OT. Help the single guys out here, input from single and married folks Options

[Brett W]

I call BS. Sounds like it would attrack the high maintainence type.

QUOTE

10 things every single man must own By Matt Schneiderman Want to impress the ladies with your great taste in home décor and more? Skip the leather couch and silk boxers and buy these bachelor essentials. 1. A top-notch coffee/espresso maker Any girl who’s at your place for dinner (or lounging in your bed come morning) deserves a classier send-off than “see ya,” so trade in your college-days $20 coffee maker for a machine that’ll give Starbucks a run for its money. The professional-quality Delonghi “Caffe Figaro” Coffee/Espresso Machine ($230, macys.com) uses steam pressure to brew a superior espresso; the built-in milk frother allows her to request a latte or cappuccino. Toss in a $20 electric grinder—fresh grounds are a must for a quality caffeine fix—and you'll make her feel like a princess without breaking out the whole breakfast-in-bed shtick. 2. A lamp in your bedroom Raise your hand if the only source of light in your bedroom is that garish overhead fixture that was there when you first moved in. Now, all of you, go out and buy a bedside lamp with a fabric shade. This inexpensive trifle is not lost on women, who not only see it as a sign of your civility (imagine that, a light switch within arm’s reach vs. across the room!), she’ll also feel much more comfortable under its softer, more forgiving glow. (Ikea.com has a large selection in the $10 to $40 range that should satisfy any man’s tastes without siphoning his savings.) 3. Swiffer Sweeper + Swiffer Cloths + Swiffer Wet Cloths For her, walking across your floor barefoot should not be an exercise in muck tolerance. To that end, the Swiffer is the greatest thing to happen to the lazy man since the remote control. As simple as this cloth-on-a-stick looks, the electrostatically charged sheets suck up dust, hair and dirt in no time, and the Wet Cloths will make quick work of your bathroom floor—a necessity if you ever want her to visit again. 4. A comfortable couch Repeat after me: You do not need a black leather couch. Skip the cliché and pick out a plush upholstered sofa, like the simple, elegant, under $1,000 Mercer at Roomandboard.com. And no matter what style you buy, play it safe and pick a neutral or muted color, then purchase a couple of pillows with stripes or a bold, masculine pattern to jazz it up and prove you aren’t your average lug when it comes to home décor. 5. Nice underwear When it comes to your love life, the last thing you want is for your underwear to be a mood-killer, and trust me, the following selections will make her recoil: Tighty whities; underwear featuring cartoon characters, or anything that resembles what a woman would wear. (Bikini briefs? Heaven help you.) Even silk boxers, no matter how nice, can send a sleazy vibe, so stick with something basic, like Calvin Klein cotton boxers or boxer briefs. Splurge on at least two weeks' worth and throw out the others, lest you’re tempted to don a ratty pair and put off doing laundry—you never know when opportunity will strike. 6. A key-ring that can fix, cut, and open anything Sure, your power-tool collection is outstanding—but it'll do you no good sitting in your closet when your date's sunglasses come apart at the restaurant. Show off how useful you can be by whipping out the tiny-but-powerful Leatherman Micra key-ring (leatherman.com). The two-and-a-half-inch, 1.75-ounce stainless-steel multi-tool combines scissors, tweezers, nail file, ruler, bottle opener, three screwdrivers, and a blade (of course). You’ll be amazed how indispensable it (and you, by extension) will become to her. 7. $150+ jeans Why cough up that much dough when you can find a seemingly-fine pair for much less? Because designer denim does make a difference—and you can wear them everywhere from a dive bar to a five-star restaurant, if paired with the right shirt and suit jacket. Check out stores that carry Diesel, Evisu, Paper Denim & Cloth, or Seven. Since every pair of jeans fits differently, you will need to try a few on: Err on the side of too tight as opposed to too baggy, as jeans do stretch a bit as they are broken in. Choose a pair that isn't too trendy (warning signs include more than five pockets, garish stitching, and too much "distress," like rips or bleaching) unless you're willing to buy into next season's style as well. 8. $200+ dress shoes Accept it: Girls are into footwear, and your feet will be one of the first things she looks at. Invest in quality black leather tie-ups—which will never go out of fashion and will match with most any jeans, pants or suit—to make a great first impression every time. If she knows her shoes, she'll be hoping to find you could afford a pair of Bruno Magli, Kenneth Cole, Steve Madden, or John Varvatos. Sure, they’re not cheap, but hey, it could be worse: We could be the ones in heels. 9. 300-thread-count cotton sheets Let’s face it: You (and hopefully your date) will be spending a lot of quality time here. So skip the scratchy polyester blends and splurge on some 100-percent Egyptian cotton sheets with a thread count of 300—the higher the thread count, the softer the sheet. It’ll run you around $120 for a queen-size set (for a good selection, check out bedbathandbeyond.com), but anything that might keep her in bed longer is worth the expense, right? 10. The Joy of Cooking Few things are sexier than a guy who can cook…but if toasting Pop-Tarts is the extent of your expertise? Then get Joy, the bible of all cookbooks since, unlike its trendier, more specialized alternatives like Nigella Lawson or Rocco DiSpirito, it contains recipes for just about anything you could think to make, all laid out with instructions that even an alien from another planet could figure out. So go ahead, invite her over for something simple (vegetarian chili, for instance) or exotic (Chicken Kiev, anyone?) and learn that the way to a woman’s heart is through her stomach, too.

[MikeP]

can you imagine putting that much work into a relationship, day in and day out...oh wait a second my girlfriend is calling me.

[Jeroen]

Dude, I'm worried that you're even reading crap like that...
(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/screwy.gif)

[Randal]

Oh boy.

Which guy at Macy's marketing dept. wrote that?

[Brett W]

this was a topic on another forum I am on. We all had the same take on it. My house if full of race car parts and if she doesn't like grease stained jeans and hands then she ain't my type. But I though the article was kinda funny. Look where they are trying to send men. Metrosexual man strikes again.

[eeyore]

I call BS too!

Jackstands are a 'must have'. Probably in the top 3.

[SirAndy]

QUOTE (Jeroen @ Jun 21 2005, 11:17 AM)

Dude, I'm worried that you're even reading crap like that... (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/screwy.gif)

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/agree.gif)

[Jenny]

Yes to the lamp. Not that I NEED one, but I do notice that most men don't have one.

Yes to the high thread count sheets. Anything 400 and up is spectacular!

Yes to cooking, but not a must. If you can't cook, but enjoy her cooking, that's almost just as good.

The rest of it is horse shit. Swiffer? Please! (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/dry.gif)

Jen

[TonyAKAVW]

Somehow I get the impression this article is written for someone who lives in a New York or San Francisco apartment. They are probably between 20 and 35 years old and into the "scene." The whole thing about the expensive clothes probably just makes you fit in to the scene and the swiffer thing makes sense only if you have hard wood floors, something more commonly found in old buildings in places like big cities....

I'm willing to be this list is worthless to 80% of single guys in the US.

I just can't picture a guy in a non-liberal locale being taken seriously if they have a stainless steel coffee maker and $250 tight jeans.

-Tony

[airsix]

You don't need all that "stuff". Just always be kind and don't rebuild alternators on the kitchen counter.

-Ben M.

[redshift]

I don't have any of that cool stuff.

I have a tremendous cucumber.



M

[VegasRacer]

I quit reading when I got to #4.
The black leather couch stays. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/chair.gif)

[Pugbug]

Stay single....Do what you want, and don't worry about any of that crap. If you want someone to cook and clean for you hire a housekeeper. Way cheaper than a wife.
I'm serious, as I married at a young age, made the same mistake at 40, divorced in 1991, and have never been happier. I do what I want, when I want, and have all the xxx I can handle.

There are no advantages in being married IMHO.

[GWN7]

Looks like I have to loose the cartoon sheets and matching underwear.

Got the lamp....how else do you read Playboy at night?

Jeans...$16 at Costco...they cover my ass.

The rest is crap.

[dflesburg]

Are you gay? geez!

If you do all the crap on that list you'll never get a woman! She will either think your gay or you are too close to your mother. Plus, she will be bored because there is nothing to change...

Be honest, kind and try being a runner, loose some weight, shower often, buy a new toothbrush, dont be a drunk and dont be gay. What women really want is a man. Not a fag with decorating talent.

Follow that advise and the women will find you.

[flatout]

A 10$ coffee pot works for me.
I don't have lamps,too much trouble to turn on.
Have never used a swiffer,a handy broom does the job.
I do like a comfy couch to lounge on,mine was $100.
As long as the underwear is clean,wear what you want.
Don't have to have a key ring that can do everything,I have one of those tools in my purse.
As long as the jeans look good,doesn't matter how much they were.I see guys in $15 jeans,and they look great!
As long as the shoes go with the outfit,good deal.
As long as the sheets are clean,i'm not thinking about the sheets.
There are a lot more things that are sexier than a man cooking! (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/wink.gif)

[phantom914]

QUOTE (TonyAKAVW @ Jun 21 2005, 11:02 AM)

Somehow I get the impression this article is written for someone who lives in a New York or San Francisco apartment. .......................................... -Tony

Yeth, San Francisco.


Andrew

[phantom914]

QUOTE (redshift @ Jun 21 2005, 11:12 AM)

... I have a tremendous cucumber. M

Watch out if Aaron asks you to toss a salad with him.


Andrew

[redshift]

QUOTE (Pugbug @ Jun 21 2005, 03:14 PM)

Stay single....Do what you want, and don't worry about any of that crap. If you want someone to cook and clean for you hire a housekeeper. Way cheaper than a wife.

That's unfair to say! It dishonors the memory of the guys that were berated to death, by their wives!

Poor fools!

Uhoh... here comes a woman to change us! RUN!


M

[Dr. Roger]

QUOTE (Brett W @ Jun 21 2005, 10:10 AM)

I call BS.  Sounds like it would attrack the high maintainence type. QUOTE 10 things every single man must own By Matt Schneiderman Want to impress the ladies with your great taste in home décor and more? Skip the leather couch and silk boxers and buy these bachelor essentials. and learn that the way to a woman’s heart is through her stomach, too.

I shop at Goodwill for clothes. Cheap Hawaiian shirts and already broken in jeans.
Krups for the coffee. Hey I can't skimp on something important like that... Peets to go in it.
Lamp in bedroom. Check.
Swiffer. Check.
Comfy couch. Black leather. Check. =-) Hey it was cheap! White leather love seat from craigslist. cheap.
Nice underwear. Subjective, but check.
High count cotton sheets. Check. I like 'em too!
All purpose knife. Check.
Nice jeans. See first line. =-) They have decent jeans there too.
$200 dress shoes. Oh hell no. I did $170 one time and they held up very well.
and
Joy of cooking. Check.

Excellent cooking skills intact. Wanna' BBQ? BYOB.