Well, unless you've been on Mars or something, you know that Valentine's Day is fast approaching. For those of us on line a lot, we notice a definite shift in pop-up add material, and links to Valentine's bullshit on start-up pages like attbi.com or msn.com.

I have observed a very clear increase in pop-up adds for online dating services lately. Why this is is fundamentally obvious, and i don't wish to dive into a rant about Valentine's day or dating or anything like that. Instead, more than anything, I have been struck by the sheer attractivness of the people featured in the photographs that are part of the adds. This is sort of a cliched subject, to say the least, but I still want to put my own twist on it... mainly because I like to hear myself talk.

The main reason people can't get dates, and find themselves resorting to online dating services, is that they are ugly or stupid. However, even very stupid people who are exceedingly attractive can get dates. The rest of the people, regardless of attractiveness or intelligence, have some sort of moderate-severe psychological disorder. This is the truth. I'm one of these people, so I guess that makes me feel like I'm qualified to discuss it. I've always felt like people who Can get dates/girlfriends dispensing advice to people who Can't get dates/girlfriends is often as usless as ordering in English at a French restaurant where no-one speaks English.

So that leaves a vast pool of people who are left to desperate measure to ease their lonely suffering. Trying to strive outside that pool is like climbing Mt Everest on one of those guided expeditions and the most you've ever climbed is Mt. Rainier. Enough people manage to do it that everyone believes this "see, you can do it, you just have to believe in yourself" bullshit, particularly when it's someone who can get dates/girlfriends telling you this. Really, there may be nothing as condescending as that. These unskilled climbers who manage to summit Everest on these ridiculous expeditions get there more often than not by luck, and having the support team of Sherpas and experienced guides practically carry them to the top.

So what is my point? Well... I don't really have one, I'm just rambling. I guess I could also note that you hear a lot of women complain about the "losers" they've dated, and generally bemoaning all the "losers" on the "dating scene." That has always left me somewhat puzzled, as a genuine "loser," who exactly these men ARE. If they were really "losers" they wouldn't get dates at all, so what's up. Are they really good in the sack? Are they good looking? Do they just have the charm and charisma to bullshit their way into realtionships? I've tried at various times to open this dialogue with women I know and never get anywhere, we always seem to talk in circles, and I always come away with the impression that it's the woman herself that has the least idea what's going on. So, what's up?

On that note, I will remind people that tomorrow is the first of February, and I will be retireing to the Bunker for the rest of the Valentine's season, probably emerging the night of the 15th. I'm not entirely sure what this year's bunker plans are, but you can look through last year's bunker page to get an idea.