Are the nightclubs starting to look all the same? Blind dates and set-ups an awkward and unproductive waste of time? The following are some modern, fun, and successful ways of meeting your match without wasting your evening.

Online Dating
Yeah, yeah, youve been there and done that. You go to a chatroom and start exchanging keystrokes with a really nice girl youve just met. Later, you find out that the girl is really a pimply teenage guy who just wants to mess with peoples minds. Even if your personal experience was not that bad, youve probably heard enough horror stories to be turned off to online dating. You should know, however, that there has been an influx of new dating sites that target the singles crowd. They new or improved sites are more successful at screening out most of the crazy people and minors. Providing this level of security and service comes at a cost. Its worth it. Paying to chat helps to assure the online dater that she is talking to a real single.

Dinner in the Dark
So chic, so cool, so sloppy! You and a few other singles are led to a dining area that is in complete darkness. Only the waiters can see what is happening because they are outfitted with night vision goggles. You and your date are served a five-course meal, which-out of necessity- is finger food only. Finally, at dessert a candle is lit and you are permitted to see what your date looks like. Its a great way to meet people without worrying about your appearance, at least until the tiramisu.

Speed Dating

Are you a busy person who simply does not have the time to waste on pointless dating? Well heres the solution for you. Speed dating lets you date about a dozen people in less than an hour. You no longer need fear getting stuck all evening with a real dork. Approximately a dozen men and a dozen women are seated at a long table facing each other. The couples seated across from one another are given anywhere from two to five minutes to chat, get to know one another and to decide whether to meet on the outside. When a bell rings, the men stand and shift positions one seat down, ready to speed-date again. When the time is up and all twelve couples have dated, interested parties are permitted to exchange phone numbers and attempt to date out in the real world.

Themed Parties
Themed dating events are the new wave of house party hook-ups. Themes, such as wine-tasting parties and pet parties not only give people something to talk about, but they also bring together groups of people who already have something in common.

The next time a hot lady at a bar gives you her digits, be ready. When the number turns out to be a local pizza joint, take it in stride. You have other ways to meet people. Try these new methods and see if your fun factor doesnt go way up. Also, you just might meet your match.