1.  Be sure you are looking at the right place.
2.  Sure, cougars may be found literally anywhere because they look like just your mom or your aunt, only hotter.  In short they can be in the grocery, the subway or the bus station.  But, there are proven two places in finding a potential cougar date: First at the bars or clubs and second, from on line dating websites.
3. Be sure you have the right intentions.
4. It must be remembered that cougars are “cougars” because they are older than you.  They have a lot more experience in dating so expect that they somehow get even your slightest body language. There are cougars that are looking for a boy toy or to be in a relationship with younger man, while there are those who are just want to spend a good time with a younger to guy to relive those fun-under-the-sun days into their lives after 20 years of boring married life.
5. Be sure you don’t bring up the “age gap” topic.
6. Cougars are old enough to know that she is called a “cougar” because she is interested in or flirting with, or will eventually date a younger man. In short, there is no need for you to rub the “age gap” thing in because they already get it. What you should do is to convince your cougar date that you are really interested in her as an attractive woman.
7. Be sure to take her to the right place on your first date.

This way you will have plenty of time to get to know each other. It is important that you treat her just like areal lady that she is.  And just because she is older and richer, it doesn’t mean she has to pay for the bill.  Be a man. Finally, just be yourself, because dating a cougar can be so much fun if you know how.

Dating is like a game, the more you do it, the better you get. Some people have natural talent when it comes to dating, and some people have to try, try and try again. But like a game, you have a much better chance of winning if you keep in mind the rules of play.

Look Your Best

Looks aren’t everything, but good hygiene, neat appearance and a pleasant body odor can come in handy when playing the dating game. Take some time to put yourself together. Your date will appreciate the effort, and it shows that you care about your appearance.

Confidence is a Man’s or Woman’s Best Friend

To win the dating game every time, confidence is required. Confidence is sexy. Both men and women are attracted to it, so it’s important that you gain some. This doesn’t mean you should be cocky, egotistical or a jerk. It just means you should seem like you’re confident being you, and all that entails.

Stimulating Conversation

You’ll gain some extra points in the dating game if you can make your date laugh, talk and enjoy themselves through conversation. If you can keep your date interested, the second date is just around the corner. Pull out some of your amusing or funny stories, and ask your date some questions, without getting too personal. Don’t talk about yourself too much either. Instead, just try to go with the flow, and keep the conversation as natural and free flowing as possible, without any awkward silences.

Smile

Smiling alone can help you win a second date. Smiling is attractive, and puts people at ease. Try to smile as often as possible, without seeming like a grinning lunatic.

Manners

Use your manners and be polite. Nothing is as big a turn off as someone who is rude and obnoxious. If you want to woo your date then it’s in your best interests to be as polite as possible, whenever possible.

By playing by the rules, you too can win the dating game every time and earn yourself a second, third or fourth date.

It’s hard to believe that an online dating site like eHarmony can be so closed minded about allowing gays and lesbians to use their services. What were they thinking? Anyway, I think they’re moving in the right direction, however, why do they need to create a separate site?

You can read the article here.

eHarmony loses lawsuit, must now provide gay and lesbian matchmaking services

Embroiled in litigation for over two years, the online dating behemoth eHarmony has now agreed to pay two million dollars to settle a class action sex discrimination lawsuit. Read the rest here.

We’ve all done our share of dating faux pas, and had to live to remember them. While they make for amusing fodder for Sunday brunch chatting with the girlfriends, it sucks to go on a date and completely ruin any future chances by falling into a typical dating trap. Drinking too much and talking about your ex are two surefire ways to ruin your chances of a second date.

Avoid Talking About Your Past

Aside from giving detailed history lessons about your dating past, try to avoid being “emotionally slutty.” If it’s your first date, now is not the time to talk about all of the problems life has loaded upon you, like your parents’ divorce, your grandmother’s funeral, how you got fired from your job, the time when you were five and your puppy got hit by a car and died. It’s a first date – it should be fun, easy and exciting! Don’t bring it down by getting too serious. You’ll just freak the poor guy out – and bum yourself out.

Avoid First Date Sex

While being an “emotional slut” is not advised, being just straight-up slutty is also a big No. I know, so cliché – but it’s true: Sleeping with a guy on the first date will make him (a) wonder, “how often does she do that!?” and (b) assume that you’re not a serious relationship kind of gal. Yes, there are times when a first-date sleepover can lead to future dates and a serious relationship but let’s be realistic – the relationship is most likely to progress to “booty call” status, if anything.

Avoid First Date Interviews

Aside from making yourself look like a fool, you can also freak out your date by placing too much attention on him with interview-style grilling. Asking questions is good, but firing one after the other at your date can be scary. You should be having a conversation, telling him about yourself too, not grilling him for his marriage-ability. (You can always get to that later).

Avoid Drinking Too Much

Last but not least, the ultimate dating faux pas that is most likely to get you into trouble and spur you on to commit one of the other dating sins is drinking too much! Maybe you feel funnier or more outgoing for a while, but after a certain point, it’s just more likely to make you act like a moron. You’re more likely to spill into emotional histories and ex-boyfriend stories, and more likely to hop into bed with him without considering the consequences. So lay off the cosmopolitans (well, not completely), sit back, relax, and enjoy your date. And afterwards? Expect his call in two to three days.

Many people refer to dating as a game. It’s understandable. I mean, you go out and try to figure out in a few hours whether or not the man or woman sitting across the table from you is worth going out with again. People in the dating game make up elaborate plans in order to boost their success rate, while trying to figure out the right place to find a suitable mate. No wonder people call it the dating game!

Yet there is a relatively new piece in the dating game, and that piece is the Internet. Now, more than ever, people can sit in the comfort of their own home, browse profiles, chat online and get an idea of what the other person is like, just by asking a few questions.

The Internet is fast becoming the best place to find suitable single people. Millions of singles are hooking up and building successful relationships over the Internet. However, if you’re looking to find a suitable single guy or gal over the Internet, there are a few things you should keep in mind.

Profile

Sure a profile is great, and most people assume they’re accurate, but this isn’t always the case. People can lie better over the net, than they could in person. It’s important that you keep your profile up to date, and keep in mind that the one you’re viewing on your glowing computer screen might not be as honest as you think.

Region

There are successful long distance relationships, but they are more likely to fail. The stresses of driving back and forth, plus the added strain of not being able to see each other very often, take their toll. In most cases, it’s far better to find someone online who is close to you.

Interests

The guy or gal, who you’re talking to, may be a veritable beauty queen or George Clooney look-a-like, but do they share any of your interests? If you’d like to win the jackpot in the dating game, you may want to make sure they share at least a few interests that you do.  Chat with them, find out what they like to do in their spare time, and you’ll get a better idea of what kind of person they are, and whether or not you’re compatible as a couple.

If you use good judgment, ask questions and be discerning when it comes to online personalities, you can win the dating game and find suitable single people every time.

Online dating related article

• ARA: We’re dating, but his online profiles are still active (timesunion.com)

1. Take time and make time. Does your online date get in touch with you regularly? Do you do the same? Neglecting virtual meetings can be considered abuse or neglect, so treat each other’s time with respect. If it’s lacking, it might mean time to move on.

2. Communication needs to “feel” right for both of you. If one of you is too pushy about meeting, for instance, that can give off bad vibes. So don’t rush. Take time to learn more about each other and develop trust.

3. Respect each others privacy. Don’t share personal email addresses or digital photos online, for example, if your online date sent you the information in confidence.

4. Share special online and offline fun times. Online – send greeting cards, links to favorite places to upload digital photos of your favorite pet, download music and video clips, post on favorite forums of interest. Offline- if you’re exchanging addresses or post office boxes, send print greeting cards and postcards, small items from your area (like a key chain with your state bird).

Tend to your online relationship. Water it with care and over time it can sprout and grow.

However, clamming up doesn’t work either. Sure, you might not look stupid, but you’ll still look boring. The man or woman sitting across from you will think there is no chemistry between you, and the second date will be a distant fantasy. Wouldn’t you like to avoid this eventuality and know how to keep a first date conversation flowing?

Wine

You don’t have to get your date drunk in order to loosen their tongues a bit. You shouldn’t get drunk either. Nothing is worse than getting punch drunk, saying something stupid or looking like a complete moron on the first date. But you can enjoy a glass of wine together, and use the alcohol to relax.

Add to this, a nice quiet, unthreatening atmosphere, such as a romantic restaurant and some candlelight, and you’ve got a recipe for success. If you want to keep a first date conversation flowing, keep some wine flowing as well!

Questions Answered

The best way to keep a the conversation flowing is to ask questions. Ask your date what he or she does for a living, what their interests and hobbies are or what they like to do to relax. You’ll get to know more about them, maybe get an idea for a second date and the conversation will flow naturally.

You also need to look interested when your date answers your questions. Don’t yawn, stretch, break eye contact to look at another guy or woman and never wear a bland expression. When they answer your questions, follow up with another one or add a tidbit of your own. Your questions will surely lead to them questioning you too, so be ready for that. Choose topics that you feel comfortable answering. By asking questions first, you can control the path of the conversation somewhat, so use this to your advantage.

There you have it. Keeping the conversation flowing on a first date is as easy as that. When you’re out on your next date, be sure to keep these two handy dating tips foremost in your mind, and you’re sure to be successful when conversing. Don’t let another date dwindle into the realm of awkward silences and rejection.

Keep Dating

Many couples forget what attracted them to their mates in the first place. Sometimes work or kids leave them with little time to grow as a couple and they move away from dating.

This can pose a serious problem for couples. I know a couple that’s fallen into this situation. After the birth of their first daughter, the wife was so tired all the time with taking care of the infant that she no longer had any interest in her husband. It’s important to keep that spark alive by continuing to date. Whether it is once a week or once a month, it’s important to get some alone time with each other. This might mean getting a babysitter for an evening or putting overtime at work on hold. If your partner is worth it, don’t let the relationship grow stagnant and die. I know this sounds easier said than done, but keeping that spark takes a lot of time and energy, especially when a newborn.

Make Love In Weird Places

One great way to inject more passion into your relationship is to take your love making outside the bedroom. Make love in different rooms, in public places or places that you’d never normally think of as a hot-spot. Many couples fall into routine lovemaking….boring, right? While there’s nothing wrong with routine, it’s always a good thing to add some spontaneity to the relationship.

Remember when you first met, and couldn’t keep your hands off of each other? That’s the kind of passion you want to recapture. Your partner wants to know that they’re still attractive, desirable and you can’t get enough of them. They want to feel like they still have it in them to drive you crazy with lust, with a glance or a touch. Flirt with each other and build the anticipation. My sister and her husband have been married for 10+ years, and they claim they’re still on their honeymoon.

For most couples, it’s easy to fall into a rut. Taking each other for granted and doing the same thing over and over again, will lead most couples down the boredom highway. Every once in a while (as much as possible!) you need to hit the gas and swerve off that highway if you want your relationship to last. It’s not terribly difficult to inject more passion into your relationship and it can be a lot of fun.

Try it out….who knows? You may discover another part of your spouse you never knew existed.

You’ve been out on a few dates recently, but none of them seem to be working out. You don’t seem to have a problem actually getting the date, but somehow the second date never comes. What are you doing wrong? Are you breaking some kind of dating rule?

Probably. You’re probably breaking the biggest date rule of them all: learning how to communicate. Learning how to communicate effectively is the single best way of getting asked out on a second date. Communicating badly, which can be done in several different ways, is a surefire way to mess up any date, regardless of how much thought and effort you’ve put into trying to make it a success.

What you need to remember when going out on a date is that you want the other person to get a better idea of the kind of person you are, without talking too much or too little. People who talk about themselves too much, are a real turn off. Not only that, but they’re annoying. For some people it’s in their nature to talk about themselves, and yet other people babble, because they’re nervous, which is natural. Instead, get the other person to talk about himself or herself, and maintain some mystery. By doing this, the other person will want a second date, just to learn more about you.

Talking too little is another surefire way to mess up any date. Your dating partner doesn’t want to go out on a date with a manikin! They want you to talk, make them laugh and they want to get a little insight into who you are and what you’re all about. Make it easier for them, and open up a little.

People love to laugh. Laughter is infectious, and sexy. This doesn’t mean you have to be the next Chris Rock, it just means you should try to loosen up and enjoy yourself. Tell your date a few funny stories or a joke to liven things up a bit. If you can make him or her laugh, you’re half way to getting a second date.

Just remember to be yourself. A surefire way to mess up any date is to be a fake, which is another communication problem. Be confident, slightly mysterious and make them laugh. Those are the keys to any successful date and the path towards a second.

You wouldn’t give your name, address and phone number to a strange man that you met in a bar or on the street, would you? Therefore, you should never do that online either. Play it safe. Get to know this man who could turn out to be Prince Charming before you give out any information that could make it possible for him or others to trace you. Don’t tell a stranger exactly where you work. Say that you are a legal secretary (if that’s what you are) for a mid-sized law firm….not that you work for Brown, Smith and Jones Attorneys-at-law. It’s safe to tell him what city you live in but you should wait to be any more specific than that until you have been chatting and exchanging emails for awhile.

Use only the tools provided by the dating service you belong to. Most offer chat and private email on their site. Do not give out your personal email address. If you must give out an email address make it a free one such as Hotmail or Yahoo. Your personal address is traceable for anyone who wants to go to the trouble.

When the time comes for you to have your first face-to-face, make that first meeting in a public place and during day light hours. Take a friend with you or arrange for one to call you on your cell soon after the arranged meeting.

Remember…you ARE in control so don’t let anyone pressure you into revealing more personal information than you are comfortable revealing.

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