The Blog of Mary Pilon

PSA: I Caved and Joined Tumblr

2010-05-10T17:38:00.003-04:00

Because Blogger's platform makes me feel old. Perhaps Tumblr will help me feel young, until some other hip platform with a name that's missing a vowel comes along.

I'll be updating at marypilon.tumblr.com and eventually will have marypilon.com all set up there like a grown up who has mastered the Internets. For now, go to the Tumblr for latest links, updates, etc.and know it's very much under construction. Still tweeting as usual.

Advance apologies for being an online mess for the next few weeks! XOXO! -MP

Three Completely Unrelated Stories

2010-05-01T08:50:00.004-04:00

1) In Saturday's Weekend Investor, we learn about something that slipped through the cracks of both financial-aid and health-care reform: student health plans. (And how you can fight back.) Obsessive and potentially creepy followers of this journalist will note that my first-ever WSJ story was about the young and uninsured. Neatly enough, the issue of graduates getting the boot from parent policies is addressed in the health care bill, so yay for media.

2) I review the NAO Symphony, a wireless speaker dock. Yes, there's video and yes it's embarrassing. And no, my dwelling isn't that bleak all the time, I just moved in. Sheesh.

3) We launched a rad new Greater New York section! This is my first blog post, and it's all about scandal! Congrats to the WSJ New York crew!

PS -- I'm rereading Truman Capote's "In Cold Blood" for the gazillionth time, partially inspired by hearing Stephen Colbert talk about Harper Lee's re-readability last week, and MAN does that text still blow my mind. If you haven't read it, do so. And "Mockingbird," of course. Belated happy 84th, Harper Lee!

Meet the Kids Who Will Inherit the Economy

2010-04-27T15:58:00.001-04:00

Optimism pervades, but knowledge is lacking. EEK!

President Obama Comes to NYC, Wall Street Reacts

2010-04-23T10:23:00.002-04:00

Joe Bel Bruno and I report from the front lines of President Obama's visit to Lower Manhattan.

More on the Case of the 400 Pounds of Student-Loan Data

2010-04-17T11:39:00.001-04:00

As previously reported, officials are looking into what's believed to be the largest-ever compromise of student loan borrower data. More details have emerged, but questions still remain.

If you were impacted or have any questions, drop me a line.

Reader comment of choice: WSJ blog seems to be the only place where anybody really knows what the hell is going on.

Always happy to help!

Who Says You Can't Be Immortalized in the Age of the iPad?

2010-04-07T10:11:00.007-04:00

From an ad in Tuesday's Personal Journal for the WSJ iPad app:

OMG! The lower right-hand corner! It's my story! (Hat tip to an observant Amir!)

The Bank of Mom and Dad Closes

2010-04-05T08:29:00.005-04:00

Downwardly mobile families: another product of this recession.

We explore the changes in family finances on today's front page. The decrease in household wealth comes at a time when a younger generation faces an increasingly steep price tag for higher education.

I know I say this all the time, but this story would never have happened without reader input. Thanks to all those who took the time to be interviewed, weigh in.

Here are some related thoughts, comments and info about how the story came about on the WSJ's Juggle blog.

Fridays with FreeCreditReport.com

2010-04-02T14:21:00.004-04:00

For years, consumer journalists have screamed at the top of our collective lungs: ANNUALCreditReport.com is the place to get your free credit report. Period.

In recent years, a host of "free" sites have popped up. The Federal Trade Commission fired back, and today you can read my newsy take about what the new rules are for sites like FreeCreditReport.com. Weaves in the law, recent industry chatter and happenings on the Hill.

But don't turn that dial just yet! I also chatted with Eric Violette, the star of the now-famous controversial advertisements. We learn he has good credit and a French-Canadian accent.

3.3 Million Student-Loan Borrowers Impacted by Data Theft

2010-03-27T13:02:00.001-04:00

A theft occurred sometime the weekend of March 20 at the headquarters of ECMC, a guarantor of federal student loans.

UPDATE in Monday's paper on details of the theft.

The Banana Museum and its Enduring Appeal

2010-03-22T22:54:00.005-04:00

On Tuesday's WSJ front page, my profile of Ken Bannister and the International Banana Club and Museum. Got some cash? The 17,000 banana-themed articles could be yours if you bid quickly!

Be sure not to miss the slideshow! Here's to peel-shaped collars.

Previous hard-hitting journalism on page one: yo-yos, Monopoly, comics, square dancin'.

Tax Season and Proof that New York Isn't #1 for Everything

2010-03-22T08:01:00.001-04:00

A taxtastic high five to Houston, Texas, the city with the worst tax procrastination last year.

That 1040 don't get any easier when you wait to file it at the last minute...(Plus, your accountant will hate you.)

Just Checking

2010-03-19T18:55:00.005-04:00

In this weekend's Weekend Investor, I take a look at online-based checking accounts.

The thing is, most folks who deal with banks have checking accounts. Yet they're not that sexy of a topic.

But we're nickeled and dimed out of a gazillion dollars every year over all those little fees. Drives me crazy, since we work hard for our moolah and there are better ways to get what you want out of a bank. I get asked about this stuff by friends and family all the time. Read, and bank happy.

PS -- Over on the Juggle, we discuss whether it's worth the hassle to switch.

Wondering if $5 Could be the New Klondike Bar

2010-03-16T19:36:00.002-04:00

A quick look at Fiverr.com, an online marketplace for $5 gigs.

Thank God. I was waiting ages to find someone who would photoshop a picture of a monster hanging out with me.

A Dubious Honor for the Cell Industry

2010-03-08T13:00:00.003-05:00

Congrats to cellphone companies and banks, which once again top the list for most-complained about industries of 2009, ousting competition from the accordion and shoelace industries.

Completely consistent with my basket of angry reader emails. Keep em coming!

One Borrower: $555,000 in Student Loans

2010-02-13T08:20:00.005-05:00

In today's paper, I write about Michelle Bisutti, a doctor with $555,000 in student loans.

This story at times felt like an unintenional follow up to this story about student loans I wrote back in 2008.

Thanks to all of those who took the time to write in and talk with me about their experiences. With this story, like so many others, I would be completely lost without readers, experts who answer our calls.

Also, the personal finance team last week launched a brand spankin-new section in Saturday's paper, the Weekend Investor. (That's where this story ran.) You can see it updated online here every Sat morn. Or follow the personal finance groups tweets @wsjpersfinance.

Update: I blog over at the Juggle about the ripple effects of student debt. (Also, see recent devaluing a degree story.)

How the Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth (and Save You Money)

2010-02-12T13:56:00.003-05:00

Anytime technology and finance intersect, I get nervous/excited.

So should consumers, because there's a silver lining. We've had recessions before, but never ones where it was so easy to get the internet to make sense of the fine print. That could mean skimming the fat off billions of dollars we collectively pay in fees to financial institutions every year.

Read about the sites, their founders and how they work over on the WSJ's tech blog, Digits.

The Shame of Texting

2010-02-05T18:02:00.003-05:00

I humbly submit my WSJ reporter quote of the day:

"We once got a picture of a naked old woman." -Lauren Leto, co-founder of TextsFromLastNight.com.

Read the rest of my Q and A with her and co-founder Ben Bator here at Digits.

How Much Is Your College Degree Really Worth?

2010-02-02T06:45:00.000-05:00

In today's WSJ, we examine all the fuzzy math behind those expected lifetime earnings estimates.

How I Read 52 Books This Year

2009-12-31T17:20:00.007-05:00

About a year ago, I made public my goal of reading 50 books in 2009.

With only hours left in the decade, I'm proud to say, I've read 52!

But here's the weird part -- it didn't actually feel like it took any time, leaving me and my loved ones relatively sane. Here's why:

-I started to take a book with me everywhere. Between lines at the grocery store, waiting for the F train (ugh), spending time on said F train and tardy dinner guests, I carved out a couple of hours each week, even with a mere 20 minute commute. I also became less grumpy about waiting for things.
-I travel a fair amount. Flights = still never on time.
-I watch almost no TV.
-Books related to work were fair game.
-I joined two book clubs. I can’t recommend this enough! I learned so much about my friends through these nerdy gatherings. These will continue in 2010!
-I’m a relatively fast reader.
-I read multiple books at a time. This allowed me to teeter and totter through fiction and non-fiction based on my mood and avoiding the feeling of being bogged down.
-I don’t read at the gym, but am not opposed to it. Tons of untapped time there.
-I cancelled three magazine subscriptions.
-I didn't play much clarinet. Frown.
-When the weather turns crappy, I become a hermit.
-In late 2008, I became a coffee drinker. Thanks, recession.

Here's what I read in 2009, in the order I read 'em in:
1. "The White Tiger" by Aravind Adiga
2. "Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
3. "Snow Falling on Cedars" by David Guterson
4. "The Wall Street Journal Complete Real-Estate Investing Guidebook" by David Crook
5. "Barrel Fever" by Dave Sedaris
6. "A Bend in the River" by V.S. Naipaul
7. "Diary of a Bad Year" by J.M. Coetzee
8. "Levittown" by David Kushner
9. "Other Voices, Other Rooms" by Truman Capote
10. "Boyhood" by J.M. Coetzee
11. "The Spy Who Came in From the Cold" by John le Carre
12. "The Sirens of Titan" by Kurt Vonnegut
13. “Dorothy Parker: Complete Stories” by Dorothy Parker
14. “The Memoirs of John Likkel” by John Likkel*
15. “The Orchid Thief” by Susan Orlean
16. “Out of the Pits” by Caitlin Zaloom
17. “Between the Assassinations” by Aravind Adiga
18. “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time” by Mark Haddon
19. “The Old Man and the Sea” by Ernest Hemingway
20. “The Partly Cloudy Patriot” by Sarah Vowell
21. “Blood Meridian” by Cormac McCarthy
22. “Brief Interviews with Hideous Men” by David Foster Wallace
23. “The Road” by Cormac McCarthy
24. “Smart Women Marry Money” by Elizabeth Ford and Daniela Drake (For WSJ!)
25. “Then We Came to the End” by Joshua Ferris
26. “Nobody Move” by Denis Johnson
27. “The Name of the World” by Denis Johnson
28. “Created in Darkness by Troubled Americans: the Best of McSweeney’s Humor Category” ed. Dave Eggers, etc.
29. “The Stranger” by Albert Camus
30. “Angels” by Denis Johnson
31. "American Pastoral" by Philip Roth
32. "Reservation Blues" by Sherman Alexie
34. "The Insanity Defense" by Woody Allen
35. "Kafka on the Shore" by Haruki Murakami
36. "Indignation" by Philip Roth
37. "Snap Judgement" by David Adler (author Q and A)
38. "Midnight's Children" by Salman Rushdie
39. "Monopolygate" by Ralph Anspach (Obvi!)
40. "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" by Steig Larsson
41. "A Mercy" by Toni Morrison
42. "Revolutionary Road" by Richard Yates
43. "The Billionaire's Vinegar" by Benjamin Wallace
44. "The Night of the Gun" by David Carr
45. "Farewell, my Lovely" by Raymond Chandler
46. "Monopoly: The World's Most Famous Game and How it Got That Way" by Philip E. Orbanes
47. "The Game Makers" by Philip E. Orbanes
48. "The History of Standard Oil: Volume I" by Ida Tarbell
49. "The House of Spirits" by Isabelle Allende
50. "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan
51. "Liar's Poker" by Michael Lewis
52. “Timequake” by Kurt Vonnegut

I also jotted down a list of the movies I read this year. As I skim through the lists, my memory is jogged. “Coraline” was viewed with my eight-year-old nephew in 3-D, David Foster Wallace rattled me on my birthday, “Revolutionary Road” danced in my head as I wrote stories about the decay of the U.S. economy. I’m no Art Garfunkel or Harriet Klausner, but I’d recommend this quick, literary and film-diet notetaking for anyone.

Halfway through the year, I bought a new bookshelf. As I sit here on New Year’s Eve in a snow-covered New York City, I look at that shelf. It’s overflowing with different books recommended to me, some loaned, some purchased, from friends and family who cheered me on throughout the year. Also some favorites, begging to be re-read. (That practice was off-limits this year.) Stuck on my wall are dozens of post-its, also bearing recommendations. Thinking about books and lists is overwhelming, and as a writer by trade, incredibly humbling. Sheesh.
I’ve yet to decide what my goal for 2010 will be. Run a marathon? Read 52 more? Keep that damn closet organized?

One thing is clear: I’ve still got a lot more reading to do!**

Happy New Year!

*I came across my great-grandfather's memoirs while at home in Oregon in March and helping my grandma go through things. Since great-grandpa's tale was well over 100 pages, I decided to count it.
**Roommate comment on all this: "You're a supernerd." Sigh.

Why It's Hip to be a Square (Dancer)

2009-12-16T10:04:00.006-05:00

As a kid growing up in Oregon, I, like many other school children, suffered through square dancing in PE class.

I returned to my homeland for today's A1 story about the current status of young square dancers of the Pacific Northwest. Turns out, the numbers are dwindling and there's a fight to keep the tradition alive. And it's not my grandma's (or gym teacher's) kind of square dance anymore.

I also got the chance to interview historians about the hidden history of square dancing. It involves French trends in the 18th century, slavery and Henry Ford.

Thanks to everyone who helped me out with this story!

(PS -- Reader writes in that there's a square dance group at MIT called the Tech Squares! Awesome!)

My 8-year-old nephew interprets my existence

2009-12-07T12:10:00.005-05:00

Here's his sketch:

Note the iPhone, purse, book and boots detail. Gotta start stashing cash in his 529 for art school.

(Meanwhile, at the WSJ DON'T BUY GIFT CARDS THIS YEAR! Avoid skimming, consider credit-card board games and why it stinks to be a 2008 college graduate.)

Lots of other schtuff in the journalistic pipeline, but keeping mum for now!

Life in the Severance Economy

2009-11-09T23:00:00.009-05:00

On A1 of today's paper, I take a look at the people of the severance economy. They're confronting a reality they never thought they would have to: long-term unemployment intersecting with savings on the brink.

I consider this an unofficial follow-up to my profile of a trader who now works at a steakhouse. See also: trader who now runs a Mister Softee truck, the slowdown on the NYSE floor and tracking down former Lehman employees.

While reporting this story, my brother was laid off. Several more pink slips flowed into the hands of friends out West and in New York, and points in between. There's been no shortage of layoffs in the journalism industry, either.

I guess sometimes personal finance reporting becomes, well, personal.

Udpate: We check in on Carlos Araya, other laid of profilees of the past.

Misc. takes from Gawker, NY Mag, Dealbreaker, Motley Fool, NY1, Clusterstock, Columbia J Review.

Bookquest 2009: The Home Stretch

2009-11-03T08:36:00.004-05:00

Drawing inspiration from former presidents, I'm trying to read 50 books by December 31, 2009. With roughly eight weeks left in the year, I've read 43 titles so far! Keep those recommendations coming! When the weather gets bad, my drive to be a hermit and stay indoors and be literary only increases!

Add to the list:
"American Pastoral" by Philip Roth
"Reservation Blues" by Sherman Alexie
"The Insanity Defense" by Woody Allen
"Kafka on the Shore" by Haruki Murakami
"Indignation" by Philip Roth
"Snap Judgement" by David Adler (author Q and A)
"Midnight's Children" by Salman Rushdie
"Monopolygate" by Ralph Anspach (for WSJ, too)
"The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" by Steig Larsson
"A Mercy" by Toni Morrison
"Revolutionary Road" by Richard Yates
"The Billionaire's Vinegar" by Benjamin Wallace
"The Night of the Gun" by David Carr

The Pilons I saw in Paris

2009-11-03T05:32:00.003-05:00

My own origin story gets that much more confusing while strolling in Montmartre...

The Little-Known History of Monopoly

2009-10-20T18:13:00.004-04:00

My story about the hidden origins of Monopoly and Prof. Ralph Anspach's epic legal battle over his own Anti-Monopoly game is on page one of today's paper or online for free here.

I had a blast reporting this story. I've long been a fan of the game, having competed in several cutthroat tournaments with my family through the years. (We still bicker about the results...)

Enjoy!

Oh, and here's a video of me talking about the game's origins.

From Stocks to Softee

2009-09-18T08:49:00.002-04:00

The finance bubble deflated, leaving many people unemployed in its wake. Today, Lisa Bannon and I take a look at some of them.

I also had the chance to shoot video of Bill Sonner, a trader who now runs a Mister Softee truck.

Behold! The Return of The Day Trader

2009-09-16T17:35:00.002-04:00

Lauricella, Kim and I dive in on page one today about the return of day traders.

In some ways, this story felt like an accidental sequel to my story about those who ditched equities during the scary days of spring. I'll let y'all draw your own conclusions.

Brazil, Rugelach and Disneyword: A Look At Lehman Brothers, One Year Later

2009-09-12T16:53:00.002-04:00

Annelena Lobb and I profile several different Lehman employees in today's A section as part of the WSJ's year-since crisis coverage.

I find projects like these are extremely rewarding as a reporter and a great way to take a look at the anatomy of the collapse without the choke of deadline. Hope you enjoy reading as much as we did reporting.
Lehman's Legacy: Charles Ayres
Lehman's Legacy: Larry Bortstein
Lehman's Legacy: Sally Saltzbart Minier
Lehman's Legacy: Aline Almeida
Lehman's Legacy: Aubrie Fine
Lehman's Legacy: Jason Kilgariff
Lehman's Legacy: Five More Employees

Be sure to click through everyone's slideshow. Bryan Derballa did a great job with the photos.

Shear Madness of Home Haircuts

2009-08-31T10:17:00.005-04:00

Read all about it on A1 of today's WSJ or for free online here. Video, too!

This is my second hair feature at the Journal and my second people-inflicting-pain-on-themselves-by-silly-means page one story.

For the record, I'm booking an appointment with a stylist.

Related: Gawk, Jezebel, Slate.

Credit Card Cancellations Without Notifications

2009-08-12T09:19:00.004-04:00

We look into the rising trend of credit card companies cutting of consumers with no notice on D1 of today's paper. (There's a podcast interview with John Ulzheimer of Credit.com also on that article page.)

Thanks to all those who took the time to weigh in!

Previous coverage.

Dan Waeger's Golf Tournament This October

2009-08-09T14:58:00.008-04:00

In 2006, I profiled Dan Waeger for USA Today.

Dan was a twentysomething fighting Stage IV lung cancer. He started the National Collegiate Cancer Foundation to help people like him -- too old for the children's leukemia ward but too young for the elderly cancer wings -- cope with their diagnosis.

During our talks, he was incredibly candid, offering honest insight on dating, hair loss and juggling final exams with radiation treatments. Interviewing his friends, family members and coworkers, it became clear -- this guy was a powerhouse. (Not to mention a keeper of an uncanny sense of humor.)

After the story ran, I'd receive the occasional update from Dan via email or text message. We kept each other on career changes, people in our lives. He met Lance Armstrong, kept up his passion for golf, got engaged.

Dan passed away March of this year. He was 26 years old.

I'm pleased to report that his fiancee, Meghan, will be holding the 5th Annual Waeger Cup in Lebanon, Penn., on Sunday, Oct. 4th. She also continues posting to the blog the two started. You can find registration for the golf tournament, as well as information on how to donate to Dan's foundation, here.

Stories like Dan's hit me like a sucker punch to the gut. He made a serious dent on the world in his 26 years, but there's still much work to be done. The adage "gone, but not forgotten" couldn't feel more true.

The Ups and Downs of Yo-Yos

2009-07-20T23:29:00.003-04:00

On page one of Friday's paper, an exploration of the history and evolution of yo-yoing. Combines so many things I love: gadgetry, quirky athletics and bizarre medical stories.

And don't miss Matt Rivera's video. He did such a good job, the Today show ripped it off.

Bookquest 2009: Midyear Update

2009-07-05T08:26:00.007-04:00

Several people have asked if I'm still on track to read 50 books this year. The good news is that I am! The bad news is I've done a dismal job of chronicling my journey.

By my count, we're wrapping up week 27 of the year and I just finished my 30th title! Here's the complete list of what I've read so far:

"The White Tiger" by Aravind Adiga
"Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
"Snow Falling on Cedars" by David Guterson
"The Wall Street Journal Complete Real-Estate Investing Guidebook" by David Crook
"Barrel Fever" is the first collection from Dave Sedaris
"A Bend in the River" by V.S. Naipaul
"Diary of a Bad Year" by J.M. Coetzee
"Levittown" by David Kushner
"Other Voices, Other Rooms" by Truman Capote
"Boyhood" by J.M. Coetzee
"The Spy Who Came in From the Cold" by John le Carre
"The Sirens of Titan" by Kurt Vonnegut
“Dorothy Parker: Complete Stories” by Dorothy Parker
“The Memoirs of John Likkel” by John Likkel*
“The Orchid Thief” by Susan Orlean
“Out of the Pits” by Caitlin Zaloom
“Between the Assassinations” by Aravind Adiga
“The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time” by Mark Haddon
“The Old Man and the Sea” by Ernest Hemingway
“The Partly Cloudy Patriot” by Sarah Vowell
“Blood Meridian” by Cormac McCarthy
“Brief Interviews with Hideous Men” by David Foster Wallace
“The Road” by Cormac McCarthy
“Smart Women Marry Money” by Elizabeth Ford and Daniela Drake**
“Then We Came to the End” by Joshua Ferris
“Nobody Move” by Denis Johnson
“The Name of the World” by Denis Johnson
“Created in Darkness by Troubled Americans: the Best of McSweeney’s Humor Category” ed. Dave Eggers, etc.
“The Stranger” by Albert Camus
“Angels” by Denis Johnson

I've got several more titles en queue but have been gratefully accepting other suggestions. (Send more!) If your recommendation isn't on there yet, don't feel slighted! My bookshelf is brimming! And it's only July!

*I came across my great-grandfather's memoirs while at home in Oregon in March and helping my grandma go through things. Since great-grandpa's tale was well over 100 pages, I decided to count it. More on what I found later.

**Don't worry, I read this one for work. (More.)

In Which I Get Spray Tanned For Journalistic Glory

2009-06-25T07:16:00.002-04:00

D1 of today's WSJ:

Our 23-year-old tester was perhaps the bravest, baring her body in the name of tanning science to a stranger who airbrushed her with the “organic” tanning solution at Smooth Synergy in Manhattan. Owner Nicole Contos says the tanning solution, which uses DHA, contains no dyes or “chemical additives” to color the solution. The instant bronzers used to give the spray immediate color, she says, are “mineral salt bronzers.”

The tan solution smelled fine, and we didn’t feel stuffy inside the three-walled booth. However, the next morning we didn’t shower immediately because no one at the salon remembered to recommend doing so. As a result, when we went running in the rain, there was some serious tan meltage thanks to the instant bronzer.

Now we know how the Wicked Witch of the West must have felt.

Also, chainsaws and credit cards!

Downturn Dispatch

2009-06-02T11:02:00.005-04:00

Apparently, my hair is worth D1 WSJ coverage, but if you read one thing I've written in the last few months, make it this profile of a man whose life has been completely transformed by the financial crisis.

I got completely sucked into the story of what happens to a family that goes from being supported by $200,000 a year to $25,000. Hope you do, too.

Free online or in today's A section of the WSJ.

Fresh Reads in the WSJ

2009-05-18T15:50:00.003-04:00

For those who aren't following the stream of links on Twitter, here's a roundup of what I've been up to lately at the WSJ.

Today, on C1, a look at investors who sold low and bought high, missing the rally we've had since March 9. Recently on page one, I profiled the "Big Bored" life of NYSE traders. Other highlights: learning to become rich when the economy stinks, rethinking creditworthiness, still no one is complying with the new credit card rules, shopping with Google, angst with gym memberships and the tough lesson that no one is above making financial boo-boos.

And I was on Fox Business this morning! And it's cool because I say "bust out a chart" and a chart is magically, uh, busted out. The marvels of technology!

A Summary of Recent Consumption

2009-03-24T12:01:00.004-04:00

Literary diet:
"Levittown" by David Kushner
"Other Voices, Other Rooms" by Truman Capote
"Boyhood" by J.M. Coetzee
"The Spy Who Came in From the Cold" by John le Carre
"The Sirens of Titan" by Kurt Vonnegut

Film diet:
"Coraline" (in 3-D, of course)
"Mildred Pierce"
"Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired"
"Revolutionary Road"
"We Are Wizards"

Audio diet:
NPR's Planet Money
This American Life (archived episodes from the 90s, too)
An overwhelming backlog of Fresh Air interviews
David Bowie Live
Purchased concert tickets for Ratatat, X, Dead Milkmen, The Damned

Tummy diet:
Vanessa's Dumplings (NYC)
Burger Shoppe (NYC)
The Bean (NYC)
Epic brunch experiences, including Essex and Curly's (NYC) and Brail's (Ore.)
Wandering Goat Coffee (Ore.)
Steelhead Brewpub (Ore.)
The Vintage (Ore.)
Sweet Life (Ore.)

Bear Stears: One Year Later

2009-03-16T11:56:00.000-04:00

We took a look at the people of Bear Stearns a year since the firm's sale to JPM. A video profile of one who is now devoted to shoes, too:

On Sunday, a recollection of the 1997 boom times. Since, you know, that's about where the Dow is these days.

Fun With Tax Software!

2009-03-04T14:14:00.003-05:00

Tom Herman and I tested out tax software in today's WSJ. Tax software is the new World of Warcraft! Read here and video here.

And if you're not following @WSJWallet on Twitter yet, you should be.

Young Folk Smoking Pipes

2009-02-20T06:15:00.003-05:00

Today is International Pipe-Smoking Day!

Read my story about it on page one of today's WSJ or online here.

I love this hedcut. And I love that it's labeled in the article, just in case you weren't clear what that was in the picture.

First-time Homebuyers Snagging Good Deals

2009-02-11T08:50:00.003-05:00

Read all about it on D1 of today's WSJ or click here.

And because I feel strongly compelled to share this with the world, please look at the letter that is going to save me and my roommates $3,600. The reader feedback I've received since this went live has brought many smiles to my face.

The Latest in My Literary Diet

2009-02-08T21:37:00.011-05:00

A quick update of the latest books I've inhaled during my quest to read 50 books in 2009:

"The Wall Street Journal Complete Real-Estate Investing Guidebook" by David Crook. David is the Sunday Journal editor and has put together a very readable (it opens with a Bob Dylan quote) primer on real estate investing. The basics hold up well even during today's loony housing market.

"Barrel Fever" is the first collection from Dave Sedaris. I've greatly enjoyed his non-fiction essays over the years, consistently taking comfort in knowing that someone else out there is reflecting on the inherent weirdness of all things human. "Barrel Fever" was a good read, but I didn't fancy it as much as his purely non-fiction compilations. Reinforces the notion that often, the most unbelievable stories are the real ones.

"A Bend in the River" by V.S. Naipaul has prose that reminded me of a beautiful woodcarving: careful, clean, ornate. Read this if you're looking for a crafted account of Africa, colonialism, politics, internal strife, relationships, oh, I could keep going. A juicy and satisfying read.

I read "Diary of a Bad Year" by J.M. Coetzee in one day. I adored this book. Structurally, it's a puzzle and is a crisp take on the oft-stale topic of relationships. Haven't read any other J.M. titles, but looking forward to the rest of Coetzee canon.

Currently, I'm experiencing the joys of Michael Pollan's "The Omnivore's Dilemma". (Shout out to Will for loaning me his copy!)

I can already tell I'll never look at corn the same way ever again.

Pink Gadgets: A Mini-Manifesto

2009-02-02T10:47:00.002-05:00

My review of three different gadgets marketed for women just went live on WSJ.com. There's a video, too. It's my first tech review for the Journal and was tons of fun. Enjoy!

Private Schools In Le Recession

2009-01-27T15:30:00.003-05:00

As a product of public schools, I had to dive into some extra research for this WSJ story today about private schools.

I don't normally cover education, but found reporting this story fascinating. Parents and staff are understandably concerned and I'm grateful for all the input I received in the last few weeks on the topic and the thoughtful email that keeps hitting my inbox. Thanks to all!

Devils, Tigers and Cedar...Oh, my!

2009-01-17T15:36:00.006-05:00

Thanks to all who gave suggestions for Bookquest 2009, a.k.a. my attempt to read 50 titles by Dec 31st.

Dearest Carey* suggested I create a profile on LibraryThing to keep track of my titles. I did, but am happy to hear tips on how to best utilize the thing.

This week I received a pleasant reminder from someone I've never met in person that to be on target with my goal, this week I should have wrapped up my third title. I have! (Food poisoning can be good for that.) Here's a quick look:

"Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson was killer. (Sorry, I couldn't resist.) Larson, a former Journal scribe, tells the story of the Chicago World's Fair of 1893. Love! Murder! Ambition! But the footnotes are the most amazing part of this book. As a journalist, I look at the amount of research Larson did to put together this true story and my head spins. It fits my long-held belief that the best stories are, as they say, stranger than fiction. Especially recommended for: Chicagoans, history buffs and fans of crime lit that isn't literary garbage.

"The White Tiger" by Aravind Adiga won the Man Booker this year and has crazy amounts of buzz about it. I read it in one sitting at a coffee shop on a rainy afternoon (is there a better way to read?) and found myself hating the narrator in the first 50 pages, then realizing that was exactly what makes Adiga a good storyteller. "White Tiger" is scathing commentary of the caste system in India and does for that world what Richard Wright's "Native Son" did for race relations in the U.S. in the 20th century. I actually crashed a book club discussion of this at McNally-Jackson Booksellers and was surprised by how different the interpretations of the narrator were. I won't give away any more! I know next to nothing about contemporary Indian literature and I'd offer up this title to others like me. But I think anyone who likes a good read would dig it.

"Snow Falling on Cedars" by David Guterson has been sitting on my shelf for years and I have no memory of how it got there. At moments, this was a little sappy for my taste, but I did end up missing my train once because I got so sucked into it. "Snow" is a murder mystery/ love story that takes place on an island north of Puget Sound. But like "White Tiger" it ultimately turns out to be about race, specifically the discrimination that Japanese-Americans faced after World War II. Guterson, like Larson, did his homework, or at least I bought the historical context of it. Japanese internment is a topic that has long fascinated me, as I've grown up in the Northwest, where so much of it happened during my parents' lifetimes, yet I seldom heard much about what actually went on. I'd be interested to learn more about Guterson's personal connections to the subject matter and characters. Those love scenes are either the product of experience or one hell of a fiction writer. Or both!

*Carey's awesomeness doesn't end there. He's also the only person I've met who has managed to be resurrected from a layoff. Way to go, CGB!

Door-to-Door Brokers on Page one of Today's WSJ

2009-01-10T09:57:00.003-05:00

My adventures in Missouri with quirky investment firm Edward Jones are on page one of today's (Saturday's) Wall Street Journal. Writing this story was nothing short of a blast. Going through final edits here at CES I wouldn't say was a blast, but I'm excited that the story ran nonetheless. (There's video, too.)

Today's my last day of reporting from CES. Over on the WSJ's Digits blog, I've been writing about dancing Obama iPod docks, wireless blenders, the resurrection of Sharper Image, flaming hard drives, robotic chess, Crocs for cell phones and an auto exec talking about talking cars.

I've been told that there's a snowstorm a'brewin in New York, so flying home tomorrow might be more hectic than I expect. But for today, back to the gadgets!

I'm Off to Vegas for News, Not Marriage

2009-01-07T10:39:00.004-05:00

I'll be in Las Vegas today through Sunday, helping out with the Journal's coverage of the Consumer Electronics Show. For updates, check out the Digits blog and some financially-focused posts over at The Wallet.

And since everyone asks about their credit score all the time, here's a link to a story I wrote last week on that very topic.

2009: Literary Inspiration from Karl Rove and President Bush

2009-01-05T10:50:00.009-05:00

A good book should leave you... slightly exhausted at the end. You live several lives while reading it. ~William Styron, interview, Writers at Work, 1958

A book is like a garden carried in the pocket. ~Chinese Proverb

No two persons ever read the same book. ~Edmund Wilson

I admit, I'm normally not a huge editorial page buff. But a friend emailed me this WSJ op-ed from Karl Rove the other day about a reading race between him and the president. In 2008, Rove read 64 volumes to President Bush's 40.

Leave politics out of it for a second. (That's tougher for some than others.) That's about a book a week. Damn.

So this year, I'll try and read 50 books. They can be fiction, non-fiction. Classic or contemporary. Short story collections are fair game and I haven't decided what the rule is for graphic novels or audio books.

I have no shortage of dusty volumes and "you gotta read this!" titles scrawled on Post-Its from friends. I'm grateful that a huge bulk of my day-to-day duties at work is reading, but I still think there's something to be said for a narrative arc over 100 pages. And there are finance-related books, not specifically tied to my day-to-day coverage that I've been meaning to get around to. Those can count toward the 50 total, too.

I'll try and post the titles I'm reading here, but don't expect lavish reviews or anything up to par with Art Garfunkel's pace. (Keep it up, Art!) But in the spirit of sharing, I'll be utilizing the local library and paperback swapping sites that I've reviewed in the past. If you've got books to recommend, let me know. Or hey, join in the nerdy fun!

Oh, and in 2009, I don't want to become a fatty or slave to debt. Just figured I should state that for the record.

(An aside: is anyone else glad that we'll never have another New Year's with those foul "00" glasses frames? Ha ha, to the revelers of New Year's 2100!)

Poetry and Finance on A1 of Today's WSJ

2008-12-31T12:44:00.002-05:00

I wrote a story about people writing poems about the markets for today's paper. It's at the bottom of page one, so does that mean I HAVE THE LAST WSJ COVER STORY OF 2008???

Also, some of the reader email I received was hilarious, so I did a follow-up Wallet blog post.

Lots of New Year's hugs to all!

Happy Holidays! Dick Fuld: Champion BrickBreaker Player

2008-12-25T21:21:00.004-05:00

Feliz Navidad!

While clip searching for something somewhat unrelated, I stumbled across this WSJ story from Feb. 17th, 2007, that was just too much not to mention, considering all that's happened since then.

It's an ahed about BrickBreaker game addiction -- you know, that irresistible little game that comes pre-installed on BlackBerrys. Time has turned the story from quirky to oddly profound:

When Richard Fuld, chief executive of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc., couldn't control his addiction, he took drastic measures. In October, he had the game BrickBreaker taken off his BlackBerry.

"I was playing so much," says Mr. Fuld, who had used it to relax on the plane or in the car. He missed it so much he had it reinstalled, but it's no longer on the main menu. That removes the temptation, he says, "for the most part."

In this era of startlingly realistic video games, BrickBreaker is straight out of the Stone Age. Yet it has developed a cult following, not among the young Gameboy set, but with executives chained to their email. Players swap strategies in chat rooms, brag about their prowess and pay homage to BrickBreaker superstars -- a few with top scores of over one million.

Read the whole thing here. And rethink they way you've been reading financial news for the last few months.

Two PF nuggets in today's WSJ

2008-11-20T14:33:00.004-05:00

A tale of higher credit card fees and a review of bill-paying websites. Both in section D of the print version.

Just got back yesterday from a biz trip to St. Louis, Mo. Twas my Missouri experience and I had a lovely time! Everyone talked so slowly and was so damn nice!

My first night there, I dashed downstairs to the hotel bar for some nosh, ravenous and tired. A polite gentleman sitting next to me struck up a conversation that went something like this:

"What are you in town for?"

"Work, I'm a reporter working on a story."

"Oh. I'm in town for a conference. I work with troubled youth."

"Oh, that's interesting. Where are you visiting from."

"This tiny town far away. Eugene, Oregon. Have you heard of it?"

It doesn't matter where I go in the world, I can never escape my Northwest roots. (Or the slugs.)

PS - I finally caved and joined Twitter. And I like it!

Hypnotists in Today's WSJ

2008-11-12T10:27:00.003-05:00

I wrote a story and made a video about people seeking hypnosis because of anxiety related to the market.

And alas, I did not get hypnotized for the story.

Crises and coffee

2008-10-28T16:34:00.004-04:00

Jeepers, it's been a while since I've posted here. The economy is in the crapper! I've become a coffee drinker! Yes, those are directly related. In fact, I looked up Starbucks share price (because that's what I do for fun now) to see if I made it jump. Shockingly, I didn't, which just makes this economic crisis even more confusing.

Regarding work, I've written stuff about booze and soups as investments, the tumbling Dow, rate cuts, shifty credit limits, cell phones, the Euro trip I want to take but probably won't, robo-pandas on layaway, how you're not totally screwed if you're a homeowner, the still-drunk Dow and how ARMs remind me of Disney movies.

I made an embarrassing video about mattresses. Chased that with a video interview on the NYSE floor where I'm rocking my Sarah Palin jacket and post-gym, makeupless, haggard face.

Regarding life beyond lower Manhattan, I had a great time at Aidan's BYO Teddy Bear fiesta in Connecticut and congratulate him on turning three and becoming a media sensation. Recent foliage in Massachusettes was also lovely.

I'm going to be anchored to NYC for the next few weeks. They say there's some news going on here and I wouldn't dare miss that first Gotham snowfall.

From the Wikipedia Entry for "Recession"

2008-10-02T16:12:00.005-04:00

Recessions are the result of falling demand and may be associated with falling prices (deflation), or, alternatively, sharply rising prices (inflation) in a process known as stagflation. A severe or long recession is referred to as a BITCH. Although the distinction between a recession and a depression is not clearly defined, it is often said that a decline in GDP of more than 10% constitutes a depression.^[3]^{^Heh.}^{^{PS - Today I learned that Gray's Papaya is the ultimate recession indicator.}}

It's okay. I hear there's protein in melamine!

2008-09-28T11:47:00.005-04:00

You see this picture? It ran in Saturday's A section of the WSJ in a story about tainted milk products from China making their way into the U.S. Scary stuff. White Rabbit (xiao bai!) candy and Mr. Brown coffee products are on the FDAs warning list.

So, I took that photo. At the bodega around the corner from my apartment. I eat White Rabbit candy all the time and practically lived off of them for four months when I was in Shanghai. When my editor asked if I knew what they were, I could feel my stomach clench. When I was trotting around interviewing people on Friday, no one had any idea that they were selling anything potentially dangerous.

This isn't the first time I've experienced sketchy China. I brushed my teeth with fun for months before realizing there could be lead in there. I survived!

But if tomorrow I curl up in a fetal position and start twitching, you'll know why.

Young People Sucking at Investing

2008-09-25T10:29:00.004-04:00

"I don't even have one K, let alone 401 Ks."

When a source for this D1 WSJ story about investing told me that, my first reaction was to laugh. But then when I went home that night, it kind of made me sad. I crunched some numbers in my head and realized that someday, I'll be a millionaire. Anyone my age needs to be if they want to offset the lack of social security, increasing health costs, inflation, and so on and so on.

Everyone, start investing. At the risk of sounding overly maternal, you can now with 15 minutes and $50, so no excuses!

Front page makes front page

2008-09-23T12:40:00.004-04:00

Okay, so this is kind of meta, but whatever.

My front page WSJ story about slug queens in Oregon made the front page of my hometown's paper, the Register-Guard, where my journalism career began. (Is this the circle of media life???)

I will send chocolate to the first person who emails me, promising to send me a print copy. Most likely, it will be my grandma, who, in spite of all this publicity is still my biggest fan. (Even though she's previously referred to the WSJ as "that conservative rag." Love ya, Grams!)

UPDATE: It was on local teevee, too! Ha!

Slug Queens on A1 of today's WSJ

2008-09-22T09:32:00.005-04:00

The idea of a feature about slug queens came about when in casual conversation, I mentioned to someone that in my hometown, little girls grow up dreaming of becoming a different kind of pageant royalty. I thought that was normal to aspire for a slimy title. I soon learned otherwise.

Getting this story involved heading back to my hometown in Oregon after a one-year hiatus and seeing it through the eyes of a reporter rather than a former townie. I completed most of the reporting right before the collapse of Freddie and Fannie and look back on those days fondly. (It's been a financial news crapstorm ever since.) And getting factchecking calls from editors on Friday about wig colors, heel heights and how to spell "Bananita" was a nice change of pace. I even dabbled in photography and video! (Wee album of extra shots on Flickr, too.)

It's nestled on page one right below a rather sobering story about the collapse of Wall Street as we know it. Today, we needed a story about a queen.

PS - Notes: a roundup of more strange pageants I came across.

In which I investigate your pockets!

2008-09-16T11:41:00.003-04:00

The Wallet has launched!

It's a long-overdue personal finance blog from the WSJ. Now you can know my thoughts on personal finance all the time. God help us all.

Take that glass ceiling and shove it

2008-09-15T19:08:00.005-04:00

My profile of Muriel Siebert just went live on wsj.com. Siebert was the first woman to hold a seat on the New York Stock Exchange. And to be perfectly frank, she's a total badass. Enjoy.

And video, complete with my stressed out narration, too.

UPDATE: The Bicycle Wheel Fairy (BWF)

2008-09-14T13:00:00.003-04:00

When last we left Days of Our Lives, my bike wheel had been stolen for a second time.

This week, not only has a new wheel appeared, but someone has attached it to the bike! It's ready to go! The wheel fits.

Bless ya, BWF, wherever you are!

Another Chapter in the Ripoff Story

2008-09-11T10:06:00.003-04:00

Prepaid debit cards have lots of fees. Gross. (It's in D1 of today's print WSJ, too.)

Also, back in NYC from a shockingly sunny stay in Oregon. Took in the 3.1 Phillip Lim show yesterday during fashion week. Farms! Finance! Fashion! All in 24 hours!

I dug Lim's collection. He's really into that whole hot-librarian-chic thing. Side note: totally had a great view of Anna Wintour. I looked into her eyes and saw her soul. I think there was a silk-poly blend involved.

This morning I had a really hard time getting to my desk at the World Financial Center. THE FREEDOM IS BURNING MY EYES!

Dispatch from the Northwest

2008-09-06T10:14:00.006-04:00

I'm in Eugene, Ore., my hometown for the first time in about a year. Here, in no particular order, are some notes thus far.

-If you fly into the Eugene airport, you will be greeted by a skanky duck (see left). I was nervous getting off the plane because there was nowhere to see which baggage claim carousel would have my luggage. Then I remembered that there is only one baggage claim.

-Yesterday, outside of Wandering Goat coffee, I parked the family minivan on a nearby street (free parking!) and slowly exited, in search of java. While walking out, I heard a soft crunch. I turned around and saw an old, bearded man behind the wheel of an ancient 70s van (God only KNOWS what he had in back) looking perplexed as the rear of his mystery machine crumpled the minivan's license plate. His window was unrolled, so I walked over. "Hey, you hit my license plate." He took a whiff of a "rolled cigarette" that smelled like earth muffin and craned his neck. "Dude, bummer. I didn't see it, man." I surveyed the damage and realized that it wasn't worth it to get hippie man's insurance info (if he had insurance) and the crinkle was minor. "Be careful," I told him. "Bummer," his Moses beard shook back and forth. "Bummer." He took a drag, puffed a cloud of magic smoke and sputtered off to the West.

-My father, Myron, has a debit card, but still writes checks. It clogs lines at the grocery store, is annoying and crushes my personal-finance-reporter soul. If he needs cash, he enters the bank, and writes a check to "CASH" rather than just asking the teller for money or popping his card into the ATM outside. When I politely asked him about the batshit lunacy of this system, he replied "That's just the way I do it." The iPod Nano I gave him for Christmas a few years back is collecting dust, too. Oh, The Olds.

-I'm trying to scan and organize my family photos a la David Pogue. There's some AMAZING stuff in the Morse-Pilon garage. More on that, later.

-As if the video store of my childhood morphing into a pet store wasn't depressing enough, Ferrel's (later called Pearl Street) ice cream parlor is no more. Some trendy, NoCal pizza bistro garbage has replaced it. Goodbye, childhood.

-If you google "monroe park eugene oregon," the top result is this scary blog. I couldn't finish my organic bagel.

-When walking toward my car from a store in the mall parking lot, I reached into my purse and pulled out a Metro Card. It didn't fit into the keyhole.

Oh, and there's sooo much more. Savin' it for the memoirs!

On Sending Money and Paying-for-College Angst

2008-08-21T09:44:00.005-04:00

I tried out five different ways of sending money internationally so you don't have to! And now I have to figure out how to file the most complicated expense report ever.

I also publicly admit to crying about the cost of college. Turns out I wasn't the only one soggy-eyed in the financial aid office. Yeah for blogger-commenter commiseration!

A perfect-world hybrid of these stories would involve poor students receiving cash from the sky to pay for school. My work here is never done.

For those of us who are still asked about prom...

2008-08-14T09:26:00.004-04:00

Thots on aging after watching the Olympics the other night.

But more importantly, while researching for this post, I found out that scrunchies.com actually exists.

I'll be in Oregon...

2008-08-11T22:49:00.004-04:00

September 3rd-9th. I'll be doing work some of the time, but let me know if you're going to be around.

I'm Cranky. And I Consume.

2008-08-07T09:13:00.003-04:00

The best part about being really cheap is you stumble find ways to get ordinary things (like books) for next to nothing. In today's WSJ, I review four different sites that allow users to swap paperbacks for free. You don't get burned with fines or sales tax, just a few bucks for media rate shipping. Caters to both monetary woes and inherent laziness.

Read it online here or find it on D2 of today's print edition.

Now if only I could find the spare time to read the books.

Money Camp Story on ABC News

2008-07-28T09:59:00.004-04:00

I chatted with ABC News about my WSJ money camp story. Click here to watch the video (sorry, no embed code!) and there's a little article, too. Behold, my furrowed brow!

And the real lesson here is that if you hit the gym the same morning that you're interviewed for national TV, make sure that you're hair isn't all goofy.

[ABC News]

Bicycles and Fairies: The Magic and Mystery of the LES

2008-07-25T16:52:00.006-04:00

Once upon a time (May 30th) I emerged from the East Broadway F train station, fresh from a red-eye flight from Peru. Laden with baggage, I lumbered toward my apartment, knowing that a stack of to-do post its awaited.

Before I hit the entrance, horror struck.

Someone attacked my precious bike. The seat was gone, as was the front wheel. It's red frame, still locked, sat tilted from the trauma. I was too cracked out from my flight to process the immense suckiness of my favorite mode of transportation being destroyed. I hated my landlord for not having an indoor bike haven and hated myself for not using extra locks.

One of my roommates reported that his front wheel, but not seat, was also stolen. People suck.

A couple of weeks pass and I was too busy and downtrodden to deal with my bike. I waited in hot subway trains and got blisters walking. Seeing the two-wheeled delivery boys horneting around made me bitter.

One morning, I saw a bike wheel leaning against my bike frame. Another wheel rested next to my roommate's bike. I reasoned that he bought two wheels and handed me the second.

I entered the apartment. "Hey, Mary. Thanks for the wheel."

"I thought you bought the wheel."

"I thought you did."

"No..."

"Then where did it come from?"

I believe in the Bicycle Wheel Fairy (BWF) of the Lower East Side - a tender soul who runs around righting the wrongs of thieves.

The next day, I headed out to try and attach the new miracle wheel.

But it was nowhere to be found.

NYCers, tune into NPR today!

2008-07-17T09:19:00.004-04:00

Check out Brian Lehrer's WNYC show this afternoon (starts at 10 a.m.) because I'm going to be on air talking about my WSJ staycation story.

And let's face it. New York is an awesome place to lounge.

UPDATE: Here's the clip and link to comments. I haven't had the bravery to examine.

Staycation: 2nd Article in Today's WSJ

2008-07-16T07:39:00.003-04:00

Buy a paper and get two Mary articles for one! In addition to a cover story about comic books, I wrote a piece about staycations - vacations you take at home when the economy sucks - for the WSJ. We made a video about it yesterday, too. Enjoy!

Page One Comics Story in Today's WSJ

2008-07-15T22:47:00.004-04:00

My profile of Mort Walker and the National Cartoon Museum just went live on WSJ.com. Be sure to check out the slideshow and TWO videos. We really had a multimedia blast on this one. Here's the video I helped out with. (Behold! my creepy narration!)

If you're print-school, look for it on A1 of Wednesday's paper.

UPDATE: A WSJ blogpost about the history of women in cartoons is up, too!

And I can revel in one of my greatest accomplishments - getting cartoons on the front page of The Wall Street Journal.

Today at WSJ: Embracing Feminine Nerdism

2008-07-10T16:35:00.004-04:00

Screw stereoteypes. I haven't purchased a new pair of shoes in MONTHS.

Camp Season = Talk of Retirement Planning?

2008-07-02T09:27:00.006-04:00

They're letting me have way too much fun at The WSJ. In addition to sending me to the stock exchange, I also got to research summer camp. Click here to read all about it. Yes, money camps are real and they're not as nerdy as I thought. In fact, I'm a little mad that I didn't learn all this econ stuff at a younger age.

They better start building more finance camps. I think we're going to need a very financially savvy generation to dig us out of this garbage.

Some other time, I can write the moving personal essay about how the horse camp I went to as a child burned down and my mom accidentally sent me to Jesus camp instead. The brochures looked so lovely...

If you're interested in a more female take, I scribed a spinoff post for the WSJ Front Lines blog about all-girls finance camps.

Grab yer Segway

2008-07-01T08:12:00.000-04:00

Blowhards, rejoice!

There is Justice in the World

2008-06-23T20:31:00.001-04:00

And it shook me all night long.

Young and Uninsured in WSJ

2008-06-17T09:09:00.005-04:00

My first story in The Wall Street Journal is about a hugely important topic - the uninsured. This piece was hugely inspired by the stories I've heard in the last few months about people who graduate from college and live without health insurance. For anyone who has spent time uninsured (I've been in those trenches before), or anyone who hasn't, this story might be worth reading. Scary stuff.

Read it soon! In a couple of weeks I think it goes behind the pay wall.

UPDATE: I've shrunk and climbed into your iPod. Whee! I was interviewed for the WSJ Your Money Matters podcast. Also on radio stations, but I have no idea where. Oh, the magic of technology!

Things that Look Like Ron Paul in Argentina

2008-06-15T23:52:00.004-04:00

One would think that leaving the country for two weeks would offer some respite from the 2008 campaign blitzkrieg. But observe. In Buenos Aires, not one, but two striking likenesses to Ron Paul. Porrr queee?

At a flea market:

At the farmacia:

Ummm...Speaking of roommates

2008-06-15T23:45:00.002-04:00

My former ones have hijacked my Wikipedia page.

Peru y Argentina en mi Corazon

2008-06-11T23:04:00.008-04:00

Weeks after returning from a week in Argentina and a week in Peru, I finally got around to making some Flickr sets. Too lazy to write/organize any more. Above, some highlights from Buenos Aires.

Ends, Beginnings

2008-05-07T11:19:00.003-04:00

My Amish lifestyle will come to a close today - we're getting internet at the new apartment! I might even hang things on the wall and cook things.

May 11th - CAS commencement at MSG
May 13th - I hand in my last academic essay EVER
May 14th - I wake up at a godawful hour and schlep to Yankee Stadium where J-Sex will formally announce that I'm receiving a 200K piece of paper. I'm bringing a book.
May 15-30th - I'll be traveling in Buenos Aires and Peru. Send me any travel suggestions!

And the rumors are true. I'm leaving FiLife and my two-years of masquerading as Gawker Intern Mary will come to a close. On June 2nd, I start at the Wall Street Journal's Personal Journal desk.

I cooked panda, then ate it

2008-04-24T00:32:00.005-04:00

This is from over a month ago, but I'm still proud of the Anna-Mary teamwork. And it was vegan!

(But I'm still a carnivore.)

Send me your insane roommate stories!

2008-04-21T22:30:00.008-04:00

I'm starting a site, WeShareAToilet.com, a collection of roommate stories. (Don't look! there's not much there yet!) I need some inaugural submissions!

Tales that come to mind - the girl with an arsenal of Robert Redford photos under her bed, the dude who randomly meditates mid-sentence, the skank who was VERY vocal with her boyfriend, the pimpletard who listened to Tool and didn't flush down his turds. Every one of those examples is a true story and amazing and worth sharing. So share!

Send dem roommate stories to weshareatoilet (at) gmail.com. Names and specs will be redacted, as will bylines, so no fame/revenge, just good holycrapthisisreal storytelling. Any questions can also be sent to the weshareatoilet email address.

Commence pillow fighting!

You had me at "dishwasher included" - an odyssey

2008-04-11T14:25:00.000-04:00

For the last two weeks, I've been completely engrossed in Craigslist.

No, not missed connections*, but the equally skeezetastic world of apartment listings. And good LORD. I feel like I've just emerged from Satan's armpit.

Considering that I'm moving out of a tiny place I share with five other girls, my roommate Adam is schlepping it in from Jersey and my other roommate just fought off a bedbug infestation in Queens, we thought our housing demands were pretty simple. We totally acknowledged that we were bound to get screwed somehow, we were just trying to minimize it.

So here's what we wanted:
-Three bedrooms. We're friendly, but not that friendly.
-Location over space (so Manhattan/nearby Brooklyn rather than having a boccie ball court in New Jersey)
-No more than $3000 total rent after any fees, etc.
-Move in May 1st

First we learned that the Internet lies. You search Craigslist for "landlord only" and not a single one of those listings that we looked at was void of a middleman. They suck you in and waste your time showing you a place with walls that look like the surface of the moon and scabies in the bath tub and then say, oh, PS I want 15% of that noise. And it costs 4K a month and even though we're on Avenue D I hear that the bums are really friendly over here and the raping is only seasonal. Fair enough, you've got chilluns to feed, but how am I supposed to feel about doing business with such a blatant liar? It's not so much the lying, it's the fact that they think I'd buy into it. Bad acting, whatever the context, is always offensive.

Second, we learned that brokers might be nice people, but in general, they suck. Stating the obvi, I realize, but we had one broker who showed us "something in our price range" with a scenic view of a brick wall and one bedroom for the three of us. My roommates are great, but not great enough to have a pig pile with every night. Some of my favorite broker quotes:

"This is below market. I mean, you're lucky I showed it to you."

"You're NEVER going to find anything in that price range."

"Oh, you guys met in college. That's so cute. What's your credit like?"

"Really, Ave. D isn't any cheaper than Second Avenue anymore. I mean, people LOVE it here. It's ALL East Village now."

"I know the market. I can tell that you don't know the market."

"Yeah, I had to move in with my boyfriend. I kind of like him, but even I can't afford this market. Ha!"

Phew. One afternoon after looking at a "soon-to-be-renovated" job on Ave. B, my roomies and I sulked over slices of Two Boots Pizza. We might as well have been talking about angsty twentysomething relationships - the right one will come along, it just wasn't right, change is scary, I didn't trust it, I just smelled too much like patchouli, and so on. We were a bunch of sad pandas.

We looked at dozens of places, then my roomie stumbled upon a GEM in the Lower East Side. We wondered; could it be The One? It's under our budget, even after fees, spacious (a walk-in closet! my shoes rejoice!) and in Manhattan. Okay, so I have a view of the FDR, but I also have a view of the Manhattan Bridge. We pounced. Our lease-signing is on Monday and my obsession with Ikea seems slightly more rational now that I have somewhere to put that bookshelf.

We sucked it up and ended up paying a modest broker's fee. But soon it felt justified. When googling for her fax number, we learned that she moonlights as a stand-up comedian. They say that it's not necessarily wise to be choosey, but I want some jokes with my keys, dammit.

*I've always secretly wanted to BE someone's missed connection. It doesn't have to be anything John Cusack-worthy, but just a "hey, you seem rad" shout-out would make my day. In high school, my friends and I would write cryptic free personal ads to each other in the pages of Eugene Weekly. Does that count?

Stuff like this always makes me feel like a failure

2008-04-07T00:21:00.004-04:00

Where is my electric, climate-adjusting belt?

Meanwhile, the poets out there will meditate on the idea of the bride-of-the-future donning a glass dress.

Why I Don't Like Bon Jovi: The Official Statement

2008-04-04T16:55:00.002-04:00

Last weekend at an East Village dive bar, "Living on a Prayer" came on full blast and everyone started belting at the top of their lungs. I sat, politely sulking and sipping my too-sweet fruity concoction and thought why, God, why?

I find myself in this situation all too often. I love fun. I love freedom. I love music. Hell, I even love some conspicuously bad music. But when I tell people I don't like Bon Jovi, they react like I've confessed to being an Osama Bin Laden groupie or something.

Just take a good look at Jon Bon. Some people see An American Icon. I see lame agony.

I fully acknowledge that it's really cliche to use the online space of a blog to rumble about disliking a pop culture phenomena, but bear with me. I'm not merely being a contrarian, I'm just confused about what everyone sees in him that I don't (see also "Titanic," Coke, Scarlet Johansson).

It's not his life, he's not living on a prayer and I'm totally going to pull the Oregon card here and say that he's NOT a cowboy, let alone one riding on a steel horse. And you know, he wasn't wanted dead or alive, now or in 1984. The only thing about Bon Jovi that is timeless is the moral that people will eat up crappy pop music, even if it's from a poser.

But that's the thing. I like pop music and the 80s gave us great jams from U2, Madonna, Tina Turner and Michael effin Jackson - just to name a few. They sold records and became icons, and although we can giggle at their crimped hair and neon-influenced music videos, no one can deny that in addition to being easy on the ears, they were ridiculously talented artists and promoters. What they were singing about resonated with people at a certain time and place.

Let's say that Bon Jovi is a competent musician/performer/songwriter. His whole career still hinges on cheap ploys to capitalize on densely populated, bored America - the stereotypical Jersey trash comes to mind. This is smart on BJ's part because they have money and feel disenfranchised from hip hop and country, but yearn for ballads to drive their Datsun pickups to. Bon Jovi tries to make the Jersey Turnpike feel like a country road. It's not a country road, it's the Jersey Turnpike. He should take a lesson from John Malkovich and embrace it. And then there's that whole issue of his changing his name and denying his Italian roots, but I'm not going to even go there.

And he has a ton of kitch value in the tri-state area, which shocks me. It's not cool to be into Bon Jovi on the West Coast, regardless of the reason. But in the northeast, it's retro to like him because he's sooo 80s. Yeah, I get it frat boy, but thinking that Bon Jovi is "retro" is like claiming that Lynn Spears is sane.

Free speech is great and for that reason, let Bon Jovi crank out his ballads. He gives to charities and probably isn't a bad person on an individual level. But after years of being the minority when it comes to his music, I thought it was past time to make my official Bon Jovi stance clear. I mean, it's an election year after all.

And the next time you're at a bar shouting about how you just wanna live forevah, think of the person in the corner looking bored...and quietly judging you.

A Debut on Amazon

2008-04-04T12:23:00.002-04:00

A Google alert for my name (it's not narcissism, it's staying informed of one's web presence) reveals that for the price of $5.95, you can buy on Amazon an early gem from my journalism career: my 2002 feature story on mullets, originally published in Eugene's Register-Guard.

I didn't know that archive news stories were Amazon fodder these days. I also didn't know that my use of short sentences in ledes was so out of control:

THE KENTUCKY waterfall. The Missouri compromise. The Canadian passport. The Tennessee top hat. Here in the Northwest, it's simply known as the mullet.

You've seen them. Business in front, party in back. Short on top, long on bottom. The hair makes the shape of the No. 7 when seen as a profile. It seems as if a third of the high school students in the late 1970s and early '80s sported one.

What's worse - having a mullet or having documented evidence that you were obsessed with them?

This is too easy

2008-04-04T09:56:00.002-04:00

They found rotten feces in Oregon.

Thanks Jenny!

The Nick-at-Nite/Jamie Lynn Conspiracy

2008-04-03T16:28:00.004-04:00

Growing up, Nick-at-Nite was a beacon of hope in the lagoon of cable TV madness. They ran "I Love Lucy," "The Honeymooners," "Leave it to Beaver" and "The Mary Tyler Moore Show." My baby-boomer parents relived the idealized suburban life that they never had and I learned that Cuban racismo can be really silly.

Ah, yes. The insane Pilon family not clawing over each other to the television set and peacefully crossing the generation gap.

In the last few years, Nick-at-Nite has dramatically shifted programming gears. The line-up includes "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," "The Cosby Show" and "Full House" - in other words, the shows that I grew up with.

And therein lies the theory. People of my generation who are cranking out kids now have something to watch with their own spawn. The execs at Viacom know that us GenY, Nicktoons-bred children of the 80s yearn to teach the youngins about life before the iPhone. The babies Spears will know the power of John Stamos!

Depending on what you think about teen pregnancy, this marketing strategy is either progressive or trailer trash. Either way, I miss Lucy and Ethel.

My relatives have discovered blogging

2008-03-20T15:02:00.004-04:00

And it's really cute :-)

I'm totes participating in the family March Madness for the first time evar. Come on, North Carolina and UCLA! Mary needs a new...apartment.

Adventures in Googling

2008-03-09T12:00:00.004-04:00

Innocent tourists looking for a toy store in New York, beware:
(sorry about the schmutz on the pic - too cheap to upgrade photoshop right now)

Gossip via Direct Deposit

2008-03-06T22:47:00.008-05:00

There's been a lot of talk lately about the demise of Gawker and for the most part, I've kept mum. But (as always) my checking account statement has a story to tell.

How it's been the last couple of years:

Today's morsel:
I guess I should shut my snark hole and be thankful that I'm getting paid.

SPRINGBREAK!!!

2008-03-04T00:23:00.003-05:00

I'm heading to Chicago March 12-28 to hang with lifemate Alex and spend time with my super cool extended family (check out the Bookworks in Wrigleyville - shameless plug). Not quite Cancun, but holycrapihaven'tleftTheCityinforever.

I just finished a draft of my first short fiction story ever. It's 9 pages of unedited glory that took several days of masticating my thoughts and way too many cliched hours in fabled Village coffee shops. And I don't even know if it counts as fiction because it's loosely inspired by something my father told me about. Disclaimer - it doesn't involve cigarettes, young love on Avenue B, media-induced eating disorders, drinking PBR or listening to the Velvet Underground while crying. So, you know, it's totally not relevant to my generation. I'm not dancing - I'm trying to get the narcissism and angst out of my eyes.

The Circle of Life also applies to Macs

2008-02-29T12:32:00.004-05:00

Two text messages received from two different people on one morning:

11:27 a.m. "my computer lost the will to life. Incidentally, this occurred less than a month after my Apple Care expired."

12:30 p.m. "I got my mac!"

China, Money, Corporate Online Stalking

2008-02-22T15:21:00.005-05:00

Find here a shortened version of my Chinamoneyfesto, the basic concept behind it being that people in China talk about money freely, yet we're still squirmish here in the U.S.

I also posted this week (here) about this really insane lawsuit going on in New Jersey involving a health insurance company wanting to use online communications (e-mail, Facebook, blogs, etc.) to determine whether or not to provide health coverage to teenagers with eating disorders.

My China photos for the most part are completely flickred, but still are untagged and poorly organized.

And it's snowing here in New York :-)

Why working out in the winter might be worth it

2008-02-14T15:18:00.002-05:00

Because the idea of wearing one of these seems beyond terrifying.

Mary's Natal Chart

2008-02-04T21:12:00.001-05:00

IMAGE0023.JPG
Originally uploaded by marymarymarymary

When I was born, some hippie friend of my mom (no offense if you're out there!) did this crazy ass chart on the day I was born that supposedly spells out my entire future. But she forgot the interpretation part, so I've been living under a cloud of mystery for the last couple of decades.

Does anyone know how to read this thing? Am I totally screwed? Help!

Fun Fact (?): The story is that I was born at lunchtime on my due date in a two-hour natural birth with no drugs and no c-section. And my family claims that my mom went back to her office later that same day. DAMN.

It's About Flickin time (sorry, that was shameless)

2008-02-04T21:06:00.001-05:00

Hazel Morse.JPG
Originally uploaded by marymarymarymary

You know that personal to do list that sits in your mind for YEARS and never really goes anywhere? Well, getting my crap together with Flickr has been on mine for a while and I'm pleased to report that I've made some progress and spent the best $24.95 I've spent in a while. I know, this is all really 2002 of me, but the fear of my fatty external hard drive crashing has really set in lately. We don't know who is going to be the democratic nominee! Our strong economy is packed with subprime garbage! The NY Giants won the Super Bowl! Egads!

Anywho, enjoy this shot of my grandma Hazel (who would go on to wed my grandfather, Almond - no joke) and keep tabs on my stream and hound me if I don't keep up with it. Friend me (marymarymarymary) if you're dying to see the super unflattering middle school shots. Just know that you might be in some of them.

What I've been up to lately

2008-01-17T15:47:00.001-05:00

Honestly, not a whole lot. But since people have asked...

No, not all of FiLife has launched yet and yes I still work there.
-Things "Saved By the Bell" taught me about money (it involves youtube links...you know you wanna)
-I'm still searching for unpaid interns
-Getting ditched by your checking account can be like getting dumped
-I'm meekly trying to get my life together
-Thanks to global warming, no snow in NYC, but you can freeze your credit report
-And Fi-ku is really happening, satiating the love of poetry and finance

I'm still with Gawker and up to the usual shenanigans: -How Paris, Lindsay and Britney conquered media
-Brit meltdown a million and one
-Jamie Lynn is preggers

NYU starts back next week (last effin semester!) and I'm still doing the thesis thing.

Looking for an apartment in the city for May (any leads are appreciated) and trying to figure out how to pay for tuition this spring. The solution to both of those problems might involve Craigslist. Humph.

Tell me About your Unpaid Internship

2007-12-31T14:09:00.000-05:00

Ever worked for free? Or for a crappy stipend that barely covered your transportation? Worked for lattes?

Unpaid internships have become a rite of passage for eager undergrads who yearn to get hands-on experience. At their best, they offer an inside look at otherwise intimidating industries. At their worst, they're filing, answering phones or coping with bosszillas. Often the most prestigious gigs are unpaid and with monstrous companies with booming annual revenues. You're qualified. You work. You don't get paid. What gives?

I'm working on a feature right now for FiLife (Dow Jones/IAC site that launches in a bit) about unpaid internships - the companies that do it, when is it legal and why it sucks.

Please drop me a line (marypilon@gmail.com) if you've ever done an unpaid internship (meaning you didn't earn at least a minimum wage for the hours you worked). We're adding these companies to our Wall of Shame and leveling the playing field.

Here’s what we’ll do with this information: We’ll call the institution, confirm that they require credit or don’t pay, tell them what we think of that practice and give them a chance to comment. Then, we’ll post those comments on the Wall. Here’s what we won’t do with this information: We won’t publish your name (unless you want credit for nominating the offending institution, which is cool with us – just be clear in your e-mail).

Because we can save the world, one pissed intern at a time.