Yeah, that's from me.
obpopcultref.blogspot.com - couple of posts in... - RB --- In [email protected], "l1ndylady" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Ray is this you? Nice post in the update. > "Datelab Participant, Va.: Hello Gene, > > For most of Datelab's young life, I had been in a relationship with a > young lady, and we read the feature together, laughing at those poor > souls going through the dates and the tell-all interviews afterwards. > We always found it hilarious that nearly all of the men would > inevitably rate the evening a "4 out of 5" and never call the woman > again. Another routine outcome is the man saying "it was one of the > best dates of my life" but..."there's no chemistry." I could never > fathom this outcome -- how can a date be so amazing, yet, so > fruitless at the same time? > > Or, there would be sudden, amazing meeting of two souls, as the > column has produced at least two engagements. No couple matched by > The Post ever seemed to just "date." It's all or nothing for Datelab. > > This year, my relationship ended and I found myself reading Datelab > in a new light. I decided to enter, and was surprised to be picked > for a date. The Style editor Jennifer (That's "Jill" -- CW) Hudson > Neal arranged the time and place, but wouldn't give me any hints > about the victim... I mean, date. I was curious, seeing as how some > Datelabs have been nearly science experiments in incompatibility -- > "She's a 35-year-old thrice-divorced mother of three from Kinhump, > Kentucky; he's a 24-year-old Hill staffer from Highbrow, > Connecticut" -- I wondered what my date's fatal flaw would be? > > So, when we met at the appointed time and place, I was surprised to > find the date witty, bold, intelligent. Pretty in a very natural, > easy way. I liked her. My initial wave of relief that she wasn't my > Worst Nightmare Incarnate was quite powerful. She confided that she'd > had similar fears about me before our meeting, and was relieved as > well that I was socially presentable. We weren't 100 percent matches, > but I'm not one who's interested in dating a female carbon copy of > myself. I like some differences; makes life interesting. Our > conversation flowed easily, and once the wonderful dinner was over, > we continued the date at a nearby bar. At the end of the evening, we > agreed to go out again soon. > > The next day, I did my post-date interview with The Post writer, and > exclaimed about what a good time I'd had. I rated it a fantastic > date. The writer confided that my date had expressed similar > thoughts. Datelab had scored a victory. > > Over the next few days, I spoke to the writer a few times. Basic > follow-up questions mostly, but there were a few things about me that > had bothered my date. As the writer and I spoke about these issues, I > suddenly was struck by some of the things my date had said that night > that would have usually waved a big fat WARNING! GET OUT! RUN! HIDE! > flag in my face. Sparing details for the article, I'll say that they > are issues that are part of a much-larger national debate that should > never be mentioned on a first date, but somehow became part of the > conversation. I wondered why I had ignored my usually-flawless > warning system. > > After a couple of days, I finally figured it out -- Datelab really is > an experiment, not a custom match-making system as some would > believe. The goal of the column isn't to make every single > Washingtonian happy on a soma-induced date, but to take a more > accurate look the dating scene; to gain insight on the elusive beast > of compatibility. Why do some folks seem to hit it off instantly? Why > do others who look like perfect matches fail to spark? > > Therefore, I ignored the huge, 800-pound gorilla flaws in our > worldview and activities simply because I wanted to. I wanted us to > be compatible, though our differing views on The Big Issues of the > Day would be hard, if not impossible, to mesh. Still, that initial > wave of relief, that thought of "hey, this person's not NEARLY as bad > as you feared!" is a powerful narcotic. It affects us all on those > semi-successful blind dates, either set up by friends, coworkers, the > Internet, or even major international newspapers. > > Maybe I just wanted The Post to have a happy story to report. Maybe I > just wanted somebody to go out with again. Maybe I was just so > grateful she wasn't Medusa. > > In any event, I can now understand how a date can be wonderful... and > lead nowhere. > > I'm told my Datelab will run on May 27. > > Gene Weingarten: This is interesting. Thank you. We'll be watching > for it > " > --- In [email protected], "Maureen" <mortiifera@> > wrote: > > > > nope - didn't sign up for datelab - i THOUGHT about it... but i > don't > > think i'm really what they are looking for... but it would be > > hilarious if you ended up on a date w/someone you already know... > > can't wait to hear your rendition of the date!!! what's the name > of > > the other brazilian meat place in DC? > > > > --- In [email protected], "Ray Bradley" > > <clavenia@> wrote: > > > > > > > > > Yeah, that'd be weird...especially if it was somebody who I met > at > > > the bowling thing. Julie, did you sign up for Datelab? Morti? > > Hannah? > > > If you did, we totally need to concoct one crazy story for the > post- > > > date interview with the Post. > > > > > >
