Thursday, January 21, 2010
Saturday, January 16, 2010
The round up
I'm trying something new here.
Because I spend SO much time on the Internet - searching stories, reading news, snooping pretty blogs and web sites - I thought that I would compile my findings into a weekly round up of things that are lookin' good in cyberspace.
The categories will include but not always feature:
To check out - arts & culture stuff, i.e. visual art, music
To long for - clothes
To procrastinate - a ridiculous type of time suck web site
To cuddle - a stray cute animal photo might show up
To watch - movies / TV
To read - pretty obvious, but includes articles and books
To interACT - cool interactive stuff online
To eat - best of our weekly meals (I usually cook from online recipes, here's my chance to pass on those that actually work).
and, finally, Dear Design - favorite design web sites or blog posts because I have REALLY gotten into them (and there are just thousands of goodies to take away your afternoon)
And it's not like this is set in stone. These categories could change, disappear, multiply, get up and dance. It's hard to say.
But let's get going on this weeks, eh?
First off.
To check out - this music web site The Hype Machine (via Flavorwire).
It. is. awesome. It does the work for you - searching thousands of music blogging sites for the most featured music at this very moment. You can click and listen to the songs - like the whole song - find others like it or just let the player play through a whole bunch of tunes you never knew existed.
What I'm particularly liking is this Danish band called Fallulah - it has a good beat and a sweet female vocal. I feel like there might be some girls wearing white gogo boots clapping along in the background. I could listen to it over and over and over again (and maybe I have).
To procrastinate - I came across this site Rad-Dudes (via LA Times) and spent 20 minutes going through back posts. The best of the best are some vintage photes with short shorts or too long mustaches. Though they're not all rad in my book it's a regular look because you just might get gems like this:
To read - Orion Magazine Jan/Feb 2010, particularly the article 'Diggin In' by Hank Lentfer. Unfortunately, you cannot catch this piece online - they make only a few features available to read for free. So you may just have to (gasp) buy the magazine or, do as I did, and read it in a B&N.
This is a short article about what to do with your body after you die. Dark subject, but it's a reality that the author seems to be endearingly inquisitive about. So he sets out to ask his friends and family what they would like to be done with their bodies after they pass away.
I love the way he opens the story - "The first time I asked my parents..." it hooks you because you already know there is going to be a follow up. You wonder, have they changed their minds? Do they still want to be buried in the family plot, cremated, given to science? It's a simple but effective trick of writing.
Later he talks about his four year old daughter and how, he guesses, she is probably old enough to imagine some probably ridiculous scenario but he can't ask because "I don't have the strength to imagine her death." What starts out innocently enough has its consequences and I like that honesty.
To watch - R and I rented Ordinary People last night before going out to meet up with his school friends. Not exactly a pre-party mood elevator but it was a genuine portrayal of a family going through some hard shit after loosing their oldest child, Buck, in a freak boating accident. The young Timothy Hutton was incredible - sweet, scary, utterly depressing. A real teenager going through unparalleled heartbreak. Rent it. You'll find it in the 'tear jerker' section of your netflix site.
To long for - unruly things is my new favorite web site. It has a contemporary vintage aesthetic and features clothing, shoes, interior design, accessories and other swoon-able items shown in Polaroid-esque images. I want pretty much everything she features.
Suddenly and particularly these crazy Swedish shoes - am I alone on this?
Swedish Hasbeens - check 'em out
And finally To cuddle - I cannot resist a little daily bunny and these two little lazy muffins caught my eye:
That is all for now.
xoxoL
Because I spend SO much time on the Internet - searching stories, reading news, snooping pretty blogs and web sites - I thought that I would compile my findings into a weekly round up of things that are lookin' good in cyberspace.
The categories will include but not always feature:
To check out - arts & culture stuff, i.e. visual art, music
To long for - clothes
To procrastinate - a ridiculous type of time suck web site
To cuddle - a stray cute animal photo might show up
To watch - movies / TV
To read - pretty obvious, but includes articles and books
To interACT - cool interactive stuff online
To eat - best of our weekly meals (I usually cook from online recipes, here's my chance to pass on those that actually work).
and, finally, Dear Design - favorite design web sites or blog posts because I have REALLY gotten into them (and there are just thousands of goodies to take away your afternoon)
And it's not like this is set in stone. These categories could change, disappear, multiply, get up and dance. It's hard to say.
But let's get going on this weeks, eh?
First off.
To check out - this music web site The Hype Machine (via Flavorwire).
It. is. awesome. It does the work for you - searching thousands of music blogging sites for the most featured music at this very moment. You can click and listen to the songs - like the whole song - find others like it or just let the player play through a whole bunch of tunes you never knew existed.
What I'm particularly liking is this Danish band called Fallulah - it has a good beat and a sweet female vocal. I feel like there might be some girls wearing white gogo boots clapping along in the background. I could listen to it over and over and over again (and maybe I have).
To procrastinate - I came across this site Rad-Dudes (via LA Times) and spent 20 minutes going through back posts. The best of the best are some vintage photes with short shorts or too long mustaches. Though they're not all rad in my book it's a regular look because you just might get gems like this:
To read - Orion Magazine Jan/Feb 2010, particularly the article 'Diggin In' by Hank Lentfer. Unfortunately, you cannot catch this piece online - they make only a few features available to read for free. So you may just have to (gasp) buy the magazine or, do as I did, and read it in a B&N.
This is a short article about what to do with your body after you die. Dark subject, but it's a reality that the author seems to be endearingly inquisitive about. So he sets out to ask his friends and family what they would like to be done with their bodies after they pass away.
I love the way he opens the story - "The first time I asked my parents..." it hooks you because you already know there is going to be a follow up. You wonder, have they changed their minds? Do they still want to be buried in the family plot, cremated, given to science? It's a simple but effective trick of writing.
Later he talks about his four year old daughter and how, he guesses, she is probably old enough to imagine some probably ridiculous scenario but he can't ask because "I don't have the strength to imagine her death." What starts out innocently enough has its consequences and I like that honesty.
To watch - R and I rented Ordinary People last night before going out to meet up with his school friends. Not exactly a pre-party mood elevator but it was a genuine portrayal of a family going through some hard shit after loosing their oldest child, Buck, in a freak boating accident. The young Timothy Hutton was incredible - sweet, scary, utterly depressing. A real teenager going through unparalleled heartbreak. Rent it. You'll find it in the 'tear jerker' section of your netflix site.
To long for - unruly things is my new favorite web site. It has a contemporary vintage aesthetic and features clothing, shoes, interior design, accessories and other swoon-able items shown in Polaroid-esque images. I want pretty much everything she features.
Suddenly and particularly these crazy Swedish shoes - am I alone on this?
Swedish Hasbeens - check 'em out
And finally To cuddle - I cannot resist a little daily bunny and these two little lazy muffins caught my eye:
That is all for now.
xoxoL
Monday, January 11, 2010
Back on the (reality TV) saddle
I was temporarily on the wagon - the wagon of no reality TV watching - as I was in London sans American broadcasting. Sure the Brits have their own and maybe I caught a glimpse of the X Factor season finale chaos. But that was it. I swear.
Bus since being back in the states I have fallen right off that wagon onto the time suck that is crap reality TV.
Ohhh but it's not crap. It's crack. And there are new shows and old shows that I'm watching as if anew! It's glorious and concentrated on my Sunday nights.
There's Giuliana and Bill at 9 on Style
She's the alien-skinny self-deprecating E! news host.
He's the first (or early at least) Trump Apprentice hire.
Together they are a lovely mix of totally boring, kind of adorable, and definitely ridiculous. Maybe I laughed a few times. It doesn't hurt.
Added plus: Giuliana's little nieces who, under the wing of Uncle Bill, are starting their own woven bracelet business. Older niece had a serious case of ADD during their first night or weaving and decided to blow up balloon-animal balloons instead. After inflating a blue and red one she proceeded to march around the room shouting 'my wieners...my color wieners...'. Oh man, it was classic.
Speaking of E! we have Keeping up with the Kardashians on at 10. There was a time when I just couldn't abide by this vapid family of bodacious barbie dolls. But there's something in me that is just, suddenly, attracted to the whole family. They may each love themselves the most but they all seem to really enjoy the family as a whole. It's kind of endearing.
And Rob, the only boy in this female brood, was, dare I say, identifiable. He just graduated (ah hem, from undergrad) and I just graduated. He was moved back home. I moved back home. He doesn't know what he wants to do with his life. I'm still trying to figure that out.
But then Rob dropped me and went out and got a job. Just like that. Five minutes in TV land magic, I'd guess a week in reality. What the HELL Rob.
But I'll still watch the show.
Then of course there's the Jersey Shore on MTV. I don't think this is on Sunday nights but to be fair it's played in reruns ALL THE TIME on MTV so I can't actually tell which night it airs. I tried to stay away from this fake tanned train wreck but I, like the rest of the country, have been drawn in.
In fact the other night when 'Ronnie' and Sam were walking home from Karma and were nagged into a fight I was fully screaming at the TV. Who the hell WAS that guy who was trying to fight Ronnie? Ronnie didn't want to fight and I really hope that Sam reviews that footage and sees that she really did contribute to the inevitable fist-throwing. I don't understand what it is about this area in Jersey - is it the TV cameras or actually the nature of Jersey - that people just want to fight. It's the one thing you can count on in the show. That and that nothing else happens (except of course, GTL - gym, tanning, laundry). It's terrible, it's boring, it's predictable, but sometimes it's really really good in a really bad sort of way. And for that, I'll stick around.
Don't ask. Just trust in the TV.
Now, getting back to getting a job.
xoL
Bus since being back in the states I have fallen right off that wagon onto the time suck that is crap reality TV.
Ohhh but it's not crap. It's crack. And there are new shows and old shows that I'm watching as if anew! It's glorious and concentrated on my Sunday nights.
There's Giuliana and Bill at 9 on Style
She's the alien-skinny self-deprecating E! news host.
He's the first (or early at least) Trump Apprentice hire.
Together they are a lovely mix of totally boring, kind of adorable, and definitely ridiculous. Maybe I laughed a few times. It doesn't hurt.
Added plus: Giuliana's little nieces who, under the wing of Uncle Bill, are starting their own woven bracelet business. Older niece had a serious case of ADD during their first night or weaving and decided to blow up balloon-animal balloons instead. After inflating a blue and red one she proceeded to march around the room shouting 'my wieners...my color wieners...'. Oh man, it was classic.
Speaking of E! we have Keeping up with the Kardashians on at 10. There was a time when I just couldn't abide by this vapid family of bodacious barbie dolls. But there's something in me that is just, suddenly, attracted to the whole family. They may each love themselves the most but they all seem to really enjoy the family as a whole. It's kind of endearing.
And Rob, the only boy in this female brood, was, dare I say, identifiable. He just graduated (ah hem, from undergrad) and I just graduated. He was moved back home. I moved back home. He doesn't know what he wants to do with his life. I'm still trying to figure that out.
But then Rob dropped me and went out and got a job. Just like that. Five minutes in TV land magic, I'd guess a week in reality. What the HELL Rob.
But I'll still watch the show.
Then of course there's the Jersey Shore on MTV. I don't think this is on Sunday nights but to be fair it's played in reruns ALL THE TIME on MTV so I can't actually tell which night it airs. I tried to stay away from this fake tanned train wreck but I, like the rest of the country, have been drawn in.
In fact the other night when 'Ronnie' and Sam were walking home from Karma and were nagged into a fight I was fully screaming at the TV. Who the hell WAS that guy who was trying to fight Ronnie? Ronnie didn't want to fight and I really hope that Sam reviews that footage and sees that she really did contribute to the inevitable fist-throwing. I don't understand what it is about this area in Jersey - is it the TV cameras or actually the nature of Jersey - that people just want to fight. It's the one thing you can count on in the show. That and that nothing else happens (except of course, GTL - gym, tanning, laundry). It's terrible, it's boring, it's predictable, but sometimes it's really really good in a really bad sort of way. And for that, I'll stick around.
Don't ask. Just trust in the TV.
Now, getting back to getting a job.
xoL
Thursday, January 7, 2010
January Jones's boobs
What?
Yes.
This is the topic for today.
Why?
Because I can't seem to avoid them. More specifically, I can't seem to avoid them when I pee. The November 2009 issue of GQ magazine, which R 'borrowed' from the gym and thus sits on his very cold bathroom floor, features the petite and pretty Jones and, well, her rack that is cleverly covered by a partially zipped leather jacket.
It's confrontational and confusing and yet I can't take my eyes away. How DO they stay up? That must be a wonder-coat.
Speaking of leather jackets, why would Ms. Jones be wearing said jacket with nothing on underneath? If I'm going to have the illusion of female nudity on my magazine covers I'd at least like some attempt at believability.
Take the December 2005 cover shot of a recently post-Pitt Jennifer Aniston.
Alright, so she's shirtless and I definitely see some boob but at least the setting is right-ish. Is that a duvet she is sitting on? Right, a photographer has just stumbled upon a 'just-getting-changed-into-something-casual-Aniston'. Totally make sense.
Of course take the same actress three years later and it's a bit of a different story. Jennifer Aniston and...well...a neck tie.
Well at at least this is blatantly sexual.
But getting back to Ms. Jones and the leather jacket. No self-respecting woman in fear of a good lashing of nipple chafe would darn a leather coat without at least a cammy underneath. Right?
Well, I wouldn't at least. Gives me and my nips the heebie jeebies.
That is all.
xoxoL
Yes.
This is the topic for today.
Why?
Because I can't seem to avoid them. More specifically, I can't seem to avoid them when I pee. The November 2009 issue of GQ magazine, which R 'borrowed' from the gym and thus sits on his very cold bathroom floor, features the petite and pretty Jones and, well, her rack that is cleverly covered by a partially zipped leather jacket.
It's confrontational and confusing and yet I can't take my eyes away. How DO they stay up? That must be a wonder-coat.
Speaking of leather jackets, why would Ms. Jones be wearing said jacket with nothing on underneath? If I'm going to have the illusion of female nudity on my magazine covers I'd at least like some attempt at believability.
Take the December 2005 cover shot of a recently post-Pitt Jennifer Aniston.
Alright, so she's shirtless and I definitely see some boob but at least the setting is right-ish. Is that a duvet she is sitting on? Right, a photographer has just stumbled upon a 'just-getting-changed-into-something-casual-Aniston'. Totally make sense.
Of course take the same actress three years later and it's a bit of a different story. Jennifer Aniston and...well...a neck tie.
Well at at least this is blatantly sexual.
But getting back to Ms. Jones and the leather jacket. No self-respecting woman in fear of a good lashing of nipple chafe would darn a leather coat without at least a cammy underneath. Right?
Well, I wouldn't at least. Gives me and my nips the heebie jeebies.
That is all.
xoxoL
Monday, January 4, 2010
It's GO time
OK people. Enough playing around. Today is the official start of Project Lauren Gets a Job.
It's been too long since I held a pay check in my anti-bacterial lotioned hand and I am in need. It's not just about the money. It's about putting this (gasp) career-changing (pricey) education to use before it gets dusty.
So, here goes.
But first I need a planner. Yes, a paper planner. While strolling through the Harvard Book Co-op I find the ideal weekly planner by Moleskin that is (ta da) on sale. Perfect. The weekly planner will help organize my soon-to-be very busy days and the 'Pooped Puppies' monthly calendar, well, that's in place of the 'Hang in there' kitten poster for the not-so-busy days.
OK. Now I'm really ready.
Though first I should check in on some industry news.
Romenesko (oh weird, Google really does the twitter searches as well. Do I follow Romenesko? I must).
Media Bistro - check
maybe a little Writer's Digest
oh and I should obviously be up on my daily news. Yes, that will help to spark the newsroom journalist in me.
Let's see I'll start with the NY Times
and I've got to get some global with the BBC
Sure, the Wash Post
why not, LA Times (what's that about the Biggest Loser?)
of course Chicago Tribune
and while I'm at it let's see what's happening on NY mag (ooo is Sandra Bullock really an Oscar contender?)
um...Jezebel (what will the 2010 fashion be? Oooo NYTimes takes on the Jersey Shore, how did I miss that...)
Oh but Gawker has a much better reaction to NYTime's critique of Jersey Shore (Sorry, but trying to find any good in this show is missing the point entirely) and is that Michael Cera eating a pizza?
I'm hungry
I should probably find a recipe to make tonight.
Food network (mmm lasagna. Oh lighter meatballs - bookmark)
wonder what Martha's up to - My god that salmon looks fantastic. Is that a spicy cauliflower? Swoon. Oooo or salmon with orange and fennel. I have, at least, the orange.
Ugh that all seems like way too much work and way too much spent at whole foods. What's this about cupcakes. Fancy cupcakes...
No, I need writing inspiration not caloric intake. Luckily Martha has both. Though her desk set ups are a little over the top also I don't have a quaint little nook to squeeze a desk into.
Oh but that design sponge girl...now that's inspiration. Pricey design inspiration.
If I lived like these people I'd probably have my dream writerly job. That kitchen! That spice rack! At least we have the same pepper grinder. So close. Is that a claw foot tube?
No THIS is the office space I need. Vintage quirk. True writerly inspiration.
So first, get claw foot tub, rustic blue table, (also own apartment) and dream job will follow.
First day at job hunt: clear success.
It's been too long since I held a pay check in my anti-bacterial lotioned hand and I am in need. It's not just about the money. It's about putting this (gasp) career-changing (pricey) education to use before it gets dusty.
So, here goes.
But first I need a planner. Yes, a paper planner. While strolling through the Harvard Book Co-op I find the ideal weekly planner by Moleskin that is (ta da) on sale. Perfect. The weekly planner will help organize my soon-to-be very busy days and the 'Pooped Puppies' monthly calendar, well, that's in place of the 'Hang in there' kitten poster for the not-so-busy days.
OK. Now I'm really ready.
Though first I should check in on some industry news.
Romenesko (oh weird, Google really does the twitter searches as well. Do I follow Romenesko? I must).
Media Bistro - check
maybe a little Writer's Digest
oh and I should obviously be up on my daily news. Yes, that will help to spark the newsroom journalist in me.
Let's see I'll start with the NY Times
and I've got to get some global with the BBC
Sure, the Wash Post
why not, LA Times (what's that about the Biggest Loser?)
of course Chicago Tribune
and while I'm at it let's see what's happening on NY mag (ooo is Sandra Bullock really an Oscar contender?)
um...Jezebel (what will the 2010 fashion be? Oooo NYTimes takes on the Jersey Shore, how did I miss that...)
Oh but Gawker has a much better reaction to NYTime's critique of Jersey Shore (Sorry, but trying to find any good in this show is missing the point entirely) and is that Michael Cera eating a pizza?
I'm hungry
I should probably find a recipe to make tonight.
Food network (mmm lasagna. Oh lighter meatballs - bookmark)
wonder what Martha's up to - My god that salmon looks fantastic. Is that a spicy cauliflower? Swoon. Oooo or salmon with orange and fennel. I have, at least, the orange.
Ugh that all seems like way too much work and way too much spent at whole foods. What's this about cupcakes. Fancy cupcakes...
No, I need writing inspiration not caloric intake. Luckily Martha has both. Though her desk set ups are a little over the top also I don't have a quaint little nook to squeeze a desk into.
Oh but that design sponge girl...now that's inspiration. Pricey design inspiration.
If I lived like these people I'd probably have my dream writerly job. That kitchen! That spice rack! At least we have the same pepper grinder. So close. Is that a claw foot tube?
No THIS is the office space I need. Vintage quirk. True writerly inspiration.
So first, get claw foot tub, rustic blue table, (also own apartment) and dream job will follow.
First day at job hunt: clear success.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Paris by flaky pastry
The best way to sum up a weekend trip to Paris: Yum. Thus it seems only natural that this blog post be dedicated to the (many) food photes.
Indulge...as I did.
Fancy bread near the Arch de Triumph
Berthillon Glacier provided the lovely salted caramel and chocolate dish of heaven
Apricot scone hand made with love by Rose Bakery, 30 Rue Debelleyme
The third souffle of the night, appropriately chocolate, at Le Souffle,
36 rue Mont Thabor
Breakfast mochachino
Nutella crepe just before the Musee Rodin (yes I did other things)
Not blowing it out of proportion at all but this was the BEST fallafel ever courtesy L'As du Fallafel
A true delight.
xoxoL
Indulge...as I did.
Fancy bread near the Arch de Triumph
Berthillon Glacier provided the lovely salted caramel and chocolate dish of heaven
Apricot scone hand made with love by Rose Bakery, 30 Rue Debelleyme
The third souffle of the night, appropriately chocolate, at Le Souffle,
36 rue Mont Thabor
Breakfast mochachino
Nutella crepe just before the Musee Rodin (yes I did other things)
Not blowing it out of proportion at all but this was the BEST fallafel ever courtesy L'As du Fallafel
A true delight.
xoxoL
Monday, December 7, 2009
Live from my temporary desk
So I'm working at the Beeb, right? Right.
I came here to write. But I've been working in the specials graphics department researching figures (figahs) and data for graphics that some very talented designers put together.
All the while I'm reading every newspaper and magazine and hitting the streets in search of stories.
So I finally got my break. I pitched a story to the editor, he dug it, and said, oh actually, we were thinking of doing a story about this anyway. So, voila. What happened to Second Life was born.
It went live on Friday and I jet off to the Hague for the weekend. Forget that it happened.
Wednesday. I get an e-mail from an NPR show in New Hampshire - word of mouth. My article caught their eye and would I mind being a guest on the show?
Pardon?
Moi? Little ol' intern moi? I ran it by my editor, he laughed a little to himself and let me have a 'go' at it.
It was set. I was to go on live at 5:15 the following Wednesday.
Monday: radio week. Me and NPR guy have a nice little chat to make sure that I can form a sentence and have something to say.
At the end NPR guy mentions something about the comments - They're quite, well, angry. Have you seen them, he asks? Of course, I laugh.
Monday afternoon I actually get to reading those comments. Heh. My scarf is on too tight. I realize I'm not wearing a scarf. I step away from my computer and go get some tea. Hold the first pep talk with myself.
Tuesday - NPR guy e-mails with a follow up pointing me toward a (few) blog posts that have mini tirades against the 'BBC journalist Lauren Hansen.'
Tuesday night - I start to read one of the blogs NPR guy sent me. Decide to stop. Hold second pep talk with myself.
Tuesday midnight - open my twitter feed to find I have three mentions - a rarity since I have about a dozen followers all of whom are my j-school friends.
I click on the mentions. Read first mention:
Turn off computer. Third pep talk.
Sleep (sort of)
Wednesday - day of the radio program.
7:45am Get to work early. I work in an open-layout office which means I sit ON TOP of about three people. Any phone calls I make might as well be whispered into their ears. Miraculously the guy to my right, the closest to me by far, is out! If I speak at a low enough volume I can pretty much go undetected. I'm feeling good. Confident even.
It might just be possible to keep this little radio piece under wraps so that BBC peeps won't begin to wonder why on earth the wee intern is doing a radio interview on the very first story she wrote for the place.
8:30am check e-mail. NPR guy was supposed to send me the questions they will ask. He didn't. But that's ok, I tell myself. He'll do it when they get in to work in a few hours. I mean it's 3am where he is. I ought to let him sleep
9:00am second cup of tea
10:00am I set off on a very quiet adventure to find a special phone line - the kind that makes you sound like you are in studio. I make a few hush-hush inquiries, lets one of my colleagues is a Second-Lifer in disguise.
10:30am third cup of tea
12:00pm the little radio room is set up and a young guy says he would come up and help me set it up! Glorious. Someone who knows what he is doing. I e-mail the phone numbers to the NPR contact.
12:15pm Twiddling thumbs...waiting for the e-mail from NPR contact. Make myself look busy.
2:30pm I've sweated through my clothes and my heart beat is actually visible through my button-down shirt. I have three hours until I go on air. There are only so many tea, pee, water breaks I can take before people are going to get suspicious.
3:00pm My boss moves from his desk on the other side of the room and sits down next to me. I smile. My foot starts to shake uncontrollably. Hey, John. What are you doing way over here (insert nervous laugh). "Dom has to use my computer." Ah that's greeeeeaaaaat I say through gritted teeth.
3:10pm Boss types really softly.
Every noise I emit is amplified. Why is my keyboard so loud? And where they HELL are those questions?
4:00pm Boss can hear by heart beating, I'm pretty sure.
4:30pm the questions arrive! I take some furious notes and read the e-mail 8 more times.
4:50pm phone rings. it's a little early. I fret. Answer it. It's a new NPR guy "Hey Lauren, we're looking forward to having you on, just wanted to get phone line settings (insert techno speak)."
Uh...I don't know those things but this guy is going to come up and help me any minute.
"OK great...but you're going on at 5:15 you know, right?
Right.
"It's live so..."
Got it.
4:55pm frantic phone call to young dude. "Yeah," he says sleepily. "I was coming up in a minute."
4:56pm Pacing back and forth in the tiny 4x4 foot radio room. Check my watch.
4:58pm check my watch. Check my phone.
5:03pm sleepy guy arrives WAY to nonchalantly. He fiddles with some keys and buttons and this big board. I try to bore holes through his head with my eyes.
5:05pm we try the call for the first time. Fail
5:07pm I'm on my mobile with the npr guy who is getting a little concerned.
5:08pm try the call a second time fail. Pass the mobile to nonchalant who has trouble hearing npr guy because we're in a back room with no phone access. He repeats our phone number at a construction-site volume four times.
5:09pm realize I haven't taken a breath. Breath deeply. Wish I had brought my water bottle
5:10pm npr tries to call us. fails. Nonchalant is still on the mobile. I'm wondering when the last time was that I topped up that phone. How much does it cost to chat to New Hampsire for ten minutes?
5:11pm mobile is passed back to me, npr guy says, we're just going to patch you through. We'll do it over the phone.
NO! I mean..uh..no, I'm on my mobile. Call me on my desk phone.
5:12pm Sit at desk. Look around at coworkers getting on with their day. The room is church-quiet and I don't understand why everyone can't go home a little early.
I smile meekly at boss. He pretends not to notice the uncontrollable twitch in my eye.
5:13 phone rings. Clear my throat. Answer. New NPR guys asks if i'm alright. "of course!" i say a little too loudly. He gives me basic directions. I'm going to hear the last program wrap up, he tells me, they'll introduce me. music. host will come on and announce me and we're off. It'll be about 12 minutes, he says.
5:14 Can't feel my hands.
5:16 "We're joined by Lauren Hansen in London. Lauren, thanks for being here."
"Thanks for having me..."
5:17 - 5:26 I black out.
5:27 "Thanks, Lauren."
Thanks for having me.
"Up next, puppies, babies, kittens!"
That last part is no joke. Their next show was about cuteness! Hilarious.
So I survived and though I've been too nervous to listen to the show myself my Dad tells me that I did fine. So there you have it.
Live from my temporary desk. Cool as a cucumber. I was totally made to do this.
I came here to write. But I've been working in the specials graphics department researching figures (figahs) and data for graphics that some very talented designers put together.
All the while I'm reading every newspaper and magazine and hitting the streets in search of stories.
So I finally got my break. I pitched a story to the editor, he dug it, and said, oh actually, we were thinking of doing a story about this anyway. So, voila. What happened to Second Life was born.
It went live on Friday and I jet off to the Hague for the weekend. Forget that it happened.
Wednesday. I get an e-mail from an NPR show in New Hampshire - word of mouth. My article caught their eye and would I mind being a guest on the show?
Pardon?
Moi? Little ol' intern moi? I ran it by my editor, he laughed a little to himself and let me have a 'go' at it.
It was set. I was to go on live at 5:15 the following Wednesday.
Monday: radio week. Me and NPR guy have a nice little chat to make sure that I can form a sentence and have something to say.
At the end NPR guy mentions something about the comments - They're quite, well, angry. Have you seen them, he asks? Of course, I laugh.
Monday afternoon I actually get to reading those comments. Heh. My scarf is on too tight. I realize I'm not wearing a scarf. I step away from my computer and go get some tea. Hold the first pep talk with myself.
Tuesday - NPR guy e-mails with a follow up pointing me toward a (few) blog posts that have mini tirades against the 'BBC journalist Lauren Hansen.'
Tuesday night - I start to read one of the blogs NPR guy sent me. Decide to stop. Hold second pep talk with myself.
Tuesday midnight - open my twitter feed to find I have three mentions - a rarity since I have about a dozen followers all of whom are my j-school friends.
I click on the mentions. Read first mention:
@myLaurenHansen must be the most hated intern on Earth!
Turn off computer. Third pep talk.
Sleep (sort of)
Wednesday - day of the radio program.
7:45am Get to work early. I work in an open-layout office which means I sit ON TOP of about three people. Any phone calls I make might as well be whispered into their ears. Miraculously the guy to my right, the closest to me by far, is out! If I speak at a low enough volume I can pretty much go undetected. I'm feeling good. Confident even.
It might just be possible to keep this little radio piece under wraps so that BBC peeps won't begin to wonder why on earth the wee intern is doing a radio interview on the very first story she wrote for the place.
8:30am check e-mail. NPR guy was supposed to send me the questions they will ask. He didn't. But that's ok, I tell myself. He'll do it when they get in to work in a few hours. I mean it's 3am where he is. I ought to let him sleep
9:00am second cup of tea
10:00am I set off on a very quiet adventure to find a special phone line - the kind that makes you sound like you are in studio. I make a few hush-hush inquiries, lets one of my colleagues is a Second-Lifer in disguise.
10:30am third cup of tea
12:00pm the little radio room is set up and a young guy says he would come up and help me set it up! Glorious. Someone who knows what he is doing. I e-mail the phone numbers to the NPR contact.
12:15pm Twiddling thumbs...waiting for the e-mail from NPR contact. Make myself look busy.
2:30pm I've sweated through my clothes and my heart beat is actually visible through my button-down shirt. I have three hours until I go on air. There are only so many tea, pee, water breaks I can take before people are going to get suspicious.
3:00pm My boss moves from his desk on the other side of the room and sits down next to me. I smile. My foot starts to shake uncontrollably. Hey, John. What are you doing way over here (insert nervous laugh). "Dom has to use my computer." Ah that's greeeeeaaaaat I say through gritted teeth.
3:10pm Boss types really softly.
Every noise I emit is amplified. Why is my keyboard so loud? And where they HELL are those questions?
4:00pm Boss can hear by heart beating, I'm pretty sure.
4:30pm the questions arrive! I take some furious notes and read the e-mail 8 more times.
4:50pm phone rings. it's a little early. I fret. Answer it. It's a new NPR guy "Hey Lauren, we're looking forward to having you on, just wanted to get phone line settings (insert techno speak)."
Uh...I don't know those things but this guy is going to come up and help me any minute.
"OK great...but you're going on at 5:15 you know, right?
Right.
"It's live so..."
Got it.
4:55pm frantic phone call to young dude. "Yeah," he says sleepily. "I was coming up in a minute."
4:56pm Pacing back and forth in the tiny 4x4 foot radio room. Check my watch.
4:58pm check my watch. Check my phone.
5:03pm sleepy guy arrives WAY to nonchalantly. He fiddles with some keys and buttons and this big board. I try to bore holes through his head with my eyes.
5:05pm we try the call for the first time. Fail
5:07pm I'm on my mobile with the npr guy who is getting a little concerned.
5:08pm try the call a second time fail. Pass the mobile to nonchalant who has trouble hearing npr guy because we're in a back room with no phone access. He repeats our phone number at a construction-site volume four times.
5:09pm realize I haven't taken a breath. Breath deeply. Wish I had brought my water bottle
5:10pm npr tries to call us. fails. Nonchalant is still on the mobile. I'm wondering when the last time was that I topped up that phone. How much does it cost to chat to New Hampsire for ten minutes?
5:11pm mobile is passed back to me, npr guy says, we're just going to patch you through. We'll do it over the phone.
NO! I mean..uh..no, I'm on my mobile. Call me on my desk phone.
5:12pm Sit at desk. Look around at coworkers getting on with their day. The room is church-quiet and I don't understand why everyone can't go home a little early.
I smile meekly at boss. He pretends not to notice the uncontrollable twitch in my eye.
5:13 phone rings. Clear my throat. Answer. New NPR guys asks if i'm alright. "of course!" i say a little too loudly. He gives me basic directions. I'm going to hear the last program wrap up, he tells me, they'll introduce me. music. host will come on and announce me and we're off. It'll be about 12 minutes, he says.
5:14 Can't feel my hands.
5:16 "We're joined by Lauren Hansen in London. Lauren, thanks for being here."
"Thanks for having me..."
5:17 - 5:26 I black out.
5:27 "Thanks, Lauren."
Thanks for having me.
"Up next, puppies, babies, kittens!"
That last part is no joke. Their next show was about cuteness! Hilarious.
So I survived and though I've been too nervous to listen to the show myself my Dad tells me that I did fine. So there you have it.
Live from my temporary desk. Cool as a cucumber. I was totally made to do this.
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