December To Do List for (some) Couples: Time to break up!

Having just mailed Christmas cards to my closest friends and family and having completed my shopping as well, I thought I was in good shape with managing items on my holiday list; but apparently, I may not be done just yet.

You see, not only do we have to unravel that messy heap of Christmas lights and ornaments after Thanksgiving, but December seems to be prime time for disentanglement from dysfunctional relationships as well.

Strictly hypothetically speaking, I can imagine some Pro’s and Con’s of holiday break ups from the female perspective:

Pro’s: Freedom from having to look in his face yet another  New Year’s Eve with our mutual knowledge that he’s not exactly my first choice.

Cons: I may end up as friends’ awkward Plus 1 as 2011 rings in.

Not good.

Blogger Lee Byron has gone so far as to create a relationship graphic to show us the ebb and flow of love throughout the year.

Byron Lee's "Break Ups: The Visual Miscellaneum"

If your relationship’s in good standing, revel in the merriment to your heart’s content. If not, you may want to enjoy that kiss under the mistletoe as long as you can!

Either way, happy holiday shopping!

Waxing Existentialism in the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

When was the last time you had a yakkysack moment in an airport or on a commuter train? Not sure? Maybe you’re like me, keen on anti-aliasing:

anti-aliasing

n. -soc. psych. curiosity about the real flesh-and-blood people behind internet usernames, whose vivid individuality suggests that when our parents were tracing their fingers along our nameless faces looking for some hint of who we were to become, they really should have gone with Mr. Cookieface, Unicornpuncher, Dutchess Von Whatever, or Wookiegasm.                                           –from the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

I recently stumbled across Blogger John Koenig‘s Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, the cure for those of us who sometimes find ourselves trying to come up with an exquisite word to label an unusual feeling, place, situation, etc.  The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows includes all those words you can’t quite put your finger on – you know – the ones that you keep feverishly snapping your fingers as though you’ve been transformed into Samantha from Bewitched and endowed with the power to conjure up things with the touch of your fingers and slight twist of your wrist.

Whatever it is that’s got you twitching, know that there’s probably a word for it in the dictionaryofobscuresorrows.com. Check it out. –>

Do You Really Want to Know Who I Write Like? The Clues Are All Around You…

Are YOU the next Dorothy Parker?

I must admit that I’m finding great joy this evening in learning that I write like Raymond Thornton Chandler, the creator of Philip Marlowe, one of the world’s most famous, fictional private detectives. I’m sure my friends reading this post are getting a good laugh off that one! But it’s true: according to the new website, I Write Like, my writing style’s a dead ringer for Chandler’s. Alas, it’s comforting to know that there’s an app to explain some of my recent activity…

Earlier today, I heard about the quirky website, I Write Like on National Public Radio (NPR). Here’s the gist:

The recently launched I Write Like has one simple gimmick: You paste a few paragraphs that exemplify your writing, then click “analyze” and — poof! — you get a badge telling you that you write like Stephen King or Ernest Hemingway or Chuck Palahniuk.

I Write Like is the brainchild of Dmitry Chestnykh, a 27-year-old Russian software programmer.  As aptly stated by the New York Times, “…simply the idea of an algorithm that can reveal traces of influence in writing has proven wildly popular.” Want to read more about how, and why Chestnykh set up this site? Check the NPR article. Needless to say, the results of your instant writing style analysis aren’t scientific but they’re fun just the same.

As for me, I suppose there’s irony somewhere in the results of my particular analysis but I think I’ll wait awhile before contacting any publishing houses based solely on I Write Like’s mystics. Still, it’s kind of fun. Want to find your own soul mate – at least when it comes to your writing styles? Prepare a sample and click here.

Saturday Night Flicks: George Clooney’s “Up in the Air” (2009/DVD)

"Up in the Air"

I admit it: I don’t go to movies often. Not even when George Clooney’s the headliner. I prefer to stay at home and watch classic films because so few modern movies of late challenge me beyond the obvious. But then a flick like “Up in the Air” comes along and not only grabs my attention but holds it long after the final credits roll.

A few days ago, someone who knows what I used to do for a living suggested I watch “Up in the Air” – she said I’d recognize ‘the life.’ This evening, I decided to check it out.  Released in 2009 (now available on DVD), “Up in the Air” is the story of Ryan Bingham, a hired ‘hitman’ of sorts. His consulting firm specializes in outsourced firing — he flies around the country giving pink slips to staff on behalf of their own company’s management.

At face value, Ryan’s lives the perfect, perk-filled life of a commitment-phobe who smirks at others whose grounded, pre-fab ‘real’ lives seem to be straight out of stale, cookie cutter ‘happily ever after’ moulds. Of course, life’s never that simple and “Up in the Air” gives the general public a view into the often glamorized lives of folks who make their living on the road. Like most things in life, however, we see through Ryan’s lens that every perk definitely has its poke.

I haven’t read the book on which the film is based but anyone who travels regularly for work, particularly in management consulting — or as I refer to it here as ‘the life’ — will quickly recognize themselves and their lives in this movie. Whoever wrote this screenplay had to have had some very close exposure to life in the ‘Big 5′ fast lanes. For everyday people, ‘the life’ is deceptively seductive: airline perks (including frequent upgrades to First Class), hotel concierge levels with special amenities, ‘jet-set’ romances from city to city – what’s not to like?

Well, a lot – and this movie hits many of the realistic downsides on every level without being too preachy or heavy-handed about what folks in the industry and their families often trade off to get the financial benefits and comforts of ‘the life.’ While there are moments of brilliant comic timing in “Up in the Air”, this is one of the best character studies I’ve seen in a long time. It’s easy to pass this one off as a dark comedy about a man who makes his living off others’ despair.  But when you look deeper at the film, you will see that there are many other levels to be explored, not the least of which is that Ryan’s seemingly enviable state of existence really is the ultimate punchline, for the joke’s on him.

People who have had no exposure to this world may not ‘get it’ or even have any idea that there are thousands of ‘Ryan’s’ “Up in the Air” nationally and internationally on a daily basis. Some love it, some thrive on it, while others burn out and crash in Icarus fashion.

I won’t say anything more about this one except that it’s an excellent flick with terrific performances that are all too close to home. For those who are considering getting into… already in… or looking for a way to get out of ‘the life’, definitely check this one out.

Pierson11′s Parody of Boyz II Men’s Classic, “End of the Road” (Boomerang Soundtrack)

I think we can all agree that there are some REALLY bad music covers on YouTube. In fact, if I ruled the world, immediately after achieving world peace and global good will toward all, I’d pass a law to require censure of some of these video postings. The unfortunate thing is that some of these folks don’t realize how talent-challenged they really are.

And then you come across something like this from YouTube addicts Pierson11. While these young men have posted 27 videos – all of which butcher your favorite R/B hits – their ‘cover’ of Boyz II Men’s classic, “End of the Road” from the soundtrack of the great African-American hit film, ‘Boomerang’ is on a completely different level of its own. And that’s NOT a compliment. Hilarious! If you just can’t get enough of this dynamic duo, see more here.

Still Time to Get to the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, DC March 27, 2010 – April 11, 2010

This year was the first time I’ve ever experienced the  National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, DC and I wasn’t disappointed. This natural display is absolutely stunning. A parade punctuated by evening fireworks are slated for this weekend so if you’re in the area, there’s no better place to be than at the Festival and its events. If this weekend doesn’t work, you still have until April 11th to get here. The locals tell me that the blossoms are pretty fickle so you’d better see them while they last. Here’s one of my best shots from earlier today:

Center for American Progress’s Take on Larry Platt’s Pants on the Ground

By now, I think everyone in the world has heard 62 year-old American Idol sensation Larry Platt’s “Pants on the Ground.” Just in case you haven’t… “Pants on the ground” is Platt’s protest rap to what we’ve all been lamenting for years — the legions of young men who for some odd reason refuse to pull up their pants and properly adjust their belts when they leave home. Many folks have parodied the track so it’s only fitting that the Cartoon Group at the Center for American Progress (CAP) have added their two cents with a political slant.

Yes, CAP, we Americans can relate.

Pants Around the Ankles - Courtesy of Center for American Progress

For Dubai’s Burj Khalifa Tower, Perhaps the Limit is the Sky

I know it’s a little early but are you looking for the ultimate luxury spot for you and yours on Valentine’s Day this year? I think I’ve got something for you. On January 4, 2010, Dubai finally unveiled the Burj Khalifa tower, the world’s tallest and decidedly most opulent skyscraper on earth.  According to the New York Times, the Burj is home to the world’s first Armani hotel; the world’s highest swimming pool, on the 76th floor; the highest observation deck on the 124th floor; and the highest mosque on the 158th floor – and that’s just for starters. World-class shopping and entertainment are givens. Somehow, I imagine you won’t be able to use those Marriott or Hilton rewards points here, but what the heck? Splurge a little.

Getting Back to My Roots at One and Twenty

Each day, I’ve been noticing a peculiar rite of passage march boldly into my life: the appearance of 1…2…3…more ‘beauty marks’ along my hairline. To be honest, these ‘highlights’ began to appear for me when I was in my early 20’s. Back then, I could fight them off one by one with a light stroke of my mascara brush (if you only have one or two grays, this little trick works well!) But now, they are in full charge and instead of resisting, I am embracing them along with all the joys and follies of life that have come with each strand:

“When I was one-and-twenty…”

by A. E. Housman (1859-1936)

When I was one-and-twenty
I heard a wise man say,
‘Give crowns and pounds and guineas

But not your heart away;

Give pearls away and rubies
But keep your fancy free.’
But I was one-and-twenty,
No use to talk to me.

When I was one-and-twenty
I heard him say again,
‘The heart out of the bosom
Was never given in vain;
‘Tis paid with sighs a plenty
And sold for endless rue.’
And I am two-and-twenty,
And oh, ’tis true, ’tis true.

Indeed.

Donny Hathaway’s Essential “This Christmas”

…because Christmas just isn’t complete without Donny Hathaway’s essential “This Christmas”. Enjoy!