BadOnlineDates.com Launches an iPhone App, Giving Online Daters the Virtual Wingman They Need.

(I-Newswire) May 12, 2010 – Los Angeles, CA – May 12th 2010.

BadOnlineDates.com introduces the BadOnlinedates iPhone App; your virtual wingman. And yes. There is an App for that!

Even been on date that was so tragic, so awkward, and so criminally awful that you wish you had a wingman to help get you through it, to laugh about it with in real time? Well now, at BadOnlineDates – there’s an app for that!

The BadOnlineDates iPhone app has got your back because they understand there are some moments that are so special – you need to share them in real time with someone who’s in the online dating trenches with you.

BadOnlineDates.com is a fresh and innovative social networking site that combines the best of social networking with online dating. The site gives an ever-growing, ever-frustrated community an opportunity to connect, vent, tell the truth and ultimately laugh about their online dating misadventures and mishaps.

CEO and Founder of BadOnlineDates.com, Jennifer Kelton, understands that anybody who has ever delved into the world of online dating (and at this point, who hasn’t?) knows that the dating pool can get a bit murky. “While other online dating sites tell you it’s okay to look – at BadOnlineDates.com we’re changing the game and letting you know “IT’S OKAY TO LAUGH!”

With the introduction of BadOnlinedates.com’s latest tool, the iPhone App, online daters have a chance to tell their story in real time and interact with other members as well as get immediate advice and comic relief. iPhone users can post their bad date experience as it’s happening from their phone so they’re never alone. Now, when daters find themselves at coffee with the ‘freaky fetish guy’ or having cocktails with a girl they’ve just met who has their wedding tux on hold, they can just push a button and connect with others who understand what they’re going through. This as Kelton states: “is a new kind of virtual dating wingman.” And who doesn’t want an app for that?

Technology

The BadOnlineDate.com’s iPhone application is the site’s companion for taking BadOnlineDate.com on the go is available for free in the Apple Store. This Twitter-like communication tool allows users to engage with their community while mobile, and send out real-time updates from a date – helping users tap their communities when they need it most.

About BadOnlineDates.com

On BadOnlineDates.com, users can post stories, pictures and videos about their real life dating experiences and also comment on others’ experiences. Video, blogs, Chat Rooms, Twitter integration and and the iPhone application will allow users to message others “live in the trenches”, offering the opportunity to laugh with others whether it’s before, after, or during a bizarre date live. The administrative and editorial staff ensures the site is a supportive and interactive place by moderating communications within the community while providing expert commentary and advice for specific stories.

About Jennifer Kelton, The Face Behind BadOnlineDates.com

BadOnlineDates.com was created by Jennifer Kelton, an indelicate and uncensored voice in the dating world. Jennifer built a league of dedicated followers with her biting truths and down-to-earth takes on the modern singles scene. She rose to popularity with her humorously candid book, Don’t Use my Sweater Like a Towel, which chronicled a year of bad dates, missed connections and frankly-described sexcapades. An avid believer in the convergence of technology and online/offline communications, Jennifer created BadOnlineDates.com in the fall of 2007 with her sights on creating a revolutionary new space that would rise above the cliché’s of online dating. By combining a social networking and online dating, BadOnlineDates.com connects people through the good, bad and hilarious of their shared dating experiences. Jennifer created BadOnlineDates to be a cyberspace that is more human, honest and organic; a site to help heal the wounds of anyone who has been rejected by a computer, gone to dinner with their worst nightmare or been bamboozled by the profile-liar. There’s not better to bond or make lasting relationships than laughter. Jennifer believes that when it comes to online dating, not only is it okay to laugh – it’s necessary!

iNewswire

His persistence makes me uncomfortable, but no matter how curt or distant I am, he never goes away. In a strange twist of fate, as I was writing his part of the book, I saw him standing in front of the gym I go to. He had told me he was a member there, but I had never seen him at the club in the past. With a thumping heart and held breath, I put my head in my gym bag and walked right by unnoticed – dodged that bullet. I hope to never see him again.

My evenings with Moldy Shower Curtain Jesus, Mr. Cheats on His Girlfriend Room #104, and Cologne-Reeking Stalker Neighbor Damon really gave me pause. What is going on out here in the dating world?

I said to one of my girlfriends over dinner, “I feel like I’m doing a science project.” It was as if a semi-truck had just run over me and I lived to tell the story. Dating rituals are compelling and incredibly riveting acts of human behavior. In just a matter of days, I’d gone from being in my own world of work and counseling, to debauchery with Room# 104, to revulsion with a Neighbor Damon. Jesus started it all just months before. I was onto something.

I have always been intensely interested in humanity and human behavior. I’ve read many, many books on the subject, and there doesn’t seem to be any really honest information for women, or men, about the dating world. There are few works that address making good decisions, share real-life stories – the kind you would never tell at the family Thanksgiving table, but can touch a place deep within you and resonate.

I live by the words, “as long as you are honest, organized and on time you will be fine,” and I am determined to operate from a place of compassion and honesty. I feel very strongly that by being honest we have the potential to open up new and important dialogue. So from that point on, I made my dating life a “science project” and as with any hypothesis, you sometimes get unexpected results.

End of chapter… More chapters to come.

Just because a man buys you drinks does that entitle him to more?
August and September

One evening a few weeks later, I met a friend for dinner in Hollywood, and it just so happened that Damon’s company was having an event at a nearby club. He called me up and invited me to come, but I declined. “Well, do you think you could give me a ride home?” He went on to explain that his company had picked him up in a limo and he didn’t have his car. I didn’t think it was a big deal – the club was 10 minutes from the restaurant, and we live just a few blocks from one another in Venice, so I agreed. It seemed harmless.

I picked him up from the party, and as we got to the intersection of La Brea and Venice, about halfway home, he realized he left his keys at the club.

“What do you want to do?” I asked. I was frustrated, tired and just wanted to be home.

“I’ll call and have one of the workers from my office drive the van over and bring my keys. I know exactly where they are.”

Exasperated, I pull into the gas station under a lamppost. I was tired and wanted to be home and I was in no mood to be with him. We were there for only a couple of minutes when a police car pulled in. Since I’d been drinking at dinner, I moved the car to another section of the gas station lot. I didn’t want our loitering to draw any undue attention.

He got freaked out and shouted, “Why did you do that?”

“Well I’ve been drinking, the police are sitting right there, and I think its weird that we’re just sitting here in the car at the gas station. I mean it’s LA and crazy stuff goes on here – it looks conspicuous.”

We had a huge argument, which was par for the course. Everything with him was an argument – from buying me drinks to going on a date with him. I’m not an argumentative person, and I found it very manipulative of him. I was spending time with this man I didn’t even like, just to avoid an argument.

He continues to e-mail me and call a few times a month. I do not return his calls and am very short in e-mails with him. I respond once for every five or six emails I receive. A typical exchange goes something like this:

From: notDamonsemail@whatever.com 7:40 PM
Hi…
Damon

From: notDamonsemail@whatever.com 8:44 PM
Hey,
How’s it going?

From: notDamonsemail@whatever.com 8:48 PM
Just working…and you?
Moved to Venice
Damon

From: notDamonsemail@whatever.com 8:57 PM
Wanna meet for a drink at Za Zen?
Damon (phone number)

From: me@me.com 8:59 PM
I will be out of town till May 1.

From: notDamonsemail@whatever.com 9:00 PM
Where u going?
-D

From: notDamonsemail@whatever.com 9:13 PM
Guess not, huh.
-D

To be continued…

BADONLINEDATES.COM EXPANDS THE ONLINE AND SOCIAL DATING EXPERIENCE

Bad Date TV Webisodes, an Organic Supportive Community, User Generated Content, iPhone App, and Human Connections Turns Bad Dates into Good Dates.

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 1 /PRNewswire/ — Ever had a bad date? You’re not alone. Incalculable amounts of people find themselves disappointed by their dating experiences and where do they turn – the Internet. Launching in public beta, BadOnlineDates.com is a vanguard social networking site that combines community and new technology with online dating. On BadOnlineDates.com, people can share their bad date experiences and connect with others that have similar values, turning negative experiences into positive ones. And on the plus side, the organic community content is playful and funny.

With 90 million single adults and 20 million monthly unique visitors to U.S. dating sites it’s clear that searching for some kind of romantic connection is a priority, regardless of socioeconomics, age, gender, sexual orientation and or ethnic backgrounds. However, numerous people may find that the online experience is painful and isolating.

“It’s time for a new and alternative kind of Internet dating, one that the larger mainstream sites are just not addressing,” states Jennifer Kelton, CEO and Founder. “Dating is the natural process of seeking what we’ve all been hardwired for: companionship, love and to feel safe. After 32 years of dating and at 44, I’ve created a unique place where people can share their experiences, good and bad, by using the technology that is intrinsic to their everyday lives.”

Unlike impersonal sites like Match.com, BadOnlineDates.com provides community members with more sophisticated social tools that they already use in their everyday lives: an iPhone application companion that acts as a virtual wingman, online story and photo sharing, community commentary, social applications like Twitter, entertaining online videos, and an intuitive interface. Combined with human editorial, real live expert advice and a vast selection of like-minded potential matches, BadOnlineDates.com turns bad dating experiences into great ones, transforming dating from what is, at times, a painful, frustrating and isolating series of rejections into a positive online social experience more comparable to the interactions on Facebook, Digg, Twitter and Flickr.

Read More Here: prnewswire.com

Just because a man buys you drinks does that entitle him to more?
August and September

In a split second, his hand was up my tight, black Dolce and Gabbana dress right there on the Ritz-Carlton couch. He leaned in and whispered in my ear all the things he wanted to do. I must admit I got a tingle in my nether region; I was still pretty charged from Room #104, although our encounter had been three nights earlier. The next thing I knew Neighbor Damon and I were in the pool area of the Ritz. I had a little Jesus déjà vu moment as he went down on me, then he pulled out his “thing.” It was shockingly large; without even thinking I told him “to put that THING away,” and I was out of there. I had gone beyond filling my perceived obligation.

When I got home that night I started to sneeze uncontrollably. His cologne was stuck on my skin, in my hair, and in my clothing. I showered before I went to bed, put my dress in a Ziploc bag like biohazard material to seal off his smell. First thing in the morning, I determinedly drove to the dry cleaner and handed the bag to Jill for complete decontamination.

Someplace inside Neighbor Damon is the sweet guy I saw that the first time we met, but I was never able to pull back enough layers to find it. He did a great job of putting on a macho, womanizing act to keep me from seeing his true core. The Sunday after our date, he called first thing in the morning, interrupting my weekly ritual of doing the bills, practicing yoga and getting ready for the new week.

“Hi Jennifer, it’s Damon. Why don’t you come over and sit on my face?” I wanted to heave.

“No. I don’t think so,” was my shocked reply.

“Well, do you want to go to Manhattan Beach this afternoon? There is a food festival, and it should be really cool.”

“No. I have yoga.”

“How about we meet later for dinner, then?”

“No. I like to take a sauna after yoga class and have a relaxing night alone.” Sunday is my day, and I was not about to change my routine for him.

He called me about five times the next day and sent numerous e-mails; this was abnormal behavior. I let him know that his actions made me uncomfortable and I didn’t want to see him again. That has yet to stop him from contacting me.

To be continued…

Just because a man buys you drinks does that entitle him to more?
August and September

I was still not able to remember his name when we said goodbye, but I didn’t care any more. He was a liar, and not someone I would want in my world. I only saw him one more time — in the pages of a paintball magazine. Four months later, I was at a Barnes and Noble bookstore, looking at dating books for research, and I saw the one and only paintball magazine in the periodicals section. I thumbed through the pages and there was Room #104! Well, I’m pretty sure it was him. The man in the photo wore a helmet with a face guard, but a bit of his red hair was visible, and I’d recognize that body anywhere. At least I knew he didn’t lie about that. Along with the dating books and an Italian Vogue, I bought the paintball magazine – the clerk gave me a quizzical look. I now keep it with my research for the book; it’s my souvenir of the day I became a social scientist.

The day I said goodbye to Room #104, I returned home to find my e-mail inbox and cell phone filled with messages from Neighbor Damon. I was unsure if it was best to call him or ignore him, but he did seem like a nice guy. He just lacked girl-skills and was, obviously, eager. I called him back and agreed to go on a date with him that weekend. Thinking back, I tried to get out of our initial date, but he was very insistent. I gave him brownie points for his willingness to fight to have a date with me.

We went to Mr. Chow, one of my favorite restaurants in Los Angeles. He seemed like a kind man; under his gruff exterior is a man looking for love and companionship – aren’t we all. Although he wore way too much cologne and was a little rough around the edges, we had a few thins in common. We talked about his job at the record label and my own connections within the music industry.

Things were going fine until he asked me to feed him. What? Is he kidding? I thought. He wanted me to feed him pieces of the green shrimp, just like a romantic couple in a movie. It was a very awkward moment, and definitely not romantic. I really just wanted the date to be over, but he’d been so generous, I felt it would be rude to cut things short.

After dinner, he talked me into a nightcap at the Ritz-Carlton. We sat on the big couch in the bar area where I sipped hot tea and he a mixed drink. I was wearing a very tight dress, and I consider panty lines to be a big fashion don’t. Even the Hollywood standard, Cosabella, would be visible. As we are sitting on the couch, he slid his hand across my hip and commented, “You’re not wearing underwear.” I nodded confirmation of his suspicion. If the general public knew just how many women “go commando,” no one would be shocked by my confession.

To be continued…

Last night when I was out I had could have ended up in bed with a very handsome stranger who bought me drinks…
(I did not!) But when I got home I thought it would be a good time to post this chapter from my book…
Enjoy Part 1.

Just because a man buys you drinks does that entitle him to more?
August and September

Feeling like I had sewn my wild oats, meeting men took a back seat to rest of my life.  I was feeling disenchanted with the male of the species; and, still processing the break up with Jason, I was spent and needed a break.  I threw myself into my work as a sales rep for my friend’s hemp/eco-friendly clothing company, and made an effort to be even more present and serious in my yoga practice and my volunteer commitments.

At the time, I was volunteering with an organization that provides grief counseling, I was working with teenagers who had lost their parents.  It was very heavy stuff and, coupled with the commute to the valley (on the 405 freeway, of course) during rush hour, I was exhausted.  I have worked over 20 years with homeless and runaway youth in the shelters, squats and out on the streets.  Working with youth that have lost parents was equally difficult, but, ultimately, rewarding, and really helped put things in perspective.  All my problems aside, I am blessed with an amazing life.  My mom and dad are very much alive, and still together after 48 years of marriage.  They were high school sweethearts, and are still happy and very much in love.  What a great example to have in my life — seeing what they have, I know I do not have to settle for less.

Twice a month, the grief counselors got together for “supervision” to talk about our clients, and what was happening with us personally and in our group sessions.  As counselors, that time was extremely beneficial and reassuring.   On my way home one night after supervision, I went to Baja Cantina, a Mexican restaurant and a local-hang out spot  — a true fixture in the neighborhood, and, at times, a major meat market.  It was a Tuesday evening in September, so I figured it would be quiet and mellow.  I was in no mood for the meat market scene, but I left it to fate; if there were a parking spot out front, I would take it as a sign.

My plan was to have dinner, one drink, and, since it is just around the corner from my house, go straight home.  It was the end of a long day, and I was feeling somewhat drained from supervision.  As I drove up Washington Blvd., there was a spot right in front — I guess fate intervened.  With the new issue of Rolling Stone magazine in hand, I took a seat on one of the two open bar stools at the bar, ordered a salad and a 1800 Cuervo tequila neat — the bartender knows me and gives me a double.  My only intention was to read the magazine and call it an early night.  The very last thing on my mind was meeting men. Famous last words!

Sitting there with my Caesar salad, tequila and Rolling Stone magazine, a very attractive man, about 30 years old, started talking to me.  Athletic and toned, in Levis and a t-shirt with a company logo, he had big brown eyes and a red crew cut.  I had never heard of company on his shirt, so I asked him about it.

He was a professional paintball player, and the company on the shirt was one of his sponsors.  I had no idea people made a living playing paintball!  Actually, I thought the paintball trend went out in the 90s.  Mr. Paintball was in L.A. on business from Philadelphia, taking meetings for a paintball video game he was creating.  Intriguing!  We exchange names, but for the life of me I can’t remember his.

To be continued…

See below for parts 1-9…

In my studies, I did come across a few books that spoke to me in my own language: The Real Rules: How to Find the Right Man for the Real You by Barbara De Angelis, Ph.D., If the Buddha Dated, by Charlotte Cassel, Ph.D., and Care of the Soul, by Thomas Moore, which is less about relationships than about life.

There is some very solid advice in these books that goes beyond advice; they offer very common sense approaches to interaction and attraction. Dr. De Angelis discourages all the game playing that goes on between men and women. “Real Rule 14: Be Honest About Your Feelings,” caught my attention with it’s good, solid sense. “Communication that works always has honesty as its foundation. It’s when you are dishonest about how you feel in relationships that things get messy, unpleasant, and complicated.” She does go on to say that this honesty needs to be integrated with common sense.

Human behavior, humanity and life in general may be confusing, as we each have different and unique lives, giving us each our own special brand of individuality; and that is a beautiful thing! However there is one thing, I believe, that will lead you in the right direction. A certain amount of self-understanding is important to create healthy relationships. The first step is to look inward, and the second is to look outward. Of course, all of this self-awareness can be hard – lots of Kleenex helps!

Thomas Moore, in Care of the Soul, writes, “We sometimes talk about love lightly, not acknowledging how powerful and lasting it can be. We always expect love to be healing and whole, and then are astonished to find that it can create hollow gaps and empty failures.”

The bottom line is that love begins, not just with a connection to another person, but being true to yourself. It can’t be said enough: self-awareness and honesty open up not only your own life channels, but will provide you with better opportunities to receive what you give. I am talking karma here, to a degree, and that sets you on the right path. When you know who you are and what you are made of, you will not be as likely to settle for less.

A commitment to another person is always a commitment to know ourselves and do whatever it takes to fulfill our agreements. If we promise to be truthful, we commit to a deep level of inner awareness and to confronting any fear that blocks us from being truthful.
- If the Buddha Dated by Charlotte Kasl, Ph.D.

While writing the closing thoughts for this chapter, my friend RJ Joseph, the Cree Indian I met in Sedona, shared another powerful story with me. In an email he wrote, “An old Indian woman once told me, ”˜The longest journey you’ll ever make in life is the journey from your head to your heart.’ She, then, drew a line with her finger from my forehead down my nose and chin to my heart. RJ concluded with, “I just remembered this the other day, and thought I would share it with you. (She was right.)”

See below for parts 1-8…

When things do get serious, talk of marriage can be a delicate subject. I wondered how men felt about living together before marriage. 80% of men feel it’s a good idea, and “would encourage it.” And of the married and divorced men in the survey, only one thought it was a bad idea. Man #16 shared that “at my wedding, during my speech I said, ”˜I bought the cow.’ We were together for 5 years and lived together for one year before we got married.” So it can happen. Perhaps Aunt Ruth was wrong in her Thanksgiving dinner ”living together lecture”!

Extra Credit: Things Men Thought You Should Know
Man #9 – Guys like to be flattered but challenged.
Man #7 – Dating is not a game. Relationships are not a game.
Man #4 – I find hard rules to be confining. Better to adjust to whatever circumstances arise.

Though my sample group ranged broadly in age, relationship status, race and economic level, there is a basic common ground I noticed with all of them: men like women who are confident straight across the board. And although they enjoy being approached, called on the phone or asked for dates, it is also clear was that men still like to be men in a more traditional sense. So while you can be confident, self-sufficient, and able to hold your own, you can still let him open the car door and pull out the chair. For the record, maybe it’s best to listen to Your-Own-O-Pinion when interacting with the male of the species. And based on the Man-O-Pinion, it looks as though they agree.

Most dating books focus on women trying to attract men. Something about that seems unbalanced. Why does a woman need a manual, yet a man just has to be himself? Well, it turns out there are books for men. My friend Mike suggested that I read How To Drive Your Woman Wild In Bed by Graham Masterton, and How To Succeed With Women by Ron Louis and David Copeland.

I was not surprised to find that the content was less about changing one’s own behavior, and focused more on common sense suggestions about treating yourself and others with respect. There were “do this/do that” sections, but not on par with books geared toward women. I liked the parts where they talk about good hygiene, keeping your car clean and wearing clean clothing. Less about being “rules for dating,” maintaining your appearance shows that you respect yourself, as well as others. Men, you don’t have to be a Metrosexual to take good care of yourself.

Not long ago, I ran into an old friend at the local nail salon. There he was looking handsome as two women gave him a manicure and pedicure. I walked up to him and told him I was glad to see him in the chair. “Bad hands and feet can be a big turn off for me,” He laughed, adding, “I learned a long time ago that a little hygiene goes a long way with women.”

To gain insight into how men perceive these books, I took them out in public to read. I found that men wanted to check them out; the interest was there, but reading such a book seems unmanly or girly. One of my male friends said that every man should read How To Drive Your Woman Wild. “Women are confusing and it would be nice to have a manual,” he quipped. But the stigma of self-help still makes it taboo.

To be continued…

See below for parts 1-7…

Now let’s get down to the real burning questions. How far should you go physically on the first date? Rule 15 warns that “No More than Casual Kissing on the First Date” is acceptable. I also wanted to know if “going further” has been a deal breaker or changed the man’s opinion of the woman he is courting. I was surprised at how many men agreed with Rule 15. Only 30% express a “go with what feels right” kind of attitude. A majority of the men surveyed are a bit more traditional when it comes to sex early on in a relationship. “There is something cool about not going all the way on a first date,” Man #8 said, “maybe take it slow.” Man #13 concurs: “getting physical too soon just takes some of the early anticipation away. That is crucial and propels the relationship.” But of all of the respondents, only 10% reported that moving too quickly or too slowly would change their opinion of the woman they were dating. Most agreed with Man #1’s assessment, “Sometimes two people click right away, and things move along rapidly. Sometimes things take a while.””¨
So overall, I’d say the men I interviewed didn’t think much of playing by a set of rules. The overwhelming consensus seemed to be what I have felt all along – do what feels right to you. Of course, I had a few questions myself, based on my own experiences. In regards to online dating, and other common life situations, I wanted to know if men liked women to contact them. While 50% had not participated in online dating, those who did were 99% in favor of women asking them for a date. Man #7 said it all: “I would not be on there if I did not want to be approached.”

What about being approached at a bar or another social setting? Men absolutely want women to introduce themselves. “I like a woman with enough confidence to walk up and chat,” Man #4 responded. Although my fellow women, Man #14 wants you watch the booze: “as long as it’s done with a professional approach, not from a drunken sleazy approach. That’s a big turn-off to gentlemen.” But as Man #14 so eloquently put it, “Hells yeah!” was by far the most popular reaction.

Back to sex: I heard the men talk about playing it cool and waiting for the “right time” to get physical with a woman, but what I really wanted to know was how many dates they were willing to hang around without it. They, for the most part, stuck to their guns. Man #2 is willing to wait “until I feel like the chick is not interested in ever having sex with me,” while Man #5 claims, “as many as it takes before it feels right.” The men who put a number on it range their answers from 3 to 5 to 10. So, there really does seem to be a “no-set-rule- play-it-by-ear thing” here. Do what your gut tells you to do, and whatever happens, you can deal with the outcome.

To be continued…