what's going on this weekend?

Don't forget about the lighting of the downtown Columbus Christmas tree, 6-8 p.m. Friday.

FYI...Downtown Baking Co. will have an open house Saturday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. It's at 1039 First Ave. Expect lots of breads and sweets.

As far as nightlife offerings go...it's pretty much the standard scene. I'm most (read: kinda) excited about the MAC cosmetics party at Rumors, 1107 Broadway, Saturday night. The details on this shindig are kind of vague, aside from the fact that there will be drink specials, food and a photographer. But proceeds from that stuff, as well as the $7 cover charge, go to the MAC AIDS Fund, so I guess it's all for a good cause.

See you there, bitches!

exes and express food

Why don't guys want to stay friends with girls who broke up with them?

Well, Cosmo usually says it's because guys move on quicker, carry fewer long-term obsessions, etc., etc.

And now for a different take on the phenomenon...this guy offers up a McDonald's analogy. Don't laugh. It kind of makes sense. Here goes:

Imagine if you went to McDonald's a lot and ordered a Big Mac Combo meal. A Big Mac, Large Fries and a Coke. You really like this meal. One day, you pull up to the drive-thru and order the Big Mac Combo meal and the girl tells you, "I'm sorry - you can have the Big Mac and the Coke, but you can't get fries with that anymore." You think about this for a moment, and sure - the Big Mac is the centerpiece of the meal, but McDonald's has some really good fries and you like their fries with your meal. So you say, "I've been able to get fries with that before, why can't I have fries with my Big Mac combo anymore?" The girl says, "Well, I just think it is better if you only have the Big Mac and the Coke from here on out."

At this point, a lot of guys are going to go to Wendy's or BK and see if they can get fries with their combo at that drive-thru window. But there are some guys who REALLY like McDonald's Big Macs and they might think, "If I keep coming here and ordering the Big Mac and Coke, maybe she'll change her mind and give me some fries with that later." So they will keep on getting the combo without the fries until the dealbreaker happens: One day that guy is going to order the Big Mac and Coke and then he's going to pull up a little bit to pay, and someone else is going to pull up to the drivethrough speaker and order the "Big Mac Combo" and he is going to hear the girl say, "Would you like fries with that?"

That's why guys don't like to be friends with a girl who breaks up with them.

Thoughts? Does this analogy apply to girls being friends/not being friends with guys who break up with them?

naughty or nice?

American kids find Britney Spears and Paris Hilton naughtier than the Grinch and Darth Vader, according to a results of poll released this week.

Get the full story here.

I guess this is a good thing...until you consider the fact that the majority of today's kids think naughty isn't necessarily a bad thing. Like the 15-year-old girl I interviewed last Friday who was waiting to shop at Victoria's Secret at 5 a.m.

Just a thought.

let's get it on

Happy Friday!

Here's another reason to get busy this weekend. Researchers now say losing your virginity later in life -- say, 21-23 years old -- appears to be lined to a greater loss of sexual dysfunction. Especially among males.

Get the full story here. An excerpt:

"Men who lose their virginity in their 20s, in particular, seemed to be more likely to experience sexual problems that include difficulty becoming sexually aroused and reaching orgasm."

No further questions!

thanks. kinda.

Today I came across this Hillary Clinton Nutcracker and I started thinking about gifts gone wrong.

In 99.9 percent of cases, I'm extremely appreciative while receiving a gift -- regardless of what it is. Even if it's something I'll never use, I appreciate the fact that somebody's willing to go out of his/her way to buy something especially for me.

Usually.

I can name my worst gift-exchange experience in a heartbeat.

In high school, every senior had to name an underclassman as her "honor guard." In a ceremony prior to graduation, graduates walked across the school gymnasium to exchange gifts with their honor guards while sappy music played in the background.

The norm for these gifts was huge plastic storage containers filled with stuff -- the underclassmen would get the seniors college supplies, while seniors would give the underclassmen stuff to get them through the rest of high school.

As a graduating senior, I spent about $100 and three hours of labor on the gift I gave to my honor guard. It was a senior-year survival kit. Maybe it included some porn. OK, maybe not. You get the picture, though.

So I walked across the gym floor on ceremony day...lugging a huge plastic box...only to see my honor guard with seemingly open hands. "OK," I said to myself, "don't panic. Maybe she just got you a gift card."

Not the case.

As we exchanged gifts, she proudly handed me a Feng Shui instruction book. Without an inscription.

For those of you who have seen my house, you know I have absolutely no use for Feng Shui. You're lucky if you can even get me to pull the lint out of my dryer once a year.

I was beyond words, and couldn't even utter a fake "thanks."

So to my honor guard -- who shall remain nameless -- if you're reading this, I hope you've learned the art of splurging. Or at least putting some thought into your gift-selection process.

And if not, I hope karma's sent you at least one novelty nutcracker. Or more.

watch it

I'm no movie buff, but my ass went all Ebert last weekend when I finally got the courage to use the $1/night rental kiosk at Publix. I spent all of Saturday night watching movies on my laptop screen.

(My only other movie-viewing machine is a VCR. Sorry.)

One of the movies I watched was Sarah Polley's "Away From Her," a really good story about a woman who goes into a care facility after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's. There, she forgets who her husband is, but falls in love with another man.

The film is all about her husband's reaction, and it raises all these interesting questions about memory and love and family and all that stuff.

I can't imagine what it would be like to live with a spouse who has Alzheimer's. As tragic as their situation is, I see those couples also a reflection of probably the strongest form of love. You can go on romantic vacations, give expensive gifts and share all the right compliments...but devoting your life to a partner who doesn't even recognize you? Maybe there's no stronger bond than that.

Wow. Tangent alert. Sorry.

Anyway, "Away From Her" is No. 4 on this list of the 50 best films of 2007. I know Brad might be mad that "Knocked Up" ranked higher than "The Darjeeling Limited."

ho, ho, whoa

I'm might fly to Australia for the weekend.

Why? Sunday's the 2007 Hookers Ball, hosted by Tara Reid.

Gotta love the promotion flier, which not only spells "American" incorrectly, but also includes mention of bondage beds and The Booty Bar.

Who else is in?

Get the full story here.