oscar night ’10 recap

Posted on March 11, 2010 by t. sterling — Leave a comment

I think everyone can agree, when it comes to the Oscars, even if you love to watch them and love the movies even more, they will still be quite boring. Unlike the Grammys, and definitely unlike the super bowl. I mentioned those because they generally fall in the same season. But, for what it’s worth, I was entertained and not completely bored out of my mind like I was a few years ago for some awards show I can’t seem to remember, but just remember the boringness of it all.

Many of the winners I predicted had one. Many didn’t. I didn’t feature a full list here, but I did cast my votes of the bigger categories. I didn’t make a prediction for some of the others until either before the winners were announced, or I didn’t vote at all. To be fair, I counted the ones I didn’t vote for as a missed answer. So ultimately, I predicted 15 out of 24 correctly. (Major award predictions here.)

A surprise upset was for Best Adapted Screenplay that went to Precious. I can’t say I saw that one coming at all, as I had predicted Up in the Air. I may have been wrong but I wasn’t upset. It was nice to see them get another award besides the Best Supporting Actress which many of us saw coming since film festivals of last year.

Speaking of Mo’Nique, a lot of the press seems to be up in arms about her acceptance speech. She thanked the Academy for voting for her performance, not the politics. She didn’t make the awards rounds like many others do when given the nomination. I believe she also wanted money to appear at these functions. But whatever. Or at least that’s how I feel about it.

Another non-surprise was Christoph Waltz, whom I thought had a great speech. It was colorful in fun words thrown together that seemed poetic and original. As if nothing was repeated. I heard they were metaphors of something or another, I didn’t care, it sounded great.

Sandra Bullock, also the front runner and non-surprise had one of the best speeches as well. A total class act, I believe, giving credit where credit is due and most importantly acknowledging the other nominees. I love how she gets along so well with Meryl Streep.

I’m happy Kathryn Bigelow won Best Director. Once it occurred to me she’d be the first female to win the award, I was in her corner. And yes, specifically for that reason. Also, because the film wasn’t that bad either. I’m not against Cameron, I just like him a little less. I’m not at all surprised with all the nods Avatar received, it really only won the technical/special effects prizes.

Also, along with tech specs, some fun facts I learned or observed over the years of Oscar watching:

If you win for either one of the sound categories, you are more than likely going to win for both of them. Sound Mixing and Sound Editing.
You will more than likely probably win Best Costume if your film takes place in Victorian times. One day I will further research that fact, but from what I’ve seen, if you have a people wearing clothes from the time we had kings and queens or maybe you were in a Jane Austen tale, you will probably get that award.
On that note, kudos to that winner of Best Costume for also acknowledging the other costume designer nominees.
Also kudos to Michael Giacchino, Oscar winning composer for Up. True story, I voted for him, then changed my vote to Avatar, then changed it back to him again. So glad I did. But he deserves the win for creating a score than instantly conjures up that sentiment and heart which Up is centered around. Oh, and he is also the composer for LOST.
I won’t lie, I didn’t want Avatar to win Best Picture because I didn’t think it was. I was better for Hurt Locker taking it, which it did.
For what it’s worth, I’m glad District 9 and Inglorious Basterds got some recognition. I thought they were good movies, and plus I like seeing Tarantino on stage. Hopefully one year he’ll win Director or Film. He’s young, he’s got time.
Neil Patrick Harris came out of nowhere and did an awesome opening. Better than last year’s with Hugh Jackman? Debate.
How about that lady pulling a Kanye? Debate.

Lastly, our hosts. I think Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin need to hit the road together. Never going to happen, but I can dream. I was genuinely entertained by them. I would be glad to see them come back next year.

I didn’t tweet or live-blog as much this year. I blame my internet connection. My mother persuaded me to watch the show on the big screen, so it took me out of my “command center” which diminished my internet access. But the show went on. Next year, however, I may be planning an Oscar party. Hopefully by then, I’ll probably still be live-blogging, but I’ll have pictures of the party, maybe even some video. We’ll see. Congrats to all the winners. Let’s see what we got going on for this year!

Tagged with: indoob, oscars, recap, t. sterling, winners
Posted in academy awards

meet george jetson

Posted on March 11, 2010 by t. sterling — Leave a comment

Michelle and I are regulars at a local Dunkin Donuts (there are 73 in a 5 mile radius from my house) and during our lunch break, we run into many other regulars at this specific D’n’D. There are two old bitties, two construction (or DOT, or electricians, or some service that requires bright reflective vests) workers, an assortment of older bearded men that occasionally either hang out in their vehicles or come in to share a table and a man that occasionally joins them that we call “George Jetson.” We’ve never asked his real name, but Michelle broke the ice and now we are on speaking terms. But we call him George Jetson because of this.

He told us his son/grandson bought him this vehicle for him in California for about $2,000. Possibly on EBay. I don’t remember. But he likes to show it off, especially to other old bitties. He says it rides like a real motorcycle, which back in his hay day, he used to ride frequently. Now, he rides this. And he likes to brag about how much cheaper it is than a motorcycle. When the weather is too cold or rainy, he drives a van that looks like he could possibly carry his little mobile in the back, which I doubt he does. But it makes me laugh to think he’d be out on the highway if he would suddenly need a quick getaway… Apparently it’s street legal. I see him zipping by on warm, sunny days up and down the roads. It even has a tiny little license plate too. It includes a compartment for gloves (which he wears when he’s riding) and a device to alert him when his phone is ringing. “They don’t have that for a motorcycle,” he tells us. Michelle and I joke that just like in the cartoon; he must have a button on it so it can fold up into a briefcase. But if he did that, how could anyone peep his ride in the parking lot? Especially the old bitties.

Speaking of old people, every so often, we get ambushed by what appears to be a platoon of veterans. At another D’n’D we used to frequent, they would shuffle in, grabbing any and every free table, marking them with napkins, while a few others would wait in line. But that only happens once in a while, and when I see their vans pull in, I make it known that the cavalry is here. Sometimes we’ll make room for them, and it’ll be our cue to exit to the Jetson mobile.

Tagged with: car, indoob, story, t. sterling, the jetsons
Posted in dunkin donuts, random, story, strange

“alice in wonderland” film review

Posted on March 9, 2010 by t. sterling — Leave a comment

I’ve heard a lot of mixed reactions about the newest venture into Wonderland, this time brought to you by the weird guy known as Tim Burton. I had some high expectations myself and I’m a little sad to say that they weren’t met.

I’m not going to trash the film. For what it’s worth, I was mostly entertained and I knew what I was getting myself into: going on crazy nonsensical adventure with what I presumed would be a wee girl named Alice. Burton decided to rework the original story to give Alice’s character and the story itself more grounding and structure. What I mean by that is, to Burton, he felt the original story was a series of events rather than a plot that you’re able to get lost in.

So with that, came some creative liberties me and a few of my friends weren’t expecting. My friend was sad to find that the songs from the animated Disney classic were missing. I think now I’m recalling someone mentioning that leaving out the singing was a good thing. I can’t quite remember the songs, so it doesn’t bother me either way. Some other liberties taken: the sequel to Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Through the Looking Glass is mixed into the story. So if you don’t remember characters like the White Queen in the animated version or the first book, it’s because she didn’t come until Alice went back in Looking Glass. For the most part, Burton’s film does follow the original story. So it shouldn’t throw you off too much. Another key difference, Alice is older. But you would figure that out before Alice even enters Wonderland.

It’s a crime Johnny Depp still has yet to be award with an Oscar. As creepy as the posters and trailers make him look, he plays a truly delightful character as the Mad Hatter. I couldn’t help but notice some Jack Sparrow coming through, but since the Hatter is a bit whacked out of his mind, it would make sense that he never seems to stay on the same page for very long, however, he is always in the same book.

These are the 3D glasses that aren't needed for this film, yet I felt the need to bring them with me out of the theater.

It’s my honest and humble opinion that this movie does not need to be viewed in 3D, whereas Avatar, it’s almost a requirement. So if you don’t see the special 3D showing, you aren’t missing anything. However, the technology doesn’t hurt this film, and it will reward you in a couple scenes, I think I would’ve enjoyed it just fine without the use of nifty glasses. Since 3D showings tend to be a bit more expensive sometimes, I would say go for the cheaper version. If you bring the kids, go for the 3D, it should be fun for them.

I don’t normally give movies a grade, but I think I can say B-. See it for Johnny Depp’s brilliance. Also, see my favorite Wonderland character, the Chester Cat.

Tagged with: 3D, alice in wonderlan, movies, review
Posted in movie, review

newness abounds and awaits

Posted on March 9, 2010 by t. sterling — Leave a comment

Who would’ve known after all these years, the very thing keeping me from film making on my own laptop would be a $6 PCMCIA card bus thingy…

Tagged with: indoob, t. sterling
Posted in Uncategorized

fripodding and listing: the droid playlist (vol. 1)

Posted on March 5, 2010 by t. sterling — Leave a comment

The Indoob has been quiet this past week. But don’t worry, it’s been for good reason. I got me a new “toy” this week that will allow use of another toy I bought last year. Actually, this other toy is more of a crucial tool that will allow me to save close to $1,000 for now. But that’s another story.

This week I’ve also been busy collecting music. I’ve been having a super difficult time trying to figure out what song I wanted to pick today until it hit me–why not feature another playlist? So today’s friPod iPick is what I named the DROID list. Why?

Every song on this list was either found and/or downloaded via my Droid. I still have yet to really talk much about my new phone, but in due time.

For those familiar with some of the popular app that come from the Android Market, I specifically and exclusively only use two, for now. Shazam and iMusic. iMusic is a downloading app. Shazam is an app that listens and identifies whatever music is playing. It works about 90-95% of the time. So with this list I’ll tell if Shazam played a roll and any additional info like when and where it happened. This is list is not in any specific order. If anything, it’s ordered by date I added them to iTunes, now when I downloaded them.

That’s it for today’s edition. I’m sure as time goes by, this list will probably grow, or I’ll start a new one. Or just like “Valerie”, you’ll see a specific song from this list showcased here. Although I already have something planned, but who knows. Have a fantastic weekend, Indoobians!

Tagged with: droid, friday, fripod, indoob, music, playlist
Posted in friday, fripodding, list

fripodding and clapping: “valerie” by mark ronson featuring amy winehouse

Posted on February 27, 2010 by t. sterling — 1 Comment

I heard “Valerie” for the first time about a month ago. I was at a Ruby Tuesdays about to eat an early birthday dinner, and I wanted to try out a new app on my Droid. Not only was I showing it off to other family members, but I was seriously curious about the very catchy tune that was being pumped into the restaurant.

Anyway, the version of “Valerie” I was listening to is what is popular here in the States, brought to you by Mark Ronson and Amy Winehouse. To a lot of people, this is Winehouse’s song, since you don’t hear Ronson (except the very first second). What I didn’t know at the time, this song is a remake. The original is done by The Zutons. I prefer the Ronson version; it’s very upbeat and catchy. I won’t lie to you; I’ve had this song on repeat for hours at a time. It’s also probably not the best song to listen to while driving because it makes you want to clap. Plus, I think it showcases Winehouse’s wonderful and soulful voice. It’s such a shame she leads the lifestyle she does… which might explain why she isn’t present in the music video. To my knowledge, I don’t have a clue why she isn’t in the video, but I think what they did was a clever way to get around that hurtle of a missing vocalist. Rather than talk about the video and the song, check it out. The “leading act” is the rapper Wale (pronounced “Wally” to those not familiar).

My Droid was a big asset in finding, hearing and eventually downloading this song. YouTube’s first result was actually a remix. I don’t care much for the remix, plus it features rappers I’ve never heard of. It’s probably because the remixing producer and rappers are all from the UK. And that’s not a bad thing. I have nothing against British rappers. I’m just not as exposed to them. But as for the remix of the song, I don’t really care for it. However, I love the video’s design and the pop art poster theme. I’m going to post it anyway so you can enjoy.

Tagged with: amy winehouse, friday, fripod, mark ronson, valerie
Posted in friday, fripodding, music, music video

fripodding and remaking: “we are the world 25 for haiti”

Posted on February 19, 2010 by t. sterling — 1 Comment

First things first: the facts. As the majority of the population knows, this song is a remake of the original “We Are the World” released back in 1985, hence its new title “We Are the World 25 for Haiti.”

I will jump in with my opinion here of the original. It’s no secret that I grew up listening to Michael Jackson practically most of my childhood. Even though this song was released a year before my birth, I still knew of it well. I didn’t care for it as much as I did for songs like “Dirty Diana” or “Man in the Mirror.” But I was well aware of it and I thought it was an alright song. Here we are in 2010; my thoughts are still the same. It did wonders for the cause, but I’m not as thrilled about this song, even after the tragic loss of Mr. Jackson.

Like most of the world, I didn’t hear about this remake until the recent tragedy in Haiti. Even before that happened, there were thoughts of remaking it just to celebrate its 25 years of age. My thoughts, also with the world, were mixed. I didn’t have the highest of expectations; especially after hearing a few of the singers the radio station mentioned. I also was dubious about a rap verse added into the song. But I figured, how bad could it be? I mean, the “What’s Going On” remake was actually pretty awesome, I think. But even that has similar ties to this song which I can address later.

The song debuted a week ago. It actually took me a little while to hear what others thought. My first thought? Its different, yet the same. And this is a good and bad thing. It’s odd to describe, but I feel the same about this song as I do the original. BUT, I like this new version more, and at the same time, I hate it a little bit too.

I’m all for super-groups and mutli-star collaborations. It’s great seeing so many people work together for one cause. So I enjoyed seeing the video and all these people you normally don’t think you’d see together in one room singing together in harmony and whatnot. It’s what warm fuzzies are made out of. On top of that, some of the solo parts were actually very well done. And I will agree with other critics, if it weren’t for their high class talents, this song may have tanked greatly. And by high class, I mean Jennifer Hudson, Mary J. Blige, Tony Bennett, Usher, Pink, BeBe Winans, Mary Mary and even Carlos Santana… just to name a few. Kudos for including, or rather keeping Michael in there with archive footage, yet I feel the way they pasted Janet in there looked very cheesy. I was happy to see her nonetheless.

Where I started to lose it? Auto-tune. Thanks to Jay-Z, we have an anti-auto-tune movement afoot. It may have been going since he sang the now infamous song, but the fact that it was included in this song is what made me start to dislike it. For me, auto-tune in the late 2000’s is what synthesizer keyboards and keytars were to the 80’s. Just my opinion. I know that’s T-Pain and even Lil’ Wayne’s trademark style these days, but c’mon son. The rap verse wasn’t how I thought it would be, but again, it was interesting to see all those rappers together getting a verse out. As for the verse itself? My jury is still out on that one. It was good for what it was worth, but I think I would’ve preferred these rappers to rap on their own since they all have their own unique style. Maybe, just maybe, they could’ve each had their own line or two and then maybe ended together. But later on you get to hear what sounded like adlibbing but may have been actual verses from Kanye West and will.i.am as well as the other singers. And stop hating on Wyclef!

This is where we take a quick look back at “What’s Going On” and how the rap verses worked. There were a few bars each for each rapper, and I was cool with that. You could tell who was who, and I think that would matter to a fan. Just a thought.

Also with this song, the remake was intended for a cause called Artists Against AIDS Worldwide. But shortly after the song was recorded, 9/11 happened, and this became one of many anthems for hope and rebuilding that year. The proceeds still went for fighting AIDS, but half of it also went to the Red Cross for that recent tragedy. One of the differences for “We Are the World” remake is that it didn’t really have an alternate purpose until the earthquake in Haiti. I think what also makes “What’s Going On” work is because the original was song by one person, they remade with several. “We Are the World” has several and continues with several more. Okay, that’s not really a big deal. I thought it was a point; maybe it’s just something I’m trying to point out.

Let me back up for a second… what the stank is up with Justin Bieber? Why is he constantly a trending topic on Twitter? And why did he start this song? I have nothing against him; I just thought there would’ve been a better choice. Again, it’s my opinion.

The first person I heard to be against this song was Jay-Z. Not to misquote him while I paraphrase, but he felt it would have been better to write a brand new song instead of remaking this “untouchable” one. I’m inclined to agree, yet I can’t help but be on the fence. I mean, even if he was interested in doing this song, I couldn’t see him rapping together with the rest of these dudes. I’m sure he could but like I was saying, I like to hear everyone’s style. Let them rap as one when they get to the end of their collective verse or something.

But there are others who feel the same way that this song is an abomination! Some feel that MJ could be spinning in his grave, while others say he’d be singing right along with them. I actually think he’d be singing along, since Lionel Ritchie and Quincy Jones were there. I do agree with Jay-Z, this may have been more fitting if they just made a brand new song. But what’s done is done. And at the end of the day, it’s not entirely all about what we think. This song has a purpose, and that’s to help Haiti. By the way, they are still struggling down there. Just because the news isn’t on them 24/7 anymore, doesn’t make their troubles go away. It’s just another food nugget for thought.

Officially, I think I’m on the fence with this song. But if I’d be leaning, I’m leaning on the side of liking it. The more I hear it, the more it grows on me. And who knows, 25 years from now, if I’m asked to be apart of the 50th anniversary remake, I might say yes. Where do you stand? Are you or have you bought it?

Tagged with: charity, friday, fripod, haiti, michael jackson, remake, we are the world, what's going on
Posted in charity, friday, fripodding, michael jackson, music, music video

place your bets: 2010 oscar predictions

Posted on February 16, 2010 by t. sterling — 1 Comment

‘Tis Oscar season once again. Actually, it has been for a couple months now, but the race for Hollywood’s biggest night (March 7^th) officially started February 2^nd when the nominations were announced. Every year I like to play along with other “movie geeks” and predict who will win this year. I tend to side with my favorite magazine, Entertainment Weekly, but this year I wanted to see if I could make my own predictions. But if I were a bettin’ man, I think if I chose whatever EW predicted, I’d probably win 90% of the time. It’s all in fun and I usually have two choices anyway: who will probably win, and who I want to win. The trick is to follow the nominations and results from other awards like the Golden Globes, SAG, Critics Choice and even early buzz from film festivals like those held at Sundance or Toronto.

Rather than give you the complete list of nominations, I’ll just give you the big top five categories and my pick. You can see the rest of the list here. As you can see, Best Picture has been expanded to 10 nods this year. It’s an honor just to be nominated, ya know.

Best Picture

Avatar (Chances are very high, but I will say no gold)
The Blind Side (A filler choice, probably good film)
District 9 (I would like this to win, but no deal)
An Education (Little movie, fat chance)
The Hurt Locker (Underdog of the season, for the win)
Inglorious Basterds (It’ll be cool for this to win, but I doubt it will)
Precious (This would be a deserved surprise, but probably not)
A Serious Man (I hear good things about this, but I don’t hear win)
Up (I’m all for this, but seems unlikely)
Up in the Air (A lot of buzz, but probably no deal)

Best Actor

Jeff Bridges—Crazy Heart (He was the Globe, SAG… he’ll get this probably win)
George Clooney—Up in the Air (He’s a favorite, maybe a close second)
Colin Firth—A Single Man (A great actor, but not this year)
Morgan Freeman—Invictus (I love this guy, but not this year)
Jeremy Renner—The Hurt Locker (Could be a surprise, probably a miss)

Best Actress

Sandra Bullock—The Blind Side (She’s got this one for sure)
Helen Mirren—The Last Station
Carey Mulligan—An Education
Gabourey Sidibe—Precious (It’ll be awesome if she won, but I doubt she will)
Meryl Streep—Julie & Julia (She’s going for a record win, she’s tough competition)

Best Director

Kathryn Bigelow—The Hurt Locker (For the win)
James Cameron—Avatar (He did good, and he might pull an upset)
Lee Daniels—Precious (An honor to be nominated, a surprise to win)
Jason Reitman—Up in the Air
Quentin Tarantino—Inglorious Basterds (I would be happy if he won, probably not)

Some other nominations include the following: Mo’Nique (Precious) will more than likely win Best Supporting Actress. Christoph Waltz (Inglorious Basterds) has won other Best Supporting Actor awards for this movie, he’ll probably win this one too. Up is probably the best choice for Best Animated Film. I really like District 9, but I think Up in the Air might take Best Adapted Screenplay. And I can’t make up my mind with Best Original Screenplay, I like Up, but Inglorious Basterds could win and I would be happy with that too.

For some fun and an experiment for movie reviews, here are a few nominated films I’ve seen in haiku form. Enjoy.

“District 9”
Aliens are here
Unequal and unwanted.
Underrated hit.

“Inglorious Basterds”
It’s Tarantino
Rewriting history nicely,
A bit dry, still good.

“Up”
Flying high story,
Amazing, very funny–
Pixar for the win!

“Avatar”
Fantastic new world,
Three hours yet not boring.
Great, but not the best.

“Star Trek”
Stars, spaceships and fun
Where no one has gone before!
…At least in 0-9.

“Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen”
Massive explosions,
Poor excuse for a story,
It’s pure eye candy.

“Coraline”
She’s a brave wee girl
Discovers a brave new world
Really, it’s scary.

Tagged with: awards, haiku, movies, oscars, predictions, review
Posted in academy awards, awards, movie, oscar, poetry, review

“the wolfman” film review

Posted on February 15, 2010 by t. sterling — Leave a comment

I wasn’t really interested in seeing The Wolfman when I first heard about it. Although based on the premise I read a few months ago, it sounded interesting. The trailer helped feed my interest, but not enough to fully sink my teeth into. But then, a friend acquired advanced screening tickets and I was invited as a guest. A free movie pass and the chance to see it in theaters before anyone else? Why the stank not?

The Wolfman if about a werewolf. Big surprise, right? Actually, what I didn’t know before seeing the movie was that it was a remake. This is the kind of remake I’m okay with, since the original was released about 60 years ago and not like, I don’t know… 5? I’m not pointing any fingers, I’m just saying.

Without knowing that, I definitely got the sense of this movie having the elements of a classic horror movie of yesteryear. Obviously not my yesteryear, but a classic horror nonetheless. But with updated special effects, graphics and gore that our generation is used to or even expecting in practically any movie that would probably involve the slashing of body, sharp teeth digging into human flesh, blood galore, and transforming humans into rabid wolves. We want to believe it. And believing is made easier these days so I give them kudos for that.

I haven’t seen the original, but I can only imagine how gruesome that movie could’ve been. And by that I mean it probably wasn’t.

Since this movie is still in theaters, I’m not going to urge anyone to rush out anytime soon. For most people, this is a movie probably best on DVD, and I predict that will come out by Halloween. Just a guess. And I’m not saying this movie is horrible. It isn’t. But it’s not great either. It kept me entertained, but it didn’t keep me guessing. In fact, I wasn’t really scared that often. Amazingly, I wasn’t really expecting it to be. I’m not sure why though.

The “scares” were mostly those cheap OMG-that-was-only-a-dog scares and not the one where it’s really the monster. But that’s how most horror movies are built, right? And I’m not even a scary movie person! There were a few instances that caught me off guard, but not to the point it scared me.

I’m still slightly confused about a major plot point. I figured out a certain secret or mystery of the wolfman, but I couldn’t figure out its motive. I think it was explained, but I think it was just me misunderstanding. Besides that, I wasn’t too crazy about the climatic ending. I knew it was going to happen, it was just a lot cheesier than I expecting it to be. I even predicted “Agent Smith’s” fate. It was a surprise to me that Hugo Weaving was in this movie… and no matter what he’s in, he will always make me think of Smith in The Matrix. At least that movie wasn’t as predictable.

If I sound wishy-washy about this movie, it’s because I am. Like I said, I was entertained but it’s not something I’m interested in seeing a second time. The friend I went with liked it even less. I almost want to blame the seat we got… third row. Last time I say that close, it was for Tranformers 2. A movie I know I would’ve enjoyed more had I had a better seat and not have to literally move my head to check out both sides of the screen or worry about a sore neck at the end of the movie. Needless to say, I survived both movies.

Overall, The Wolfman’s strongest points I think were its actors. I have a bit of a crush on Emily Blunt. I admire Anthony Hopkins. Benicio Del Toro always seems to amaze me in whatever he does. And then there’s Hugo Weaving with his odd face and voice that makes you always want to run away from him. Great actors, great effects, weak story all equal a 3 out of 5 star movie… if that’s how I rated movies. Speaking of rating, it’s rated R for violence and gore. So if you let your kids watch Saw, then this might be a tad bit boring for them until the wolfman shows up.

Tagged with: movies, review, the wolfman
Posted in movie, review

another valentine’s day, part 2: why so cynical?

Posted on February 14, 2010 by t. sterling — 1 Comment

I can’t help but think there are those out there that despise the Valentine’s Day because they are single, for whatever reason. And of course, some don’t care regardless of their status. Others try not to, but with commercials, TV specials, print ads and pink heart shaped sprinkles on your donuts, it’s hard to ignore it and you begin to get disgusted with the idea. Not to mention if you have friends that are coupled up and you know you have very few, if any, of them left to hang out with that day or night because you know what they’ll be doing later. And that’s what it also comes down to for some singletons… no Valentine’s Night. Even if sex isn’t involved, they just want to feel loved and appreciated a little bit.

Click the picture for more eCards like this.

Enter, the Anti-Valentine’s Day. This is also known as Singles Awareness (or Appreciation (maybe for those who want to embrace being single)) Day, aka SAD. It’s not really awareness for the general public, nor does it really seem like something beneficial. That stigma of being single during this holiday is somewhat magnified and in one’s mind might make them feel singled out even more. This day is sometimes celebrated the day before, on or after Valentine’s Day… sometimes all three. Rather than sulk alone in your bedroom, the idea is to go hang out with other singles and either collectively agree how evil the holiday is, or just enjoy each other’s company.

Earlier I said that holiday might not seem beneficial, but perhaps by being out with other singles, you may run into another single and soon after become a couple. So in retrospect, Singles Awareness Day will make other singles aware of your singleness, or perhaps that you want to end your singleness. There’s some food for thought to optimistic hopefuls.

Jajangmyeon

Speaking of food, in South Korea, single people who do not get gifts on Valentine’s Day (or White Day, a month later, March 14^th) get to eat black noodles, called jajangmyeon, with other singles to celebrate their singleness. It’s called Black Day and takes place April 14^th. To be honest, this sounds rather depressing and I’d rather stick with Singles Awareness Day.

And that’s also key for the singletons out there: don’t get caught up in the blues. And, although this is posted way before the fact, if you find yourself not having plans or know that you won’t have anyone to hang out with, make some new friends. Do something to ensure you won’t be alone and miserable. Plan to have fun. Sure it might not be the fun you want, but you also won’t be sitting alone, in the dark, in the corner, writing sad poetry and listening to sad people sing about sad things. Life is too short for that and you never know what can happen next if you don’t put yourself out there. Trust me, I’m practicing what I preach. Things won’t always remain the same.

But, once the day is over, everyone is pretty much on equal ground again for the next 364 days. The pink décor is put away. Special chocolates disappear within the week. And the stores now have a green theme for the next big holiday.

Again, I’m doing the best I can on a personal level to not be as bitter and cynical as I feel I should be. But I am a romantic and it’s difficult to say something like “I hate Valentine’s Day” when it practically goes against what a romantic truly feels. And I’m pretty sure I’m likely to spoil some lucky lady with gifts, poetry and genuine romance when I have the opportunity. What can I say, I have gift anxiety. The point is, it wouldn’t be a once a year kind of a thing, but perhaps a little extra on the special days. And you best believe that I will be watching romantic classics such as Casablanca to Love, Actually to The Notebook despite the holiday or my relationship status because that’s the kind of person I am. Yet those movies tend to fit the atmosphere that much better, I’m just saying.