Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Stuff White People Like

Thanks to my friend Angie for passing along this hilarious blog: http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.wordpress.com/

So what do white people like? According to this blog, so far 70 things including: difficult breakups, Mos Def, sushi, the movie Juno, recycling, living by the water, irony, Apple products, breakfast places, David Sedaris, wine, yoga, tea, Barack Obama, and film festivals. No argument from this white person on any of the above.

As someone commented: "this site is only funny to white people. White people love to think they are cute and funny in some way." Well, I think the blog is freakin' funny, and yes I love to think I am cute and funny in some way too.

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Barack the Vote


So last night, I decided to not be lame and brave the ice to meet a friend for a networking happy hour. The event was nice, at a fairly new bar that I had been to before and liked, and I met some cool people. In the true spirit of networking, I ended up leaving and going with a friend of a friend to the Obama for America party to celebrate his sweeping victory in the Potomac Primary.

Even though Obama himself was not there (he was already in Wisconsin), Mayor Fenty spoke and it was a great and different event. In addition to basically being at a huge political pep rally and getting all caught up in the momentum and unity of this historic campaign (who could get tired of watching the "Yes we Can" video...not me!), my friend and I were on the news! It was just the local NBC newscast, but you could tell it was me. Not my typical Tuesday night, nor what I had planned when I set out for “just 1 drink”…I love this city!

Monday, February 11, 2008

Six-Word Memoirs

I am very intrigued by this new book: Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous & Obscure. While it does seem pretty daunting to sum up one’s life in six words, I am fascinated with this project, and want to try it myself. I guess I can blame the same part of me that enjoyed writing haiku as a child.

I really want to take a few minutes and craft one for my own life…although knowing me, I will not be able to settle on just one, and given that I’m still at the office, it will have to wait. You can submit your own six-word life story at http://www.sixwordmemoir.com/ and be considered for SMITH Mag's next book. If you are feeling so inspired, I would be interested to read your story as well!

View their trailer below showing some of the highlights from bestselling authors and ordinary people. I like these two: “Quietly cultivating my inner Linda Carter,” and “Brought it to a boil, often.”

Via AlterNet:

When Ernest Hemingway famously wrote, "For Sale: baby shoes, never worn," he proved that an entire story can be told using a half dozen words. When the online storytelling magazine SMITH asked readers to submit six-word memoirs, it proved that a whole, real life can be told this way too.




Six-Word Memoir book preview from SMITHmag on Vimeo.