That’s what many single men in that age group are finding out. Dating now has become a challenge compared with when they were in their 20s.

John Drysdale, 46, divorced in 2001. He says finding someone his age who is educated, single and ready to settle down is a rare thing.

Drysdale turned to Table for Two, a dating service agency, to help him get his game back.

“It helped save me a lot of time because the people they match you with already met the bulk of my criteria,” he says.

Jordan Vang of St. Paul is single and looking for the right woman to settle down with. At 42, he says it’s harder to even find someone who would want to date someone his age.

“Most women I know always want someone younger,” he says. “And being divorced doesn’t help much, either.”

Source

Table for Two is a premier dating service located in Minnesota. Their statement speaks loud and clear – It’s not about dates - It’s about results.

They connect well-matched singles that might not otherwise meet.

When you become a Table for Two client, you receive …

• 1-2 hour personal consultation with an expert Table for Two interviewer.
• A custom plan that outlines what you expect from us, tailored for your lifestyle and needs.
• Arranged dates with hand-picked matches based on your specific preferences.
• Unlimited potential with no restrictions on the number of people you meet … you’re purchasing time, not dates.
• Access to the best local singles … individuals who are interested in results, not just dates.
• Extensive counsel, coaching and follow-up from a Table for Two staff expert.
• Client concierge services available only to Table for Two clients. Learn more.
• 20 minute phone coaching session with relationship expert: Dr. Jan Hoistad
• 12 months of “active” search time and 12 months of “hold” time.

The Table for Two team claims to have created the most comfortable, personal and professional approach to finding the right someone for everyone.It sounds as if the people of Minnesota are quite lucky to have a business like Table for 2 working so hard on their behalf.

Post from: Blisstree

Guys over 40 find dating daunting, discouraging

Has the internet created a platform whereby the expectations of singles are reaching far beyond obtainable?

Are people expecting to meet someone that looks like Brad Pitt or Jessica Simpson, has a bank account that could make Bill Gates anticipate losing his position on the list of the wealthiest, has the work ethics of Ward Cleaver and the parenting skills of Ozzy Nelson?

Are people expecting to find “the dream” lurking behind the next clicked profile that’s just been added to an online dating site?

Well, it’s not going to happen!

I’m not saying that people should “settle” exactly, but they shouldn’t anticipate anything above “comfortable” when shopping for love.

I had no idea that online dating sites were now incorporating a “rating system” that would allow other members to rate profiles based on various criteria.  How can that possibly be an honest measure to base your own interest on?  It can’t!

To me, if I were to see someone with a low rating, I’d be more attracted to the low numbers than the high ones, simply because that would tell me that the person had the courage to piss a few people off on their quest – than Mr. or Ms. Social Butterfly who feels the need to mollycoddle everyone who responded to their ad.

Ellen Gamerman of The Wall Street Journal took a much deeper dive into this rating system and the damage it’s causing in the heart of the single scene, so I’d encourage everyone to check it out to see some of the new challenges that are being presented to people who are using the dating sites.  Perhaps shine a little light on just why they may be feeling like one of The Undateables.

Do you think it’s fair that dating sites allow other members to rate profiles?  Do you think the ones most likely to take advantage of that feature are one’s with malicious intent?

Speak your mind!  I’d love to hear!

Post from: Blisstree

Relationships: The Undateables

Internet dating is putting a growing number of women at risk of abuse or assault, a leading sexual health doctor says.

Jane MacDonald, who does forensic examinations for Wellington police in sexual assault and rape cases, said she believed the popularity of dating websites and chatrooms was a factor in the noticeable increase of sexual assaults in the past year.

In the three months since May there had been 22 cases reported in Wellington – almost two a week. Usually there were about 50 a year.

Dr MacDonald, who is director of the Wellington Sexual Health Clinic, said women often felt they could trust men they had never met because they had shared personal information online.  Full Article on STUFF

Internet Dating is only as good and safe as it’s members.  It cannot be stressed enough — to use extreme caution when meeting people on the internet.  There are plenty of success stories out there that may lure one into providing more personal information then they care to, but keeping one’s head out of the clouds and into reality is a must!

Meet in public places the first couple to few times. 

Leave ALL contact information of the person you are meeting with a close friend or relative.

Call a friend when you are meeting your date and call them when the date ends.

Anyone who is careful and cautious deserves respect and if the date finds it troublesome, they may not be the one for you.

Post from: Blisstree

Internet dating blamed for rise in attacks

One piece she’s presented caught my eye and as I found myself being whisked away in a cloud of de ja vu, I wondered how many people who are placing personal ads realize just how strong the mistakes are they are making and how a few simple changes could generate more response.

Grins touches on everything from username to photo preferences while giving her own Top 10 Reasons For Not Responding to Personal Ads – though you may not have 10 reasons — or perhaps you have 20 — what are some of your own reasons for not responding to personal ads?

For me, it was always the sound of desperation or the photo!  I was never impressed by the big fish, the deer head or the sports car!  And thank GAWD men don’t use Glamourshots!

Post from: Blisstree

Top 10 Reasons She Didn’t Answer Your Personal

“You get what you pay for” especially when it comes to online dating services.

While participating in the online dating market, I began to comb through the free services and did so for a few weeks.  It didn’t take long for me to realize that I was looking for bargains in love when I was trying to convince myself not to settle for less then what I wanted.

Kind of an oxymoron – don’t you think?

Here I was, a single mother that couldn’t get out and hit the single scene much and was trying to find the hidden treasure in the clearance isle of online dating.  I wasn’t exactly sending out the message I wanted my soul mate to receive and I certainly wasn’t receiving any messages that were worth the time of day.

It’s not that I expected my potential love interests to spend a fortune on me, but rather take their search for love serious enough to cough up a few bucks on the hunt.

Any single that is willing to spend $20 plus per month on the online dating circuit is bound to be more serious about the pursuit then Joe Schmoe who hangs out on Bargain Basement Hook-ups.  It’s also been determined through various polls that the person you correspond with is truly single and not married looking for a little side action.

The online dating services with the strongest and most proven track record are:

Match.com - True.com - PerfectMatch.com - eharmony.com

How much are you willing to give to find your near perfect match?

I’d be interested in hearing the experiences of others on various online dating sites — whether it’s good, bad or impartial, I’d like to hear all about it!

Post from: Blisstree

Free Dating Services

In my own personal experience, I’ve had very positive and uplifting encounters during my single years and feel that I’ve made wonderful friends I would have never met had I not begun looking for love online.

Whether looking for love online or simply dipping your toes in the social networking waters, we’d love to hear your personal reasons for exploring the online possibilities of meeting others.  Consider answering the following questions -

Where did you start meeting people online?  Dating site?  Social Network?  Chat?

Why did you decide to explore these methods of meeting people?

How has your own experience been?

Do you recommend meeting people online to your friends and family?

Share your favorite online meeting story – good/bad – dating/friends – whatever the case may be.

Shake it up and have fun!

Post from: Blisstree

What attracts you to dating online?

LOS ANGELES, June 12 /PRNewswire/ — DoubleDate.com, Inc. is proud to announce the launch of DoubleDate.com; a unique and absolutely free website where friends can pair-up and create profiles together. DoubleDate.com creatively blends the current popular trends of online dating with online networking through friends. Exciting features allow users to conduct searches for singles or pairs with customizable criteria to find pairs that are right for both you and your friend.

At DoubleDate.com friends answer insightful questions about each other, such as “what are my friend’s best qualities?” and “what is my friend’s ‘type’?” “A friend’s perspective is a great way to get honest, candid insights and information about new individuals. Plus friends are the greatest resource we have in meeting new people and screening those who want to meet us,” says Brian.  More….

This is a very unique concept in online dating.  It’s a great way to socialize, meet new people but remain within a safe element at the same time.

If you’re one who is hesitant on trying the online dating scene, would you be more willing to make the attempt knowing you could double date?

Post from: Blisstree

Dating Will Double In 2006

Several years ago, I introduced a close friend to the world of online dating.  I had felt sorry for the girl more than anything because she’d never had a relationship that amounted to much of anything – more because of her own low self esteem than anything.

I thought that perhaps if I introduced her to a world where she could meet men who were interested in similar things as she was and where she could be open about her “personal flaws” that resulted in her low self image, perhaps she could meet someone who might see those same “flaws” as perfection.

It wasn’t long before I realized I had created a monster.  My friend would stay up chatting till the wee hours of the morning.  She began calling in sick to work because she’d be overly tired from having stayed up too late.  I also realized that rather than admit who she genuinely was and post a recent photo, she became consumed with the ability to create the profile of the person she would be, if she could.  Fake photo and all.

This fake profile resulted in a year long online romance that would grow into a deep friendship, but one that could never endure the transformation from pretend to reality.  She’d set herself up for devastation and disappointment.  She’d built the entire friendship on a lie.

I realized that if my dear friend was capable of creating such an impression, I wondered how many other people were able to create such a mountain of justifiable lies.

Have you ever lied on an online profile?  If so, what about and why?

When a person lies on their profile do you begrudge them or do you realize they are making an attempt to be someone they aren’t and forgive them?

I’m sure the deceptions are widespread, given the ease with which a person could embellish and enhance, even if the world is only cyber-space.

Post from: Blisstree

Cyber-Dating Addictions

Millions of people are dating online, but some of their profiles are enough to make potential dates cringe. So The Salt Lake Tribune asked Judy Silverstein, who co-wrote Online Dating for Dummies with her husband, Michael Lasky, for advice on writing an online profile.

First, it’s important to be honest and try to show people how you really are, she says. Mistakes with with photos and user names can be deadly.

It’s better to be unoriginal than suggestive, but don’t use your full name. “Have a screen name that gives some insight into your style, your personality, your interests.”

The article goes on to list several ingredients that can make or break online profiles including those ever common macho lady killer photos or the women’s glamour shots that would only resemble them in a glamour shots salon.

What are some of the deal breakers you’ve found in online personal ads? 

For me it was always the photo – the guy didn’t have to be great looking, but he did need to have a photo without a dead fish or deer.  I was looking for a potential mate, not a hunting or fishing partner.

You?
 

Post from: Blisstree

Online profiles: First impressions are make or break

Health insurance is expensive, complex and bureaucratic. These days, it’s also sexy. Right up there with washboard abs, a steady job and a fun-loving personality, health coverage is emerging as a hot selling point among online daters. It’s especially the case among suitors of a certain age who need, and prize, good benefits the most.

Those who have it sometimes flaunt it as an asset, a sign to potential mates that they are serious, professional and grounded. Others troll for partners with blue-chip policies because they need coverage themselves, or want evidence — short of asking for a credit report — that a prospect isn’t a slacker.

Health Insurance is a hot selling point in relationships these days and after reading this article I began to wonder just how many others have seen drastic changes in the way they view potential love interests these days versus how they may have looked at them a few years ago.

Besides health insurance, what are some other major selling points when it comes to dating?

Be as brutally honest as you can!  I’m very curious!

Post from: Blisstree

Hottest new online dating asset: Health Insurance