Julie Minevich

Dating 2.0 – Dating Someone without a Facebook Account

Julie Minevich — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 20:48:42 +0000

I date. I dig Social Media. And I spend a lot of time thinking about both. Because the problem is, like I always say, that in dating and in social media, it’s the blind leading the blind. Well, now, I think it’s time to pin down some answers. And that is what has inspired “Dating 2.0″ category on this blog, which after a long hiatus IS BACK. In each post, we tackle dating situations made sticky by this wired world we live in. I ask for your opinion. I give you mine. It’s fun, I promise. And maybe we’ll even set some standards along the way.

So far, we’ve tackled:

Today’s digital dating dilemma stems from my own personal experience: I recently dated someone who on our first date revealed that he did not have a Facebook account. I wondered immediately if an unreformed social media specialist and a social media atheist could be compatible together. (A fish and a bird can fall in love, but where will they live?)

As pointed out in the recent Bank Of America Merrill Lynch (BofA) report on the way Americans are using Facebook and other social services, Facebook is used by almost all Americans at this point. 96% of the people surveyed say they use Facebook and the other four percent probably hold out for a variety of reasons, with the one I’ve heard cited the most is privacy concerns. And so, it’s unlikely that that they’re eager to jump onto the site even if asked.

But our online identities have very much become an extension of our offline lines, and just like we want a partner in life who shares our experiences, doesn’t the same hold true on Facebook? So, I pose the question to you:

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

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Worst Stairs in DC Bars

Julie Minevich — Mon, 16 May 2011 14:22:54 +0000

Photo Credit: Caucas’

Last weekend, I headed to Stetsons to celebrate the engagement of my friends Alex and Zvi.

While we were there, I noticed a woman (probably I little older than I am) who seemed extremely drunk – she was swaying, eyes half closed, and couldn’t walk straight… I pointed her out to my friends because I was so taken aback by what I saw. She was leaving and I made a comment to the effect of, “no one should let her near those stairs”, but then I saw her boyfriend follow behind her and figured that she’d be taken care of so I turned around and continued my conversation with my friends. Not a second later, we heard a loud THUMP and looked down the staircase to find her sprawled on the floor. She was completely unresponsive and a med student who had run down seemed to be having trouble locating her heartbeat. Luckily, an ambulance had been parked across the street and so the paramedics were able to get to the scene pretty quickly.

As my friends started turning away and mingling amonst themselves, I realized that this girl’s friends were still upstairs and didn’t know what had happened. I went up to them and told them she had fallen down the stairs. When they came back from checking on her, they didn’t seem that phased — probably because they hadn’t seen her at the bottom, limbs at awkward angles, with no sign of life in her — but mentioned that she was whimpering in the back of the ambulance. Her friend made a comment that she didn’t know how this could have happened because her friend wasn’t that drunk. That statement completely baffled me as I had immediately noticed the girl and her state…

This incident has really stayed with me. This woman’s life may have very well changed drastically, and all it took was a single misstep.

Being the klutz that I am, I’ve always been really aware of the danger of steep, long staircases in bars. I had even begun a list in my head of bars to avoid. Since then, the list has grown and I feel like I should get it down on paper/screen to share with all of you. I asked my friends for their inclusions and the same bars came up in conversation again and again.

So, I present to you my list of the worst stairs in DC bars.

Dupont Circle

1. Lucky Bar – Steep, narrow, and the only path to the bathroom makes for a lethal combination.

2. Public Bar – Getting to the roof means going up 4 flights of stairs.

3. Front Page – The stairs down to the bathrooms are brutal.

U Street

1. Stetsons – For obvious reasons.

2. Local 16 – The staircase is windy, crowded and tends to be slippery. Yikes!

What did I miss? Let me know in the comments.

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Day 792: Pre-Thanks 2010

Julie Minevich — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 19:32:30 +0000

One of my favorite traditions that my group of friends has come up with is “Pre-Thanks” (known in other circles as “Friendsgiving”) in which we all get together for a potluck Thanksgiving-themed dinner and have a chance to reflect on the past year. Since moving back to DC, I’ve hosted the dinner. It’s a great excuse to get everyone together before the beginning on the crazy holiday season. And, of course it’s fun to see how we’ve all changed (or stayed the same) over the years!

Here’s to many more years of Pre-Thanks together!

Pre-Thanks 2010

Pre-Thanks 2009

Pre-Thanks 2008

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Day 742: Kickball Championships!

Julie Minevich — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 14:17:30 +0000

This summer, after two years of my roommate encouraging me to join (and a really fun night out Boomeranging around DC), I caved and signed up to play on a kickball team. I was really excited for the reasons I’ll list below but then I went to my first game and remembered exactly why I had stayed away for so long–I’m great at a lot of things but team sports is not one of them… In the end, my first game had me getting on base and getting two outs so I continued coming back… Fast forward 10 weeks and my team is winning our league’s Wednesday night Championships!

Kickball is really popular in DC so I’m glad to have experienced this rite of passage (another check off the DC Bucket List) and would highly recommend it for the following reasons:

1. Get outside your comfort zone!
As I mentioned, I was not born to kickball. Being up at the plate means a thumping heart and shaking hands, but you know what, there’s something satisfying about getting out there, being completing uncomfortable and making it through. I certainly felt like a stronger person after each game. And then it was time to hit the bar.

2. Meet new people!
Joining this team, where I only really knew my roommate, was a great way for me to expand my social circle in DC. A lot of people who decide to join teams do so without knowing anyone – it’s a great way to meet some people in a safe, fun way when moving to a new city.

3. Enjoy the city!
One thing that I really loved was the fact that we played right in front of the US Capitol. Especially now that I’m not working in DC, having a reason to go the National Mall every week and hang out by the Monuments simply makes me happy and grateful to be here.

SO – Have I convinced you yet? Get out there and play! If not kickball, there are lots of other options in the DMV (DC, Maryland, & Virginia area) like bowling, bocce ball and dodgeball.

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On Turning Twenty-Five

Julie Minevich — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 02:46:26 +0000

I turned twenty-five about a week and a half ago and I have to say that I’m not feeling the “quarter-life crisis” that’s typically associated with this birthday. In fact, I’ve experienced quite the opposite; I’ve had a lot of fun this summer and have high hopes for this coming year. I’ve given myself three simple rules to live by (that I guess should be added to the “Five Tenets of Julie”) as I turn another year older:

1. No Secrets: Be true to myself and own my feelings.

2. Build Bridges, Don’t Burn Them: It takes more effort and energy to be negative than it is to welcome someone into my circle of friends. And as Life’s Little Instruction Book points out: “Never burn your bridges. You’ll be surprised how many times you’ll have to cross the same river.”

3. Life is Not So Serious: I’ve always been mature for my age and I’m realizing now that I shouldn’t have rushed so much be grown up. I have a tendency to take things a bit too seriously and this is my reminder to lighten up.

Do you have any mantras that help you take stock of your life?

Photo Credit: _Tophee_

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Answers to Common Questions About Gchat

Julie Minevich — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 11:53:43 +0000

Below, I’ve done my best to answer some common questions about Gchat, Google’s free-of-charge Windows web-based application for instant messaging and voice over internet protocol (VOIP).

Scroll down to see all the answers or click on a specific question:

How are contacts added to Gchat?
Is there a way to receive an alert when a contact signs on to Gchat or becomes “available”?
Can my employer (my boss or my company) read my Gchats?
Can I be invisible to some people on Gchat and available to others?
Can you recommend an app for signing onto Gchat from an iPhone?
I have other questions about Gchat that you haven’t answered. Where can I learn more?

How are contacts added to Gchat?

Contacts are automatically added based on the number of times e-mail messages are exchanged. Contacts must be using Gmail as their e-mail provider.

Is there a way to receive an alert when a contact signs on to Gchat or becomes “available”?

Unfortunately, there currently is no way to receive an alert when a contact signs on to Gchat or becomes available.

Can my employer (my boss or my company) read my Gchats?

The short answer here is ‘maybe’. It depends on what/how your company is monitoring your computer use. One way to make it a bit harder for someone to track your Gchat conversation is to sign onto Gmail securely which will encrypt any data within (include Gchat). Here’s how to change the setting to make sure you are always signing in securely: Sign in to Gmail. Click Settings at the top of any Gmail page. Set ‘Browser Connection’ to ‘Always use https.’ Click Save Changes. (Note that “Always use https’ is now the default setting in Gmail but it is good to double check this.)

However, companies can monitor every keystroke made and even take screenshots of what you are doing on your computer, so it’s best to be careful about how you use your computer at work!

Can I be invisible to some people on Gchat and available to others?

No. The status that you set – Available, Busy or Invisible – will be shown to all your contacts. Currently, there is no way to have different statuses for different contacts. If there are a few people that you’d to not be able to know when you are online, the best alternative is to block them.

Can you recommend an app for signing onto Gchat from an iPhone?

I think Fring and IM+ both work well for this, but I personally use Meebo. All three do the same. (I’ve just had a Meebo account for a few years so I liked that I could easily extend it onto my iPhone.

I have other questions about Gchat that you haven’t answered. Where can I learn more?

Simply leave your question in the form of a comment below and I will do my best to help you.

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A Few Thoughts on Facebook Places

Julie Minevich — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 01:16:40 +0000

Tonight, Facebook unveiled its new geo-location feature: Facebook Places. Here’s a quick video the company has put out to explain the new feature.

Now, for my thoughts:

I’m pretty excited for the unveiling of Facebook places. I’ve used Foursquare, a niche geo-location social network since March 2009 and I’ve definitely found it useful and fun. I think that many more people will be exposed to the concept of sharing their physical locations with their online social networks which will only add richness and value to all users.
I do think that there will be a backlash regarding privacy concerns. I don’t think that the general population is really ready to embrace this type of online/offline interaction. I give Facebook kudos by being proactive and explaining the privacy settings up front. Clearly, the company has learned its mistake of being too open with users’ data.
A huge win for Facebook places is its ability to also check users into Foursquare, Gowalla and Yelp. This helps ensure that the early adopters who have built a community on those sites can migrate to Facebook and know that they will still be able to engage with those services.
Where are the women project managers in the video above? The video makes sure that the Facebook spokespeople are all culturally diverse but gender equality seems to be missing…

So, what do you think? Are you excited to try out Facebook Places? Concerned about how it may erode privacy?

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Day 695: Avenue Q

Julie Minevich — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 15:27:59 +0000

I finally got to see Avenue Q last night at the Lansburgh Theatre! It’s been on my to-experience list for quite sometime and I’m feeling pretty lucky that I was able to see it on the last night of its month-long run here in DC! I highly recommend it for twenty-somethings and beyond.

PS For a pre-show dinner I headed to Momiji (read my Yelp review), a sushi place in Chinatown, followed by a free sample of Rita’s Italian Ice as part of the Grand Opening of its 1012 H Street, NW location.

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Dating 2.0 – Best Medium for Post-Date “Thank You” Message

Julie Minevich — Fri, 28 May 2010 14:16:03 +0000

I date. I dig Social Media. And I spend a lot of time thinking about both. Because the problem is, like I always say, that in dating and in social media, it’s the blind leading the blind. Well, now, I think it’s time to pin down some answers. And that is what has inspired “Dating 2.0″ category on this blog. In each post, we tackle dating situations made sticky by this wired world we live in. I ask for your opinion. I give you mine. It’s fun, I promise. And maybe we’ll even set some standards along the way.

So far, we’ve tackled whether or not it is acceptable to getting a potential date’s phone number off Facebook and at what point to Facebook someone you are dating.

The digital dating dilemma of the day deals with the post-date “thank you” note. I think anyone who dates will agree that the process is almost like an interview at times. And so, the same way a follow-up note is almost mandatory for success during the hiring process, the same can be said for dating. In 1980, the only option to convey the message would have been through a phone call. In 2000, an e-mail might have provided another avenue of communication. But in 2010, with so many options, what’s the best medium to use?

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Photo Credit: iain

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An Invitation to Live Life

Julie Minevich — Tue, 25 May 2010 15:31:47 +0000

The following is a guest post from my good friend, Michal, who is a twentysomething world explorer currently navigating life in the land of Israel.

When I first volunteered to write this guest-post for Julie, (by the way, it was over a month ago… Sorry Jules!!! ) I was intimidated by my freedom in selecting the subject matter. I could write about anything!? Anything at all?! Where would I start? I began to go over several potential subjects in my head. The Israeli political situation? I wrote a piece on it for Julie after our elections a year ago. I re-read my old post and found that all the worst-case scenario predictions I made have come true and then some. The situation is very depressing and not something I want to write about. I thought of more subjects to write about, (business, travel, friends, weight loss etc…) but nothing really struck me as worthy until one day last week a friend and I decided to watch some classic YouTube videos. Part of a classic video that I had seen many times struck me in a new way and kind of hit close to home. While viewing the always hilarious “David After Dentist” video about a little boy being driven home from the dentist while still under the effects of novacane or gas or drugs that he had been given. At one point in his ramblings he looks straight into the camera and says, “Is this real life??” His father laughs and assures him that this is in fact real life.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txqiwrbYGrs

I took David’s question differently this time. I think this is a question that is on the mind of many 20-somethings. After we graduate college we enter an unknown world. For many of us this was the first time in our lives where there was not a definite framework ahead of us (after middle school came high school then college etc…) The 9-5 world was looming and although some were ready to go out there and make tracks in the corporate world, others were dreading the day of their first punch in on the time clock. (Personally, I was so fearful of 9-5 and the office life that after graduation I took off to South America for 4 and a half months by myself with a backpack, but that is a story for another post…) A year and a half after I received my diploma I began working at an office. While it is not as terrible as I thought, I still get nauseated at the fact that I may be doing this for a long long time. As I have settled into the 9-5 routine over the past year and a half I find myself asking, “Is this it?” Has my real life started? After having many discussions with my other twenty-something friends I find that many of them are asking themselves the same thing. While many of us enjoy our jobs most of us are not sure if we see it as a career (or maybe just me). Those of us who are not in serious relationships wait for that to start as well (yet another subject for a later blog post)

So when does the elusive real life start? Is it when you are married? When you have kids? Could it be a career milestone, when we feel we have found our place in the professional world? When we feel settled? As someone who grew up in several countries with family all over the world, I often worried that I would never stop asking that question. I thought that I would always feel somewhat lost and while I was living in one place I would always miss another. After having resigned myself to the fact that I would always feel this way I saw a Visa commercial and while I am loathe to admit that I got an epiphany as a result of a Visa ad I did. At the end of the commercial, the announcer asks, “What are you waiting for, a written invitation to live life? You have one; it’s called a birth certificate.” This line struck me as profound. (Damn you brilliant advertising geniuses!!) Real life for me began on December 4th, 1984 and will hopefully continue for a very long time. While there will be times that I and many others of my generation will feel lost and discombobulated life is constantly moving and it is best to enjoy it while you can. In the words of one man who I considered a mentor in high school (and whose advice I should begin taking again), “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbR7axof1wk

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