19/10/2008 by admin.

Dining with the opposite sex, or gender you wish to impress, is often a culinary land mine.

One bad choice and Boom! Spinach embeds the teeth, niblets of corn turn pearly whites into gunks of yellow goo.

Or worst of all is a common condition called The Accidental Misfiring of a Crustacean.

This shooting of a shellfish, lobster, crab or mussel is a typical error when one is dying to impress — and dining with distress.

A friend of mine invited a man over for the first time and decided to prepare lobster. Incidentally, she’s an awful cook, and the most horrific of all things occurred. The poor lobster managed to claw its way out of the pot before it became butter-drenched and diving down her date’s hatch.

After drying her tears, my buddy became a vegetarian that very night. God love her. PETA does.

Dining out has come into play with plenty of my single friends who’ve decided to join online dating services such as eHarmony, WealthyMen.com as well as the old standby — and Match.com.

I hear all sorts of frightening tales about these first dates, most involving and centering around meals. I mean, think about it. A guy meets you, either in person or cyber space. He likes you. He has all of his major molars and at least a head on his shoulders, even if it’s bald as a boiled egg.

Here’s what he will say.

“Would you care to go out to dinner sometime?”

Here’s what the single girl with options and optimism says. “Sure.”

It’s not like any decent guy’s going to ask a potential first date to a Monster Truck Rally or to shoot pool at Bubba’s Nudie Den.

So she goes to the restaurant.

The following are key mistakes she might make if not careful.

Ordering a salad and Diet Coke. If she does, he’ll think she has an eating disorder.

Selecting any of the aforementioned, attack-oriented crustaceans. Only during that famous scene in “Flash Dance,” can a woman get away with sucking down a lobster as if she’s entering an Erotic Eating Contest.

Avoid onions, garlic, broccoli, slaw, cauliflower and all those things that announce, “Nice to meet you. I’d also like for you to meet my spastic colon.”

Ditch spinach dishes and spirits such as Mojitos, which purely swim in cling-on vegetation.

Skip the spaghetti. It’s going to end up hanging from the mouth like octopus tentacles. In addition, you’ll need to carry a bottle of Spray ‘N Wash for the spilled marinara.

They say pomegranate is the healthiest food. I have yet to figure out how to eat one and hide the spent seeds. This is disaster-in-waiting, as is gnawing a log of corn like a starved hog.

So what can a woman (or man) safely eat during that out-to-impress first date?

The blander the better. Try chicken dishes, mild fish, steak, potatoes and vegetables that are easy on the organs.

Better yet? Go to a movie. That way if you don’t like him (her), you don’t have to say a whole lot. It’s a win-win.

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19/10/2008 by admin.

 BY ASHLEY ANTHONY • THE JACKSON (TENN.)

Single mom Melanie Holt says getting back into the dating game wasn’t like an eHarmony or Match.com commercial. Four years ago, her friends had to convince her to call the man she’s still dating now.

We both weren’t looking for a relationship,” Holt says.They each have two children and were cautious about introducing them to one another.”We’ve tried to make decisions in our relationship based on what would be best for our children,” Holt, 39, says. “We talked about when it would be right for our children to meet. The kids don’t ask for this situation, so you want to make it a healthy environment for them.”Holt, who lives in Jackson, Tenn., started dating after she and her husband of 10 years divorced. After the divorce, it took about two years for her to go on a date.

She’s protective of her children, who are now part of a blended family since her ex-husband remarried.

Dating with children can be complicated, Holt says.

“We’re trying to find a balance between our children, their schedule, our work schedule and just normal household stuff,” she says.

And finding that balance can be difficult for divorced single parents. A reality series on the Learning Channel last summer called “Must Love Kids” followed three single moms in their 30s and highlighted the challenges of finding a partner when children are involved.

“A lot of people don’t know what goes on behind the scenes for a single parent,” says Stacy Kaiser, a relationship expert and psychotherapist from Los Angeles. “It’s not easy.”

Single parents shouldn’t introduce their children to someone they’re dating unless the relationship is headed in a long-term direction, says Kaiser, who is a single mother of two.

“If you have doubts about the relationship, it’s not fair to bring the children into it, because they’ll grow attached to the person you’re dating,” Kaiser says.

Also, introducing your child to the person you’re dating can be awkward for him, she says.

“It can put a lot of stress on kids and make them feel anxious,” Kaiser says. “For a child, their world is about them. They end up wondering ‘How is this going to impact me?’ and ‘How is my life going to change?’ ”

Putting kids first

When Holt dated a man who didn’t have children, he wasn’t understanding, she says.

“When he called, he seemed demanding and less understanding because he wanted to spend time with me when I had my children to take care of,” Holt says.

Kaiser says most adults who don’t have children are used to putting themselves first instead of a child.

“Another issue that comes up with this is if your child doesn’t like the person you’re dating and they’re mean to him,” she says. “Don’t force the person you’re dating on your child. You can’t force your child to like someone you like, just like you can’t force someone you like to like your child.”

Holt’s children seem comfortable with her dating situation. She keeps her children first and lets them know that the person she’s dating will never take their place in her life, she says.

Kaiser says children can feel threatened by their parent’s relationship.

“They’re worried they’ll lose their parents to that relationship or have less time with their parents,” she says.

Learning to date

Pamela Perry, a single mother of two in Jackson, describes her dating experience as different.

She’s been single for four years after divorcing her husband.

“I never really dated,” Perry, 44, says. “I met my husband in college, and bam, that was it.”

Her children are now 19 and 23.

“They’re pretty good about letting me make my own choices about the men I date,” Perry says. “I’m trying to find someone who’s not into playing games when it comes to a relationship, someone who is honest.”

For single parents learning how to date, Kaiser suggests seeking friendships with the opposite sex first.

“Get involved in hobbies, classes where you’re socializing with men but not forced to go on a date that can be scary,” she says.

Blind dates aren’t a bad idea either, Kaiser says.

“That way, whoever you’re getting fixed up with comes with a reference,” she says.

Perry dated someone for two years after her divorce.

“A lot of men now are afraid to commit themselves, not necessarily to settle down but to a relationship,” she says.

But Perry doesn’t plan to call it quits on dating just yet.

“I’m going to keep on chugging along until I find that person,” she says.

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19/10/2008 by admin.

Australia’s largest online dating site, RSVP.com.au, has launched Australia’s first ‘Adventure travel’ community which allows likeminded singles to interact with and meet others who share a passion for travel.

Following a two-month trial period, the RSVP ‘Adventure Travellers’ community has attracted over 4,500 members to join and is an additional service for members who already enjoy RSVP’s trips around Australia and overseas.

Lija Jarvis, Customer Support Director, RSVP.com.au believes RSVP’s communitiesoffer singles an innovative and exciting way to meet others with similar interests.

“With 1.3 million members, communities offer singles a great way to refine their search for people who have similar interests and passions. This is a fantastic way to find others who you instantly have something in common with. Our ‘Adventure Travellers’ community is already one of our most popular communities.”

With 20 different communities already launched to date, RSVP boasts a total membership of 56,000.

Within each community, a member has access to articles, features, offers, blogs, reviews, video content and can easily search for other singles via the photo gallery.

Site visitation to the communities pages in September alone has recorded over 1.95 million page impressions.

New communities are added each week based on suggestions from Members. RSVP’s communities are free for members to join, and include groups such as ‘Food and Wine Lovers’, ‘Fitness Fanatics’, ‘Over 50 and Fabulous’, ‘Lovers of the Arts’, ‘Single Parents’ and ‘Movie Buffs’.

RSVP is Australia’s largest online dating site with 1.3 million members and 1.1million unique browsers each month.

Over 1,000 new members sign up every day and each day 50,000 emails are exchanged between its members.

To date, RSVP has claimed to be instrumental in over 4,500 weddings and at least 500 babies.

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19/10/2008 by admin.

Adult dating web sites

are a preferred place for many adults to meet future partners. There are thousands international and local free online adult dating services available designed to bring people together. A funny fact is that many of their users join such sites in search of new sex partners or just for some spicy adventures but end up with serious relationships or even marriage.

Free online adult dating services are also widely used by couples eager to spice up their love life. Most of the online adult websites are a meeting place for many swingers and couples who are looking for more intense sexual experience.

It is relatively easy to find a free online adult dating service. All you need to do is to spend a couple of minutes searching the internet. You should be selective though as the way a free online adult dating site looks (and feels) can tell you much about the personals you will find in its database.

Website look

The way a web site is designed can tell you much about it. Professionally designed sites are more likely to hold a database of genuine members with true intentions. On the other hand, a scrappy site tells you that the people that set it up do not care much about their content or the members of the site. People who were committed enough to spend some money on web site design must be serious about the service their site is providing and its quality.

Website features

The fact that the site is free does not mean that it should not have any of the standard dating site features. You should be able to post a photo profile, have access to advanced search options, email alerts, an anonymous messaging system and blocking options. All of these will ensure a safe and satisfactory experience.

Paid Vs. Free online adult dating service

Finally consider the pros and cons of joining a free online adult dating service. While joining a free site will definitely save you some money, it is more likely the site to disappoint you as well. Moreover, a paid dating site guarantees the quality of its members. After all a person who have paid $100 for his or hers membership must be serious and honest. Real companies who care about the quality of their service operate paid sites so it is less likely to become a spam victim or even a victim of sexual abuse.

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