No, not to me. It suggests that you don't like that stuff. Whether it's been successful or just plain irritating doesn't come through to me.

Yeah, but if that were the case, are they really expecting the guys to listen? "Well, I was planning to play you like a dime store banjo, but now that you've told me you don't like it, I guess I'll just keep moseyin'."

It strikes me as somewhat futile as an act of differentiation. To me it says 'I think this counts as an act of self-defence, so you can bet I don't have any effective ones'. Or maybe I'm losing something of the tone in the way I presented it. Women who state something like "If you're just looking for a one-night stand, don't bother because I won't respond to you" or "If your email shows that you can't be bothered to read my profile, don't expect me to reply", that doesn't ping me. The writer's an active participant in addressing the problem. The profiles I'm talking about, there's none of that.

are they really expecting the guys to listen?

I don't read it as instructions on how to behave, more like selection--don't respond if you're broke, left-handed, short, or into playing. But I haven't read the complete profiles, so I can't respond to the entire tone. Why wouldn't a guy listen? Players know who they are, and unless they're big into the challenge, why bother? Chicks that can be played are a dime a dozen.

Real life were-rabbit:

Four gardeners described the rabbit as having one ear larger than the other.

The main clues are oversized paw prints and sightings of what growers claim to be a cross between a hare and a rabbit.

Grower Jeff Smith, 63, said: "This is no ordinary rabbit. We are dealing with a monster.

"It is absolutely massive. I have seen its prints and they are huge, bigger than a deer. It is a brute of a thing."

Mr Smith, who has kept an allotment for 25 years, added: "We have two lads here with guns who are trying to shoot it, but it is clever.

"They never see it. There were big rabbits in the 1950s and 1960s before pesticides were introduced, but not like this."

I'm so sorry, Megan. Peace and strength to you, your DH, your FiL and the whole family.

Grower Jeff Smith, 63, said: "This is no ordinary rabbit. We are dealing with a monster.

Time for the Holy Hand Grenade?

I don't know much about dating service profiles, or the intent is of people completing them. I have personally warned people I was interested in that I have a finely tuned bullshit detector, which some women have taken as a challenge to play mind games. Men (admittedly a much smaller sample) have seemingly heeded the warning, and either faded away or respected it.

To me it says 'I think this counts as an act of self-defence, so you can bet I don't have any effective ones'.

That would indeed be a bet. If the writer has a whole arsenal of defense, the reader might be very sorry. I think for a reader who gets as much enjoyment out of pursuit as conquest, though, might find it an invitation for adventure.

"If you're just looking for a one-night stand, don't bother because I won't respond to you" or "If your email shows that you can't be bothered to read my profile, don't expect me to reply"

bt, maybe "no mind games" is considered as shorthand for this? I think I see what you're saying about being an active participant, but I'd like to hear why "no mind games" is more passive. It just seems less elegant language to me. Or do I have your point wrong?

"No mind games" just seems to me to be as useless, as personal ad language, as "likes long walks on the beach."

Megan, I'm so sorry. Best thoughts to your family.

I'm quite pleased right now -- I blew off going to an event at school because it started at 8am, and the best part is being aired on the radio right now! Sara, your mayor is there. I'm going to listen as long as I can, except I think now they're talking to Michael Brown and I'm scared. It's this: [link]

Dear People,

Sending me the same email that you sent at 3 am will not make me answer any faster. Especially when I cannot answer right now because the server is fucked.

Hatefully,

Yours

Anyone want to brave IKEA with me this weekend?

It seems like it should be a given, to me. (Unless there are hordes of daters out there who just love mind games, and go online looking to be toyed with.)

O'Malley's going to be talking about...Palestinian elections? You'll have to tell me if that is just a weird bit of random text or not.