Anyone who listened to our podcast this week heard us launch off with the epic, soaring "Young Blood" by The Naked and Famous. If you didn't return to that song at least a couple times shortly thereafter, then our brains must work in very different ways, because I was straight up addicted to that piece of immaculate pop for a solid week. We're talking repeated plays over the course of a ten minute walk. As someone who values musical variety, I would never do such a thing intentionally, which is just an expression of now naturally this song took over my mind with its greatness.

Is this the worst time to be twenty-something with a college degree and looking for a real job? Most of us would say so, and the labor statistics coming out of North America tend to reaffirm our grim outlook. But native Montrealer Chris DeLuca has taken to the Internet with a far more positive outlook. Armed with the firm belief that our generation is better educated, more tech savy, more creative, and altogether more employable than any before us, DeLuca is out there scouring job listings from all over the world, picking up anything that speaks to the mobile and motivated twenty-something set. He posts them on a blog and twitter feed called Daily Job Finder that he created less than a year ago.

Yes, The Arcade Fire won music's highest commercial honor. Yes, they are from Montreal. Yes, someone started a Tumblr featuring people's tweets about their disbelief that a band they had never heard of won Album of the Year. Yes, it's great. No, I don't care in any way what-so-ever.

They're a nice band filled with nice people. But I hate award shows, and I hate even more people who talk about award shows excessively. Like on Twitter, where people feel the need to let you know everything about what you hate the most. Monday nights are the worst when Glee is on.

Here's the best of the rest from the Montreal blogosphere this past week:

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Congratulations. If you're still reading, it means you have made it through 3 whole days of my tyrannous oppression which I exacted upon you during this, the post-Jeremy regime. If you don't know what I'm talking about, check out How to Treat Your Man and How to Treat Your Woman for Valentine's Day Montreal 2011. Also please keep sending in your best valentine's day stories/tips/questions, which will all be featured anonymously next Monday.

I have no doubt this post will be far more popular than the other two. Why? Because secretly deep down inside we all dream of being single. Yeah, security of a stable relationship is nice, but curiosity is human nature and we thrive to explore the unknown of being single. In some cases, the unknown of being single results in a freakish 11-month long drought right after you move to a new city (say, Montreal). Not that I know from experience or anything... pfffff common, I am the pimp king! Just look at my modeling photo:



You can never un-see that photo. And yes, that is Baltimore.
Moving along...

Being single on Valentine's Day is pretty tough. Your relationship friends will bitch about what they are doing/aren't doing for it, and your single friends will likely try to organize some sort of anti-valentine's party, usually reserved for women who constantly complain about being single, thus perpetuating their solidarity.

Fear not, you have other options! Here are some tips on how to cope with being completely and utterly alone on a day designated for celebrating what you don't have:

WHAT ELSE YOU CAN DO:

8th Annual ANTI-VALENTINE'S DAY PARTY
Remember that time I told you anti Valentine's day things were lame? Well that was until we received this press release in our inbox:

The Co-op Bookstore will hold its eighth annual Anti- Valentine's Day Event on Friday, February 11th starting at 7:30 p.m. The event will be held at the Co-op Bookstore, located at 2150 Bishop, and will feature musical performances by Reversing Falls and Lindenbergh Line; a salacious reading by local writer Mark Ambrose Harris, as well as intimate poetry by Guillaume Morissette. And a first for the Co-op Bookstore, a Burlesque performance by Montreal's own Velma Candyass. Always wanting to be a part of the fun, Larissa "Lit Pimp" Dutil will once again make everyone feel awkward with her F'd comedy stylings. Smutty visuals & artwork by local scenesters will be projected throughout the evening. Here's the Facebook site for it.

Watch that movie you've been putting off watching
Little bit of wine. Some green. A trip to la Boite Noire to rent that film everyone's been talking about. This way, the next day when people ask you about Valentine's Day, you can answer by talking about said movie. I recommend Exit Through The Gift Shop, Kick-Ass, or CatFish. Actaully, CatFish made me want to quit the internet and dating forever. It also made me more uncomfortable than I ever thought possible while watching a movie. Movies I strongly advise against: anything documentaries starring Joaquin Phoenix. I'm Still Here was the biggest waste of 13 minutes ever.

Put in some extra hours at work
This might sound pathetic, but it actually makes a lot of sense. If you have no special plans for Valentine's day, and considering that this year it falls on a Monday, it could be a good opportunity to get some extra work out of the way. This will relieve your overall stress and provide for a better week and weekend.

Create the Montreal equivalent of StreetViewBabes
Best. New. Tumblr. Ever. The commentary is amazing. Thanks to Andrew in Toronto for making this and also posting it on his Facebook. This could really work in Montreal! What with all the eurotrash... I wish the google street view of Prince-Arthur/St Laurent had been shot at 3am on a Saturday.

Speed Dating at The Belmont
I went in October (as previously mentioned). It was wonderful. I think there is actually one being organized this Saturday! You'll have to google it because I don't care about your single-ness THAT much.

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WHAT TO AVOID:

Going For a walk on Mont-Royal
No. Shut up. This seems to be the over-obvious choice for what people do in Montreal do when they need to "think". It's silly though, because you'll just get lonely and think about it even more. Then you'll see all the couples having fun paying $8 each to go down the shitty hill on tubes at Beaver Lake and cry a little. Next stop: The Jacques-Cartier Bridge.

Going on a First Date at L'Académie
Stupid. Again. You'll end up talking about Valentine's Day and all the good/bad ones you've had, and it's pretty much the biggest turn off ever. Save the BYOB (and gourmet food provided at a student-made price) for another night.

Seeing The Dears in concert
Yes, yes, we all support music and whatever, but going to a show (especially by yourself) is sad every day of the year, not just Valentine's day. They play at a special early time of 6pm.

Hanging out with your ex
I call sleeping with your ex the act of "repeat offending", in the sense that you are committing a capital offense and you know it's wrong the whole time you're doing it (yet do it anyway). I think most of us have been guilty of this at some point or another (or all the time), but there is a science behind it. If you are alone, you will likely yearn for the last person who made you feel all warm down there, and this person is usually the ex you just hate so fucking much. It won't feel good. Don't do it.

Calling your parents
Oh look at that you've got some extra time tonight, might as well give Mom & Dad a call (or two separate calls in today's divorce riddled world), right? WRONG. Nothing is more annoying than when your parents think you're lonely, especially when they have BBM like my mom does. Calling them will only further their notion of how badly you have failed at bringing home grandchildren.

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Bah, I wanted this list to be more Montreal-centric, but apparently there isn't much going on here for single people. Maybe I should host a party. Yes, and we'll all watch Catfish together and revel in how meta it is that we are watching a movie about strangers meeting online with strangers we met online. GENIUS.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's article on How to Meet People in Montreal and the Best Dating Sites to try out.

And follow me on Twitter! @lgdoucet.

Photo courtesy of the Forever Alone meme

The blogosphere was set ablaze this week when Arianna Huffington sold out to AOL. Honestly though, I could care less. When blogs become really popular, they just turn into any other news site from both a content and format point of view, and end up defeating the purpose of the blog which is being casual and informal. This happened to The Huffington Post, and also to Mashable.

Midnight Poutine however, is still down right and dirty. If you don't believe me, be sure to check out some of the ridiculous shit I've been saying in this week's You Had Me At Poutine series. And be sure to submit your best stories/tips/questions!

Also, in case you care, I did eat The Anrgy French Canadian on Superbowl Sunday. I'm still editing the video, but here's a photo to satisfy your hunger (ha...)


Ok enough of the bullshit. Here's the best posts from other blogs that aren't us:

Hey CRTC, I'm really happy for you and Ima let you finish gouging us for the Internet in a minute, but Egypt had one of the best Internet controversies of all time!**

All jokes aside, it's Superbowl week, and even though it has virtually nothing to do with Canada other than the fact that the NFL completely eclipses our Football House League, I want go give a big shout out to our hometown boys at EpicMealTime. Why? Because I will be making, and then eating, their insanely epic sandwich, "The Angry French Canadian", on Sunday to help celebrate America.



Alright let's do this...