I'm going to slap JeN around

Well, the cat's out of the bag for me, thanks to JD, and now I'll definitely have some 'splainin to do to those I never let know about theonion. On the other hand, it's been a positive experience in general because even though I feel slightly demeaned by the entire experience, I've met some cool people and it's certainly kept me entertained. And you know what? It's nice to get e-mail from someone who thinks you're amusing. So, the answer, I guess, is "Go ahead and try it." You really have nothing to lose except a small piece of pride, and truthfully, I lose that regularly anyway, for example, right after my post on "fonts."
The internet has become an legitimate and socially acceptable forum for meeting - and e-mail is one of the best measures of personality, a shitload better than old school personal ads, blind dates, and frankly, even bars. My advice, if you're single, let go of your hang ups and give it a whirl. Dad, chime in when ready.