They say dating's dead...

But then, if you think of how awkward it is to sit across the table from somebody and recite your relationship resume, it's so DAMN BORING!

So, what do you do?
blah, blah, what do YOU do?
blah blah, what kinda music do you like?
blah, blah...

(It's fine if you click, if you don't, it's hell...)

Personally, I have taken a couple of girls on dates, and I personally think it's more fun to go somewhere under the pretext of "getting to know each other" or something like that. By actually calling it a date, it usually just feels so awkward, like everything is being judged or something. I think it just feels more natural not to "date"...

The Departed
(I know, it's pretty new, but it's bound for greatness)

I'll second 'Casablanca' (classic, 50+ years old, still better than about 90% of anything made since)

Fight Club
(Grisly, appeals automatically to any guy who's not a complete pansy...)

-BTW, gotta question choosing "Jungle Book" over "Aladdin"... (if you gotta have a Disney flick on your list)

A lot of the squeeze on the middle class is as a direct result of the way that corporations have decided to "trim the fat."

In order to provide the low cost goods and services that we demand as consumers, and to remain competitive in the global market, Compainies are constantly cutting costs. One of the easiest places to cut costs is in labor, because a company can always look around for someone who will do the job cheaper. Net result, loss of consumer buying power. And the emplyee will always feel the squeeze. You're rarely paid what you're worth, and when times are tough, you may be let go.

This is especially true in jobs that don't require a whole lot of formal training.

Young people, just entering the labour force particularly feel the squeeze, since we don't have the formal training and experience necessary to make us hard to replace.

A couple of solutions present themselves:

Go to school, but get a degree that takes more work. This alone will distinguish you, since fewer people getting the degree turns into less competition for jobs later. Of course, not everyone wants to earn a degree in engineering, or medicine, or law, or one of those ball breakers, which presents you with a second option.

Learn a trade.

This is a great option that people just don't talk about as much. The way that most trades are set up, you spend a few years learning the trade through an apprenticeship. You don't make as much money as later, but as a young guy, you can probably live more comfortably than the guys in school, who are racking up debts they will have to repay for the first 5 or so years out of school.

After a couple years in apprenticeship, you become a journeyman. Now your making enough money to live fairly comfortably. It's sort of a lower middle class job, but you are making good money considering that you're in you'rew early 20s.

Once you get the journeyman stuff done you become a full fledged tradesman, and you make pretty good money.

Another side note: Most trades have a union associated with them, and although that means you have to put up with a little bull **** from the union, the union will help you find work, ensure that any jobs you get will pay well, and have good benefits, and treat you fairly.

After you reach a certain amount of time within a trade, you can open your own business as a contractor. Contractors (especially commercial contractors) have the ptoential to make a LOT of money, and if you've got a bit of business savvy, youcould very easily be making more than most of your college friends in about 5 to 10 years. Also, since you're the boss, you have a LOT of flexibility in how you run your business.

A mid sized contracting operation probably brings the operator about as much money as being a doctor would, except without all those crazy long days at the hospital, and not being on call.

You're actually in a position to "produce" something, so if you need more money, you just have to figure out how to produce more.

Personally, I hate the idea of being an employee. You are basically selling yourself and your creativity to the highest bidder. Most of the time, you are seen as a replacable part. If you come into work late, you get your ass chewed. If your boss is moody, your walking on eggshells... etc. etc. etc.

In a good relationship, you should have enough trust to share anything...
That said, I wouldn't rush to give up my deepest, darkest secrets right away.

I've had a couple times where I was talking to a girl, and she started gushing about getting raped as a kid, and daddy issues, and I kinda hit a point where I was like, "Why are you telling me all this? I just met you... " I think most people can kinda relate to that.

Other side is when you've been dating a while, and suddenly you find out she's been hiding something from you that seems to change the whole relationship's dynamic. Then you just feel betrayed, so you can definately stray too far in the other direction.

If you look at how most relationships go, when you first meet you are just awash in good feelings, because the newness hasn't worn off yet. You're still living in a fantasy, but then that fantasy starts to wear off, and you realize that your lover is still around. I wouldn't spoil the fantasy, but I wouldn't wait too much past the "Gee, she is human, after all" phase...

But, that's just my thoughts...