MySpace Monday’s and a Writer’s Schedule

Yeah, I know it’s a Tuesday, but I didn’t quite feel like blogging about this yesterday. Furthermore, now that I think about it, it’s strange that I’m blogging two days in a row since I’ve more or less regressed back to once-a-week posting. I think it has to do with the onslaught of videos we’re shooting at work. I think working early and coming home early fills me with inspiration to write; provided I can stave off napping as soon as I get home, that is.

On another tangent, it seems like Google Alerts is at it again, letting certain parties know about my site who would otherwise never visit. It looks like Morton’s of Chicago caught wind of my last blog and wanted to see what I had to write.

I hope they took it constructively and not as a hatchet job, though I wasn’t necessarily trying to avoid the latter view. Anyway, this whole affair just reminds me that I need to get back into reviewing restaurants. If I recall correctly, I have plans to check out some Indian cuisine this Thursday. So, with any luck, we’ll have something new in the Dining section this weekend.

The Writing Schedule

In light of my spotty writing pattern, I though it would be best if I set up some kind of schedule for myself. It wouldn’t just be for writing, but also for things contextual to my writing career, like networking. With that in mind, I’ve set aside my Mondays for social network sites, like MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. Like blogging, I’ve kind of fallen off of networking so I figured it would be good to set some time aside for it.

It looks like MySpace is going the way of TagWorld before TagWorld became Flux and turned into garbage. I have a special place in my heart for TagWorld because of all the people that I’ve met on the Internet, my closest relationships have come from TagWorld. Also, TagWorld was really easy to use, wasn’t plagued with ads and it was simple to customize. It basically worked with a module system so you could add or remove features as you saw fit. Didn’t want a blog? No problem. Just get rid of it.

So it turns out that MySpace is doing a Profile 2.0 much like Facebook launched their 2.0 look a couple of months back. I can’t be sure when MySpace did the upgrade, but I’m guessing that it’s new since I’m not seeing that many people adopting the new layout, which is a shame, because it’s much easier to personalize your page without having to know much, if any, HTML.

You can even choose from set skins if you don’t have an imagination.

No complex coding for complex designs
No complex coding for complex designs

Structural layout options are also available, allowing you to choose from single or multi-column options without a fuss.

Personalize your functionality.
Personalize your functionality.

Then just drag and drop modules where you want them or remove them from places you want them gone from.

The Advanced Edit option lets you add backgrounds, change fonts, alter colors and more with a few dropdown menus.

And if you need CSS, there’s a designated place for that as well.

Anyway, if you have MySpace account, I definitely recommend you upgrade to Profile 2.0 and get rid of whatever skin you copied off the net. Of course, you’ll still have to deal with MySpace’s notoriously slow page loads. 🙁 Also, if you feel like chatting with me through any of these sites, I’ll usually be Online on Mondays after 5 p.m. PDT.

Upcoming Events

I only have one event this week to cover and that’s tomorrow. Star Magazine is celebrating its first-ever Young Hollywood issue with a party at Apple Restaurant and Lounge in West Hollywood.

From the media alert:

Candace Trunzo, Star Magazine’s Editor-in-Chief, will host a celebration in honor of Star Magazine’s Young Hollywood Issue-the first ever, with a star-studded bash at LA’s exclusive Apple Lounge. Honoring the hottest young celebrities under twenty-five featured in the issue, including Miley Cyrus, Blake Lively, The Jonas Brothers, and Zac Efron, the event will play to host Hollywood’s hottest young stars from film, television, and music. The highlight of the evening will be a performance by the chart-topping artist Lady Gaga! The staff will be dressed by YMI Jeanswear, which will also be included in the gift bags, along with sponsors Pinkdice sneakers, göt2B, and Secret.  Guests will enjoy Pinkdice cocktails from the open bar featuring p.i.n.k. Vodka.

<em>Star Magazine</em> @ Apple Lounge
Star Magazine @ Apple Lounge

The club/bar scene typically isn’t my thing, but I’ve been itching to cover an event for Buzzine lately and I have a good relationship with the PR contact running this shindig, so I thought I’d go. Also, Lady Gaga’s single Just Dance always gets stuck in my head after I hear it and I’m curious to see how she performs live.

The timing of all this, of course, is kind of garbage considering the video shoot schedule at work. The Star Magazine event starts at 10 p.m. with a 9 p.m. media check-in. Tomorrow at work is a regular day, which means I’ll be home by 5 p.m. and I can nap until 7 to 7:30 p.m. and then hit the road by 8 p.m. The event will run until 1 a.m. and I’ll be home by 2 a.m., falling asleep around 3 a.m. Then I have to be at work at 5:30 a.m. for an ungodly pre-morning shoot of a barbecue island.

I wonder if I can get away with not showering for work. Sometimes sleep trumps every other necessity in the world.