Sweet Blog O'Mine

Author: Laren

  • Riding on the Metro . . .*

    Sometimes I take for granted that living in NYC gives me an “edge” on pop culture trends. Scary, but true.

    For example, I got a very cute email from my mom yesterday. I’m hosting a murder mystery dinner party tonight, and one of the guests is a guy I met at my friend’s marathon party a few weeks back. I was telling her that this guy was coming over early to help me cook. She replied, “he cooks? He must be one of those new “metro” guys that they were talking about on Sex and the City last week — they have all the good qualities of gay men AND they’re great in bed!” (Yeah, I wish. If any of you readers find that guy lurking out there, send him directly to me, pronto.)

    Well, I must admit she’s one up on me, because I don’t have HBO, but I took it upon myself to send her an article written by Mark Simpson, who coined the phrase “metrosexual.” In my mind, the metro trend is in the “on the way out” category, but as he points out in his “Metrosexmania Update” on 8/18, “The media gang-bang of the metrosexual continued to grow, rapidly developing into a case of full-blown global metrosexmania. Is there a single publication in the ‘developed’ world, other than Farming Monthly which hasn’t run the story?”

    She replied back, sheepishly, “So I’m out of the loop. At least I’ve heard of it and I don’t live in the city. Doesn’t that earn some points?” Of course it does, Mom.

    I realized that metrosexuals were part of the mainstream society when I saw an ad recently for
    The Metrosexual Guide to Style: A Handbook for the Modern Man in Time Out New York — not that Time Out New York is necessarily “mainstream,” but it is a mass publication of sorts. Now, the true test of whether or not it has hit mainstream culture is to ask my Dad if he has ever heard the term. So I sent him an email to find out. “Hey, Dad,” I wrote, “I’m taking a survey. Have you ever heard of the term “metrosexual” and do you know what it means (no cheating by looking it up on the internet)?” His response? “No and no.” In conclusion, based on my scientific study — the term “metrosexual” is still not officially mainstream. And Mom gets extra credit points.

    (* a tribute to Berlin‘s song of the same name)

  • Riding on the Metro . . .*

    Sometimes I take for granted that living in NYC gives me an “edge” on pop culture trends. Scary, but true.

    For example, I got a very cute email from my mom yesterday. I’m hosting a murder mystery dinner party tonight, and one of the guests is a guy I met at my friend’s marathon party a few weeks back. I was telling her that this guy was coming over early to help me cook. She replied, “he cooks? He must be one of those new “metro” guys that they were talking about on Sex and the City last week — they have all the good qualities of gay men AND they’re great in bed!” (Yeah, I wish. If any of you readers find that guy lurking out there, send him directly to me, pronto.)

    Well, I must admit she’s one up on me, because I don’t have HBO, but I took it upon myself to send her an article written by Mark Simpson, who coined the phrase “metrosexual.” In my mind, the metro trend is in the “on the way out” category, but as he points out in his “Metrosexmania Update” on 8/18, “The media gang-bang of the metrosexual continued to grow, rapidly developing into a case of full-blown global metrosexmania. Is there a single publication in the ‘developed’ world, other than Farming Monthly which hasn’t run the story?”

    She replied back, sheepishly, “So I’m out of the loop. At least I’ve heard of it and I don’t live in the city. Doesn’t that earn some points?” Of course it does, Mom.

    I realized that metrosexuals were part of the mainstream society when I saw an ad recently for
    The Metrosexual Guide to Style: A Handbook for the Modern Man in Time Out New York — not that Time Out New York is necessarily “mainstream,” but it is a mass publication of sorts. Now, the true test of whether or not it has hit mainstream culture is to ask my Dad if he has ever heard the term. So I sent him an email to find out. “Hey, Dad,” I wrote, “I’m taking a survey. Have you ever heard of the term “metrosexual” and do you know what it means (no cheating by looking it up on the internet)?” His response? “No and no.” In conclusion, based on my scientific study — the term “metrosexual” is still not officially mainstream. And Mom gets extra credit points.

    (* a tribute to Berlin‘s song of the same name)

  • All Things Considered

    And to think that during high school, I made fun of my parents for listening to NPR. I groaned every time they tuned the car radio in to WNYC — it was soooo boooooring. Now that I’m an avid listener myself (well, maybe not avid, but I listen to Morning Edition and the BBC World Service every morning, and on weekends, I listen to Car Talk if I’m awake), and a first time donor (only $15, but it was during one of those times where my donation was tripled due to the generosity of some major philanthropist or another), I have just read that this is the key to a successful dating life! I got this post about NPR and its role in the ritual of mating and dating via Gawker, and it made me laugh out loud.

    For both the male and the female, listening to NPR sends a signal to a prospective mate: “Despite my current income, in a few years I will have a house in a neighborhood with good public schools, and I will drive a Volvo stationwagon.” Women are sending an additional signal: “I consider myself smart and sophisticated and if I get pregnant, I will have an abortion. I might consider a three-way.” Men signal back: “I won’t try to stop you from getting an abortion, but I’m not afraid to cry if you do. I don’t like guns, but I’m manly enough to camp and mountain-bike. I just love nature! A three-way sounds intriguing.”

    Note to those interested — the most recent guy on the radar screen does, in fact, listen to NPR.

  • All Things Considered

    And to think that during high school, I made fun of my parents for listening to NPR. I groaned every time they tuned the car radio in to WNYC — it was soooo boooooring. Now that I’m an avid listener myself (well, maybe not avid, but I listen to Morning Edition and the BBC World Service every morning, and on weekends, I listen to Car Talk if I’m awake), and a first time donor (only $15, but it was during one of those times where my donation was tripled due to the generosity of some major philanthropist or another), I have just read that this is the key to a successful dating life! I got this post about NPR and its role in the ritual of mating and dating via Gawker, and it made me laugh out loud.

    For both the male and the female, listening to NPR sends a signal to a prospective mate: “Despite my current income, in a few years I will have a house in a neighborhood with good public schools, and I will drive a Volvo stationwagon.” Women are sending an additional signal: “I consider myself smart and sophisticated and if I get pregnant, I will have an abortion. I might consider a three-way.” Men signal back: “I won’t try to stop you from getting an abortion, but I’m not afraid to cry if you do. I don’t like guns, but I’m manly enough to camp and mountain-bike. I just love nature! A three-way sounds intriguing.”

    Note to those interested — the most recent guy on the radar screen does, in fact, listen to NPR.

  • To tell, or not to tell

    The Onion | Mom Finds Out About Blog

    Yeah — perhaps it’s better not to tell my parents about this. Gotta love the Onion!

  • To tell, or not to tell

    The Onion | Mom Finds Out About Blog

    Yeah — perhaps it’s better not to tell my parents about this. Gotta love the Onion!

  • In the News

    Just a few comments on some recent news items.

  • First — Love, Internet Style, from this Saturday’s New York Times. This article rests on the premise that online dating is slowing down courtship in “the Age of the Hook-Up.” (Age of the Hook-Up? Why wasn’t I notified that we’re living in the Age of the Hook-Up?! Damn!) The article goes on to describe how courtship is prolonged through extended emailing, and then somewhat awkward dating. When courtship proceeds at this leisurely pace, folks are less likely to jump into bed. I agree. It seems pretty clear to me, however, that the author of this article has never tried online dating. In the beginning, I played the courtship game — the endless, witty email banter, then a phone call, and finally, a real live date. On which there were, in all likelihood, zero sparks. After a few rounds of leisurely courtship, I tried to fast-forward the process to real-life speed — meet the guy as soon as possible. You can tell pretty damn quickly if there’s going to be any sort of chemistry. If I met someone at a party, this is the way it would work. There wouldn’t be any letter-writing exchange; we’d talk and see if any sparks flew. If they did, great, we’d go out. If not, nice to meet ya. Regardless, I’m giving the online thing a break for the time being. Too many guys, not enough sparks.

  • Second — the Citizens Budget Commission released a study showing that New York State taxes are the highest in the nation. As far as I’m concerned, sometimes the good stuff is worth a little extra cash.


    • 56r_ttd_iloveny_sm.gif

  • In the News

    Just a few comments on some recent news items.

  • First — Love, Internet Style, from this Saturday’s New York Times. This article rests on the premise that online dating is slowing down courtship in “the Age of the Hook-Up.” (Age of the Hook-Up? Why wasn’t I notified that we’re living in the Age of the Hook-Up?! Damn!) The article goes on to describe how courtship is prolonged through extended emailing, and then somewhat awkward dating. When courtship proceeds at this leisurely pace, folks are less likely to jump into bed. I agree. It seems pretty clear to me, however, that the author of this article has never tried online dating. In the beginning, I played the courtship game — the endless, witty email banter, then a phone call, and finally, a real live date. On which there were, in all likelihood, zero sparks. After a few rounds of leisurely courtship, I tried to fast-forward the process to real-life speed — meet the guy as soon as possible. You can tell pretty damn quickly if there’s going to be any sort of chemistry. If I met someone at a party, this is the way it would work. There wouldn’t be any letter-writing exchange; we’d talk and see if any sparks flew. If they did, great, we’d go out. If not, nice to meet ya. Regardless, I’m giving the online thing a break for the time being. Too many guys, not enough sparks.

  • Second — the Citizens Budget Commission released a study showing that New York State taxes are the highest in the nation. As far as I’m concerned, sometimes the good stuff is worth a little extra cash.


    • 56r_ttd_iloveny_sm.gif

  • Saturday Night’s Alright*

    Had a great evening Saturday night. For all you hipster wanna-bes, I have listed the stops in Saturday night’s trip to the Williamsburg/Greenpoint area. Follow along to recreate the fun — fool your friends into thinking that you know cool, offbeat places!

  • First, fish tacos at Bonita
  • Next, take a short walk to Enid’s for a cheap beer, and a quick game of Ms. Pac Man while listening to old faithful tunes on the jukebox (my favorite was “I Am the Warrior” by Scandal).
  • Finish your evening at Warsaw, which has now become my new favorite music venue. Where else can you see a band (in my case, the Eels) and snack on pierogies?

    • Of course, I can’t re-create my favorite part of Saturday night — the lunar eclipse. Fantastic.


    Lunar_eclipse.jpg

    (* A Tribute to Elton John)

  • Saturday Night’s Alright*

    Had a great evening Saturday night. For all you hipster wanna-bes, I have listed the stops in Saturday night’s trip to the Williamsburg/Greenpoint area. Follow along to recreate the fun — fool your friends into thinking that you know cool, offbeat places!

  • First, fish tacos at Bonita
  • Next, take a short walk to Enid’s for a cheap beer, and a quick game of Ms. Pac Man while listening to old faithful tunes on the jukebox (my favorite was “I Am the Warrior” by Scandal).
  • Finish your evening at Warsaw, which has now become my new favorite music venue. Where else can you see a band (in my case, the Eels) and snack on pierogies?

    • Of course, I can’t re-create my favorite part of Saturday night — the lunar eclipse. Fantastic.


    Lunar_eclipse.jpg

    (* A Tribute to Elton John)