Tag Archives: tips

Dating Nikki: Double dating (and why it’s useful!)

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Double dating is useful when you want to get to know that special someone a little better without having that added pressure of being alone and intimate with them. If you aren’t talented at small talk, then I would suggest a double date as a first or second date to help you break the ice.

Serial double dating at its finest.

Serial double dating at its finest.

This fascinating concept is flexible and can be a great endeavour in the early stages of a relationship and even for the happily married. The double date is It’s a fun experience where you get to socialise and see how other couples date and, of course, spend that quality time with your special lady or gentleman. Speaking solely for those of you who are part of the former and are just establishing some form of connection with a significant other, this advice is for you.

The benefits of double dating
[+] The pressure of keeping a steady conversation flow is taken away from you with the presence of others. You may now relax.
[+] With you being relaxed, your date will also be relaxed, especially if they have a friend with them. This is beneficial because then you get to see them in their true, natural skin, not their “I have to act like I’m in a job interview to seem impressive” mode.
[+] Bored of hearing about how her hairdresser cut her hair wrong or how he scored the most amazing try on the weekend? You’ve got one of your gal pals or bros with you. Get reinvigorated with your mate there with you.
[+] I’m just going to put this one out there. You won’t feel tempted to have a quickie if you have another two sets of prying eyes there with you. If you’re there for the right reasons, then this is a benefit. Trust me.
[+] You have a wider variety of activities to do. You know how there are certain things you need a group to do? Ta da!
[+] More fun will be evident during a double date. Bowling with two people is fun, yeah, but with four? Outstanding.
[+] It’s a fantastic social experiment, therefore, do it.

Ideas for double dates
[x] A good ol’ fashion video game arcade is a great idea for a double date. You can compete in games in a free-for-all, couple vs. couple or girls vs. boys (or boys vs. boys, girls vs. girls in the same sex situation). Who doesn’t like a little competition?
[x] Go-karting. If you haven’t played Mario Kart, then you wouldn’t understand where I’m going with this one.
[x] Lazer tag. Same deal – free-for-all, couple vs. couple, etc. You also burn off mega calories in this thigh-burning exercise as well.
[x] Go for a hike or relaxing nature walk. Don’t do this at night, otherwise the Big Bad Wolf will eat you. (DISCLAIMER: not really)
[x] Board games and/or video games. BYO competitive spirit.
[x] Karaoke, because let’s be frank, karaoke is amazing.

Double dating is not an excuse to completely avoid alone time with your date, so find a free moment during the day or night to spend some quality time with your date, even if it’s the drive home to his or her house together. You’ll realise that you’re more comfortable being with each other just because of the success of the double date.

When you’re buying your first house together, you have me to thank.

You’re welcome.

– by The Black Widow

Satisfashion: Rugby League

Posted in Lifestyle, Satisfashion, Sports by

In this second installment of Satisfashion, I thought I’d write about something that I am clearly passionate about – that being rugby league, or NRL in particular. I’m doing the darndest thing and combining that with something that is complete opposite to rugby league – fashion. Dun dun duuuuun. Fashion in the NRL? Whatever do I mean?

Well, I’ve seen many o’ fashion mistakes at all the NRL games I’ve been to through the years and decided to help the fashionably challenged at NRL games. In spirit of the NRL finals around the corner – and seeing as my team is out for the season *Sadface* – here we go with the Do’s and Dont’s of fashion at NRL games.

The obvious fashion must at an NRL game (if you’re willingly going to one and support a team) is a footy jersey. These must be done tastefully because there are some blindingly horrendous cases that you shouldn’t wear your team’s jersey. For example, if you support the Warriors and you are going to a Broncos vs. Bulldogs game, please for the love of all that is holy, do not wear your Warriors jersey and call out ignorant things like “GO THE WARRIORS!!” Nobody found it funny the first time so no one will find it funny this time. When people do this, I want nothing more than for them to get kicked out for being stupid. Genuine team jerseys can be a bit pricey unless you know when and where to shop for your team merchandise… or you support the Eels because their jerseys are usually reduced to $60 by the fifth round.

As most nights at a league game are cold, all of the teams have their own scarves, beanies and jackets you can purchase at a relatively cheap price. These are obviously to be worn with your team’s jersey for a full-on supporter effect. Like you don’t mix patterns in an every day outfit, do not mix teams in your choice of clothing. Wearing a Bunnies jersey and a Cowboys scarf and a Raiders beanie is not funny. I repeat, NOT funny. The amount of times I see people doing this thinking they are Kevin Hart hilarious is saddening.

Now, this next one is going to be specific to women – please, I implore you, do not dress as if you are going out to Kings Cross on a Saturday night at a rugby league game. If you’re there to try and pull men, that’s fine, but in extension to that, you are dampening the spirit of the game and in the process bringing your IQ down by fifty points and making women as a whole look clueless. I know lots of diehard female NRL fans who despise the “fakers” for making them look foolish. It is possible to look great at a league game without overdoing it and looking out of place.

League games or any sport match alike is a perfect excuse if you want to go that step further and don face paint and/or something else outstanding like the Blues wigs at Origin games or body paint. There is no such thing as over-accessorizing when it comes to fan merchandise at games and that’s the thing I love. While I personally choose not to don body paint, I love seeing the team spirit in the crowd with the people that do. It’s diehard fans that make sitting in the stands watching a game that much more entertaining.

If you’re not a diehard supporter of a team and are just going to enjoy the environment with friends, wearing anything is fine.

As a Broncos fan, when I go to a Broncos game, I wear the obvious Broncos jersey, Broncos scarf, a normal pair of jeans and boots and I look fine. If I’m feeling patriotic enough, I will even wear my Broncos “cape-flag” around my neck with pride. For extra oomph, I even have a pull-out “GO BRONCOS/TRY” sign to use at the appropriate times. And thus, the appropriate look is created.

Ta da! #bronxnation

Ta da! #bronxnation

So please, everyone, do yourself a favour and dress appropriately the next time you intend on going to a league game. I’m going to watch the Bunnies vs. the Storm in what is sure to be a 5/5 stellar game between the two sides, and I’m not going to do something as foolish as wear my Broncos gear and call out “GO COREY PARKER!” Widow out!

– by The Black Widow

She’s Not Interested!

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Now here’s a piece for the boys! Women are sometimes clueless when men are trying to let them down but the good thing with that is that men are very blunt and straightforward if they aren’t interested. If it’s the other way ’round, however, women (being the more gentle gender) are more subtle with their approach to men and it may be taken the wrong way by the XY kind.

See that big, hulking dude? That's you.

See that big, hulking dude? That’s you.

Well, I’m here to help you this, men. Here are a few things a woman might do, in which case, she is not interested so you may as well pack up your bags and hop along to the next female.

If her SMS responses are a maximum of two words…
She’s not interested. If a girl was interested, I’m sure she’d be happy to tap her fingers a few more times to construct an actual sentence as opposed to “Lol yeah” or “Ha ha”. This is a mistake I see happen more often than it should. Most women are eager to share their thoughts and feelings and would most likely do so in a whole paragraph. A short, two word sentence is generally a polite way to say “Please stop messaging me, I have as much interest in you as I do in a cow made out of cardboard”.

If she’s too busy to spend time with you but has more than enough time be with her friends…
You bet your sweet behind she is not interested in you. In the early stages of a potential relationship, the couple want to be together as much as possible, so if she is “too busy” to be with you but is always hanging out with her friends, well… I could say that “chicks before dicks” comes into play, but that would suggest she actually has an interest in you to begin with.

If she says she’s “seeing a man in the army”…
He’s not real, but her disinterest in you sure is. The long distance army man is the perfect fake excuse to fend off unwanted attention:
1) Relationship, therefore forbidden territory
2) He’s in the army therefore no tangible evidence of the boyfriend is necessary as he’ll be too busy serving the country
3) He’s in the army therefore he will tear you limb from limb if you touch her

If she tells you about other guys she likes…
You have officially been friend-zoned!  If she was interested in you and was just trying to make you jealous, she would drop everything to be with you, so if she isn’t, you are nothing more to her than a shoulder to cry on and an ear to listen. And Grandma, what big ears you have!

If her friend drags her away from you at a club…
She has officially been “saved” because she had no interest in you in the first place! Women and their friends have this mutual agreement; if an unwanted man approaches a female in a club, the friend of the female will drag her away with some elaborate excuse so not to hurt the man’s feelings. Examples of excuses include “We need to go to the ladies room”, “we’re going to go get a drink” and my personal favourite, “we’re tired and are going to sit down”. They are doing none of the above. They are just getting away from you.

If she suggests one of her friends for you…
Yep. Not interested. “You know who WOULD be good for you though? Meet my friend!” is loosely translated into “I have no interest in you and therefore I am going to sacrifice my friend here just to get away from you”. 9 times out of 10 the friend isn’t interested in you either and is just being used as a scapegoat.

If she tells you how good of a friend you are…
Call the doctors because you have just been hit with a case of friendzone. When girls say “Aww, you’re such a good friend!” you can be sure that they mean exactly that – friend. Nothing more.

Boys, boys, boys… women are interesting creatures that the male mind will never totally grasp. So take my advice and run with it, otherwise you will be rejected and will be thinking “Man I wish I listened to SolSat!”

– by The Black Widow

Tipping for Dummies: Round 25

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Not gonna lie, I intend on making this one short and snappy so I can get my weekend started. Got a big one ahead so let’s get it kickin’… welcome to Tipping for Dummies Round 25!

Everybody's favourite "Tipping for Dummies!"

Everybody’s favourite “Tipping for Dummies!”

SolSat Prediction Count from Round 24: 4 out of 8 (50%)

Ouch. That stings.

Friday 30th August, 2013
Brisbane Broncos vs. Newcastle Knights
The Broncos are coming off a very disappointing loss against Penrith last week with our finals dreams being slimmer than ever. We are going up against cousin Fraser’s Newcastle Knights who will have to get the job down without Snowden in a very controversial suspension, putting him out for 8 weeks although they do have Mason to add to the forward pack.

SolSat’s Prediction: Brisbane Broncos

I’m picking this one based purely on heart, and my heart will forever be with the Broncos. My dreams of being in the finals are diminishing and this is our fight or die moment. The last time these two teams clashed, it ended up in a draw after stellar performances from both sides, so let’s hope that they both perform exceedingly well again, albeit with a Broncos victory.

West Tigers vs. South Sydney Rabbitohs
This is a big one for both the Tigers and the Bunnies; making his return is Tigers captain Robbie Farah whom the Tigers have badly missed. On the Bunnies side, it is the first time in nearly 100 years that four brothers have played together on the same side as Sam, Luke, Tom and George will all be playing for the Bunnies. I have a soft spot for the Burgess boys so this’ll be great.

SolSat’s Prediction: South Sydney Rabbitohs

This one’s a no brainer, really. The Bunnies have got this one in the bag unless there’s some sort of natural disaster (touch wood) that harms the Bunnies squad. I’m quite excited to see the four Burgess boys playing together. My personal favourite is Luke by the way, just in case someone holds a gun to your head and says “I’ll shoot unless you tell me who Noah’s favourite Burgess boy is”.

Saturday 31st August, 2013
New Zealand Warriors vs. Canberra Raiders
The Raiders have made all the headlines this week and not for the good reason as a personal favourite in Sandor Earl has been handed an infraction notice from ASADA (AKA the Game Ruiners) for illegal use of peptides, and Ferguson has also decided to take a runner. Will this affect the Raiders form as they take on the Warriors in New Zealand?

SolSat’s Prediction: New Zealand Warriors

I’m basing this pick solely on the media revolving around the Raiders – with all this drama going on, I don’t think they would’ve had time to solely focus on their game against the Warriors who are pretty great themselves. Therefore, I am predicting a pretty decisive victory on the Warriors’ behalf.

Canterbury Bulldogs vs. Penrith Panthers
The Doggies take on the Panthers for their second game in a row at the wonderful ANZ Stadium after their loss against the Bunnies in Round 24 last week. On the contrary, the Panthers are coming off a very decisive win against my Broncos so Kingston’s side will be looking to turn this into a streak against the Doggies.

SolSat’s Prediction: Canterbury Bulldogs

I’ve made this decision based simply on “who do I think is better between the two”. Obviously, my answer came up as the Bulldogs, who have been lurking around the top rungs of the ladder all season.

Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles vs. Melbourne Storm
In what may very well be a warm-up to a possible 2013 grand final, the Eagles will be playing in their home ground against the ever unstoppable Melbourne Storm. Right now I just have to make a shout out to Jason Ryles who has kept me entertained endlessly with his Ryles Files videos on Storm TV – if you haven’t checked them out yet, please do so. The man is as funny as he is large.

SolSat’s Prediction: Melbourne Storm

The Eagles are missing some of their big players from their usual starting line up so I’m backing the Storm on this one. Words are not needed to describe how in form the Storm are (that rhymed!) so this one is sure to be the game to watch this round. I will also be keeping my eye out for new SolSat favourite Jason Ryles (check out Ryles Files, these are subliminal messages).

Sunday 1st September, 2013
Cronulla Sharks vs. North Queensland Cowboys
Kicking off ye olde Fathers Day this Sunday are the Sharkies who take on the Cowboys, the latter of which have been steamrolling through competition as they have hit impeccable form. I feel sorry for the blokes who have to play on Sunday who would rather be at home with their children. Sadface.

SolSat’s Prediction: North Queensland Cowboys

I am tentatively backing the non-favourites in this game as I predict a close win for the Cowboys. As mentioned before, the Cowboys are on a winning streak and are on a mission to remain in the top 8 for the finals and I believe they can do that with a victory over the Sharkies.

Sydney City Roosters vs. Gold Coast Titans
Top team Sydney City Roosters will be looking to change their luck after a very surprising defeat at the hands of the Sharks last week as they take on the Gold Coast Titans. Now would be an appropriate time to commend Titans’ Aidan Sezer for his tremendous kicking game recently.

SolSat’s Prediction: Sydney City Roosters

Even with Sezer’s solid form, I don’t see the Titans beating the Chookies here unfortunately, as I’m sure the Titans are all wonderful men. Yes, sometimes I base my tips on my personal feelings because I am pathetic like that. But on a serious note, the Chookies have been impressive all season so I’m expecting them to take out the victory here.

Monday 2nd September, 2013
Parramatta Eels vs. St. George Illawarra Dragons
Two of the bottom teams are set to wrap up Round 25 as the Eels collide with the Dragons at Parramatta Stadium which, I need to point out, needs to fix their terrible parking pronto.

SolSat’s Prediction: St. George Illawarra Dragons

This one boiled down to the two of lesser evils as both teams have had shockers. The statistics would favour the Eels who have won all their four games at Parra Stadium but when it comes to who’s better of the two, I’m backing the Dragons. I feel for them. They need a win.

You can tell I’m passionate about my footy because I just prattled on for over 1100 words in less than ten minutes – just about footy tips. Anywho, I’m about to don my Broncos jersey with pride and HOPEFULLY they can take the win tonight against the Knights. Widow out!

– by The Black Widow