A collection of thoughts from my seven weeks on the “job”:

Last week, our managing editor (who essentially runs the production process – making sure layouts are updated and distributed, giving editors deadlines, leading weekly content meetings, etc.) emailed the entire staff and informed us that our “summer Fridays” would have to be put on hold. I had been dreaming of these summer Fridays – when the day would end at 2 pm and leave my entire afternoon open for trips to the beach, strolls around NYC, really early happy hours – since the day work began. Now they were being taken away from me due to the fact that the production of our upcoming issue was moving too slowly.

I have to admit that I almost shed a tear at my desk. The rest of my friends in the publishing and journalism world get summer Fridays! Half of my friends are unemployed! Why will everyone have free Friday afternoons while I’m stuck inside developing carpal tunnel syndrome from too much typing?? Read More »

There’s nothing like a good old-fashioned American holiday to make you realize how alone you are in this world. Everything’s been going pretty well (according to my new post-college standards of pretty well) and I thought that for the most part I was building up quite the little social network of friends who would make me not feel quite so isolated. We would Gchat at work, grab Pinkberry here and there, perhaps even attend the occasional happy hour.

But apparently that social network of friends was a pure figment of my imagination.

July 4th came out of nowhere and everyone (people I’ve never spoken to) kept asking me what I was planning on doing. On the outside I remained calm and collected and responded with dignity; I’ll figure it out. But on the inside I was panicking like it was Halloween eve and my only available costume was sexy bunny. I would casually bring it up to my “friends” and they all would respond with excitement about boat trips with friends, annual family BBQ’s, and lake houses in states I thought were made-up. Then they would ask me what I was doing and I would mumble something about fireworks and hot dogs and anti-terrorism laws. Read More »

About a month ago, a bright and shiny new Pinkberry shop opened up on St. Mark’s, a Hipstered-out street that’s only a few blocks from where I work. The first time I tried the mystery confection, I wasn’t sold. It kinda tastes like cold yogurt, I thought. Cold yogurt…but not.

But the second time, after eating an entire medium cup filled with the “original” flavor (don’t call it vanilla, they get oddly pissed) and a few scoops of fruit, I thought, it kinda tastes like cold yogurt. Cold yogurt…but better!

Since then, I’ve been a regular customer at this low fat, low calorie chain. So regular, in fact, that I actually felt sad when the New York Times recently confirmed my suspicious that things which seem too good to be true — are.

Seems that even though Pinkberry totes itself as all natural, it really, really isn’t.

“The list [of ingrediants] includes at least five additives defined by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization as emulsifiers (propylene glycol esters, lactoglycerides, sodium acid pyrophosphate, mono- and diglycerides); four acidifiers (magnesium oxide, calcium fumarate, citric acid, sodium citrate); tocopherol, a natural preservative; and two ingredients — starch and maltodextrin — that were characterized as fillers by Dr. Gary A. Reineccius, a professor in the department of food science and nutrition at the University of Minnesota and an expert in food additives.”

Damn you, Pinkberry! Damn you for letting me think I was eating a natural, low calorie snack when what I was really doing was stuffing myself with low calorie chemicals that will most likely cause my liver to shrivel and heart to explode in like 8 years.

Why didn’t you just stay in LA?!

Just in time for the second episode the newest season of The Hills, I was presented with the opportunity to kick back and chat it up with Lo via my cellular.

Um, obviously I couldn’t wait to take that phone call. I watch and obsess about the show enough to pretend those girls are my homies – especially the fantastic and now more frequent member, Lo. If I got her on the phone I could get all the gossip and maybe convince her to invite me out to L.A. for some Pinkberry and bonding time.

Unfortunately, I didn’t woo Lo into becoming my BFF, but I did get some insight into life in front of the camera, her life with Lauren and the reality (or not so much so) of The Hills.

How do you feel about the way you are portrayed on the show? Is that the real Lo?

“I’m pretty confident on how I’m portrayed on the show. Sometimes they go a little too far with the comments I make but I am a good friend to Lauren and I think that they show that well and I bring some comedy to the show. I am an honest person and like that in real life. I’m honest but I’m fun.” Read More »

Pinkberry, the self-proclaimed “swirly goodness” and celeb hotspot for low fat, yogurty, ice creamy…stuff…has found itself in a sticky mess.

While it has little-to-no calories, fat or anything else girls don’t want to ingest, the only ingredients Pinkberry admits to using is “pure” and “simple.” Apparently, “pure” and “simple” are now nouns.

For the past couple months, the company has been dealing with controversies and lawsuits as to what the hell this crap is made out of. Some “Crackberry Addicts” (seriously, that’s what they’re called) don’t care – they are fully satisfied with the mysterious ingredients, just as long as it helps them stay skinny. Some Crackberry Addicts are freaked out, and want to know what they’re inhaling 5 times a week.

Pinkberry is crazy popular and imitators have popped up around the country, like Snowberry, Roseberry, Berri Good, and Kiwiberri. And this controversy is so popular that Mr. Perez himself has been covering the ongoing dessert debacle, and this morning, reported the Fox News story of one New York Pinkberry location that was flooded with rats over the weekend; this does not help the company’s rep one bit. Read More »