When it comes to pictures and profiles you need the best possible photo of yourself.  It is better to have just one really good shot than a handful of mediocre ones.  For sure, looks aren’t everything, but they are the first thing.”  So whatever you do, don’t just insert a photo because it is the only one you have to hand.  Grab a friend or get someone  to take a good photo and wait to upload until you know you have an attractive shot.  All you really need is ONE.

 Please do not write a book for your profile, just enough to wet the reader’s appetite.  This is marketing, pure and simple.  Maybe you are not comfortable with that fact, but the people you are competing with absolutely are.  It is best to write a brainstorm version of what makes you tick and what you imagine life would be like with your ideal mate.  Turn that into one brief paragraph.  It is easy to spot a new user because they write SO much. 

Finally, once you are attracting seemingly suitable mates, it is crucial that you know how to spell and have  decent grammar. When emailing, don’t pretend you are texting either. In today’s world, you will stand out if you spell out the words.  It is all you have (besides your one strong photo) to provide insight. This is a way to prove you have a brain and for you to stand out from the crowd.

Click here for All Things British

By an4u

Really, admit it -- you have an accent. I know many of you don't want to admit it, but it's probably true. I'll admit there are a number of Americans that do not sound like they have an accent, but IMO, that's still an accent -- just a generic one.

I was born in Boston. Bostonians definitely have an accent, and it's hard to get used to. I'm not particularly fond of it, although I know many people who find it charming. Whatever, we moved away to Nova Scotia when I was very young, so I never gained any type of Boston accent.

In Nova Scotia, one would hear a combination of Scottish and Canadian. I was still very young, so I honestly don't remember too many examples, but even though I was quite young, I picked up saying "eh?" at the end of sentences, and do so to this day. LOL!

After four years in Nova Scotia, we went to Pittsburgh, where we lived in the area for 10 years. Pittsburghers have really interesting sayings. The one that most people are familiar with is the saying, "yunz" (or however you want to spell it), as in, "Hey yunz guys, come here!" I grew up saying that, naturally, and when I later moved to ...

Knoxville, TN, believe me, I got ABUSED for it! Kids in my high school followed me around for two whole years, calling me a "damn Yank" and telling me to go home. It was kind of surreal. What was even more surreal were the accents I heard there. After two years, I lost "yunz" (probably for my own safety), and grudgingly picked up "y'all," which frankly took quite a while to grow on me. However, I've been using that word ever since! Shoot, I remember once in an Economics class, the instructor was talking about "ohl" and after saying it several times, I just had to raise my hand and tell him that I didn't know what "ohl" was. God, did people laugh at me and abuse the hell outta me! It was "OIL!" I said, if you meant to use the word "oil," why didn't you, and he replied that he had. Brother. Then, I later had an English teacher from Mississippi who would say, "fo-uh." WTF? It was "four!" Let me tell you, it took a long time for me to get used to Southern accents.

Now, if you live in the South, you realize there are many different types of Southern accents. East Tennesseeans do not sound like people in Georgia or North Carolina, etc. Sometimes it's fun to guess where various Southerners are from, based on their accents. Of course, Florida doesn't count, since it's mostly Yankees who live there. Heh.

When I finished my first degree at the University of Tennessee, where I heard dozens of interesting foreign accents (which I'm not even going to touch on), I moved to Phoenix. Which is where I heard my first Spanish accent, believe it or not. Now, you can hear it pretty much anywhere you go, but back then, it was still mostly Southwestern and Western. Now, out in Phoenix, if you don't hear Spanish accents, you hear funny Midwestern accents, since half the population there has migrated there from the Midwest. Minnesota accents particularly kill me. My wife does a great job at imitating them. When we went up to Iowa and Wisconsin last year, she pretended she was from there and probably annoyed everyone because everyone knew she was actually from Tennessee. Still, she had great fun. We both love the movie, Fargo, and I think Frances M. really hit that accent just perfectly.

After a couple of years in Phoenix, I moved over to Los Angeles (actually Long Beach, first, but later, all over the city, including a few years in Koreatown). There I heard all sorts of accents. I think I read somewhere that the school where I got my second degree -- Cal State U Long Beach -- had over 100 different languages represented there. That's pretty amazing. And the funny thing for me was, people accused me of having a distinct Southern accent! That just stunned me, because aside from saying "y'all," I didn't think I had one at all! But my friend, Marcy, still enjoys telling me that.

After nearly 10 years in L.A. (including Glendale = Armenian accents and Whittier = Mexican accents), I moved back to the South, first back to Knoxville, then down to southeast Georgia -- on an island -- and now up to Chattanooga. And I still find it funny to hear certain people talk.

Ever been to Philly? I have. Lord, those people talk funny! New York? I couldn't live there. The stereotypes are just spot on. Detroit? I have several friends from Michigan. They aren't as bad as other Midwestern types, but they still have a distinct accent. And how about Texas? Lord, I've driven through that state several times and spent some time in Houston. Fascinating. Finally, you can't count out Louisiana. That Cajun accent just beats it all, doesn't it? Even the LSU fans like to hold up signs at sporting events saying, "Geaux Tigers" (I think I spelled that right...).

I could go on, but I won't. I'll stop now. But admit it -- you have an accent. So, what kind of accent do you have? And what funny words do you use that are part of your local vocabulary? Come on, spill it!

This Valentine's Day, don't buy just any ordinary flower bouquet from the local supermarket for your true love. Take the time to say "I Love You" using the language of flowers. There isn't a true woman on earth who doesn't love flowers. Show the woman in your life how much you really care by thoughtfully choosing flowers that symbolize your unending devotion.

Known as floriography, the language of flowers was extremely popular during the reign of Queen Victoria. The Victorian Age was a time of etiquette and social customs. Feelings that could not be expressed in words, could be expressed through gifts of flowers.

But the language of flowers originated long before Queen Victoria made it popular. Shakespeare uses a bit of floriography himself in his famous play "Hamlet". Ophelia, insane after the death of her father, gives out meaningful flowers to her brother and the King and Queen in Act IV, Scene V:

    "There's rosemary, that's for remembrance; pray, love, remember: and there is pansies, that's for thoughts...There's fennel for you, and columbines: there's rue for you; and here's some for me: we may call it herb-grace o' Sundays: O, you must wear your rue with a difference. There's a daisy: I would give you some violets, but they withered all when my father died..."

Flowers have many meanings ranging from friendship to love to sorrow. You can say just about anything with a flower. But you have to be sure you are conveying the right message with the right flower. There are flowers used for funerals and then there are flowers used for weddings. Much depends upon the color of the flower. "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet" but a black rose used where a red rose is appropriate wouldn't be sweet at all.

Flowers that Symbolize Love

Red Rose

True Love

White Rose

Innocence and Purity

Yellow Rose

Friendship

Burgundy Rose

Unconscious beauty

Orange Rose

Fascination

Coral Rose

Passion and Desire

 Lavendar Rose

Enchantment and Love at First Sight

Red Chrysanthemum

I Love You

Yellow Chrysanthemum

Slighted Love

Daffodil

Regard and Unrequited Love

Daisy

Innocence and Loyal Love

Forget-me-not

True Love and Memories

Forsythia

Anticipation

Gardenia

Secret Love

Heliotrope

Devotion

Hibiscus

Delicate and Rare Beauty

Honeysuckle

Devoted Affection

Purple Lilac

The First Feelings of Love

White Lilac

The Innocence of Youth

Primrose

I can't live without you

Rosemary

Remembrance

Red Tulip

Declaration of Love

Yellow Tulip

Hopeless Love

Blue Violet

Faithfulness

By Rose West

There seems to be a running trend nowadays among Americans. We are in love with England! It’s the British Invasion! Back in the ‘60s, the British Invasion meant The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, but to tell you the truth, the English never left. Americans,more than ever are obsessed  with England, English people, and English culture.
If you think about history, an American’s love for England really doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.
America declared independence from England in 1776, and both countries fought for eight long years in the Revolutionary War. Several decades later, England and America clashed again in the War of 1812. In the first days of America’s independence, we were enemies with England. So why don’t Americans hate England?

After the first fights with England, Americans and Britons became allies. We have fought side by side in World War I, World War II, and in the Middle East. We have been friends, committed to helping each other out. We have died for each other. So maybe our love of England does make sense after all.

I can’t say for sure if Britons are in love with Americans, but Americans are enthralled by the English and their ways. Let’s look at the top fifteen reasons why Americans love England. These are from the perspective of an American, an American who confesses to a little fascination with a country she’s never been to.

TOP 15 REASONS
15) The Accent
British people can’t really help it. They just have the cutest accents! Of course, there are probably hundreds of English accents in the U.K., but the average American can’t tell the difference between them. Americans love to imitate an English accent. The British probably think that we sound like idiotic monkeys, but it really amuses us. I wonder, do English people try to imitate the American dialect? I would love to be able to speak with an English accent but was once told by an English native that I sleep on my vowels and don’t sound the letter T.

14) The Queen
English people have royalty! Although democracy is what this country is all about, Americans are simply fascinated by the royals. We all know that the queen doesn’t have any real power anymore, but for some reason England still keeps her on the throne. What she does there is a mystery to me. American girls have this dream: One day, you’ll find out you’re related to some rich royal personage – you’re really a princess, after all – and then you get to marry Prince William.

13) Prince William, Nuff said!

12) The History
England is so rich with history. The country has been around for centuries and centuries. Some of England’s buildings are older than the constitution of the United States. England has existed so long, that its history has become the stuff of legends. England is the home of King Arthur and Robin Hood and Jack the Ripper, and fairies and dragons and dryads.

11) The Way of Life
Americans, in general, lead very busy lives. I’m sure English people are often the same way, but we like to view them as leading simple countrified lives. Drinking tea out of fine china every afternoon. Walking to the village church every Sunday. Gossiping with the neighbors (over a cup of tea, of course). Knitting by the open hearth. Watching Punch and Judy puppet shows.

10) The Food
Crumpets, bangers, hot toddies, pasties. Many of us Americans don’t know what these really are, but they sure do sound delicious. How can English people eat scones and biscuits at teatime everyday and not get fat?

9) The Thatched Roof
We like to think all British people live in thatched-roof cottages. Ivy grows along the plastered walls, and roses bedeck the walkways. Rosy-cheeked children wear britches and run around playing blind man’s buff (apparently, Americans get it all wrong when we say “blind man’s bluff”).

8) The Little Cars
When we think out from under the thatched roof, we realize that English people actually own cars (don’t they just walk everywhere?). Except for the fact that the English drive on the WRONG side of the road, the English know a little bit about cars. English cars are so cool! Who wouldn’t want to drive a mini cooper around the streets of London?

7) The Telephones
People in England must not own telephones. If they ever have to call someone, they run outside and use one of those bright red phone booths. At least, that's how it works in the movies.


6) The Bond,
 James Bond
English people are classy. That is, they’re classy when they’re not living under a thatched roof. I’m beginning to think there must be two kinds of English people: the thatched-roof ones, and the classy James Bond ones.


5) The Humor
Monty Python, Mr. Bean, Jeeves and Wooster, Punch and Judy. Americans think British humor is hilarious (except for maybe Punch and Judy. I’m still not sure what that’s about). But I have this lingering feeling that Americans aren’t laughing at the same things that the English are laughing at.

4) The Simon
Americans love Simon Cowell. He’s mean, blunt, arrogant, insolent, and insulting. What’s there not to love? And Americans don’t just love Simon Cowell, they love British judges on reality TV shows. There’s Piers Morgan and Sharon Osbourne on “America’s Got Talent”. There’s Nigel Lythgoe on “So You Think You Can Dance”. And there’s Len Goodman is “Dancing with the Stars”. You’d think that maybe there would be American judges on British reality television shows, but there aren’t. Apparently, America may have talent, but it doesn't have taste, whereas England boasts talent and taste. Oh, and by the way, there are no American nannies. Children only listen to nannies with British accents.

Americans also love watching BBC television. The very popular TV show “The Office” actually started in England on BBC. PBS’ Theater airs many BBC-produced shows.


3) The Drama
There are many very distinguished actors and actresses from England. Maybe it’s their accents, maybe it’s their poise, but in any case, Americans love to watch the English act.

Audrey Hepburn
Dame Judi Dench
Jude Law
Kate Winslet
Robert Pattinson

2) The Music
As I mentioned before, Americans love British music. The British invasion gave us The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and The Who. Since then, the U.K. has shared with us the music of Sting, U2 (ok, so they’re Irish, same difference, but not really), Natasha Bedingfield, Leona Lewis, Amy Winehouse, Duffy, KT Tunstall (who’s Scottish), Coldplay, and Snow Patrol.

1) The Literature
Now we come to my favorite part of English culture – the literature. England has given birth to some of the greatest writers in all of history. Who hasn’t enjoyed reading the works of William Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, C.S. Lewis, JRR Tolkien, Agatha Christie, etc.,
 etc.
 

"In the early 18th century, English spelling was not standardized. Differences became noticeable after the publishing of influential dictionaries. Current British English spellings follow, for the most part, those of Samuel Johnson's Dictionary of the English Language (1755), whereas many American English spellings follow Noah Webster's An American Dictionary of the English Language of 1828.

Webster was a strong proponent of spelling reform for reasons both philological and nationalistic. Many spelling changes proposed in the US by Webster himself, and in the early 20th century by the Simplified Spelling Board, never caught on. Among the advocates of spelling reform in England, the influences of those who preferred the Norman (or Anglo-French) spellings of certain words proved decisive. Subsequent spelling adjustments in the UK had little effect on present-day US spelling, and vice versa. While in many cases American English deviated in the 19th century from mainstream British spelling, on the other hand it has also often retained older forms." --
 

Top Tops for Online Dating

Photo Photo Photo
You must post a  photo of yourself, not necessarily a professional shot just a good photo of yourself to showcase you. I’m sure you will get a few responses but others will want to see what you look like and will wonder what you have to hide. Blind dating went out with the Ark, everyone has a decent photo, but please lets not be posting a ten year old photo. Its been said over and over, so I will leave it there. OK one more time, recent pic please!

Lose the Negativity

Just getting over a relationship? Man/woman hater albeit only temporarily? Don’t let that recent drama show through in your profile or the way you answer prospective dates.
Don’t bore potential love interests with stories of how your ex was a this or that, save that for your girlfriends of your friends, that’s what they are for.
People love to be around positive thinkers and upbeat souls, its contagious and fun.

Eye Catching Profile Heading

Don’t know what I am doing here.
 Just Looking,
Never done this before.

Boring Boring Boring
Set yourself apart from the rest, witty,  though provoking, mysterious and even weird is fine, just be different.
If you cannot come up with a great headline, then we can write one for you, yes, we’ve thought of everything here.

Profile

Go from ordinary to unique.
Don’t state that you are “caring” as we all care about something, if you like music, say what kind you are really into, similarly if you are a movie buff, talk about your favorite films.
Be polite too, if you prefer slim women, that’s the way to say it, don’t say, no fat pigs welcome. On the same note, if you like your men to have hair its kinder not to say if you’re bald take a hike.