Liz Burr

She's Back, and I'm Obsessed!

2009-06-18T04:46:11Z

Yesterday, my hands down favorite artist of all time, Mariah Carey, dropped a new single. Lucky for me we are Twitter BFFs so I knew the exact time the single would debut on her website. (Ok, so we are Twitter BFFs but she doesn't know it yet).

Anyway, listen to the track and take it for a spin. It grew on me after about the second listen, which seems promising. I didn't like the idea of her using auto-tune, but really, Mariah has been everywhere in back with her sound, so why not try it? Her new album better not be auto-tuned out though.

Love it!

I just hope this song isn't about Eminem. We covered Em a few albums back, let's not bring him up again. Meh.

I'm pretty sure Mimi will gain back her huge advantage over Kanye West on my Last.FM profile.

(p.s. this video player is teh awsum right? It better be, it was product managed by yours truly for one of my clients! I think it's so cute!)

Me on Clutch/Golden

2009-06-01T14:48:43Z

I wrote a piece for Golden (a Clutch Magazine blog) this week, on the joys (and perils) of loving your work.

Loving your Work: A Booby Trap?

Check it out if you just can't get enough of me. I will probably write some more pieces for Golden later, as well. You should also stick around and read more Clutch, owned and operated by one of my bestest friends, DeDe Sutton.

Barbie Dream House

2009-05-21T06:22:26Z

Yesterday I couldn't resist the urge to take a tour of an apartment building here in Los Angeles.

I know, I live in NYC.

I know, I just moved to NYC.

But, I couldn't help it. You see, this building has been under construction for the two years I have passed by it (it's in my neck of the woods), and it's finally complete and ready for tenants.

It has tons of amenities. Beautiful gym, office rooms, lounge rooms, large hallways, every unit has washer/dryers, new stainless steel appliances, huge pool, jacuzzi, sauna, steam room.

Seriously?

It's like my dream apartment. Yes, my dream apartment is a studio. For some reason, I don't see myself needing a lot of space. I don't have a lot of furniture--particularly expensive furniture--and I don't see myself buying a ton anytime soon. I move around way too much to have a lot of furniture. A perfectly well planned studio is all I need in my life, and I have found it.

But, it's in LA. And I live in NYC. Boo.

You know, this bi-coastal living is pretty nice, I must say. If I could really pull off having two apartments in two cities, it would be the best magic trick. Two homes or condos would be an even better trick.

A girl can dream.

Goin Back To Cali

2009-05-15T19:48:04Z

It's been three months since I left LA and moved to NYC.

I miss it dearly.

I mostly miss the weather and loveliness of Southern California, especially this time of year. So tomorrow I am going back for a visit! w00t. I don't know exactly how long I'll be there. It could be for a week or a few weeks. I'll decide when I get there, but for now I just have a one way ticket.

Big ups to the airline industry who seems to be dropping prices, or at least making it easier to fly last minute :)

Whoa, Where have YOU Been?

2009-04-28T21:36:08Z

It has been almost two months since I last blogged. I almost thought about putting up a hiatus post...but I was too busy to think about that.

My life in the past two months:

1. Went to SXSW. Spoke on the panel moderated by the fabulous Denise Jacobs. Did a lot of napping and working while at SXSW. Probably experienced about 30% of what I set out to do at SXSW, but had fun none the less. I got to see lots of friends and coworkers from my old jobs as well as grad school, and got to meet a lot of super cool fabulous friends I have only known (or read up on) in the digital space for years. I even met a few new people as well. In the end, that's what I really wanted, and I can't wait to go back next year!

2. I cut my hair off. I thought I would cry about it. I have had long hair my entire life. Every female in my family has had long thick hair our entire lives. It's what we half black/half navajo chicks do: we have lots of long hair, ad nauseum. I thought I was so attached to my hair that I would feel remorseful about chopping it off. I wasn't. It's just hair!! My disdain for my damaged and unhealthy hair probably helped coping with the cut. It's growing back pretty fast though. I'm not entirely sure my haircut is actually cute. Some days I feel like I'm rockin Salt N Pepa's hairdo from the Push It days. Other days, I swear I am bringing back the Jheri Curl. These days, I believe I have a long shag, a la Kanye West. At this point, I don't exactly care. The idea is to cut off all the damage and start all over. I need to go in for one more chop to finish off the damage removal and then I am in regrowth mode. I like my hair short, but I also like how it grows back pretty fast. I'll be in good shape in about 9 months.

3. I freaking launched a big project. Who knew I had it in me, hmm? (Pfft, I did!). I think it deserves it's own separate post, and probably gives me a million other things to write about on my journey as new media consultant. Either way, I have a pretty big milestone under my belt, AND BOY AM I HAPPY. I am also writing for said project, check out my first piece here.

4. Me and my partner in crime are up to some shenanigans. E-shenanigans, to be exact. Beware.

5. I discovered I love being single. As much as me and my single but cute/smart/accomplished girlfriends complain about there being no good men out there, etc etc., I think I am realizing I like to be left alone. Dare I say I am too selfish to have a boyfriend? Hopefully my desire to overcome my selfishness (or lack thereof) is what will seperate the men from the boys. I'm just happy to know I am past that whole "woe is me/all men suck" phase. No time for that, there's money to be made, friendships to be nurtured. Everything else will fall into place.

6. My dad came to New York for an entire week. My biological father, that is. I haven't spent an entire week with him since I was 11 years old. I admit, it was a bit....different. Him not really being around much has created a situation where I feel like I am talking to a stranger. I don't have any beef with my dad, really. It is what it is, it be what it bees. Hopefully his trip means we will both be a little more proactive about maintaining our relationship with one another. I was excited he had some baby pictures of me to show off. Boy was I cutie pie when I was a kid. I might scan them and show them off. Maybe.

Other than that I have been getting to know Manhattan (I super duper love walking around my neighborhood, especially now that it is springtime), hanging with my buds, missing California (need to go visit soon), worrying about the economy and the pork SARS (i.e. checking my bank account balance and washing my hands every 10 minutes), and growing up. It's tough being a grown up. Word life.

Still kicking.

Manhattan Love

2009-03-06T04:03:39Z

I've been in NYC for about a month now, and everything is going well. It snowed. A lot. And it was cold. Really cold. Similar to my Boston winter's during college, I elected to go out in the cold when I felt like it--which is never. The luxury of working from home means I can hibernate for days if I want. I instituted an office policy that says I don't have to go outside unless it is at least 30 degrees.

I've finally picked up this public transportation system, I think. During my first time on the subway from Manhattan to Brooklyn, I was lost in the subway (on the F train) for two hours. I was so mad! Today I took the same trip and did it lickety split. I also love the buses here, maybe more than the subway. The buses are great since Manhattan is a grid system. Easy peasy once you get used to it, and the 2 hour transfer system helps a lot (I can do a roundtrip on one metrocard fare if I take the bus one way and the subway on the way back).

Not to be a Brooklyn Debbie Downer, but I REALLY like living in Manhattan. I can't imagine ever living in Brooklyn now. Everything is so close to me here. Whenever my friends get off work, they're always nearby for a quick bite for dinner, drink, or movie. The grid is pretty much an actual grid EVERYWHERE in Manhattan. I think if I lived in Brooklyn I would never see Manhattan. It's too far in my book, haha. I can't wait for Spring/Summer, I might walk all the way up to Harlem one day, it's so lovely here!

My life is going to be a lovely wreck for the next few weeks. I am leaving to Boston tomorrow to attend a conference at Harvard Business School. I'm not much of a networker, so I am mostly going to see my friends and sorors attending the conference, and Boston. And maybe MIT, if I feel up to it. The following week I'll be at SXSW. In between or during these trips I'll be launching some big projects on the web.

Needless to say, I am a little fried. I am loving life, though!

I'm Speaking at SXSWi 2009!

2009-02-17T14:24:13Z

I think for the past five years I have been dying to go to SXSWi, and every year the opportunity eclipsed me for various reasons. Most of this stemmed from whatever job (or school) I was in at the time, but this year I had no excuses, as I am my own boss. Just when I was about to shell out bucks to buy my registration ticket, I was invited to speak on a panel! So, this year I will be attending as a panelist, which is very exciting for me!

The panel I will be sitting in on is Can the Afrosphere Survive the Age of Obama?

The presidency of Barack Obama will have far-reaching ramifications for politics, society, and even black identity in America. Websites such as BlackWeb2.0.com, the Blackbird browser, and a myriad of bloggers both target and ally themselves with the black blogosphere, often referred to as the "Afrosphere". The question must be asked: In the new Age of Obama, will an "afro-centric web" begin to fade into, simply, "the web"?

The panel will take place on Monday, March 13, at 3:30 pm. I am pretty amped to attend SXSW this year. See you there!

Cupid's Hunt: Certified Crazy

2009-02-14T05:26:08Z

Last year I participated in Cupid's Hunt, and I loved it. Nobody loves love songs as much I do, I promise! I am an R&B junkie, mostly because of the love songs R&B pumps out. Anyway, I would be remiss not to participate in Cupid's Hunt this year.

I could have compiled a list of my favorite love songs, but that would have been difficult for me and my collection. There are just so many great ones to choose from. My love song collection is DEEP, covering many facets of love and relationships. I decided to take a different approach to my selection. This year, my playlist is called Certified Crazy: all the songs about love that make you think, say, or do crazy things. Basically, it's a crazy chick's playlist (but equal opportunity for men). I know this isn't exactly the most lovey dovey playlist in honor of Valentine's Day...but not everybody has the happiest and loveliest of Valentine's Days. At times love (or what you think love is) makes you think some crazy thoughts. It's not always fun and games. I'm here to keep it real, and yes this may mean I am a Valentine's Day grinch. I'll be dat, at least until I have a Valentine's Day that changes my disposition. So for now, I am on strike.

Playlist:
01 I'd Rather Go Blind - Etta James
02 BreakDown - Mariah Carey ft. Bone Thugs N Harmony
03 Halfcrazy - Musiq Soulchild
04 Caught Out There - Kelis
05 So Gone - Monica
06 Ring The Alarm - Beyonce
07 Breakin' Dishes - Rihanna
08 Circle - Marques Houston
09 Ice Box - Omarion
10 Outta My Head - Teedra Moses
11 Bust Your Windows - Jazmine Sullivan

Download Here

Make sure you check out all the other playlists going on with the Cupid's Hunt project. I am sure I will enjoy everyone else's playlists, lovey dovey or not. ;)

Happy Valentine's Day to you and yours.

Movin' On Up

2009-02-05T05:32:04Z

I finally made it to NYC! All in one piece. I can't lie, I started to panic near the end of my move from LA. I started to second guess my motives, the economy, my ability to stay balleriffic. I have those moments. Just like quitting my stable awesome job in the middle of a recession, I started to doubt moving to NYC in the dead of winter and an even worse economy. Truthfully, I may have just been afraid of the weather. I am allergic to snow, and the thought of arriving to NYC in snow scared me. I am so Californian.

I changed my lil blog layout. Now it reflects my current location. I'll miss my lil LA layout, but this one will do for now.

Thus far, New York has been a series of icy sidewalks I try not to slip on, and lots of servicemen that need to be tipped. Moving in my new bed resulted in tipping the doorman, the extra doorman, and the delivery man. I mean who wasn't gettin tipped today? Sheesh. My gallon of water from the grocery store (I don't think there are any bodegas in my neighborhood) cost $2.00. That's insane. This isn't Beverly Hills, it's Manhattan, they can bring it down a notch, no? I will stop complaining, though. This is what I wanted. I will enjoy and relish in it all. I promise to be thankful for having a goal/dream come true :).

Enough rambling. Hello, New York!

Favorite Things: Virgin America

2009-02-02T14:57:18Z

Note: In an effort to ~~stop being a lazy blogger~~ fill this blog with content about moi, I have decided to start a section called Favorite Things, all about--you guessed it-- my favorite things. I always like to ask people for their take on any given product or service before I try it out for myself, and I am often asked about products or advice on certain products and services. I figured I would write a blog about my favorite things in an effort to share knowledge. Hopefully I will learn a thing or two about whatever it is I am ranting or raving about, and you will too. No, I am not getting paid to do this.

I have decided that Virgin America is the best airline that will fit my (hopefully) bicoastal lifestyle. I first heard about the airline through the homie OJ, who put me on about their prices. A one-way flight from LA to the east coast runs me somewhere between $109-$139. I spent years living in Boston and rarely came home to LA because I couldn't find a ticket less than $300! Now I have finally found a place that reliably has prices under $300 for a roundtrip, crosscountry flight.

What I love most about Virgin America is that ticket prices generally stay the same over time. For example, yesterday I bought a one-way ticket to New York City to travel this week. Weeks ago, the price was $109. Yesterday the price was $109. I fly in a few days. No price hike! Virgin America is perfect for the last minute jetsetter (or procrastinator) in you. I think the prices may hike if you try to purchase the day of or maybe even the day before, but for the most part, travel date price hike is nonexistent. Prices may not always be as cheap as $109 depending on your day of travel, but whatever the price you are quoted you can usually be sure it will stay the same as your travel date draws near.

Other lovliness includes:

Electricity at every seat--and no you don't need to buy an airplaine adaptor, it takes your regular plugs
Your own TV screen with channels you would actually watch
Mood lighting (not sure why this matters, but they advertise it and I mean, who else has mood lighting?)
Check 1 bag for FREE (hating that Delta started charging for bags lately), first class ballers check 2 bags for free.
New Plane Smell: all of their planes are new (for now). You know sometimes you may find yourself on some funkdafied planes--not on Virgin America!
Internets: They should be adding internet to all planes soon. I can't wait!

Some non-loveliness:

The airline currently flies in major cities on the east and west coasts (and Vegas), so Middle America will have to wait it out and see if they get any love.
You may see some price inflation for flights that require a layover (i.e. flying LAX to JFK and stopping in SFO adds an extra $100+ to your flight price, in some cases). Most people like non-stop flights, and these layover flights are generally out of the way anyway.

Some of you may know about this lovely airline, but I assume a lot of people don't, since Virgin America ticket prices don't show up in travel search engines like Farecast, Orbitz or Travelocity. I have been sharing this little gem with friends and they're always surprised at the prices. Next time you're looking for a non-stop, cross-country flight, take virginamerica.com for a spin. If you have any other flight-saving experiences, make sure you hit me up in the comments.

Moving East

2009-01-28T06:48:00Z

I finally decided to make the move to New York. I know I have spent some time here lamenting about a move to NYC. I've been toying with the idea for over a year now, but I never really created a plan because I was scared (I don't like change). I slowly relieved myself of Los Angeles responsibilities (finished school, quit a job I was tethered to), stacked my chips, and all that was left was apartment hunting. I was putting off apartment hunting month after month, mostly because I was so busy. Like the other doors that have opened in my life, this one sort of just opened up on its own. All I did was casually mention to someone I was thinking about apartment hunting in NYC, and then the next week I was meeting my potential roommate and checking out my potential Manhattan apartment. I've learned that when opportunities open up this way for me, it's usually a sign that that's where I need to go next.

I gave myself 6 months to see how it goes, and if I like it? I will stay. If not, I can always move back to LA, or to a different city. Some have asked me why am I moving to NYC. My answer: because I can. My business/work is virtual. I like NYC a lot. And I have great friends there. I figure I can do it while I am young and untethered to a family. Besides, I have always wanted to be bi-coastal, here is my chance to step up and give it a try.

I start paying rent February 1st. I have yet to pack a box to ship over to Manhattan, but I did buy some boxes today. That has to count for something. My apartment is very...quaint, and in a good location. I plan on painting my bedroom walls, as I want to make it a creative and personal space. I am excited to go furniture and interior design shopping. I just need to make sure I stay on task with getting it done.

Any suggestions on where to get a good deal on mattresses in NYC would be most appreciated!

Called Out

2009-01-18T06:57:37Z

It seems that my esteemed fellow MIT alum, Bill Cammack, felt the need to call me out regarding my website stats.

Like Bill, I know you were all keeping score of my stats and too wondered what had happened.

The truth is, I often times don't know what to do about this blog. Sure, I write about things I feel like getting off my chest in regards to what's going on with my professional community. But sometimes, I don't necessarily enjoy writing about those things. I have my musings, my opinions, but rarely do they ever make it to my blog window. I have a few IM conversations, I might tweet about the topic once or twice--and I am done. I was never really into writing about these things on a blog because that's not why I began blogging years ago. I have always been a personal blogger. In the past I wrote about my life, and left the water cooler web professionals to muse about the industry on their blogs--blogs that I read faithfully. These days I figure that a domain with my name on it deserves to be a place where I can leave my own thoughts---at my own pace.

So Bill needs to fall back, my site stats don't concern me!

To an extent, Bill is right, in a round about way. I need to at least post regularly. So, that being said, I am going to try my best to be regular around here, and put more effort into shaping what it is I think this place should be.

Workcation, Not Actually A Workcation

2009-01-10T16:15:48Z

Week 1 of my workcation is over, and I am beginning to think I should be working more than usual. For example, this is my weekend off from the office, but I feel the need to put in hours and work as if I were at the office. I'm on site with my client for a set amount of days and I want to get in as much work as I can while I am here in person.

This Workcation is turning out to just be Work.

Not that I don't love my work. When I am really focused and productive it's the best thing in the world. I lose track of time, but it's fun. I am enjoying the flexibility of being my own boss, and don't regret making that jump. Don't get me wrong it has its good and bad parts (good: I only worked 30 hours in the month of December! Bad: my bank account didn't like me). I think I can work this weekend and not feel guilty for having workaholic habits; this just means when I get back home I can take more than a day off from the daily grind.

I have a lot of things swimming in my head right now, as I am assisting in launching two mildly intense websites. I don't know firsthand what motherhood is like, but sometimes I feel as though launching websites is much like giving birth to children, and maintaining and improving them is much like raising a child. Its intense and stressful, LOL.

Okay, I am going to attempt to get out and see Atlanta today. Toodles.

On Work-cation

2009-01-07T22:21:09Z

I'm in Atlanta, working on site with a client for the next two weeks. I like to call it a work-cation, because it's half vacation, half work? Or maybe it's all work and I like to pretend that hotel room = vacation. I am still practicing that whole working on location thing. I didn't quite get the hang of that while in Brazil. I've been here a few days now and I must say, I've missed being in an office, having people around, and meeting in person.

I didn't miss all of this enough to go back to doing it fulltime just yet, but it has its merits.

Thank You

2009-01-02T16:31:30Z

Little do you all know, I am actually a crazy mad woman behind the scenes. I (supposedly) get things done and run a company, but in truth--my wheels STAY spinning.

But I am working on it. The past few days I have been contemplating some really big moves and plans for 2009 and I realized I am way too unorganized to do anything. My first goal is to get organized, create systems to keep myself organized so I can be more effective with my time and energy. I hired an assistant months ago--but she doesn't do any work because I haven't delegated much to her at all. This needs to stop.

Anyway, as I temporarily avoid replying to email (I am backed up, to say the least) you guys keep writing in! To tell me how great and wonderful and awesome I am! And! If only you knew! I am a mess. LOL.

I just wanted to write a short note to say THANK YOU:

To everyone who writes me sweet and encouraging emails (I'm going to write back I promise).
To everyone on Twitter who takes the time to pay me any mind.
To all my online and IRL friends who supported me throughout 2008 with all your encouragement and support.

The good and bad times of 2008 were so much better with you guys in my corner with your emails, text messages, IMs, tweets, DMs, messages, meetups, videochats, Facebook comments, phone calls, blog comments, etc.

THANK YOU.

I haven't been able to stay on top of replying to everybody, and I apologize if you may feel like I ignored you. I promise, I read everything that comes in....getting back is another story. But I am working on it! So, thanks again for your time and energy and good vibes.

/end corny entry and return to Bat cave to organize....something.