And also -- Ed2010 Chicago is planning our next event. The scheduled date is Jan. 27, 2009; the location will be retro-themed bar The Reagle Beagle, 160 E. Grand Ave. RSVP today to erbrer@ed2010chicago.com to reserve your spot!

Ed is excited to host more events next year and hopefully really expand our Web site -- but we need your help! The interactive portions of our site are well, pretty not active. We added message boards for media chatter, job postings and more this year, this blog and hope to eventually get a jobs e-newsletter going.

But unless you post, the boards don't do anyone much good. So check them out today and post questions, jobs, ideas or anything random about the industry! Usernames are OK to use so you can keep your true identity a secret. (Ah, the magic of the Internet.)

So get postin'!

Erin

Registration for the event is closed, but don't worry—we’re planning another one as I type this. (Details TK soon, I promise!)

But I just wanted to say this, because of one the NY Edsters brought it up recently: Coming to an event alone is hard.

Walking into any room full of strangers is hard--but it's especially hard at a networking event, where you know you’re supposed to mingle and chat. Even really outgoing people can find that tough.

But sometimes you have to do it. Maybe you just moved here; or maybe all your friends are accountants. And it's OK if they are. You'll be really thrilled about that around tax time.

However, we really do try to make the events as friendly, casual and comfortable as possible--whether you come with three friends or by yourself. I'm always there a little early, so if you feel weird, you can come 10 minutes before the event starts and hang out with me. I may make you help set up signs or nametags. But I'll ask nicely.

And we try to keep an eye out for the people who come by themselves. I respect that, and I know it's sometimes awkward. So I try to introduce those people around a bit more, get them talking with someone I know they may have something in common with.

The bottom line: If you come by yourself, you won't leave without knowing at least a couple of people.

And then--through the miracle of the Internet--you can contact them (or anyone else) on our message board.

Ask for job advice. Suggest getting coffee and talking about the local media market. Or just try to find a friend who, like you, enjoys yoga. The boards are there; and they're yours to use.

So don't sweat it if you’re coming alone tonight, or if you come alone to the next event. We'll do our best to make you feel at ease--that's why we're here. =)

It's kinda nice to see people so excited about something; but there have been a couple of downer points this week.

1. That adorable little girl singing "Ode to the Motherland" on Friday night? Turns out she was lip-synching--because the real singer was deemed not cute enough, according to AP.

AUGH. That is terrible! The kid is 7 years old! How can anyone be that unattractive at 7? (She really isn't--sure, she's gonna need braces at some point, but come on. Check out a picture of her here--along with the fake singer--if you're curious.)

It's just so shady and lame, and many of the people who had questioned China hosting the Olympics because of human rights issues and other concerns were very vocal about the whole incident just being inappropriate. It was.

2. And then, this. According to Gawker, a Hong Kong paper earlier this week announced that it had a 21-point memo from the Chinese government's propaganda unit with rules about how the national media needed to cover the Olympics.

According to the head of the Beijing Olympic committee, "no such 21-point document." However, Gawker by pointing out that the Sydney Morning Herald got its hands on the  same document, and published it. Ouch.

It's not pretty. And it has added some more unease about China hosting the Olympics.

I don't really know if the games should stand apart from politics--maybe if the Olympics really are just about athletic excellence, that's all they should be about--or if the committee has a responsibility to factor in a country's past when choosing it for a future games site.

But I do know it's whack that the Chinese government allegedly created those rules--if they are indeed the real thing--and I sincerely hope that "unattractive" 7-year-old was given another reason for not being able to sing in public. 

What do you think? Post your take on our Hot Topic message board ...

We know you're looking--the message boards are getting a great number of views, which we're thrilled about--but we want you to know you can post to any of our boards, too!

These message boards are your place to post jobs at your company, ask for contacts at other publications, meet up with freelancers for a work day or a number of different things. So feel free to use 'em!

In fact, to make life easier for all of us, we just added a new board--called Hot Topics (although we're definitely accepting suggestions for a better name, if you've got any. It's late, and I'm not feeling super creative.)

The new board is specifically meant for discussions about stuff going on in the local market--the kind of stuff you read about and are just dying to talk with someone about. Now you can do that, in the comfort of your own home, without feeling crazy nerdy if the person at work you try to chat about it with isn't at all interested. Hooray!

And we still have our general board and our job board, which we're making a big effort to add to more frequently. Feel free to post any jobs you've heard of ... it's super easy and you can do it under any name you like by just following the on-screen prompts.

You can find all the boards here--so check 'em out today!

Which we're excited about, because we tend to get hungry around 6 p.m. (which is when the event starts), and we've had A Mano's wood-oven pizzas before--they're awesome. (Just go ahead and tell your mouth "you're welcome" now, because it's going to thank you for it.)

We'll also be reviewing resumes to offer tips ... it's going to be a fun, free, relaxed and casual event--but space is limited! So e-mail erin@ed2010chicago.com today to reserve your spot!

So, when the Tribune Co. was sold, it was no surprise some layoffs would come--but the fact that they were announced via an internal company newsletter? That feels a little wrong.

True, there's no great way to let people go--in most cases, they're not thrilled to be eliminated. But including lay-off news in a newsletter seems really impersonal, and just a little curt. What do you think--is that just a sign of the times now that most communication is electronically based, or was it a misstep on the Trib's part?

However, the blogs that do a great job of breaking down and reacting to an industry's events are a real resource. Do they make news? Not really. But do blogs give readers a different perspective on the news? If they're done well, yes.

Ed2010 Chicago has two simple goals--to offer information and entertain. Hopefully, our blog will do both. Come to our happy hours to network and get career advice from media professionals (and, of course, there are cocktails to make sure that whole "happy" part happens). But in between gatherings, read our blog to get a new take on the media world. Use Ed2010 Chicago's message board daily to get and give input.

Melanie Wolkoff Wachsman (who is now the head of the Louisville, Ky. Ed2010 chapter) and I started this group about seven years ago because we felt the Chicago media market was really spread out--and we wanted to bring it together. We were Ed2010's first external chapter; the organization now has 14.

As Ed's chapters have grown, we have, too. Our first year, we just had happy hours. Now we offer panel discussions, resume workshops, speed networking events and more.

Almost every happy hour--which will be bimonthly this year, by the way--that doesn't feature a special career-based workshop or panel includes a special media guest from a local or national publication. We've had speakers from places like the Chicago Tribune, Time Out Chicago and Chicago magazine and have hosted a number of published freelance writers, book authors and broadcast news producers from ABC and CBS.

Our media group is free, and it's what you make of it. Use it often and get a stronger sense of the local media community and its members; tell us what you want for future events and what resources you'd like us to add.

It's our sincere hope that this group will help you take your career to the next level. So talk to us, and talk to each other. We're all rooting for you to meet your goals--whatever those goals may be.

--Erin B., Ed2010 Chicago Co-Founder

   Mel and I at an early Ed event (with early hair colors.)