Monday power anthem

Warning: You might get a little emo after listening to this song. Emo in a good way, that is.

Anyway, I'm really obsessed with this new tune from Demi Lovato. Don't call it a comeback.

The song, "Skyscraper," totally defines power anthem. Enjoy, and seize the day!

Rewarding your boyfriend

Thanks for washing the dishes, honey. Do it three more times and I'll let you have a boys' night out.

Sound crazy?

The mentality isn't too distant from this idea of giving your husband/boyfriend "points" for doing household tasks. Those points can eventually be redeemed for permission to do guy-friendly things like a day at the bar.

One Jezebel blogger isn't too keen on the idea. She writes:

It only plays into the (evidently not) antiquated notion that men should be rewarded—whether it's with sex or "mileage points"—for lowering themselves to the same meager chores that are expected to be performed by women as some sort of responsibility that comes with having a vagina.

Ouch.

But I have to agree. Sure, compromise is an integral part of all relationships. When you're dating/married, you're going to do things you wouldn't do while living alone. But that's part of life. It shouldn't require any special recognition beyond "thanks."

And the whole "point system" thing extends beyond household tasks. I know a girl who rewarded her boyfriend for not hitting on other girls during nights at the club.

Really?!? The dating world is rough, but it certainly hasn't gotten so bad that you must use a reward system to build the man of your dreams.

Thoughts?

I would if I could...

This week's nightlife column is about the art of declining a party invitation.

I don’t know if technology has made it easier to turn down an invitation.

Yes, you can now attribute your absence to a missed e-mail. You can avoid previously unavoidable awkwardness with an impersonal text message.

But technology’s benefits come at a time when we’ve become more skeptical of the declined invitations we receive.

Many hosts and hostesses have grown so accustomed to last-minute lies that they regard every "I can't be there" as a phony excuse -- even when that’s not true.

When a guest declines your invitation, do you accept his/her explanation at face value, or are you immediately cynical?

What's the worst way to turn down an invitation?

PMS. Discuss.

Listen up, ladies. Don't you know men are the real PMS sufferers?

Calm down. That's not my personal opinion.

I'm simply inviting you to discuss a new ad campaign designed to "encourage open conversations between men and women about an awkward subject," according to a source interviewed in this article.

The ad campaign, which focuses on PMS, doesn't come from a medical association or women's advocacy group.

Instead, it comes from the California Milk Processor Board -- the group behind the "Got Milk?" ads.

See, the dairy group believes calcium could improve PMS symptoms. So it's encouraging men to buy more milk for their wives and girlfriends.

You know, because we're not capable of curing our own maladies.

The campaign's end result? Billboard ads with men beside messages like "I'm sorry I listened to what you said and NOT what you meant," or "I apologize for not reading between the RIGHT lines."

Offensive?

I'm sure things could be worse. But I'm not sure if the dairy world will gain fans by focusing on a male responsibility to rid the world of PMS.

And while I'm all for openness in relationships, I don't know what couples gain from having in-depth discussions about "that time of the month."

What do you think?

Christian dating in Atlanta

Atlanta is one of the top five cities to meet Christian singles, according to research cited in this article.

The research comes courtesy of ChristianMingle.com, a Christian dating site.

Am I surprised? No. In fact, I saw the headline and immediately thought, "OK, a Georgia city HAS to be on this list."

Not like that's a bad thing.

Plenty of people pursue dates based on similar values. As a relationship progresses, there's a strong chance you'll eventually discuss faith issues.

But do you think the term "Christian single" carries any stigma in the dating world? Even if you have a strong level of faith, would you use the term in an online dating profile?

Online dating: Hot or not?

Have some time on your hands? Read this in-depth history of online dating, courtesy of The New Yorker.

The article offers lots of great nuggets for analysis, including this excerpt:

Good writing on Internet dating sites may be rare because males know that the best way to get laid is to send messages to as many females as possible. To be efficient, they put very little work into each message and therefore pay scant attention to each woman’s profile.

The come-on becomes spam and gums up the works, or scares women away, which in turn can lead to a different kind of gender disparity: a room full of dudes.

In blog posts and columns, I've pretty much exhausted the topic of online dating. I can't offer many new insights to the discussion.

That said, I'm not sure if online dating has lots all its stigma. I think it's a viable option, but you must go into the experience with the same safety concerns that occupy the traditional meet market.

What do you think?

Photos: iLLUSiONS grand opening

The folks at iLLUSiONS, 6499 Veterans Parkway, were nice enough to invite me to Friday's VIP night. It was a pre-party for Saturday's official grand opening. Remember, this is the north Columbus hot spot formerly known as H2O (and before that, Muldoon's).


The bar's new owner didn't change much in the two-story nightclub's interior. Good move. Design-wise, it's one of the best bars in town. There's tons of space, and the lighting and sound systems are on par with what you'd see in much larger cities.



Our drinks were extremely affordable, and the employees -- women dressed in schoolgirl uniforms -- were all super nice. The challenge, of course, is getting customers to come back. Repeatedly.

Bars like iLLUSiONS face an added obstacle because they don't sit directly beside other nightclubs. Thus, patrons likely come with the expectation that they'll be there all night.

That's a mixed blessing. On one hand, you're not losing money to other bars. On the other hand, patrons are less tolerant of a bad experience at your venue.


Friday's VIP night included this snapshot-worthy moment: a bartender pouring a shot into a patron's mouth. Thirsty?

The bar's future depends on promotion. Too often, nightclub owners operate on a "build it and they will come" mentality.

Um, no. Flashing lights and a good sound system aren't enough to ensure a loyal customer base. You have to promote yourself and make patrons believe they're enjoying something they can't find anywhere else.

I'll definitely visit iLLUSiONS again. Maybe I'll even wear my schoolgirl uniform next time. Kidding.

(Thanks to Alan Riquelmy for taking the excellent photos!)