YouPlus Dallas conducted its own survey of men and women of Dallas and asked the same question.  What is the one thing about men that women simply do not understand?  Take a look.

A very well done video named “Sight”, where relationships in the future are altered (augmented?) by technology which greatly affects the dynamics between men and women.

From Vimio, “The movie incorporates gamification. Look how the guy is scored on how he cuts a cucumber.  The “act interested” is a suggestion in his interface because he already mastered the game and unlocked everything while she is still just level 5.

I also think that he’s somewhat a more important person than just ‘working in the company’ it looks like he’s the owner or something of the league, he has root access to code and sourcecode of the implants. He has major obsession with perfection which is the main theme. “for a perfect night” was the toast. He rewrote the girl to get the third bowtie, so that he can get the wingman achievement, nothing more, he’s not really interested in the girl.”

Intense, depicting pain of love and relationships with great acting by older actors on a universal topic.  Haunting.

There are many ways in which you can narrate a story. Here director Brian McAllister made the unique decision to use rhyming poetry to narrate his story about a young boys summer job and his encounter with a kindly old man.

I say this decision is unique because typically you find rhyming poetry of this nature in more light hearted stories for children, but here the whimsical nature of the rhyme scheme is juxtaposed to the bittersweet reality of the story. Though we think we are going to be left with a heavy hearted ending the story gives way to a delightful surprise at the end that will leave you smiling.

During the opening scenes of this short film we watch as a girl tries desperately to hitch a ride from wherever she is. Failing to do so she returns home to her brother and we find out why she was trying to run away. Through their interaction and  dialogue  we see that the two have settled into a dynamic that is at times tense yet ultimately loving as we discover they are two kids who have been left to take care themselves with the sister trying to play mom and look out for her brother.

We can see that part of the reason for their situation is due to their mother, but the rest is a mystery and the viewer is left to fill in the gaps with their own assumptions. The performances given by the actors playing the brother and sister, Aurelia Poirier and Sascha Blanchez, are the stand out elements of this film. Both portray their characters with such a sense of realness that you are drawn in to the story despite how little of it you are given.

There’s no doubt that the emergence of technology has changed the way in which we interact with each other, especially in the realm of dating and relationships. With the internet we have the the ability establish and maintain romantic connections with people on the other side of the world. The downside to this great opportunity is the fact that even though you can chat and share pictures you are never really sure how being with that individual in person will be so you create fantasies to fill in the gaps.

In this video we watch as two young lovers from different parts of the world prepare to meet each other for the first time. Both are full of hopeful expectations and anxiety of how their first time seeing each other face to face will be. Each has their own perfect scenario of how their meeting will unfold but can either of them live up to the other’s expectations and can either of them handle the fact that it might not be as good as their fantasies?

If you haven’t watched the short film Apricot by filmmaker Ben Briand, you should take a mental break from the mundane and step into this dreamlike ten minute masterpiece.  Created by Moonwalk Films (the same powerhouse that created Signs,) this film is in itself an invitation to take a “mental break” from the present and explore the importance of our memories.  How sharp and clear is the memory of your first love?  The main male character in the film repeatedly says, “I can’t remember”.  In many ways, I identify with this man.

The visual aspect and propensity for details are not my memory’s strong suit.  I can recall the name and vague appearance of my first love, and when I pass someone wearing the cologne he wore, I remember the way I felt the first time we kissed.  What conversations did we have? What likes and dislikes? What ended it all?  I can’t really remember.  It’s all one fuzzy, dreamy blur from youth that makes me smile at the ridiculousness of it and feel a twinge of saddness that it came to an end.

Apricot dazzles as it walks the viewer through this process, as two people engage one another on an ordinary coffee date.  As the woman is asked to recall her first love and first kiss, she delves into her memory with thoughtful and almost wistful abandon, while he watches on, taking notes.  Though I was a little confused by the note-taking at first, I suddenly realized he may be taking notes to help re-create his own lack of memory because he is lost without being able to identify his past.  Perhaps in having his date tell her story, she is inevitably forming a deep impression on his mind that will eventually become a memory for him to cling to.  In the midst of the story, there are flashes of her first love eating an apricot and the present day man on the date sipping on his coffee. As she reaches in for a kiss, it mirrors the child biting the apricot and kissing her. In this modern day recollection, the woman picks up the man’s coffee, takes a sip, and gives him a soft kiss.

As humans, are we always striving to recreate the magic of our first love and keep the memory of those feelings alive?  Are we always searching for that kind of power, passion, and discovery in our relationships, repeating the same behaviors unconsciously? This film brings up these possibilities and many other thought-provoking truths that are tailor made for the dreamer in us all.  Though I watched it and found myself searching my memory for moments with my first love, I realized that ultimately what makes that first love so sweet is finding it down the road with someone we can share that feeling with for the rest of our lives.

If you’ve been through a break up ( or are going through one now) you know how stressful and anger inducing they can be and how often times music is the most effective way to sooth the inner turmoil you feel. Using straight forward lyrics and her bright voice, Zee Avi describes a relationship in which you feel like your beating your head up against a wall and there’s no getting through to the other person and you just want to, as she says, throw your shoe through a concrete wall. That’s a relationship dynamic I’m sure we’ve all experienced at least once.

Thats part of why break up songs are so comforting, right? They let us know we’re not the only ones crying and feeling frustrated. Not only that but they sometimes even give us greatly needed perspective. With it’s steady beat and Avi’s calm deliverance this is a song might be just what you need to keep your cool.

For every mother it is an inevitable moment, the day their child decides they are ready to strike out on their own and explore the world. Here director Jessica Poon blends endearing animation, humor and a little bit of science to create a heart warming story based on this transitional moment that is forever life changing for both the child and mother.

Every once and awhile when I’m walking around White Rock Lake or taking a ride on DART I see an older couple sitting or walking together and it makes me smile. I always wonder what their love has endured and what it is about each of them that the other has found they can’t live without.