with Bourdain off the air, i feel bad i dropped off on watching the show several years ago. his cynicism got to be too much and i gave up on “No Reservations” in lieu of more important viewing like “Breaking Bad” and “Gossip Girl.”  

today, what i appreciate most about him is exactly what turned me away a few years ago. in traveling, Bourdain has always been his own man. he is curious, eager to experience and easily delighted, but he is not there to please or make friends. if he doesn’t like something he’ll tell you, if he thinks you’re a fool, you’ll hear about it.

lately, i’ve been realizing that my opinions are stronger than i once realized - or perhaps they’re getting that way with age - yet i’m struggling to express them. i’m uber aware not to hurt feelings or upset friends, worried a shift in the delicate balance of my social life (the one that has me always catering to everyone else’s feelings) might be irreparable.

most important is how i’m seeing it affect my professional life. sitting back is for wussies and most of the time, i’m a big one. so this week is a reminder to stand up, take charge and go after what you want. sure, it’s a bit cheesy in a Cathy cartoon sort of way. but the cliched things are that way because they matter - to more that some of us. 

what also matters to me is that you read the roundup. so here you go:

TO READ:

1. apparently, it’s the Muck Rack Daily that i’ve been writing since April. according to Mashable we’re one of 5 brands killing daily newsletters
2. here’s the special edition Daily that we sent out on Election Night. yes, i was Diane Sawyer drunk while writing it
3. not only did i find out that Amber Heard is not a lesbian anymore, but she’s also with Johnny Depp. and he wooed her for a MONTH! Refinery 29
4. any overwhelmed journalist with an inbox  one will you, the trick is in the e-mail filters, MediaBistro
5. Sandy was hard on the media - some journalists had to work in their underwear. photos c/o International Business Times
6. congratulations to the NYTimes for keeping their subscriptions up! Poynter
7. second congrats to The Atlantic, for knowing how to keep profits coming in the “internet age,” MediaBistro
8. our lifecasting has a new home - its own Instagram web profile! Venturebeat
9. before he hosted SNL, Louis CK sent fans quite the lovely e-mail. where’s your note, Hathaway?! Huffington Post
10. speaking of Sandy, how do we get back to normal? MediaBistro helps (and i did too in this awesome blog post i wrote before they did)
11. pre-election night, Reuters told its employees how to tweet. suppose “booyah, in your face, suckas” didn’t make the list
12. my friend and colleague Natan is still out of his apartment downtown. seriously?! Brick Underground
13. Hollywood magazine doesn’t believe in a female James Bond
14. Ryry seems to think RPats pooped his pants. agreed? BuzzFeed
15. i like to think i know about weekly roundups (agreed). now Bullett is doing one too. and it ain’t bad

TO WATCH/LISTEN:

1. after watching a pretty terrible movie (“House of Pleasures” - skip it), i discovered The Mighty Hannibal. “The Right to Love You” is a brilliant song. 
2. in fact, listen to the whole album

TO BUY ME:

1. apparently no makeup is necessary when you look like Diane Kruger so throw mine away, Refinery29
2. i guess none of the things Refinery 29 says make a “hipster apartment.” i only got 5/30 on this list - how about you?
3. since this is turning into the Refinery hour, how about a drink at these ultra cool NYC bars they suggested?
4. a ticket to the Whitney to see the “Dark and Deadpan” exhibit (h/t Hillary for pointing it out) 
5. of the things i love in life, desserts and bourbon rank pretty high. now imagine bringing the two together, BuzzFeed
6. for real, i would wear this leather sleeved military jacket everywhere, Boutique to you
7. if you need earrings for holiday dressing, try these pretty vintage looking ones from Asos
8. and yes, i will accept any one of the best hot cocoas in NYC, according to Scoutmob. preferably Grom. love that place!

(photo c/o RyRy via BuzzFeed)