Proust Questionnaire: Julia Reiss

Proust Questionnaire · by Marina Khorosh

In the second installation of our highbrow Marcel Proust collaboration, we delve into the inner psyche of New York-based writer (& DD contributor) Julia Reiss.

Your favorite qualities in yourself: I’m compassionate in both thought and action. My ability to see the humor in just about anything. That, and I’m an excellent cook.

Your favorite qualities in a man: Honesty is, without a doubt, number one. A sense of humor, which inherently belies a certain level of intelligence. And being ambitious, but not in a selfish way.

Deal-breaker in a man: Someone who can’t apologize or admit when they’re wrong.

Self-Defense Lessons from a Navy SEAL Sniper

Those Who Can't Do, Teach · by Marina Khorosh

So, the Cross-Cupper incident was fun. A little crazy, a bit on the wild side, but fun nonetheless. All is well that ends well, as they say.

And yet, the episode got me thinking. As much as I may enjoy the adrenaline rush of escaping some weirdo’s home in the middle of the night, I am very fortunate that said weirdo ended up being a benign threat. Next time – if I am dumb enough to get myself in a similar predicament once again, that is – I may not be that lucky.

In our day and age, you cannot be too careful. Even if you don’t have a recreational habit of dating people with telltale signs of psychiatric disorders, you don’t know what dangers may be lurking around the corner. As Kim K recently taught us, our seemingly innocent social media habits can easily put us on the radar of smart criminals. Even if you don’t happen to have $10 million in jewelry laying around, there is always the possibility of those impromptu street assaults that nobody is protected from. (I myself have been the target of not one but two phone snatching attempts in the past year alone, one in London and one in Hanoi. Proud to say that I kicked the Vietnamese dude’s scrawny ass.) Oh, and if all of the above doesn’t scare you, there is always our GOP presidential nominee, eager to get his hands on your precious flower!

The Cross-Cupper

I Know How To Pick'Em · by Marina Khorosh

Illustration by sketch wunderkind Kelcey Vossen

The Cross-Cupper (whose nickname will be deciphered towards the end of this pièce de résistance) and I met on The League, a dating app that was originally created to connect cerebrally blessed Ivy League graduates but is now banking on its subscriber roster by allowing regular folks to join at a whoopin $150 a year. (I, however, got in through some beta mode loophole that allowed regular chicks to join for free for a hot second.)

In a digital sea of boring bankers, the Cross-Cupper stood out, as he looked more like a Raya reject with his sexy Jason Statham physique and a Rick Owens-esque vibe that instantly tickled my hipster-loving pickle. Thirty minutes after we matched, I received a message.

“Your blog is hilarious.”

Aw. After the initial moment of feeling flattered, I became confused. This was not an uber-transparent app, which means that users were more or less anonymous. I asked him how he had found me.

“Google Image search, babe. I had to vet you.”

Dispatch from Paris: Date Looks for Every Occasion

Those Who Can't Do, Teach · by Marina Khorosh

It’s been quite the Fashion Month. First, Kanye decided to orchestrate a bona fide model barbecue out in Roosevelt Island. Then, blogger drama ensued. Last but not least, Kim K. fell victim to some serious gangster games, triggering a not-so-positive display of human nature. But we cannot let West-Kardashian drama divert from the most important part of the biannual extravaganza: the actual sartorial goodness that graced the runways! Let’s take a walk on the wild side of the SS17 Paris Fashion Week collections and decipher how these pieces can be utilized to boost, confuse, or annihilate our love lives! Read More

Proust Questionnaire: Jordan Nadler

Proust Questionnaire · by Marina Khorosh

Introducing a new interrogation series, in which we approach awesome humans and attempt to decipher their dating MO via the famed Proust Questionnaire, tweaked to our personal interest. First up: talented writer, Parisian expat, editor-in-chief of Peacock Magazine and seasoned Dbag Dating contributor, Jordan Nadler!

Your favorite qualities in yourself: I am incredibly loyal to the people I love. And for better or worse, I am a creative person and can never really shut that button off.

Your favorite qualities in a man / woman: Equal parts wit and intelligence.

Deal-breaker in a man / woman: A lack of any of the above stated qualities. Also, there are certain…skills…that are not negotiable.

My Date With Hannibal

I Know How To Pick'Em · by Marina Khorosh

When it comes to most situations in life, I am a firm believer in controlling the course of your destiny. Perhaps, there are some people who have incredible things simply “happen” to them, but I have never been one of them, and so I have learned to seize life by the balls and make cool stuff happen on my own. This has been known to work to my advantage – except when I recently tried to apply said approach to my personal life.