From My Perspective – Official DateHookup Blog

Do you validate? I’ve always said that the most powerful weapons in the arsenal of life are smiles and sincerity. People want…no, need to connect. On a visceral level, they need to know that the choices they’ve made are good choices. It never ceases to amaze me how far a little sincerity can go to lift spirits.And the most amazing thing is that lifted spirits are contagious. Unfortunately, so is depression.

Credit: Naixn (Flickr)

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Sometimes I wonder how well TV romances actually chronicle the changing view of relationships for each era, and that leads me to wonder what direction we’re headed in. Did we become too cynical to sustain an historical expectation of romance and family?

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So, you have finally met someone you like and you’re planning on going out on what will hopefully be the perfect first date! Lining up a date with a guy or girl you are actually interested in can be a trying affair in and of itself, but then you have to find the perfect outfit to wear on the date. I love clothes, and always want to be dressed right for every occasion. There is nothing worse than wearing the wrong thing at the wrong time or for the wrong activity and feeling completely uncomfortable and out of place. You want to make a good impression on a first date, since chances are your date doesn’t know you very well. Even if you’re not into fashion, in many ways the clothes you wear are an expression of who you are as a person. Here are a few tips on what you should wear on a date, and what you might want to leave behind.

Photo by Steve Woods

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Not so long ago, what was considered sexy was considerably different than today’s perception. I was watching a TV show recently and something struck me as odd. It took me a while to figure out that the romantic female lead was…big. She was not skinny and it seemed wrong. That internal realization was followed by: “WHAT? Am I seriously thinking that?” In this case, there was probably more to it, perhaps there was no chemistry in the onscreen romance or maybe she was miscast in a role she didn’t fit, but the impression stuck and got me thinking.

Credit: Thomas Roche

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My favorite dates include an element of competition. I love a challenge, and even if there is no prize, or a prize that sucks, I always have fun, when there’s at least an ounce of contention. It’s a guy thing i know, I can’t help that I never got over my need to prove dominance through victory. Although I can’t deny, I think it’s sexy when a girl beats me at something. If your last date involved a trip to the grocery store maybe it’s time to shake things up a bit with a good old fashioned rumble. Here’s a few ideas for some good times going head-to-head.

Credit: Paolo Neo

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At some point or another we’ve all used the power of the pen and put our emotions on paper. Sometimes that letter becomes a cherished piece of relationship memorabilia, but other times it becomes a weapon of humiliation. When it comes to relationships, there are times when documenting your feelings for posterity is a great idea, and others… well, when you should write it, and then burn it. Here’s a few things to think about next time your thinking of putting your thoughts in black and white.

Credit: a.drian

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Ring Ring….

”Hello?”

“Betty? Is that you?”

“Yes. Who’s this?”

With a chuckle I hear on the other end, “Scott…Scott Clark.”

Immediately there is a rush of memories; suddenly I’m sitting in a green Chevy van, Styx is playing in my head, I can smell the smoke and hear us laughing at absolutely nothing! And, for some reason I had an over whelming craving for a Big Mac!

Credit: Sundar Chinnusam

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I finally did it – met someone online!  He’s actually normal, my age, and really awesome.  We had a great date last night, and are taking it to the next level this weekend: the “staying in” date.  I’m cooking and we’re watching a movie, so we all know what that really means.  While rifling through my movie collection trying to decide what would be the perfect film for our evening, I stumbled across a few that would just be disastrous to watch on a date.  From crazy women to painfully awkward romances, I just had to laugh at how awkward it would be if I chose one of these movies.

Credit: Pam Roth

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I recently had the unfortunate luck to go on a terrible date. It happens to the best of us. We either get sucked into it or make the awful decision to go on a date that ultimately make us feel like we want to pull the hair out of our heads…one by one. The entire date, I wondered how I could politely pull a Harry Houdini and disappear. I told some of my friends about my date from hell and they had plenty of advice on how to 007 my way out of my next bad date. Here are a few of their tips, compiled with a few ideas of my own, that will you get out of your next bad date!

Photo by Josh Klute

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