Adios, 2009.

Ok, look, so everyone else is bringing back their blogs for 2010 (I know; I’m such a sheep sometimes) and I think four months away from this blog was enough to adjust to my new life, so I’m back. I keep reading my Google reader and come across so many things I want to tell you guys about anyways.

It’s time to quit dilly-dallying and get down to business. I’m even getting started on my New Year’s resolution the day before Jan. 1st. That’s how dedicated I am. (And it also means I more than likely won’t be posting on tomorrow, haha.)

First, updates:

Although 2009 was a rough year for lots of people, overall I think it was a good year for me. Although it was probably one of the hardest years of my life, I think I learned a lot and I definitely came out on top. Here's proof:

1) I live in New York City.

2) I got a job as an editorial assistant at a national women’s magazine. (Check for 2009 New Year’s Resolution #1)

3) I lost at least five pounds. (Check for 2009 New Year’s Resolution #2)

4) I still have a thing for long distance boys, but I’m trying out the local scene, too. The boy mentioned in the date below didn’t work out due to moving to New York though.

Second, 2010 Resolutions:

1) Lose another five pounds. (Small goals, but hey, at least I keep them.)

2) Write, write, write. As an EA, I don’t get to write a whole lot yet, so I need/want to keep writing. I’m keeping this resolution pretty open, though. Writing will include this blog and any other possible blogs I may start as well as freelance stuff (which I really do plan on jumping on at some point in 2010).

3) I want to save money. By December 31, 2010, I want to have at least three months rent saved up. This will be no easy feat, but I started this when I started getting real paychecks. I have a lot of big expenses coming up (two weddings!), so I need to get serious about it.

4) Volunteer. Not just anywhere though. I want to find something I’m passionate about, so I imagine that will take me in the direction of something to do with media, women or the military.

I think four resolutions is enough, right? I only made two in 2009, but I kept both of them, which makes me happy.

What about you? Did you make any resolutions?

Wow, it already feels good to be back.

OMG

OH MY GOD, I HAVE A REAL JOB! NEW YORK, I'LL SEE YOU SOON!

I swear I'm not ignoring you.

Dearest blog,

I'm really sorry for the neglect lately. I've somehow been staying busy between my new writing ventures, the job search (which is getting better), going to the gym (yes! I'm still going strong!) and (gasp!) a social life.

Let's recap my life:

- You can check out my new articles on ChickSpeak about Tammy Tibbetts and the MacDella Cooper Foundation here, Project Girl here, "The Zookeeper's Wife" here and getting your car ready for a roadtrip here. If you're on Twitter, FOLLOW US at @ChickSpeak. We aren't a robot, and I know because I'm the official tweeter! If you're on Tumblr, FOLLOW US here. We'll follow back, too!

- I'm also writing at BizMe.biz. My first article is about the corporate dresscode. I have more coming though, so stay tuned.

- I have a part-time retail job now. (Hey, at least it's something. Although I've had to dress up and wear more makeup for this job than pretty much every other job/internship I've ever had.)

- I have friends and a social life. Sweeeet. I even went on an actual date recently with a guy who actually lives near me. (No more of those out-of-town boys. Although they were fun, haha.)

- I have serious job prospects on the line. I'm not big on talking about it because I do feel it might jinx me, so just keep your fingers crossed.

- My war with the treadmill is definitely going in my favor. In fact, I actually managed to KEEP my weight-related New Year's Resolution this year! I'm thinking of possibly running a 5k sometime this fall. Although my only worry is that I haven't really run outside (and by haven't really I mean haven't at all). Oh well, I suppose I'll try soon!

Ok, that's my recap. I have also been reading a lot about interesting topics in my blogs. Tomorrow I have a 5-hr bus ride back home, so I'm sure I'll end up not doing anything I'm supposed to be doing and blog. For some reason, that's what tends to happen.

Toodles for today,

Cassandra

I want to fly.

I forget if I mentioned this in my blog or not, but a while back a trapeze school came to Washington DC; Trapeze School New York to be specific. I had read about other people taking trapeze classes in New York, and I was definitely jealous. Then it came to DC, but I forgot about it for a while.

So earlier today I was reading some Web sites, including Metromix DC (love them!), and I came across an article about the trapeze school. It turns out the classes are relatively affordable, especially now that I have some extra income coming in. I want to take the Flying Trapeze class, the Static Trapeze and the Silks class. Although of all of them, I think the Silks class would be the coolest. I've always wanted to twist and turn high above the ground with just fabric, haha. Seriously though, I think it would be awesome.

You know, I'm just saying, but they also have giftcards. Ahem. That would make a pretty awesome Christmas or birthday gift to a certain someone special, ahem.

If I actually go through with it, I'll be sure to let you know. I have a feeling I might.

Yo Quiero Taco Bell Por Favor

If you know me, you know I'm a huge fan of Taco Bell. Yes, I realize it's absolutely horrible, but I just love those Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes and Supreme Chalupas. Plus, I only have it once in a while, so I figure it's ok. (Moderation is key!)

Anyways, today Taco Bell is in my thoughts and prayers. Gidget, the 15-year-old chihuahua, suffered from a stroke Tuesday night and died. You might know her best from her "Yo Quiero Taco Bell" (and yes, Gidget is a she that took on 'he' roles in the campaign) or from her role as Bruiser's mom in Legally Blonde 2. The mostly retired actress enjoyed laying out in the sun, hiking, entertaining people and sleeping for 23 hours per day, said Gidget's trainer Sue Chipperton to People Pets.

Remember the Taco Bell plush dogs? (Pictured below.) At one point, I had all of them. I kind of wish I still did, but I'm pretty sure I sent them to the Salvation Army with the many bags of clothing I sent there. (I'm pretty sure my (old) local Salvation Army could stay open with my donations alone, haha.)

RIP Gidget. My thoughts and prayers go out to Taco Bell, your trainer and anyone else who associated with you.

A Hair-Removing Beauty Trend

I'd call it a "hair-raising" trend except, in this case, there will be no hair to raise. As I was reading through my Google Reader (which I still adore) and came across a post from BellaSugar about a reemerging trend, barely there eyebrows. Although from the picture they used, it really looks like the model has no eyebrows.

Eyebrows have always been a source of trouble for women. I find them quite annoying myself. I try to keep them in check the best that I can, but I'm pretty terrified of getting them waxed. I've only done it once because I really trusted the esthetician. What I'm actually scared about is having the esthetician wax off both of my eyebrows and leave me looking a little ridiculous.

Apparently, my fear might actually be the latest trend! Crazy.

Twenty-six-year-old fashion consultant Lauren Boyle told the New York Times, "There is an asexual element to no eyebrows. We are much more accepting of the ‘other’ nowadays. Removing eyebrows removes a degree of expression, which makes one look less human and more cerebral, maybe even mechanical. It’s an exercise in modernity."

Another idea, including that of makeup artist Pat McGrath who recently did the latest Balenciaga show at the 2009 Fall Paris Fashion Week, is that the no-eyebrow trend has to do with the recession. Apparently financial troubles help people open up to become more daring and try new "inovative" looks.

Nevertheless, the trend is popping up everywhere from Balenciaga to Givenchy to Vogue. You can either bleach your eyebrows until they no longer seem there or get serious and shave them off.

As for me? I think I'll be keeping my eyebrows. I don't really understand how not having eyebrows is asexual. It's not like only one sex has eyebrows; both women and men have eyebrows. Also, why would one want to look less human? I don't know about you, but I feel blessed to be a human. (Granted I wouldn't mind being a domestic cat or a bear, but that's for another post.) Shouldn't we want to celebrate being human?

And the whole recession causing the look idea? I can see why this would be attractive to high-end luxury brands (who probably aren't suffering like you and me during the recession). They have to find new ways to grab people's attentions. Although the recession does not have me running out to try new innovative looks. In fact, I think it's almost had the reverse effect. Instead of wanting to push my looks to new extremes, I've found myself being much more conservative. (But then again, maybe that's just where I am in life, which would also make another post.)

So I'm interested in your opinion. How do you feel about going eyebrowless? Would you ever do it? I guess it's easier than plucking, though. Just one swift movement from the razor!

Teeccino: A Coffee Alternative?

For those of you who aren't aware, I stopped drinking coffee about a year and a half ago. (OK, I've only had one slip-up since then, too, but that's because I went to a Starbucks event with my boss at one of my internships. You can't say no to coffee at a Starbucks event, and it was only a sample, not a full cup.)

I gave up coffee for a lot of reasons. The biggest reason is probably health. Coffee isn't bad for you if you're just drinking coffee in moderation. I was not drinking just coffee nor was I drinking in moderation. Those stupid sugary drinks are so good. On campus, there was a coffee shop, The Daily Grind, that had these delicious drinks called Grasshoppers, which was were full of sugar, mint and cream, etc. Ugh! So delicious! The second reason was (surprise!) the money. These drinks cost about $5 (if I remember correctly) and Starbucks drinks are just as if not more expensive.

So I started with my alternative: tea. Honestly, I love tea. I'm currently addicted to Twining's Green Tea with Mint. I make a pitcher's worth and stick it in the fridge and presto! a nice, cool drink for the summer.

This is my tea shelf. There's loose-leaf tea behind these boxes, too.

But I was recently reading Glamour's blog Vitamin G and saw this "coffee alternative." It's called Teeccino and it's a blend of herbs, nuts, fruits and grains. You apparently make it just like you'd make regular coffee in a Mr. Coffee (or coffeemaker of your choice). There are a lot of benefits, too, like it being high in potassium, soluble fiber, inulin. (If you must know more, click here.)

Great news, right? Well, there's a downside, too. This "herbal coffee" has no caffeine. Now, I know I gave up coffee, but I did not give up caffeine. Sure, I have a few herbal teas, which are nice before bed, but I also still have my black and green teas chock-full of caffeine. So this wouldn't be the best choice for those coffee drinkers who should really just invest in a caffeine IV.

Regardless, I generally always like trying new things, so I signed up for a free sample of "Original Teeccino." I kind of wanted to try the chai, but when I first try things, I like to try the original first. Apparently Teeccino is sold at Whole Foods near me, so if I like it, maybe I'll be interested in trying the other flavors.

The free sample should arrive in 4-6 weeks, so once I test it out, I'll let you know how it goes! But if any of you have tried it, please let me know what you think. Or feel free to share your coffee alternatives if you have any!

Back in Business

Why hello my darling readers! Miss me much? Because I'm back!

I won't lie; the hiatus was rather enjoyable. Sometimes the pressure of blogging can be a little... much... even for a little ol' blog like mine. Also, lying by the pool instead of attaching myself to my laptop makes for a very happy Cassandra. Nevertheless, I think it's time to make a comeback.

I don't have much in terms of updates except that I've been taking time to figure out what I'm doing with my life. I've made some goals, so hopefully I can stick to them. Otherwise, I'll be back to posting all things that entertain, interest or intrigue me.

Enjoy!

Long-Term Hiatus

Hey, sorry for the blogging hiatus. Unfortunately, this isn't the end of it. I wanted to let my faithful readers know that I probably won't be blogging for much of June. I'm taking a little time to gather myself up and reevaluate things.

Thanks for being such great readers. I'll be back again bou really miss efore you know it. If you really miss me, feel free to drop me a comment or follow me on Twitter.

Toodles for now!

Just In Case You Didn't Know

So this isn't exactly new news, but here's the story behind Judge Sotomayor. I didn't really get too into until I decided to write this article. I'm going to say she's a pretty cool woman. Check it out, leave me a comment, join the site and enjoy!

Yummy in My Tummy

It's been a while since I've shared my good finds with you, so I wanted to let you know that Friday, June 5, is National Doughnut Day. What does this mean?

FREE DOUGHNUTS!!

Krispy Kreme is giving out one free doughnut to every customer. You don't even have to make a purchase. To find out if there is a Krispy Kreme near you, click here.

Dunkin Donuts is also giving out one free doughnut with the purchase of a beverage (while supplies last). Find out if you're close to one here.

To be honest, I probably won't get one. I'm not a big fan of doughnuts, so I'll save myself for ice cream or something. But let me know what type they hand out!

Are You a Supergirl?

I had the pleasure of interviewing Supergirls Speak Out author Liz Funk for ChickSpeak.com. She's such an awesome girl. Very inspiring, too. You really ought to read the Q&A, then read her book. (Then join ChickSpeak and comment on all of my articles! haha)

Miss me?

Sorry for the brief lack of posting. My mums was visiting, so I spent my time with her. She left today, so I'm a little really sad. I've never been one for goodbyes.

But to make up for the lack of posting, I thought I'd share some pictures from our adventures at the zoo. The animals were all out and about. And it's spring after all, so I was super excited to see babies! I saw the baby gorilla, but failed to get a clear picture of her. The other baby is pictured below. Sadly, mama panda isn't preggo, though. Cross your fingers for next year. Anyways, here you go:

Oh my goodness. I love the pandas at the zoo. What a perfect pose, too.

Even the sloth was out and about!

This is an anteater with her baby on her back. She came so close to us; it was crazy!

Cleanliness is even important at the zoo. The male grey seal is getting his teeth brushed!

Total War

So I’m currently at war with the treadmill in my gym. This war, however, has spread to the weight machines, free weights and even my kitchen. It feels so good to be working out again. I can actually see the muscle coming back!

But to really get a good grasp on how I’m doing, I want this: Tanita BC-350 Ironman Body Composition Monitor.

According to the description, it provides your “weight, body fat percentage, body water percentage, muscle mass, bone mass, basal metabolic rate, physique rating, visceral fat level, and metabolic age.”

It’s $269.99, but isn’t it pretty?

Buy Me Some?

Article number two is up now. If you're a female, you should join the site and hang out and chat on the forum. You can also follow the site on Twitter. And there's a group or fan page on Facebook. You can find it on my profile. Read and enjoy! Thanks.

Books, Books, Books

There’s this pretty cool project going on called “Fill in the Gaps: 100 Project.” I discovered it here on the blog, Editorial Ass.

The basic idea is to create a list of 100 books that you have been meaning to read or that you think you should read. Then you start reading them. You have five years to finish the list.

Interested? Check out this blog dedicated to the project: “Fill in the Gaps: 100 Project.”

I want to participate, but coming up with a list of 100 books to read is not very easy. I read over a few of the other lists and here are a few books I think I’ll add to my list:

Farenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman
Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt
Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy
Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
Middlemarch by George Eliot

But there are also books I want to read again because I read them when I was younger and don’t feel like I took everything I could from them. Like these:

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
Lord of the Flies by William Golding

Ahh, so many books. I’m currently reading The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood (one of my favorite authors). So at least I don’t have to include that on my list.

Do you have suggestions for my list? What criteria should I base it on? Do you have a list? What are you reading? Let me know; I’m curious.

Gift Emergencies Solved

Is it just me or is everyone getting married? I guess I’m sort of at that age where marriage becomes a real possibility. Then there is graduation; the class of 2009 is now out and about. And all us “adults” are working on that whole “career” deal, whatever that’s about.

All these celebrations call for gifts, too. But what should you get them? Shopping for presents is always hard unless of course they tell you what they want. During these occasions, you generally want a gift that’s useful, too. More stress.

Well stress no more because I found the coolest site: Ms. & Mrs. (I found it on SELF’s Beyond the Beauty Pages. Elaine, the beauty director, blogged about it.) This site offers “special occasion survival kits” for things like weddings, babies, college, new jobs and random emergencies.

I like the Shemergency and Working Girl’s kit most. Check it out:

What A Story

I meant to blog about this earlier, but now will have to do. I imagine most ladies have read Pride & Prejudice (and most men, too, as it’s generally required reading in school at one point or another). Then there is the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice and the movie version with Keira Knightley.

If you haven’t done any of the above, then perhaps you might be familiar with this quote:

“IT is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.”

It’s the first line of the book.

Well now there is another way to appreciate Pride and Prejudice! It comes in the form of a comic book. Marvel came out with the comic on April 1st.

What do you think? Will you pick it up? I haven’t… yet.

To the Rescue!

Is it common for kangaroos to go swimming? Because according to this story about a man saving a kangaroo from drowning/sharks, this crazy kangaroo seemed to go out in the ocean with the purpose of not coming back. Thank goodness the man was walking on the beach with his son and saw this crazy kangaroo. Apparently, he ran home (I guess he lived close), got his surf board and swam out to save the kangaroo. Here’s the video:


This guy pretty much risked his own life by swimming out into shark infested water. Pretty heroic, right? Or crazy? What do you think?

(Not) In the Mood

This week has not been all that great of a week. So I haven't really had any motivation to blog. But last night around 2am after watching Journey to the Center of the Earth and Sex and the City, I finally decided to do something. So I started to fold my laundry while listening to some music. (Let me tell you; there was A LOT of laundry.)

Anyways, Stand by Rascal Flatts started on my iTunes, and it made me feel a little better. So I wanted to share it with you guys to use when you're not having a good day.

Shameless Self Promotion

So I'm writing for a Web site, ChickSpeak.com. It's a pretty cool site, and I definitely believe in the mission. Here's my first article. Check it out!

Fun and Famous

Hello all. I'm back! Sorry I didn't post yesterday. I was suffering from a miserable migraine. Normally if I just relax, it passes. So I made a bowl of baby brussels sprouts (I love steamed veggies in the microwave!) and watched Hancock. Well, no luck, it just got worse and worse. So I slept it off.

Anyways, this weekend was fun. I saw a famous person--William H. Macy! Well actually my friend saw him first. He was running and ran right past us! I remember him from Air Force One, Pleasantville and Sahara. He and a whole slew of other celebrities were in town for the White House Correspondents Dinner. Fun, huh? DC really is becoming the new NYC. (Ok, maybe that's stretching it. But still I saw a celebrity in DC faster than I did in New York.) Cool huh?

Sorry!

I've totally been disregarding my blog this week. YIKES. And I'm going to disregard it all weekend because I have a friend visiting. So I'll be back Monday with lots of fun and interesting posts. Until then, I'll leave you with these:

Save Your Printing Ink!

As summer approaches, many of you will probably be out on the job or internship search. But before you print out that resume, check this out!

Staples has launched their "Career Stimulus Program," which entails of printing out 20 free copies of your resume and 40 free business cards! You have until June 13th, 2009 to print them, too!

So update your resume and head over to a Staples near you.

I am a Blogaholic.

Some of you may have caught my earlier post about possibly being a blogaholic. Well there is no possbility. I -am- a blogaholic. And thanks to Google Reader, my addiction gets worse and worse and worse. I'm currently at 83 subscriptions.

Ok, to make sure you don't think that I'm sitting at a computer all day, I don't necessarily read every post. I skim through a lot of it and read what interests me the most. It's so easy to do on Google Reader, too. I don't have to visit 83 different Web sites when I want to see what's happening.

Last time I got some great suggestions for new blogs. So once again, I figured I'd share a few favorites of mine and ask you about yours. What are you reading? Because here's a spotlight of what I'm reading:

Funemployed in NYC - They have a great "Job of the Day" feature where they find ridiculous job postings. It's pretty funny. They make unemployment funny, which is nice.

Save Like Me - This is SELF's money saving blog. MP Dunleavey gives you great suggestions on how to go about saving money. I like how she uses real life examples, too.

Salon.com's Broadsheet - This is my go-to blog for women's issues and current affairs. I like how they talk about serious and not-so-serious issues with a conversational, witty and amusing tone.

Almost Savvy - This blog isn't updated too frequently, but when it is, you can find some great information.

Beyond the Beauty Pages - This is SELF's beauty blog. I've learned a lot from all the women there. I love reading what they're up to and what they suggest. (I also love that my friend Ale is a regular blogger. She's awesome!)

I May Have Found Another Addiction

Remember how I told you I joined Twitter? (I actually really like it, too.) Well I kind of found a new thing to play with. It's not new, but I guess Twitter wasn't really knew either.

Anyways, I'm on Tumblr! You might think I'm crazy for starting another blog, but this will be my main fix for a blog. My Tumblr blog is just about little quotes or photos that catch my eye. It's my latest fix.

Are any of you on it?

Cheap, Cheaper and Free!

You know me, I can't resist a good deal. And, wow, there are so many out there right now. So I hope you find some of these deals helpful this weekend and the upcoming week.

- Are you a Barnes & Noble member looking for a cheap subscription to a magazine? How does 89 cents for a year of Redbook sound? Or $2.70 for Marie Claire, Esquire or Harper's Bazaar? I'm so tempted to join, just to subscribe to all of these magazines! It costs $25 per year. Or find a friend or family member that is and use their membership! Check it out here.

- Mother's Day is around the corner. Do you have a card for Mom? No? Well get over to Hallmark to make a free card (postage included!). Follow the instructions from this site before May 4.

- Have a Sonic's near you? Get a free CroisSONIC breakfast sandwich by signing up here. Or do you prefer White Castle? Here's a coupon for a free pork slider. Or you can head to KFC and get a free drink with a purchase of their grilled chicken.

- Not a B&N fan? What about Borders? Get a free 12 oz beverage while perusing books.

- Is your birthday coming up? Do you like going to Benihana? While it's not near my birthday, I do love Benihana's. So I think you should join The Chef's Table and get a $30 max dinner certificate for your birthday!

- There are so many free samples on this site, I just can't pick one to share. Check it out for yourself!

A Sad Day for the Zoo

I am so sad. Happy the Hippo is leaving the zoo. He's probably one of my most favorite animals to visit. (I'm also a big fan of the giant pandas, the otters and the beavers.) It's always fun to watch him for long periods of time. If you only watch him for a few seconds, he might not move much. But he'll eventually come up for air or waddle around in his pool or make funny noises.

Anyways, I think Happy is fabulous. He's a 28-year old Nile hippo. Nile hippos can grow to be 15 feet long and weigh up to 8,000 lbs. Happy's diet consists of seven pounds of herbivore grain pellets, 35 pounds of hay, one and a half pounds of fruit and three pounds of vegetables. Yeesh!

I'm happy for him though. He's moving to the Milwaukee County Zoo, and he'll be sharing his new pad, which includes a pool and sandy beach, with two possible girlfriends, Puddles and Patty.

Make babies, Happy!

Please Wash Your Hands

Swine flu also known as the H1N1 flu has (probably) reached my home state of North Carolina and definitely reached the state I'm currently living in. This is not a good sign, friends. Having the flu definitely sucks..

So I hope you're all taking the time to really wash your hands, try not to touch your face or eyes much and pay attention to your surroundings. Me? I'm going out to buy anti-bacterial hand stuff and lysol tomorrow. Oh, and please refrain from doing the following:

Thanks.

(PS: Where are this poor kid's parents?)

Just For Giggles

I wanted to share this because it makes me laugh. A friend and I were having a conversation on AIM about "slow news days." You know what I mean; days when nothing is really happening. Here's a tidbit from our conversation. I hope it at least makes you smile.

FRIEND: Oh like how the other day on CNN they had this story about how the underwire of a womans bra saved her life...

ME: nah, that's just weird interesting news

FRIEND: two wars. economic collapse. imminent pandemic. and really you're going to talk about the bra that saved the day?

ME: bad news. bad news. bad news. wouldn't you want some uplifting news? no pun intended

FRIEND: LMAO

Who knew I could be so funny? I sure didn't!

Meeeeoww.

So if you haven't noticed by now, I'm a cat person. I can't wait until I have my own place and my own cat. Don't get me wrong though; I have two beautiful cats at my parent's home. One technically belongs to my brother and one is mine, but whatever. I could never just take mine (Malificent) away from her sister (Mercedes). I could never take both of them away for the dogs or my parents. So I must get my own cat. If it's a boy, I think I'll name it Maximus. I haven't figured out a girl's name yet.

Anyways, I'm reading this blog Lifehacker and they must be cat lovers over there because they have the cutest ideas. One of my favorites is the Cat Haven made from Ikea shelves. You need a little space, but the cat in the picture looks so happy. Another one of my favorites is the cat perch made from a wine crate. It's a great place for your cat, and it's rather stylish. I will definitely keep these ideas in mind for my future cats. Cute, huh?

Well this is even cuter. Check it out:



...love cats. Can't wait to adopt one.

Another Magazine Death Close To Home

Reading Gawker's Great Magazine Die-Off and Web sites like The Magazine Death Pool always make me sad. I hate watching the industry continue to fall apart.

Some magazine foldings hurt a little more than others. The first magazine fold that really affected me was JANE magazine. It had always been one of my favorites, and I happened to be interning there when it folded. So I experienced my first magazine folding at my first national magazine internship. It was really tough to pack up the office and watch my editors become unemployed.


It was even sadder watching it again while watching Fashionista Diaries. (I'm on three episodes, by the way. Although you'd never know because it's just my arm or the back of my head or my face is blurred out.) Although I'm glad I kept in touch with my editors, and they've all landed on their feet in great if not better positions.

Today another magazine I interned at folded: Conde Nast Portfolio.
Of course I'm not interning there now. In fact, I interned there directly after JANE magazine. I technically interned for the Web site because the magazine had not really begun its monthly publication. I never really imagined myself at such a magazine, but I really enjoyed my time there and met great editors. (Luckily, most of them had already moved on from the magazine before today.)

Nevertheless it still saddens me to see it fold. I also feel bad because it was one of the biggest magazine launches in recent years. (It launched in 2007.) There's definitely a lot of talk going on about it. You can read about it here (on their site) and here (from a former employee) and here.

I hope I don't see any of the other magazines I've interned at face the same fate. Something tells me they won't, but either way, I'm starting to get a little scared. Anyone else seen any magazine folds that hurt a little more than others? I hope not!

Book Rec for the Lovely Weekend

It took me two nights to finish The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. It's about author Juliet Ashton looking for a new subject to write about. She's living in London, in a subletted flat, in the year 1946--right after the end of World War II. She serendipitiosly receives a letter from a man named Dawsey Adams, who lives in Guernsey. During the war, Guernsey was occupied by the Germans and all means of communication had been cut off for the past five years.

During her correspondence with Mr. Adams, Juliet comes to learn about the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and an array of colorful people from the island.

I don't want to share much else because I hate spoiling books, but I will say that the entire book is made up of the letters that Juliet and her friends send each other. Some of the letters make you laugh, some make you want to cry. It's a great book, and I highly recommend it.

The characters truly come to life through the letters, and you're introduced (or at least I was) to different insights into the war. Check it out at the library or book store, find a nice place outside and get reading!

I'm Still Thunking!

Look! I remembered my Thursday Thunk post. It was a nice break from writing these ridiculous essays for job applications. Like I said last week, if you start playing, let me know!

1. If you could skywrite anything you wanted, what would it be?

JOURNALIST LOOKING FOR JOB! HIRE ME!

2. Did you get drunk at your prom?

Nope. I didn’t really start to drink until after high school. I feel it’s pretty overrated anyways.

3. What is your favorite spice to use cooking?

Does my Bojangles seasoning count? I love using it on French fries, tater tots and anything else potato. Otherwise, I don’t really cook and couldn’t tell you what spice would be good in what. Sad, I know.

4. What color is your roof?

You know, I have no idea. I live in an apartment building and have never made it to the roof. I will once they open the sundeck though.

5. In a land far, far away I _____________

….won the lottery, bought an island and did whatever I pleased!

6. In the Miss USA pageant, Miss California was asked; "Vermont recently became the fourth state to legalize same sex marriage. Do you think every state should follow suit? Why or why not?" and her answer was; "Well I think it's great that Americans are able to choose one or the other. Um, we live in a land that you can choose same sex marriage or opposite marriage and, you know what, in my country and in, in my family, I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman," Carrie said to a mix of boos and applause. "No offense to anybody out there. But that's how I was raised and that's how I think that it should be between a man and a woman." Do you think that cost her the crown?

Frankly, yes. I’m still glad she stuck to her beliefs though. Check below for my post on this subject.

7. Do you watch Miss USA/Miss America pageants?

Not usually, but I watched most of the one this year. When I was younger, I watched it all the time!

8. Have you ever driven/ridden on a tractor?

No, as a matter of fact. Have you?

9. For the parents - what cartoon/children show did your child watch obsessively? (Hey, if you aren't a parent, maybe a niece or nephew...)

Um, I am neither a parent nor an aunt. But I loved watching Doug, Zoobileezoo (or however you spell it), Rocco’s Modern Life, Hey Arnold, Rugrats, The Animaniacs, Pinky and the Brain… the list could go on forever. But I also played outside a lot, too, I promise!

10. If I set a level on your living room floor - would it show that it was level?

It depends. Are the people below me having a party and blasting the base? Because if so, you probably wouldn’t be able to get an accurate reading.

11. What was the last restaurant you ate at?

I don’t know if you could really count this as a restaurant, but I had dinner at this movie house near me that serves food while you watch the movie. It’s really fantastic! I LOVE IT!

12. What's the picture on your wall calendar for this month?

Two little green frogs. One frog has his hand (?) covering the other frogs face. It's an animal calendar. No offense to the frogs, but I hope it's a furry animal in May.

13. Are you superstitious?

Sometimes. I’m not scared of black cats. Some things get me though. I don't like walking under ladders or playing Bloody Mary.

14. If I get into your car and turn on the radio - what type of radio station will I hear?

It’s either the Pussycat Dolls CD or the Rascal Flatts CD. I have no idea what’s on the radio because I haven’t found a station I like here yet.

15. Would you rather wake up with a snake in your bed or a lizard?

This may sound weird, but I’d prefer a (non-venomous, if possible) snake because lizards really creep me out. I don't know; I just feel they shouldn't have legs. I'm getting goosebumps just thinking about them. YUK.

16. Do you think schools have changed at all since the Columbine tragedy 10 years ago? In what ways?

I think all schools were affected by Columbine. They’re more aware of these sorts of situations. Awareness is good. Some schools are more secure and many schools try to be. I’m sure there is more to talk about with this answer, but I don’t really like talking about it. Just a personal thing.

And It's Hot! Hot! Hot!

A friend and I were talking about how excited we were about the weather this weekend. We're in two different locations, but each place should be in the mid to high 80s. How exciting! I'll be trapped inside for most of the week writing essays to apply for jobs, but this weekend I'm definitely getting out. Anyways, it made me think of this site I recently found. (I forget where I found it. If it was you, let me know and I'll fix it with a shout out.) The site is called "The F***ing Weather." It's pretty funny, especially on days when the weather sucks.

I hope everyone plans to spend the weekend outside. If you're a fan of yard sales, you need to check out this site: Yard Sale Treasure Map. It will provide a map of all the yard sales near you on whatever day you want. Genius! Are you a bigger walker? Why not find out your neighborhood's Walk Score and see what's close to you? Or maybe you're moving and want to find a walk-friendly neighborhood. It's definitely a useful resource.

I have a friend visiting, so I'm be playing tourist again. We'll probably end up walking the National Mall, maybe the zoo and other fun places. What are your plans?

Miss North Carolina Wins!

So did anyone watch Miss USA Sunday night? Because I did. First, I'm so happy Miss North Carolina won simply because I'm from North Carolina. Second, I'm really annoyed with the media attention. To recap: Perez Hilton was a judge, and he posed a question to Miss California about gay marriage (surprise!). This was her answer:


I LOVED IT! Her answer was honest and true even in the face of Perez Hilton. Way to go, Miss California! Now I'm not saying I agree with her because I don't. I am glad she stuck to her beliefs. Ok, she didn't have the strongest answer. "Opposite marriages" still makes me giggle, but seriously, you get the point.

Perez, of course, didn't like the answer so much. Here's his response:


What makes me mad is that Miss California didn't even have the WORST answer to a question. At least she answered the question!! Did anyone see Miss Arizona's answer to the question about health care? What was her answer? Loosely worded: "Whatever we do, we should do it with integrity." ....really?

So I just watched Perez on MSNBC:


And here are my questions: Shouldn't both the President of the United States and Miss America both represent the entire nation? And since when can one person please everyone?

Media-Go-Round Spinoff

Wow, I've really dropped the ball on posting, huh? Well, you can take it two ways: you can be angry at me for not posting because I've been busy or you can be happy because I'm starting to have a life again. Anyways, on top of not posting, I've also forgotten to do a Media-Go-Round post for the past two weeks. But I hope you've kept up with it on your own. Anyways, I thought I just share a few things I found interesting.

- I got my first Mine magazine. First, they didn't even get my magazine choices correct. Lame, right? Although they did apologize and extend my subscription with another issue. I also now have the secrets to Tiger Woods' swing, which I wouldn't have if the switch up didn't happen. Second, I'm going to have to say I wasn't impressed. It was a really flimsy magazine with maybe one or two articles from each magazine. (Faithful readers, remember the post about dressing for your size, and I said it was probably from Glamour? I was wrong. It was from In Style, and I just re-read the article in Mine.) On the up side, it makes for good gym reading material, and I was one of the 31,000 to get a print copy. Want to read more about it? Click here.

- There's been a lot of magazines crossing the line when it comes to ads and articles. Some magazines are getting called out by ASME. (That's the American Society of Magazine Editors, if you didn't know.) This is how ASME explains itself and it's decisions. I kind of feel like it shouldn't matter what's on the cover of a magazine. In all honest, most magazines are pretty much one giant advertisement for thousands of products. It's sad, but true. And if it helps them sell at this point, good. Let them get back on their feet.

- So French Elle decided to put stars who aren't wearing any makeup on the cover of their April issue. Or so they claim. Yes, the women look a little tired, but I don't really notice any blemishes or anything. I don't think they're makeupless at all. That's just my opinion though. I like this guy's opinion, too. You ought to check it out.

- I've already posted about the whole 55-year-old intern thing, but it still makes me want to throw up a little. They actually set up an Executive Internship Program. I think I just died inside a little.

- Jossip folded today. Wait, I mean "it's on hiatus."

- My thoughts and prayers go out to Roxana Saberi and her family.

What Say You?

"Some editors are failed writers, but so are most writers." --T.S. Elliot

Are You Stressed Out?

Did you know today is National Stress Awareness Day? Do you think they picked the day after taxes are due on purpose? Because I imagine that most people are acutely aware of their stress levels right now. I also imagine some people may be much more stressed than usual.

So I thought I’d share a few things to alleviate some of the stress you may or may not be feeling.

- Back up your LinkedIn contacts! Just in case something goes wrong (knock on wood), keep track of all the hard work you put into your LinkedIn connections by following the steps on Almost Savvy’s post. You’ll save contact information for all your connections, your profile and your recommendations. Then I suggest putting those files on one of those little storage thingies. You know what I’m talking about, right? BAM. Less stress!

- Laugh a little! I already shared one of my favorite sites, Fmylife.com, but there are so many other great ones. I literally laugh out loud a lot of the time. Two other sites that make me giggle are Said In Bed and One Sentence. Maybe it isn’t nice to laugh at others, but if they’re brave enough to post it online, chances are they’re laughing, too.

- Go bowling! Before you say it’s too expensive, here’s a coupon to AMF bowling centers. With it, you can play up to 10 games for 99 cents each. The coupon is good until April 30, so take your family or friends and relieve some of that pent up stress!

- Let go! My mom always tells me to take things one day at a time. You’d think this was easy, but it’s actually not. Use this link to learn how what to let go of and how to do it. It can’t hurt to try.

I Thunk I Can, I Thunk I Can

So my friend Cookie has recently started posting these “Thursday Thunks” posts. They seemed like fun, so I thought I’d jump on the bandwagon. Clearly these posts (when I remember it’s Thursday) will be a bit more on the personal side. I hope you enjoy it though, and if you start them too, let me know!

1. Recently Berleen and I discovered the allure of the Twilight series. Have you ever been sucked in to the latest "thing"? (Like Harry Potter, the movie Titanic, social networking, etc. etc. etc.)

Totally, I’ve already read the entire Twilight series. I’m kind of over that now. I’ve been doing the Facebook thing for a while, but I definitely hopped on the Twitter train. I actually like it, too. I never did the whole Harry Potter thing. I couldn’t get past the first page of the first book. I was 12-ish when Titanic came out, so Leo DiCaprio was (and still is) dreamy.

I think it’s safe to say I get sucked into the latest “thing” quite frequently.

2. What software do you use for your email?

I use Gmail. Is that considered software?

3. Are you comfortable being nude?

Quite honestly, no.

4. What is something you plan on doing this summer?

Go to Las Vegas with the girls! I’ve never been, so I’m super excited.

5. Do you have a favorite movie/book quote? If so, what is it?

A favorite? I can’t really pick one, so I’ll just share the one in my head.

“No, I don't think I will kiss you, although you need kissing, badly. That's what's wrong with you. You should be kissed and often, and by someone who knows how.”

Do you know who said it and what movie it was said in???

6. How many email addresses do you have?

Two. Although I rarely check my school address anymore.

7. Is the sky falling?

It sure seemed like it yesterday, but I hope not.

8. Have you been to the Grand Canyon?

No, but maybe when I go to Vegas, I’ll see the Grand Canyon, too. That’d be pretty neat.

9. When was the last time you mailed a hand written letter?

Last Thursday. I’ve had to write a lot of Thank You notes lately. That counts, right?

Karma Wednesday

Nothing like a little break for a holiday. I hope everyone had a nice Easter/Passover/weekend, etc. I thought I'd just leave you with a few tidbits today.

1) My friend Michael Northrop officially has his first YA book out: Gentlemen. You should definitely pick it up and read it. The cover itself makes me want to pick it up and read it, which I will when I head to a bookstore. Check out the story behind it. I am excited to get my book autographed, too. Also, once upon a time, our luck/successes seemed to be closely linked, so hopefully, his luck will soon kickstart mine. He even has another book coming out in 2009: Trapped. Congrats!

2) My mile is getting better! I can run longer, too. How exciting. Although, I have some beef with health magazines (SELF included) and Web sites. I've recently decided I would try "interval sprinting" because I hear it helps trim tummy fat more than just running regularly. So I looked into some "rountines" to try out like this one. YEESH! Can you make a beginner running rountine please? I'm excited if I run 15-2o mins with maybe one minute of running a little faster than ususal. I tried to add a few interval sprints today and ended up with my left foot cramping up. Oh well. I guess I'll try again tomorrow.

3) It's TAX DAY. Hope you turned in your taxes, get a sweet refund and scored some great deals today. I actually turned in my taxes a while ago and got my tax refund. It sort of funded my visit to NY back in March.

Ok, I think I'm going to spend some time reading before bed. I'm currently reading Women & Fiction: Short stories by and about women. It was published in 1975. So far, it's not bad, but I really did not enjoy Gertrude Stein's Miss Furr and Miss Skeene. Good night for now.

Break for Easter

Hi there, sorry for the lack of postings. Last week was pretty busy, and I'm currently spending some time with my family for Easter, etc. But check out the cutest little bear cubs I saw today. (Regular posting should return around Tuesday or Wednesday.)

Rhymes, Sonnets and Couplets! Oh my!

How exciting! April is National Poetry Month. I happen to be a big fan of poetry. In fact before I became wrapped up in the world of journalism, I was constantly writing poetry (especially in those angst-y teen years).

One of my all-time favorite poets is Emily Dickinson. She was born December 10, 1830, in Amherst, Massachusetts, and spent most of her life as a recluse. She’s probably most famous for her “I’m Nobody! Who are you?” poem. She is also responsible for one of my favorite quotes: “A word is dead when it is said some say. I say it just begins to live that day.”

Here is one of my favorite poems by her:

Because I could not stop for Death,
He kindly stopped for me;
The carriage held but just ourselves
And Immortality.

We slowly drove, he knew no haste,
And I had put away
My labor, and my leisure too,
For his civility.

We passed the school where children played
At wrestling in a ring;
We passed the fields of gazing grain,
We passed the setting sun.

We paused before a house that seemed
A swelling of the ground;
The roof was scarcely visible,
The cornice but a mound.

Since then ’t is centuries; but each
Feels shorter than the day
I first surmised the horses’ heads
Were toward eternity.

What about you? Which poets do you enjoy reading? Do you write poetry? Please share!

NCAA CHAMPS AGAIN!

The 2009 NCAA Championship title belongs to UNC, baby! What a sweet, sweet night.

Final score? UNC 89, Michigan State 72.

I wish I had been in Chapel Hill to rush Franklin Street, but I guess winning it in 2005 will have to be enough... for now.

I'm so happy for Tyler Hansbrough though. He totally deserves the win.

Man, I love being a Tar Heel!!

Rearranging My Sheep

If you haven’t noticed, sometimes I post things into the wee hours of the morning. I’m attempting to work on regulating my sleep habits, and I’ve been reading up on getting better sleep for a while now. Some ideas are not applicable to me (like drinking caffeine late at night; I only drink it in the morning if at all) and some ideas just won’t work (like reading before bed; if I get really into the book, I won’t put it down until I’m done). So I thought I’d share some of the ideas that sounded like they could possible work. After all, I know some of you are up in the wee hours, too.

- Get some sunlight! (should be easier now that spring is here) You’re body recognizes that sunlight means daytime and no sunlight means nighttime. How? When the light goes away, your body produces a hormone called melatonin, which (surprise!) promotes sleep. Your body doesn’t equate indoor light with the light outside either. So being indoors all day has a different effect on melatonin, which can interrupt your sleep.

- Tidy up before bed. A messy room/house can increase your stress levels. Who knew? Stress, in turn, affects your sleep!

- Take a hot shower/bath approximately two hours before bedtime. Apparently when your body temperature cools, it makes it easier to sleep and stay asleep. By taking a hot shower/bath, you raise your temperature (duh). But a few hours later, your body temperature drops, and then you can (hopefully) sleep.

- Get serious with that internal clock. As creatures of habit, if you (try) to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, seven days a week, your body will eventually register this schedule. It will get easier to fall asleep on time. (I just have to shift my internal clock back a few hours and I’ll be set!)

Ca-Ching!

Self recently launched a new blog, Save Like Me, and I love it. It’s so personal and so informative, which I think make for a generally fabulous blog.

One blog post that really got my attention was “My Favorite Ez Money Saver.” I was like, “Oh! A money saver tip! I love saving money!” I really do, too. I absolutely hate spending my own money. I squirrel it away in bank accounts or piggy banks or little bags tucked away in my underwear drawer. But then I read it. She suggests saving every five dollar bill you get.

Sounds pretty genius, if you have a continual flow of cash in and out of your wallet. Do I? Not so much. I often rely on check and credit cards to get me through the day, with an emergency cash stash just in case someone doesn’t take cards.

I’m just starting off in this whole “real world” adventure, so to me, five bucks is still a lot of money. Seriously. I’m not kidding. I imagine a lot of you are just starting off, too. So this is my take on the Ez Money Saver:

Idea 1: Save one dollar bill every time you get change from something! So if you buy a magazine that costs about three dollars with a five dollar bill that you don’t feel fully comfortable saving yet, you save AT LEAST one of those dollars you get back!

Idea 2: Save your change! I recently went out to eat with my aunt, and this guy passed by me dropping all his change. Being the nice person I am, I bend down to help him recover his loss. He says, “Don’t worry about it!” and runs out of the place. I continue to collect his change and proceed to put it in my pocket. I just made 73 cents. Then I went home and added the change to my super cool “piggy bank” that counts my money as I put it in. I love watching the number get bigger and bigger. Love it! But the point is, don’t be like that crazy guy and forget your change. Every penny adds up. So empty out your wallet or pick up that penny on the street (I pick up all the pennies I see. Sorry, but an extra penny is always good luck whether heads up or down.), and throw it in a super cool piggy bank like me or use a coffee can or use a sock. Just save it.

Idea 3: This idea is more for a card carrying person. If the purchase is under five dollars, don’t use your card. If you don’t have the cash, don’t get it. If you do have the cash, please go back to idea 1. Presto! You’ve saved!

I'll Always Be a Carolina Girl

I posted a New York opportunity earlier, so it’s only fair to head down south to North Carolina now. Strange, but I actually got the tip from a friend in New York though. Nevertheless, it’s so cool, and I’m so jealous!

On May 17-19 (a little early, but always helpful to plan ahead), Theatre in the Park, Raleigh’s premier regional theatre (I didn’t even know this existed!), will stage a special production of Romeo & Juliet starring JUSTIN LONG (LOVE LOVE LOVE HIM) and Evan Rachel Wood. It’s supposed to be a 1930s take on the Shakespeare classic. It’s $50 per ticket (a little pricey, I know, but still really cool). To get info on times and how to make a reservation, check out the Web site.

And if you plan to go, GET ME JUSTIN LONG’S AUTOGRAPH. Please?

I Want to Smell Like a Tar Heel!

I’ve been meaning to post about this forever, but I suppose now is a great time with it being March Madness and UNC in the FINAL FOUR!

Masik is a fairly new fragrance company that just can’t leave its college years behind. So what’s their solution? Collegiate perfumes and colognes! So far only UNC-Chapel Hill and Penn State have fragrances, but they have a bunch of other colleges smells on the way.

So how does one create the essence of a college in a bottle? At Masik, they consider school colors, mascot spirit, traditions and history, landmarks and architectural style, campus trees and flowers, mission statements, college town character, and themes in the alma mater and fight songs. Strange to think those things matter when making a scent, but according to them:

“Of the five senses, only our sense of smell is linked directly to the brain’s limbic system or emotional control center. Because of this link, a particular scent or fragrance can evoke memories and emotions before we are even consciously aware of them.”

So what are the deets? A 3.4 oz bottle of UNC-CH’s women perfume costs $60. (Yikes, someone buy it for me?) You can buy it on their Web site or UNC Student Stores or Johnny T-Shirt in Chapel Hill or a few random other places. (And to be honest, I don’t care much about the other scents or where you can buy them.)

Crazy, right? Do you want to smell like your college? Because I kind of want to see what Carolina smells like…

Part of Why I Love New York

Again, if it must be said, I love SELF magazine. Period.

So if you're in the New York area, check out this opportunity:

SELF magazine is looking for women between the ages of 20 and 40 to help us taste some delicious, healthy foods! All you need to do is eat up and then vote for your favorites. The tests will be held at our offices located at 4 Times Square and will run from 7-8 p.m. We are looking for participants to come in on one of the following dates: Tues. April 7th, Wed. April 8th, Thurs. April 9th, Tues. April 14th, Wed. April 15th, or Thurs. April 16th. If you are interested, please email us at SelfFoodAwards@gmail.com with your name, phone number, and ALL of the dates you are available.

Unfortunately, I'm not helping out with this nor will I be around to test it. But, if you are, do it! Free food!

The Beauty of a Good Deal

With spring finally arriving and summer on its way, it’s time to shove those sweatpants and heavy jackets back into the depths of your closet and bust out the tank tops! And since you’ll probably be going out more, you’ll probably start to beautify yourself a little more. Well guess what! It’s a good time for that because there are so many great beauty sales happening right now!

My good friend Ale, over at SELF’s Beyond The Beauty Pages blog, has found some amazing deals just for you. (She, along with the other great gals in the beauty department, is also keeping track of spring trends, in case you’re clueless on what to buy!)

And if that’s not enough, check out this coupon for a free Signature Collection Body Care item with a $10 purchase at Bath & Body Works (good until April 12) and this coupon for a free mini body lotion with no extra purchase at Victoria’s Secret (good until April 12). You can also get a free Naturally Tote with a $25 purchase using the same VS coupon until April 6.

And if that’s not enough, get yourself ready for Spa Week, where lots of spa around the country are offering fabulous treatments for a mere $50 starting April 13. Some of these treatments are actually worth up to $300 and maybe more. Book your appointments now though!

Very Poor Choice

If you haven’t noticed, I’m pretty interested in magazines. When I was younger, I read all the teen magazines: Teen, CosmoGIRL!, YM, Seventeen and others. (Sadly, I just missed the Sassy era.) Now that I’m older, I read Glamour, SELF (love it!), Cosmo, Shape, Fitness, O The Oprah Magazine, People, Real Simple and pretty much whatever else I can get my hands on. Makes sense, right? As I get older, my interests shift, which I imagine is the same for the rest of these magazines’ audiences.

So then why is Miley Cyrus on the cover of Glamour?! I feel confident in saying that this 16-year-old does not have the same interests as me. I’m a 20-something-year-old. What about your older readers, Glamour? People claims it’s "pretty cool" for her to land her first women’s magazine cover at 16. Is it really? I say no.

The cover story is titled "America’s Most Famous Girl Grows Up," but I nor TheFrisky.com are buying it. Don’t get me wrong; I have nothing against Miley. In fact, I think she belongs on the cover of Seventeen. And when she reaches her 20s, then by all means, have her on the cover of Glamour. Maybe by then she’ll have grown up a bit more.

Right now her "life-changing" relationship was her first "real" relationship at age 13 with Nick Jonas. Well, maybe I’m wrong, but I imagine anyone’s first real relationship is life changing because well…. it’s your first even if it was "hard core". But hey, her life is moving at a higher speed than most people. They don’t have their first life-changing relationship until they’re 19 or 20, she claims. It gets better though. Next she goes on about her new boyfriend Justin Gaston:

“The best thing that’s happened to me in a long, long time has been meeting Justin [Gaston]," she moons. "He’s the most respectful and selfless person I’ve ever known.”

A long, long time? Let’s see, dated Nick Jonas at 13 for two years. Now she’s 15. Just turned 16 in November. How long exactly would you consider "a long, long time" to be?

I realize she’s promoting her new movie, Hannah Montana: The Movie, which is after all rated G. But Glamour, I know you can do better than this. Even Whitney Port, Cosmopolitan’s choice for May (not a strong cover either, but oh well) would have been a better choice.

Thia makes me a little sad inside.

Women and Men, Pt. 2

I told you this story was never-ending. Below is a man’s POV on women and today we have a woman’s POV on men. Amelia on TheFrisky.com wrote “Seven Things I Learned About Men From Working at Maxim.” After working at Maxim for two and a half years-ish, a predominantly male work zone, here’s a few of the lessons she learned:

Her Truth: All men are nerds.

She means that men aren’t necessarily sexist jocks (although she admits some are). What I got out of this lesson was that most guys actually end up being normal people with strange quirks. That’s a comforting thought, right?

Her Truth: Guys don’t kiss and tell nearly as much as women do.

I think as a generalization this might stand, but I know for a fact that some guys kiss and share every detail. Women are definitely worse though. This goes along with a lesson in the other story: a date isn’t over until she’s shared it with her friends. I wonder what keeps guys from not sharing as much though.

Her Truth: Men love dares.

When I read this, all I could think about was “I TRIPLE DOG DARE YOU” from A Christmas Story. She has some pretty funny examples, too. Wearing women’s tennis outfits to staff meetings? Definitely amusing. It kind of makes me wonder what I can trick my guy friends into doing.

I’ll say that her list wasn’t as funny as the other list, but it’s still worth reading. The prank one was pretty good. Maybe it’ll help with some last minute April Fool’s pranks.

A Never-Ending Story: Women and Men

While scouring through the ridiculous amount of blogs now in my Google Reader (I’m up to 72!), I came across this article, “9 Things I Learned About Women From Editing Maxim,” and it made me laugh. I love the endless amount of lists that supposedly explain everything about women or men. The relationship between women and men continues to amaze and amuse me.

The author Keith Blanchard edited Maxim for four years and came out with this list of things he learned about women. Below are a few of my favorites with comments. (If you click on the article, you can read his comments on his list. I think it's worth reading (if anything for a good laugh).

His fact: Women like when you play with their hair.

I agree with this one especially when you’re cuddling in bed or on the couch watching TV. It’s so calming. But it isn’t like we’re the only ones that like this. I know quite a few guys who like this, too.

His fact: Women have the raw deal.

Finally, someone that recognizes this. His explanation is funny and sad all at the same time:

“We actually catalogued the details in one of the earliest Maxim pieces, "50 Reasons It's Great To Be a Guy." You know: "you don't have to carry a purse around," and "just one mood, all month long, ha ha!" and so on. Well, as the guys brainstormed, our list kept growing ("haircuts are cheaper!" and "more pay for the same work!" and "nobody is ever, ever looking at your ass!") and it started to dawn on us that this wasn't just a funny conceit: Biology and society have conspired to stack the deck unfairly against the fairer sex in dozens of ways.”

His fact: Women don’t believe men’s wandering gaze is innocent.

I like his reasoning here, too. He pretty much says that guys should try harder not to get caught. If it truly is an innocent gaze (see fact: He’s right. I don’t.), then stare on your free time. You aren’t with us all the time. Sadly, us girls know we can be a little self-conscious and we know you know that, too. Spare us from doubting ourselves and from the argument that’s bound to happen. It’s what going out with your buddies is for.

Media-Go-Round: 3/24-3/30

So after a discussion with a friend, I've decided to stop my weekly "Celebritized" roundups because most people do already know about celebrity news that interests them. Have a different opinion? Let me know.

But I'm continuing my media news roundups because I find it important for people to know what's happening in the media. Although, I'm going to try to add a bit more commentary.

- This week's folding announcements include Blender magazine and Ann Arbor News, with layoffs here and here and here and here and here. The sad part is that I probably didn't even catch them all. With the slow death of newspapers and magazines, you have to wonder what will happen to journalism as we know it. It's an exciting time to be an already established journalist, but as a journalist fresh out of school with no job prospects? Not so much.

- Hachette Filipacci is selling off titles. To be honest, I haven't seen much positivity when it comes to sold titles. They're like the red-headed stepchildren of whoever buys them. Best of luck with that.

- Obama skipped out on important newspapers during his news conference. Instead of taking questions from the NYT, WaPo, WSJ or USAT, he took questions from other sources. I'm not sure how I feel about this. It's good that he recognized other news sources, but at the same time, those major titles are read by people all over the country. Newspapers are also dying, so wouldn't it be helpful to have the president's support in at least answering to them? Aren't they the watchdogs of the government?

- Your favorite magazine fold? No fears; make your own. Hewlitt-Packard is offering a new Web service, MagCloud, which allows anyone to create their own magazine and print it at 20 cents a page. It's more for people who want a magazine about a favorite hobby or very niche-esque things. I'm not really sure how I feel about it though. Would you make your own magazine?

- Freelancing is becoming essential for most journalists, but you have to beware of the one's that don't pay well. I can't believe SELF is on there though. It takes time for the paperwork to go through and all, but they pay! General shadiness? I don't believe it.

- Barbara Walters might retire?? She's a pretty amazing woman at 79 years old. I still want to read her autobiography.

- This is starting to become a frequently seen thing--ads on the cover of magazines. The latest victim? ESPN The Magazine. To be honest, at this point, if it saves magazines, I'm all for it. It's on the cover of the magazine. Now if it were an advertorial inside a national magazine, I might get a little more upset.

How Exciting!

I'm so proud of myself today, and I want to share the reason why with all of you!

I ran TWO miles today on the treadmill in 25 minutes (five minute cool down included). I don't know how I kept running, but I did. AND I wasn't even really watching TV. I was listening to music though. This, my friends, is a milestone in the ongoing quest to conquer the treadmill.

Treadmill, you are so going down. Victory is MINE!

Little Internet Joys

With Monday approaching shortly, I thought I'd share a few distractions I've recently discovered. Sometimes you just need a few minutes to do something completely aimless, you know?

- Dead at Your Age: I'll admit; this site is a little strange. You can learn about famous people who died at your age or younger. But useless bits of information are always entertaining.

- Monster Tetris Game: I can tell you now that I have never finished a game and probably never will. In fact, sometimes I get bored after about five minutes. But if you're a Tetris-lover, this just might be your Heaven.

- Life is Short. Synopit.: Ok, I confess I haven't used this one before, but it still intrigues me. Since we're always on the go, this site apparently summarizes long articles. If you try it, let me know how it goes.

- Bubble Wrap: The title says it all. I kind of love this one.

- Twistori: According to Twitter, it's a social experiment type-thing. I don't get it, but it still entertains.

I hope you still get things done during your day though.