Those of us who were trying to make a living during the Great Recession know that absolutely nothing is sacred. No one was safe. Now, living in a post-recession world, we’re more careful than ever with our hard earned money. Interest rates recently increased, which is a good sign for the economy, but that doesn’t […]

You’ve submitted more Shouts & Murmurs essays than you can remember. You write spec scripts for TV comedies all the time. You’re constantly releasing Vines, YouTube videos, and tweets. Your dream is to be hired as a full-time comedy writer. But what does it really take? What are you doing wrong? What are you doing […]

Tired of losing your wallet? Never able to find your phone? The guys behind Ekster feel your pain. Their sleek leather wallet has a built-in tracking device that connects to your phone via an app. And if it’s your phone you can’t locate, your wallet can make your phone ring, even if it’s on silent. […]

It’s a tricky thing, buying gifts for a co-worker, never mind if that co-worker is your boss. You could go tried-and-true with a gift card, or pick up a fancy box of chocolates, but those are so impersonal. And what if you get a gift card for a store or service your boss doesn’t like? […]

Google offers free meals, subsidized massages, nap pods, and foosball games to its employees. Workers at Etsy can take breaks in the meditation room, and Pixar provides a cereal bar, swimming pool, and gourmet cafeteria at its campus. It’s not just about fun perks, though. What all these extremely successful businesses have in common is […]

The next time you use your smartphone to call a car, there might be nobody behind the wheel. Google is planning to use its self-driving cars as part of a new ride-hailing service that will go head-to-head with Uber. Bloomberg reports that Google’s driverless cars have been tested mostly around San Francisco and Austin. These […]

The most wonderful (and expensive) time of year is in full swing. With a very large family to shop for, travel to plan, and RSVPs piling up, here are some tips I use to avoid eating ramen throughout the New Year. Don’t shop for yourself. It can be temping when I am shopping to get […]

For someone whose first novel explores the struggles of twins who don’t fit in, Juman Malouf does an exceptional job of making you feel like you belong. Opening the doors to her New York City apartment, Malouf greets me warmly and leads me through two sets of floor-to-ceiling curtains toward a cozy seating area. It’s […]