10 Things Every Single Girl Must Own

Anyways, my list:
1. Toys!
2. A pet -- because if you have to constantly deal with the shit of someone furry, at least you can justify it if they have no thumbs of their own
3. Pair of awesome yet totally impractical pair of shoes. (If you're like me, you have about 6 pairs of those.)
4. Official hangout spot
5. Some sort of independence -- well, some money and plan of what to do in case of emergencies, even if its nothing more than call the 'rents and drop a few tears
6. Eclectic group of friends to keep life interesting
7. A sense of security with being single. It's really not the end of the world.
8. A hobby
9. A crush or two -- doesn't hurt
10. Some fucking confidence. You'll only be young and single once. Enjoy the hell out of it.

Alright!!

link? i can't find it.

1. A top-notch coffee/espresso maker
Any girl who’s at your place for dinner (or lounging in your bed come morning) deserves a classier send-off than “see ya,” so trade in your college-days $20 coffee maker for a machine that’ll give Starbucks a run for its money. The professional-quality Delonghi “Caffe Figaro” Coffee/Espresso Machine ($230, macys.com) uses steam pressure to brew a superior espresso; the built-in milk frother allows her to request a latte or cappuccino. Toss in a $20 electric grinder — fresh grounds are a must for a quality caffeine fix — and you'll make her feel like a princess without breaking out the whole breakfast-in-bed shtick.

2. A lamp in your bedroom
Raise your hand if the only source of light in your bedroom is that garish overhead fixture that was there when you first moved in. Now, all of you, go out and buy a bedside lamp with a fabric shade. This inexpensive trifle is not lost on women, who not only see it as a sign of your civility (imagine that, a light switch within arm’s reach vs. across the room!), she’ll also feel much more comfortable under its softer, more forgiving glow. (Ikea.com has a large selection in the $10 to $40 range that should satisfy any man’s tastes without siphoning his savings.)

3. Swiffer Sweeper + Swiffer Cloths + Swiffer Wet Cloths
For her, walking across your floor barefoot should not be an exercise in muck tolerance. To that end, the Swiffer is the greatest thing to happen to the lazy man since the remote control. As simple as this cloth-on-a-stick looks, the electrostatically charged sheets suck up dust, hair and dirt in no time, and the Wet Cloths will make quick work of your bathroom floor—a necessity if you ever want her to visit again.

4. A comfortable couch
Repeat after me: You do not need a black leather couch. Skip the cliché and pick out a plush upholstered sofa, like the simple, elegant, under $1,000 Mercer at Roomandboard.com. And no matter what style you buy, play it safe and pick a neutral or muted color, then purchase a couple of pillows with stripes or a bold, masculine pattern to jazz it up and prove you aren’t your average lug when it comes to home décor.

5. Nice underwear
When it comes to your love life, the last thing you want is for your underwear to be a mood-killer, and trust me, the following selections will make her recoil: Tighty whities; underwear featuring cartoon characters, or anything that resembles what a woman would wear. (Bikini briefs? Heaven help you.) Even silk boxers, no matter how nice, can send a sleazy vibe, so stick with something basic, like Calvin Klein cotton boxers or boxer briefs. Splurge on at least two weeks' worth and throw out the others, lest you’re tempted to don a ratty pair and put off doing laundry—you never know when opportunity will strike.

6. A key-ring that can fix, cut, and open anything
Sure, your power-tool collection is outstanding—but it'll do you no good sitting in your closet when your date's sunglasses come apart at the restaurant. Show off how useful you can be by whipping out the tiny-but-powerful Leatherman Micra key-ring (leatherman.com). The two-and-a-half-inch, 1.75-ounce stainless-steel multi-tool combines scissors, tweezers, nail file, ruler, bottle opener, three screwdrivers, and a blade (of course). You’ll be amazed how indispensable it (and you, by extension) will become to her.

7. $150+ jeans
Why cough up that much dough when you can find a seemingly-fine pair for much less? Because designer denim does make a difference—and you can wear them everywhere from a dive bar to a five-star restaurant, if paired with the right shirt and suit jacket. Check out stores that carry Diesel, Evisu, Paper Denim & Cloth, or Seven. Since every pair of jeans fits differently, you will need to try a few on: Err on the side of too tight as opposed to too baggy, as jeans do stretch a bit as they are broken in. Choose a pair that isn't too trendy (warning signs include more than five pockets, garish stitching, and too much "distress," like rips or bleaching) unless you're willing to buy into next season's style as well.

8. $200+ dress shoes
Accept it: Girls are into footwear, and your feet will be one of the first things she looks at. Invest in quality black leather tie-ups — which will never go out of fashion and will match with most any jeans, pants or suit — to make a great first impression every time. If she knows her shoes, she'll be hoping to find you could afford a pair of Bruno Magli, Kenneth Cole, Steve Madden, or John Varvatos. Sure, they’re not cheap, but hey, it could be worse: We could be the ones in heels.

9. 300-thread-count cotton sheets
Let’s face it: You (and hopefully your date) will be spending a lot of quality time here. So skip the scratchy polyester blends and splurge on some 100-percent Egyptian cotton sheets with a thread count of 300—the higher the thread count, the softer the sheet. It’ll run you around $120 for a queen-size set (for a good selection, check out bedbathandbeyond.com), but anything that might keep her in bed longer is worth the expense, right?

10. The Joy of Cooking
Few things are sexier than a guy who can cook... but if toasting Pop-Tarts is the extent of your expertise? Then get Joy, the bible of all cookbooks since, unlike its trendier, more specialized alternatives like Nigella Lawson or Rocco DiSpirito, it contains recipes for just about anything you could think to make, all laid out with instructions that even an alien from another planet could figure out. So go ahead, invite her over for something simple (vegetarian chili, for instance) or exotic (Chicken Kiev, anyone?) and learn that the way to a woman’s heart is through her stomach, too.

Also, it is really pricey! I don't think I could afford to be a single man.

Answer your question? Also an option -- taking him in the ass.

Anyway, yeah, the guy's list is totally Queer Eye. They forgot to mention hair product, though!

seriously. that is such a cheesy thing to do. it would make it easier to discern which girls are so blank that they follow the guidelines laid out in these sort of lists though.

A napkin he can lose. A card he'll file and keep.

Um, in a stack in his wallet with realtor and plumber cards or whatever?

Seriously, get one He's Just Not THat Into You.

No, it depends on whether or not you do cocaine, or would be into someone who does cocaine!

Women's list equally stupid for different reasons already discussed above. As far as I'm concerened, Kenan has provided the only truly urgent & key answer.

All that stuff just seems so unnecessary.

ok, i agree with this one. always have a bottle opener, a pair of ear plugs, a cutting tool, and a source of flame on you at all times. Just in case.

DUDE YOUR BEER'S GETTING WARM DUDE.

haw.

I dunno, speaking for myself I have the (possibly very bad) habit of extrapolating things about someone (read: the boy in question) from any information I can get my grubby little hands on. That is, if he is particular about his bike/wok/records/books/amps/grooming products/photography/what the fuck ever and there is evidence of such particularlity in his apartment, I will be imeejitly charmed and ascribe to him all kinds of complimentary motives/talents/characteristics.

Of course, I am single these days, so YMMV.

Wow, that's awful.

The rest of the men's list is awful. $200 dress shoes? I don't even own a suit (or jacket) for god's sake.

What a horrible thing to say.

1. books. music. at least enough to show they're interested. or a well-used library card.
2. smell nice. soap.
3. tv not central to their space. no movie posters.
4. vegetables in fridge. or fruit around (this ain't a sex trhing)
5. some semblance of family pictures / friends / a past
6. a suit / dress. *not* jeans with men's leather shoes / women's heels.
7. know their doorman's name / smile at him
8. nice bed.
9. no fridge magnets / joke toys / (or at least, not too much ironic kitsch)
10. alcohol of some kind ready.

1) A couch and a TV. For entertaining and later smooching.
2) Some vegetables in the fridge. Seriously, dude, eat some fruit. What, do you still need your mother to tell you how to eat?
3) The ability to buy her dinner at the drop of a hat. Doesn't have to be too expensive, just dinner. Maybe you can order nachos while you watch TV and sit on the couch.
4) Condoms
5) Vodka in the freezer, and something to mix it with.
6) Something to talk about other than yourself.
7) Soft toilet paper. I don't like it too soft myself, and never lotioned 'cause it's like rubbing butter in your ass, but I may have to rethink this soon.
8) The ability to refrain from using phrases like "rubbing butter in your ass." At least not in that context.
9) Extra pillows. Does she like one, two, or even three pillows? YOU JUST DON'T KNOW!
10) Well-trimmed fingernails.

note that i'm geeky enough to NOT be interested in somebody if they don't have something jokey around. I mean, weird japanese shit, plastic cats or fat bees, sparkzillas, the crow from MAAKIES, anything but just have something fun. toys are necessary.

Movie posters are ok, depending on the movie. If the movie is "You've Got Mail," then We've Got Problems.

Did you ever rethink your wiping technique, too?

I am strange because I would never think to look in some guy's fridge or medicine cabinent to check how it's stocked? That's really never crossed my mind.

But I still don't understand the medicine cabinet thing. Do a lot of dates end in having to administer first aid?

Yeah, or do we need to stock it with Vagisil or something? Summer Breeze?

I guess that's what she figures every testosterone loaded man-ape is guaranteed to enjoy. Maybe AC/DC or something might be a better choice?

I can't wear heels anymore, I get agonising pains in my legs the next day. I do miss having the option.

i shouldn't think so, mandee.

Doorman! I don't know anyone rich enough to have a doorman...

also i look dorky in skirts/dresses

xpost

If the wears them all the time she is probably hott.

No. I still have the crumpled sticky of a particular girl I asked out and had a crush on. It is fine. >_>

1) A TV, and at least one kind of console. Your world begins here. Movies, tv shows or Zelda Windwaker - its all good.
2) at least one full compliment of box sets of some TV series or other. Be it Futurama, CSI, Babylon 5 or whatever, you can settle down for entire weekends of escapisim. All geeks like this.
3) At least one laptop PC. DO I even need to explain this?
4) DSL. (likewise!)
5) A very good takeaway place or three's number to hand. I'm not talking 3am trash pizza, I'm talking the brilliant Thai place nearby, or that Italian place that does delish veal and pastas.
6) Caffiene/sugar laden products. Coffee, tea, Coke, Red Bull, etc. Lots of it. You gonna need it (ref #1 and 2 on list).
7) Reading material in bathroom. Programming books, copies of PC Authority and PC Gamer magazine, maybe the cheat manual from a game or something.
8) A digital camera. Use yr imagination ;)
9) CONDOMS. No matter what kind of list ever gets writ, this is so important.
10) a pet. Guys be lovin to chat up kitty and go "aww cute".

1. A cute guy friend you have no sexual interest in for escorts, advice, getting stoned etc.

2. TV/VCR/DVD with a good selection of boxsets for the all impt escapism

3. A Mac and DSL

4. A very nice dildo (thanks ex-tenant porn reviewer!!!)

5. A decent at-home wine selection

6. Acyrilics and canvas

7. Guitars, bass, and drums

8. TiVo

9. Turner Classic Movies

10. Air conditioning

http://www.edenfantasys.com/SexToysBImages/Sex_Toys_se239610.jpg

10. MORE THAN TWO CATS
09. A DORM REFRIDGERATOR
98. BUTTERSCOTCH SCENTED CANDLES
07. NAGEL POSTER
06. CONFEDERATE FLAG
05. RUSH BOX SET
04. PICTURES OF YOUR EX-BOYFRIEND(S) ON [DORM] REFRIDGERATOR
03. GUN (UNLESS IT'S AUTOMATIC)
02. PAPER WALLS
01. MACE

...they could do! You could uh, shag while watching Firefly. Or um, watch net porn together. Or uhh err...oh dear.

Does that make me a failure as a single girl?

Living on Your Own vs Living with Other People )

Or do I just really hang around with nowt but nerds? :(

In fact, I've only ever once been given a business card by a date/pick-up. And this turned out to be a bad sign anyway.

1/ Too many books with a growing emphasis on DR WHO NOVELS
2/ A large quantitity of Pokémon toys
3/ ZTTIQ6 (my favourite track is the one where Paul Morley is talking about a spanner being intrinsically more interesting than the lead singer of Tears For Fears, although I suppose Anne Pigalle is good too, oh, it's all good really)
4/ Dinosaur cookie cutters x 3 (diplodocus, stegosaurus and triceratops)
5/ A basket full of various types of YARN and my 'sampler' piecer where I am just trying out all the patterns in the Readers Digest Book for the hell of it cos fvck knows what else to do with the nice hand-dyed but sooo sooo scratchy yarn that my friend gave me
6/ A broken pair of red shoes that I love, another pair of red shoes with a BOW on that are now slightly messy from tramping around drunkenly in the snow - remember the SNOW kids?!
7/ Bathroom reading in the form of a leaflet for Spice Republic in Dulwich
8/ Ecover cleaning products
9/ Broccoli in a jar
10/ Inherent temporal paradox RENDERING ME NON-EXISTENT BEFORE I EVEN EXISTED AAAAAH (point 1 can be blamed for this).

xpost: I totally have business cards! Mine RULE!

Then what can I get you for Christmas?

I would look dashing in them. Thanks stevem!

I don't have any condoms at all, as far as I know. Then again, I am unlikely ever to have sex.

(Actually, I'm secretly kind of hoping that as soon as I throw them out, pointy-nosed ginger boys will throw themselves at me, begging me to copulate with them. But of course, now I've said this, I will have jinxed myself.)

((I should actually check what the expiration date is anyway.))

If I'd ever hook up with a girl who wears high heels, hands me a business card, has a model photo of herself on the fridge and an Eminem CD on her shelf, I'd run. Fast and far. Then again, the only thing I possess on the guy list is number 10 (I guess my "O'Henry" and "Black Horse" brief briefs don't count as "nice underwear"), so I guess I'm not A REAL MAN.

What I think a girl might have to get me interested: shoes that actually look comfortable, a photo of her having fun with her friends, a Roberta Flack or a Missy Elliott CD on the shelf, a bit of a sloppy apartment so she doesn't seem uptight, funny fundamentalist Christian flyers and Jack T. Chick tracts for toilet reading.

important: for the love of god, make sure that the brita is filled. there is nothing worse than staggering to the fridge and finding a brita with like an inch of water in the bottom.

also, having extra pairs of sunglasses is a good idea.

I actually have never worn perfume, EVER!

DOES THIS MEAN I AM A BAD GURL?

DOES IT?

DADDY??

HAVE I BEEN BAAAAD?

(sorry)

I have my own business cards. And I got them at vistaprint for free. I got them when I was a freelance writer, and now I am not a freelance writer anymore I still have loads of them left, so I give them to people when they ask me for my email address because it is very long.

That is the end of my story about business cards.

(x-post)

BO is the smell bacteria make when they shit.

And hell, sometimes it's just practical - especially when email addresses are concerned! Why get a pen, etc when you can just exchange cards? To me it's also a sign that both of you are at least employed! Note that I would never judge the person by their actual job - but having one is a plus...

Also, I never get tired of talking about the merits of heels. I don't wear them with jeans, or pants, really, but a nice dress with a nice pair of heels? How can that be anything but appealing? I guess I might be a little bit old fashioned.

Sometimes, a person is wearing something so throatclutchingly overpowering I need to (a) choke or (b) scarper.

Chaps, you have to get these things right, but when you do, you make me feel like sexin'.

What are these "emergencies" of which you speak?

kate, so many more emergencies than you'd care to imagine! think waterpipe leaks, for example. I keep several johnnys in the drawer just in case that happens.

oh actually haha 'waterpipe leaks'.

Cucumber-melon is a great combo. My shampoo is cucumber-melon. Also good: pink grapefruit.

I agree that smell is important, but I like people's natural smells, not perfumes. They can be rather nice, but I guess it's a matter of taste and what you're used to. Most of my friends don't use perfume, so I associate it with the rich and and the tacky.

In general, I don't like stuff like high heels or perfume, because they make you think that their wearer makes everything in their power to enhance their sex appeal. As I said, I prefer girls who seem to be more comfortable with themselves, and whose whole life doesn't seem to revolve around finding the perfect catch. I know this is highly stereotypical, but I'm talking in principle here - individual cases may vary.

N/A OTM. We all just like what we like.

(x-post to Nick)

Great.

I tend to like shoes with a high heel, although not the For Your Pleasure spike heel sort of thing that comes with accompanying panda, I mean, panther on a leash. I like the round toe, definitely, although I do have a SUPER few pairs of pointy flat shoes. Points + heels kinda = Essex PH34R in my head. Alas.

Hoho Madchen, Lynx Africa? You'd fall for Alan Partridge? Is that what you're saying? Then again he does wear a nice Pringle sweater.

(well, really, in my opinion more dominatrixes should go around with *me* on a leash, but let's not go there)

(x-post)

Why assume the clothes are uncomfortable?

(This applies to men too, obviously.)

(x-post)

(x-post)

I don't know many people who wear stilettos, but I'm sure some people probably do. But you were talking about women who "dress up in uncomfortable clothes", after all. It just strikes me as a bit finger wagging and judgemental.

By this logic, nothing is a free choice. So why bother worrying about it?

Yeah, but some choices are freer than other, and gender expectations certainly bind people more than some other things.

Unless you get paid to cook professionally, in which case women are still more rare than men.

No no, I think Tuomas is probably right, and I like that he is considering such things. But T, isn't saying "I play the game because it's fun" more or less equivalent to saying "I do it for myself"?

Actually, it's a lie that I don't own any. I have Victorian granny/schoolmistress books with massive fuckoff heels on them. I only ever wear them when I want to feel REALLY tall and imposing.

(Which is not exactly a sexual come on. More a sexual fuck OFF. Well, depending on the boy, natch.)

Hmm, I think my point was that at the moment, we can't do what we want because of all the complex, unwritten rules considering gender. When I can walk the streets in stilettos and a skirt without fearing I'll be beaten up, or when Barbies and baby dolls stop being the way little girls are socialized to the world, maybe then.

tuomas, some women/people have a very high arch in their foot, and oftentimes high heels are more comfortable for their feet than regular shoes. i am not one of these people, i find them almost unbearable.

So how about a photo with you in the heels on the WDYLL thread?

(plus, it's pretty awkward to take a good picture of your own legs)

And yes, Mands! Heels put more pressure on the balls of my feet, but they also support my arches better than flat shoes. It's true that a squishy contoured athletic shoe would do both but I am not willing to wear sneakers (except to the gym).

Haha FP, I've posted a pic of my legs numerous times and I'm pretty happy with it :)

And, as I said, I'd have to shave my legs for them to look decent in heels.

Nope, I don't wanna mono-gender, rather than a plurality of genders... And I don't think girls naturally find Barbies appealing, and anyway they're not exactly a good role model when it comes to body image, don't you agree?

Uhhhh... not to get involved, but stop right there. Because this is a blanket statement that personal experience just doesn't bear out.

girls like dolls for that primordial maternal instinct hardwired inside, providing empowerment in that they have something to take care of and devote attention and even affection to.

boys like their equivalent of dolls (little action figures, toy robots etc.) because it makes them feel empowered like gods controlling the actions of their subjects, for that primordial destructive instinct hardwired inside.

bullshit? maybe, just throwin' it out there.

But I am starting to find that the sweeping generalisations made about Female Nature by men (men of both Mark's and Tuomas' ideologies) are making me VERY uncomfortable.

Perhaps even more uncomfortable than the original stupid article. Whatever.

I am with Kate, otherwise. Can we drop the Female Nuturing Is Her Ordained Fate line of discussion, please? It's not going anywhere good.

Like babies are never dumped in the trash or abandonned on doorsteps, etc. etc. etc. Things go wrong, even with "natural" instincts.

And FWIW, I was never the slightest bit interested in playing with dolls as a child. Does that make me less of a woman? And I really don't think it's the place of a man to describe what is natural for females anyway.

Play The Sims.

Obviously it's not just about attracting men or women... It's what we're taught to and what we learn from the society of how "proper" men and women should look like (and kids already know that). Since these things are almost impossible to decode, at least it's better to play with them, but one should acknowledge it's not a free choice, or "just for my own fun".

so what is a free choice then?!?!?!?!??!?!? if a girl dresses up deliberately to look unfeminine, isn't that just as if not EVEN MORE contrived?!?!?? "Oh no! if i dress up like a girl people might think i'm only doing it to PULL, uh oh! better dress up like a dude"

i mean that's a free choice then yeah?

but how do they compare to the steak?

ok, THIS is more like it!

I'm sorry if it sounded that way, I wasn't trying to impose any generalisations on women (or men); on the contrary, that's exactly what I'm against.

so what is a free choice then?!?!?!?!??!?!? if a girl dresses up deliberately to look unfeminine, isn't that just as if not EVEN MORE contrived?!?!?? "Oh no! if i dress up like a girl people might think i'm only doing it to PULL, uh oh! better dress up like a dude"

A greater freedom of choice would be if thinking what to wear wouldn't lead to such binary choices (and I'm not saying it always deos, but this was your example).