What do you need to know when you buy games and consoles online?

Buying games and consoles has become a lot easier in recent years. The ability to purchase these items online has made it much easier to find and purchase the items you want. However, there are many things that you need to know before you buy these items online. You need to know what you're getting and what your rights are when it comes to exchanges and refunds. Otherwise, you could end up with a lot of hassle and frustration when buying online.

Before you buy games or consoles online, you need to know exactly what you're buying. This is because there's a lot of variation between different online stores. Some stores will only sell used games; others will only sell brand new games. Some stores will only sell used systems; others will only sell brand new systems. Knowing exactly what you're buying can save you a lot of hassle and frustration.

If you find a problem with your console, you need to be able to return it for a replacement. There are many reasons why returning an item is important. For example, if you buy a new system from a store and find that the cord is broken when you get it home, you can return it for a replacement cord. Or, if the system doesn't work properly, you can return it for a free repair. Knowing that you have this right makes it much easier to purchase from that store again in the future.

However, some people believe that knowing what they're buying can be difficult and time consuming. If they don't know what they're looking for, it's difficult for them to find the right console for them. They also have no way of knowing if the store they're buying from has good customer service or not.

For that reason, some people don't want to know what they're buying so they can easily make exchanges or refunds easily if they need to do so. If they don't know what they're looking for, it's difficult for them to make exchanges or refunds easily if they need to do so. They also have no way of knowing if the store they're buying from has good customer service or not.

Knowing what you're getting yourself into before you buy can be very beneficial. However, it can also be very time consuming and require some research. However, knowing what you're getting yourself into before you buy can help save you a lot of hassle and frustration in the long run.

Oznake: games., consoles

What do you need to know when you buy smart gadgets online?

Smart technology is rapidly becoming a staple in everyday life. It includes a wide range of gadgets that can be used to automate tasks and provide information. These gadgets are becoming increasingly popular due to their ability to make life easier. Unfortunately, many online shoppers are unaware of the risks associated with buying smart technology. This can lead to accidents and damaged relationships as the person using the gadget isn't informed of potential issues.

Smart technology is small, portable and discreet. This makes it ideal for when you're away from home or need to discreetly use it in public. For example, many people carry their phone everywhere they go so they can easily use it to communicate or use applications. The same can be done with smart technology such as the Amazon Echo. This handy gadget allows you to control your home appliances and listen to your favorite music through voice commands. It's very easy to use and extremely helpful when you need to do something quickly and privately using Frlacriti.

Because smart gadgets are so small and portable, they're ideal for when you're away from home or in a situation where carrying a regular phone wouldn't be practical. Many people take their smart gadgets on camping trips so they can use them when they're away from electricity sources. Others use them when they're at work so they don't have to use their cell phone for talking. These gadgets make it easy for people to automate tasks and interact with others wherever they are. They're incredibly useful and make life a lot easier.

Unfortunately, not everyone is aware of the different types of smart technology and its potential dangers. Some people may not know how to use a smart gadget safely or properly maintain it. This can lead to accidents and damage to property if they're not aware of how to handle them safely. Additionally, some people may misuse a smart gadget by taking it into dangerous situations or messing with settings they shouldn't tamper with.

Although smart gadgets are small, they can still be dangerous and cause accidents if not used correctly. For example, some people use smart toys like the Roary the Racing Car toy to race each other in the basement. However, this toy shouldn't be used in a road due to the risk of causing an accident and damaging property. Many parents also worry about the safety of their children when they use these devices so they'll have to take them into consideration as well.

Although smart technology has its downsides, it's still an extremely helpful tool for everyday life. However, it's important for people to learn about the different types of tech and how it works before buying it online. Otherwise, accidents could occur and relationships could be damaged due to uninformed actions. It's important to educate oneself on the dangers and proper maintenance of smart technology so potential problems can be avoided.

Oznake: smart gadgets

Internal storage

Internal storage is a part of a computer's main circuit board, which is where the computer's memory, processor and expansion slot are housed. Computers usually have a way to easily and quickly access internal storage, but that can become a hassle when you need to access it often. With that in mind, you may need to upgrade your computer's internal storage capacity. However, finding a good internal storage can be a challenge. That's why, finding the best internal storage for your computer is essential. In this piece, we'll explain how to find the best internal storage for your computer by discussing the pros and cons of different types of storage. We'll also discuss how to find the best size for your computer and how to find the best price for your needs. We'll also discuss the risks of buying from online marketplaces such as AliExpress and address ways to mitigate those risks.

You can buy flash drives, hard drives and USB memory from AliExpress and check price history charts. Flash drives allow you to store information on a small, portable drive. They can be easily inserted into computers and mobile devices to quickly save files and data. The advantage of using a flash drive is that they're small and portable, so you can easily carry them with you. Flash drives are also useful because they have a long shelf life, so they can be used for many years. Flash drives are relatively inexpensive, so you can easily afford to buy a lot of them. Furthermore, flash drives don't require a lot of power to work, so they don't need to be constantly plugged in. That makes them great for travelling, as they're easy to take with you. However, flash drives are not as fast as solid state drives, so they are not as good for intensive tasks. That is why you may want to combine flash drives with solid state drives for better performance. Alternatively, you can also buy a hard drive and use an existing flash drive as a secondary drive for additional storage. Hard drives are a lot faster than flash drives, so they're great for storing large amounts of data. They're also a lot more durable than flash drives, so they're great for storing important documents. They're also much more expensive than flash drives, so it's important to compare prices to find the best value for your money. Telegram page for people from the Philippines.

You can buy hard drives, flash drives and USB memory from AliExpress. Hard drives are basically large flash drives. They have the same basic features as flash drives and offer the same advantages and disadvantages. However, hard drives are much more expensive than flash drives and have a much slower read and write speed. That makes them better for storing large amounts of data, but not very practical for everyday use. Hard drives are also more difficult to use than flash drives, as they have less features. Some flash drives even have a built-in hard drive so you can access files even when the flash drive is disconnected. This makes flash drives much more practical than hard drives. By comparing prices and read and write speeds, you can easily find the best value for your money.

Many different sizes and models are available online. This makes it easy to find the perfect storage for your computer. You simply need to find the size and model that best suits your needs. Choosing the wrong storage can seriously hamper your computer's performance, so it's essential to find the right size and model for your computer. There's also a risk of damaging your computer's main circuit board if the storage is too big or too small. That makes it essential to find the right size and model for your computer. Additionally, it's important to compare prices to find the best value for your money. For example, a smaller, slower drive may be cheaper than a larger, faster drive, but it will cost more in the long run.

Prices are cheaper online than brick and mortar stores. That makes it easy to find better value for your money, as online stores can offer lower prices than brick and mortar stores. Plus, since prices are cheaper online, there is less risk of buying a counterfeit product or receiving a damaged drive. Plus, if you buy online, you can easily compare prices to find the best deals.

Counterfeit products are available online and the chances of getting a fake product increases when buying from AliExpress. This is because there is little oversight and fraud is common. This is especially the case with low-value products, such as flash drives. Therefore, it's essential to thoroughly research the product you're interested in buying.

Crooks will resell stolen goods on the black market and reselling goods boosts profits for criminals who then use the money for criminal activities. That makes it essential to thoroughly research the product you're interested in buying. For example, if you buy a counterfeit product, you could end up losing your money or having your data compromised. That makes it essential to thoroughly research the product you're interested in buying.

Hackers may intercept private data while it is on route to its destination when using data devices bought from AliExpress. This is because there is little oversight and fraud is common. This is especially the case with low-value products, such as flash drives. Therefore, it's essential to thoroughly research the product you're interested in buying.

In conclusion, it's essential to thoroughly research the product you're interested in buying. There is a risk of buying a counterfeit product or receiving a damaged drive. However, there are ways to mitigate these risks, such as by thoroughly researching the product you're interested in buying. It's essential to compare prices to find the best value for your money and make sure the product you're interested in buying is guaranteed to work with your computer. But, it's essential to do your research first so you know what you're getting into.

Oznake: internal storage

Bringing Splices Back

While I was off gallavanting around and working fingers to the bone and visiting my family and so on, I carried around a notebook and pen to catch my little thoughts because Lord knows I cannot go seventeen minutes without writing something down.

I love to write things down. I have always been this way. My parents used to carry me up to the Woolworth's before school started each year and buy me fresh pencils and a new notebook and (if I were lucky) a TrapperKeeper. But without fail EVERY year, they had to make a return trip to the store for a new notebook the day before school started because I had already filled up the first one with my little thoughts.

I sure wish I had a few of those notebooks. I am convinced we'd all have a fine laugh, especially around the time I discovered adverbs. I did like my adverbs, muchly.

So I still carry around a notebook and write in longhand because I am a weirdo. However, in the past three weeks there wasn't really a lot of time for well-thought-out writing. Or well-thought-out thinking, for that matter. Now that I've had some sleep and done some laundry (including 12 pairs of underwear purchased during a rather dire laundry situation ... I am just saying is all) I decided to flip through the pages of my notebook to see if something in there was just brilliant and needed to be shared forever thanks to the innernet.

Below is a sampling of what I found in that notebook. It is not brilliant. It is in fact, kind of frightening. But still I am sharing, because I am a giver.

serial killers probably have neater handwriting

Scrawl of a crazy woman. Also, why can't I remember this?


• Tell Drew about that thing with the place where we went that time that has the good guacamole.

• If you splice a comma and no one reads it, does it dangle or participilate?

• Trader Joe's guy supercute, Faith says must be over 21 to sell me wine. Was loving this until he carded me. Was Mrs. Robinson sexy? Can't remember *** rent The Graduate ****


• Remind Boss re: Good Friday [Editor's note: Can I just tell ya'll I have NO IDEA what I am supposed to remind my boss re: Good Friday? I hope it comes back to me. I pray I have not forever killed off those brain cells.]


• Can you get post traumatic stress disorder from a lunch date? I need a bath. Help me. That man had octopus arms. On a FIRST date. At lunch. WHAT THE HELL. I will never go to the Daily Grill again for fear that A) The waitress will remember the horrible lunch date and smile at me in a pitying manner B) I might be reminded of said lunch date and cry C) My PTSD will kick in and I'll start crouching in a corner eating my hair. Really, very bad lunch date. But the crabcake = tasty. Stupid octopus man. Stinky cologne. Almost ruined crabcake.

• Why the f*** is cable so expensive? They have commercials!!!


• Find Jeep registration tags. Look near cat. [Editor's note: Look near cat? Was I stoned?]


• Email Uncle Skipper about the plane tickets and also ask why he did not take my beloved family to the Hill Country Cafe which has the world's finest collection of gravy-covered foods in all of Texas, what sort of host is he anyway? Ask dad for gravy recipe. Hah hah remember the alamo? No, remember the gravy-covered pickle!


• Why is it that every time I go visit Grandma we seem to eat in restaurants that have faux-grain wood paneling from the time when dinosaurs roamed the earth?


• the time I saw the guy at the bus stop [Editor's note: ...?]


• Sign in Mexican restaurant: 24 hours in a day 24 beers in a case... a coincidence? I think not!


So that is just a random sampling of some of the fine writing I did in the month of July. I did go on a lunch date with an Octopus and it was horrible, but the crabcakes were good, and I did not rent "The Graduate" but I vaguely remember Mrs. Robinson being hot just the same, and I have no idea what I meant to tell my boss or had to say about the bus stop guy. During the month of March, I had to run down to the Rite-Aid on 7th and buy panties not once not twice but THREE times, and frankly that is a record even for me.

They were hermetically sealed, thanksbetojeebus, and ya'll would think I'd be more relaxed about the price of cable seeing as I appear to have an unlimited panty budget, but whatever.

Remember the alamo. Or better yet, remember the gravy covered pickle!

It happens.

* * *

A few weeks ago I was in the midst of chaos and madness and I was having a REALLY BAD DAY.

It was just one of those days. There's not one event in particular that sets you off, but a conflagration of seemingly miniscule things piles up (rude bus driver, someone at work snaps, your computer eats an entire monthly status report, coffee spilled, project axed, to-do list growing, mean email from someone, perhaps a thing you'd hoped for and wished for falls through miserably, you say something stupid and immediately wish you could un-say it, then you break a heel) (by the way, I thought that only happened on TV! I didn't know in real life you could actually break the heel of your boots, amazing).

And you want (you really really want) to be one with Oprah and feel full of gratitude and blessings, because logically you know how good you have it, but instead you are a five-year-old and you are officially mad at the world and you kind of want to throw something. Hard.

It happens.

I got home and sat down for a minute and what made me maddest of all was that I had no more coping mechanisms left! I don't smoke anymore, so there's that. I don't drink excessively to pickle my liver and brain anymore, so there's that. I don't stuff myself at the Jack-in-the-Box drive through window anymore, so that one was gone, too.

STUPID GETTING HEALTHY AND TAKING AWAY OF FUN COPING SKILLS.

HATE YOU.

It was actually the first time in a long time I wanted to smoke. In fact, I wanted to smoke while funneling cabernet and mainlining Jack-in-the-Box. Those were my coping mechanisms for a very long time, and for just a moment I sat and cried because I had no idea what to do.

Would I fall off the wagon? Revert? Two steps back?

But wait.

There isn't a wagon to fall off.

I can't start a new diet tomorrow because I'm not on a diet. So if I smoke or drink 800 calories of cabernet or eat a small family in deep-fried bite-size portions, it's my problem, one more in a long list, and I cannot pretend I'll fix it sometime in the far-away future with a magic diet or clean-living program or "I'll be good." There was no one counting, or taking score, and whatever I did that day was all up to me and really only affected me. Not the mean email or the snappy person or the boots or the bus driver.

A little voice in the back of my mind (great, now we're hearing voices) said, You should probably go for a walk.

Now, I like to walk. Usually. I enjoy strolling around my neighborhood and looking at the houses and yards and people and cats and sometimes I get to pet a dog. I like to meander or sometimes I walk fast, and afterwards I feel relaxed and calm. So I knew that I should go for a walk but I was MAD and wanted to SMOKE SOMETHING NOW NOW and I pulled off my work clothes and threw (threw!) a Kenneth Cole boot with a broken heel into the back yard to rot and grow worms, and I stomped around like a toddler with anger management issues, pulling on my sweats and tennis shoes.

I went out onto the street. "Fine. FINE. I'll take this g-ddamn coping walk. FINE. I AM COPING."

And I walked and walked, pretty fast, actually. The whole time muttering silently to myself something along the lines of, "Stupid no smoking no eating french fries life FINE I am on my coping walk, I'm coping, stupid coping walk, it's COPABLE. I AM COPING, PEOPLE. It's COPE-A-LICIOUS. It's... it's...

... COPASETIC."

And something about this stupid train of thought made me laugh. COPASETIC. Because I was being silly and I don't even know what that word means and it was nice to be outside, and the air was clean from all the wind we'd had and people were out walking dogs, and really, to be honest, I was feeling a little better.

I have all my arms and legs. I have my lungs, now unpolluted. I have a body that has gotten used to walking so lookee here! I'm not out of breath in two minutes. At least I have a job, even if it was hard today. I can bring home the Meow Mix, then scoop out the cat pan.

That night I walked for two hours, just puttering along, saying hey to neighbors I passed, looking at pretty yards, decompressing. It took two hours, and only for a fleeting minute did I feel guilty because I should be back home, on the laptop, working diligently. I had a list as long as my arm to do, To-Do, always stuff To Be Done.

But I just walked.

When I got home I had a (single) (large) glass of wine and made chicken fajitas from Trader Joe's and later I took a shower, then I sat down to work for a few hours before falling into bed.

It's not easy to give up the things I loved, and believe me -- I did love my old coping strategies. Even though I want to be healthier and live longer and have a strong and sturdy life and wear clothes free of the Plus Size Bedazzler, there is a part of me that still wants to hide out on the back patio smoking cigarettes all night and drinking 9/10 of a bottle of wine, eating instead of talking, stuffing down every scared or tired or lonely or stressed-out feeling I have.

There is a part of me that is tired, and weak, and scared, and not ready for more Growth And Learning. There is a part of me that will always be a smoker, an overeater, someone who likes to take the edge off with a pile of wine and cheetos.

But since I am no longer on a diet, no longer "about to start a new program... tomorrow" and no longer waiting for an unspecified time in the future before I start to treat myself with dignity, every day I just have to make the best decision I can. I suspect I will see the inside of a Jack-in-the-Box drive through again, I suspect I will drink 600 calories in cabernet in one sitting, more than once. But sometimes I will also choose to go for a walk, or a long drive, or make the cats dance with me in the living room (they hate it soooo much). Or I will throw a shoe into the back yard with profanity befitting a sailor, and later slink back out to retrieve it and clean it with a damp paper towel and copasetically place it in my bag to take to the shoe repair guy the next day.

There is no wagon to fall off.

Bringing the crazy to a whole new audience...

I could make money off that forehead.

So, I did go see Grandma but didn't get around to posting these pictures until today. It's busy at Chez Hairball, what can I say? (Actually, I did clean my house on Columbus Day AND do laundry and I would like to inform you I have things... underthings... I had forgotten I owned. Now that is saying something for the Panty Purchasing Power. Ya'll know of what I speak.)

That is SO not related to convalescent hospital talk! Yet, still. Quite true.

Grandma is feeling better and she has some color in her cheeks and she's as chipper and funny as ever. I took her a stack of Really Very Good reading material (i.e. tabloids) and a fresh copy of Rage of Angels because I know that if I were laid up after a stroke, I too would want to amuse and berate myself for finding Michael Moretti the better man (Adam Warner, you are no Ashley Wilkes!) (for those of you who are like, "Michael who?" you must cease enriching your brain immediately and go read Rage of Angels, awesome awesome drivel.)

Also, there is a new resident at the hospital!

This is new resident Kit E. Cat.

There are a few residents I've gotten to know who I really look forward to seeing when I go visit Grandma. Raydine is fascinating lady, and she is definitely the kitten's favorite person:

More pictures, this is Lester:

Mr. Hakim, who always has a smile:

One of the great things about Halloween is that it leeches the goober right out of us all (eeeww! leeches! spooky halloweeny!) and believe me, under the carefully controlled exterior of every man, woman and nursing attendant is a big old goober.

Is it a trained, qualified professional caregiver or a SPOOKY VILLAIN???

Derek or Baboon Boy? Mysterious! Spooky!

Aunt Pam, Nursing Administrator or Aunt Pam, cast member of CATS?

So, there was much carrying on with general tomfoolery and a good time was had by all. Thank you again to Kristy for organizing the Grandma Purl blanket-a-long, and I hope ya'll know how much everyone in my family thanks ya'll and how much I do appreciate it, even when I am out corrupting convalescent hospitals and pimping out Sidney Sheldon books and generally leeching out the goobers within.

Oh, and showing off my forehead. Of course!

Online commerce shows development

Experts note the rapid growth of the global e-commerce market. According to many data, Europe is the most prepared for online commerce, which, however, can be traced in earlier analyses in this segment. It may be noted that the pandemic has played a significant role in improving performance around the world, forcing people to take a closer look at the possibilities of remote interaction between sellers and buyers. The authors also point to the need to achieve digital transformation in countries where low incomes are represented. There is now a significant gap in the field, even among the G-20 countries. By comparison, in the UK, 87% of the population makes online purchases, while in India only 3% do so.

It is worth noting that over the past year, many people have been able to look differently at the possibilities of online shopping. It turned out to be both profitable and very convenient. The latter point is ensured not only by the efforts of the trade resources themselves, but also by the presence of sites that allow the most efficient choice of suitable goods. Such projects allow the monitoring of all categories in demand among consumers. Offers from thousands of sellers can be collected in one place.

For example, one such service for Aliexpress is Pricearchive.org, which covers segments of home and pet products, electronics, auto and motorcycle products, cell phones and accessories, watches, sports and entertainment, clothing for men and women, children's products and much more. For each category, there are tens of thousands of vendors and millions of products. This opens up impressive opportunities for choosing the perfect solution in the marketplace: and to do so, you don't have to browse through countless sites with offers of interest.

You can use the project as a website and as a browser extension. The site has impressive functionality that improves the quality of shopping. For example, you can use it to check the price history of a particular product, find similar offers in one click, read real item reviews, photos and customer reviews, track the location of the parcel. This is especially convenient to do in their browser extension.

Of interest are other features of the project. For example, it selects goods with the grandest discounts: information on each category is updated daily. A great deal of attention is also paid to providing responsive support, promptly responding to any messages from users on the work of the service itself.

That's what I said in a nutshell. In fact, there is more information to study. If you want to save and not overpay on Aliexpress, you can start by watching a video or reading an article from the developers of the service.

Here are some resources to get you started.

Pricearchive website - Aliexpress tracking

Google Chrome Aliexpress price tracker Chrome extension


Articles

Medium AliExpress search by image

Medium AliExpress price tracker


Videos

Youtube AliExpress price tracker

Youtube AliExpress price history

Youtube AliExpress search by image

Vimeo AliExpress price tracker

Vidlii AliExpress price tracker


Linkedin account of the developer of the service
Yandex profile of the service
Just happened to find a Weheartit profile of someone who uses this service like me.
Additional information can be found here.

Localized versions of the site

Aliexpress verfolgung (DE)
Historial precios Aliexpress (ES)
Suivi prix AliExpress (FR)
Monitoraggio dei prezzi (IT)
RU


In one of my next posts, I will tell you about some other interesting and useful project.

Oznake: e-commerce, shopping, aliexpress, price, Tracking, parcel, service

Wine and late nights and writing do not mix.

Tonight I went to the grocery store after work, it was a long day, a long week, everything moving so fast at my job and all around me, almost like I'm stuck in time or molasses trying to catch up with the whole world. Everyone just a step ahead.

The Trader Joe's parking lot was packed, but I got a spot as soon as I pulled in (I have good parking karma to make up for my distinct lack of actual driving karma. Carma?) I had the windows down on the Jeep even though it wasn't hot, because I just do that sometimes. The wind is so good when the music is loud.

And I bought blackberries, they looked ripe and fresh, and stuff for a quick dinner then one last-minute purchase: cabernet. I haven't been drinking much at all, but tonight...? It just looked good. I rationalized the price, "It's organic wine." I pulled my buggy up in line with all the other eleventeen hundred Los Angeles people at the store on a Friday night (no one but me says "buggy," though.) I saw him, I mean I saw him even before we got in line, because we were standing in the frozen foods aisle at the same time and he turned just so and looked at me, caught me right in the eye (even though I prefer to look away).

So when I got in line, I knew it was him behind me even before he asked me, "Have you tried that wine before? Is it any good?" Like he was interested. In the wine.

But when I get nervous, my accent gets real thick, I hate it. Then he says "Where are you from?" It sounds like such a teeny question but it's loaded. People from out here have all these ideas about where I'm from, and besides I've lived here longer than any other one place. And it puts me just a little on the defensive, because this is why I tried real hard to lose my accent to begin with. Except, now that I'm trying to be very honest about who I am (and who I am not) it's pointless to hide it and also, why am I feeling on the defensive? Probably just nerves. I got so used to being rejected by my own husband that having someone follow me to the checkout lane is making me feel ... ? Suspicious, I think. And a little anxious, and secretly happy because he's cute and buying vitamins.

I'm putting the bag into my car and he walks up to me and hands me his business card, or something, and he says, "if you ever wanted to... or, I mean, if you're not... married? I'm Scott..." and I just stood there, like an idiot, and I was baffled. It wasn't until I got home that I realized I had dropped the card in the parking lot, because I was so unhinged, maybe? And then anyway, it was so strange, because he went back inside the store. I guess to finish shopping.

I have no idea how to handle myself now. Single is hard after married. I want to be good at it, but I'm awkward and scared. Like I'm just one step behind everyone else. Stuck in time or molasses.

PostScript

Uh, yeah, about that thing? That I had to go do? With the law?

Pretty much it couldn't have gone worse. After about twenty minutes it became very clear: if the judge stipulated that I would immediately have to remand all the cats and all my cute shoes into the custody of Mr. X, it would just be par for the fucking course.

It's kind of still at that place where you can't really laugh about it yet. But it went something like this: "And also you, Ms. Purl, Ugly Female Respondent trying to get anything from this man who left you, much like I left my Ugly Wife for a younger woman, anyway, you have to immediately hand over posession of every good thing you ever buy from now on to the ownership of one Mr. X and if I could jail you for being a woman, then I would!" So ya'll know. It's a crap shoot. It happens.

Anyway, I'm going to take a little break to wrap my mind around it and I'll see ya'll on July 5th. Enjoy our nation's birthday and remember: all those little American flags? They sprung fully formed from the brain of A WOMAN. I love you, Betsy Ross. Sure, historians have tried to strip us of the Betsy Ross story for years, g-ddamn woman haters, but I BELIEVE. She had a needle and thread and a great idea and she sewed it right up between her knitting projects and doing the laundry, and ya'll know the only reason she didn't knit up a flag was because they didn't have good acrylic blends back then.

I named my first kitten Betsy Ross when I was six years old. Talk about foreshadowing.

Please address your hate mail to delete@delete.com. Thanks!

The August 2021 issue of Esquire magazine has an interesting cover story:

That's me, with Esquire and my boughtnpaidfor nails...

The article and a few surrounding pieces focus on "The State of the American Man" and you can read it online here. I bought this magazine because when I was flipping through it while standing in line at the 7-11 (surprise!), I saw this quote:

We're faced with the accrual of a large population of boys who aren't well-prepared for either school or work. "The problem," says one advocate, "is what this will add up to in twenty years."

As soon as I read that, I said to myself, "Oh, my little 'advocate' ... you don't have to wait twenty long years to see what this will add up to! All you need to do is come to Los Angeles right now and try this crazy thing called dating." Of course, I kept that thought to myself, because I am a nice girl and also I am deeply sensitive to the amount of hate mail I could get for saying a thing like that out loud. I know I'd be instantly branded a bitter hag of a man-hater and fish/bicycle references would pour in.

Then yesterday I saw reader Susan's comment, in which she said:

I apologize PROFUSELY for the generally horrid job our local mothers have done raising thier sons to be decent dating material. May I offer up my three most valuable bits of hard-earned dating knowledge for avoiding "Los Angelenos Horrible Mannerus"?:

#1 - Beware the "we should hang out sometime" routine! If a man isn't going to get up the nerve to ask you on a proper date - how the hell's he gonna get anything ELSE up to do even more vital functions? Just smile and change the subject. If he's dying to spend time with you, he'll find the nerve to ask properly!

#2 - I always made my weekend plans by Wednesday at 10 pm. Firm. If the guy of the moment doesn't call by then, he's gotta wait another week, or until lunch on Monday (if he wants to buy me lunch!). This culls out the possibility of being a last-minute resort some Friday night when he's realized he's bored and his x-box hasn't got breasts.

#3 - To avoid the loathed "So, whaddya wanna do?" after you're in the car, ask "So, what's the dress code?" when you settle on a time for a date. "Is it a picnic, the movies....what should I wear?" Maybe it's just me, but I HATE guys who don't properly plan a date -- it's like a host that invites you to dinner, but expects YOU to plan the menu!

I know it's kind of bitchy and old-fashioned. But hey, in a town where it seems most of the guys are watching "Entourage" as a dating manual, a girl's gotta have skills to get respect.


It was as if Susan had read my mind.

As ya'll know, I waited a LONG LONG time to venture back into dating, and I took my time, thought it through, worked on some personal stuff so that I wouldn't be working out my issues with every poor Joe and Harry who encountered me and my matched 32-piece set of heavy luggage. So I got my emotional baggage down to a manageable carry-on, handbag and drama wallet. Then I got my hair did and my nails done and ventured forth into the fray.

What I discovered was ... kind of sad, really.

In the space of time between now and when I was last actively dating (what? ten years ago? give or take a little?), men have lost the ability to properly date. Not just that, they have lost the ability to even ask a woman on a proper date.

I've only been doing this horrible dating thing since March, and I have discovered that the old, perfectly lovely phrase "Would you like to have dinner with me?" has been replaced by the following:


A: "Hey, you want to hook up sometime?"
Translation: I'm too lazy to make plans with you.


B: "Hey, wannna kick it sometime?"
Translation: See Option A, plus I have bad grammar.


C: "So, want to come over and watch a movie?"
Translation: I'm too lazy to make plans, and I am also cheap. But I'm hoping that proximity will get me laid.


D: "I could come over to your place and we could watch a movie."
Translation: My place is a mess/I live at home/I'm hiding a significant other, but I want to get laid.


E: "Call me if you want to hang out sometime."
Translation: (I have no idea. See how bad I am at this dating thing?)


One might think this sort of behavior was limited to men ages 25 and under. One would be wrong. How a man can reach the age of FORTY YEARS OLD and not know how to take a woman on a proper date is beyond me. And ya'll. This isn't brain surgery. It's not like we're asking to be catered to and financially supported and worshiped in gilt-shrine-fashion with expensive gifts in tiny, blue boxes. Just a phone call and a proper date. Call and say, "Hi. Would you like to go see a movie/go have coffee/go to dinner/attend a free concert in Woodland Hills/go on a picnic at the beach/go to a party with me next Saturday?"

That's all. SO EASY. (And, of course follow through on said date.) (Notice the freebie option, too. I'll take good manners over a hefty wallet any day of the week and twice on Sundays.)

I told this very thing to a guy I met recently, and he informed me he just didn't like having to "jump through some woman's hoops for a date."

Well, sir, I don't really want to shave my legs or underarms or pluck my eyebrows or get a haircut or wear my contact lenses or listen to that story about the time you won your fantasy football league, either. But because I do not want to be a rude, hairy woodland creature with bad eyesight I JUMP THROUGH THE AFOREMENTIONED HOOPS.

(Jump through hoops indeed. I quote Samantha when I say, "They don't call it a JOB for nothing.")

At this point, those of ya'll already penning your poison email should back slowly away from the keyboard. Simple fact is, I don't hate men. I wouldn't care about this apparent man crisis if I hated men! I LOVE men. I love the way they smell and walk and talk and fix stuff and you know what stuff I mean, I just love everything about them.

But I'm not real fond of BOYS. Especially BOYS that should already be grown and be MEN. Just seems like a lot of guys don't want to man up, don't want to participate in normal adult dating behavior.

Is this just a Los Angeles thing? Or am I an antique? A relic from another time, when dating meant a phone call on Wednesday asking you to a date on Saturday? Am I too small-town? Old-fashioned? Or have men really stopped being men and now they have descended into some x-box/playstation/DVD collecting no-man's-land (literally) where they desire only to live forever in an extended adolescence?

Help me. Help me understand this. I am so confused.

Send wine. And real men. c/o General Delivery, Los Angeles CA. Come to think of it, you can send your hate mail there, too. Whoops.