LZ Sunday Paper Newsletter: The "Origins" Edition

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Readers,

Happy New Year to all!

I bet most of us partook of some standard New Year's rituals. Hopefully, a kiss or warm wish from significant others, friends and/or family on the evening itself. Also, I bet resolutions were made. Perhaps closets were cleaned out. And the gym was visited…or at least intently thought of.

Over the holiday period, I noticed lots of people talking about some new-fangled resolutions, as well. For instance, I heard a lot about vows to change personal relationships to social media. As in…not being addicted…as much.

Last year, I decided to take most of my addictive, constant refresh-the-feed apps off my iPhone. I am way better off looking at everything like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter way less frequently, on my laptop, not my phone. I don't need it to be "never," just not "always." It actually makes it more fun, less of a chore, to download new-ish and fun older things like YikYak, Periscope, Vine, and a host of other interesting social platforms just for work or just for fun or just to see what new things there are, but feel untethered enough to delete them out of my digital life when the fun wears off.

I started curating and publishing this newsletter primarily as a means to deliver news and information about women in business & culture that I thought would be interesting, but otherwise probably missed by many of my smart, interesting, and busy friends and work-peers. It's not like I had the idea to unearth the rarest and least accessible items, as there is no shortage of this kind of information. But, I know that it is far-flung, across many great publications and now in so many forms-- analog, digital, mobile, and social. It's not hard to get, obviously. My basic thesis was, and is even more so today, that it is time that is the commodity, not access.

When I started, one unforeseen consequence was that many friends and work peers--yes, most of them women-- shared with me that the first feeling they got when they received the newsletter was…stress. They said that they actually felt worried that they would get this in their inbox, and become even more burdened by yet another thing that they didn't have time for; another oppressive unread email; more important news that they knew they wouldn't ever get to know about.

Second emotion that they shared: guilt. When I started, with a pretty large number but approximately a tenth of the number of subscribers I have today, I knew each and every person on the list. Many people said that they would feel guilty if they got this email from me but didn't look at it. It was as if they were ignoring a phone call or a personal email.

So, now let me interrupt to give a big welcome to our many new subscribers for whom this is the first edition. And hello to the many, many faithful readers who have joined that I don't know personally. And let me reiterate what I said to the original stressed and guilted friends about this email-- please treat it as a thing that doesn't demand your attention unless you have a spare moment to give it. Use it as something to give you pleasure, even if it is a fleeting, momentary one. Look at the Pic(k)(ture) of the week and just think about it; check out the weekly "What's Not To Love About?" and just have a 3-second chuckle of amusement. Or click on one link that piques your interest.

Best news for me, and huge motivator to do this each week, continues to be the many, many lovely and heartfelt emails. So many came at the end of the year. Many of those were from original subscribers who shared that now, instead of a stress- or guilt-inducer, each Sunday morning has become a private, rich, luxurious moment to get lost in something that feels like it is created just for them. Two minutes, twenty minutes. Something to scan and then go back to later that day or during the week. Great.

I've had many different kinds of sign-ons and sign-offs over this time…and I used to say something like "delivered to your virtual doorstep by your faithful papergirl," and "if I could serve this on a tray to you with a mimosa and a bud vase, I would." I've gotten more utilitarian over the years, but the sentiment remains the same.

So congrats! to those who have allowed themselves these personal, importantly selfishly immersive moments. And thanks for letting me know that it's working for you.

By the way, another new-fangled New Year's resolution: UN-subscribing to various emails as a kind of digital closet cleanout. If you haven't crossed over from stress and guilt to enjoyment and delight, hit the unsubscribe button and be gone! And here is my Holiday tech tip for you: use Unroll.me -- it scans your email and finds every email subscription you belong to, wanted or not, and in simple clicks you just tell it what you want to do -- unsubscribe, keep, ask you later. If the Sunday Paper is one that hits the decks, so be it. I do not want to be a purveyor of stress, guilt, irritation, annoyance, or anything other than delight and interest! Garnet Hill, UJA, EBay, Trump Campaign HQ, whatever is emailing you that you maybe once, or never did, sign up for -- uncheck the box and email-be-gone!

So, if you haven't yet unsubscribed, here is the first week of the year's news about and by women in business, politics, digital, media, film, tv, fashion, sports, and pop culture. Usually, roughly in that order. This week is a bit of a jumble. Hand-picked. By me. For you.

Pleas use this link to Tweet or share your favorite links from the Newsletter, send me any items of interest or send questions/comments: here.

And do peruse the back catalogue for the issues you missed, forward the Paper to someone you think would enjoy it, or sign up at LZSundayPaper.com.

Sometimes there's so much interesting stuff out there I can't wait 'til Sunday so I tweet it during the week. Follow me @LZSundayPaper.

Enjoy a safe and fun holiday week!

LZ

THE PIC(K) OF THE WEEK:

Legal Action Against Bill Cosby Is Still Important, Even With HIs Career In Shambles via Slate

NEWS & INSIGHTS:

Top Stories For Women In Tech, Business and Leadership For 2015 via Innovation Women

Selfies In 2015: A Woman Thing? via NPR

Over 50, Female, and Jobless Even as Others Return to Work via The New York Times

First Four Enlisted Women To Be Integrated Into Crew Of US Submarine in 2016 via Women In The World via The New York Times

Where Women Are Killed By Their Own Families via BBC

'Stop telling me I'm poisoning my kids:' Food crusaders, sancti-mommies and the rise of entitled eaters via Salon

'Pink Sisters' Complete 100 Years Of Continuous Prayer via Jezebel

Confessions Of A Rabbi's Wife: "I wanted to hide behind a husband and a wig" via Salon

Carrie Fisher Calls Out Body Shamers On Twitter via Time

Patricia Arquette: Hollywood Will Have To Make A 'Radical Readjustment' When CA's Pay Equality Act Goes Into Effect via Jezebel

5 Black Women Who Profoundly Changed TV In 2015 via Salon

The Interview: TV's Ones To Watch via Net-a-Porter

When I decided to take my wife's last name, I was shocked by how different the process is for men via Business Insider

New Chrome App Helps Women Stop Saying 'Just' and 'Sorry' In Emails via Slate

I Masturbated Every Day For A Week And Here's What Happened via Bustle

Will America's 100-Year-Old Female Spy Finally Be Recognized For The Hero She Is? via The Daily Beast

Goodbye To Natalie Cole: Soul Diva, Fighter, Queen via The Daily Beast

AND WHAT'S NOT TO LOVE ABOUT:

Times Square, 2015 via Joe's NYC

The LZ Sunday Paper™ (soon to be registered trademarked and copyrighted) launched at the dawn of 2014. We expose and recirculate interesting content that is about, and frequently by, women in business, with a dose of ultra-relevant culture. We think that culture comes in size high, medium, and low. Our audience for this content is vast and not gender-driven. Every week we expect at least one good laugh. Send suggestions, clips, or names of people you think might enjoy this to LZSundayPaper@gmail.com.

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