Blind dates can be scary. They can also be fun. The scary / fun part depends on your idea of a good time and your date’s idea of normal.

Most of us go on blind dates pretty confident we’re not about to meet our soulmate, but always hope there’s enough of a connection to make dressing up to impress worth it. Blind dates are our way of doing something fun and spontaneous, something slightly nerve wracking but full of possibilities, a reason to get out of the house or apartment and have a drink made by somebody else.

The only thing is, if you’re not big into internet profiles and don’t have a lot of friends trying to go all “Matchmaker’ on you, blind dates don’t actually happen that often.

That is, unless you sign up for Crazy Blind Date.
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T.S Elliott wrote, “For last year’s words belong to last year’s language and next year’s words await another voice.” In the case of 2010, the voice that is screaming at us from within sounds quite a bit like Jiminy Cricket scolding us for drinking too much of the “potion” and being transformed into a half jack-ass half puppet at the fair! In the spirit of a New Year, we must resolve to change the things that we regret or could do better, or are just plain embarrassed of. Most New Year’s Resolutions have something to do with a broad and easily attainable concept, but this year, we need to step it up and move forward!

In 2010, I resolve to…
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As the saying goes, “Good things come to those who wait.” When it comes to heading out to your favorite nightlife venue or concert, this is especially true. Our friends across the pond call it “queuing.” The simple act of standing one after another has been ingrained into our collective mindset since we were in kindergarten (remember going to the lunch room, gymnasium, bathroom?). As human beings we have been trained and conditioned through childhood to know how to sit back, wait your turn and not piss off the person in front of you. However, there is standing in line… and there is STANDING IN LINE. There is a certain code of conduct, a certain social etiquette that should be followed at all times while queuing.

The Do’s and Don’ts of the Nightclub Line

Do
- Be Patient

Do Not
- Be so patient that you wait for your friends to come talking over after you hold their place in line for an hour.
There is nothing more annoying and infuriating than someone who graciously takes it upon themselves to hold the spot for their comrades who were too lazy to stand in line for themselves. 1. Standing in line is a testament to how much you want to get into the club. It’s the time we put in to make it to the top. No pain no gain, feel me? It is not and will never be alright to hit up your little brother on his iPhone to see how far he is from the door and than join him with two people left in front of him, let alone guys.

Do
- Be polite and friendly to your neighbors in line.

Do Not
- Jump into their ultra personal conversation with absolutely no knowledge of their life or what they were talking about to begin with!

While yes, it’s just fine to say hello to your fellow line mates and make polite conversation, there is nothing more ‘douschelike’ than to completely assume that you know everything about somebody just because you’ve been eaves dropping on their conversation for the last 15 minutes. The reason? Awkwardness. If the conversation becomes slightly strained, you will still have to stand next to this person for an unforeseen amount of time, and that kind of irritation could completely ruin the event you are lining up for in the first place. Save yourself the hassle and keep it light.

Do
- Be friendly to the staff of the club, especially those tending to the door.

Do Not
- Hassle the staff due to wait time, or anything else you might feel that you are entitled to.

What’s the biggest rule for those who go to restaurants? Don’t mess with the people who make/serve your food. The same rule applies for those who are the great deciders upon where you will be spending your evening. The worst thing you can do is hassle the staff/bouncers/cashiers about the wait time. You are not on the guest list, which is the whole reason you are waiting in line to begin with! Kindness, however, can take you from the “never getting in” line to the “next to get in” designation. Make nice with the staff and they will be nice back. The same applies to everyone who works a service job in New York City.

Do
- Pregame

Do Not
- Get so wasted while pre-gaming that you can’t even stand under your own power let alone find your ID and cash to get into the Club.

This is pretty straightforward. There’s nothing that can kill a whole line’s great mood than some drunk dude falling into everyone and dry heaving into the bushes while waiting in line. Although it seems really funny at first, that good 30-45 minute wait to get in will get really claustrophobic really fast, if Mr./Mrs. “I can’t handle my liquor,” targets you, your friends or your significant other to be their next best friend/projectile vomit receptacle. Get your swerve on before you hit the club to save some cash, but do it in a way where you won’t be defined by the bouncing staff as “the dude who’s the first to get thrown out tonight.”

If you stick to these rules, and also use a little common sense, you can enjoy your queuing experience to its fullest potential! Keep in mind anything that would annoy/bother you while standing in close quarters with a whole bunch of other people, will most likely annoy/bother someone else in the same, if not much more severe fashion. Avoid the awkwardness and irritation and be polite!

by Pete Tremblay
11.19.2009
Clubplanet.com

We figure if you’ve had your fair share of cab rides home at dawn, wincing at the first rays of sunlight. But sometimes the clock strikes midnight on a Saturday night and dammit, you just don’t feel like staying out late. You look around the sea of faces, flushed with fun and frenzy, and you feel kinda lame for wanting to bail. Obviously you’ve got two options: trudge home to your empty apartment and heave yourself into bed.. or remind yourself how much Monday through Friday sucked at work! You’ve earned this night! But how do you regain this lost energy without stumbling out of a bathroom in a Battery Park with crusty nostrils?

Caffeine Nap
Obviously this only works if you feel your energy lagging before you’re stuck in line at the bar, but it’s a neat little trick to have on hand when you can’t decide whether to go out or stay home and watch another episode of Twin Peaks: just when you feel yourself nodding off for good, drink a cup of strong coffee and sleep for no more than 15 minutes. The coffee clears out the sleep-inducing adenosine in your system and leaves you fresh as a daisy for the night ahead.

Step Outside
The warm lull of recycled breathing and shared body heat that accumulates in packed bars could make anyone long for sweet, sweet sleep. Escape the hot breathy sauna, even if the bar just has a backdoor patio or balcony with a whiff of cool fresh air.

Try the Tequila
Unlike every other form of alcohol, tequila restores rather than leeches energy. This might go a long way in explaining the parallel between tequila body shots and dancing on tables in Cancun…

Lay off the Beer
Beer has the lowest alcohol content per ounce, and combined with its carbohydrate-rich make-up (12-30 carbs per pint), it’s hard to sustain energy for schmoozing and mingling after four stouts. Plus, you try dancing all night long with the alcoholic equivalent of a loaf of bread in your stomach. And most of your party clothes aren’t equipped to accommodate a temporary beer gut.

Just One Energy Drink Cocktail, Barkeep
Yeah, advising lagging party goers to drink a can of taurine and caffeine is pretty obvious, but the precarious balance between a caffeine-high and a caffeine-crash are worth noting. Even if you can barely suppress yawns at the bar, only load up on one Redbull and Vodka, then let it sink into your system over the next half hour. Too many fading patrons guzzle three or four peppy drinks only to discover they’re more tired than before. Few people other than Lindsay Lohan can process that kind of jolt to the system, so their bodies overload and crash.

www.clubplanet.com

As denizens of the Nightlife Universe, we all know that there are many different circumstances that will continually change when we set out into the night in search of the perfect venue and crowd to give us our much needed evening fix. Although we cant control everything that’s going to happen, the old adage of “Plan for the worst but hope for the best,” comes to mind. Positive intention, planning, and a little bit of consideration before the great journey begins will surely enhance the night, and leave little chance of that dreaded failure of an evening. So what do we do to make sure things go as smoothly as possible? Make a plan! These pre-game rituals are as necessary as the cheap booze you will be guzzling down so that you don’t have to pay $7 for a Jack and Coke at the bar, and twice as useful when things go a bit awry and unpredictable! I submit for your approval, The Ultimate Nightlife Pre-Game Checklist!

1. Eat your favorite food – In order to create the perfect mood for the night ahead, we must indulge in the perfect fuel for the night. Pick up something that will fill your stomach with the necessary sponge to soak up that alcohol later so that your night won’t end with you face first praying to the porcelain God. Eat something that will make you smile. A good mood is what we are promoting here, and it all begins with your stomach.

2. Take a 45 minute relaxation period – Give yourself a few minutes to just settle down, collect your thoughts, and relax! Take a quick powernap or catch up with some music. Do whatever it is you do to get yourself in the zone, positive intention will carry over into the night and having no hurried or creeping thoughts will surely make for an amazing transition into the night!

3. Take the best shower you’ve ever had – Part of setting the mood for yourself and those you want to impress is by making yourself as visually stimulating as possible! Give yourself the royal treatment, and spare any expense in the cleansing process. Also don’t forget the cologne. Not surprisingly the better you smell the more you will be attractive and remembered. Don’t go too heavy however, you don’t want to be mistaken for a French whore.

4. Dress to the 9’s – Dress accordingly for wherever you’re going, but make sure to put a few style points into your wardrobe. Whether you ride the vintage train, or are up on the latest and greatest, make sure what you’re throwing on is clean, pressed and stylish. Be yourself! Just the best version.

5. Perfectly tailored play-list – Like a good suit, the perfect soundtrack will only enhance your night out, and your mood. Don’t leave it to chance that the radio might have a great procession of songs to push the night to the next level. Create an atmosphere that will invigorate your senses and put you in the best possible mood. This will always carry over to the venue.

6. Charge your cell phone – Keep connected. The worst thing that can happen is a dead battery at the wrong time. Don’t leave it to possibility, especially if you’ve been texting all day trying to get the plans secured to begin with.

7. Always have cash on hand – It’s always better to know what you’re getting yourself into and setting at least a semi reasonable budget before you hit the club. Nothing sobers you up like an unexpected $300 tab at the end of the night, especially if you’ve only got $200 left on the card. Avoid the embarrassment and hit the ATM before you get there. PS. It never hurts to hide a $20 dollar bill somewhere on you, incase the worst happens and you need a reserve to go to. Need a night cap? Condoms? Emergency Mickey D’s fund? Hide some cash in your sock.

8. Have a Plan B. – There is never a worse circumstance than to be all dressed up with no where to go. If you were absolutely positive that Johnny Wong’s party was going on and the bouncer tells you that he doesn’t really care who you are or who you think you know, you’re not getting in, all will seem lost. Always have an ace up your sleeve and a second, just as exciting, destination incase you can’t talk your way into that party (or even more likely the party sucks to begin with).

9. Have a designated driver – What’s the worst way to end your night out on the town after everything has gone off without a hitch? Seeing the flashing blue lights blurred so confusingly in your rearview as an officer knocks on your window and asks the dreaded question, “Have you been drinking tonight?” as your life, career, tuition, and personal humiliation flash before your eyes, you’d wish you weren’t behind the wheel. Worse yet, your drunk ass could hurt someone else while you’re reaching for that iPod that fell on the floorboard and all you hear is the scream of the old lady walking across the street one second before you feel the thud of her walker under your tires. Do the right thing. Take a friend out to dinner and beg them to lay off the sauce. You’ll return the favor soon enough.

via www.clubplanet.com
by Pete Tremblay