December 2011
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New Year's Eve
I love New Year’s Eve. Some people think that the whole ball drop thing is corny and wasteful and expensive and just plain annoying. It certainly is all of those things, but I still look forward to it every year. I even got a little giddy sitting in the movie theater watching New Year’s Eve when the ball was dropping 10 minutes from the end. I will not be somewhere for New Year’s...
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Free Wi-Fi in NYC for New Year's Eve →
Good marketing move, Skype.
NYC government, this would be a great service to have generally. What would be the cost? Households would save +$400 per year, and businesses/institutions could pay in a nominal amount to the citywide plan. Just thinking big.
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Resolutions: checking in and checking out
Here’s what I had from 2011, and what happened:
- enjoy my job transition and make the most of it
Definitely have learned a ton, so CHECK!
- learn to bake desserts
All year in my head, this resolution was to learn to like dessert and not to bake it, and I’ve recently enjoyed some decadent chocolate cakes, so CHECK!
- take more improv classes
Not only did I take the...
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DIY: a simply wonderful game
Tis the time of year for sitting around and enjoying one another’s company, but sometimes, conversation gets old. Here’s a little game to liven things up a bit!
This game is best described as Pictionary meets Telephone. No materials needed besides some fun friends/family (4+ people), some letter sized blank paper, and a writing utensil for each person.
Sit in a circle. Each person...
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Neat stuff that I'd love to share
It hasn’t been a year in the awesome book, that’s for sure. But, I derive a lot of motivation and excitement from some of the neat stuff that my friends are working on. Some of the more linkable of these are shared below; know that there are many, many more and I am simply horrible at all-encompassing lists. Perhaps I’ll even make this a recurring blog post, because there are way...
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On beliefs
A few nights ago, I went to a bar with a friend, and while we were sitting and chatting, this guy dressed in a red and black plaid shirt, tattooed arms, and those round earrings that stretch your ears sat down near us. He was an inebriated talker with a small amount of charm. He started:
I’m not from around here; I’m from the south. Yes, the south south. But I’m not racist or...
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“Dream great dreams, and then take the practical steps to make them a reality.”
– Henrietta Szold
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A holiday tradition
Once again, I am hosting the family for Hanukkah* this year, and I wanted to share with you one of my favorite traditions that we have on my mom’s side of the family. Every person describes an organization that they care about and why, and then we pick one out of a hat that we all then donate to. To me, this is a great time to learn more about what is currently important to each person, and...
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“Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.”
– John F. Kennedy
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Spam can be fun
My friend Kent who I met at the library just began a blog in which he reposts noteworthy spam. I am very much a fan already, as his first post truly captures the beauty of a well-written spam email. A blog like this can transfer the frustration and eye-rolls expressed upon receipt of spam to wonderful laughter and celebration of this crazy world in which we live.
In this new light, I revisited my...
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“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks...”
– Thomas Jefferson
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Speaking of Kmart... →
Speaking of Kmart, anonymous donors paid off tons of layaway purchases recently so that families in need could have holiday gifts without the financial strain. This warms my heart, and I hope it inspires more acts of kindness.
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Free online classes from Stanford? Sign me up! →
Stanford University is offering some nifty classes online for free (no credit though) next semester. This game theory one looks neat, even though I’ve forgotten calculus (sad!), but I’m exploring others too. Classes can be taken online in spare time each week. I’d love to take a class with someone so that we can discuss content and whatnot, so if anyone is interested, let me...
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“The choice should include not just your personal reasons and goals for giving to...”
– Susan Ostrander, on how to give.
Professor Ostrander taught my Nonprofits, States, and Markets seminar at Tufts University, and more helpful guidelines to giving can be found in her interview about making donations matter. Great food for thought this holiday season!
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Louis CK's business savvy pays off
In just 4 days, Louis CK’s new exclusive has been downloaded +110,000 times and has made (net) what many people wish they could make in a year. On top of that, it’s really, really funny. In part of a statement that he released today, the (brilliant) comedian describes his marketing attempt:
The experiment was: if I put out a brand new standup special at a drastically low price ($5)...
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Tostitos + Big Brothers Big Sisters →
Why do nonprofits doing great work have to be an unfortunate conduit for advertising junk food to kids? I’m sure it will be a great event, but it’s going to make Tostitos brand products look too cool for school. It’s a tough ballgame to even think about forgoing monies from companies that showcase a different set of values, but gosh I wish there were more opportunities for...
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Pick a card, any card →
Shuffling mathematics from the Wall Street Journal. Really interesting and nerdy.
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Email Tips →
I’m digging this short guide for email etiquette from Tim Sanders. Of course, the etiquette queen Emily Post also has a great set of tips on the topic.
What else would you add?
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“Disability is a matter of perception.”
– Martina Navratilova
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“And to people of all nations, I say supporting human rights is your...”
– Hillary Clinton’s call to action in her historic LGBT speech in Geneva.
Issues of equality for all humans regardless of geography, gender, sexual orientation, race, religion, appearance, age, medical conditions, and any other assignment or trait are extremely important to me, and also will...
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“Maria, these walls were not meant to shut out problems. You have to face them....”
– The Reverend Mother in The Sound of Music
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State of NYC Dance →
This study was executed by Dance/NYC and sheds important light on how the dance community is doing both programmaticly and operationally. It’s gotten coverage in the New York Times and Wall Street Journal, too!
via an introduction by Kate Levin, the city’s Commissioner of the Department of Cultural Affairs:
Taking a thoughtful approach, the study highlights the complex challenges...
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