The surest way to screw up your child for life is to name them the wrong name. Choosing a name for a baby-to-be is tough, it's stressful, and it’s akin to serious writer's block. If you go with a "family name," like Norbert, or Herbert, or even just Bert, you risk… Read full post »

Champagne Friday is a tradition in my family that began with my parents who originally intended it to be a date night; a night to reconnect after a long week of disconnect and toast a glass of champagne to each other.

It has since evolved into a grander celebration of family and… Read full post »

Yesterday was my one year anniversary of blogging on OS. I've been absent my blog for some time, mostly because of uninspiration. So I'm reinventing my blog; the name is the same "Everyday Shoud Be Champagne Friday," but it never really fit with the general topic of my writings, which were… Read full post »

The American Society of Magazine Editors has announced the winners of its 2009 Best Magazine Covers of the Year, a contest whose winners were actually voted on by consumers, instead of memebers of the ASME, for the first time. Voting took place through online polls on Amazon.com and consumers chose t… Read full post »

After all the posts I've written about the Death of Print, and magazine after magazine folding, I can't tell you how excited I was when a fellow editor threw down a newly launched regional niche magazine called Nug.

Now, he was mocking the magazine ... a little ...… Read full post »

On Monday, Reader's Digest Assn. announced an agreement with its lenders to reduce the media corporation's debt from $2.2 billion to $550 million.

In November, I wrote about rumors that Reader's Digest was tackling a branding problem and considering changing its name. But the co… Read full post »

Every year since 1998, Beloit College in Beloit, Wis., publishes its "Mindset List." The list is comprised of cultural touchstones that have influenced the way new generations of college students think and perceive the world.

The list for the mindset of the entering class of 2013 is out and it's… Read full post »

How cool is this?

More is a 1.3 million circulation lifestyle magazine that focuses on women 40 years and older. One of its loyal subscribers contacted the magazine to see about getting a digital subscription because she is leaving town. OK, she's not leaving town.

She's… Read full post »

I'm going to buy Margaritaville. Who wants to come?

A few weeks ago a colleague and I were chatting over beers. At some point in the conversation about him spending time with his brother while traveling, he mentioned how he couldn't believe how much Diet Mountain Dew his brother drank. He said he often looked like hell,… Read full post »

I consider myself a creative person, but sort of in a linear-thinking way. There is one woman, however, who is the most creative person I've ever met: my Aunt Shari. She is a teacher by trade and she can make a kid learn or do anything by singing… Read full post »

Why She's Going to Get Them Any Way 

Yesterday I had the pleasure of hosting a photo shoot of three-time Olympic gold medalist Natalie Coughlin. (Coughlin is a swimmer.) We held the shoot at a local Boys & Girls Club outdoor pool early in the morning before the… Read full post »

Rumors have it that the 16-year-old magazine launched by music great Quincy Jones is shutting down. Dailyfinance.com broke the news but wasn't able to get a Vibe  representative to comment other than to say they would release a statement by the end of the day.

 … Read full post »

My 3-year-old daughter is officially aware of social norms and social misfits; she's officially been bullied. Around 5 p.m. daily, her preschool class moves outside for free playtime. I typically show up about this time and sneak outside to sit on a bench and watch the kids play before letting my… Read full post »

I came across an Editor & Publisher article announcing that Terry Harper, of the Society of Professional Journalists, had written one last blog post before he died yesterday of brain cancer. Harper was the society's executive director for seven years. He was 45.

%IMA… Read full post »

I've been fighting the Hyatt hotel to refund an overcharge of $158.73 since May 2. I detail the drama in a previous post. After several letter writing campaigns to the hotel in Long Beach, to the customer service department and to the corporate consumer affairs office, today my money was finally… Read full post »

Earlier this month, Entrepreneur magazine was sued by a large group of individual investors who read the May 2008 issue's "Hot 100: America's Top Fast-Growth Business and the Entrepreneurs Who Built Them" list and invested in a company called Agape World Inc., listed No. 73. The company turned out to… Read full post »

I'm a letter-writer. I'm a consumer who gives written feedback to companies, corporations, restaurants or any entity that provides me with a product or service. Some letter-writers only write when they're upset about a product or service (hate letter), which is fine. I tend to be one that writes to r… Read full post »

Occasionally I drop 79 cents at the McDonald's drive-through for a 42-ounce fountain Diet Coke. Every time I have to ask for extra ice. If I don't ask, I get a massive cup of just-barely-cold soda and like nine ice chips, which melt by the time I take… Read full post »

This morning the Associated Press reported that Paste Magazine has raised $166,ooo one week after launching its Save Paste campaign, which called for readers to donate to the cash strapped indie music publication to keep afloat.

Editor-in-chief Josh Jackson told t… Read full post »

This is a call to help a group of animals seized from an elderly woman who might have been a hoarder. For those in the San Fernando Valley area who might be able to assist these animals in any way, here is the call to action from a Los Angeles-based rescue organization… Read full post »

 One magazine hanging on for dear life during this economic downturn is reaching out to readers to save it. Paste Magazine, a Decatur, Ga.-based independently published music magazine, has launched a campaign, called Save Paste, asking readers to donate money to keep the publicati… Read full post »

Editor & Publisher is a New York-based journal that reports on the North American newspaper industry including advertising, marketing, circulation, online and business, among others. The winners of E&P's Eppy Awards were announced yesterday and include:

 A large group of individual investors who read the May 2008 issue of Entrepreneur Magazine are suing the magazine for misleading readers about a company called Agape World Inc., which was listed No. 73 on Entrepreneur's "Hot 100: America's Top Fast-Growth Business and the Entreprene… Read full post »