Matchmaking

Yom Kippur, the holiest and most somber day of the Jewish calendar, is a time for repentance, traditionally reserved for fasting and intense prayer. But scores of Iranian American Jews in Los Angeles, many of whom congregate in just a handful of synagogues across the city, aren't just looking for forgiveness on the Day of Atonement. They're looking for love. Facing enormous pressure from their families to marry within the community, many of these young people -- and their matchmaking relatives -- say they use the day to scope out potential romantic interests and tap into vast social networks to get the scoop on prospective candidates.

The annual survey of frequent fliers by Seatguru.com, the popular online guide to airline seating, doesn't have a lot of highlights for U.S.-based airlines. U.S. carriers serve the worst food -- if they serve food at all, that is -- and have the least comfortable seats, the survey of 1,600 fliers found. Meals on American Airlines, United Airlines and US Airways were considered the worst of the bunch. The best?

Eharmony: A story in Business on Tuesday about EHarmony's same-sex matchmaking website called Compatible Partners gave an incorrect Web address. The correct address is www.compatiblepartners.net.

Love for sale. Svetlana Novikova knew it could be a lucrative business. In St. Petersburg, the foreign men who rented apartments through her real estate business in St. Petersburg relentlessly hounded her to introduce them to her girlfriends. So four years ago, the entrepreneurial Novikova established Svetlana Agency, a Russian mail order bride service. She was so successful that she recently expanded her business into one of the more financially fertile U.S. neighborhoods--Newport Beach.

Love for sale. Svetlana Novikova knew it could be a lucrative business. In St. Petersburg, the foreign men who rented apartments through her real estate business relentlessly hounded her to introduce them to her girlfriends. So four years ago, the entrepreneurial Novikova established Svetlana Agency, a Russian mail-order-bride service. She was so successful, she expanded her business recently into one of the more financially fertile U.S. neighborhoods--Newport Beach.

If you are single, they will come. Compatibility Unlimited. Dating Dynamics. Better Halves. Introductions by Anna. Club Elite. The British Singles & Anglophiles Club. Rushing to fill the void in the hearts of 72 million mateless Americans, the singles industry is growing faster than O.J. Simpson's defense team. The Better Business Bureau lists 91 dating and matchmaking services registered in Southern California, and the numbers are compounding to match the burgeoning singles market.

Tips for surviving a dating/matchmaking service: * Make sure the place is licensed and legal--check with the Chamber of Commerce or Better Business Bureau. * Find out how long the operation has been in business in that city. * Get everything in writing, get as much detailed information as possible and read the small print. * Spend at least an hour at the agency. Get a feel for the place and the people. If it feels shady or too pushy, leave. Go with your gut. * Know the cancellation policy.

All Joe Steidl wanted was a good plate of kung pao chicken that summer day in 1993 when he walked into Cindy's Corner restaurant. Instead, he became a pet project of the Chinese Cupid.

All Joe Steidl wanted was a good plate of \o7 kung pao \f7 chicken that summer day in 1993 when he walked into Cindy's Corner restaurant in Burbank. Instead, he became a pet project of the Chinese Cupid.

Single people everywhere dream of a match made in heaven. Anne Majerik dreame only of a match made in Beverly Hills. But when her high-priced matchmaker disappointed her, she sued. And on Tuesday, a jury awarded her $2.1 million. Majerik, who paid $125,000 to Beverly Hills matchmaker Orly Hadida, said she was promised time with "a cultured gentleman" and his "estate of up to $20 million." She said all she got were a few introductions to some inappropriate men.