Money Play Week Continued

Editor's note: The note above is from the world wide web. THE Sean Sullivan did not receive that note from "Mandy".

Yes, the note on the napkin works on TV and in the movies, but believe it or not it works quit well in reality too. Does it always work?? Definitely not, but when all signs point to not happening this move is sort of like pulling a rabbit out of the hat when it works out. I wouldn't call it a desperation toss because nothing I do is desperate (will discuss desperation at a later date), but it is along the lines of "I'm going to give this one more shot." I will let an email I sent to a friend this summer illustrate the point....

I met some girl at a bar. She told me I looked like Bradley Cooper, which is pretty much the last thing my ego needs, but awesome at the same time since I love The Hangover. Anyway, I thought I was totally in with this girl. I made friends with her friends and everything. She is all over me like almost uncomfortably so and then out of nowhere she starts talking to some other guy who is not hot. This was particularly confusing since she kept looking over at me. The other dude was playing really good defense as well. So not be outdone, I rolled out but not before leaving a note on a napkin, which read "you chose the wrong guy" and included my name and number. The next day, I get a text message - "I liked your note, what are you up to?" Chicks are unbelievable....

Admittedly, I probably go to the "note on the napkin" move a little too often and need to cutback. The success ratio is probably only around 60%, but that is way better than zero. Actually now that I think of it my Atlanta acquaintance, Danielle, never called me after my incredibly witty note on the bar bill. That's a little disappointing, You can't win them all I guess, but when nothing else in the playbook seems to work this move could still be just what you need....

The Dating Game Series
Intro
A Lost Art
The Bad Date Phenomenon
Money Play Week

Money Play Week

Welcome to Money Play Week. THE Sean Sullivan will share a few of his trade secrets. Most of these moves are straight out of the book of ridiculousness, but surprisingly they are quit effective. Hopefully, you bros out there will find these savy plays helpful and can work them into your repertoire. So sharpen those pencils and get out a note pad...

Now this first move is a little unique and can only work in a special situation, but it does work. For you DC residents you are probably all too familiar with THE BUSINESS CARD. People in DC love to pass out their business card. Granted, there is a practicality to passing out the business card FOR ACTUAL BUSINESS. That doesn't stop people in this city. They pass that sh*t out like it's candy on Halloween. It is definitely a calling card to show-off your importance and way too many people in DC love to pass it out. So gentlemen what do you do when a girl gives you her business card instead of her number? No, do not call her at work. No, do not email her at work. There is only one acceptable answer - send her a fax. Yes, that's right fax her.


Now look, don't just write your name and number on a piece of paper with a little note and fax it over. You need to do this right. It's an office setting after all. First, find a fax cover sheet. Fill in some of the info as if you were actually sending a business fax and maybe a note in the comments section like this:

Stephanie -

Excellent meeting last Friday. Please see attached. I will follow-up to discuss.

Then on the second page, throw-in a little more detail...

Stephanie -

It's THE Sean Sullivan from the bar on Friday night. You're awesome. Let's get drinks. Book it.

THE Sean Sullivan
xxx-xxx-xxxx

Okay once again, I know what you're thinking - "you're kidding right? this can't actually work?" Well it does. I have done this 3 times now and it works like a charm every time. Girls find it hilarious and love the creativity. Watch out though. The chicks turned out to be a little nuts, so maybe be sure you want to go out with them before firing up the fax machine.

More moves later this week....

The Dating Game Series
Intro
A Lost Art
The Bad Date Phenomenon

The Bad Date Phenomenon

Our society is obsessed with conspiracy theories and phenomenons. Whether its conspiracy theories on who shot JFK to those who theorize the 1985 NBA draft lottery was fixed so the New York Knicks could draft Patrick Ewing, we can never seem to get enough. There is always constant speculation. The same could be said for phenomenons. We are fixated on everything that is extraordinary and out of the ordinary. We worship the rarest of athletes like Tiger Woods (me in particular), go crazy for the hottest new movie star, love the next “it thing” like IPods or IPhones, and just can’t seem to get enough of things like social networking websites and reality TV. With that in mind, I now introduce to you the “Bad Date Phenomenon.” This phenomenon is more of the unexplainable variety. It is kind of like disco in the 70s. No one knew why it was so cool and popular it just was. Or like the acting career of Colin Farrell. Everyone knows he is a terrible actor, yet inexplicably he still continues to get roles in movies. The same could be said for the Bad Date Phenomenon which goes something like this: Every bad first date ends with the guy going home with the girl. No one really knows why it just happens.

Let’s be clear - a bad date and going home with a chick after date are NOT mutually exclusive. So for you ladies out there reading this, while trying to quickly recount every occurrence of this very thing, do not worry. Just because you went home with a guy after a first date does NOT mean it was a bad date. I have had great dates and average dates end with a nightcap and I have had great dates and average dates end with the ass out hug and a peck on the cheek. However, it's a fact every truly bad date I have ever gone on has ended with me and the girl going home together. To say this has happened to me a lot would be a gross overstatement. I actually would categorize most dates as average or just okay as opposed to awful. To give you a better picture though, here are a couple bad encounters from my dating past:

Bad Date #1

“Mindy” and I met for drinks one night after work. I would say about 20 minutes into the date one thing was clear: THIS GIRL WANTED TO GET AFTER IT. I mean she was slamming beers. The ratio was easily two or three to one. She was well into beer #3 before I finished my first. Admittedly, I am a notoriously slow drinker, except when it comes to drinking games. Just ask Manifesto Mike. I dominated his a$$ in one-on-one flip cup a couple weeks ago. I finished my beer and flipped the cup before he was even done drinking. This happened not once, but twice. It was a pathetic by Manifesto Mike and he now owes me a make-out session with his girlfriend. Don’t worry - it’s cool. Friends share. Anyway, I digress.

At first, I thought Mindy’s thirst for Miller Lites was a good thing thinking to myself, “ok cool, this girl likes to party.” Well what became abundantly clear was this girl was really boring. I mean painfully boring. Conversation with her was like pulling teeth. I can usually carry the conversation, but this was brutal. I had nothing. Talking seemed almost like a waste of time with her because she was just putting back beer after beer. After several pitchers, I maybe had four or five beers and she polished off a baker’s dozen. It was impressive. After a brief stint at another bar, she made it abundantly clear she was ready to go back to my place…..

Bad Date #2

This girl, “Kara”, literally made every mistake in the book. Don’t get me wrong she was really nice, but she would have been better off writing the words DESPERATE on her forehead and saving us both the trouble. Here are a couple conversation highlights:

Kara: “So have you ever had a girlfriend?” (giving me a little bit of attitude)

TSS: “Maybe.”

Kara: “So you have had a serious relationship?”

TSS: “Yeah one or two. How good are these Miller Lites??”

Kara: “What happened?”

TSS: “They found Jesus and converted to the Nunnery.”

As you can see, I’m trying to deflect the question and avoid the topic with humor. Ladies, do not EVER, EVER ask this question on a first date. I know that is almost stating the obvious, but seriously guys don’t want to talk about past relationships, nor do they want to hear about your past relationships.

The conversation continues....

Kara: “All my friends are getting married. I’m probably going to be single forever. Or I probably won’t find someone until I’m like 36.” (In a joking manner)

TSS: “Yeah most of my friends are single, it’s awesome.”

Seriously, does she actually think I’m going to buy this and think it’s funny? Ladies, once again, DO NOT try to make jokes like this. They are pathetic and incredibly transparent.

And finally back at my place….

Kara: “You probably go out with girls all the time?”

TSS: “Only in odd numbered months in even numbered years.”

Okay seriously??? I HATE THIS QUESTION. NEVER ASK THIS QUESTION. This is the ultimate trap question and it pisses me off. I have come to realize women like strength in numbers and want to know that other girls want the guy they are interested in while still feeling they are the only one the guy has his sights on. This understanding is better off unsaid. I mean does she really want to know the answer to this question? Definitely not.

Kara: “Wait, I don’t understand. So you see other girls? You probably do because the night we met you came right up to me at a bar and started talking to me.”

Okay that's it. She can’t have her cake and eat it too. The confidence at the bar was probably the basis of the appeal and why she probably agreed to go out with me in the first place. Now all of sudden me approaching her at the bar bothers her? She needs to get a grip. And this ladies and gentlemen pretty much sums up a truly bad date and maybe the worst date I have ever been on.

I know what you’re thinking, “if the dates are so bad, then why do you go home with these girls?” While it would be cliché to say I’m a guy and this is our nature, it’s actually the truth. Men are incredibly simplistic. What about the chick in these situations? Somehow in the midst of all the terribleness of a date like this, chicks somehow decide they want to go home with me too. How does that work? I have to admit I have never quit understood why the girl decides going home together is a good idea when things are clearly not going well. If this was one night stand time that would be one thing, but calls and texts usually follow in the coming days and weeks. Can two people really read a situation, in this case a date, so differently? I would like to think I have good instincts when it comes to reading a situation, but maybe I'm just way off. In the end, there are more questions than answers when it comes to the Bad Date Phenomenon. Hopefully one day I will have a moment of zen providing me clarity on this unexplainable phenomenon. Maybe that's just it there is no answer. It really does just happen. Watch out people - the Bad Date Phenomenon is out there and it is one of nature's unexplainable events.

More next week on all things dating....

The Dating Game Series
Intro
A Lost Art

A Lost Art

In today's world, we are connected in so many different ways that it could make your head spin. I mean there is email and cell phones and text messaging and instant messaging and Facebook and MySpace. I mean seriously there is an array of options to stay connected with people these days. With all the technological advances in communication, one simple part of the dating game is quickly dying. The art of talking on the phone is all but dead. Talking on the phone is lost on many people in their 20s. I can't even tell you how many chicks I have met who can't carry a conversation on the phone. I'm not even talking old school 9th grade style where you would talk to a girl on the phone for hours. I'm referring to a little small talk and setting-up a date. Doing this on the phone in today's game is almost painful. People have become so reliant on texting, email, and blackberry messenger that doing any talking on the phone almost seems obsolete.

I realize I probably sound like an old man complaining about today's youth as if the world has passed him by, but I'm concerned citizen of the game. I honestly think this is a huge a problem. And the younger the chick the worse it is. Any chick born after 1987 probably doesn't even realize you can use your cell phone to actually talk to people. All they know is texting and instant messaging. A girl who I went out with a couple times once told me, "my roommate thinks you must like me because you called instead of texted." How sad is that? Calling a girl on the phone now equates to something more than seeing if she wants to go grab a drink sometime. Before you know it, you won't even have to show-up for the date. You can text your way through the whole thing. I have actually heard stories about people going out multiple times and never talking on the phone once. That truly amazes me. Yes, there might be an awkward pause or two on the phone sometimes, but isn't it better to get that out of the way on phone? Then it's smooth sailing once you actually go out.

Guy are culpable here as well. I know too many guys who rely on texting to make their way in with chicks. Don't get wrong. I'm all for dropping a line via text - "hey, I had fun last night. Let's hang out soon" or "God, you're hot" or "Seriously I want you right now." Okay, maybe I have never used one of those lines, but that sh*t is deadly and can be a great prelude to AN ACTUAL PHONE CALL. Dudes, when you want to go out with a chick pick-up the phone and call. Don't be a little b*tch and opt for the text. And please don't let me scare you either with "all chicks are terrible on the phone." Recently, I have met a few girls who are very good with the cell, which gives me hope the art of talking on the phone is not completely dead.

I'll be back again on Friday with a Dating Phenomenon.

The Dating Game Series
Intro

The Dating Game Series

So with my vacation behind me, it is time for The Dating Game Series. It's THE Sean Sullivan’s views on the dating world. Over the last year, a lot of people have asked me, “What’s changed? What’s your secret” Looking back, I guess I have always been okay when it comes to the ladies. I wasn’t anti-game, but I wasn’t awesome either. With that said, something has definitely changed in the last year because no matter what I do these days I can’t seem to miss. Granted there was that one bump in the road, but the sustained success after the fact made me realize this is more than some sort of "hot streak" with the ladies. If you ask those closest to me, there are probably several theories floating out there. Some say it is the golden locks, while others say it is the emotionally unavailable scruff. There are those who believe I climbed up to the ruins of Machu Picchu late last year and came down a different man. Whatever the case may be, I have had time to reflect on it all and it is time to share my insights and secrets with the world.

Over the next month, I will publish a series of posts about dating. (Don’t worry if something awesome happens during this time span that is blog worthy, I will be sure to interrupt the regularly scheduled programming to keep you in the loop). The topics will range from phenomenons and trends in the dating game to some of THE Sean Sullivan’s money plays. The series will conclude with the Dating Game Rules developed by yours truly. Before I get started, let me clarify a few things. First, all of this is written from the guys’ point of view for the benefit of other guys. I think my female readers can learn a lot from these posts and gain some insight as well, but I can only truly tap into and write about the guys’ perspective. If nothing else, hopefully EVERYBODY will be entertained. Second, I have NOT read this book The Game. Apparently, some other guy out figured it all out and wrote a book about it. AGAIN, I have NOT read this book, but maybe I will read it once I conclude this series just to see his take on it all. Finally, this is NOT a “How to guide” on finding your soul mate or perfect teammate or any other crap like that. When it comes to that sh*t I’m pretty clueless. If you are looking for your soul mate, call that annoying b*tch on the radio, Delila, who acts like she knows how to help you and then plays you a song to make you feel better. Everything I’m about to tell you as to do with one thing and one thing only – “Play on Plaaayya!!” Okay even that's a little ridiculous because I'm not even close to being a player, but I can pass on the art and science of meeting great women, the ins and outs of today's dating scene, and just how awesome bachelorhood really is. So look for 2-3 posts a week in the coming month.

Stay tuned for the next segment: A Lost Art

Road Show Part II

After a one day stint back in DC, THE Sean Sullivan took the Road Show out west to sunny San Francisco. I realize San Francisco is not all that sunny, but it was when I was there. This turned out to be pretty awesome, since it was cold and rainy in DC during the five days I was out in San Fran. As for the city itself, this was my second time out in the Bay Area. I have to admit the first time around was just okay. I didn’t really love it. This time around was a different story. I thought San Fran was amazing, a lot of this can attributed to the fact that I found out where all the hotties hang out. Before, I just thought San Fran was dirty hippies and people even more liberal than me. Turns out, San Fran is a hot bed of good looking chicks. Book it!

Unlike Part I of the Road Show, Part II was a little more subdued. There was some quality THE Sean Sullivan time, light reading, and catching-up with a bunch people I had not seen in a long time. You people know who you are – so great effort! I had AN AWESOME time. That said, there was a couple interesting developments as the trip unfolded.

The most interesting being seeing my friend “Matt” out in San Fran. Matt is a friend and former co-worker who moved out to San Fran within the last 9 months. Truthfully, this was a surprising move because Matt living in San Francisco would be like me moving into a gay brothel. It doesn’t really fit. To give you a better idea of Matt, imagine a dude driving a yellow jeep with huge truck tires, drinks Natural Light, brings his own koozie to a party, used to spend his summers at Seacrets while fixing his wave runner, and is probably a card carrying member of the NRA. In essence, he couldn’t be more opposite than the general San Francisco population. So hitting the town on Friday and Saturday night with Matt, I was expecting some serious entertainment and a nonstop commentary on the San Francisco scene, in a mocking, but humorous way of course; however, in a SHOCKING development, he seemed to be digging it. On some level, he probably knows this isn’t a long-term deal, but he is taking everything in stride and has really taken a liking to living out west. He even knows the best bars to hit on cougars, which is awesome.