The Leftovers @ Public tenely

Join the fun and see where I spend my happy hours! Plus you'll be supporting my friend who is actually Irish. Mark your calendars! They'll be cranking out all sorts of tunes and they're actually good! See you all there!

Dan About Town - February 2012 Edition

Want to see an accurate portrayal of my writing process?

March is the innocent deer that casually crosses the pitch black road while I am careening around the bend in my tricked out February ride. The fiery, bloody wreck you will undoubtedly picture in your mind as you read this is the metaphor for my writer’s block. Instead of entrails, broken bones, and the smell of charred flesh combined with metal, this tragic accident consists of an unmotivated corpse, a pen, and a book consisting of blank pages. 

My father, who I love and admire, had a great quote years ago whilst flipping through one of my blank writing tablets, of which I had yet to utilize. He turned blank page after blank page and jokingly said, “Look, it’s the story of your life.” End scene.

Where can I find motivation, if not from within myself? Do I seek solace in the experiences that have helped me to evolve as a person? Do I bear witness to inspiration in the guise of a loving muse? Perhaps I go the way of Timothy Leary and self-medicate in an attempt to pry open my third eye? Clearly the answer is to stop being such a heinously lazy bastard.

True story: When I was a wee lad and would end up crying about something that little brats that age would cry about, I would go to a mirror and see how stupid I looked. The sheer silliness of seeing my blubbery, tear-infested, red face would help me to understand the folly of my ways. This blog post is a lot like that. The moral of the story...I’ll try harder next month.

No Hay Banda
Lana Del Rey - Born to Die
She was the darling of the hipster community until a few nervous live appearances brought unwarranted claims that she was a cyborg sent by a corporate, pop music factory of the future to help destroy the indie music scene. Give one listen to the lead-off, title track, "Born to Die," and all concern for the well-being of mankind will dissolve instantly. If Lana Del Rey's presence did bring about "Judgment Day," we would die a beautiful death.

   

Mise-En-Scene
Enter the Void - Directed by Gaspar Noe 
Remember the boat scene in the Gene Wilder version of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory? Imagine that you are on that boat, it capsizes, and you die. Your soul is then stuck in the kaleidoscopic tunnel, floating around the world you knew, but as a spectator. Well, none of this has anything to do with the film except that it is through the eyes of a dead soul floating around a life he once knew, watching those he left behind continue on their dark paths. The opening credits alone may send you into an epileptic seizure!

SundayScene Does Online Dating..in DC

OkTrends

Some of you may or may not have experienced online dating. This is what our dating life has been reduced to. Gone are the days of meeting at a coffee shop, love at first sight. I've tried out online dating and wrote an entry as a guest blogger about my first date on my cousin's blog, Miemonster.

I'm going to share my thoughts from my experience of the "hunt" from a woman's perspective:

• Guys will usually post a photo up of themselves with other guys. Preferably their cute friend to leave you wondering which one he actually is. False hope though I'm not sure how he's suppose to rescue you from that.
• Sometimes they'll even post a headless photo of themselves in their boxer briefs. Okay, seriously, why in the world would you think that this will get you a woman? Sorry to break the news to you, it's not cute. It also actually just looks like you don't know how to use a camera. This isn't the Craigslist casual encounter.
• Guys love taking you to the gunshow. I can't take a guy seriously that is making a duck face and showing his biceps. Muscles, that's totally awesome. I just have one question, do they actually work or are they just for show?
• Photos with your pets sleeping on you. Thank you for showcasing your sensitive side. I am paying more attention to your pets than I am to you. Honest. It is super freaking cute though. I may have to hit you up with a wink, poke, or whatever it is they do for a "like".
• People that fill out their self-summary with the words, "ask me". You could have just skipped that field entirely. What's the point of even entering any text there? It's just a waste of space and actually makes you less intriguing. I'd rather go on to the next profile that has a little more bait.
• Guys that state that they "like girls" in the profiles. You're either trying really hard to convince yourself of your sexuality or you're a 12 year old.
• Typos. Yes, typos and grammatical errors. Obviously, I'm not a writer. I have a blog dedicated to my grammatical errors and typos that you're reading right now. Seriously though, if there's only one thing I have to ask, it's that you know the difference between "your" and "you're". Your crazy. No, I don't own crazy.
• Blurry artistic photos with a splash of blue flames or something else you think is just so freaking cool. Get that crap out of here. This isn't your "portfolio". However, if you're a model. Give me a call. I wouldn't mind having a glass of wine and just staring at you for a night.
• Straight to the point. "No kids, live alone, want sex". You make me giggle.

With all that being said, I'd like to thank the guys out there that have provided me with much entertainment. Not to fret, there are people out there that actually find relationships from dating sites and all I have to say to that is, good for you! One of my close friends is happily in a relationship and he was actually the one that suggested that I sign up. I'm meeting some interesting characters but mostly via message communication. I haven't met anyone else in person since my last "first date".

Lately I've just been flirting with guys at my bar which is in all due respect sometimes fun but also great for me because I don't want to be in a relationship for once in my life. Yes, says the girl who used to be addicted to being in relationships. I was never single for long but now I'm using this time to find myself. I think everyone should use some "alone" time. That doesn't mean you can't flirt and be a make-out bandit. Live your life, gain some experience. Sow your freaking oats because once you settle down that's it. I don't really believe in divorce so it'll be a while before I find someone I want to spend the rest of my life with. With that being said, I probably shouldn't be on dating sites since most people on there are actually looking for relationships. I don't think it hurts to look though, right? If you have any stories, please feel free to share. I'd love to hear your experiences and opinions.

OkTrends

Here's a random survey taken from smart phone users. Lets keep the drunk texts and calls to a minimum folks. Just say no to that last shot of tequila. That guy at the end of the bar is totally checking you out. If you wouldn't hook up with him sober, then just stay away. However if you want to, I'm not judging you.

Peace and love my friends. Be safe and keep it wrapped. Double even.

R.I.P. Thang Le (1980-2012)

Facebook - Thang Le

This week DC mourns the loss of one of its most aspiring chefs, Thang Le. You may know him as the late chef at Toki Underground.

Off the menu items Du Ma created at Hank's

Happy Valentine's Day 2012

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! Whether you're single, attached or even complicated, there's enough happiness and love to go around.

Here's a story of how I got my work Valentine:

Yesterday we were in a meeting and I received a text from across the room. I don't know if you've noticed but I'm a bit sarcastic. M is him and G is obviously me.

M: I like how your hair looks
G: I like how your face looks
M: Be my work valentine?
G: I thought you'd never ask
M: :) k lunch tmw if you're down

So today, he met me in front of my building and we went to one of my favorite sushi restaurants in the area. We exchanged Valentine's Day cards because we're cheesy like that. I honestly wasn't expecting anything from him. I thought I was going to get the upper hand with giving him a Valentine gift. Lunch was a bit rushed since I only had an hour and he forgot his card at the table. Our waiter ran out and chased us. How cute. Anyway, he asked me to walk him to his car which I thought was weird but sure. He had flowers waiting for me. Isn't he sweet? He totally made my Valentine's Day.

Jason Wu for Target - Official Launch

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I've never really gotten excited about a Target/designer collaboration until now. I first posted about the Jason Wu collection here. If you asked me a year ago if I would go out of my way and try to get a piece of this collection I would've said, "you're crazy".  I wasn't even excited about the Missoni launch and I heard disastrous stories about that launch so I wasn't sure how this would be.

I scoped out online and got as much information as I could from Target Style and then I decided on my game plan. I found out what items were online exclusives and what would be available at stores. I went to bed at a decent time..11:00PM on a Saturday. I woke up in the middle of the night to take my dog out and out of curiosity I was on my iPhone while Tyler did his business. I searched for Jason Wu on the Target site and actually got some results back. It was around 3:00AM so I came back inside and got on the computer. I'm a difficult shopper and won't normally purchase things unless I love the piece. I had the satchel in my shopping cart and by then some things had already started to sell out online like my beloved Poplin dress. I found out what items were at which store locations to plan my next attack. After I had spent a little over $100 I went back to bed but before that I decided that I will only pick up a few other things from the collection because the thought of spending so much started to scare me.

I woke up at 7:00AM and decided to pass on a shower and just brush my teeth. Yes, it's like that. I got to my local Target at 7:30AM. There were four ladies that already formed a line outside the door. A mother and daughter(s) trio parked at the same time I did. I'm not going to lie, I got out of my car and power walked my little butt over to the line to get in front of them. When we were finally in line, the mother told me she wasn't going to get out of the car until she saw me get out. We all had friendly conversations while we waited for the store to open at 8:00AM. One girl in front of me said that she didn't bother going to the Missoni launch either and that this was her first Target/designer collaboration launch. She said, "it's not that serious, but it is". Um, what? So, this is serious? Or it's not? She seemed really nonchalant about it until the doors opened and she was on a mission! It was interesting to watch her scram.

The doors opened and everyone rushed in, luckily no one got trampled. I really wanted the cat tote but there was only three available and I decided to skip the accessories and just head straight for the clothes because the accessories were quickly being engulfed by the crowd. I grabbed my Poplin dress in two sizes to make sure I had the best fit. The best feature besides the flattering shape is that it has pockets! Pockets! Dresses with pockets are like the best thing since sliced bread!

Did I mention the camaraderie that had developed outside completely changed once everyone was inside? It was every person/team for themselves. I was actually surprised, I thought everyone was really chill when I spoke to them outside but inside..it was like a battlefield. I should have known when that girl kept saying, "it's not serious, but it is". I didn't see any elbows being thrown or dresses being snatched though. Thank goodness because I'd probably cry. See, this is why I have more guy friends than girl friends..they can be so catty and crazy!

After I finally got my loot I went around the store to get other little things things I needed like chapstick. I made sure to have my cart in my sight at all times because lets face it, you never know if you run into a shady person or not. Once I made it to the register I was on the verge of an anxiety attack as the lady checked out my items. I don't like to spend a whole lot on clothes especially all at once. I was only suppose to go in for the Poplin dress but I think it was the fact that other people wanted this stuff that what made me splurge even more. I can't pick anything to return so it looks like they're staying with me.

Overall, it was quite an experience. The clothes are of decent quality and totally cute. I'm glad I've got some new pieces for Spring! I wonder if people actually buy the clothes off of eBay? The sellers have items listed for more than double the original prices! Oh yeah and another reason I'm not too bummed about not getting the cat tote? The accessories may be restocked, 20%. Well, that's what the guy told us. Oh I forgot to mention there were some people taking photos and recording the crowds of women. I almost punched a guy out. Yes, I'm at Target with all the other silly ladies. Don't judge me!