they're about equally far from east coasters like me.

310? what area code is that, kenya?

haha i've used that one before. it doesn't work unless you try inserting the quarter into your cell phone, looking at it like it's defective, then giving it back to her.

you how you can actually be smooth about it...

as you start walking away, call it and see if she reaches in her purse. if she answers it, say here's my number too. i'm james. and hang up. next time she answers, it'll come up as james, not random digits.

understood. i've just seen some people say oooh, THAT'S how you get chicks?? and do it like crazy, wasting tons of $$$ AND coming off like a needy wussyman at the same time. less is better than more, especially if you are buying gifts for either of the following reasons:

A) You want to impress her with something out of the ordinary for you
... A coffee shop where you go enough to know the names of employees is much better than an expensive restaurant you've never been in before that you're awkward in.

B) You are trying to re-imburse her for the time you spend with her
... You should be cool enough for her to want to spend time with you, with or without gifts. They should be to show you care, not to bribe her to hang out.

that said, gifts are awesome IF they mean something. don't buy her a necklace just cuz you think you need to buy her something or because she's mad, or she'll think she can get her way by mis-behaving.

but if she does something really good for ya, DO buy her that new pair of shoes she's been drooling over in the store window for months, or take her to that horse show she's always wanted to see.

ouch gypsy, what about me?

and i agree knox, except that if you take #4 too far you become a little wussy man and suddenly not attractive. moderation is best here.

ow, my sides hurt. ok ok, i'm done laughing.

man, for that many balls on the table it must have been me... well i deeply appologize for whatever i did, now can i have my eighteen testes back?

dang, how many guys asked for YOUR number kater?

yeah, cuz if you stray apart you might get a linguistically challenged player hitting on you.

i've created a monster!

and all or what, "a piece of ass" as you youngsters put it? sex isn't worth dating a woman for.

lol kojack again, you crack me up

yeah, wtf is this about "game" and crap? if it IS a game, then *I* get to make the rules. after all this is my reality. you know, when you game someone up as you put it, you're giving her your testacles on a plate in one hand and a little mallet in her other hand. every bit of manliness you had is right out the window when you play by her rules and not your own.

i don't think i've ever been

A) forgotten
B) yelled at

for calling a number a woman gave me. maybe i'm just that gosh darn cute, or maybe i just do stuff like after two days

"Hey it's James, we had an awesome chat down at the homeless shelter while handing out hot-dogs and sauerkraut last friday. What's up?"

It's not that hard. Just lay it out as it is, if she liked you she'll remember you. If she didn't, you'll have a fake #.

haha, kojack that's a great idea!

and joshy, i figure the more we expand it, the better the idea gets. you said yourself it was poorly thought through. i like the idea of a free date, but i think i'll stick to the old fashioned way though.

yeah, and don't forget, you can even pay her paycheck by selling her Social Security Number to an identity theft organization.

You gotta call it an internship.

Then you could schedule an interview for dinner and tell her to dress skimpy. If she complains that it's not professional, tell her you'll explain the job when she gets there.

Your job is to eat dinner for free, then come back to my place with me for some one on one tutoring.

and playa i don't care how comfortable a girl is, the email trick just amplifies it and shows you can take it nice and easy. women have all sorts of pre-scripted lines for "can i have your number" but they almost never hear "do you have email"

for shy girls, you gotta be a really good conversationalist. if you don't know how, no amount of pep talking i can give you will help. build up your confidence with women but also in general. do door to door sales. customer service. heck even if you're a talkative fast food employee you can learn some skills for conversation starting.

from there, you're actually gonna have to step up and show confidence. if she's shy, often it's because she doesn't have much confidence. she wants someone who will help guide her life. you are you gonna have to be the man and make the decisions, and control the conversation. ever seen a shy woman try to make a decision on what kind of ice cream she wants? it can take upwards of 10 minutes. don't put that kind of pressure on her shoulders, choose for her as much as you can.

shy girls are great! if you can actually start conversation with her, all you gotta do is be yourself. man, that can be hard work sometimes, i know...