Single and Loving It?

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has embarked on a weird exercise.

It's supposedly a feature on what it's like to be single in Milwaukee, but it's also a contest. "Winners" will be chosen. What they'll win is a mystery. They'll be highlighted in the Weekend Cue section and online just before Valentine's Day. (Is that the prize?)

I wonder if this is a Valentine's Day rebellion. Not in a relationship and proud of it. Singles rule and couples drool.

What's strange is rather than delving into the positives of a single lifestyle, the form seems to be set up to find mates for the singles.

Is the Journal Sentinel playing matchmaker?

Single and loving It? Tell us about it

Could Milwaukee be the City of Singles? Certainly so, judging by the number of singles among us.

...Having so many unattached people in one place made us wonder what it's like to be single here.

So we're asking you.

Through Jan. 19, you're invited to nominate yourself or someone you know for our roundup of people who've embraced the single life. Young, old, straight, gay, with or without kids, divorced or widowed - everyone's invited.

We'll narrow the pool of applicants to 30. Then you, the readers, will be asked to choose the final group of 10 men and 10 women based on their photos and stories, which will appear in the paper and online.

We'll unveil the 20 winners online and in the newspaper's Weekend Cue section on Feb. 13, just before Valentine's Day, along with tips and stories about single life in Milwaukee.

"Nominate" someone who has embraced the single life -- yourself or someone else.

"Nominate"? "Winners"?

What do the chosen nominees win?

Bragging rights for being among the most single men and women in Milwaukee as selected by the Journal Sentinel?

The questions on the form, the information for judging the winners I guess, are odd. They are more about the quest to find someone rather than embracing single status.

In addition to providing name, age, city, occupation and a daytime telephone number, singles are asked to list three favorite hobbies and answer 6 of these 18 questions:

Question No. 1:
Current "scenes" (three area places you hang out at the most)?

Question No. 2:
Favorite date spot in Milwaukee?

Question No. 3:
How you spend a lazy Sunday?

Question No. 4:
Where you like to meet people?

Question No. 5:
Dating and/or friendship deal breakers?

Question No. 6:
Your dream date?

Question No. 7:
Worst pick-up line you've ever heard?

Question No. 8:
Best pick-up line you've ever heard?

Question No. 9:
Last book you read or favorite book and why?

Question No. 10:
Last movie your saw or favorite movie and why?

Question No. 11:
Last song/album you downloaded/purchased or favorite song and why?

Question No. 12:
Your shortcomings?

Question No. 13:
Proudest moment or coolest thing you've ever done?

Question No. 14:
Hidden talents?

Question No. 15:
Biggest dating challenge?

Question No. 16:
Your experience with online dating?

Question No. 17:
Is being single in Milwaukee easy or difficult?

Question No. 18:
What's the thing that happens that let's you know you're interested in a person?

That last question is really funny.

"What's the thing that happens that let's you know you're interested in a person?"

This roundup of people who've embraced the single life seems more like a dating service.

Maybe the Journal Sentinel is using the contest as ploy to collect information on people so they can target them to be subscribers to the paper.