Date Better and Stop with the Deal Breaker Deletes

The world of dating has certainly changed.  We live in the realities of the online dating paradigm.  This world offers some amazing benefits to people looking for love, or other, less romantic pursuits.  You have access to a massive audience outside of your work and social circles.  This can be a great thing.  Unfortunately, some negative side-effects seem to be happening, that I will evaluate, with the goal being to encourage us all to Date Better.

No Hookups and Other Online Dating Farcicalities

Online dating can be a productive and efficient way of meeting a collection of like minded matches suitable for consideration of a long term romantic relationship.  Yeah, it can also be a hysterical farce of a show.  See the guy picture to the left? Yeah, I use that picture in my profiles because it shows off the side of my personality that is “harmless” as a couple of my friend like to point out.  Here I’m using harmless to showcase myself in a vulnerable and adorable state…in bed.  This is a vision and a location that I’d like potential matches to consider seeing me in.  Sweet and adorable and the distracting contrast of using cold technology to portray a warm and fuzzy moment.  Brilliant…I know.  Trust me, another side of my personality influences things. We call him the IntimiDATER.  Go ahead and “Like” him on Facebook.  Do it now before I show you what he thinks that innocent looking picture communicates to the ladies.

Single Resolutions – 2014 Updated

A lot of you guys are still single and frankly, I don’t need the competition.  We need to get some of you pair bonded, post-haste.  I’m not sure if you paid attention when I dropped the Top 10 Single Resolutions for the 2011 New Year’s season, but go ahead and catch up because ALL 11 of those Top 10, still apply.  I’ve just added a few to the mix.

Before we get to that, let’s talk about resolutions or whatever you want to call them: visions, intentions, plans…they’re all the same thing.  Anyway, why do we constantly set ourselves up for failure?  Throw in a few gimmes and you’ll feel better about yourself.  I resolve not to make people feel guilty about the fact that they aren’t running a marathon, so I will refrain from running a marathon this year. DONE.  I resolve to support the good people who own and work at micro-breweries. COUNT ON IT.   I resolve to do my part in solving state problems. For example, prison over-crowding is a problem and I resolve to prevent my temper from adding another number to the system. PERFECT.

OK, let’s jump into these additions to the list of single resolutions!

DalyDose of…Total Package

I started the “Insanity” workout today and let me start this posting on a tangent: Even the fit test kicked my butt!

OK, back to our originally scheduled blog.  I started the Insanity workout today because my internal fitness level did not match my external appearance.  I have a supercharged engine in a jalopy frame and it was time to get to the body shop.  When I finished the workout this morning, I thought about some things that I had been talking about with women that I know.  They all have various reasons for justifying why they don’t think a guy will work out.  Some of them claim intuition, some resort to blaming it on “timing” and some just say that they aren’t willing to “settle”, but are uncomfortable discussing what is an unsettling…uh…settling situation.

DalyDose of…Ladies Baggage

I have been single long enough now, since early 2007, that it is starting to seem commonplace. In that time, I have dated quite a bit. There have been many variables that could describe these women in terms of physical traits, emotional stability, intellect, personality, etc. For the purpose of this entry we will look only at age.

Women fitting into a wide range of ages, find their way into my life. I have dated some young women and others that are…(be careful here, JD)…uh…more, age appropriate. I have heard some men complain that younger women are full of drama and old—, ah…age appropriate women are bogged down with their own unique set of issues. My extensive, case-by-case research has lead me to my own conclusion:

DalyDose of…Phone Sex. Is it a Date?

I like writing, but it would be so much better to get paid for it.  I came across this opportunity to submit a blog sample to this company starting a website for single people.  They were looking for funny, unique views.  I submitted my DalyDose of…10 Single Resolutions and they responded that they would like a 500 word sample using their test topic.  The test topic is “Does phone sex count as a date?”. 

I took on the challenge.  I transformed myself from nice guy to inner jerk and starting hitting the keyboard.  They wanted 500 words or less….here are my 493:

A DalyDose of….Man’s Last Stand??

I was watching the SuperBowl yesterday and among the all commercials, one stood out.  Yeah, there were funnier ones and more touching ones and arguably even more clever ones.  (see this Lunch.com list for a good sampling) This particular commercial, however stuck out to me for a variety of reasons.  Before I comment further, please take 30 Tivo-free seconds and (gasp) watch the commercial:

OK, why did this commercial standout?  Well, the voice of Dexter, for one, if you’re a fan of that show.  The fact that we were lured in with narrative that rings true for any man who has had a relationship that lasted longer than next morning’s breakfast, is yet another reason.  What really struck me about what I consider to be an undoubtedly unique and effective ad, is the notion of the choice of car as “man’s last stand”.

The video argument is compelling, for sure.  As I was watching and grinning and nodding in agreement, something was tugging at my thoughts.  Was this really the last stand for men?  Somewhere in the memory vaults of my mind another argument was recalled.  YES…it was from the BBC sitcom “Coupling”, not be confused with the horrific American version.  Check out this video clip of a rant, from Steve, about men and what he believes should be considered our last stand. (NOTE: yes, you recognize the actor from his role in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” films)

So, we have two passionate arguments for “Man’s Last Stand”.  The Dodge Charger SuperBowl ad supports the…uh…Dodge Charger and thus, the car.  Steve in “Coupling” makes the case for the bathroom.

Where do you stand on this whole “last stand” issue?  Please vote in the poll below and feel free to wax poetic in the comment section!