Holly Grande: Short and Sweet

At some point between my high school graduation and my first day of college, my grandmother discovered e-mail.

Okay, that is not a completely accurate statement. My dad worked in IT for years, and so my grandparents have had a computer and internet access since AOL used to send diskettes in the mail. In fact, my first e-mail account was tied to my grandmother's AOL account, and one of the highlights of our Sunday family dinners was the 45 minutes I got to log on to the teen chat rooms.

But my grandmother didn't start e-mailing me regularly until I started college and moved hundreds of miles away. With so many classes and so much to do, e-mail became the way we chatted.

Grandma's e-mails are usually short and sweet, with lots of blinking graphics and lowercase letters. I love getting them, even the chain e-mails. My grandma updates me on family gossip news, what's going on in her life and her work teaching Mahjong at the community center.

The best e-mails, though, are the chain letters. Sometimes political, often politically incorrect, my grandmother has become the queen of forwarded messages. She usually includes a little note, but sometimes the block of e-mail addresses including everyone from my mom to my second cousin, once removed is all the message I need.

These days, e-mail is so much easier than writing a letter or making a phone call, and I think we take for granted the people in our lives. I may not always read the chain e-mails my grandmother forwards to me, but seeing her e-mail address in my inbox always makes me smile (and pick up the phone to say hi.)

Posted by Holly at 9:57 AM 0 comments  

Labels: communication, family

It's been a while since I had a post on social media, hasn't it? Here is a great find via Matt Cheuvront at Brazen Careerist. The video is a visual summary of Erik Qualman's Theory of Socialnomics, which will be out in stores tomorrow.



First of all, fantastic video. It's eye-catching, dramatic and has had more than 375,000 views in just over four weeks. It's definitely reminiscent of the Did You Know? videos, but I don't think that is necessarily a bad thing. The message is similar, but not quite the same, and I think it really exemplifies the collaborative, evolving nature of social media. Taking the video by itself, isn't it incredible how quickly people responded to say, "Karl Fisch and Scott McLeod already did this"?

I usually take social media guides with a grain of salt, but I am interested in picking up a copy of Qualman's book. It looks like Qualman makes an interesting, if not compelling, case. Social media has changed the way we communicate, and organizations are still figuring out what that means to them--I'm still figuring out what it means to me. After all, I spent this morning looking up reviews for the Italian Store, e-mailing directions to my iPod, customizing a map to send to my parents and drafting a blog entry about my Italian heritage (which I'll link to my New York friends on Facebook). In the words of my dad? That is cool.

Posted by Holly at 4:21 PM 0 comments  

Labels: advertising, books, communication, recommended reading

I am such a geek when it comes to tools like this. I remember when my sister found a program that allowed you to turn your handwriting into a font about six or so years ago, and as a 15- and 17-year-old, we tried to use it. The program was bulky and complicated, and the results were disastrous.

Today, Lifehacker linked this nifty little tool. FontCapture is a web-based utility that allows you to turn any handwriting into a font. The steps are simple--you print and fill out a pdf form with all the letters you might conceivably use. Next, you scan the document in, and FontCapture turns it into a usable font.

I'm really impressed by the simplicity. I tried it out this morning, and within minutes I had my own font--and it really looks like my penmanship, too. The results are very clean, even when changing the color and size:

The utility is still in its beta stage, but I can already imagine how useful it will be in Web design, comics, digital scrapbooking and more. I know I am going to hold off telling my sister about the tool until after midterms, otherwise she'll be playing with it for days.

Posted by Holly at 11:45 AM 0 comments  

Labels: web comics, website

Today, the last episode of Reading Rainbow aired. Honestly, I had no idea, and wouldn't have known at all if blogger Sadie hadn't written about the show at Jezebel--I didn't even know that the show was still on air. Now that I've found out, I'm a little sad.

Reading Rainbow was a huge part of my childhood. I was already an avid reader as a kid, and I loved it when the kids reviewed books that *I* had already read (I was kinda brat, too). I used to tell my mom that I wanted to go on Reading Rainbow so that I could present my favorite book.

LeVar was amazingly cool, too. He was like a cool uncle who would take you to Broadway shows or the Renaissance Faire or on a trip to a museum. I remember wanting to visit all those places. In fact, as an adult, my mental list of places to go and see is made up of many of the places that LeVar visited--and I am fortunate to have had the chance to cross them off my list, too.

I think Sadie did a really good job talking about why we liked it so much. Along with Bill Nye, The Electric Company and Blues Clues, I think Reading Rainbow is up there with some of the most influential and memorable kids shows from our childhoods. I am sure there will be new shows that our kids will always remember, but Reading Rainbow was something special.

But you don't have to take my word for it...



Did you watch Reading Rainbow as a kid? What were your other favorite shows?

Posted by Holly at 10:23 PM 1 comments  

Labels: books, family

Earlier this summer, I participated in the 2009 Blogathon for RAINN. Forty-nine entries and 24 hours later, it was a great success. In fact, together, the bloggers for RAINN raised almost $3,000, or enough funds to help more that 850 survivors of sexual assault and violence. RAINN is an amazing organization, and I am proud to support it.

Recently, Sara from RAINN contacted me with information about an upcoming benefit for RAINN. I'd like to share that information with you:

Coming up on Wednesday, September 9th, Christina Ricci will be hosting a special benefit for RAINN - the nation's largest anti sexual-assault organization. The purpose of the event will be to honor the leaders in the fight against sexual assault and to celebrate the tremendous strides that these leaders have made together.

The event, taking place in DC, will be a cocktail reception with light hors d'oeuvres.

During the event, RAINN will officially launch their new child abuse public awareness campaign and present Crime Fighter Awards to Rep. Doris Matsui and Sen. John Conyers. The money raised from ticket sales will go to support RAINN. Each ticket sold will help 50 victims of sexual assault to receive the help they need.

Event Information

When:
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
6:00 to 7:00 Host Committee/VIP Reception
6:30 to 8:30 Cocktail and Light Hors D’oeuvres Reception

Where:
Navigators Global
901 7th Street NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20001

To purchase tickets, please visit: dc.rainn.org

Posted by Holly at 3:53 PM 1 comments  

Labels: charity, RAINN

I don't think Little brother reads my blog, but if he does: Quick, Little bro! Go here.

Little brother is turning twelve this year. I've thought he was twelve for, like, the last two years, but, nope, he's finally in sixth grade this year and on December 3, we'll be celebrating his 12th birthday.

Little bro has hit a few milestones this year, too. He has more responsibilities, like taking care of monster puppy and doing more chores. Even our relationship is changing--he talks to me like a teenager now, and less like a little kid. We talk, really talk, about movies and World of Warcraft and how his friend built a really cool world on Little Big Planet. He'll even call me out of the blue to tell me, "Soooooo Holly, I saw you reached level 60 on Persea--good job!"

(But he's not too old to hint that I should pay for next months subscription to WoW since it would clearly benefit us both. That's his character, a Night Elf Hunter, to the right.)

It's weird--I remember when I was 12 and my mom had just given birth to little bro. My friends and I were fighting that year, bell bottoms were back in style and Mariah Carey was our siren hero. I also got my first kiss that year on our sixth grade trip--a boy named Chris. Someone tattled to the chaperons, so we were the reason that boys and girls couldn't sit together on the bus ride home.

(It was just a peck!)

Even though things aren't exactly like they were when I was twelve, I think there are a lot of similarities. As the official Cool Older Sister (TM), I'm giving him the boys' equivalent of Our Bodies, Ourselves for his birthday. That, and $20 to spend (I'm not sure which he'll like more, hah!).

Part of me is dreading the inevitable embarrassment I know he is going to feel when I give him the book, but at the same time I am really excited and proud that my little brother is almost a teenager--he's a real person. It'll be neat to see him grow up, and I hope he knows he can come to me for anything.

Posted by Holly at 8:43 AM 3 comments  

Labels: family

I am a bit of a geek when it comes to the history of advertising and PR. Thank You for Smoking is one of my favorite books, and I love reading case studies about the best (and worst) campaigns from yesteryear. In fact, I still have my college textbooks from my Com classes and I read them for pleasure.

I told you, total nerd here.

So it was no surprise to me (or my family) when I fell in love with the premiere of Mad Men in 2007. Watching it, I felt like someone had taken all the really cool case studies from my text books and put them on screen with a cast of fantastic actors, a gorgeous, retro wardrobe and a few scandalous affairs to sweeten the pot.

After two seasons, I think what I love most about the show isn't the eye candy or fictionalized case studies--it's the way the show has progressed by showing how much the world has and really hasn't changed. Gender, race and sexuality are addressed not by what is said, but by what is left completely unsaid.

Don is wonderful at that. A disapproving glance or a smirk and--Oh! He is so repulsive, but I can't help but love him. He is at once progressive and judgmental, cruel and kind. In one scene he will push Peggy forward and help her climb the corporate ladder, and in another put down his wife Betty for daring to wear something she thought was sexy.

But my favorite character, if you haven't guessed, is Joan Holloway. Joan embodies every social construct, every double standard faced by women in the workforce. She is the office manager, content in her supporting role and looking forward to her forthcoming marriage, but at the same time, part of her seems to be aware that she could be more. She looks down on Peggy at times, but when given the chance to do the work of her male colleagues, she excels! Unfortunately, no one, not even Joan herself, ever thinks about making the change permanent. In fact, by the very next episode, someone new, a young and inexperienced man, is hired to take over the position, and Joan is once again relegated to her old position.

Joan is also a sex icon. She exudes confidence, particularly in the first season. In one early episode, three account executives are discussing how every woman fits into one of two roles: Jackie Kennedy or Marilyn Monroe. Of Joan, the men agree, "Well, Marilyn is really a Joan."

But Joan is also over thirty and not yet married. She is mortified when an angry coworker posts her drivers license, exposing her birth date, and she is ecstatic when she can finally show off an engagement ring. At times, it seems like Joan is playing the role she knows she is supposed to be playing, and cracks are starting to appear in her facade. One of the most powerful and heartbreaking scenes occurs when Joan is raped by her fiance in her boss's office. Joan picks herself up and keeps going in spite of what happened because, like Don, she excels at keeping up appearances, no matter the cost. Joan has every intention of following the path she is supposed to take, but it's more complex than that.

I think it will be exciting to see where Joan goes next in the upcoming season. Her journey, along with those of Peggy and Betty, mirrors those of many women. Although Mad Men takes place nearly half a century ago, it parallels our world today. It is easy to relate to these characters, and I think that is the most striking thought of all.

The third season premiered on Sunday, August 16 on AMC. The next episode airs on Sunday, August 23 at 10PM.

Posted by Holly at 11:21 AM 1 comments  

Labels: advertising, communication, Mad Men, television

This recipe came about mostly by accident. I had some ripe bananas that I stuck in the freezer to use in banana bread, and after thawing them, I found out I was a cup short for the recipe. I had already mixed the butter and sugar at this point, so there was no turning back. Fortunately, I spied a can of mandarin oranges I had bought for Cole slaw, which reminded me of the banana orange shakes my mom made for my sister and me, and this recipe was born.

The wheat flour makes this recipe healthier than traditional banana bread, and it is still moist and flavorful. After baking, my whole house smelled like banana bread. :)

First, you'll need to assemble your hardware:

9x5 inch bread pan
Two mixing bowls
A whisk
A spatula
Parchment paper (or tinfoil)

As for your software:

2 cups wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup dark brown sugar (light is fine, too)
1 1/2 to 2 cups mushy, rip bananas (about three bananas)
6 oz. can mandarin oranges
1/2 cup raisins or walnuts (optional)

Executing the code:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line your bread pan with tin foil or parchment paper--this makes it a lot easier to get the bread out later. Set aside.

2. In your first mixing bowl, mix together the flour, salt and baking soda. Set aside.

3. Strain your oranges in a colander. You can discard the juice. In the second bowl, whisk together the butter, sugar and eggs. Add the bananas and oranges and mix until thoroughly combined. The orange slices will break up as you mix them, but big chunks are okay (and delicious).

4. Add in your flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir just until wet. Using a spatula instead of a spoon makes this easier--if you mix too much, the bread will come out hard. Gently fold in the raisins or walnuts and pour the mixture into your pan. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes--you may need to cook for a little longer or a little less. A butter knife stuck in the middle should come out clean when it is ready.

5. Let the bread cool completely before you slice it. Seriously. Your kitchen will smell amazing right now, but you need to wait. After 10-15 minutes, pop the bread out of the pan and let it cool on a wire rack (or, you know, a plate). When it is fully cool, slice it in thick 1 inch slices and serve with butter or margarine. I like toasting the slices for breakfast. Yum! Serves 12.

Posted by Holly at 10:22 PM 0 comments  

Labels: dormet, recipes

I have been doing a lot of reading lately. Between the continued job hunt and working at the restaurant, my free time has been rather sporadic. Picking up a book for a few minutes a day gives me a chance to wind down and relax.

I wrote about my massive to-read list late last year, and I have since made a nice dent in it, but I have also picked up a few titles that are less likely to appear on anyone’s list of greatest novels. I hope to one day publish the novels swirling around in my head, and to help me get there, I like to read kid lit and young adult novels to sort of see-how-the-authors-did-it and learn from their work.

The book covers are also quite entertaining.

Most recently, I picked up Running out of Time by Margaret Peterson Haddix. I found it in the for-sale shelves at my local library, and for a quarter, it was a total steal. The novel centers around 14-year-old Jessie, a young women living with her family on the frontier in 1840. Jessie’s world is shattered when she discovers her pioneer village isn’t a village at all, but a scientific experiment, and the year is actually 1996.

Sounds familiar, right? It took me a quick Google search to discover that the book was not, in fact, the basis for M. Night Shyamalan’s film The Village. (In fact, Simon and Schuster explored the possibility of a lawsuit against the Shyamalan and Disney.)

The really interesting thing about Running Out of Time, however, wasn’t its twist ending or the scandal surrounding its similarities with the 2004 film. Rather, while reading it, I felt like I was 10 again, hiding away in my room to read the Secret Window or Bell Prater’s Boy. I was excited to turn the next page! Perhaps it was in part because the book took place in the 90s, when I was in elementary school, but it read how I remembered books being when I was a kid, where I thought it was entirely possible that a brother and sister team could unearth a treasure, or Nancy Drew could solve the mystery before her dad returned from his trip.

A lot of kid lit and YA novels, I have a hard time reading as an adult, even if I know I loved them as a kid. While I can pick up Harry Potter any day to read and enjoy as an adult, I am just not interested in the Babysitter’s Club books I loved in fourth grade. I was surprised when I enjoyed Haddix’s novel, and I think I’ll even send it to my little brother to read--if he can get past the 90s references and lack of cell phones :).

I think the key is that Haddix didn’t write a book she thought 12-year-olds would like, she wrote a book that takes place in a world entirely in the perspective of a kid, and this gives the book something of a timeless quality.

That’s what I would like to do one day. I want my books to entertain teens and tweens, but I think I want their parents to like them too, or at least for their cranky, post-grad sisters.

I’ll let you know what the little brother thinks of the book.

Posted by Holly at 2:48 PM 3 comments  

Labels: books, recommended reading, writing