Double dating makes marriage more exciting

Having a couple to double date with can improve the happiness of one’s own relationship, a new study has suggested. For the study, researchers from the University of Maryland interviewed 123 couples, 122 individuals in relationships, but who were questioned alone and 58 divorced
individuals.

On an average, couples had about five couple friends they spent time with. When asked how important these friendships were, 40 percent of respondents said they were very important and 39 percent said somewhat important.

DatingThe researchers found that when couples indicated they agreed on how to divvy up their time between others and themselves, they were more likely to also say they had a happy marriage or relationship.

For different people, these couple relationships had different meanings.

“Couples are looking for different things in their couple friendships we found there are fun-sharing and emotion-sharing couples,” LiveScience quoted Geoffery Greif, the study leader as saying.

Many couple friendships seemed to start out as a one-partner friendship that blossomed into a foursome. For some, though, finding couple friends was difficult, with lives busy with work and family.

“Sometimes couples go to Craigslist our sampling of Craigslist websites in different cities did turn up groups like book clubs for couples, environmental groups, hikers, cooking, wine clubs, etc.,” Greif said.

“At the same time, we quote a couple at the beginning of the first chapter who advertised for friends in a small town and got responses from couples that wanted to swing. They removed their ad,” he said.

The researchers concluded that healthy couple friendships make a marriage more fulfilling and exciting for several reasons by increasing partners attraction to each other, providing a greater understanding of the opposite sex, and allowing partners to observe ways that other couples interact and negotiate differences.

With a great couple friendship, you get to see your partner at her/his best.

“He or she is having fun, interacting in a loving and supportive way with another couple as well as with the partner,” he added.

The study has been published as part of the book Two Plus Two: Couples and Their Couple Friendships by Greif and Kathleen Holtz Deal.

Dating a Man with Cancer

The process of dating is a sensitive one and requires a lot of give and take on both sides. To take your relationship to another level, both partners need to be considerate and patient. This understanding takes on a whole new meaning when you are dating a man with cancer. More than a lover, a cancer patient needs a friend who has coherence and common sense.

Dating someone suffering from cancer can be very trying but if you truly care for your man, you can enjoy several moments of togetherness. You have to keep a few things in mind though:

• Don’t press him for commitment: When he is not sure about his life, how can he make promises for a future with you? As of now, he needs your love and friendship without any expectation for returns. You have to stand beside him and battle his war along with him.
• Help him enjoy normal life: It is natural for him to slip into a ‘nothing matters anymore’ mode. You, as his support, have to make him see the beauty of ordinary life and help him steer clear of drugs and drinking.
• Try and bear his anger: Understand his anger. He is angry with his body and with fate for striking him with a rough hand. Try and understand his terror. He wants to be normal but has no surety. This makes dating a man with cancer extremely unpredictable. He will have mood swings but you have to help him get past the anger to an acceptance stage.
• Make him enjoy each day: Once he has accepted his disease, he will be willing to enjoy each day as one more day to call his own. Help him have faith in his treatment and plan things that are fun for both of you.
• Keep a check on your emotions: If you give-in to catharsis, things can turn out pretty messy. Of course, it’s not easy to be dating a man with cancer, but since it’s a choice you’ve made, you need to be strong. He is already battling a lot; do not overburden him with your emotional baggage as well.
• Let him be as independent as he can: People with cancer often seek a platform to assert their independence. They don’t want to lose control completely and shy away from being overcared. Understand and watch over him from a distance.

A lot of understanding and consideration goes into a relationship. Dating a man with cancer can be very demanding and is bound to leave you emotionally drained. Nevertheless, keeping the love you have for your man in mind, you can help him fight this disease and be the support he so desperately requires.

Now, find your soulmate in just 90 days! Really!

A match making company in China has claimed that it can help any single woman find their ‘soulmate’ in just 90 days.

But the services offered by this self-styled life coach, Liang Yali comes for a price.

“We’re not a matchmaking service, we’re pioneers,” said the 41-year-old founder of Yali Marriage Quotient, which is run from an exclusive club in Shanghai’s Pudong New Area.

“We’re more like an educational institute. We offer classes that help women understand themselves better, and build their confidence so they are more outgoing.”

“Good things, including marriage, will happen once they start coming out.”

Yali also said that 60 percent of her students last year have already ‘graduated’ by tying the knot with Mr Right, China Daily reported.

The premium package, which consists of four two-day classes and tailored coaching, costs 11,800 yuan (1,900 dollars).

However, the company also offers other courses that range from two hours to three days, with the cheapest at 4,800 yuan.

“That``s very little to pay to improve your life - to meet your soul mate and start a family,” said Kenneth Davis, 52, the company``s executive director and Liang``s husband.

Dong Ning, who takes care of general inquiries for the company, said that the special love lessons are highly customized.

“First, Liang usually interviews her students, so she can understand what they are like and learn about their previous relationships,” she said.

“Students are told to attend classes at different frequencies, depending on their level. We also track their progress once they have finished the course.”

Liang asserted that the average time for ‘graduation’ is about 90 days, counting from when students start the classes to when they walk down the aisle.

She also offers a 100 percent reimbursement if the clients are unhappy.

Rules for a second date

Okay, you really like this guy and the first date went well. And he's called up asking for another one. But how do you make it work? It's confusing, right? Will he expect something for the money he's spending on you? Or should you go dutch, just so that you make it clear that you want to take it slow.

Men are really easy to read, so remember these second date rules to know what you should expect.

Show interest

Most people are aware of the fact that it does take two or more dates to really know a person. Make sure you have your dates cleared for a week after the first date, so you can go out with him again. If a man wants a second date he'll call back in 24 hours to three days.

If you have a common friend who set you up, let him/her know how much you liked the first one, and that you are looking forward to the second one.

Take charge

Of course, no one's stopping you from taking the initiative, if you are interested then go for it by asking him on a second date. But do make sure you've read him right and detected an interested on his part - it prevents a lot of embarrassment.

Don't jump to conclusions

Just because he asked for a second date doesn't mean he's ready to jump into marriage! Take it easy and don't share such personal feelings so fast yet.

Get to know each other

Find out his likes, dislikes and convey your own. This way you can check to see what your common interests are. Believe me, one or two dates are not enough to find out everything about each other, no matter how strong the attraction!

Hope these rules help and your second date translates into many more!

Online dating site for beautiful people!

An online dating site exclusively for beautiful people is set to be launched on a global platform, despite criticism.

Beautifulpeople.com was first launched in Denmark and ever since has opened in several countries including Britain, the United States and Japan.

The site insists applicants must submit a photograph of themselves to allow existing members to decide through an online rating system whether they are attractive enough to be admitted.

“Is it shallow to want to be with someone you’re attracted to? If you are in a bar or a club and you are going to approach someone, you’ll approach someone you’re attracted to. There’s nothing shallow in that,” the Telegraph quoted Greg Hodge, 34, managing director of the site as saying.

“People are fed up wasting time and money meeting unattractive people on the net,” he added.

The website also promises successful applicants “glamorous parties, a jet-set global network” and “potential contracts from top modelling agencies”.

Date 12 times for a perfect mate!

Want to find your one and only? Well, then the best chances of finding the perfect partner is to date at least 12 people before even thinking of marriage. That's the calculation of a leading mathematician. According to Clio Cresswell, singles can increase their chances of finding true love by rejecting at least 12 potential partners before settling down. Cresswell's theory, which is based on statistical assessment, claims the chances of divorce is generally very high unless singles date at least a dozen time before they get hitched.

"In Australia, the divorce rate is about 35 per cent for first marriages," the Sydney Morning Herald quoted her as saying. She explained: "Now, if you were buying a DVD player and I told you it had a 35 per cent chance of breaking down, you might think twice about making that purchase.

"But we still insist on going into marriage with this belief that our partner is the one for us and we have a 100 per cent chance of success.

"According to my principle, you have to reject at least 12 people to increase your chance of finding your long-term partner. If you do that, you raise the chance of making it work to 75 per cent."

The senior lecturer in the School of Mathematics and Statistics, in the University of Sydney, has explained her theory in her new book Sex and Mathematics, apart from introducing it into her tertiary classes.

However, she has a grievance that mathematics is not liked by a lot of people. She said: "I think it's so sad that the wider community does not embrace mathematics as much as it could. Mathematics can be fun." (ANI)

Math formula says date at least 12 times to find the perfect Mate!

Want to find your one and only? Well, then the best chances of finding the perfect partner is to date at least 12 people before even thinking of marriage.

That's the calculation of a leading mathematician.

According to Clio Cresswell, singles can increase their chances of finding true love by rejecting at least 12 potential partners before settling down.

Cresswell's theory, which is based on statistical assessment, claims the chances of divorce is generally very high unless singles date at least a dozen time before they get hitched.


"In Australia, the divorce rate is about 35 per cent for first marriages," the Sydney Morning Herald quoted her as saying.


She explained: "Now, if you were buying a DVD player and I told you it had a 35 per cent chance of breaking down, you might think twice about making that purchase.


"But we still insist on going into marriage with this belief that our partner is the one for us and we have a 100 per cent chance of success.


"According to my principle, you have to reject at least 12 people to increase your chance of finding your long-term partner. If you do that, you raise the chance of making it work to 75 per cent."

The senior lecturer in the School of Mathematics and Statistics, in the University of Sydney, has explained her theory in her new book Sex and Mathematics, apart from introducing it into her tertiary classes.

However, she has a grievance that mathematics is not liked by a lot of people.

She said: "I think it's so sad that the wider community does not embrace mathematics as much as it could. Mathematics can be fun."

Have a cheap, yet Romantic date

When you're in the middle of the worst recession since the Great Depression, it's not always easy to come up with the cash to impress your date.

Luckily, there are still tons of fun and romantic things you can do that take little-to-no-money-all that's required is a little creativity. Here're some ideas for cheap dates:

1. Take your date on a picnic. All you need is a basket of goodies and your partner.
2. Enjoy a romantic home-cooked meal.
3. Cook dinner together.
4. Give a massage.
5. Share a sundae.
6. Play miniature golf.
7. Rent a movie.
8. Do a Google search for free things to do in your city.
9. Browse antique shops.
10. Star gaze (Orion is an easy constellation to spot).
11. Take a pottery class together.
12. Go bowling.
13. Play pool.
14. Go camping.
15. Play basketball together.
16. Get a cup of coffee together (hopefully at a spot that offers free refills).
17. Visit local historic landmarks.
18. Put together a puzzle.
19. Solve a Sudoku together.
20. Go for a walk in your local park.