingly, her choice is between deadbeats (whose numbers are rising) and playboys (whose power is growing). But this strange state of affairs also presents an opportunity: as the economy evolves, it’s time to embrace new ideas about romance and family—and to acknowledge the end of 'traditional' marriage as society’s highest ideal."

First of all, any single woman should read this piece, especially if you're fascinated by the sociology of marriage and family. Men should read it too. It's not threatening, though some parts are the uncomfortable truth for both men and women. We have to face facts: Marriage and mating is evolving -- producing questions we don't have the answer to yet.

I could obviously write a lot of personal reflection about how this article hits home, especially for a "single white female" in her 20s with a professional job in New York City (gawd, could I be any more cliche?). At first I was afraid to read this, because, like the author (Kate Bolick, a decade older than me) and most women of my generation, I always kinda reckoned I'd like to get married and pop out some babies at some point. But, also, like the author and many women, I have already rejected the traditional road to marriage several times, pretty much thwarting the obvious path at every opportunity. It makes me go, wow, where am I going to be in 10 years and will anyone be there to make babies with me?

At first I felt depressed that she pointed out the truth I kinda noticed among single men in my appropriate age group: They don't want to commit and they also seem to be held back by some sort of absolute confusion about what the role of men in society really is and freaked out by confusing women like myself who want traditional things but are also very independent. Poor men! It's confusing for all of us! But, by the end of the article, I realized it doesn't have to be so confusing. I felt liberated and ready to face my strange love/hate relationship with Disney princesses. Hey, isn't it great to be a single woman who doesn't have to rely on marriage? That's not a rejection of men at all. Actually, it means that women like me who plan to be economically independent don't have to rely on men and be forced into marriage. Instead, we can seek out loving and supportive relationships with men that intrigue us and make good partners...Ideally...We won't get into that.

The article is interesting, honest, soul-crushing and uplifting all at once. Mostly I just feel refreshed.

So, if you're still intrigued, here are a few of my favorite passages that I copied and pasted while reading. (Also, can I just add how funny it is that two creepy old men are looking at me strangely while I type this in Starbucks? Classic!!!)

Today, a smaller proportion of American women in their early 30s are married than at any other point since the 1950s, if not earlier. We’re also marrying less—with a significant degree of change taking place in just the past decade and a half. In 1997, 29 percent of my Gen X cohort was married; among today’s Millennials that figure has dropped to 22 percent. (Compare that with 1960, when more than half of those ages 18 to 29 had already tied the knot.) These numbers reflect major attitudinal shifts. According to the Pew Research Center, a full 44 percent of Millennials and 43 percent of Gen Xers think that marriage is becoming obsolete.
Today 40 percent of children are born to single mothers.
Do I want children? My answer is: I don’t know. But somewhere along the way, I decided to not let my biology dictate my romantic life.
Even as women have seen their range of options broaden in recent years—for instance, expanding the kind of men it’s culturally acceptable to be with, and making it okay not to marry at all—the new scarcity disrupts what economists call the “marriage market” in a way that in fact narrows the available choices, making a good man harder to find than ever.
In societies with too many women, the theory holds, fewer people marry, and those who do marry do so later in life. Because men take advantage of the variety of potential partners available to them, women’s traditional roles are not valued, and because these women can’t rely on their partners to stick around, more turn to extrafamilial ambitions like education and career.
The early 1990S witnessed the dawn of “hookup culture” at universities, as colleges stopped acting in loco parentis, and undergraduates, heady with freedom, started throwing themselves into a frenzy of one-night stands. Depending on whom you ask, this has either liberated young women from being ashamed of their sexual urges, or forced them into a promiscuity they didn’t ask for. Young men, apparently, couldn’t be happier.
Once, when my father consoled me, with the best of intentions, for being so unlucky in love, I bristled. I’d gotten to know so many interesting men, and experienced so much. Wasn’t that a form of luck?
Intending a parallel with terms like racism and sexism, DePaulo says singlism is “the stigmatizing of adults who are single [and] includes negative stereotyping of singles and discrimination against singles.”
Some even believe that the pair bond, far from strengthening communities (which is both the prevailing view of social science and a central tenet of social conservatism), weakens them, the idea being that a married couple becomes too consumed with its own tiny nation of two to pay much heed to anyone else.
Now that women are financially independent, and marriage is an option rather than a necessity, we are free to pursue what the British sociologist Anthony Giddens termed the “pure relationship,” in which intimacy is sought in and of itself and not solely for reproduction.

Cellphone apps to find dates

2011-11-04T09:00:00.001-04:00

We knew it was only a matter of time before mobile apps to find dates would become mainstream, as The New York Times writes this week. You, like me, might have mixed feelings about the whole OKCupid thing, but I will say that the service makes more sense to me as an app rather than as an awkward website where people chat to each other on Wednesday nights. But have we reached the era where instead of talking to each other at a bar everyone is on an app to see who is looking for a date? Is that kind of creepy? Maybe I'm just being old-fashioned.

From the article:

The idea of meeting someone on the fly through a mobile app based solely on proximity may seem, at first, like a risky proposition. But the operators of these services say they are aware of the potential pitfalls and allow users to control how much information they divulge. And users say it’s another step in the continuum of courtship — always fraught with peril — from traditional matchmakers to personal ads to online dating.

Young workers want social media freedom

2011-11-03T07:00:00.001-04:00

from GigaOm:

With the way the job market is these days, young workers can’t always afford to be choosy. But if you think it comes down to just a landing a job and getting some money, think again. The second chapter of the 2011 Cisco Connected World Technology Report shows that young workers weigh their job decisions based on many factors including social media access, choice of device and the ability to work remotely. These things can actually trump salary considerations in some cases.

#Phonebooth!: Montreal

2011-11-02T14:37:00.005-04:00

I have decided to use this blog to occasionally memorialize the phone booth. I mean, how great are phone booths? Remember when you would have to use one to get your mom to pick you up from the movies? Who even uses them now? Our generation -- gluttons for nostalgia -- must appreciate such dying artifacts.

Here is one I spotted in Montreal:

Where should you post your status? [INFOGRAPH]

2011-11-02T11:39:00.001-04:00

MASH -- remember this game???

2011-11-01T22:57:00.002-04:00

OMG you are welcome: http://mashga.me/

Please come visit me someday in my mansion in Florida with my blue limo and cute husband.

Generation Catalano: finally a name to describe those people that didn't have cell phones in high school

2011-10-25T21:32:00.004-04:00

In this excellent Slate essay, Doree Shafrir puts a name to the sliver of people (born around 1977-1981) who don't quite feel like Generation X and don't quite feel like Millennials. I totally agree, because even though my brothers are only a few years older than me, I feel like they lived in a whole different planet sometimes (particularly the one born in 1980). Maybe it was the fact that I had a cell phone in high school and Facebook in college, but I often feel like the lone member of my generation in my family. That's evidenced by the fact that I didn't even understand the reason for the name "Catalano" (apparently named after Jared Leto in My So-Called Life).

I also like that the author points out that we have a ridiculous fascination with generational identity anyway (#guilty):

This urge to define generations is also about a yearning for a collective memory in an increasingly atomized world, at least where my generation is concerned. Indeed, where the Millennials tend to define themselves in terms of the way they live now, people in my cohort find fellowship more in what happened in the past, clinging to cultural totems as though our shared experiences will somehow lead us to better figure out who we are.

The state of the freelancer

2011-09-27T13:24:00.003-04:00

I have a lot of thoughts about how many fields -- such as the media -- are moving into freelance. This graphic really says it all:

by FreshBooks via

30 Day Song Challenge - Day #30

2011-07-11T00:24:00.001-04:00

day 30 - your favorite song at this time last year

I know how sad all of you will be for this challenge to be over. I know you manly men out there especially enjoyed my girly music choices like Mariah Carey. Let's end on Rihanna and Eminem!

30 Day Song Challenge - Day #29

2011-07-08T00:22:00.000-04:00

day 29 - a song from your childhood

MARIAH CAREY WHAT!

30 Day Song Challenge - Day #28

2011-07-07T00:55:00.001-04:00

day 28 - a song that makes you feel guilty

Kind of a weird question, but I know the song: "Trouble" by Coldplay.

30 Day Song Challenge - Day #27

2011-07-05T18:51:00.001-04:00

day 27 - a song that you wish you could play

Really it would be the Janis Joplin song I chose for the first day of this challenge, but just so I mix it up, let's go with any of the parts of "Wild Horses" by The Rolling Stones. Love this song!

30 Day Song Challenge - Day #26

2011-07-03T17:48:00.001-04:00

day 26 - a song that you can play on an instrument

Maybe with a few weeks of practice I'd be able to do the tambourine part of "Brown Eyed Girl" — sure, that counts.

30 Day Song Challenge - Day #25

2011-07-02T10:50:00.000-04:00

day 25 - a song that makes you laugh

Ludacris - "Area Codes" — It's not ha-ha funny but it still amuses me. I mean, he's got ho's in different area codes, you know? I get you Ludacris; my girlfriends are everywhere these days!

30 Day Song Challenge - Day #24

2011-07-01T00:46:00.000-04:00

day 24 - a song that you want to play at your funeral

"All That Jazz"

30 Day Song Challenge - Day #23

2011-06-29T23:07:00.001-04:00

day 23 - a song that you want to play at your wedding

My daddio and I will dance to "Goodnight My Love." When I was little and he was saying goodnight, instead of saying "goodnight my El" he used to sing it to the tune of this song (this won't surprise anyone who knows my dad). So it's randomly kind of our song. If either of us happen to still be alive at my wedding, I'm sure we'll dance to it.

30 Day Song Challenge - Day #22

2011-06-28T21:46:00.000-04:00

day 22 - a song that you listen to when you’re sad

Cat Power - "Lived in Bars" — I mean, everything by Cat Power is sufficient for my melancholy, thoughtful moods during which poetry could be produced.

30 Day Song Challenge - Day #21

2011-06-27T20:45:00.000-04:00

day 21 - a song that you listen to when you’re happy

"Just Dance" by Lady Gaga!

30 Day Song Challenge - Day #20

2011-06-26T12:25:00.001-04:00

day 20 - a song that you listen to when you’re angry

I mean, I could do a whole song challenge for angry girl music (hmm), but this one is a favorite — so fabulously tacky and right out of every girl's fantasy anger march: "Kerosene" by Miranda Lambert.

30 Day Song Challenge - Day #19

2011-06-26T00:54:00.001-04:00

day 19 - a song from your favorite album

I have a few favorites, so I'm going way out of left field with this one and giving props to one of the original women crooners I adore, whose music I grew up with. Here's "Crazy" from the Patsy Cline 12 Greatest Hits Album.

30 Day Song Challenge - Day #18

2011-06-25T00:06:00.001-04:00

day 18 - a song that you wish you heard on the radio

Well this is another tough one, considering I don't listen to the radio! I guess any of the indie rock songs you don't hear on the radio would be what I would want to hear if I were to find myself listening to the radio. For instance, I was thinking this morning how much I like this song "With You (In Your Arms)" by a band in Columbus called The Tough & Lovely that I saw play like four years ago. Here's a link to listen.

30 Day Song Challenge - Day #17

2011-06-23T22:30:00.001-04:00

day 17 - a song that you hear often on the radio

OK obviously no one listens to the radio, but judging from the songs on at the gym and the bar, this one comes on a lot (and I'm OK with that).

30 Day Song Challenge - Day #16

2011-06-22T20:43:00.002-04:00

day 16 - a song that you used to love but now hate

The boy bands I guess?? Remember this one? It's pretty terrible: Backstreet Boys - "Everybody"

(No embed code available! Bummer.)

30 Day Song Challenge - Day #15

2011-06-21T06:57:00.002-04:00

Wow I fail at this challenge. Getting back on track.

day 15 - a song that describes you

"Extraordinary Machine" - Fiona Apple. I just can't say it better.

30 Day Song Challenge - Day #14

2011-06-17T01:00:00.000-04:00

day 14 - a song that no one would expect you to love

Not sure if anyone is surprised by my musical tastes (at least I hope not), but you might not know I love Kanye, particularly "Runaway."

30 Day Song Challenge - Day #13

2011-06-15T22:45:00.001-04:00

day 13 - a song that is a guilty pleasure

Well, just like I watch Grey's Anatomy, I like me some girly pop. For instance, I kind of love Colbie Caillat and I kind of love the song "Bubbly." Don't be disappointed, but I don't always listen to angry, sad chick rock -- though it's my favorite. [**hearts~flowers~hearts~flowers**]

30 Day Song Challenge - Day #12

2011-06-14T19:10:00.000-04:00

day 12 - a song from a band you hate

I generally don't go around hating music-makers, but I guess I "dislike" metal bands like Disturbed. That's the first one that comes to mind, but after this I know I'm going to think of a better one. It's true I downloaded this song when it came out (weirdddd phase): "Stricken." (The embed feature was disabled, so I'm just posting a link.)

30 Day Song Challenge - Day #11

2011-06-13T23:25:00.001-04:00

day 11 - a song from your favorite band

I'm going with the Dixie Chicks, kids! Gotsta. "Some Days You Gotta Dance" is a fun, random, non-radio jingle you should listen to sometime ... Especially when you get those tap shoes out.

30 Day Song Challenge - Day #10

2011-06-12T11:03:00.000-04:00

day 10 - a song that makes you fall asleep

If I want music to sleep to (or am feeling really emo) I put on Radiohead's OK Computer album and am always out by the end of this track ("Exit Music").

30 Day Song Challenge - Day #9

2011-06-11T18:17:00.000-04:00

day 09 - a song that you can dance to

"Freakum Dress" by Beyonce — I don't know if there is a limit on Beyonce songs, and maybe this is too PG-13 for Facebook, buttttt so fun to dance to!

30 Day Song Challenge - Day #8

2011-06-11T01:24:00.001-04:00

day 08 - a song that you know all the words to

Let's face it: What Midwestern girl doesn't know all the words to "Strawberry Wine" by Deanna Carter?

30 Day Song Challenge - Day #7

2011-06-10T00:05:00.000-04:00

day 07 - a song that reminds you of a certain event

Norah Jones - "Don't Know Why" — Las Vegas, 2003 (July 4 to be exact). A woman in a sparkly zebra dress was singing it at the Mandalay Bay, of course.

30 Day Song Challenge - Day #6

2011-06-10T00:01:00.002-04:00

day 06 - a song that reminds you of somewhere

"Tiny Dancer" - Elton John — Cincinnati! Specifically, dancing to this song when my cousin plays it in a Hamilton bar. :)

30 Day Song Challenge - Day #5

2011-06-07T06:10:00.002-04:00

day 05 - a song that reminds you of someone

"Irreplaceable" - Beyonce — Whenever I hear it I think of how my friend and former co-worker Matt Burns and I spent like 30 minutes writing a 50-word blurb about this song for the culture section of the paper. That might be the only double byline we've ever done. (Oh and p.s., I love this song and Beyonce so much.)

30 Day Song Challenge - Day #4

2011-06-06T22:09:00.001-04:00

day 04 - a song that makes you sad

Adele - "Don't You Remember" — Like most of her latest album, this is a beautiful but heart-wrenching song about a desperate woman losing the man she loves. I think it's the undertone of self-blame that hits me the most. (Adele, we got your back girl! His loss!)

30 Day Song Challenge - Day #3

2011-06-05T19:05:00.004-04:00

day 03 - a song that makes you happy

Well, this was a tough call between show tunes, the Dixie Chicks, and this song. What can I say, it gets me every time. ♥

30 Day Song Challenge - Day #2

2011-06-04T19:30:00.003-04:00

day 02 - your least favorite song

This question is no fun, but I guess as far as annoying songs go, anything by Ke$ha would work.

30 Day Song Challenge

2011-06-04T19:23:00.003-04:00

So I'm doing the 30 Day Song Challenge on Facebook and realized it might be fun to post here too. Facebook, music and talking about myself — what more could I ask for? Would love to hear the songs that you think of for each day. I started yesterday; here is the first song.

day 01 - your favorite song

I know, how am I supposed to answer that question? Let's go with "Me and Bobby McGee" by Janis Joplin. My friend Becca and I used to listen to it driving with the top down.

Facebook: a throwback to old-fashioned courtship?

2011-05-24T23:01:00.005-04:00

Facebook is the most monumental event that's happened to relationships, particularly of the sexual nature, in the last 50 years. As any conversation about dating will tell you, Facebook has made meeting people both easy and complicated. It's like a playground/cesspool for dating. You might end up knowing a lot about someone too early on (and see pictures of his/per past) OR you continue to learn too much about you ex when he/she should be out of your life. But it's also such an easy platform to connect with someone. In summary, it takes a lot of self-discipline, which humans are still evolving.

While I of course subscribe to Facebook and tend not to hide too much about who I am (except those tagged photos!), I've always thought it stole some of the romance and mystery out of dating.

At least, that's what I thought until I read a commentary from Niina Pollari at Gizmodo (thanks to my friend Rob for knowing I'd totally geek out about this post). She points out that Facebook dating is actually a throwback to the olden days, when dating took place in public and your friends and family would need to approve your courtship.

Once again, it all comes back to how dating in the 21st century is just like a Jane Austen novel.

Do you buy it? I see the similarities, but, let's face it, even the public dating of previous ages was more discreet than albums of party photos.

Art matters to Millennials

2011-05-21T16:37:00.004-04:00

I've been failing at blogging; too busy taking in culture I guess. Speaking of, a recent commentary in The Huffington Post talks about the Millennial Project, the Kennedy Center's initiative to get twentysomethings in theater seats. Michael Kaiser, president of the performing arts center, probably has good intentions — but was pretty harsh toward our generation. "I am constantly amazed at the low culture IQ of very bright and talented young people who have achieved a great deal in other realms," he writes.

I realize it's a bit of a New York-centric topic, but the theme can be applied more broadly. My friend Carly McCloskey, a twentysomething who has worked in art marketing for the last few years in New York, wrote a response to the piece. I thought it was well-written, and she said I could share.

***

Dear Mr. Kaiser,

I recently read your Huffington Post column about the Millennial Project. As I was reading about how apathetic and uncultured I am, I was inspired to write you.

You claim that there now exists “an entire generation of young people who have had virtually no exposure to the arts,” but many millennials have had constant contact with the arts, whether it was through art, music and drama classes or field trips to museums and theaters. And now they are consistently demonstrating that they find art important.

As of April 2009 on Kickstarter, which is a funding platform for creative projects all across the country, music projects received $13,094,547 from pledges; art projects received $3,184,732; theater projects received $2,570,503; and dance projects received $645,492. These numbers are projected to increase and show no signs of slowing down. Kickstarter’s demographic? Millennials, from the age of 18 to older twenty-somethings.

Our generation reshaped the way our entire society communicates through a period of unprecedented technological progress and change. Embrace it – technologically and artistically – if you want to capture a younger audience. We are collectively funding art projects via sites like Kickstarter, putting our money into ideas and projects that interest us instead of buying a subscription package. Our selective and educated choices should not be mistaken for apathy and ignorance, and our nation’s top cultural organizations should recognize that there is more to communicating with us than having a Facebook page. Product (and the way it is sold) actually matters.

Jujamcyn Theaters President Jordan Roth was quoted recently in a New York magazine article: “If you have a show that speaks to a certain audience,” he says, “then you need marketing to let them know that. But you can’t trick an audience—or not for long. What I believe in is product. Don’t waste your time trying to figure out how to get a young audience to see The Music Man. If you want a young audience, don’t fucking do The Music Man.”

I took my parents to their first musical, my mother to her first play, and my grandmother to her first ballet. I’ve seen more dance performances, plays, musicals, symphony performances, operas and galleries than my parents, aunts and uncles, grandparents and great-grandparents combined. I have even orchestrated visits to the theater for my fellow twenty-something friends and co-workers.

And yet, I’ve never seen a performance at the Kennedy Center. Perhaps if you offered something new and innovative – something other than The Music Man (or in this case, Follies, Wicked, Pal Joey, etc.) – it would become a higher priority.

Sincerely,

Carly McCloskey

Dating in New York is like a Jane Austen novel

2011-03-17T21:42:00.004-04:00

This commentary about American dating in The Guardian first made me want to bang my head against the wall, reminding me of how the British can be so pretentiously fascinated by American customs! And then, in true British fashion, it won me over after its awkward introduction, starting at this part:

But, without a doubt, the biggest national trait swap has been in the world of dating. The British approach to dating could easily be described as "chaotic" to the point of non-existent. I, however, see it as a decidedly just, nay, DEMOCRATIC state of affairs: you go to a party, you get drunk, you go home with someone, and the next day you either move in with them or you never speak to them again. It's such a free-for-all kind of approach; one that would have made the founding fathers proud.
In New York City, the alleged hub of dating, the whole dating farrago is freighted with so many rules that Jane Austen would bang her head against the parsonage wall and snap her little bit of ivory in half.

I really encourage you to keep reading. (The only thing I would like to remind the author — and all urban-dwelling British people, actually — and all New Yorkers, actually — is that New York is not the only place in America, just like London is not the only place in England. I would be fascinated to hear what the author thinks after a visit to Ohio!)

This Month in Digital Media: January 2011

2011-02-07T07:21:00.001-05:00

I wrote a few articles last month for eMedia Vitals that focused on social media and digital marketing:

5 ways to improve your event, digitally

Foursquare: More than hype for publishers?

3 social tools publishers should watch

Media companies find more uses for the #hashtag

6 ways to boost Facebook engagement

The price of a Facebook fan

How Google's search initiatives are shaping SEO for publishers

Improve Facebook Engagement

2011-02-05T18:18:00.004-05:00

Are people sharing, “liking” and commenting on your Facebook content? If not, you're not creating content for Facebook the way you should be. On a recent post for eMedia Vitals, I compiled six ways to boost Facebook engagement. My focus was on media companies, but for this topic, many of the tactics work for any business or brand marketing on Facebook. I received a lot of positive feedback about the tips, so I thought I'd share.

The Food Network is a brand that seems to get it:

Forbes Encourages Women to Speak Up and Make More Money

2011-02-05T18:07:00.004-05:00

Forbes has done a number of articles recently about the need for women to be more assertive and demand more in the workplace. I applaud their coverage! Here's a round-up:

"You Earned It, Now Own It: Self-Promotion for Women:" Too often women are passive about their achievements. We need to find the right line — be confident and honest about our achievements without bragging or being passive (or giving the credit to someone else!).

"Why We Women Fail to Ask for Raises and What Happens When We Do:" To kick off a series examining why women don't make as much as men and how to stop it, Forbes explains why women don't ask for raises. In a nutshell: Because we hate conflict. But there's good news: Effective negotiation is not about conflict and more about knowing how to have a good conversation — something we're good at!

"Why Every Woman Should Ask for a Raise This Year:" So, women, go get a raise (except you, Yahoo CEO Carol Bartz)! This article outlines why women should realize their economical importance and ask for more dough. I appreciate that rather than just bemoaning the gender wage gap, the series is getting realistic and tactical.

"How Women Can Ask for and Get a (Substantial) Raise This Year, Part I:" And now, here's how you do it! This is first article about how women should attack the gender wage gap once and for all, offering several tips for how women should recalibrate their worth and form alliances with people who will champion them.

I'm staying tuned for more!

The happiest cities to work

2011-02-02T20:28:00.004-05:00

Oh, what a surprise, the happiest cities to work are all sunshine states. (What, you don't enjoy not seeing the sun for months out of the year?). CareerBliss.com listed the top 10 (via Forbes).

LONG LIVE CAPS LOCK

2011-01-30T22:00:00.008-05:00

I believe writing in all caps still holds a relevant place in society and therefore I disapprove of getting rid of caps lock on keyboards, as Google is doing (even though a search key kind of does make sense). I admit that it is an unimportant issue, but I love Slate so much for analyzing it thoroughly, as they often do with cultural shifts in typography.

In the Culture Gabfest podcast discussing the article, Slate's Julia Turner accurately described how caps lock is used effectively and colloquially by our generation. It conveys emphasis in IM and is way easier than bolding or underlining. I notice that I have been using caps a lot when g-chatting with friends (e.g. "OMG IT'S TRIVIA NIGHT" just doesn't work the same as "omg it's trivia night").

It doesn't mean I am bastardizing the language and am suddenly going to use caps in my journalistic stories, but I like that the option exists.

Quote: Gone with the Wind

2011-01-22T13:13:00.005-05:00

OK it's not actually from my favorite book/movie of all time, but it's a good quote from the author. Simple and true.

"Life is under no obligation to give us what we expect." — Margaret Mitchell

Isn't that right, Scarlett?

This Month in Digital Media: December 2010

2011-01-17T13:02:00.004-05:00

Where has 2011 gone already? Oh well, here are the 10 most-relevant-for-Y-rd stories I wrote last month for eMedia Vitals.

Last month it seems like about a third of my stories were about the iPad — geez, I'm almost embarrassed, except I think most media reporters feel the same way.

Are journalism internship programs still relevant?

Is the iPad bringing back narrative journalism?

iPad magazine TRVL applies the iTunes model to content

News consumption of iPad owners

Apple's most popular iPad apps reveal content trends for publishers

How Groupon (soon to be Google?) is working with publishers

Year in review

5 digital makeovers of media brands

Most innovative uses of social media by publishers in 2010

Year in Review: 5 trends that actually lived up to the hype

Year in Review: 5 things to watch in the media industry

Cheers to 2011!

Can Keeping Your Maiden Name Benefit Your Career?

2011-01-16T23:03:00.004-05:00

As you may recall, a year ago I blogged about whether women should keep their maiden names in the digital age, which sparked a lively discussion on Brazen Careerist. It's clear many women continue to find this issue tricky; many have decided on a hybrid solution.

For instance, most recently, Colleen Newvine — er, Colleen Newvine Tebeau — added to the comment stream with insights worth sharing. She blogged on Newvine Growing about her reasons for keeping her name, at least for career purposes (the "Hillary Rodham Clinton solution," she says). She cited a study (released since my original post) suggesting women who take their husband's name might be penalized. The New York Times reported:

The authors did several experiments involving university students’ perceptions of hypothetical women — imaginary women who were described identically, except for their marital status and decision to keep or change their surnames. The students generally viewed women who took their husbands’ surnames as being more stereotypically feminine. Participants thought that a hypothetical woman who took her husband’s surname was “more caring, more dependent, less intelligent, more emotional, less competent, and less ambitious in comparison with a woman who kept her own name.

The point being, while I wouldn't even consider societal perception when making the decision whether to keep my name (that's so 1980 to worry about), there could really be a different view of women who change their names. I wonder if it's just because the large majority of women still appear to change their names (purely observational and not scientific on my part). Because it's not the common thing to do in mainstream America, women who keep their maiden names might appear as if they're trying to make a statement.

I still don't have an opinion one way or the other; I think the decision comes down to what's best for your particular career — and the least hassle.

Newvine noted that in this day and age it's somewhat easier for women to connect their new name and old name — for instance, by listing their maiden names in their Facebook profiles, which I've also blogged about. As Newvine (wow I just realized I keep using her maiden name, because that's how I recognize her from the digital world in which I know of her) asks:

Will our perceptions change now that it’s easier to blur those lines, with a connection to your maiden name in your Facebook profile or on your website?
Or is it more about the statement women make about whether their identity changes because of marriage?

What do you think?

Digital Life after Death

2011-01-09T11:32:00.007-05:00

Last year when an old friend passed away unexpectedly, I watched his Facebook profile fill up with last words to him, a chilling and touching memorial to his life on a social-networking page that had been active only one week before. In recognition of how Facebook is used in this way, Facebook now puts pages of the deceased into a memorial status, rather than just deleting them.

It's obvious that our digital lives have forever altered both how we deal with death and how we are memorialized after death. A fascinating article in The New York Times Sunday Magazine today explores the topic of cyberspace after death. There's already digital estate planners who will help people delegate and plan for what to do with their digital artifacts after they're gone. We all should probably have some kind of "digital will" to determine where we would like our e-mails to go and to make sure someone saves our blog. I've previously blogged about what we will leave behind of ourselves in the absence of physical letters; I suppose we should make sure someone has the password to our Gmail accounts.

But, as the NYT author notes, the vast expanse of what we put on the Web is overwhelming. Instead of thinking what happens to it after death, should we be better curators in life? He writes:

For me, at least, pondering the digital afterlife made me rethink digital life. We’re encouraged to record and express everything, all the time. In real time, we can record and distribute the most important moments of our existence, and some of the least. For the generations growing up in the Web era, this mode of being is more or less taken for granted. But the tools we use privilege the moment, not the long term; they also tend to make everything feel roughly equal in importance and offer us little incentive to comb back through our digital scribblings and sort out what might have lasting meaning from what probably doesn’t. The results are pretty much the opposite of a scrapbook carefully edited to serve as a memory object but could end up serving that function by default.

The article forces the reader to examine two anxiety-inducing topics: death and digital organization. I'll try not to think to much about it, but someday I'm sure I will have to instruct someone on what I want for my digital possessions. For the Facebook generation, particularly the online authors among us, it will only make sense for include digital considerations in our death preparations. On the other hand, if I died tomorrow unexpectedly, it would be up to my loved ones to decide what to do with my digital clutter along with all the other clutter. Emily Dickinson left her poems in an attic with no instructions; my digital attic could be for others to sift through.

Image: Hourglass cursor courtesy of Wikipedia Commons.

Do You Really Need a New Job?

2010-12-13T20:00:00.001-05:00

Penelope Trunk, founder of Brazen Careerist, always knows what's up with the changing state of the workforce. This week she really hit the nail on the head with a guest post on GenPink called "10 Reasons Why You Don't Need a New Job." Anyone thinking about changing jobs or in the early stages of your career should read it immediately.

How many people (including myself) have acted like getting your dream job could be a silver bullet to make everything better in your life? I don't think Trunk's post is supposed to make anyone settle to mediocrity, but she makes some really relevant points about how a lot of happiness in life and in the workforce comes from within. One astounding point she makes: Most of our happiness is determined at birth. That's somewhat depressing but also freeing to hear.

Trunk makes more points about how changing jobs can be stressful — it shouldn't be taken lightly — and that we probably need to meditate more rather than worry about getting a new job constantly.

Don't get me wrong, I believe changing jobs can be right in certain situations (I changed jobs six months ago), but it's refreshing to hear what Trunk points out. We're constantly hearing that Generation Y is the generation switching jobs and careers constantly. We should make sure we're doing it for the right reasons.

Workplace Flexibility Goes a Long Way

2010-12-12T12:34:00.004-05:00

Flexibility in the workforce goes a long way, according to two stories published last week from GigaOm's Net:Work conference.

The first story pointed out that two-thirds of workers would take a pay cut for flexibility. Debra Chrapaty, SVP and GM of the collaboration software group at Cisco said that in a survey of workers, 66 percent said they would take less pay in exchange for more flexibility in their work capabilities.

The second story emphasized that employers should unleash their employees. Traditional command-and-control, top-down human resources management systems are breaking down in this era of social networks, according to Daniel Debow of Rypple, Philip Korn of TriNet and Glenn Solomon of GGV Capital.

The lesson for employers is to listen up your grip — and you'll be rewarded in the end.

This Month in Digital Media: November 2010

2010-12-07T06:00:00.002-05:00

***Please excuse this monthly promotional message from your favorite digital media reporter.*** Here are the 10 most relevant stories for Y-rd that I wrote last month for eMedia Vitals (online publishing news for the newspaper and magazine industry):

"The blurring line between brands and publishers:" Brands and publishers have always had a mutually dependent relationship, which has grown much more complex since the days of Mad Men. Brands want to engage their audience with content, and often look to publishers to help them.

"Search marketing and SEO tips for an evolving search landscape:" (Previously plugged here.) Search-engine advancements such as Google Instant and social search might make search more complex, but SEO and SEM best practices still apply, said panelists speaking Thursday at ad:tech in New York.

"SEO: not dead, but evolving:" Look out Demand Media, the latest Google challenger, Blekko, claims to go beyond keywords to provide higher quality search results. We might not remember its name in a couple weeks, but Blekko's launch is another reminder to publishers that search engine optimization (SEO) is evolving.

"Kiplinger: An old brand ready for new platforms:" Since Kiplinger launched back in the 1920s, the landscape of personal finance media has ballooned. The company now competes with a much larger mix of print and digital players delivering financial information in a variety of forms. How does the company stay relevant?

"Geolocation push notifications offer a new way to deliver content:" Geolocation adds a new layer for publishers to deliver content in the right place at the right time ― and it's no longer passive. Playboy, which has long been telling users about the hottest nightlife, recently launched a location-triggered content delivery that sends recommendations to users based on their location and the time.

"Gourmet Live app takes lessons from Foursquare:" In light of extremely successful social games like FarmVille, Condé Nast decided to launch its Gourmet Live iPad app with a game-like mentality, rewarding users as they use the app. This incorporation of Foursquare-like features, delivering useful content in a playful way (and eventually in the right place/time), is the latest frontier for consumer apps.

"What media companies can learn from Briefing.com's copyright mishap:" Briefing.com's settlement with Dow Jones is a valuable lesson for media companies about how repurposing content, even with attribution, can backfire. The news site, which covers market information for investment professionals, paid a “substantial” amount and admitted to copyright infringement for publishing "hot news" from Dow Jones.

"Next stop for online video publishers: television sets?:" What's next for online video? Publishers have been busy populating their websites with videos to meet increasing demand, but now better ways are emerging to consume digital video on tablet devices and even the old flat screen.

"Hearst exec says Patch is a short-term challenge:" There's been a lot of speculation about what community news outlets like AOL's Patch mean for established local news outlets. Newspaper execs from Hearst and Gannett aren't oblivious to AOL's play in their local markets, but they don't seem too worried about its long-term viability.

"iPad advertising formats that work:" At ad:tech in New York last week, executives from Condé Nast and National Public Radio shared some of their tactics in capturing advertisers and developing new creative for their iPad apps. These two large media companies may not be representative of what publishers with smaller budgets and smaller audiences are able to do to attract advertisers to their iPad apps, but their exploration of iPad advertising gives some clues about what's working.

Jane Austen: Still Alive and Well with Young Women

2010-12-06T05:38:00.006-05:00

Jane Austen's antiquated stories are somehow still relevant to twentysomethings today, even if we have far more to do than attend balls in the English countryside. The Wall Street Journal piece about Jane Austen's popularity with young people (particularly women) certainly hit home. I'm one of the 89,000 Facebook fans of Jane Austen the piece refers to, and I have quoted Austen on my Gen-Y-inspired blog at least once.

Why are young people like me attracted to stories about a life completely unlike our own (aside from the fact that she just writes damn good love stories)? Maybe it just represents a time unfettered by Facebook and dictated by the ebb and flow of dawn and dusk rather than a 24/7 information environment. Or, even in the Facebook environment, we realize Austen's pre-women's-movement, pre-technology social witticisms still apply. Some social structures never change.

In what might seem irreverent to some, but what I see as the ultimate tribute, youthful Jane enthusiasts take her classic stories and translate them for the snarky YouTube generation. If you haven't seen the Jane Austen's Fight Club video on YouTube, there's no time like the present:

Quote: 'Our Greatest Weariness Comes from Work Undone'

2010-12-06T04:26:00.003-05:00

Our greatest weariness comes from work undone. — Eric Hoffer, American writer and philosopher

Quote: My Girl Emily D.

2010-11-17T21:07:00.004-05:00

Truth is such a rare thing, it is delightful to tell it.
— Emily Dickinson

Photo: "Emily Dickinson's Garden" exhibit at the New York Botanical Garden

How to Improve Your Search Marketing and SEO

2010-11-16T07:00:00.001-05:00

At a recent conference, I listened to tips and tricks from experts about improving SEO and search marketing, particularly as search engines evolve. I normally cater to the publishing audience when writing for eMedia Vitals, but this particular story would interest anyone trying to market their business online.

This Month in Digital Media: October 2010

2010-11-15T06:00:00.000-05:00

Oh, it's the middle of November already? I hardly noticed. Good thing I can miss any deadline I want when it's for my own blog.

So here's my selection of stories I wrote for eMedia Vitals in October that you might be interested in:

10 ways to annoy your website readers

What media brands can learn from Starbucks

Social-sharing trends: What publishers should know

Comic relief for the stressed-out media industry

A publisher's guide to Twitter hashtags

Tips for improving iPad usability

Moving content to the cloud

Privacy vs. personalization: what's a publisher to do?

Windows Phone 7 potential for publishers? We'll have to wait and see

Why Personal Finance Books for Women Suck

2010-11-14T12:23:00.009-05:00

I couldn't agree with this Slate column more (it's a quick read): "The Shopaholic Myth:" Why so many financial advice books perpetuate the false notion that women are bad with money.

About a year ago, my friend Rebecca asked me if I had any books about women and finance to recommend. I've been writing about women, finance or the combination of the two for the last seven years now, and, guess what, I really didn't have any solid recommendations for her beyond the "Rah Rah Girlfriend Don't Let Your Man Manage all the Bills" books. (Which, by the way, I haven't read, so they could be really excellent. I'd go with any of Michelle Singletary's advice, even if she writes books titled "Your Money and Your Man: How You and Prince Charming Can Spend Well and Live Rich." Ew.)

So, thank you, Hannah Seligson, for shedding some light on this troublesome trend of dumbing down financial books to make them marketable to women. In her column, Seligson cites some stats I know well: In fact, women (as a gross generalization) are very responsible holders of the purse strings. I've written before about how women are generally less risky investors than men — not the same thing as being worse investors, in case you haven't paid attention the last few years. Yet women have often felt like they are less knowledgeable or on the sidelines of financial decisions, resulting in a shortfall of savings compared to their male counterparts. (I wrote a giant feature about helping women save for retirement in PLANADVISER magazine recently, in case you are interested.)

Anyway, I'd love to see smart advice for intelligent women. Sure, I could turn to a unisex book, but I'd still like to consume a book about women and finance that takes into account all of the history and challenges of my gender without insulting my intelligence or shopping habits.

Anyone want to write one?

Comic Relief for the Stressed-out Media Industry

2010-11-05T05:54:00.005-04:00

I recently wrote about my favorite funny, journalism-related sites: Overhead in the Newsroom, Stuff Journalists Like and Fake AP Stylebook. A lot of it is pretty geeky humor, but thank God for snarky sites to help us laugh about a pretty stressful career choice.

Journalism Schools: New Hyperlocal Hubs for Publishers?

2010-10-29T23:03:00.007-04:00

I was pretty excited about the response this week to an article I wrote called "Journalism schools: New hyperlocal hubs for publishers?" AOL-owned Patch, an ever-expanding network of community news sites, is partnering with journalism schools to launch sites. On one hand, it's a great way to expose journalism students to a model of news that's closer to the future than, say, the student newspaper. On the other hand, it's still just students working long hours for low wages. What do you think?

Election Day the Easy Way

2010-10-24T20:00:00.001-04:00

Do you know who you're voting for in the big midterm elections? If not I recommend trying
Project Vote Smart's VoteEasy. It took me five minutes to match candidates in New York to my issue stances (which I can rate in importance, because some things I just don't care about). This tool is helpful for the time-crunched voter. (Thanks to Mashable for compiling this and other great election tools.)

Social-sharing Stats

2010-10-23T20:36:00.004-04:00

Recent studies have provided more insight into how people share content. In the last year, sharing through social media was on the rise, but e-mail is still a popular way to share content. E-mail actually accounts for more than half of referrals and almost a third of click-throughs.

Check out more interesting stats on my blog at eMedia Vitals.

Breakdown by click-through rate:

Source: SocialTwist

Pandora Killing the Radio Star?

2010-10-17T20:23:00.008-04:00

Remember when you used to wake up to live radio every morning before school? It's not just me; young people don't do that as much anymore.

According to a study by Edison Research (reported in eMarketer), those ages 12 to 24 don't wake up with the radio as much. In 2000, 74 percent said listening to the radio is part of their morning routine; in 2010, only 41 percent do.

I listen to podcasts, most of which were originally broadcast on the radio. In many ways I listen to more radio than I ever did, thanks to the fact that it's available on-demand. I hate to say this, but I don't even know what channel NPR is on my radio ... but I listen to about four or five NPR shows regularly!

I'm still the minority when it comes to podcasts. Radio is more prevalent, even if its importance has gone down, thanks to all the other mediums out there. About 17 percent of U.S. consumers age 12 and older reported listening to podcasts in the last week, according to Bridge Ratings; a whopping 93 percent listened to the radio. While the radio prevalence is predicted to stay strong, the study predicts podcast usage will rise to about 24 percent by 2012.

Internet radio (like Pandora) is also gaining ground. While only 7 percent of consumers reported using Internet radio in the last week in 2006, that percentage skyrocketed to about 36 percent in 2010, the study found. More than half are predicted to be regular Internet radio users by 2012. I listen to music on Pandora every day and can't remember the last time I actually listened to music on the radio. (It's worth noting that I'm sure I'd use the radio more if I actually drove a car.)

So, have you listened to the real, live radio lately?

Top photo: Courtesy of Rasevic, via Wikimedia Commons

How to Annoy Your Website Readers

2010-10-12T06:00:00.003-04:00

Looking for ways to annoy your website readers? If so, check out my top 10 ways to annoy your website readers, which I recently compiled for eMedia Vitals. Anyone who runs a content website might be interested in reading and contributing to my list.

This Month in Digital Media: September 2010

2010-10-11T07:00:00.000-04:00

Ah, it's time for my monthly wrap-up of the digital stories I've been writing for eMedia Vitals that might be interesting to you media geeks out there. I'm a little behind after taking a two-week trip to the Midwest for both vacation and business. (I got my best friend down the aisle and saw Oprah speak at the American Magazine Conference — an eventful couple of weeks.)

Is the media industry actually hiring?
The past couple of years, most people wouldn't envy those graduating from journalism school — but lately there are signs of hope that the media industry is once again starting to recruit for digitally focused jobs.

Reinventing the copy editor: conventions to keep, throw out and add
Copy editing isn't dead on the Web ― but it does need a revival.

Can publishers find useful applications for augmented reality?
Augmented reality has received its share of buzz over the past 18 months as a handful of publishers have experimented with the technology online and in print. But can AR really be useful and profitable, or is it just a dancing-celebrity shtick?

3 social media success stories
Here are three effective tactics media companies and brands have used recently — and yes, one of them is the Old Spice Guy.

SB Nation: Turning fan bases into media brands
SBNation's philosophy is based on providing locally focused, fan-centric sports content. Jim Bankoff, chairman and CEO of the sports blogging network, describes the level of interaction as similar to an Internet version of sports talk radio.

Apps versus mobile Web: Who will win?
Will apps be relevant in the future? It depends on who you ask.

How GEO scales international content to local markets
As different models for localization emerge, GEO's strategy serves as an interesting example of how centralized technology enables a publisher to scale by providing locally filtered and community-driven international content.

How Starbucks Made a Comeback Using Social Media

2010-10-10T15:33:00.004-04:00

I recently wrote about what media brands can learn from Starbucks (eMedia Vitals) after hearing Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz speak at the American Magazine Conference in Chicago. Among other things, Schultz discussed the forthcoming Starbucks Digital Network, a content network featuring many media partners and exclusively available on the Starbucks network. He also talked about how social media helped the company come back from a branding crisis.

“You can't police the social media dialogue that's going on. You have to embrace it,” he said.

Old Spice and Other Social Media Success Stories This Year

2010-09-20T07:00:00.007-04:00

I recently covered the Digiday:Social conference in New York, where marketers and media companies shared some of the ways they've used social media to monetize and engage users. The agency behind the Old Spice campaign shared how their ads went viral. Read more at eMedia Vitals.

Quote: Stop Waiting to Be Happy

2010-09-19T17:17:00.006-04:00

Why not seize the pleasure at once? How often is happiness destroyed by preparation, foolish preparation!

— an excerpt from Jane Austen's "Emma."

A great quote that is very hard to follow.

Photo: Courtesy of the University of Texas Libraries, The University of Texas at Austin.

This Month in Digital Media: August 2010

2010-09-12T14:28:00.005-04:00

Here are a few of my stories from last month that might interest you:

The misused and overused: digital media buzzwords: Every industry has buzzwords that become so commonplace that you can't help but chuckle when you hear them. Below are 10 words and phrases you can't avoid in digital media circles (and yes, we're just as guilty of using them as anyone). All of these words represent valuable concepts in the digital media industry, but the contexts they're used in are often ambiguous. Like any buzzword, after so many utterances, they tend to lose their punch.

What's happening in mobile

News gets more personal on the iPad: News consumption has gradually become a more customizable experience, starting with RSS readers and Twitter feeds, and now continuing in the new venue of the iPad. iPad applications are popping up to help consumers digest the barrage of daily news in more compelling and efficient ways.

Researcher predicts iPad will reign over tablet market through 2012: Despite rival products in the works, Apple's head start in the tablet market will serve it well. Market research firm iSuppli Corp. projects that Apple's iPad will account for about three-fourths (74.1 percent) of global tablet shipments in 2010. Over the next two years, as new rivals enter the market, the iPad will continue to dominate, with 70 percent share of shipments in 2011 and 62 percent in 2012, according to iSuppli.

iPad paves the way for made-for-mobile publications: Apple's iPad e-reader not only prompted long-time publishers to launch digital editions of their magazines; the tablet device also has opened up a new market for publications built only for mobile devices. New entrants include Sideways, publisher of the monthly iPad magazine Sideways, and Nomad Editions, which is about to launch a series of iPad-based digital weeklies. Neither company views being outside of traditional publishing as a hindrance; if anything, they see it as an opportunity.

What's happening in social media

Publishers turn to Facebook for community-building: Every online publisher wants to build a loyal community, but they're taking different routes to get there. Some publishers still believe they have a dedicated-enough audience to host their own communities, while others have opted to extend their communities into the social Web. Whereas a Facebook fan page was once considered a branding experiment, more media companies are tapping into the site as a community forum.

How will location-based services play out for publishers?: Location-based services are growing fast — at least from a technology perspective. In reality, only a sliver of the population use them. Like many emerging technologies, location-based services hold promise for publishers, but they still have a long way to go.

What's happening in content strategy

Content syndication gets more niche-oriented: Content syndication is one of the oldest media tricks in the book for publishers looking to supplement their original content. But syndication has evolved beyond big names like the Associated Press and Bloomberg. Interest from both publishers and advertisers has propelled new syndication business models for more niche content, specializing in topics like cars, pets and sports.

Who are you calling old?: Kind of like your grandmother going on Facebook, magazines that lived through prohibition and many wars have not let the digital revolution stop them. Some of the staple American thought-leader-type magazines ― the ones that harbor a sort of literary nostalgia ― have been reinventing themselves for the digital world, using slightly different tactics.

I Used to Blog for Free All the Time, What Happened?

2010-09-08T08:41:00.001-04:00

Man, posting to a "personal" blog is much more difficult when you start blogging all of the time for a living. This is especially true for me, because the digital-type ideas I used to have for this blog can often be translated to my new job, and all of my mental energy really goes there.

On the other hand, it's such a necessity to have your own blog if you want to clear your mind in the space where you're in charge. Painters can't just paint portraits for others, they have to paint other junk on the side (I'm making that up). What works for you guys? Do you think blogging is worth it even for professional writers/bloggers?

...The worst are those people who post on their blogs about how they're not posting on their blogs...

Speaking of blogging and my day job, I just wrote a story about how I made diddly-squat writing for Examiner.com, and then I spoke to them about why they don't pay writers much. I admit, I basically used to write about social media for free (but look, I do it for even less at Y-rd).

I have a bunch of other links to post soon, in case you're interested in the blog where I spend more time. (By the way, isn't the eMediaVitals.com redesign awesome?) Listen, don't hate me, but I think it will be a lot of linking around here for a little while. Gotta take care of the wife and not the mistress right now.

The Gender Gap Closes for Some

2010-09-05T21:40:00.003-04:00

Young, metropolitan women are bringing in more dough than their male peers, according to research reported in The Wall Street Journal. To be more specific:

In 2008, single, childless women between ages 22 and 30 were earning more than their male counterparts in most U.S. cities, with incomes that were 8% greater on average, according to an analysis of Census Bureau data released Wednesday by Reach Advisors, a consumer-research firm in Slingerlands, N.Y.

It's a hopeful sign for women, for sure, but it doesn't mean we've solved the ambiguous gender wage disparity problem in the U.S. As the article notes:

While these particular women earn more than their male peers, women on the whole haven't reached equal status in any particular job or education level. For instance, women with a bachelor's degree had median earnings of $39,571 between 2006 and 2008, compared with $59,079 for men at the same education level, according to the Census.

Twentysomethings are Still 'Emerging'

2010-08-31T22:28:00.008-04:00

What is it about those twentysomethings? I've been meaning to do my brief analysis of the latest New York Times crack at my generation (for those of you who rely on me to actually read the whole article). The magazine piece starts out with the usual gist: Twentysomethings don't want to grow up; they're taking forever to have kids; and they're basically in two groups — living in their parents' basements or in the Peace Corps. (All of this sounds about right — after all, we're living to 100 so we mine as well take our time.)

Then the article actually gets pretty scientific. Apparently psychologist/sociologist types have debated whether we should coin a whole new life stage called "emerging adulthood" (kind of like adolescence once was invented). Interesting. I could totally see it.

Only problem is adults don't always get to "emerge."

I admire the reporter for stepping away from the middle-class, white-collar fixation to mention the social/class divide to all of this. I'll take it further to say there are varying degrees of how people "emerge" based on privilege. Not everyone can just meander around the globe for fun or be supported by their parents, for instance.

But many elements of the "emerging adult" are true. Even those of us who don't live anywhere near our helicopter parents still depend on them, facilitated by technology. I am no longer supported by my parents and hardly ever see them, but I rely on them for an insane amount of emotional support, as do many of my friends who live far away from their parents. I do see similarities across all of my friend types, from those who already have their own houses, to those cavorting around New York City, to those living with their parents in the Midwest. We are all not quite "on our own."

Basically the concept of emerging adulthood intrigues me and is worth considering. There's certainly some truth to it. My only concern is misconstruing "emerging" as a monochromatic and/or lazy state of all twentysomethings. As the article points out, a lot of twentysomethings are hardworking. Sometimes I feel like I care more about work now than I will in 25 years. The bottom line is, we are counting on living longer and therefore we don't worry about having a family or having all of our dreams come true right away. There's time to do that when we're 30. I'm looking forward to the New York Times piece in 15 years about our generation turning 40 and realizing "oh *!$% I never did grow up."

Why I'm Not Using Facebook Places Yet

2010-08-22T11:34:00.007-04:00

Though I'm a fan of location-based tools, I'm not yet convinced about using the much-hyped Facebook Places. Facebook has rolled out the much-anticipated location tools that commentators speculate will kill Foursquare in the end. (Although the release has also given Foursquare an initial boon; sometimes mainstream tools can serve to draw attention to the niche ones.) But for people like me, Foursquare offers control that Facebook does not.

I've been using Foursquare for a while now but I'm very particular about friends there. If I don't work with and/or hang out with you regularly, I won't be your Foursquare friend. To me the test was "would I invite this person to my apartment?" I'm all for location-based services, but you can't mess around when you're telling others where you are. (Not to be paranoid, but robberies from social media do happen.)

I'm also particular about adding Facebook friends but obviously that method has evolved since Facebook started as a college-only playground when I was a freshman dormitory dweller. My rule for Facebook is simply that I have to know the person. That means I've collected much of the world I've met all over the globe in my adult life, and many people I no longer speak to or would even feel comfortable e-mailing. I usually put "friends" that I don't know well and are purely work/career relationships into a "work" privacy category. I've often pondered how Facebook has dramatically changed the natural ebb and flow of relationships, particularly for my generation.

And now, on top of an already convoluted social structure, we're adding location to the mix.

Facebook Places does have privacy controls but it's hard for me to imagine controlling who in my 599 friends I want to know where I am. What I liked about Foursquare was my ability to start over, being selective about who I know.

What I don't like about Foursquare is that most of my friends have never gotten into it or lost interest in it entirely. I guess location-based services aren't as fun when you're talking to yourself. Looks like I can't have everything.

Hilarious: What the F is My Social Media Strategy?

2010-08-03T22:12:00.005-04:00

This made my day: Has someone asked you what your "social media strategy" is lately? (Sorry, I'm guilty; I've asked a few people, considering I'm a digital media reporter.) If you need to look up a catchphrase, check out this site (it made me LLOL — you know, literally laugh out loud): http://whatthefuckismysocialmediastrategy.com/

This Month in Digital Media: July 2010

2010-08-01T17:00:00.001-04:00

A few more stories you digital geeks might be interested in what I've written lately for eMedia Vitals:

"What is online privacy? Not everyone agrees:" Get ready for some high-level musings about online privacy. At today's Supernova Forum in Philadelphia, panelists debated the role of privacy and publicness. Privacy isn't a new word, but it's certainly taken on more meanings as technology progresses ... Jeff Jarvis, author of the blog BuzzMachine, and danah boyd, social media researcher at Microsoft Research, offered these thoughts about privacy in the digital age.

"iPad app could be the Pandora for news:" The iPad has been publicized for its potential to rejuvenate print publications, but it's also paved the way for more personalized applications to consume news. One such app is the Apollo news app, which calls itself the “newspaper of the future” and “the world's first personalized mobile newspaper.”

"How publishers curate the world of content:" It's nothing new that many news websites augment their own content with repackaged content from around the Web, but the applications have evolved along with the technology. Content providers are experimenting with all sort of ways for editors and technology to push outside content to readers, whether through aggregation or curation (for a lengthy discussion about the difference, check out the Nieman Journalism Lab).

Millennials Will Change Work ... but So Did Other Generations

2010-07-31T20:41:00.004-04:00

I was intrigued by the post earlier this week in the Harvard Business Review titled "Millennials Won't Change Work; Work Will Change Millennials." I disagree with that judgment, but not because I think Millennials are any more revolutionary than some other generations. Almost every generation has changed work; why would Millennials be any different? Every new crop of workers will leave their stamp.

I suppose we just talk so much about Millennials because it's the latest thing to talk about.

What do you think; are Millennials changing the workplace? Will it be any more or less than other generations?

Will Foursquare Be a New Model for Information?

2010-07-24T15:34:00.007-04:00

I enjoyed listening to Foursquare and The New York Times discuss the future packaging of information at a conference in New York City this week.

The NYT's Michael Zimbalist described how every object has “information shadows” that can be conjured at different times on different devices.

For instance, Foursquare might work with more media partners (most recently New York magazine) to repackage their content into bite-sized nuggets of information.

As you know, I'm a huge fan of Foursquare, but I feel like I'm one of few of my friends (doesn't seem very mainstream to me). Will Foursquare or another geolocation service like it become more widely adopted?

The Kind of Stats that Could Make Someone Hate Weddings

2010-07-22T22:53:00.006-04:00

Most working brides spends 10 hours a week planning their wedding, according to a recently released survey by ForbesWoman, TheKnot.com and WeddingChannel.com.

... I know, I mean, who the heck has time for that? It turns out they do it on company time, which most of us who've ever worked with a bride know: Almost 90% brides admitted to planning their weddings on company time, and one in three felt their workplace performance suffered because of it.

The survey looked at more than 1,000 working women (most of whom are college-educated, live in the U.S. and make more than $70k). Of course, most of the survey respondents came through TheKnot.com — so, presumably the sample skewed to the bridezilla side. I hope a regular sample of women would give me more hope.

Let me clarify: I'm not totally disappointed by my fellow women, but I'm kind of turned off by this complete obsession around one party and the continued female responsibility to plan it, even though most of us have careers. It's true men are more involved, but 90% of respondents said their fiance spends less planning time. Women still bring this on themselves/succumb to the cultural pressure to do it (OK, and maybe even enjoy it).

I'm certainly not anti-marriage or anti-wedding, but it seems like the tradition has gotten out of hand, turning into a big boring hobby for so many people. We shouldn't have to decide whether to have a life or plan a wedding.

Now, about that maid of honor speech I need to write...

Photo by Shelley Panzarella

Google News Users Prefer Dashboards

2010-07-21T21:04:00.004-04:00

I previously wrote about how Google is changing news with new features. Now they revamped their revamp after users complained about some of the features. The backlash suggests that readers might prefer to consume online news as a dashboard, not a stream. I recently blogged about the topic at eMedia Vitals.

'Mother Jones' aids traffic with social media

2010-07-16T08:00:00.000-04:00

For those of you wondering if social media can make a difference for publications, here's an interesting success story: Mother Jones magazine says it boosted social media traffic by 676% last quarter.

The progressive news outlet (I guess I shouldn't call it a magazine these days) relies pretty heavily on social media. In an interview for eMedia Vitals, they told me almost 10 percent of the sites traffic last quarter came from sites such as Twitter and Facebook and another 20 percent from aggregator sites such as The Huffington Post, Digg and StumbleUpon.com.

How Google Is Changing News

2010-07-14T09:35:00.004-04:00

Google News has been up to a lot lately, as you've probably noticed. Like it or not, Google and its news strategies will likely be revolutionary (if they aren't already) for our generation. It's hard for me to remember a time before Google; Millennials are very much in the Google generation in the way we receive content.

On Friday I spoke with Josh Cohen, senior product manager for Google News, who offered some perspective about how the site is trying to work with publishers for a story on eMedia Vitals. You might be interested in what he has to say.

Digital Media News Round-up!

2010-07-12T07:32:00.006-04:00

What have I been doing the last few weeks? I hope you are prepared for an overwhelming number of headlines with links, because here's what I've been writing about the digital media industry over at eMedia Vitals (I promise I'll come up with a better way to share this type of content in the future):

"Publishing alliance seeks better standards for e-readers"

"4 tips for gaining trust from skeptical readers"

"Google's YouTube eyes local news outlets"

"Wired shares lessons learned from the iPad"

"Publishing lags behind other industries in e-mail open rates"

"Scribd reaches out to publishers with free HTML5 conversion"

"How publishers are using HTML5"

"Aviation website revs up e-media thrust"

"3 ways magazines connect the page to the Web"

"Readers will pay more for specialized online content"

"Craft publisher launches digital 'eMag' as print enhancement"

"In frenzy over mobile apps, don't forget the mobile web"

"Mobile advertising: What works?"

"Has the World Cup hooked Americans on mobile video?"

"'Atlantic' hits new highs for web traffic, revenue"

"Is paid content edging out other Web initiatives?"

"Why publishers should care about Android"

Declaration of Independence from Social Media (for One Day)

2010-07-04T11:24:00.006-04:00

When in the course of human events it becomes necessary for people to dissolve the digital bands which have connected them with all of their friends they haven’t seen since preschool, and to assume a life away from the computer for one day, a respect for other Internet users requires that the person should declare the causes which cause them to separate from social media for that day.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all Twitter and Facebook users are created equal. That they are endowed by Mark Zuckerberg and other social media gods with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of having the most clever status updates.

Whenever any form of social media becomes destructive, it is the right of the social media user to take a break from it.

The history of social media has led the user to repeated injuries. To prove this, let facts be submitted to our fellow social network colonists:

Social media has refused to assent to social laws most wholesome and necessary for the public good, such as not allowing us to disconnect from people we haven't spoken to in years.
Social media has forbidden its users to attend to things of immediate and pressing importance, such as getting up to take a shower or going to bed at a suitable time instead of sending fake beers to our friends.
Social media has refused to accommodate large districts of people — unless those people would relinquish the right of privacy to marketing companies and creepy Internet stalkers.
Social media called together legislative bodies at unusual places, allowing Congressmen to tweet instead of doing their jobs.
Social media has made employers dependent on its will alone to find out whether job applicants are worthy.
Social media has kept among us armies of bloggers forced to work for free.
Social media has plundered our minds, ravaged our brain cells, burnt our eye sockets, and destroyed the ability of humans to talk in person.

We, therefore, the representatives of the World Wide Web, appealing to the social media users of the world, do, in the name, and by authority of the good People of these social networks, solemnly publish and declare, that people are and of right ought to be free and independent thinkers for one day — absolved from constantly retweeting and giving the thumbs up to whatever everyone else says.

While supporting this Declaration of a day without social media, we realize that we will be tweeting again tomorrow. When this Independence Day is over, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortune, and the promise to never do anything without telling the rest of the world about it again.

Editor's note: This post was originally published July 3, 2009, on Examiner.com. (I realize I'm on social media right now.)

Photo: Matthew Padgett

Social Media Keep Journalists on Our Toes

2010-06-19T11:11:00.007-04:00

"Wooing the press is an exercise roughly akin to picnicking with a tiger. You might enjoy the meal, but the tiger always eats last."

The New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd once said that quote, which seems untrue to me now. Being a journalist in the digital age certainly lessens our power of the "last word." There are social networks ready to buzz about everything we do or say. We might still be tigers, but we are tigers surrounded by a safari.

And then we ourselves become the safari hunting other tigers, participating in the endless stream of information.

It's good for us really; it keeps us on our toes. Furthermore, it keeps us mingling with our audience instead of standing proud on our own.

Photo: Save China's Tiger

Finding a Job ‘That’s So Perfect for Me’

2010-06-12T11:35:00.008-04:00

I know I’ve been kind of MIA lately and might continue to be inconsistent as I go through a big transition. That’s right — I have a new job, even in this media apocalypse everyone talks about. Actually, starting Monday I will be writing about digital media strategies (doing my part to help us sidestep the apocalypse) for the online publication eMedia Vitals (www.eMediaVitals.com), based in New York City.

I know what you’re thinking: “That's so perfect for you!”

I guessed it because that is the reaction I have been getting from most of the people I tell. "That's so perfect for you" is a simple but genuine phrase that has come out of my mouth to friends who got the job they wanted. Now that I'm on the receiving end, I've found it's a powerful phrase to hear over and over again from those who know me well.

It made me realize that everyone should hear those words uttered to them when they tell people in their lives about a new job. The people that know you the best can often tell whether you are taking a job that is up your alley. (BTW isn't "up your alley" such a ridiculous way to describe something being in line with your tastes? Why are you in an alley instead of on a tree-lined street?)

Ideally we should all be in places best suited for us. An experienced entrepreneur told me recently that you just can’t succeed in something you don’t absolutely love — because someone who does absolutely love it will surpass you.

It seems obvious, but it’s hard to find a job that people would say is “perfect for you." I’ve passed up opportunities that seemed perfect because the logistics might not have been perfect at the time. Luckily there is more than one company or even industry where someone can do something “perfect” for them. Also, everyone has a different definition of perfection — a huge paycheck might be more important to someone than the workload, for instance.

Now let's get to the cynical part. The "perfect" phrase is really quite over-the-top when you think about it, but we do love hyperbole in American speech. Regardless of how well-suited you are to a job, no job is perfect. A job that seems perfect could end up totally sucking. But I do believe job flaws are easier to conquer if you are well-matched to the job in the first place.

So, while a job that sounds perfect for you might not end up being perfect for you (partly because there is no such thing), it certainly means you are on the right track.

I’m sure I’ll share more finding-a-job-right-for-you-in-a-bad-economy observations in the future, but for now I just wanted to pass along my big news. Those of you in the media world should definitely check out the site when you get the chance (and send story ideas if you feel inclined). You know I like to talk about digital media on this blog, so I’m sure I’ll be teasing a lot of my new stuff here.

And even though I’m no longer writing for financial publications, I will still blog about finance as it relates to you (which I love). Learning so much about finance, especially how it relates to young professionals, has definitely been helpful to me personally and professionally.

Thanks for all of your support. And please share your stories — has anyone ever told you something sounds "perfect" for you?

Zappos Will Pay Employees to Quit Their Jobs

2010-06-11T21:55:00.010-04:00

Can you imagine being offered money to quit your job? That's exactly what they do at the online retailer Zappos.com. On the most recent episode of net@night, Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh highlights his revolutionary attitude about corporate culture, which I've discussed in a previous post.

Hsieh discusses how he is so confident in the Zappos corporate culture that the company will pay employees $2,000 to quit after they start. Hsieh doesn't want people hanging around that don't want to be there.

Another interesting thing: He says he doesn't hire "annoying" people. You know the ones: They are great performers who will help the company but ultimately have big egos that bring down the work culture. Zappos wants top performers that are also humble.

How does Hsieh make money off of fostering a good place to work? He explains that it's worthwhile because these days your good treatment of employers and customers spreads so fast via social media that it will ultimately help your bottom line.

Photo: Tony Hsieh, provided by Zappos

Make One Phone Call Every Day That You Don't Want to Make

2010-06-06T20:08:00.005-04:00

You know how sometimes we use e-mail to deal with situations we don't want to deal with? While e-mail can be convenient, it can drag out a situation that could have been solved much faster via direct communication.

That's why I loved the advice Broadway producer Ken Davenport wrote in a post on his blog The Producer's Perspective. At Davenport Theatrical Enterprises, the rule is to make one phone call every day that you don't want to make.

"When we feel that pang in our gut that indicates we're trying to weasle out of some direct communication that would probably serve us better and get us what we want faster, that's when we pick up the phone," Davenport writes.

I completely know the feeling! Since my friend Carly alerted me to this piece of wisdom, I have tried to make a phone call every day that makes me nervous. You would think that would be easy in a field like journalism, but you'd be surprised how easy it is to use e-mail for most of your communication even in communications-based fields.

Of course, I am not a fan of people calling me when e-mail really would have been the best route -- so I don't make phone calls just to make them. For instance, I get a lot of unnecessary phone calls interrupting my workflow from PR people with story ideas I don't care about. Sometimes they should just stick to e-mail.

So, if there's a phone call you don't want to make AND it would genuinely be the best way to handle something, pick up the phone! You'll feel so much better after you make that call.

Quote: Being Original Ain't Easy

2010-05-31T07:00:00.000-04:00

"Originality is unexplored territory. You get there by carrying a canoe -- you can't take a taxi." — Alan Alda (Hawkeye from "M*A*S*H*")

Sometimes old white guys are really smart.

Photo: Markus Poessel