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Article Last Updated: Tuesday, February 11, 2003 - 11:51:13 PM MST

OTHER ARTICLES IN THIS SECTION 2/13/2003 - Rainfall sets records all over - War worry, budget woes cast doubt on recovery - Woman rescued from Pacific - School fire causes hefty damage - Police say man invited officers to shoot him - Boy had a special maturity - Ex-CSULB official dies - Report questions Davis' payroll - DMV may close on Saturday - LAUSD to clean up student bathrooms - Jury may not be filmed, court says - Calif. teen births at new low - County needs to make repairs - Suspect arrested in 1983 murder case - Reward in pelican slaying rises Quick dating scores big - for some Romance: Singles try to find love, eight minutes at a time, at downtown L.B. 'Cupid Party'. By Tracy Manzer, Staff writer LONG BEACH "If you're stuck with someone you don't hit it off with, eight minutes can feel like an eternity.' Those were the wise words of Tracy, a round-robin dating veteran who along with about 40 other singles attended a "Cupid Party' hosted by 8minutedating.com at The Madison in Downtown Long Beach Tuesday night. In what was billed as the largest event of its kind, more than 3,000 people scattered across 56 U.S. cities went out on the brief dating sessions that saw participants given eight minutes to quiz potential paramours about their backgrounds, turn-ons and turn-offs and any other items of interest. Tracy, a vivacious and outgoing blonde who recently attended a similar event in Newport Beach and has participated in the annual Valentine's Day match-making event aboard the Queen Mary, gave 8minutedating.com's party a rave review and said she met a lot of people who seemed to have similar interests and compatible personalities. "It's been good,' she said. "I think it's the wave of the future.' But as she noted earlier, most people don't need eight minutes to see if chemistry is right. While some people came equipped with very serious questions, including whether or not someone was religious or if they were open to marriage and kids, most seemed content to engage in simple small talk. "For me, a good starter has been where they work and where they live, because that tells you whether or not you'll have trouble getting together,' said Laura, who adopted a mellow approach. "Asking if they're a native Californian is always a good question, it opens up so many topics.' Most of the guys at the event were tight-lipped, although some said they would have liked to see some younger women. And more than one woman complained that there were too many young guys. The age range ran from about 30 to 40 for the women and about 30 to 50 for the men, which a few female participants said seemed sexist. The rules were relatively simple. No one could use their last name and asking someone on a date at the event was forbidden. At the end of the event, everyone had 36 hours to log onto 8minutedating.com's site and rank the other participants as possible friends, business contacts or dating material. "I'll tell you one thing, I admire these people for having the guts to do it,' said one woman sitting at the restaurant's bar. "I wouldn't have the nerve.'

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