“I had this guy leave me a voicemail at work, so I called him at home, and then he emailed me to my BlackBerry, and so I texted to his cell, and now you just have to go around checking all these different portals just to get rejected by seven different technologies.
It's exhausting.” Does this sound familiar? In the movie He’s Just Not that Into You, Drew Barrymore’s character Mary states the quote above.
Oh, the joys of dating in a networking world. Facebook, Myspace, eHarmony, Match.com, Plenty of Fish, Cupid.com… yes I have tried them all and oh do I have some stories! Seriously maybe these men on the dating services are still single for a reason or maybe I just need some tutoring on how to find the sane ones that can say more than “you have a great smile wanna talk” or worse “Hey wuz sup how are u doing and how is day” come on at least spell out what your trying to say, your not texting me and still that’s not a good enough excuse for having partially misspelled words. Yes, I can say that I have gone out on a few dates in respect to these sites but as of where I stand at the moment there has been no clicking. One of the first dates I went on was actually through Match and the guy who was with talked right off the bat about meeting my family, and me not having to work if he could support me…. Woah hold on there feller, I see myself working I want to achieve my goals and not looking for any man to hold me back by having me stay at home for the whole day!
I have to say though that I know many people that have had success with online dating and some who have even married those they have connected with through these sites. I do have to make a point though that there is a difference in all these sites and why they charge what they charge. Plenty of Fish is a free dating site and its free for a reason, don’t expect to meet a decent person on this site, also women be aware that married men are openly allowed to join this site and are mainly looking for younger ladies to have a good time with (if you do want to try dating online for free on this site just remember to set your settings allowing no married men to contact you, I learned that face a little too late). Match.com costs about $34 a month (there are also package deals). I have to say that date wise I have had the most success with this site, there are a lot of men who are about in the same realm as I am at this moment. eHarmony is where dating gets a little pricey, the men I have had a chance to date on this site have yes had the money too actually afford the payments and not freak out about spending the money but what comes with that is selfishness. The men from eHarmony seemed to care more about themselves, if they had the choice they would stare at themselves in the mirror all day thinking how fabulous they were. This is totally my experience, I do know many people who have met their match on these dating sites and could say the opposite of what I stated. Maybe I just need a tutorial on how to fill out an online profile of myself correctly?
Just like what Barrymore stated in He’s Just Not that Into You, these days dating involves a variety of technological networking systems whether it be, Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, online dating services, or texts. Have we forgotten how to have a face to face conversation with someone, have we given up with our own fate and begun to rely on the internet to choose our compatible partners for us. Maybe its time we talk to our elders on dating advice?
Reap What You Sew Fashion Show This Weekend in Lincoln
I seem to find out about most events that are happening around Lincoln when I’m drinking at O’Rourkes with friends on the weekend. A few weekends ago, I got word from my neighbor about a fashion show she was planning. I’ve written about almost every fashion boutique that has opened up in Lincoln over the past few years and I try to stay on top of the fashion world as it happens in little ol’ Lincoln, Neb., and one thing that I don’t see too often is fashion shows.
But this Saturday, Dec. 20th, Erica White, a UNL textiles design graduate student, will be showcasing her work at Box Awesome, 815 O St. I talked to Julie Reynolds, my neighbor and the coordinator of the show, and got some specifics about the event and Erica’s fashions.
Erica is from North Carolina and has had fashion shows while living down south, but is new to Lincoln and wants to get her clothes known here. After Erica and Julie met a few months ago, they teamed up to set up this show--the Reap What You Sew Fashion Show. Erica is all about having Earth-conscious clothes and using 100 percent recycled fabric for her designs. The focus on this show is the use of T-shirt material and a wearable, comfortable style.
There’s also going to be music provided by DJ Dr. Zhivago, The Heat Machine and Crush the Clown. It should be a pretty eventful night, with a focus besides just music and drinks. Doors open at 7 p.m., the show starts at 8 p.m. and admission is $5. Advance tickets are available at Anu Salon at 11th and B streets in Lincoln.
As we all get ready to fill our bellies with the holiday bounty tomorrow, the lifestyle world still chugs on. So, this week, I have a few newsy appetizers on the menu.
First up, Rockbrook's Energy Smart, 10915 Prairie Brook Road, is now open. Omahan Paul Vonderfecht founded the green-living retail shop, which offers energy conservation products and services including lighting retrofits for homes and businesses, solar panels, wind turbines, solar hot water heaters, solar skylights and more. It is the first retailer tailored specifically toward energy conservation in the region. For more information (and to check out or buy prodicts online), visit http://energysmartcompany.com.
Also in environmental news, the city will begin mapping out its Environmental Element initiative with a public meeting Dec. 4 at the Scott Conference Center, 6450 Pine St., from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. The initiative, announced nov. 6, will allow the city to address sustainability in its master plan; Michael Kinsley, a senior consultant with the Rocky Mountain Institute who specializes in sustainable communities and workshop design and construction, will be on hand Dec. 4 to help the initiative's local facilitators. He will deliver a keynote address; following that will be breakout sessions for each of the initiative's five targets: the natural environment, urban form/transportation, building construction, resource conservation and community health. Mayor Mike Fahey will also make comments.
Those who plan to drive to the meeting are encouraged to carpool; Metro Area Transit route 15/55 also stops nearby. For more information, call 554-4010.
Omahan Eric Hahn, record-holder for the World's Tallest Mohawk, has received worldwide attention for his hair-raising new title. AOL.com, Sodahead.com and CNN have all taken a moment to interview or otherwise feature Hahn. No, Anderson Cooper didn't beam Hahn into the studio, but he did compare the mohawk to Anderson Cooper 360 correspondent Erica Hill's 1980s mullet. Awesome. Check out the video here.
And finally, Omaha's Beauty Brands Salon Spa Superstores reported this week they raised $4,611 for Omaha Catholic Charities' The Shelter. Beauty Brands donated 100 percent of the proceeds from sales of Redken's Guts volume-boosting spray foam to the organization from Sept. 29 through Oct. 26.
In correspondence with this week's Reader Lifestyle feature on New Kids on the Block, written by my sister Sarah and I, we thought we'd share a heap of photos we snapped of ourselves and the Kids.
One of the owners of Omaha vintage clothing staple Weird Wild Stuff, 4905 Leavenworth St., was reported murdered Monday. Ellie Hollister's husband, 58-year-old Robert Hollister, who also ran the store, was arrested and charged with her murder. The 52-year-old woman, according to the Omaha World-Herald, was found dead at the couple's home Monday afternoon.
This Halloween, I half-assed my costume. I was sick and fairly broke before the 31st so I never felt like putting any effort into dressing up. Two days before the deadline, I decided to go as Sarah Palin. The black interview suit from Petite Sophisticate that hung useless in my closet for six years would finally get some fresh air. Throw in a quick up-do, an American flag pin, a toy shotgun, an over-the-top Alaskan accent and the glasses I wear every day anyway and the costume was obvious enough, even though I personally don’t look anything like the real Sarah Palin.
Before I describe the results of my costume, let me explain my political stance. I’m voting for Obama simply because (I feel) it’s time to change the political philosophy in Washington. That’s all. I don’t even really care about the issues or platforms — or politics in general for that matter. I just think the Republicans had their chance for 8 years and things aren’t good. Now it’s time to let the Dems play.
So here are the pros and cons of being Sarah Palin. I’ll start with the pros because that list is actually shorter.
Pros: 1. The cool people will get the joke and laugh along with you. 2. The costume creates a lot of hilarious photo ops. 3. I think I was actually campaigning for Obama in a reverse-psychology kind of way.
Cons: 1. Only Republicans will hit on you. 2. If you go out to “da club” you will be wearing the most clothing out of everyone, girls and guys. 3. There are plenty of people out there — Republicans and Democrats alike — who take politics as serious as a heart attack. They will not be laughing with you. In fact, some people are willing to come to blows over politics. 4. If the people named in #3 show up to the same party as you, drama will ensue. 5. If #4 happens, you could possibly ruin your good friend’s costume keg party.
After a full weekend of the Sarah Palin costume, I began to wonder if poor Tina Fey gets accosted on the street by staunch Republicans. Maybe she’s had to beef up her security this election year. And do people who wear other costumes have to take this crap? Why isn’t anyone infuriated that $5 worth of make up from Wal Mart is now splattered across the face of every comic book geek in the land and defiling the honor of the late Heath Ledger’s arguably greatest performance? Are these Joker assholes taking a lot of shit this year? No, probably not because the face paint automatically makes it OK to parody for Halloween. Maybe I should have been Joker-face Sarah Palin.
The biggest lesson I learned is that, when you put on your political parody costume, you put on something else — responsibility. You have to be prepared to take the good with the bad, and accept the fact a lot of people will hate you blindly. The costume created a lot of hilarity, but it caused a lot of drama, too. It takes a strong person to wield that double-edged sword and I am not that person. Next year I’ll be the controversy-free, slutty Alice in Wonderland.
This week, as October winds down and an historic Election Day nears, I want to take a moment to encourage everyone to remember to vote in one of the most important presidential elections of, well, the history of the United States.
If you’re an undecided voter, take this last week to educate yourself on the platforms of each candidate; because I believe the best information comes directly from a source in question, head to http://www.barackobama.com/ to read Sen. Barack Obama’s comprehensive “Blueprint for Change” and http://www.johnmccain.com/ to read Sen. John McCain’s piece-by-piece plans for national and international issues. For quicker profiles of each candidate and running mates (Sen. Joseph Biden and Gov. Sarah Palin), I recommend the New York Times’ Election Guide 2008, available online at http://elections.nytimes.com/2008/index.html. There, you can find bios, the candidates’ schedules and campaign finances, and comparisons between candidates’ stances on major issues such as healthcare and the economy.
For local information on voting, voter registration, first-time voter and district information, polling places, sample ballots and more candidate profiles (including those running for Nebraska offices), visit the Douglas County Election Commission at http://www.votedouglascounty.com/. Statewide general election polls will be open Nov. 4 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; early voters may vote at the Douglas County Election Commission, 225 N. 115th St., by 5 p.m. Nov. 3. Keep in mind voters are not allowed to wear campaign-support materials, such as T-shirts, hats, buttons, etc., within 200 feet of a polling place; leave them in the car or cover them up before entering.
Though the voter registration deadlines for this year’s election have passed, don’t let that stop you from registering for future elections. As citizens of the United States, you have the right to let your voice be heard, so speak up. I don’t think I’m alone when I say now is the time for it.
