http://social.richmond.com/blog/vsamper/ en-us Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:56:26 -0500 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:56:26 -0500 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss dukecms 5 http://social.richmond.com/blog/vsamper/2009/07/dealing-with-failure/ I’m currently sitting in a Denny’s on Broad Street. It’s 10:27 a.m. but I’ve been here since 9:43 a.m…Sadly, I made an effort to be here before 10 a.m. so that I could take advantage of their $3.99 Grand Slam deal that was $2.99 when I came last week. Yeah, I was here last week…So what? People get hungry. Anyway, Denny’s before 10 a.m. during the week is a sad place. Actually, Denny’s at any point in the day is a sad place but especially so before 10 a.m. Everyone seems beaten down. No one smiles…It’s like Christmas with the ... Mon, 6 Jul 2009 10:19:28 -0400 http://social.richmond.com/blog/vsamper/2009/07/dealing-with-failure/#1198 http://social.richmond.com/blog/vsamper/2009/07/funemployment/ So after the last few columns and a few changes in my life (like becoming gainfully unemployed again), I was moved off the Dating & Nightlife post and into a role more suitable for me at the moment. To be quite honest, I have no idea what Richmond.com is going to call this…Maybe “Unemployment & Daylife” or “A Guide of What Not To Do for Young Men Aged 18 – 23” but, either way, it’s something different that won’t require me to really exert too much effort as I’ll be writing about something more natural. Not to say dating is ... Wed, 1 Jul 2009 09:15:27 -0400 http://social.richmond.com/blog/vsamper/2009/07/funemployment/#1197 http://social.richmond.com/blog/vsamper/2009/06/pick-up-lines-eh/ For some reason or another, there seems to be a pretty big misunderstanding going around concerning pick-up lines…Namely, that people still use them. I realize some guys may get away with one every once in a while but, by and large, pick-up lines do not (and should not) work. However, if you’re ever going to use one I would go the humorous route simply because in a matter of moments you learn about a key aspect of another individual’s personality. So the other day I went searching for some of the best and worst pick-up lines to use…The only trick ... Mon, 22 Jun 2009 09:50:57 -0400 http://social.richmond.com/blog/vsamper/2009/06/pick-up-lines-eh/#1152 http://social.richmond.com/blog/vsamper/2009/06/an-apology-of-sorts/ I should be honest. No, I feel the need to be honest.I’m sort of - kind of - probably dating someone. (I’ll pause now so one of her friends can email the female in question the link to this post…)And we’re back…(By the way, my Mom is furious right now that she didn’t know this first…) • More Vic In a Box • Dating: Personals, columns and more • "I'm a Single, Get Me Out Of Here!" To be clear, I’m not Magic Johnson positive that we’re dating but I’m pretty sure if I was to go out with another ... Tue, 16 Jun 2009 14:51:41 -0400 http://social.richmond.com/blog/vsamper/2009/06/an-apology-of-sorts/#1151 http://social.richmond.com/blog/vsamper/2009/06/no-fringe-benefits/ During the day my “job” is to oversee a house full of kids. In short, I am a nanny and, frankly, I’m not the least bit ashamed of this job…Now, is it what I had expected to be doing in my mid-twenties? Is this what I dreamed of while I woke up for classes at 8 a.m.? No…Of course not. However, the one plus side I anticipated having was that I would have the chance to meet an endless array of women. In my mind, I would be meeting beautiful single women at the kids' school, at the mall, at ... Mon, 15 Jun 2009 09:38:05 -0400 http://social.richmond.com/blog/vsamper/2009/06/no-fringe-benefits/#1138 http://social.richmond.com/blog/vsamper/2009/06/a-guys-guide-to-romantic-comedies/ After writing about a romantic comedy the other day, I got to thinking: Which romantic comedies do guys genuinely enjoy? So I did the only thing I knew I could do to answer the question. I sent a mass email to my fantasy football league and asked a two part question. 1)      Name a few romantic comedies you actually enjoy and, 2)      Pretend it’s your third date with a prospect and she has never seen a single romantic comedy – what movie do you pick to watch and why? Now, scoff all you want at the following but, before you ... Wed, 10 Jun 2009 10:30:45 -0400 http://social.richmond.com/blog/vsamper/2009/06/a-guys-guide-to-romantic-comedies/#1097 http://social.richmond.com/blog/vsamper/2009/06/ok-karaoke/ I’ve never been a big karaoke fan. I’m not much of a singer so I’m not really the type to get up and torture complete strangers…But I can see the appeal from a comedic standpoint. So, naturally, I was open to swinging by Phil’s Continental Lounge on Thursday for their Karaoke/$1.50 PBR and Natural Light shindig. For those unaware, Phil’s is located on Grove Avenue right next to the Westhampton Theatre and is what most people would affectionately call a dive bar. I mean this in the best way possible. I’m a very big fan. Now, like I said, I’ve ... Wed, 10 Jun 2009 13:46:40 -0400 http://social.richmond.com/blog/vsamper/2009/06/ok-karaoke/#1108 http://social.richmond.com/blog/vsamper/2009/06/is-he-just-not-that-into-you-is-he/ The other night I was roped into watching “He’s Just Not That Into You” and by roped in I mean someone asked and I said yes. Truth be told, I don’t really mind romantic comedies that much. Now, I’m not out buying bundles of them for myself to watch on a rainy day but there are a few that I happened to like. Although I will say I refuse to watch any romatic comedy starring Hilary Swank. The main reason being that she won an Oscar for her portrayal of a girl convincingly playing a boy and another for playing ... Tue, 9 Jun 2009 11:45:49 -0400 http://social.richmond.com/blog/vsamper/2009/06/is-he-just-not-that-into-you-is-he/#1096 http://social.richmond.com/blog/vsamper/2009/06/gimme-a-wave/ Do you have any idea how annoying it is to be sitting at a bar and thinking a girl is looking at you without actually knowing? Can we figure out a way to make it clear? Only once in my life have I approached a girl who I thought was looking at me. OK, maybe three times…But I recall it actually working out only once. And, if you’re like me and you wear glasses but occasionally don’t then you’re really screwed. If you can’t see from a distance of more than 6 feet it’s really easy to think people are ... Mon, 8 Jun 2009 10:40:06 -0400 http://social.richmond.com/blog/vsamper/2009/06/gimme-a-wave/#1087 http://social.richmond.com/blog/vsamper/2009/06/around-around-we-go/ Girl to Me: “How come, whenever I’ve been talking to a guy and then we sleep together he always thinks that I want to date him?” Me, startled because I’m eating corn dog nuggets at a bar with half of a fire truck in it: “What?” Her: “Yeah, like, we’ll sleep together and then if I try and hangout the next day or something or even just call him he just assumes I’m all about him?” Me: Have you tried these corndog nuggets? Amazing…Anyway, I’m thinking it’s because you slept with him…” Her: “So what? That doesn’t mean I’m, like, ... Mon, 8 Jun 2009 10:42:56 -0400 http://social.richmond.com/blog/vsamper/2009/06/around-around-we-go/#1086 http://social.richmond.com/blog/vsamper/2009/06/punch-your-weight/ Last night I stood by and creepily watched a guy and a girl flirt with each other. I have a tendency to kind of doze off and find myself paying attention to strangers around me because, unlike my friends, there are more than 3 of them. Now, I’m standing next a group of about 3-4 guys. They all look normal. By normal, I mean no collars are popped, no Ed Hardy t-shirts, no gold jewelry, and they aren’t wearing a pro sports jersey of any kind. They were just regular, preppy looking Richmond kids. I would bet $50 dollars they ... Mon, 1 Jun 2009 08:22:34 -0400 http://social.richmond.com/blog/vsamper/2009/06/punch-your-weight/#1075 http://social.richmond.com/blog/vsamper/2009/05/the-truth-about-dibs/ Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Anyone with a group of friends should understand the concept of "dibs." Perhaps you see her first and you tell your friends…Or maybe someone introduces you and the two of you hit it off. Maybe you were the first one to follow her home and go through her trash…Ultimately, it’s not how that really matters because, in the end, all it comes down to is whether everyone plays the same way. I have a strict rule that I won’t date a girl who doesn’t have girlfriends. Even the biggest “guy’s girl” ... Wed, 27 May 2009 12:59:10 -0400 http://social.richmond.com/blog/vsamper/2009/05/the-truth-about-dibs/#1061 http://social.richmond.com/blog/vsamper/2009/05/best-bar-food/ The other day I tackled which Richmond bars offer up the best mix of music and today I take on Part II – Which bars serve the best food. Now, to be clear, I have no real authority on the subject so take what I say with a grain of salt. I’m like Lavar Burton from Reading Rainbow only I can eat and everyone knows he couldn’t read. Either way, I have no culinary experience nor have I ever worked in a restaurant so my opinions are entirely based on taste. Granted, I eat out every day because I’m a ... Fri, 29 May 2009 09:36:17 -0400 http://social.richmond.com/blog/vsamper/2009/05/best-bar-food/#1059 http://social.richmond.com/blog/vsamper/2009/05/best-bar-music/ This past weekend, I ran into someone who was new to the Richmond area and, after my friends and I robbed him, he asked a two part question: 1)      Which Richmond bar plays the best mix of music every night? 2)      Which Richmond bar serves the best food? After contemplating his question I realized that this is probably a fairly common question for those who are new to the area. Plus I need to write three posts a week and this guy just gave me an excuse for two of them. Jackpot! So I’ll be breaking his question up into ... Tue, 26 May 2009 13:28:07 -0400 http://social.richmond.com/blog/vsamper/2009/05/best-bar-music/#1047 http://social.richmond.com/blog/vsamper/2009/05/its-hard-work-being-a-single-guy/ I find it patently absurd - in a country with personalized license plates and websites with the sole purpose of providing its users with a forum for posting what they did 11 seconds ago - that we don’t somehow brand single people with a Scarlet Letter type thing...Now, I don’t mean tag single people like cows or endangered species mind you. What I’m really proposing is a way to make the dating world much more navigable by clearly letting you know who is available and who is just using you for another High Life or handful of cheese fries before ... Thu, 21 May 2009 14:29:54 -0400 http://social.richmond.com/blog/vsamper/2009/05/its-hard-work-being-a-single-guy/#1010 http://social.richmond.com/blog/vsamper/2009/05/why-metro-is-great-for-singles/ This is absolutely going to make me sound like a piece of crap but I’m a huge fan of Metro right now solely for the abundance of attractive females…Now, before you nutty kids get all fired up, let me be clear: There are also a ton of guys. However, the beauty lies in the attractive female to goofy guy ratio which lately has hovered around 3:1. In addition to the ratio, the size of Metro (so small) creates an atmosphere where you literally have people standing genital to genital; forced into an awkward conversation about anything other than the genital ... Thu, 21 May 2009 14:06:01 -0400 http://social.richmond.com/blog/vsamper/2009/05/why-metro-is-great-for-singles/#1011 http://social.richmond.com/blog/vsamper/2009/05/vic-goes-to-a-wedding/ I went to a wedding last weekend and realized something. Before I go any further, I would like to say it was a great wedding featuring two wild and crazy kids in love taking a leap of faith. What could be more beautiful than that? Plus, they had an open bar and bacon wrapped scallops!So after a few drinks and a dozen scallops, I would have scored it:Victor – 5 Wedding – 0And then that’s when everything changed…I’m pretty sure that, by the end of the night, my face looked like Warren Moon’s after the Houston Oilers let a 32 ... Fri, 15 May 2009 15:00:17 -0400 http://social.richmond.com/blog/vsamper/2009/05/vic-goes-to-a-wedding/#1009 http://social.richmond.com/blog/vsamper/2009/05/two-big-moments/ Last night, two things happened that I found to be pretty interesting: 1) I was recognized thanks to this here blog 2) I took a LeBomb James The first wasn’t a big deal really because it was (a) a guy, (b) someone I went to high school with and should have recognized me, and (C) because he once took $20 dollars from me for a Fake I.D. that I never received. By the way, thanks again for that champ… As you might imagine this paled in comparison to the LeBomb JamesBecause I might be an enormous dork, myself and two others tried ... Thu, 14 May 2009 10:56:57 -0400 http://social.richmond.com/blog/vsamper/2009/05/two-big-moments/#983 http://social.richmond.com/blog/vsamper/2009/05/the-first-kiss/ At what point do you make your move? Obviously you can’t take your sweet time because you run the risk of convincing the girl (or guy) that you’re either trying to cover up your homosexuality or really want to be their friend… I’m a big fan of going with the flow…But I’m also the same guy who gets nervous shooting free throws in an adult basketball league with three people in the stands, so maybe I’m not Mr. Cool. That being said, I really try and gauge what’s going on and keep it in the flow of the date. To ... Mon, 11 May 2009 12:12:50 -0400 http://social.richmond.com/blog/vsamper/2009/05/the-first-kiss/#982 http://social.richmond.com/blog/vsamper/2009/05/fool-proof-first-dates/ So, like just about every single person in America, I’m not a big fan of the first date. That said, I think I hate the second date more. Think about it, that first date is new, exciting and for all you know the person sitting across from you could be your future spouse … or the next person you block on Gmail. More often than not, you’re a bit nervous and you have no idea what to expect of the person you’re about to encounter. If you don’t know the person (and you shouldn’t) there are a whole mess of ... Fri, 8 May 2009 15:34:04 -0400 http://social.richmond.com/blog/vsamper/2009/05/fool-proof-first-dates/#976 http://social.richmond.com/blog/vsamper/2009/05/vic-in-a-box-dating-advice/ I’m going to throw a wicked curveball right now and post a couple questions provided by some readers and my ensuing advice that may or may not help them out. Hopefully, my advice goes down better than the last time someone tricked me with a warm shot of vodka…Here we go! Hey Vic, I started seeing my roommate's girlfriend's best friend.  This seemed like a good idea at first, but at the moment I don’t want to get into a relationship and I can’t casually see her considering her best friend is always going to be at my house.  How ... Wed, 6 May 2009 11:26:43 -0400 http://social.richmond.com/blog/vsamper/2009/05/vic-in-a-box-dating-advice/#942 http://social.richmond.com/blog/vsamper/2009/05/last-night-i-had-a-date/ Last night I had a date.   Granted, I was with two of my (male) friends so it wasn’t a “date” date but still, I wanted to write about it so I called it a date… Now, before you go getting any ideas, I’m 100% straight and this was a platonic event centered around really cheap sushi and a few drinks. That being said, I wanted to discuss the experience as I believe it falls under the “Nightlife” umbrella. Remember when I mentioned the whole “I know where cougars lurk” comment in a previous post? Guess what: Kona Grill might ... Thu, 7 May 2009 14:31:47 -0400 http://social.richmond.com/blog/vsamper/2009/05/last-night-i-had-a-date/#941 http://social.richmond.com/blog/vsamper/2009/05/vic-in-a-box/ Hey Friend! Wow, you look sharp today. Anyway, as this is my first post for www.Richmond.com I feel it’s incredibly important that I give myself a proper introduction before diving into my thoughts on dating and nightlife. Especially because you’re probably wondering whether or not my advice is worth listening to. So, to help you out, I’ve run down a list of probable questions: 1. “Who are you?” My name is Victor. I am 25 years old. I am single. I enjoy the nightlife. I’m incredibly fun. I really like Sour Patch Kids. Oh, and I also write an additional ... Fri, 1 May 2009 16:02:17 -0400 http://social.richmond.com/blog/vsamper/2009/05/vic-in-a-box/#940