4:53 p.m. - 2005-10-04
Singles Say Holidays Easiest Time to Find Date
MatchMaker, an online dating destination for singles, has revealed some tips for singles who want to find a date for the important holiday season events.

"The holidays are a great time for single people to look for romance," said Kim Carrington, MatchMaker's dating advisor. "It's the season of parties and even with some added stress from shopping and other demands, people are in a "let's have some fun" mindset, and singles should use it to their advantage. Singles are seven times as likely to be spending New Years out celebrating with a group of friends as on a romantic date, so the pool of available folks is pretty substantial even when it seems like everyone's coupled up."

A recent poll of singles conducted by MatchMaker revealed that a majority of singles actually think finding a date is easier during the holidays than during the rest of the year. "It's no wonder that most people wait until the last minute to find a date for holiday events - if it's easier to find one, then the pressure's off. But twice as many men as women told us they are planning to spend New Years on a romantic date - I want to tell all the women out there to raise their expectations to keep up with the men," said Carrington.

The MatchMaker survey revealed that 55% of singles start looking for a date less than two weeks before a holiday event. Men and women differed only slightly in their sense of urgency, with a slightly higher number of men than women starting the search two to four weeks out. Three times as many men as women also responded that New Years is the worst night of the year to be single.

"So let's recap: men are twice as likely to plan to go on a romantic date, and more likely to start planning early - then women should make sure the guys know they're out there and available - some one has to go out on those dates," said Carrington.

Not surprisingly, men are twice as likely as women to use the company holiday party as a forum for scooping out possibilities for the coming year's romantic plan.

"All year round, but more importantly during the holidays, it's the efficiency of online dating that really helps. If I'm out with friends I'm lucky to talk to one guy in a night, but online, I can have conversations going with a few at once, and the chances that I've learned enough to want to go out on a date with one are a lot better than just if I just bump into some one in a crowd," Carrington related. "Email is controllable, and let's me keep my distance until I'm ready to meet."

4:52 p.m. - 2005-10-04
Flirtologist Gives Some Flirting Advice
Singles connect at everyday places by starting positive conversations, says Jill Spiegel, who describes herself as a Flirtologist.

Landing dates happens while waiting in line, getting a haircut, volunteering, or visiting a dog park, says Spiegel, who conducts flirting seminars and is author of the newly released The Flirtologist's Guide To Dating.

"There are 100 million singles in the U.S., and yet singles say it's hard to find dates. Our lifestyle can be a natural dating service when we stay alert to the people around us and connect through common topics," says Spiegel. "There is a myth that meeting singles and flirting is about being clever or witty. The truth is the top three qualities people look for in a first impression are warmth, genuineness and empathy, so think friendly when it comes to flirting."

When initiating conversations, Spiegel recommends saying something positive even if it's about the weather. Or pay a sincere compliment. Or ask a question -- people love to give their opinion. She also suggests you can be gentle and direct by admitting to someone you are nervous. That breaks the ice. Tell them you would regret not saying something.

"These gestures are honest and engaging," says Spiegel who became a Flirtologist to share the magic of flirting.

More of her flirting tips:

*Be a playful flirt. Smile at people like they are old friends.

*Be a polite flirt. Instead of asking for someone's number, give them yours and tell them a good time to reach you.

*Be a confident flirt. If someone doesn't call you, tell yourself you are desirable and that person wasn't the right person for you.

Spiegel says, "Life is your 24-hour dating service. Reach out and flirt today!"

4:50 p.m. - 2005-10-04
Match.com Promotes Voter Registration
Recognizing that almost 39 million American singles did not vote in the 2000 presidential election*, Match.com, a leading online dating service, is launching a voter awareness and registration drive designed to mobilize the nation's singles, both men and women of all political affiliations.

Match.com's voter awareness program, called "Every Single Vote Counts," will consist of online and offline communications programs providing singles with information on why they should register to vote and giving them resources to get signed-up in their local communities. Match.com will also be conducting research on how singles perceive the issues and the Presidential candidates themselves. This data will be released throughout the course of the campaign.

"We look forward to getting more singles involved in the political process through our registration drive and hope that we give them a louder voice in framing the political debate this year on election issues," said Trish McDermott, Vice President of Romance at Match.com. "With more than 12 million members Match.com has an active group of socially and, potentially, politically engaged citizens who can help us understand the political mood of America's almost 90 million single adults."

Registering to vote may benefit singles' romantic lives, as a May 2004 Match.com study surveying more than 1,600 adults in the U.S. revealed that 91% of respondents believe they are more likely to fall in love with a registered voter than a non-registered voter.

Coincidentally, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, only 56 percent of never-married Americans registered to vote in 2000, compared to 76 percent of their married counterparts.

In a poll which ran on the Match.com site during the week of May 10, singles were asked: Bush or Kerry -- Who'll be best for single Americans? 46% of the more than 4,000 respondents picked Bush, while 54% picked Kerry.

Match.com will be posting banners on its Web site giving members information on how to register to vote. E-mail messages will also be sent to Match.com members encouraging them to get involved with the campaign. McDermott will devote several of her upcoming "Ask Trish" relationship advice columns to the importance of voting.

Offline, Match is planning to provide voter registration information at upcoming MatchLive (www.matchlive.com) events for singles around the country and will host debate watching parties for singles after the Democratic and Republican National Conventions this summer.

"America's singles population represents a massive, yet rarely segmented, voting block," said McDermott. "We think the two major political parties will benefit from hearing what's on the minds of the single's constituency this year."

While popular opinion holds that politics is divisive in a relationship, Match.com has found that a passion for politics can be unifying. In the May 2004 study Match.com found that Republicans and Democrats are generally looking for the same qualities in a mate: a moderately successful, balanced and stable person with a sense of humor.

"We tend to think of Democrats and Republicans as different types of people from different backgrounds voting differently on key issues, but when it comes to dating and love, we may be more alike than we are different," said McDermott.

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