Emma Zayer

Minor Victory

2009-03-06T15:42:00.002-05:00

Getting my inbox to have zero unread messages.

Of course, I've only done that in two of my inboxes so far. But there are more...

I'm starting to think that maybe I have too many email accounts.

I Speak Russian, Again!

2009-01-31T17:57:00.002-05:00

Last night I spoke to a two-year-old child and his mom from Azerbaijan I came across in a department store. Most of my Russian-speaking was aimed at him though.

So I have the ability to communicate with a toddler...

Well, it's a start.

But really, it was good to hear the Russian language again and I'm proud I stirred up the nerve to say something to those folks. They seemed nice, and the kid was cute and rambunctious. He was pulling shoes into their cart just as fast as his mom could say 'we don't need more shoes' and put them back on the racks. Then he came across a broom and started sweeping the floor!

Step Away From the Self-Checkout

2009-01-24T09:10:00.001-05:00

I rarely get rung up by supermarket workers nowadays thanks to the fantastic advent of the self-checkout machine, a wonderful device that allows me to scan, bag and pay for groceries all on my own. Since I usually only buy a few items each trip - a handheld basket's worth at most - I'm drawn to the ease and speed of the self-checkout. Plus, I get to bag my items exactly as I please. (ie: If I have two bags, that means perishables in one and non-perishables in the other. Just makes sense when it comes time to sort at home.)

However, all-too-often I encounter people clogging up the self-checkout system. In my opinion, there are two main types of people who should not be using these machines:

The person with a cart overflowing with goods. When you have a lot of items and only two hands, that's usually a good time to take advantage of regular checkout, where the clerk can swipe while you bag. Sometimes there's even a bagger to help too. I realize the self-checkout says nothing about being express, but I've always thought of it as being somewhat that way by nature. I've never stuck around long enough to watch, but I just don't think that one person can efficiently swipe, bag and re-cart 40 items on his own. Especially because most of the people I see with a full cart at the self-checkout look a bit confused about the process to begin with. Which brings me to category number 2...

People who do not know how to use a self-checkout machine. At all. Yes, only a few months ago I was a self-checkout newbie, and even now I sometimes encounter minor problems. But it took very little time for me to learn how to operate one of these things even though I've never worked in a supermarket.

I hate to stereotype, but most of the people I've seen trying to use the self-checkout while simultaneously being bewildered by it are older folks. In the most egregious cases (to be melodramatic, but you get the idea), I've seen people using them who flat-out do not understand the machines and, after scanning their items, expect the store's one self-checkout employee to complete the transaction. At that point, you really should just be using the regular line.

More commonly, however, I see people who want to know how to use it and think they know how to use it...and they don't. In their frustration, they prefer to blame the machine for being wonky instead of accepting that they aren't using it correctly. And thus, they hold me up in line for twice as long as their transcations should take.

The inspiration for this post came when I was at Giant supermarket in the self-checkout line earlier this week. A couple in their late 60s or 70s had about a dozen items which the wife was bagging at the end of the conveyor belt and the husband was scanning about two feet away from me. He didn't understand where on the scale the bar codes should be scanned, so I think it was pure luck that most of his items had already gone through. He also had a slow learning curve when it came to using the touch-screen menu to select items without bar codes.

I hopped on this line because the man had four items left. 'Should only take a minute,' I thought. But oh, was I wrong. I watched him stare at the touch-screen like it was written in Greek. Once he decided to not pursue that route, instead of cancelling the screen to return to regular scanning he just picked up his tub of butter and started waving it around in a confused matter over the scanner. I leaned in to lightly offer some help, which he followed. Though when I also tried to tell him about the proper way to face the bar codes, he huffed that he knew where the bar code was on the product already. (I think his frustration was at the cherry tomatoes and the scanner, not at me. But should the self-checkout really be causing high blood pressure??)

With two or three items still left, another woman got behind me on line. She was borderline in my first category - a single person with a cart half-filled with items - but I didn't have the energy to cast judgment upon her in my mind because I was too tired from standing for eight minutes watching the older man fumble with the machine. She also shot me a sympathetic glance, which helped. Even the guy's wife was starting to get an apologetic look on her face.

Finally, the self-checkout attendant came to our lane for the second time during this dozen item-transaction and rang up the butter. This entire butter process only took as long as my subsequent transaction did total.

Thankfully the self-checkout usually doesn't have long lines, which is partly a testament to all those people who must know how to use it efficiently. I try my best to be one of them.

Old Music

2009-01-02T21:30:00.000-05:00

First entry of the new year...one of many more to come, I promise.

I thought long and hard about what stories to share here, and then, very suddenly, I was inspired to write while listening to Pandora.com a few minutes ago. For those who don't know, Pandora is a site that allows you to create free, personalized radio stations over the Internet based on genres, songs or artists you like. You pop in a band name or a song title and Pandora creates a streaming radio station based on the musical characteristics of your input. You can't choose the exact songs to play, but you can give songs that they select a thumbs up or thumbs down, further shaping the selection that your station will feature and influencing which songs will remain in rotation.

One of my stations -- "Michael Buble Radio" -- plays Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, Harry Connick Jr., other standards and the like. Usually the selection is very good, as was the case tonight...until it came to a selection off of Frank Sinatra's "Duets" album.

Cole Porter's "I've got you under my skin" starts playing. So far so good. Frank starts singing. Age has taken some toll on his voice but it still sounds excellent. Now I'm expecting Liza Minelli or someone like that to chime in -- but instead there's this strange smoky male voice I can't place. Okay. It gets weirder when the male duet partner is singing in falsetto an octave above Frank, then scat/wailing in this high-pitched voice.

It's Bono from U2. What the heck?? I like Bono, and I like Sinatra, but this pairing is just horrible to me. I'm even more horrified to learn that this song supposedly helped launch 1993's "Duets" to the top of the charts. Really? Because their vibes don't match at all to me. Sinatra is singing the song it originally was done and Bono is doing a genre-blending, sometimes-rock, sometimes-swing sort of thing.

Perhaps part of the problem is that the duets on the album were actually not recorded together; the collaborators, who also include Minelli, Tony Bennett, Gloria Estefan and Aretha Franklin, performed their halves to Sinatra's pre-recorded vocal tracks. I imagine that this could stifle the organic creative energy that comes from performing in the other singer's presence.

I can like new takes on old songs. Michael Buble and Harry Connick are among the younger artists who bring their own unique flavor to traditional pop songs. And Natalie Cole and Nat King Cole's 1991 "Unforgettable" duet is a wonderful recording that couldn't have been done without technology, since it was created using Nat's 1951 original recording of the song.

I think genres can mesh too -- just not here. Find it if you want, though. And if you want something enjoyable, check out Pandora.

My Favorite Holiday

2008-11-27T22:18:00.016-05:00

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Every year I sleep in, lazily get
out of bed and watch the Macy's parade on TV, then spend the
evening eating some of my favorite foods -- mashed potatoes, honey carrots, stuffing, gravy, turkey, mmm -- with good family and friends. Most years we have Thanksgiving at my house, which I was especially looking forward to this year now that I'm living on my own in a new
city/state where I don't know many people.

And it didn't disappoint. It was a quiet Thanksgiving with important
people in my life. This year I have a lot to be thankful for: My close
friends and family, my lovable doggies, starting a career, new
opportunities presenting themselves, overall prosperity.

It hasn't been the easiest year, and I know the road ahead has many challenges and tough decisions to make. But for the moment, I'm just going to sit in bed with Bon Bon, my Boston Terrier, and be content.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Photos:
Jalapeno thinks he should be at the table, hehe...

Yum yum yum...

A Daisy Through Concrete

2008-11-16T13:22:00.002-05:00

Well actually, a rainbow after the rain.

Success!

2008-09-29T22:52:00.002-04:00

I finally got off my lazy bottom and merged my blog and my domain name...meaning you can now type www.EmmaZayer.com or www.EmmaZayer.blogspot.com and get to the same place.

Woohoo! Better later than never, right? :)

I Want to go to Law School to Make Friends

2008-09-21T23:00:00.002-04:00

Last weekend I went to Charlottesville, Va. to visit my former roommate Jess and her two adorable cats (...to whom I am fairly allergic, but a puffy eye or two was worth it to pet the sweet things and spend the night). It was a blast -- we baked cookies from scratch, dined and strolled around an outdoor mall with live music Saturday night, had a wine/cheese/grapes and cookie-eating party while watching "Bobby," window-shopped and tried on clothes at the regular mall on Sunday afternoon. Plus we talked a lot, of course, and there's something to be said for being able to just hang around and say what's really on your mind and not get bored chatting with a friend.

Something refreshing yet a little bit odd over the past few weeks has been seeing good friends with whom most of my recent contact has been via the Internet. In this age of Google Chat and AIM (Facebook is so passe, yawn) it's so easy to keep in touch with friends who I can't see as frequently as I'd like because of distance. Even people like Victoria, another former roommate who works in the District and lives in northern Virginia. Sure I expect to see her fairly regularly - celebrating her birthday this week was fantastic fun! - but we can't hang out in person several nights a week like we did when we lived in the same apartment and took classes on the same campus.

Visiting these friends kind of reminds me of the movie "1776," when John and Abigail Adams are shown talking through letters (the camera cuts to them in different geographical places speaking the text like a conversation) but then movie-magic brings them together at their Massachusetts farm for a few fleeting moments before each returns to his/her current reality. I was reminded of that part because my travels have felt a bit similar -- after all this time writing I suddenly appeared in the flesh, just to vanish about as quickly as I arrived. And though I showed up knowing a wealth of information about what's going on in my friends' lives from online discussions, it's so different to actually talk about the issues in real life.

You can only imagine facial expressions and intonation when you're communicating through computer-screen text. In real life it's great to see and hear how someone says something, to get the whole sensory package, to pick up subtlety in how a topic is being addressed. Sometimes I even forget how nice that all is.

Getting back to the matter at hand...Jess also took me to visit the University of Virginia, where she is in her first year as a law student. We toured the handsome law school and she told me about campus life: the respect students have for the honor code, the lack of obnoxious, cut-throat competition (everyone is all but guaranteed a job after graduation, and people don't waste time proving their intelligence to one another since there's the sense that you must be smart if you got in - it is the 10th ranked law school in the country ), and how nice people are. The environment is friendly. Her academic section bonds by going out together twice a week, and she goes out with other people a third night. Almost everyone participates in the school softball league, no experience necessary, good sportsmanship an unwritten rule. When her third cat died early in the semester, someone lent her reading notes the next day in case she was cold-called by a professor. She's active in a whole slew of campus groups. People work hard, play hard, and don't steal the athletic equipment left unlocked for anyone to use on the quad.

Basically, it sounds like what we hoped our undergrad experience would be but mostly didn't live up to.

Walking down the open mall at night, it was a bit strange to reflect on being done with undergrad life. Like, Jess worked so hard to get into law school - she's naturally gifted with a sharp, analytical mind that will make her a great lawyer, but lots of studying didn't hurt! - and it's a little hard to believe that instead of being on our dorm sofa studying for the LSAT she's actually attending the prestigious law school at which she truly deserves to be. :) When you're in college it sometimes feels like you'll be caught up in that microcosm forever -- the homework, the friends, the drama. It hasn't totally hit me yet that it's over. It has in the sense that I wake up in the morning and know I'm going to work; I leave in the afternoon and have total freedom from the increasingly distant memory of homework. For right now it's making me very happy.

I do hope to go back to school, probably within the next couple of years. Seeing Jess made me think more about my own future academic pursuits and about figuring out exactly what path I want to take. It's so exciting to have your whole life before you and a multitude of possibilities! I'm glad I waited until after graduation to start thinking about grad school...it's a very personal decision, obviously, but I feel now like I have the time and space I need to make a clear decision. And I'm in no hurry.

Though based on what Jess said about UVA Law, maybe I should bump the possibility of law school up higher on my potential grad options list. I mean, really, who thought law school could be a fun place to make some friends?!

What I Learned on my Post-Summer Vacation

2008-09-07T10:07:00.002-04:00

I drove my younger sister and her stuff up to college in Vermont over Labor Day Weekend. On the way back, I stopped in New Hampshire and Massachusetts to visit friends - one who works in advertising, one in law school and one who is an undergrad. It was a compact version of the road trip I always told myself I'd do in college but never got around to. Despite a few minor hitches, the trip was a blast and I look forward to visiting them and New England again whenever possible.

Things I observed on my road trip:

11. Two hours driving will get you a lot of places traveling through New England.

10. Plans always manage to work out somehow when you're with good friends (even after getting locked out of the apartment or when everyone is too tired to go exploring).

9. You haven't tasted delicious till you've eaten an organic golden cherry tomato that you plucked straight off the vine.
8. Local offerings are quite tasty overall, including the beer, pumpkin butter and basically anything made from maple syrup.

7. There's more to reading a sundial than meets the eye.

6. You can't truly love a cause or a political candidate unless you have at least two bumper stickers about it on your car.
5. You can believe some articles on Wikipedia, because there really are self-appointed editors who put a lot of effort into editing them. I met one. (See Candide.)

4. There's a lot of fun to be had outdoors, be it walking through city streets, hanging out in playgrounds or cutting through corn fields to go to the store. (Eating homemade ice cream sitting a few meters away from the cows that produced the milk is another example.)

3. New England has an obscene amount of adorable quaintness and scenic locales...I want to go back to see more!

2. Good friends listen when you need to talk and care what you have to say. They finish their homework extra fast, risk getting to work a few minutes late and take you to rustic local bars with all the tasty peanuts you can eat, just to enjoy your company for a few minutes longer. I have some really great friends with whom I spent some precious, awesome time. I hope I proved to be just as good a friend in return. Thanks for everything, this trip would have been nothing without you.

1. New England has more Subaru Outbacks than you've ever seen in your whole life. New Englanders love their Subarus!

I Do More Than Speak in My Sleep

2008-08-19T11:11:00.000-04:00

I sometimes speak Russian in my sleep, according to both my boyfriend and my former roommate. Not just murmuring, but full-sentence-speaking, Russian in my sleep.

Which is kind of funny since I always clam up when it comes to speaking Russian while awake.

But what's even funnier is my reaction after being told about the sleep talking:

"What did I say?"

...since neither of them speak Russian. Yet I always hold out some strange glimmer of hope that they'll remember my words. Yes, seriously, every time.

I Have Always Depended on the Kindness of Strangers...

2008-08-08T17:33:00.002-04:00

New York City is a place where vulgarity and compassion can comfortably go hand in hand.

A few days ago I was riding up the Penn Station escalator going from the Long Island Railroad to a Washington-bound bus. As usual on an afternoon in NYC, the escalator and the station were crowded. And as my fellow riders and I got closer to the top we heard a woman shouting at street level, "Give me a fucking napkin!" Over and over and over. She was standing just two or three feet away from the top of the escalator so as it spit you out you could have almost toppled right onto her...and a few riders who weren't very agile or stopped to look at the contained commotion were subject to her wrath. ("Keep fucking moving! Get out of the fucking way! Give me a fucking napkin!")

She didn't explain why she wanted said napkin, but once I was out of the station I looped around behind her to see what was going on. Over three or four other on-lookers I finally got a glimpse of the problem: huddled on the round against a station wall was another woman cradling a dog with a bloody paw. It was the cutest, saddest looking pup, fuzzy and golden like a spaniel with big, bloodhound-esque eyes, being held like a baby. I felt such a pang of sympathy looking at the poor thing that I had to turn away. I'd have reached into my backpack to get some napkins but I didn't remember where they were packed and a few other people were already digging to present their own offerings.

Why the barking woman didn't run down to Rite Aid or one of the zillion food places to grab napkins, I don't know. I guess she didn't want to leave her friend/companion alone...then again, I don't even know that the two women knew each other before this. But as I walked away with the new-found knowledge of the injured dog, the cursing pleas struck me as kind of, well, sweet.

Though I didn't get involved in this situation I am generally a big fan of random acts of kindness. For your friends, for your loved ones, for total strangers. I really appreciate when someone goes slightly out of his way to do a nice thing for me and I like doing the same for other people. Sometimes it makes my whole day seem more upbeat for only a little bit of energy expended.

The End (or is the Beginning?) is Near

2008-07-20T13:30:00.004-04:00

Answer: It's both.

Bear with me, I'll try to keep this as cliche-free as possible. Though a lot of things have got me thinking about the future lately, most compelling right now is the impending departure of one of my best friends. To Africa. For two years. With the Peace Corps.

Laura and I forged a relationship over banned chewing gum in math class and a shared off-beat view of seventh grade life. (Specifically the ridiculous over-emphasis in English of style over substance...and I mean actual, arts-and-crafts-type style. Neither of us can forget the comment on our historical tea party project - like it sounds, we pretend-invited historical figures to a pretend party - that our invitations could have been better color coordinated.)

We lived through awkward phases together and through some of the biggest changes in our lives up to this point. And while I could brainstorm the characteristics that make a good friend or a good relationship I think pinning down the exact bit of magic that keeps it all together is beyond my immediate grasp. One trait that springs to mind, however, is trust. I value all my relationships very highly but believe it is exceptionally special when you have enough comfort with someone to not worry about being judged or think twice about opening yourself up. Yes, sometimes there turn out to be nutty, insincere people you really shouldn't trust in the first place and I've had a penchant for finding them in the past. Yet I have also had more than my fair share of meeting kind, genuine people whose friendships make me feel so lucky. Laura's friendship is one of those good ones.

So, back to the matter at hand: Laura leaves next Friday from D.C. for a two-year stint in Zambia working on HIV/AIDS outreach. She already has several years of experience working with HIV/AIDS families and is a nice balance of a nurturing soul and an all-around tough cookie, so I know she will do really well in the gig! Plus she's heard great feedback from people who already served the Peace Corps in Zambia.

For me, her departure marks a signal that summer is winding down. Yeah, yeah, it's not even August which is definitely part of the heart of summer. Laura is the first to leave though. I remember when it seemed like forever till she'd get her assignment. Now she's suddenly about to go? I anticipate that the rest of summer could move just as quickly, as one-by-one my other friends go off to school and gear up for autumn at work.

Where will I be? I don't know. I'm still enjoying the time off and there's plenty to keep me busy while job-hunting. Having my dog sleep at the foot of my bed most nights has also been a nice luxury of spending time at home. Still, I'm ready to work. I just don't know what exactly the right job is for me and how to get it. Getting your foot in the door anywhere is hard enough these days! I have at least two interviews scheduled in the next month though, so it's really not all so bad.

The real end of my college-life chapter is coming. I feel pretty positive that once the wheels really get cranking on the next phase that they will take me through a very exciting new adventure, perhaps figuring out what I want to do for much of the rest of my life. It's a strange thing, having so many options available yet feeling daunted by getting your foot in the front door.

At least in the meantime I'll have lots of cards to make and letters to send Laura! Snail mail is such a lost art to my generation...

From left: Laura, me, Allison (another middle school friend). Huntington, N.Y. July 2008

Happy Birthday Grandma/United States

2008-07-07T19:11:00.000-04:00

Today is my grandmother's 85th birthday and I've just got a few minutes to steal away before taking her to lunch with my mom. I was actually planning to write about another recent birthday...that of the United States.

Specifically, what made me feel very patriotic on July 4th, and not our "Star Spangled Banner" telephone ring in the kitchen. (Yes, the phone really plays that -- I wonder who programmed that as a preset.)

No, I'm talking about fireworks.

(Looks like dust in this small photo, but that's actually fireworks over FDR Drive in Manhattan.)

America's founders were rebels. They broke away from the most powerful empire in the world. They put faith in a rag-tag bunch of civilians banded together against the world's premier military. They built the foundation for a nation with no real precedent and laid the groundwork for a democracy that, while imperfect, offers protection, freedom and prosperity for its citizens not enjoyed in many places around the world.

So I think America's founders would have taken a chance with the dangers of fireworks. In fact, they probably would have said 'fireworks, heck yeah!' (Unlike in New York, one of the states where fireworks are illegal. But the founders also used leeches to cure illness so let's not take all their advice.) According to Wikipedia, fireworks did in fact accompany the Independence Day celebration of 1777 and George Washington's inauguration. I am, of course, verifying that with other sources...but I need to get running now.

Oh, and I'm not planning to set off my own fireworks anytime soon. I'll just enjoy them on TV, in the car with my family chasing them around Long Island or standing with friends in Stuyvesant town where the above photo was taken.

Be Prepared to Be Surprised

2008-06-25T00:30:00.003-04:00

After two weeks and at least a dozen layout trials, I finally found one I like. Grass and all. Maybe I'll change the default image at a later date, but for now this is it. Nice looking, right? I really think it's quite aesthetically appealing and functional. And I've almost added all my links, including those in the top navigation and the RSS feed. (The RSS feed under the posts isn't yet set up though...baby steps, baby steps...)

I'm about to go to sleep -- no school or extracurricular obligations means I actually do that nowadays. It's been a restful few weeks of playing with my dogs, seeing old friends and family bonding. (Dad, if you've learned to make the font bigger on your monitor and can read this, lunch was enjoyable even if the restaurant was understaffed.) But it's time to hit the ground running when it comes to the job search. If anyone has the secret to landing a journalism gig in this media climate, please pass it along! I'm feeling a little pessimistic after reading this Gawker post about another recent graduate who's had no luck finding a media job. It's comforting, in a strange way, to know I'm not alone. But still a teeny bit disheartening, if you know what I mean...

Thankfully, I feel fairly optimistic tonight. One thing I feel confident in is that I have a wealth of untapped potential -- skills that will really benefit whatever operation I join. I've got a whole array of multimedia training, solid editing/researching/writing skills and a tireless work ethic. I hope to turn a lifetime's worth of education, in and out of the classroom, into the basis of a successful career doing what I love. Is that so much to ask?

(Don't answer that with a link about newspapers axing reporters!)

Tuesday links/Good News

2008-06-10T15:00:00.004-04:00

You're going to see some changes around here in the next week or two. I'm experimenting with new blogger templates and customizing the Html....so if all goes according to plan, this site will look and lot sleeker and be more functional.

What have I been reading? An ingeniously lonely NYU student grad student engineered a female projection to lie in wait on an empty bed. The 2-D wonder responds to movements on the part of the real bedmate -- "Lie on your back, she snuggles up right next to you in a log position. Curl up in the fetal position, she spoons." But you can't feel her. And yes she remains fully clothed. I wonder who modeled for the part of the girl. [NY Magazine]

Our galaxy looks different than we thought. New findings presented at the 212th meeting of the American Astronomical Society "should force a significant rethinking about how the Milky Way evolved and how its stars formed." Cool. [Science Mag]

And the Vatican acknowledged the possibility of extraterrestrial life. "Writing in the Vatican newspaper, the [Pope's chief] astronomer, Father Gabriel Funes, said intelligent beings created by God could exist in outer space." [BBC]

Oh, plus watch out for tomatoes. [Washington Post]

Monday Links

2008-06-02T13:26:00.000-04:00

I meant to start this last week, but...that clearly didn't happen. So here are a sampling of stories I've read in the past two weeks:

Americans Can Send Phones to Cuba (NYT) -- Americans will soon be allowed to activate cellphones here in the U.S., send them to Cuba and pay for their relatives' phone bills. "The White House said its own change of policy is not a softening of the decades-old American embargo on trade with Cuba...Under existing American policy, family members are allowed to send gifts to Cubans back home, and the new cell phone rules simply extend that idea, according to Dan Fisk, the National Security Council official who helped draft the new initiative." Gifts from family members outside Cuba is a huge source of income for people there. But my question is, who provides cell phone reception in Cuba?

"Miracle" Marine Loses Final Battle (AP on CBS.com) --For three years, Sgt. Merlin German defied the odds -- he lived through more than 100 surgeries and constant pain after being burned over more than 97 percent of his body in a roadside bomb attack in Iraq. He died shortly before Memorial Day at the age of 22. I just turned 22 and feel like my life hasn't even begun. Heartbreaking.

Last known WWI vet gets Memorial Day honors (AP on MSNBC.com) -- On an upbeat note...there's one known American-born veteran of World War I left - Frank Woodruff Buckles, currently of West Virginia. "I had a feeling of longevity and that I might be among those who survived, but I didn't know I'd be the No. 1," the 107-year-old veteran said at a ceremony to unveil his portrait." I want to know what he's been doing to stay healthy over the past century!

Tomato dishes 'may protect skin' (BBC) -- British researchers found that adding tomato paste to the diets of study participants had beneficial effects on their skin. "After three months, skin samples from the tomato group showed they had 33% more protection against sunburn - the equivalent of a very low factor sun cream - and much higher levels of procollagen, a molecule which gives the skin its structure and keeps its firm." It's not suggested as a substitute for sunscreen, but it probably can't hurt.

The Miracle Fruit, a Tease for the Taste Buds (NY Times) -- This African berry temporarily makes makes bitter and sour foods taste sweet, by changing how your palette perceives tastes. "The cause of the reaction is a protein called miraculin, which binds with the taste buds and acts as a sweetness inducer when it comes in contact with acids, according to a scientist who has studied the fruit, Linda Bartoshuk at the University of Florida’s Center for Smell and Taste. Dr. Bartoshuk said she did not know of any dangers associated with eating miracle fruit."

The 'Sex' Effect: Empowering to Some, Trashy to Others (WSJ) -- A style columnist asks if women are going too far when it comes to freedom of attire in the workplace by taking cues from Sex and the City. "I suspect that many women are sabotaging their own career advancement without realizing it. Dressing suitably is a social skill -- and social skills are necessary to advance up the corporate ladder." She has statistics to back it up, but "%" signs are not written out, which makes my AP-Style-obsessed-mind cringe a little bit.

Kennedy brain surgery 'successful' (CNN) -- "Sen. Edward Kennedy underwent "successful" surgery for a brain tumor at Duke University Medical Center, his doctors said Monday. Doctors said Kennedy was awake during the surgery, which lasted roughly three and a half hours." I just wanted to point out he had brain surgery while awake. "Often during such operations, surgeons ask a patient to repeat certain words or make a movement such as squeezing a hand so they can identify areas of the brain involving speech and movement. They then attempt to remove as much of the tumor as they believe they can safely, CNN chief medical correspondent and neurosurgeon Sanjay Gupta said." Seems reasonable. Still freaks me out a little bit.

Good News

2008-05-22T22:15:00.004-04:00

I woke up sick the morning after Commencement on the National Mall. Thankfully, this was after the eight-hour family drive from D.C. to New York and after unloading all my dorm stuff into our garage. Coughing, sore throat, fever, losing my voice...bleh, the worst illness I've had in a while. But it's a virus so there's been little to do other than rest, drink plenty of fluids and treat the symptoms. And as much as it sucks to be sick, the timing couldn't have been better. I push myself very hard on a regular basis and think some R&R was long overdue. It's been nice to rest.

On a much more upbeat note, I got some fantastic news a few days ago --- I was named one of the top 100 college journalists in the country by UWire, a cooperative media service for college news publications. Basically, they compile the best college articles and offer them to be redistributed to other college newspapers, the way you might see an Associated Press piece reprinted in a newspaper.

I was nominated by some of my collegiate colleagues a few months ago, when UWire first put out the open-call for nominations for the most talented college journalists. After getting notification that I'd been nominated, I built a profile on the UWire site by submitting my stories, a bio, and a resume. A few weeks ago I was told I was among the 350 or so finalists, and was asked to suggest a couple of people who could comment on me as a journalist. There was a lot of 'let's see what happens...' And finally...getting that email that I was on the list was fantastic!

Seeing my page on the UWire 100 is awesome. It's great to feel like four years of hard work really paid off, to be recognized for my contributions as a student journalist and to be praised by my peers and friends. Thanks so much to everyone who helped make it happen. It was a great way to top off graduation and hopefully a sign of more wonderful things to come.

P.S. I am feeling much better physically too!

Really...It's Over?

2008-05-19T13:17:00.006-04:00

I graduated from college this weekend. Wow, where did four years go?

I'm the little head looking straight at the camera, lol.

Hello World!

2008-05-09T16:20:00.000-04:00

I've just closed one chapter in my life, so it seems like a fitting time to begin another on this blog. Four hours ago I sent in the last final project of my undergraduate college career. (...As long as nothing goes batty and forces me to redo an assignment!)

Cheers to all the new adventures that lie ahead.

-Emma

My Resume

2008-05-07T20:27:00.016-04:00

Skills
AP Style, Microsoft Office, Lexis Nexis, basic: Html, Final Cut Pro, Dreamweaver, Flash, Audacity
Languages: Intermediate proficiency in Spanish and Russian

Professional Experience

Staff Writer -- The Beacon Newspapers, award-winning newspaper geared toward people 50 and over in the Washington D.C. metro-area, Kensington, Md., August 2008 - July 2009.

Editor in Chief – The Daily Colonial, award-winning online newspaper, Washington D.C., Dec. 2006 – May 2008
--Named one of the top 100 college journalists in the country by UWire (2008)
--Led paper to its first national award: 2007 Online Pacemaker from the Associated Collegiate Press
--Founding Arts Editor for The George Washington University’s only daily newspaper (2004-2006)
--Managed and edited staff; taught writing style/ethical codes
--Engaged in original reporting; developed story ideas; wrote headlines and summaries
--Posted articles to website using Html; created podcasts

Executive Assistant – Marvin Kalb, journalist and professor emeritus with Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, Washington D.C., Sept. 2007 – May 2008
--Conducted research for The Kalb Report television series and for Professor Kalb’s upcoming book
--Completed administrative tasks, including keeping financial records and scheduling

Writer – Where I Stand.com, Inc., blogging and research community, NYC, July – Oct. 2007
--Wrote articles; researched public figures’ stands on political and social issues

Assistant – Jacob Abramson Productions, event production company, NYC, June – Aug. 2007
--Helped prepare for events; organized financial records

Reporter/Production Assistant – The Source, Washington D.C., Jan. 2007 – May 2007
--Wrote scripts for college television program; edited news packages; appeared on-air.

PR Intern – PBS’ Religion and Ethics Newsweekly, Washington D.C., July – Dec. 2006
--Wrote content for the show’s website; put together publicity materials

Copy Editor, Assistant to the Director of Development – Woodrow Wilson House, Washington D.C., July – Dec. 2006
--Copy-edited museum accreditation forms; completed administrative tasks

Screenwriter – Under Construction Productions, Inc., Washington D.C., May 2006 – 2007
--Produced “Happenstance,” a fictional short film about a Holocaust survivor’s encounter with a neo-Nazi

Editor – Wooden Teeth, literary arts magazine, Washington D.C., 2004 – 2005

Education
The George Washington University, School of Media and Public Affairs, Class of 2008
Washington, D.C., 2004 - 2008
Major: Journalism
Minor: Russian Language and Literature
Graduated Magna Cum Laude
Dean’s List: 2004 – 2005, 2007 - 2008
Nominated for Larry King Prize in Journalism
Member of Omicron Delta Kappa, national leadership honor society

Activities
Tap Dancer – Tap Tap Revolution, Washington D.C., 2005 – 2006; and Ella Marie School of Dance, Hicksville N.Y., 1989 – 2004.

My work and honors

2008-04-27T11:55:00.010-04:00

News:

Opinion:

Multimedia:

"Angels in America": behind-the-scenes at GW's production of the award-winning play (Flash)
Steven Knapp, in His Own Words (Video interview with the President of The George Washington University looking back on his first year in office.)

Honors:

Who is Emma?

2008-04-27T09:40:00.022-04:00

Hi, I'm a writer/editor based in our nation's Capitol. In the journalism world, I most recently worked as a staff writer at The Beacon Newspaper, a monthly publication geared toward people 50 and over in the Washington-metro area. It also publishes an edition in Baltimore, Md.

Before that I studied journalism and Russian language/literature at The George Washington University. I served as an editor at The Daily Colonial -- the school's daily, online student newspaper -- for 3.5 years, including a year and a half as Editor-in-Chief. During my tenure our readership grew more than 20 percent, and the publication was awarded its first national prize from the Associated Collegiate Press.

My work with The Daily Colonial also earned me a spot on UWire's list of the top 100 college journalists in 2008.

From September 2007 to May 2008 I worked as journalist Marvin Kalb's assistant at Harvard's Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy in Washington. (You can find out more about my work history in my resume.)

I am familiar with several style guides, basic web design (Html, some Flash and Dreamweaver), and photo and video editing. I have intermediate proficiency in Spanish and Russian and hope to continue learning both.

I was born and raised in suburban New York. In my free time I enjoy caring for my two Betta fish, reading blogs, listening to music, traveling, and cooking. I'm also a fairly good tap dancer, which could be fate, since I share a birthday with Fred Astaire.

(Updated: Dec. 2009)

Under Construction

2008-04-05T20:51:00.000-04:00

I'm experimenting with ways to make this site look polished...check back in a few days for more progress!