My 2011 dating year in review

Something old, something new, something tried and something true. 

Well folks, another year’s in the bag. Can’t really say that I was a big fan of 2011 but it sure brought many stories and learning experiences. Let’s take a quick walk down memory lane, shall we?

Something OLD

For those of you who have been following my blog for a while, I’m sure you have noticed that I have a ridiculous amount of guys in my life who for whatever reason just never go away. You can argue whatever you’d like about the reasoning, “he just broke up with his girl,” “he likes the attention,” “you respond to his texts,” etc., etc., trust me I have heard it all before.  The fact of the matter is that I have in some cases ignored these guys and in some cases indulged them, depending on the person and circumstance. I have given many of them beyond the benefit of the doubt (when they didn’t deserve it) and ample opportunity to redeem themselves, yet they always failed. Reflection moving forward: Some people DO deserve a second chance, but when they constantly underwhelm you, it’s really time to move on and not look back.

Something NEW

Online dating…I’ve been hearing all the hype for YEARS. I have a few friends who met online and ended up getting married. That’s great for them. I really pushed myself outside of my comfort zone this year and gave it a three month test. I met some interesting fellas but in the end they were guys I felt less compatible with than those I met in person and the experience just wasn’t for me. I’m not really a picture posting, profile writing type of person and it all felt very unauthentic, contrived and catalog-like to me. No disrespect to anyone using these services...if it works for you, then keep at it. And hey, you never know I may try it again someday but I do believe it’s just not for everyone and that everyone includes me (at the moment).  Reflection moving forward: The world is changing with many new dating channels out there and while they may not all be a good fit for you...it’s still worth giving them a chance.

Something TRIED

In 2011, more than any other year that I can recall, I tried going out with guys who I wasn’t gaga with from the get go. This may seem like a minor milestone but for someone like me who is guided by my gut, vibes, chemistry, and typically knows in 30 seconds if I am going to be interested in dating someone, it really took a lot of effort. What did I learn from these experiences? I met some really, really, nice guys and had some amazing dates but in the end I still wasn’t interested in any of them enough to keep it going. Reflection moving forward: Broaden your dating pool and give the nice guys who you might not be crazy about at first a chance…but don’t get your hopes up because in the end you’re probably just not going to be that into them. 

Something TRUE

I am a total romantic. I have a lot to offer and would love to meet that "don’t want to live without you type of person." But, regardless of whom I might go out with or how I met them, I stay true to myself. I’m not impressed by fancy dinners and gifts. Yes, they are nice but they are not going to persuade me to keep dating someone. If I’m not being treated properly or given the effort, consideration and respect that I deserve then I walk away. I try as best I can to be honest and open with guys so as to not lead them on, mistreat, or blow them off…I try to treat them how I’d like to be treated. I’ve been single waaayyy to long in this crazy city to settle now. Reflection moving forward: We all make mistakes but if we stay true to ourselves it will keep us moving forward to become an even better  person. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it! 

Thank you for being a great sounding board this year. Your comments, likes, and stories have all helped me get through each day with compassion and laughs. Wishing you all lots of love in your life for 2012.

Riiidiculous online dating profile personalities--categorized!!

As many of you know, I took my very first plunge into online dating earlier this year. Late bloomer, yes I know. It was a brief but memorable 3 month experiment which resulted in a few dates (more to come on that later) and plenty of characters.

Like a good blogger, I created a little keepsake highlighting some of my favorite ridicoulsness seen in the headlines, descriptions and emails that landed on my screen.  They are all to be taken literally—word for word—because that is how they were encountered. Some make you laugh out loud, some make you cringe, but most just make you say REALLY???...and I have no doubt that fellow singlers have come across some of the very same exact ones in your online journeys.

I realize there are plenty of people out there who are a little more serious about online dating than those listed here...but pointing out those in this particular post wouldn't be nearly as much fun. Enjoy ;)

The Annoying

• Has adonis DNA
• Things that go vvrrrmm
• I'll be your Superhero today
• I'm a gentleman and a gentle man, and you're really going to like me. :-) So write me!

The Insecure

• Are you going to look at my profile or say hi ;-)
• I would date me
• FYI: I'm awesome.

The NOT-So-Cutesy

• If You Show Me Yours, I'll Show You Mine
• A knight in pre-owned armor
• Bring me home when you're mom's not
• I was wondering maybe could I make you my baby

The Ridiculous

• I can make you believe it's butter
• Geek by day, warrior by night
• My profile is like smelling your favorite dish with a blindfold on, you know it will look as delicious as it smells (note: he had no pic)

The Cheezball

• Baby, your're a Firework!
• Single as a Dollar Bill
• Your pot of gold is right here!!!
• Hello...Is it you I'm lookin for?
• Eurotrash at its best! (could be funny but based on his profile, he wasn't kidding)

The Desperate

• I'm vicious, delicious, nutritious
• Looking for Good-Looking
• Great real estate! It's a buyer's market! They call him their “favorite” design yet. They truly have set the bar high for other competitors to try and achieve the same. This unit does not have any leaks, creaks, cracks or holes (except one, hence the For Sale ad)

The Shady

• Don't ask why I don't have a pic up....I did, now I don't.....I'll send you one... :)
• Hello from Prison! (would be clever if they didn't look the part!)
• If I don't write back immediately, Don't Panic!! :) I get quite a few messages, so I will respond, just give me a chance. (get OVER yourself!)
• Im only on here for the free trial so if you're looking for trouble im your man lol ;P

The Shifty

• I live in the suburbs but wrote nyc for more search options
• Just moved to the city and looking to make some new friends!
• Basically I am looking for a girl that I am really attracted to that is fun as hell but still loves to be a girlie! I guess the kind of girl that looks like she would be a stuck up pain in the ass but is really great once you get to know her

The Dirrrrtttyyyy

• Diving in head first.  (OK maybe just my mind is dirty?)
• Wanderlust...
• Once you go brown you'll always be down...
• Am thirsty i need you
• When you are gonna feel me, then I'm yours.
• I'm a great catch!! I just been swimming in polluted waters lately ;P

The Idiot

• Conversation is a big must, there's nothing worse than trying to talk to a wall.
• Love life to dead!
• My best qualities are my extreme intelligence, perfect body and insanely good sense of humor

The Illiterate

• You can check my profile an now more is all there, and all i need is a reasonable companion that can make me fill like a man what can i say or write about that gonna put me at the top of the list
• Life's SHORT! I wnat to PLAY HARD!!
• I'm using all my strengths and my means for you, but please don't loose the destiny, and the real opportunity offered to us online
• You and I were born to be together, to share and enjoy everything of our lives together, to handle all the obstacles of life together, to look the life as children do or even that we were born two months ago, and not to see it as adults or middle adults instead.

And finally….

The Semi-Clever

• Unbelievable, even my gay friends are getting married before I am. I mean...good for them. Good for them.
• I’ve given up on meeting my soulmate when she's totally wasted at the bar
• If love was blind why is Lingerie so Popular?
• Please don't ask me for free Botox. (He’s was a Dr.)

THE END.


Keep up with SS on facebook and twitter!

And they call her………………….THE SABOTAGER.

“Stop sabotaging your dates”. If you’re a fellow single, chances are that you’ve also been hearing (and denying) this one for years. And perhaps subconsciously, within our own realm of the definition, we are in fact committing dating sabotage. Let me share with you one of my classic dating stories and you can judge for yourself if:

a) I’m a sabotager   

b) You too, are a sabotager         or

c) Our friends should just go stick it up their ass!

It’s the end of a drunken bar crawl...I look over and see my friend making out with a guy.  A few feet away I’m chatting with his friend who’s wasted and keeps buying us shots. IT’S TIME TO GO HOME. In order to get out of there, I give this finance asswipe my number and leave. The next morning (a few hours later) I wake up to 5 missed calls and 11 texts from this douche. A little persistent, aye?

 I barge into the living room and ask my roommate “who the hell is this stalker from last night??” (Her memory was always better than mine).  Hmmm….she nonchalantly grabs a pen, a napkin and starts drawing what can only be described as a Herman Munster stick figure. “WTF, are you serious,” I say?? “Ok maybe his forehead wasn’t really thaaattttt big,” she chuckles.  “Just go out with him, what do you have to lose?” “Are you crazy—LISTEN to these messages—why would I go out with this freak??” I say. “Because you haven’t been on a date in AGES,” she reminds me “at the very least it will make for a good story….just consider it practice” (love when people say this one). Rusty yes…desperate no…but “OK, FINE!” I say.

I pick a bar that I’m familiar with for the dreaded encounter, a “safe place” so to speak. I get there a few minutes early because other than the stick figure napkin sketch in my pocket, I had NO idea what this guy looked like. I walk towards the back of the bar looking for a place to sit and this SEXY Latino reaches his arms out and says “Heeyyyy—wanna do a shot with us?” “Ummm…….what??” I smirk. “Do I know you?” I say. “No…but do you like whiskey?” “Uh, HELL YEA, I do!” (Why couldn’t this guy be my date?!) Loving this sexy Latino and his drunk friends, I quickly confide how I was there for a blind date to meet some guy who seemed like a total douchebag (come on—I couldn’t tell him it was really just beer goggles!). We throw back whiskeys and are having a grand ‘ol time when all of a sudden I feel a creepy tap on my shoulder. Like a geeky dad breaking up the cool kid’s party….it was HIM. Stalker finance asswipe in the flesh and he was WORSE than I could have imagined. I cringe. He looks at me confused and I tell him I just happened to bump into these old friends who bought me a shot. He looks skeptical but nevertheless, we mosey to the bar.

Within 5 minutes this guy has bragged about his job, his apartment and all of his other riches, and has tried to stick his tongue down my throat which I have successfully  dodged like a flying bullet. REALLY?! The bartender gives me a sympathetic glance.  I head straight for the bathroom and start bbm’ing all of my friends. I need an exit plan—STAT. I start explaining that I have to leave soon for a birthday party—“Great” he says, “I’ll come with you.” Ugh, I was a prisoner—I knew he was NOT going to let me out of there alone! The Latino stops by on his way out with his friends. “Nice meeting you he says as he shakes my hand which slyly (or not so slyly) has his business card inside. Asswipe vexed “I thought he was an old friend.” “Umm…what?” I can’t be bothered-ly mutter as I stare at my Latino walking out the door. ”Ohhh, yea….I meant the other one was”—he didn’t buy it but whatever, at least I got the Latinos number, score!  All I could think about was getting out of there to meet my friends.

I chug my drink AS FAST as I can. And then it happens. By the grace of God, asswipe gets a phone call. I give him a dirty look as he picks it up—because by now I totally detest him. “I’ll be right back, I need to take this outside,” he says. This is IT—my window of opportunity to escape!  I grabbed my clutch and bee-lined for the door. He’s right there, still on the phone and looks at me shaking his hands up in the air in disbelief like—WHAT?! I start a mild jog and wave, shouting “GOTTA GO, BYE—THANKS FOR THE DRINK!!” I meet my friends at a bar down the street. As I start telling them the horror story that just occurred, a hot guy grabs my arm. It’s someone that I went to college with.  He starts flirting with me with his weeping willow eyes. We make out like we should have when we were in college. I can feel my phone buzzing from texts from my new Latino. This rainy night was salvageable after all.

My friend was right, it WAS good to go out and give it a chance—it DID make for a story! I don’t know what it is but it’s like men can smell each other and when you are out with one the others all want a piece of the action. Well, the same is true for this gal. When I’m out with one guy, ALL I want is to talk to EVERY other guy in the room. So while you might question whether this was actually a sabotage since I didn’t like the asswipe in the first place the truth is….if you replace this story with a guy that I actually DO like I’m afraid not much of the rest of it would change!

Until next time …

***Don't forget to add me on facebook: www.facebook.com/sergeantsassy

 

ODB seeks SYF {Guest Post}

ODB (old dirty bastard) seeks SYF (single young female)

Guest Post By: Liz, WeLoveDates.com
Be sure to stop by their site after—you don't want to miss My Scarlet Letter guest post!

I have a love/hate relationship with bad dates.

I hate them because, well, they suck.
I love them because man, do they make great stories.

One bad date in particular stands out from all the rest. It was an online date, so the normal first date anxiety was hightened...due to the fact that I hadn't as so much even facebook stalked this person. I had no idea who I was to be spending my Friday night with.

So begins the getting ready process. I pluck, straighten, exfoliate, bronze, curl all while downing a glass (ok, a few) glasses of pinot and dancing to Jay-Z in my apartment. This was actually the best part of my evening-should have ordered a pizza and called it a night.

I hurried out the door and battled L.A traffic, hoping I wouldn't be late. It didn't really matter though, because my date ended up being 45 minutes late. I stood outside of the bar on Sunset constantly checking my phone, and reading his "I'm 2 mins" away texts. I called my best friend who said I should leave, but I felt bad and didn't want to be rude. Um, lesson to be learned here? If he's 45 minutes late, LEAVE. He's rude, not you.

Moving right along...finally, he texted that he was parking. I started looking around for someone who resembled the many pictures he'd posted online. 25ish, brown hair, 6'0, athletic build. Instead, a 65ish, salt and pepper, 5'5 tall man with definitely an un-athletic build walked up to me. I was shocked. I'd heard about people misrepresenting themselves online all the time, but never to this extent.

Too stunned to say anything, we sat down at the bar. He immediately told me that the images he'd posted online were of him...literally 20 years ago. I was silently kicking my own ass with my Louboutin because something had seemed a bit off from the images...ya know, like maybe they were from the late 70's?! He went on to say that he was "young at heart" and was having a difficult time meeting younger woman when he posted his real photos online. Go figure. And he didn't even bother to take off his wedding ring!

I regained my composure and calmly told him I was going to have to leave. He seemed genuinely sad, and my softy side almost offered to have dinner with him anyway. Luckily, I stopped thinking crazy and gathered my things. As I was shaking his hand good-bye (the creeper had the nerve to ask for a kiss! I die), he mentioned that his son was single, and offered to "hook us up." No thanks, especially if the old adage "like father like son" bears any truth whatsoever!

Oh, the joys of online dating!

This is a guest post from:

We Love Dates is an online dating website & dating advice blog for singles in the UK, Ireland, US, Canada, South Africa & Australia. Liz blogs (and vlogs!) about all things online dating, love, sex and relationships. Follow We Love Dates on Twitter, and get friendly with us on Facebook. 

Don't miss My Scarlet Letter guest post on their site!

Oh, how desperately I want you inside of me…

I was recently dishing with one of my guy friends about crazy things that guys/girls do when they feel like they had a connection with someone and have been rejected. He started laughing and casually browsed his iphone e-mail archives and handed it over to me for review. It was an e-mail from a chick he met a few years back that he had only hung out with a few times. As you will see, there’s really no backstory needed for this one...

WARNING: What you are about to read is an unedited e-mail this chick sent to my friend after clearly a few too many cocktails on HER BIRTHDAY!

Hey,

So it is my birthday, and this is the first time that I have e-mailed you in a very long time. But I have a few things to say: First, I think about you and really want you inside of me; that is, I want your penis inside of me and I want you to go down on me and I want to go down on you and I want to have sex with you, you make me wet when I think about you when I masturbate, which is more often than I would like; second, I am mad that you haven't e-mailed; you have really made me feel like a cheap prostitute, like someone you just wanted to fuck with, with no kind of follow up and I am not really that kind of girl. Why haven't you called or e-mailed? What is wrong with you? I don't want to be your girlfriend. I would be a terrible girlfriend, and I am sorry if I said shit like that to you a while you were at my house, you know, an ultimatum or something like that. I think that we could maybe be friends and have fun together. I kind of want you to take care of me, in an affectionate kind of way; not in a boyfriend kind of way. I apologize for the last time when I was kind of quiet. I have been dealing with a lot of shit lately.

Ok, I am going to go now because i NEED to get some water. Can we just talk. I would really like to talk,

p.s. I am coming in this weekend; do you want to meet for a drink or something? like maybe saturday night?

I think this one pretty much speaks for itself...I am sure we have ALL been tempted at one time or another to send or say these types of things but believe me—it’s not doing anything to help fight that old adage that “all girls are crazy”. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE Sassy readers—I beg you NOT to do this! I promise there are many, many, more productive and less embarrassing ways to handle a rejection or break up and I will cover that discussion soon!

In the meantime, next time you are feeling this way, write the email and send it to me or a friend instead...we promise you will feel better about it the next morning ;)

When honesty is NOT the best policy

Just like my moods, my dating life has its ups and downs. One thing that’s fairly consistent is that just when I think I have seen and heard it all, the surprises keep coming.

I went on a ‘date’ (using this term loosely) this past weekend with a guy that I met a few nights earlier at a bar. Granted, we met at the end of the night so we really didn’t get to know each other, but I did recall that he was pretty cute. He actually picked up the phone to call me to make plans instead of the typical texting back and forth. We decided to meet for a late afternoon rendezvous. I felt pretty optimistic about the possibility of a great evening.

It was a beautiful day so we went to a hotel roof bar to enjoy some time outside. There was no hiding that we were attracted to each other and both pleasantly surprised that we looked even better in daylight. We smirked and chatted a bit while I sipped my delicious mojito and he sat back drinking his beer. The conversation was a bit forced but nevertheless, it flowed. I’m not really sure how many red flags I encountered within the first 30 minutes because, well, I had to stop counting.

I quickly learned that this 27 year old fella had been laid off from his bartending job a few days ago. I could tell that it was all still very raw for him. He was bitter and openly expressing his concern about not knowing how he was going to pay rent (I started to feel a little guilty about the $16 mojito that I just ordered).  I gave him some words of encouragement and the conversation moved on (temporarily). 

Schmo—let’s call him Schmo, well, because he was one—went on to fill me in about how he grew up in Michigan until he was about 17 years old, after which he was kicked out of his parent’s house. Then he headed south to attend university. He went on to attend 5 different colleges, in 4 different states. Schmo didn’t manage to graduate from any of them, but he says he learned a lot. This Schmo also didn’t like to stay in one place for too long (maybe the law was following him?). Actually, he did mention an arrest when he was 16, for breaking and entering…I won’t get into it.  Next up is his family situation...Schmo doesn’t have a relationship with his parents—at all. “I might send my mom an email tomorrow to wish her a happy mother’s day,” are his exact words. What a doll. I decide not to judge and to give this Schmo a proper chance, he’s cute and I haven’t been on a date in a while.

We leave the fabulous roof bar to find something "cheaper" where we can watch the game. As we pass a nearby pub we see a sign for happy hour, he’s sold. Schmo asks the bartender about the specials. $10 bud light pitchers—he looks and asks me if that’s ok. Sure why not, I got this one, I say. “Ok” he (a little too) gladly says. I’m irritated but whatever, I’m a sport. Schmo starts chatting up the bartenders, I could tell he was not just being friendly, Schmo had an agenda, this Schmo wanted a job. A few minutes later one of the bartenders takes a break from behind the bar to enjoy his tobacco dip. Guess what?? Schmo likes dip, too. He even had his own tub with him—what a coincidence! Would I mind if he partook at the bar? Go for it. After about 20 mins of watching him spit into a cup, I ordered 2 shots of jack. I was already buzzed, what else was I going to do?

As I anticipated, a few minutes later, Schmo takes out a resume to hand to the bartender. It was a little awkward but I guess I admire his motivation, or at least I should. Mind if I take a look, I ask? Sure. The first line, his objective, says ‘seeking full time employment’. Here, take it back I don’t need to see it…2 more shots please! 

3 pitchers and 3 shots later, we were making friends all over the bar. Somehow 7 hours had gone by with this Schmo but now it was time to make a decision. He had told me earlier that he had to stop by a birthday party down the street and invited me to join.

Who’s the friend, I innocently ask? Oh, just a female friend of mine. Cool, I say…contemplating if I want to keep the night going or head home. Well if you are going to come, then there is something I should tell you, he says. There is an uncomfortable pause. I’ve hooked up with the friend who’s birthday it is. Umm…ok I say.  So then if I go, would that be weird for you…or for her, I ask?  No, he says…I just wanted to let you know so that there aren’t any surprises. Umm ok, I repeat. There is another long pause as I mull it all over in my head. Like how long ago are we talking about here, I ask? Umm…I don’t know…like last night, he says.

I look at Schmo in what I imagine can only be described as sheer and utter disbelief—I was dumfounded. The scene went something like this....WHAT?!?! Are you SERIOUS?? Are you really trying to take me to a birthday party right now for a friend who you just had sex with LAST NIGHT?!?! WHY WOULD YOU TELL ME THIS, ARE YOU AN IDIOT!?!  Schmo tells me that he’s mad at himself for being "so honest". Yea well you should be, I say! I’ve met a lot of Schmo’s in my time but never one quite like this.  Many, many expletives later I made him leave the bar and warned him to never call me again. At least he made my decision easy.

Moral of this story: Don’t mess with a Schmo, even an honest one.

   

The Aardvark.

Aardvark (ahrd-vahrk) – noun

A large, nocturnal, burrowing mammal (Orycteropus afer) of Africa, having a long tubular snout, extensile tongue, long ears and powerful digging claws. Also known as an uncircumcised penis.

For me, this has always been somewhat of a legend—kind of like Bigfoot—you’ve heard about it over the years but never really encountered one for yourself so you aren’t really sure whether or not it actually exists.  Well, let me tell you, these purportedly cheeky anteaters ARE out there—and they may just turn up in your bedroom when you least expect! Here’s how my first encounter went down…

It was a Thursday night and I met a girlfriend out at a random Irish pub. A couple of guys started to chat us up. She was into one, I wasn’t into the other but then—long and behold, a friend of theirs showed up. At first glance he was from head to toe…well, delicious. He was young—but not too young, shaved head, beautiful blue eyes, fit—but not too fit, and sporting a few cool tattoos. We instantly locked eyes and it was game on! The night carried us off to a few other pubs. Many drinks (and shots) later I learned that he had only been in the States for a few months. He was fresh off the boat from Ireland and had the HOT accent to prove it.  Let’s continue to call him ‘he’ since I can’t remember his name—although I do recall it was a Celtic name that I had never heard of and that I had trouble pronouncing. Needless to say, I was intrigued...and before you know it we were making out at the bar.

Fast forward to MANY more drinks (and shots) later…one thing led to another and we were back at my place. We were HOT for each other—clothes came off fast as we were rolling around in the heat of sheer passion.........and then.......GASP! There. IT. Was.  For the first time in my life—I was face to face with an aardvark—the unusual, fearless figure that I had only heard about.  All I could think was—what, he couldn’t give me a little forewarning—maybe a little heads up? (Oh yes, those puns are intended).  Well I had to make a decision about this one and fast! Was I going to feign a drunken illness and kick this hot young lad out of my place? Or was I going to proceed, full speed ahead into this unchartered territory while trying my best not to awkwardly stare at this face that only a father could love that was right in front of me? Well...the beast was already unleashed so what the hell, right?  

It was a wild, steamy night. So much so that I called in sick to work the next day (rare occurrence) and we continued to enjoy a hot and heavy morning-after. When it was all over I rolled out of bed feeling both dizzy and giddy—fresh hangover style. I walked him out and then I kept walking…I met a girlfriend out for a liquid lunch—couldn’t waste a sick day and I had to share this new war story with someone fast!

I never heard from that stout anteater again…and actually, I’m perfectly ok with that. Not because of his aardvark but because during pillow talk the next morning he openly shared with me that even though it has only been a few months, he was really enjoying living here because women back home (Ireland) were so difficult...and here (in NYC) he could easily sleep with at least 8-9 new women a month. Sigh. But let’s not digress. 

Ladies, please take note—these frisky nocturnal mammals are definitely out there and while they may not be as ‘pretty’ as we are used to, trust me—you do not want to judge these books by their covers, just go for it!

5 sure signs that you are dealing with a douchebag

He has referred to you as 'Miss <your first name goes here>'.

This may seem cute and endearing at first but please don’t fall for it. History has shown time and time again that this guy is a professional douchebag. Run for the hills before you are weaved into his tangled web—trust me.

He overuses emoticons ;) or '!' in texts and emails.

Ok, we’ve all seen this one before. This is the fastest way to appear like you are:

A: insecure—you need to make sure we understand your mood and intent for every word

B: a serial texter—you know more shorthand than my teenage cousin

C: annoying!!!!!!! ;) XO :*)

D: really a chick—come on, only our girlfriends can get away with this kind of texting

He contacts you regularly but he’s always ‘working’ or hanging out ‘with the boys’.

Excuses, excuses and lots of ‘em. The fact is that men like—no men need—regular female contact, both physically and emotionally. So rest assured, if he’s not getting both of these types of attention that he craves from you—he’s getting it somewhere else. He probably already has a girlfriend, or several. If he’s into you he will make time to see you. Case closed.

You haven’t heard from him in 4 or more days.

Momentum is gone. Refer to answer above.

He’s often looking to say 'hi' or hang out at 3am (or really this goes for any time after 11pm).

He’s just a douchebag.