I agree that Dave will forever have this attached to his name. However why would he want to date a woman who wouldn't read the article and be smart enough to figure out that lonely and pathetic are different things. Something the author failed to grasp.
--- In [email protected], "Ray Bradley" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > OK, so, the reason I asked: > > The writer, Ellen McCarthy, is a former technology reporter for the > Post. She's in her late 20s, pretty much the prime demo for folks in > Meetin, Meetup and other such groups. Meetin has been written about > in the Post before, most notably by the Going Out Gurus. > > She chose Dave because he's got an interesting story...and then used > none of it. > > My roommate is an editor at the USAToday - the McPaper - and said > that the first page of this woman's story is absolutely some of the > worst language and awkward wording she's ever seen. I absolutely > agree with her. Waste of 600 words. > > Attaching words like "banal" and "a little sad" without specifically > referring to the situation, not the subject, is sloppy and > irresponsible. All readers who think she's talking about the > situation are *inferring* it. Her sentences and use of sloppy > phrasing make it quite ambiguous as to her true descriptor. > > Also, the average reader barely gets through 4 paragraphs of the > average feature. The first four paragraphs do not do Dave any favors. > > Now, I know I'm playing a bit of Gene here, but I wondered if the > photos would change any opinions. Especially female ones. Dave, as > you can tell through my (admittedly) stunning photography, is in > ridiculously good shape. He's not sucking in his gut, he's not > flexing. Not doing the "go to the gym for a quick pump before going > out" thing; that's him. He's a trim, athletic, goofily-handsome > character. He's not nearly the loner type; he was just in a new city > with no established friendships, which pretty much describes half of > the people who come to DC. > > I spent Friday night with Dave and Romel (also mentioned in the > story) along with some other friends knocking down some dark beers at > RFD in Chinatown. He was not a fan of this article, and I can't say I > blame him. > > My Datelab didn't make me look as bad as my date, but Dave's article > will forever attach "banal" and "a little sad" to every Google search > he'll ever get. Seems pretty severe for a dude who just wanted to go > rock climbing. > > > > --- In [email protected], "areofilm" <areofilm@> > wrote: > > > > I would keep reading, it's probably a story on how loners can meet > > other loners or something like that. > > > > > > --- In [email protected], "Ray Bradley" > > <clavenia@> wrote: > > > > > > from Friday's Weekend section... > > > http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp- > > > dyn/content/article/2007/06/14/AR2007061400319.html > > > > > > This is the lede. I am friends with the subject, so I am biased. > If > > > you read these first few paragraphs, would you be inclined to > read > > > the rest? > > > > > > What would your opinion of Dave be? > > > > > > -------------------------------------------- > > > > > > Dave Connolly needed friends. > > > > > > Which is a tricky predicament. Tricky and kind of banal. And -- > let's > > > be honest -- a little sad. > > > > > > By the time you're out there in the world, haven't there been > enough > > > opportunities -- in the sandbox and eighth-grade math class and > the > > > varsity tennis team and between dorm rooms and cubicle clusters -- > to > > > pick up a few good friends? > > > > > > Obviously. > > > > > > Unless, you know, there weren't. Or there were. There were all > those > > > opportunities, and buddies were met and made and then, somehow, > lost. > > > Binding ties came unbound. > > > > > > Maybe there was a marriage. A baby. A transfer, a taxing project, > an > > > illness, a changing lifestyle, diverging hobbies, a new > neighborhood, > > > a gradual maturing, a big dramatic fight over a guy you were both > > > interested in. Maybe your new medical sales job has you sleeping > in > > > Reston and creeping along Interstate 66, shaking hands with lots > of > > > doctors and nurses and not really getting to know anyone. > > > > > > Maybe you're Dave Connolly, 29, athletic and outgoing and fun and > > > successful, and everything was great and your social calendar was > > > booming until one day it just wasn't. > > > > > > Banal. A little sad. And common enough for this town to support a > > > whole host of organizations designed to help people reach out and > > > meet someone. Probably lots of someones. Probably in similar > > > predicaments. > > > > > > ------------------------------------------------ > > > > > > Do these photos change or affirm your image of Dave? > > > > > > > http://picasaweb.google.com/telecomic/BillyGoatTrail050606/photo#50616 > > > 66529504285106 > > > > http://picasaweb.google.com/telecomic/BillyGoatTrail050606/photo#50616 > > > 67349843038706 > > > > http://picasaweb.google.com/telecomic/WhiteoakCanyonTrail/photo#506981 > > > 9857564963250 > > > > http://picasaweb.google.com/telecomic/WhiteoakCanyonTrail/photo#506982 > > > 3362258276962 > > > > http://picasaweb.google.com/telecomic/WhiteoakCanyonTrail/photo#506982 > > > 4994345849554 > > > > http://picasaweb.google.com/telecomic/WhiteoakCanyonTrail/photo#506982 > > > 5174734476002 > > > http://picasaweb.google.com/telecomic/WhiteoakCanyonTrail/photo#5 > > > 069829242068505634 > > > > > >
