Thursday, February 9, 2006

WOOKIN PU NUB.... IN NYC

Everywhere you turn, you are bombarded with the color of red. That usually means that it's that dreaded time of year: VALENTINE'S DAY. In my opinion, it's the most comercially overhyped holiday of the year, next to Christmas. I mean, what is the real purpose of it? To "measure" your feelings for someone by the amount of money you spend? The pressure to produce something fancy, expensive, creative, etc. is so great that you more often than not set yourself up for a big fall, which defeats the purpose of the day in the first place. (If you ask me, one shouldn't have to have a day to prove how much he/she loves someone- it should show every day).

So while couples all over the city grapple with trying to find ways to please and impress each other on that day, where does that leave us single folk? For many of us, it's just another day. For others, it's an angst-ridden, depressing time. The thought of being alone on a day marked for lovers is enough to make one want to crawl under a rock. Finding a suitable mate in NYC is notoriously difficult, as most of you can attest. Men are viewed as dogs, continuously on the prowl, while women are often viewed as unapproachable and cold. The dating ritual itself is expensive and annoying, with dinner, drinks, cabs, etc. costing upwards to the amount of the national debt of Lichtenstein. And considering the other expenses you have to deal with, (like say, rent?); it's enough to make you scream; Especially after jumping through the hoops that comes with the date, only to find out that you aren't compatible. With 8 million people in the naked city, what's a person to do?

Here are some facts:

NUMBER OF WOMEN IN NYC LIVING ALONE: (according to the U.S. Census Bureau): 613,680 (14.7% of total)

NUMBER OF MEN: 457,616 (12.1%)

PERCENTAGE OF MEN AND WOMEN LIVING ALONE, RESPECTIVELY, NATIONWIDE: 11/6% & 9.5%

BOROUGH WITH LARGEST NUMBER OF PEOPLE LIVING ALONE: Manhattan (approx. 373,898)

BOROUGH WITH LARGEST NUMBER OF DIVORCED OR NEVER-MARRIED ADULTS: (Brooklyn (approx. 825,516)

AVERAGE AGE OF FIRST MARRIAGE IN U.S., 2000-2003: 27 for men, 25 for women

APPROX. NUMBER OF NYC-AREA Match.com PERSONALS: 300,000
(PERCENTAGE OF MEMBERS IN THEIR THIRTIES: 37%)
(PERCENTAGE OF MEMBERS 18-29: 25%)
*source: Time Out NY, Issue #541

What does that mean? Apparently there are still a lot of single folks out there available for courtship. I guess the key is to get them all together. Most importantly, I guess be yourself and go with the flow. Don't succumb to the pressure of the "holiday" and beat yourself over the head if you don't have anyone. As they say: there's a mate for everyone and your time will come.

Discuss amongst yourselves......

TONITE: LITE NITE THURSDAYS ($4 all light beers)

NUFF SAID