A New Year, a New Post

Ok, I'll admit it. I got lazy. Sometimes, there are things in life that fall by the wayside, and blogging was one of them.

It's been an interesting couple of months for me: adjusting to a new job, a new living situation, a new city (sort of), new people, and a very new lifestyle. I know I'm beyond lucky to have the job that I have, especially these days, and I'm even luckier to have fantastic, supportive family and friends, but sometimes a girl needs some time to herself.

Luckily, a new year brings new resolve. Isn't it amazing how the turn of a calendar page can be so inspiring?

And so with that, here are my resolutions for '09. Feel free to call me out on them if you notice me not fulfilling anything.

1. Do something creative every day.
Although I work in a (very) creative field and company, my actual job isn't. (When you try to get "creative" with estimates and invoices, shit goes wrong.) And I've realized that I miss creativity, and I need more of it to feel whole. So whether that comes in the form of blogging, busting out the camera, or journaling, I'll work the other side of my brain a little every day.

2. Work smarter, not harder.
I'm finally getting the hang of my job-- the learning curve was steep, to say the least. Now that I've learned things the hard way, it's time to figure out which way is the hard way, then avoid it.

3. Go to the gym at least 3 days a week.
Yeah, everyone says they want to get in shape in the new year. (That's why going to the gym in the first week of January is always a bad idea-- waaaay too crowded.) But I've realized that working out, for me, is more about working out the frustrations of the day, spending time on me with no distractions, and getting more energy. Seriously, it works.

4. Connect with old friends who have moved back to the Bay.
The great thing about coming back to the Bay Area is that my roots are here. I know people all over, if I would only branch out and call them up more often. San Francisco is sort of a new city for me (since I grew up in Los Altos and now live in Berkeley), so it will be fun to continue to find "new" friends to explore with.

5. Bring my lunch to work at least 3 days a week.
This just has to do with spending less money and saving more, in order to do the next two things on my list....

6. Find an apartment. Finally.
It's time to get serious.

7. Travel to see some old friends.
This one, at least, is pretty easy to keep! I have friends to visit in Chicago, New York, Phoenix, LA, San Luis Obispo, Copenhagen, Italy, Austria, and (soon) Guatemala. I'm making more money now, and I still get the restless, need-to-be-flying-somewhere urges. The only problems are a) how to best use my personal/vacation days and b) where should I go first?!

So, there you have it. 7 things I'm going to do this year. Or at least until I get lazy again.

28 Days.

Less than a month to go until what some have claimed to be the most important American presidential election in our lifetimes. 28 days, to be exact.

The economy is in the toilet. People can't afford to drive to work-- but they've probably lost their jobs anyways. Many can't afford healthcare, or even a place to live. This is America, the land of dreams and prosperity, and we can't even take care of our own.

You would think that our politicians, especially those running for "leader of the free world," would understand which issues are important to us, which ones are worthy of their time to discuss.

But no. Instead, we get bickering about who voted which way and for what reasons, who doesn't regularly read a newspaper, who goes to what church, or who can't use a computer. Barack Obama articulated this problem in his book, The Audacity of Hope:

"No, what's troubling is the gap between the magnitude of our challenges and the smallness of our politics--the ease with which we are distracted by the petty and trivial, our chronic avoidance of tough decisions, our seeming inability to build a working consensus to tackle any big problem."

So, as you're deciding to vote, please: stop paying attention to what shade of lipstick is on the pig. Get to know what the candidates actually support, or what changes they will actually make. Please. Our country needs it.

(And for a much more articulate argument, see this post by James Fallows: http://jamesfallows.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/10/our_capacity_for_selfgovernmen.php)

And they say caffeine is bad for you...

I am a total believer in the afternoon coffee. Maybe I don't get enough sleep, or maybe I just like rattling off my Starbucks order. Either way, I'm usually just looking for a little pick-me-up to get me through the last few (or several) hours of the work day. This is expected to come from the caffeine, but today I got another little jolt along with my latte, courtesy of Starbucks's long-running "The Way I See It" campaign.

For all those who are still looking for jobs, or who are stuck in jobs that they hate, or who are still trying to figure out what they want to do with their lives, I give you Mr. Keith Olbermann, of (former) Sportscenter and MSNBC anchor desk fame. (Based on this background, I'm pretty sure he knows what he's talking about.) Hope you like it as much as I did.

"The world bursts at the seams with people ready to tell you you're not good enough. On occasion, some may be correct.
But do not do their work for them.
Seek any job; ask anyone out; pursue any goal. Don't take it personally when they say 'no' -- they may not be smart enough to say 'yes.' "

No, YOU'RE my number one.

Just a quick post for now. Life is busy.

This guy may be my new favorite YouTube video. For one, it's a great song. But also, I love the attention to detail: not only does he know every word and give us coordinated dance moves, but he also has wardrobe changes! It's clear that he put a lot of work into this, which can only be the answer to my question: why aren't there more of him?! Hope this brings a little groove to your workday.

On a scale from 1 to T-Pain, Jesse McCartney?

This video reminds me of the scene in Dreamgirls when the little white boy singer records Eddie Murphy/Jimmy Early's high-powered song, "Cadillac." But he doesn't just steal it, he changes it into a sweet little slow jam, complete with blond back-up singers in puffy dresses, and robs it of all its soul.

Fast forward 40 or 50 years to today. Look at what Jesse McCartney has been covering on tour.


Is it sad that I kind of like it?

I could make a gold medal pun. But I won't.

I heard somewhere today (most likely on some NBC outlet) that advertisers have spent $1 billion on advertising during the Olympics. Some are decidedly better than others, and here are some of my favorites!

First up: Yeah, obviously I'm going to like the Nike spot. The song (by The Killers) is one I've enjoyed for a while, and it goes well with the clips of incredible victories and tragic defeats showcased in the ad. Extra points for featuring Prefontaine. Interesting, though, that a mega apparel brand like Nike focuses on the intangibles-- "Everything you need is already inside"-- instead of on the gear. But kudos for highlighting the passion of sport and the emotions of athletes.


Second: This just made me go "awwwww." Coca-Cola usually has pretty good ads, and I just think that this one is cute. I could only find a video of the instrumental music, and I'm pretty sure there was one with narrative/song lyrics about building their own Bird's Nest. If you find it, let me know.


Lastly: This has nothing to do with commercials, and everything to do with making fun of people's outfits. Which is one of my favorite pastimes. Check out this website for a hilarious rundown of the clothing choices displayed during Friday night's Parade of Nations. As for me, I'm going to sit in front of my TV until I can watch Michael Phelps swim again.

Target wins me over again.

I have always admired Target's ads. "Hello/goodbuy" is timeless, recognizable, and has long legs. Love the way they use normal household products to create artsy images and a high-end feel. So obviously, I think that the new TV spot for their new dorm line is great. It includes a song I love, even though I can't understand the lyrics ("Calabria," by Enur), cool dance moves I long to imitate, and a furnished dorm room that turns me an intense shade of envy-green.