Gap does it again

Selma Blair and Rainn Wilson, two of my favorites, singing the best Christmas song there ever was....

Yours,
EL

Thanksgiving eve

It's my last night in New York before I head home for the holiday, and I decided to stay in to gather some thoughts. Surprisingly mature of me. Anyway, several important things happened as a result.

1. I had something of a philanthropic awakening. It's not to say that I've never been involved with philanthropy, because I have been involved one way or another as long as I can remember. But watching Iconoclasts tonight (I urge you to check out this show -- it's on the Sundance channel, and it's wonderful and my mom and my favorite), I felt a wave of disappointment that I'm not doing more. It's so easy, in NYC especially, to get caught up in the goings on of life -- my life -- and to ignore things that are crucially important. I read blogs and magazines, and I'm interested in fashion and music and art and friends and this city, and I read Weisberger and Bushnell, and everything becomes so limited. This needs to change -- at least a little bit.

2. I called my best friend in San Francisco, and she told me that her grandfather passed away today. "One month ago," she said, "he was camping in the Grand Canyon. Now he's gone." I know it's a cliche, but as usual, death serves as a reminder that life is so short. Too short to waste time.

3. I watched Lipstick Jungle, and for a blissful 45 minutes, I lightened up. (Why it was canceled, I'll never know.)

4. I realized that I should never, ever allow myself to blog at midnight. I become this sappy, sentimental wreck. My apologies.

Yours, already missing NY,
EL

Vampires?

Let's face it, you have to have been living in a coffin to have missed the newest rage on the media and entertainment scene. Hint: it involves fangs, blood sucking and some pretty serious insomnia. Yes, vampires are everywhere right now -- on Letterman, on the big screen and, as of today, in the NYTimes. With the launch of the HBO fall series True Blood and the movie Twilight hitting theaters this weekend, vampires have become the talk of the town.

That said, a friend asked me to clear up some misconceptions about these neck biters -- apparently, she's pretty upset that she's being fed different information from different shows. (As nerdy as this sounds, this girl is actually very cool -- so don't judge.) I, for one, haven't watched anything involving vampires since the Buffy, the Vampire Slayer movie circa 1992 (really an amazing movie -- and Luke Perry's in it!), but I figured I'd do a little research to see what I could find for my friend.

Not surprisingly, there are a lot of vampire nerds out there, and all of them have different and conflicting vampire facts on their different and conflicting vampire blogs. Therefore, I did what any 20something American does when looking for an authoritative (yeah, right) fact: I turned to Wikipedia. Then, because Wikipedia's entry was too long (and normal 20somethings in American have major ADD), I turned to HowStuffWorks:

Click here for the full entry with allll the deets.

Here's a sampling:
"The vampires in contemporary books, movies and television shows are incredibly elaborate creatures. According to the predominant mythology, every vampire was once a human, who, after being bitten by a vampire, died and rose from the grave as a monster. Vampires crave the blood of the living, whom they hunt during the night. They use their protruding fangs to puncture their victims' necks."

Okay, I have to stop there. Honestly I feel ridiculously weird for posting this at all.

Yours, with a promise to write about something less spoooky next time,
EL

p.s. Yay for having a week off for Thanksgiving!
p.p.s. You know you'll thank me for this when you go see Twilight and/or True Blood and know what's up.

Entree to 27th street

Wednesday night: Zahra Saeed fashion show at Cain

Thoughts: Jamie Mulholland's newly renovated Cain Luxe is a great space -- small enough that it's not overwhelming, and really who can argue with African safari decor? Honestly, Cain probably isn't the kind of place I would go on a regular night (i.e. a weekend...ever), but it was a lot of fun for a Wednesday night (and the open bar didn't hurt). I realized how much I miss dancing -- really, it's a necessity some nights -- and luckily for me, Cain is a hop, skip and a boogie from my apartment.

As for the fashion? Unfortunately, Jen and I agreed that we didn't see one thing in the fashion show that appealed -- some sad, white suits and a couple of dresses with ill-placed ruffles didn't do much to wow. Even the models (were they really models?) were awkward. Eek.

Oh well, at least the DJ was good. Great, actually. And cute! So all in all, fun space + free champagne + good music played by cute DJ = win.

Yours,
EL

p.s. Thanks for the invite, JK!
p.p.s. To add to the list of survival tips for going out on weeknights: Just say NO to champagne. I felt less than awesome yesterday.

Maureen Dowd on Hillary Clinton

“She’s smart and tough, a lot better than any of the old hacks like Holbrooke, Albright, etc.,” says David Geffen. “Barack Obama is going to run policy, and Hillary will be an effective communicator. It also takes Bill out of the game. It completely turns him into an ally — and probably a help to both of them. I think Obama is very smart to get as many smart people into the room as he can, to bring in Rahm and keep Lieberman and get Hillary into the cabinet. It brings an enormous amount of good will his way, and he’s going to need every ounce of it, given the wars and financial catastrophe America is facing. It’s getting bleaker every day. There are many, many, many more bubbles to burst.”
Maureen Dowd, on Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State,
"Two for the Price of Two"
NYTimes, November 18

Yours,
EL

Wheaties box, meet Dr. Pepper bottle

This is upsetting: According to this article at Postadvertising.com and this article in the New York Times, "Video games are now sports, and video gamers are now sport stars." What next, video game competitions replace kickball during PE classes? Halo becomes an Olympic event? Sheesh. No wonder America has a weight problem.

Yours, and missing my High School team sport days,
EL

p.s. The PostAd article provided by Andrea F -- thanks!
p.p.s. (See previous post "Holiday guide to romance" and add: Avoid any guy who thinks playing video games makes him an athlete.)

The next new thing?

According to Gawker, NYMag is curious to know what the next "new things" are on the trend forecast. I've done some thinking already about what the fashion forecasts are for spring and summer '09 (torn jeans, for sure), but social trend forecasts? I'm going to have to think about that one. I'm curious to see what NYMag comes up with.

What do you think?

Yours,
EL

Team B Dubya

So when I started watching this show (this season), Serena's character immediately appealed to me, what with the badass attitude, criminal record and shiny, shiny clothes. But Monday's episode of GG really cemented the fact that I have changed my mind. No, lately it has been all about Blair. Okay, so it might have been my semi-love affair with that low-back green dress she wore for Thanksgiving (wanttt it!), but really Blair is so much more interesting than Serena. And so much less annoying. And so much funnier. And has such better taste in men (Chuck...). And what's up with Serena's voice? And WHY does she continue to dress like a street walker? Not to sound too much like my grandmother here, but really Serena? Loved the jewel-toned skirt and shirt combo, but even high-waisted skirts usually cover a little more leg than that. We know you don't stand on ceremony (um, Yale dinner?), but really this was just absurd. And quitting drinking for a guy with weird facial hair? Well, we all know how that one's going to end. (Think: Serena gets drunk, cheats on Aaron with Dan.) Duh.

Yours,
EL

Great minds think alike (A guide to holiday romance...continued)

Someone else wanted in on the "Men to Avoid" game -- Just came across this list via GuestofaGuest.com: Part deux, Men to avoid this holiday season

Some of my favorites?
7. Avoid any man who won’t help you carry heavy things. He has no purpose.
11. Avoid men in pointy shoes. On a date, two people with sore feet is one person too many.
23. Avoid any man with a tribal armband tattoo. He is a mirage from 1998.

There's some definite overlap with my list, which just goes to show how obvious some of these avoids really are. So obvious, in fact, that it's embarrassing that some of us (present company included) still ignore these oh-so-glaring red flags. C'est la vie, right?

Yours,
EL

Foodies, foodies everywhere

Just caught this article from the Sunday Times -- this kid is too cool. I love that he can't walk home from the restaurants after dark, despite the fact that he dines alone. Mom comes to pick him up. Cute.

Check it out: 12-year-old food critic on the Upper West Side

Yours,
EL

Work hard, play hard

Many acknowledge that to truly enjoy the NY nightlife scene and/or to truly have a social life in this city, one must avoid weekend nights and focus on "school nights" to have a good time. Weeknights = fewer appearances from the dreaded B&Ts, shorter lines at bars/clubs, smaller crowds, and generally more interesting things going on. Sunday nights are among the most popular (see Spandex Sundays at Kingswood and Sundays are the new Saturdays), but really, I find myself debating different activities Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights, as well.

Last night, for example, I was dying to go see my he's-way-too-hip-for-me-big-time crush, Mark Ronson, spin at Santos Party House, alongside Lissy Trullie, Adam Green (from the Moldy Peaches), Rumble Strips, and Harley & Cassie. But once work ended and I did my obligatory stint on the elliptical machine, I was too exhausted to even think about heading all the way to the LES to dance.

So what's a girl with a 9 a.m. work time to do? As with everything in life, it's all about balance. But in case that's too vague, here are 10 tips that should make things (at least a little bit) more manageable:

1. Plan ahead -- It's easier to go out straight from work if you already have planned to do so. Bring along a change of clothes, makeup, a hair brush, etc. so at least you feel somewhat refreshed after a long day in the cubicle.
2. Gauge your work week -- If you have a day when you have major client calls, manager meetings, etc. it's probably wise to stay in the night before. (Even if you feel okay, the tequila WILL come out of your pores, and your manager WILL smell it. Not cool.)
3. Hydrate! Water, water, water -- I can't stress enough how important it is to stay hydrated. Drink water before a big night out, and drink water the next day. Even if you don't drink much alcohol, I'm a firm believer that water can cure anything -- including exhaustion. So drink up!
4. Take a multi-vitamin before bed -- this is my new favorite method for hangover prevention. Technically, a hangover is the result of dehydration and vitamin deficiency, so bolster your immunities with a One-a-Day before bed. It works like a charm.
5. Manage your time wisely -- If you have a big night planned for a Tuesday, make sure you have ample time to recoop on Wednesday. Or if you have a big week one week, try to have a quiet one the next. As Maggie, a somewhat regular on the weeknight scene puts it, "Rampage one week (when you like a guy) and sit on the couch the next. Water and Advil while getting home are key."
6. Make sure it's worth it -- If you're going out just to drink, you might want to save your time (and money) for another night. Only go out during the week if there's a reason -- catching up with a friend, a great concert, a can't-miss event, a date, etc. If there's no reason to go out, do something good for yourself to make up for the nights you do go out. Read: gym, catch up with phone calls, cook a healthy meal, deep-condition, catch up on TV, read a good book, etc. You'll thank yourself later.
7. Pick your drinks carefully -- Though I'm a vodka girl and a firm believer in the wonders of clear beverages, Maggie notes: "Vodka is dangerous, sugary drinks are a no, beer makes you cry, and whiskey is the answer to life. Watch out for the post smell in the cubicle though." To each his (or her) own, but be conscious.
8. Sleep in your own bed. While weeknight sleepovers can be tempting, you'll be so happy to wake up in your own bed. Seriously. Weekday early morning walks of shame? Not sexy. Make your boyfriend/girlfriend stay at your place. ESPECIALLY if he/she doesn't have to get up in the morning for work, in which case you definitely get priority here.
9. Think geographically -- I live in West Chelsea, so I'm much more tempted by events on the West side. If you're an East Villager, you're probably more likely to stick to the East side. It's simple arithmetic, really -- I take cabs at night, so it's less expensive and less time consuming for me to stay on my side of things (West side is the best side!). Of course, throw this rule out the window if the cross-town jaunt is worth it.
10. Have fun! If it's not fun, bail. If it is, enjoy! This is what it's all about, kids.

Yours,
EL

Weekend Round-up

Likes: Getting together with extended family. The fact that I have extended family in the city.

Dislikes: Motivational dancers -- who are these guys??? -- and loud, loud music at 1 p.m. Long Island Bat Mitzvahs.

Likes: KJ Denhert at 55 Bar (So, so good, and there every other Saturday: http://www.kjdenhert.com/.)

Dislikes: Walking in the rain on Saturday night on the way to 55 Bar.

Likes: Sundays.

Dislikes: That the day after Sunday is Monday.

Yours,
EL

Vendredi soir avec la famille

It's always wonderful to have people in town to pull me out of my bubble on a Friday night. Last night, my aunt insisted that I meet her at her hotel, (rather than in the West Village, as planned). Thus, with my feet dragging -- I usually try to avoid midtown during rush hour -- I boarded the six train after work and headed to her, at 49th and Lex. When I got there, she had already broken into a platter of cheese and opened a bottle of wine -- a perfect way to get a Friday evening started. Then, to my surprise, my aunt from Atlanta told me her (grand) game plan: drinks at Bull and Bear club, followed by dinner at La Grenouille.

Bottom line? So worth it. Though Bull and Bear proved a little too stuffy and the martinis there proved a little too salty, La Grenouille delivered in all of its old New York glory. The huge, beautiful space, decorated with roses, lillies and a warm, active hearth made for a special experience. And while walking back to the hotel, though Christmas lights really don't make their debut for another week or two, I noted just how lovely midtown looked. (There, I said it -- midtown's not so bad.)

Yours,
EL

It's the most wonderful time of the year

CAROLINA BASKETBALL SEASON STARTS TOMORROW!

UNC v. Penn, 4 PM

Yours, forever Tar Heel born and bred,
EL

We got the beat

What we're discussing on work IM every day is a toss-up and can range anywhere from what we did the night before to what keywords we're using to search for something on our dashboard. Today's conversation with Maggie, a New Yorker who knows what's what? NY bars and clubs, classified by music and patrons:

We focused on some of the most recognizable names...


MG: Cane: coolest moments are biggy, turkish techno (bongos included), ludacris, (we'd have to look at hot 97 top charters),....
MG: Tenjune: when jesse marce djs siiickkk everything esp old school hiphop, anyone else that same old nirvana song that randomly gets played a clubs, some ja rule, some 50 cent
EL: Pink Elephant
MG: rhinna and chris brown (hope they make it!),
Yves La Rock - Rise Up, still probably listening to Peter, Bjorn & John - Young Folks and feeling pretty cool about it
MG: Sway: reggae tone, MIA, the smiths/morrisey (duh1)
EL: Southside
MG: Dj nick Cohen and Alexandra richards actually know how to play. dance your ass off to random hip hop beats meshed well and rolling stones into some crystal castles. Our studio B meets underground meets your Dads records. then check out the socialites dance and get embarrassed for them
MG: Gallery bar: our bipolar location. Watch out for attempt to be hipster while falling into the dj set safety until the sollis brothers get on and bring you true tones surpassing white peoples knowledge of reggae, and even some random blue grass that you wont hate
MG: LIT: god bless this bar. thank god someone remembers to start out with the clash and ramones while realizing everyones drunk and wants to grind (your favorite hipster dance anthems meets reggae dance hall if your lucky) and throw in a little random british pop thats to harley and cassie
MG: Beatrice: motown is its climax and dont underestimate the power of those to get ppl to dance. relys on hipster anthems the smiths when in moments of panic. and of course there is the nightly episode of wild thing. if you a regular and are allowed to stay late you can come down to music like beirut...
MG: marquee and bungalow 27th street hasn't been knocked down yet?
MG: studio B: justic, cystal castles, cut copy, digistilism, and watch out for stick floors and sweaty hipsters
MG: home sweet home: mesh of it all depending on the night get down to 90s night surrounded by nights of random freestyles, and the good old hipster songs, if your lucky you'll hear some devo
MG: pianos: too loud to tell with all those yuppies screaming and band you never heard of in the back. watch out for ppl requesting the strokes
MG: darkroom: Theres still hope! hopefully. stellastarr and all our classic LES staples pre-invasions. Misshapes choices live on through this bar. Beware of Uffie and those 400 swedish girls who sound like her. pray one of those is peaches though
MG: max fish: totally random, sort of love it (actually good nirvana choices and all that other 90s rock) or want it go away (the bad side of 90s rock) but who really cares when their are aso many hot skaters and a 20:1 boy:girl ratio
MG: marions: great (Boys II men: embarrassed bc you want so much more) and old school hip hop
MG: Antique (next store) god help this place.


Have fun out there.

Yours,
EL

TGIF

Last night, H, a friend of mine from college (...we went to the same school, but we weren't friends until we both got to the city), her roommate (also a former Tar Heel) and I went to get drinks after work. They live in the East Village, so to strike a balance, we figured we could meet somewhere that's convenient for both of us...which is how we ended up wandering around Union Square at rush hour.

After deciding against all the bars along Irving Place (mostly because I didn't want to run into an old flame(ish) who lives over there), we headed to Union Bar. One year ago this weekend, I went to Union Bar with H to celebrate her then-boyfriend's 30th birthday. I remember getting lost on the way and being totally confused that Park Ave ended at Union Square. Oh, how times have changed.

Anyway, so the verdict on Union Bar? Don't go. Although we had a good time catching up, lounging in the leather cushions and downing trail mix (it was dinner!!!), I'd recommend elsewhere for happy hours in the future. Somewhere with less pumping top 40 music and fewer over-40 business guys escaping from the W hotel across the street. This might be an obvious conclusion, but I thought I'd put it out there, just in case you weren't sure.


Yours,
EL

p.s. Happy weekend
p.p.s. My mom's youngest sister is in town this weekend, and I am pumpedd to take her to Tartine, my favorite little West Village spot, for dinner tonight.

Your guide to holiday romance (version 2.0)

As promised, I have been thinking long and hard about a "guys to avoid" list for the ladies out there. [In response to the girls to avoid list, from a previous post.] Granted, I vowed when I started this blog that I would not make the content dating-centric, but I had to give myself this one post -- it's just too fun to...avoid.

1. Avoid any guy you meet after 3 a.m. He doesn't know your name.
2. Avoid any guy who asks you to come home and play video games. Either he thinks that's a good line, or he really plays video games all the time.
3. Avoid any guy who wears his heart on his sleeve....he's too sensitive and probably emotionally needy. (Think Dan Humphrey, blech.)
4. Avoid any guy who's wearing tighter pants than you....Unless he's in a band. Even then, you probably should avoid him. He has the plague.
5. Avoid a dinner date promise from a drunk guy. He is trying to get you into bed.
6. Avoid a guy who knows too much about gadgets. He plays World of Warcraft.
7. Avoid any guy who talks about his money.
8. Avoid any guy who wears too much (any...) cologne.
9. Avoid any guy who lives in the gym. He will always like his body better than yours.
10. Avoid any guy who's uncomfortably dependent on his mother. He's looking for a replacement, and you'll never measure up.
11. Avoid any guy who is on a diet. That's icky.
12. Avoid any guy who wears a deep-V t-shirt. He probably also tans.
13. Avoid any guy who tans.
14. Avoid any guy with a drug problem. You'll end up holding his hand through rehab, and he'll resent you.
15. Avoid any guy you work with. No excuses. Unless you are going to get married or you're planning on changing jobs, it's a bad idea.
16. Avoid any guy who's wearing pointy shoes. Exception: a fabulous European.
17. Avoid any guy who has on nail polish. He's into freaky shit, and he probably hangs out with Kirsten Dunst at LIT.
18. Avoid any guy you meet at the following: Marquee, Pink Elephant, Bungalow 8, Mansion, Mr. West, Suzie Wong, Home, Cain Luxe, Guest House, or any iteration of the same. He's B&T, and he shaves his arms.
19. Avoid any guy you meet who is an undergrad at NYU. Bad news bears.
20. Avoid any guy who says his favorite place is the Lower East Side. We know it's fun, but get over it already.
21. Avoid any guy who tries to pick you up by offering to buy a bottle. See #7.
22. Avoid a drunken Brit who's whispering sweet nothings into your ear. It's Ed Westwick, and he's using you.
23. Avoid any guy who tells you you're too serious if you bring up current events. We're grown-ups now.
24. Avoid any guy who hates your friends. He's insecure.
25. Avoid any guy who has no friends. He's socially inept.
26. Avoid any guy who has no hobby. He does have a hobby, but he's embarrassed to tell you what it is. He's probably a weirdo.
27. Avoid any guy who misses movie references. He had no childhood.
28. Avoid any guy who exclusively listens to house music. He's rolling.
29. Avoid a 30-year-old in an entry-level position. He's scared of life.
30. Avoid any guy who has cheated on a girlfriend. No, it's not different this time. Yes, he'll do it again.
31. Avoid any guy you meet at Beatrice Inn. He also hangs out with Kirsten Dunst at LIT, and he's a mess.
32. Avoid any guy who doesn't drink. Self-explanatory.
33. Avoid any guy who works in finance. He's getting fired.
34. Avoid any guy who is an only child. He isn't properly socialized.
35. Avoid any guy who can't drink whiskey.
36. Avoid any guy who doesn't like dogs. Really?
37. Avoid any guy who has an avatar. He is cheating on his Second Life wife.

The list could go on, probably, but honestly I'm starting to feel like a crazy person. I'm not this critical, and these things really don't matter -- well, some do. But the point is, just go out there and have fun this holiday season. And hell, if you meet someone who seems nice enough, go for it. What have you got to lose?

Yours,
EL

Jobs, anyone?

NYC Monster.com job fair line (courtesy of Gawkerrr)....

Yours, and thankful that I have a job,
EL

"New York impressed me tremendously because, more than any other city in the world, it is the fullest expression of our modern age." Leon Trotsky

Tonight, in lieu of my usual class at NYU ("Digital Media, Marketing and Advertising"), I headed up to the HBO building at Bryant Park for a lecture entitled "The Evolution of Advertising" at the Center for Communication. All I knew was that Ira Mayer, my professor, who may as well be Woody Allen's cousin, said the speakers "are real leaders in the digital ad world" and "will be able to give us some great insights." Sounded valuable enough.

As it turns out, Ira was right. Though the panel got off to a slow, somewhat rambling start -- a pitfall of putting together three organization heads who love to talk about their undebatable, pretty awesome success -- the conversation began to move among topics that I not only think about for a living, but that have become (I think) my long-term professional interest.

The panelists, Douglas Scott, President of OgilvyEntertainment; Guy McCarter, Managing Director of Green Room Entertainment; and Jon Kamen, Chairman and CEO of Radical Media, discussed everything from the evolution of the :30 TV spot to the influx of digital-branded shows both on TV and online. They discussed Mad Men and the differences -- and similarities -- between the ad world of the fifties and that of today. They discussed their specific clients and campaigns, and they discussed projects I have researched ad nauseam for clients that we share.

As I sat in the packed lecture hall, what I thought about most is just how lucky I am to be a part of the New York City, 21st Century media world. The Internet has brought about changes at an unrivaled pace, and it truly takes breathing in this city, this mecca of media, to understand and internalize this industry and its daily impact and implications. At this point, I can think of no better place for me.

Yours, with apologies for the rambling,
EL

WAR IS OVER!

If I had taken the subway to work today (instead of a cab...really no excuse), I would have seen this sooner. According to the (real) NYTimes, more than 1.2 million (fake) NYTimes newspapers were distributed today at busy subways and intersections. Unfortunately, the headlines such as "War is over" and "Ex-Secretary apologizes for W.M.D. scare" are not true, but I think these guys did a hell of a job with the spoof. Read more about the event here, and watch the vimeo here.

Yours, with gratitude to the fourth estate,
EL

Hard at work

Jen put this together of our team at work. Jen's on the left, Stephen (clearly our boss), me, Maggie.

DISCLAIMER: I was dressed that way because I had a 90s-themed party. I don't usually raid Neve Campbell's closet before a big night out, though clearly I should....

Yours, EL

Gossip Girl

Okay, I know it seems like I'm dwelling, but GG wouldn't be nearly as amazing without this roundup, from New York Mag. It's my favorite part of Tuesday mornings.

Yours,
EL

Celebrations

I still can't believe that we are going to have (at least) four years of an Obama presidency!!!

Okay that's all. Just got excited.

Yours,
EL

Your guide to holiday romance (ha)

High-school friend Andrea posted this today, and I found it entertaining. And yes, I am proud to say that, according to this list, I am fair game. (Or maybe I'm in denial. That's likely.)

Anyway, check it out: HERE

p.s. My version -- the flip side -- is in progress, of course.

Yours, and wishing you a happy 6 weeks 'til xmas (and less til Hanukkah -- suckersss),
EL

Recent work

This is an entry I made recently for the corporate blog at work...Check it out:

Bloggers Weigh in on Election, Candidates

Emily Luger — Tags: blog, mccain, obama — @ November 4, 2008 2:43 pm

In the final hours of election eve, I decided to run a quick search of the top blogs that have discussed the election and the presidential and vice presidential candidates during the past week in our BuzzMetrics data system (which includes about 80 million blogs). With articles on many major news and marketing sites, I thought it would be particularly interesting to check out where the blog discussion is occurring.

To that end, I conducted three separate searches:

First, I searched the term “election” and linked it with the names of the four major candidates (Republican and Democrat). Interestingly, Huffingtonpost.com, columnist Arianna Huffington’s generalist blog with a noted leftist lean, came out on top, with more than 40% of the total messages (among the top 15 blogs, ranked by number of messages about the topic). Following HuffPo was Dailykos.com, a political blog that claims 2-4 million daily visits, with about 13% of discussion within total messages (among the top 15 blogs). I did a quick profile of each of the top 15 blogs to see if they self-identified with a political preference, and among them, seven identify as liberal, whereas six identify as conservative. Two of the blogs did not identify a preference, Jossip.com and Politicalwire.com.

The second search I conducted was the term “election” along with the Democratic candidates, Obama and Biden. HuffPo again ranked first, with more than 40% of discussion, and Dailykos.com again ranked second, with about 10%. While the following 13 blogs shifted position, the same sites top the list overall. And again, after scanning through each blog on the list, seven identify as liberal, six identify as conservative, and two did not identify a preference.

When I ran the third search, (”election” and the Republican candidates, McCain and Palin) I wasn’t sure what would happen. Sure enough, however, the results were similar. Once again, Huffingtonpost.com has the highest volume of discussion with about 45%, Dailykos.com claims about 10% of discussion, and the following 13 blogs are almost all same as in the previous two searches, (seven liberal, six conservative, and two without identification).

So what does this mean? For me, some of the key takeaways are as follows:

• More self-identified “liberal” sites rank in the top 15 than “conservative” ones, though the numbers are pretty evenly split, with 7 liberal sites for each of the three searches, and 6 conservative sites for each of the three searches.
• Popular political blog Drudgereport.com is not on the list, and neither is Gawker.com, a Jossip.com competitor.
• Despite the search terms, the same list appears (though in different order) - apparently the candidates and political affiliation matter less than the discussion of the election in general.
• If online advertising is such a game changer this year (and, I assume, in years to follow), advertisers should note that both liberal and conservative bloggers are posting actively and to a similar degree - and neither should be overlooked.

Yours,
EL

California, Shmalifornia...aka Time Zones stink

I have best friends in California and family in England. To talk to my England people, I have to call before I'm done with work, or it's too late there. To talk to my Cali people, I have to call when it's late here, or they're at work. I think everyone should just live on the East coast. Thoughts?

Yours,
EL

Gossip Girl

Seriously? What is with Serena's man taste? First the annoying Dan Humphrey (who pales in comparison to his good-boy-in-a-teen-drama rival Brandon Walsh), and then this terrible art guy? What's with this guy's facial hair? Either grow it out or shave it! Terrible! Also, Serena -- put on some clothes! It's one thing to be free spirited, but it is quite another thing to go to the park in your nightgown -- not only do you look like a floozy, but it's cold outside, jeeze!

p.s. Can't wait for the NYMag Gossip Girl points tomorrow.
p.p.s. I didn't start watching Gossip Girl until this season. It was easy to resist when I gave up having cable to live in the West Village. Now it's my new favorite drug.

Yours,
EL

Monday, Monday...

After a year in this city where time flies so quickly it can be difficult to remember which month -- let alone day -- it is, I decided to make a change. I decided to reserve one night a week for myself -- Monday. As soon as I leave the office, I allow myself to do whatever I please: some nights I go to bed early, some nights I watch embarrassing TV (The Hills), some nights I go to the gym (Tinsley Mortimer sees her trainer at my gym on Mondays, so I like to check out her newest -- matching -- gym outfits). But I digress. The point is, tonight I strayed from my new Monday routine and did something a little bit different. Tonight I went to Penthouse.

Some background: Laura's cousin recently wrote a book called Brocabulary: The new Manifesto of Dude Talk, and based on its utterly misogynistic (but funny) content, Penthouse offered to rent out a space in their W. 45th street club for the launch party. Laur and I arrived soon after 6, and after dropping $27 on two Amstel Lights (good thing we didn't order Vodka sodas...), we perched in a corner booth to survey the crowd. As we discovered, guests were primarily publishing people (Harper Collins and New York Magazine -- lots of glasses and sweaters), college friends of the PR girl, and random hair-gel-wearing-and-rugby-player-looking guys who we later found out had heard about the party on Urban Daddy (the guy equivalent to Daily Candy, one of my about-town favorites).

Anyway, as exciting as the party (and Laura's first strip-club experience) was, after finishing our beers, watching a few (awkard -- sorry ladies) dances and chatting up some of our fellow revelers, we decided to head out. Somehow before we left, a short -- seriously, like 5'5" -- gentleman who I had been chatting with asked me "So, uh, do you have a card or something?" and told me he wanted to take me to "the best wine bar in NY." I told him I did, in fact, have a card, but that I didn't believe him that there was a "best" wine bar in the city (nor that it would be on the Upper West Side, which he insisted). Not sure why I gave him my card. Really, I should have walked away when, early into our conversation, he claimed that the best place in NYC is The Box. Oh well -- I just hope he doesn't e-mail me at my work address. (Yikes.)

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The point of all of this is: Hello. Welcome. I promise not all posts will be this rambling and lacking in direction, and I hope that my stories will entertain -- or at least keep you occupied in between gchat conversations at work. (I know how it goes with the quick-hand window minimize move when your boss cruises past the cubicle.) Basically, I am an NC girl turned NY media/entertainment/nightlife/history/politics/etc. nut, and I figure that instead of randomly emailing all my friends and family with tidbits and news clips and funny stories that I come across, I ought to find a central location. Plus, now that I'm fairly certain I won't be returning to journalism, I want an excuse to write. So like I said -- welcome. I think this is going to be fun.

Yours,
EL