Posts tagged News

Why Women Still Can’t Have It All

Have you ladies read this article from The Atlantic? The author, Anne-Marie Slaughter makes the case that our society is not structured for women to “have it all,” and at some point wives, mothers and career women will have to choose one over the other. Lots of great points about the long-fabled “work-life balance.”

In summary, it’s believed that three things have to be in place in order for women to be successful in both home/work life:

• The partner must help out at home - doing half the work, or sometimes more, in support of the working woman
• Women should not underestimate their own abilities
• Women should not cut back on their own ambition based on the fear that they won’t be able to balance demands of both career and home

It’s a lengthy article but it’s a good read! Love, Nik

Don’t Call Me, I Won’t Call You - NYTimes.com

I thought this article about how people are calling others on the phone less and less is SO true! Do you agree?

I was just discussing this with friends the other day and was telling them how, if people I know in the city (long distance friends and family are usually excluded) call me, my first reaction is, “Oh no, what happened?”  Ironically, one of those friends called me later in the day and I had a minor panic attack before answering the call. Hah!

Although I am totally guilty of texting when I could pick up the phone, it’s hard to break the habit now. Though, it makes me wonder: will my kids stay up all night talking on the phone with their best friends/boyfriends like I did? I kinda hope so - makes me so nostalgic! Love Nik

Control of Birth Control

All of this talk about birth control in the media lately has been controversial and has definitely brought the topic back to top-of-mind. This infographic by Good Magazine looks into the state of birth control coverage and where people stand on the issue. Thought you LWS ladies may find it interesting. Love, Nik

PaperKarma

Do you guys get stacks and stacks of catalogs that you just promptly throw into the recycling bin? I do and it drives me nuts!

Well, I just heard about this app called PaperKarma (for iPhone, Android AND Windows Phone) that allows you to unsubscribe from all forms of junk mail by simply taking a photo of it! I’m definitely going to have to give this a whirl. Love, Nik

Instagram Says Its Android App Is Nearly Here

Good news for you Android users! Instagram announced at SXSW that their Android app is almost ready. Hang tight! Love, Nik

Are You As Busy As You Think?

Change your language. Instead of saying “I don’t have time” try saying “it’s not a priority,” and see how that feels. Often, that’s a perfectly adequate explanation. I have time to iron my sheets, I just don’t want to.

But other things are harder. Try it: “I’m not going to edit your résumé, sweetie, because it’s not a priority.” “I don’t go to the doctor because my health is not a priority.” If these phrases don’t sit well, that’s the point. Changing our language reminds us that time is a choice. If we don’t like how we’re spending an hour, we can choose differently.

This snippet is from an article by Laura Venderkam from the Wall Street Journal about being busy and how to manage your time. I could definitely use some tips… Love, Nik

Subject for Debate: Are Women People?

I sure thought we had come a long way in terms of women’s rights, but this article from Time Magazine definitely has me second-guessing myself… Love, Nik

How Target Figured Out A Teen Girl Was Pregnant Before Her Father Did

Have you guys heard the buzz about Target and their crazy pregnancy-predicting statistics? It’s standard for retailers to study consumption patterns and now Target’s statisticians have gone as far as trying to figure out whether you have a baby on the way. (Keep your eye on your mailbox for baby-related coupons in case Target is suspicious about you...)

You can check out a brief/condensed article from Forbes, or the full, detailed article by Charles Duhigg of the New York Times. Pretty crazy stuff! Love, Nik

Why Adele's 'Someone Like You' Makes Everyone Cry

Do you ever get a little teary-eyed when listening to Adele? If so, you’re not alone. This article from the Wall Street Journal discusses the science behind the phenomenon and it is decidedly a result of “appoggiaturas” generating a cycle of tension and release.

An appoggiatura is a type of ornamental note that clashes with the melody just enough to create a dissonant sound. “This generates tension in the listener,” said Martin Guhn, a psychologist at the University of British Columbia who co-wrote a 2007 study on the subject. “When the notes return to the anticipated melody, the tension resolves, and it feels good.”

When several appoggiaturas occur next to each other in a melody, it generates a cycle of tension and release. This provokes an even stronger reaction, and that is when the tears start to flow.

Interesting! Love, Nik

'Plug In Better': A Manifesto

‘Unplugging’ has definitely been at the top of my mind lately as sometimes I just want to turn of all of the screens in my life and escape from it all. This article from The Atlantic is interesting and talks about how literally unplugging isn’t always feasible, but we can all benefit from learning to “plug in better.”

Whether it’s unplugging from distractions, conquering FOMO (something I’ve definitely battled over the years and I think have successfully reduced its effect), information overload (hello aspirational inbox zero and endless RIL list) or whatnot, we can all do a better job of focusing on what matters most and unplugging from the rest. Love, Nik

The Dilemma of Being a Cyborg

I was just trying to clear out my Read It Later list and stumbled across this interesting article from the New York Times about “the dilemma of being a cyborg.” In short, the author discusses how we have become so dependent on technology and subsequently have outsourced our memories to external devices. (ie: We constantly are aided by our smart phones/Google/etc. to resurface information instead of digging through our brains to recall.) 

It was an interesting, thought-provoking read and makes me want to spend the rest of the afternoon printing out some photographs, write some hand-written letters and/or at the very least, organize my messy hard-drive(s) full of digital photos. Love, Nik

6 Reasons You Should Spend More Time Alone

Finding time for quality “me-time” is one of my priorities in life and this article from Psychology Today elaborates on the benefits of seeking solitude.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go escape with my cup of tea for a bit and recharge for a busy day. Love, Nik

(Image from weheartit)