http://mingle2.com/blog/ A blog about dating, meeting people, being social and everything in between. en-us In my ongoing effort to make Mingle2 the weirdest, most unconventional dating site on the planet, I've constructed a quiz that tests your knowledge of various sex positions. I didn't want to use pornographic images for the models, and drawing them would have been way too time consuming, so instead I bought some GI joes (both a male and female) and placed them in compromising positions. Matt 08/19/2008 http://mingle2.com/blog/view/sex-positions http://mingle2.com/blog/view/sex-positions Hastily drawn by Matthew Inman     This was created by Mingle2 A Completely Free Dating Site Browse singles, send and receive messages, create a profile - everything on the site is completely free (and always will be). Find a date at Mingle2   Matt 08/19/2008 http://mingle2.com/blog/view/demon-barbarian http://mingle2.com/blog/view/demon-barbarian 1. Make a facebook app specifically for her cat - achieve viral success, sell it for millions.   2. Win the x-prize competition   3. Help her steal wifi from her neighbors, then use it to download a pirated copy of Ironman 2 and the new wolverine movie.   4. Code a bot that can crack any captcha. Use it to spam the entire internet with poetry that pays her tribute.   5. Offer to let her stay in your black-hole-proof bunker when the hadron collider opens up a wo... Matt 08/13/2008 http://mingle2.com/blog/view/geek-impress http://mingle2.com/blog/view/geek-impress As a followup to 9 reasons not to date a tyrannosaurus rex , I'm pleased to announce:   I think this does a pretty good job of explaining why it'd be totally rad to date one of these magical beasts. Matt 08/04/2008 http://mingle2.com/blog/view/unicorn-dating http://mingle2.com/blog/view/unicorn-dating At Mingle2 we strongly believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to find true love, even those lovable walking corpses more commonly known as zombies.  It's with great pride that today we announce our sister site: Disclaimer: ZombieHarmony is for zombies only. We advise signing up for ZombieHarmony only if you lack a pulse, have limited motor skills, or feel an intense desire to feast on human beings.  We are not responsible for lost or ingested loved ones.  If you go ... Matt 07/23/2008 http://mingle2.com/blog/view/zombieharmony-announcement http://mingle2.com/blog/view/zombieharmony-announcement 5. The Camel "Tongue Whip" 4. Penguins - "Foghorn" 3. Elk 2. Lemur If I heard this in the jungle I think I'd need to change my shorts 1. Bird of Paradise - watch this to the very end! Watch this to the very end - the last 30 seconds are quite possibly the weirdest thing I've ever seen in a nature video Matt 07/23/2008 http://mingle2.com/blog/view/animal-date-mating-call http://mingle2.com/blog/view/animal-date-mating-call Illustrated by Matthew Inman , with some help on the Dinosaur jokes from Rebecca Kelley Matt 07/11/2008 http://mingle2.com/blog/view/dating-tyrannosaurus http://mingle2.com/blog/view/dating-tyrannosaurus Ever wondered if you've had sex with too many people, or not enough? Today we launched the Mingle2 Dating Report , which asks you how many sexual partners you've had in your life and then tells you how you compare to everyone else in your demographic. We ask for your age, gender, location, sexual orientation, and how many people you've been with in your life.  We then tell you how you compare with other people from your city, age group, and gender. Talking about your "number,&q... Matt 07/09/2008 http://mingle2.com/blog/view/dating-report http://mingle2.com/blog/view/dating-report Draw for fun by Matthew Inman . Matt 06/16/2008 http://mingle2.com/blog/view/bad-kissers http://mingle2.com/blog/view/bad-kissers Thanks to Taloan for writing this blog entry, although she doesn't strike me as particularly mutant-like :) I never dated in high school. I went to my senior prom with a foreign exchange student named Barbora. I like to say it was because I am a mutant. According to everyone else its because I’m too damned picky. I’ll concede that the truth probably lies somewhere in between, but mutants just can’t afford to be that picky. And yet as the years passed and my desperation gr... Matt 06/13/2007 http://mingle2.com/blog/view/confessions-of-a-mutant-date http://mingle2.com/blog/view/confessions-of-a-mutant-date I found this via del.icio.us - thought it was pretty funny. VideoJug: How To Kiss Someone Passionately Matt 06/13/2007 http://mingle2.com/blog/view/how-to-kiss-someone-passionately-funny-video http://mingle2.com/blog/view/how-to-kiss-someone-passionately-funny-video A little over two years ago I decided I wanted to lose some weight.  I wasn't morbidly obese or anything but I had the figure of a typical computer guy:  skinny arms accompanied by a lower half that was unusually fatter than my upper body (picture Tyrannosaurus Rex with love handles).  My diet was mediocore and I never, ever exercised. I tried signing up for a gym and exercising occasionally, but I never had the discipline to stick to anything long enough to make a difference.&... Matt 06/13/2007 http://mingle2.com/blog/view/geek-how-runner http://mingle2.com/blog/view/geek-how-runner Being single definitely has its advantages.  There's more freedom, less responsibility, and no one to keep tabs on you.  Conversely, there are some things I absolutely hate about being single. Lets start with the hate: Not having a guaranteed "activity buddy."  If you're single and you want to go out to dinner you've got to find someone to go with.  Sure, you can invite friends or other couples but they may not be available. When you're in a relationship ... Matt 06/13/2007 http://mingle2.com/blog/view/things-i-love-hate-about-being-single http://mingle2.com/blog/view/things-i-love-hate-about-being-single The mind of a web developer is a vastly complex organ; it's riddled with anguish, elation, caffeine, and a gargantuan mound of crap to remember.  I figured this warranted a bit of creativity so I whipped up this diagram of a web developer's brain. Matt 06/13/2007 http://mingle2.com/blog/view/web-developer-mind http://mingle2.com/blog/view/web-developer-mind Here's a few interesting dating related links I found via delicious. Things My Boyfriend Says (this is really funny) How to Tell When a Relationship is Over Questions Couples Should Ask (Or Wish They Had) Before Marrying - New York Times 50 Things She Wishes You Knew - Men's Health Googling your Date Matt 06/13/2007 http://mingle2.com/blog/view/dating-links-roundup http://mingle2.com/blog/view/dating-links-roundup I hate it when people say "It's the little things that count," but it's friday afternoon and I felt like writing a post about some little geek things that make me happy.   Feel free to contribute any of your own. My gmail notifier lights up.  It could be a friend asking if I want to meet up for a drink later  or a nigerian prince who has a financial proposition I simply can't refuse.  Either way those few moments before I actually read the message alw... Matt 06/13/2007 http://mingle2.com/blog/view/geek-happy-things http://mingle2.com/blog/view/geek-happy-things I've compiled a list of what I consider to be the ten worst movies to see on a first date.  These aren't necessarily bad movies, they're just movies that could ruin the mood or scare the hell out of your potential partner.   10.  Apocalypse Now (Redux) This happens to be one of my favorite movies but it also happens to be a very bad choice for a first date.  First of all, no one wants to cuddle with "the horror."  Secondly, the redux version adds a ton of... Matt 06/13/2007 http://mingle2.com/blog/view/worst-movies-first-date http://mingle2.com/blog/view/worst-movies-first-date National Geographic's February issue had a map comparing the density of single men to single women.  Clearly I need to move to the east coast. The Singles Map Found via creativeclass.typepad.com Matt 06/13/2007 http://mingle2.com/blog/view/the-singles-map http://mingle2.com/blog/view/the-singles-map I want to begin by saying I had options:  I could have chosen an easier difficulty level, even ultra-violence would have worked.  There are plenty of nice, moderately sane girls out there who I could have dated.  But no, I willingly chose nightmare mode.  I went for the unstable, completely batshit-crazy girl who taught me what it truly means to experience Hell on Earth. The Honeymoon Phase It starts out fun.  I'm running around killing shotgun guys and everyt... Matt 06/13/2007 http://mingle2.com/blog/view/dating-doom2-gf http://mingle2.com/blog/view/dating-doom2-gf I've got a thing for baristas, I can't help it.  Unfortunately finding a segue from "tall americano" to "HOLY CRAP YOU'RE HOT" isn't as easy as it might seem.  Flirting with a stranger is undeniably daunting: you risk rejection, embarrassment, or just plain feeling creepy.  It's not hopeless, however - there are ways!  Below are a few useful tips for bridging the gap between casual and flirty. Incite a positive emotion, laughter is usually your best ... Matt 06/13/2007 http://mingle2.com/blog/view/how-to-flirt-with-a-stranger http://mingle2.com/blog/view/how-to-flirt-with-a-stranger Thanks to Taloan for contributing this list of mistakes to avoid when messaging someone online.  Her tone is a bit cynical, but I think she speaks from experience  :)   Simply writing:  “ur hot”-  Compliments are great when included in a letter, but when the compliment is the letter there is definitely something lacking.  If a girl is attractive she’s probably heard it all before, so think up something original to add, not something that... Matt 06/13/2007 http://mingle2.com/blog/view/mistakes-to-avoid-when-messaging-someone http://mingle2.com/blog/view/mistakes-to-avoid-when-messaging-someone A friend of mine recently mentioned that she'd started seeing someone new and he apparently could set his own schedule at work.  In other words, he was free to see her anytime he pleased.  When you start seeing someone new you usually want to spend lots of time around them;  they're a new squeaky toy that you want to hug and squish until its eyes bug out and it stops squeaking.  My advice?  Take it easy.   Give each other space - especially when you're just ... Matt 06/13/2007 http://mingle2.com/blog/view/keep-em-separated%20 http://mingle2.com/blog/view/keep-em-separated%20 Everyone uses social networking sites:  Teenagers, adults, seniors - even my mother has a myspace account.   Anyone can find and connect to anyone, all they have to do is know how to search for a name and submit a friend request.  I've always used a fake name on myspace to keep people from my past from finding me.  I didn't do this necessarily because I'd rather not speak to them ever again (although there are certainly a few of those), I did it simply because I wante... Matt 06/13/2007 http://mingle2.com/blog/view/the-death-of-estrangement http://mingle2.com/blog/view/the-death-of-estrangement Ever heard a woman say she has a thing for a guy in uniform?  I've got a similar thing, except it's for baristas.  It's an inexplicable attraction to someone who makes coffee for a living.  I think this attraction exists because of a few different reasons: I don't know how to make a latte, therefore watching a barista fly through my order in a cloud of hissing, bubbling, beeping machines is like watching a samurai at work. I live near a large college campus in a par... Matt 06/13/2007 http://mingle2.com/blog/view/damn-you-barista-why-must-you-be-so-cute http://mingle2.com/blog/view/damn-you-barista-why-must-you-be-so-cute Being a geek in 2007 is nothing to be ashamed of, the stereotype that once existed is long gone and there are several characteristics of geek culture that could almost be considered chic.  Consumating, Threadless, or even Apple are pretty good testaments to this fact. The picture I'm about to paint is of the ideal, I'm not implying that every perl programmer or 15 year kid who plays WoW all day possesses all these qualities. You're probably very smart. It's hip to be geek.... Matt 06/13/2007 http://mingle2.com/blog/view/10-ways-being-a-geek-makes-you-more-attractive http://mingle2.com/blog/view/10-ways-being-a-geek-makes-you-more-attractive