Monthly Archives: April 2012

Going the Distance

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Someone once asked me if I had any advice on long distance relationships, to which I half-jokingly replied, “Yeah, don’t do it.” The sad reality is relationships in the same city are hard enough as is, and sometimes people who live in the same house have a hard time communicating with each other.

Nonetheless, we live in a time where meeting someone online can be more sufficient than meeting someone on the train ride home, and technology only makes it easier to have a “friend circle” that circles the globe. Unless you’re still using a pager, having some type of long-distance relationship in life – whether it be for work, friendship, or matters of the heart – is inevitable.

Skout can help start those relationships. It gives you the ability to make a new friend in Spain all from the comfort of your own home in New York. It allows you to see what’s going on in China, while you’re waiting for your laundry to dry in Seattle. Whether across the country, or right around the corner, Skout has the potential to bring people together. But while Skout helps build relationships, it’s up to YOU to keep them.

This is the part where it can get tricky. Long distance relationships can feel like an amazing vacation, or a heart-wrenching deployment. One thing is for sure; it is not for the faint of heart – or text. Fortunately, there are little things you can do that would mean a whole lot to the other person, and ultimately, the relationship.

Try to set up a weekly if not daily time for the two of you to have a Skype chat, or phone call. Being consistent shows the other person that they are a priority in your life despite not physically being there. If you have to break a date, let them know beforehand or as soon as possible afterwards. Keep them in the loop, so that you can keep them in your life. Distance can turn mountains into molehills, so not picking up your phone for 10 minutes can seem like an hour. It all boils down to trust, and communication.

Although everyone is only a Tweet, an email, or refresh button away, nothing beats physical contact. Next to nothing is comparable to hugging your brother that just got back from Afghanistan, or smelling your girlfriends hair for the first time since she moved across the country for college. Nevertheless, it’s still good to know that you can watch your best friend graduate via FaceTime, and that the cure for a boring Friday night can be found at the drop of a Wink Bomb.

Photo Contest Winner

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We asked you to submit your original spring-themed photos to our Facebook contest for the chance to win 1,000 Points.  You guys submitted some really awesome stuff, but the awesome-est was Ghoward’s ‘Pool side in the city of trees’.  Wicked photo, man!  1,000 Points well earned.

'Pool side in the city of trees' by Ghoward

Here are some of the other great submissions!

Spring Into Action

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So spring is in the air, you’ve met someone on Skout, and you’re thinking of meeting this person IRL.  First of all, congrats on meeting someone you like!  Second of all, I’m going to give you some tips about Springing into Action, making this meet-up the best it can be, and helping the relationship bloom.

Caffeine doesn’t guarantee activity.

Now that spring is here, a whole bunch of date ideas just opened up.  Although going for a coffee with someone might turn out really well, doing something active and/or outside is much more dynamic and you can avoid any awkward silences with you sitting there staring at the foam on your latte.

Here are some spring date ideas! Thank me later.

  • The zoo – Animals are always entertaining to look at and hey, she’s bound to squeal about fluffy pandas (Guys, admit it, you think they’re cute too.  If not, there are badass tigers.).  You can walk around, chat, get food, and watch monkeys.  Perfect.

This is a monkey.

  • Picnic – Picnics are inherently romantic.  You don’t have to bring a lame basket; Throw some sandwiches and a blanket in a backpack and get going to the park.  The sun, spring breeze, lying in the grass…  Nice weather and sunshine puts people in a good mood.  Fact.  And you guys can be totally cute and talk about the clouds!
  • The market – If you live in or near a city, go walk around the hip areas or Chinatown.  Check out some markets, shopping, and weird stores.  Having lots of stuff to do and look at will spark conversation.  Like that Hello Kitty toilet paper…who would buy that??  Isn’t a little weird having cute cartoon kittens on something you um, wipe with?  See…interesting!

Seriously??

Really, any kind of date where you can enjoy the spring splendor will be fun.  The most important thing is to be yourself and relax.  You’ve already chatted with this person on Skout for a while, so it’s not like it’s a blind date.  Pick one of the sweet date ideas above and Spring Into Action!

Ok, ‘Mom’ time -

I know you’ve heard these safety tips a hundred times, but seriously, they are important and all it takes is one time of being silly… So read them, keep them in mind, and just be smart, you know?

Meet up in a public place. This is pretty much Rule #1 for meeting people for the first time.  This way, there are other people around you (‘public’, duh) and you’re more likely to be safe.

Tell people where you’re going. You probably tell your friends about your dates anyway, so it shouldn’t be hard to mention to someone where you’re going and with whom.  It doesn’t have to be in a lame way… Tell them you met some cute girl/guy and you’re going to P.F. Changs tonight.  By the way, get the lettuce wraps – they are awesome.

Don’t get drunk. I know that a drink can help with your first-date nerves, but keep it to one!!  Have some self-control and you won’t make any bad decisions.  Related, it’s not a good idea to go drinking for a first date.

Spring Forward, Not Backward

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The weather’s getting warmer, the skirts are getting shorter, and baseball is back in season! Alas, your Spring Fever is at its peak. Time for some spring cleaning. It’s a time where you purge your wardrobe of last season’s “boots with the fur” and snowboard, and make room for sundresses and surfboards. It’s a second stab at a New Year; another chance to begin exercising regularly, eat healthier, and start fresh. But perhaps this time, you’ll rid yourself of the unnecessary clutter in your life as well as your closet.

Like that friend you’ve known since kindergarten that just can’t seem to get his act together, and continuously drains the life out of you. He’s like that worn out sofa you have with all the cigarette holes in it. All it’s doing is accumulating space, yet you can’t seem to get rid of it, because it’s been there for you through some tough times. Or what about those expensive Christian Louboutins you bought, and have only worn once – for less than 30 minutes at that? They’re sexy, boast a six-inch stiletto, and make all the girls jealous, but what they don’t see is you crying inside for someone to give you a piggyback ride. Sure, they’re nice to look at, but really have no function. Kind of like your new beau who looks good on paper, but has no real substance.

Safe to say there is a little clothing/trinket/memory/people hoarder in all of us. We find comfort in the familiar, and hold onto things that make us feel … well … ANYTHING. Even if we haven’t worn something for years, we’re scared we may need it one day or it may be popular once again. But truth be told, bell-bottoms will never come back in style, and neither will lame friends or unruly exes.

So toss out those items you haven’t worn in years, and delete the numbers of people you should send straight to voicemail anyway. Hop on Skout, and ask people for their opinions on what you should keep, and what you should toss. Expand your wardrobe as well as your circle of friends! Then, rearrange your home as well as your priorities, and make room for better things to come. Remember, it’s called spring forward, not spring backward.

30% Off Spring Sale!

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Snap up the new Spring Fever gifts, in the Gift Shop now!

Skout is in bloom!  Freshen up your game by sending one of these Spring gifts to a cutie.  And this weekend, all Spring Fever, Drink, and Flower gifts are 30% off!

Look out for messages about more special deals from Flora and Agnes, the sunning Skout Spring Fever puppies.

Flora and Agnes

Win 1,000 Points!

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Another Skout prescription for your Spring Fever – A chance to win 1,000 Points!

Go to Skout’s Facebook page, LIKE us, and click on the Spring Fever Contest tab to enter by Wednesday, April 11th.  The best, original Spring photo submission will win!

Get outside and get creative!  Take advantage of the blooming flowers, dance in the rain, and lay in the lush grass.  Take a walk around the city in the sunshine with a fellow Skout and get snapping!

Just remember – the same photo guidelines that apply to profile photos apply to your submission!

Contest Terms and Conditions

  1. Submitted photos must adhere to the following Skout photo guidelines.
    1. Cannot contain nudity;
    2. Cannot contain profanity;
    3. Cannot contain spam;
    4. Cannot contain inappropriate, copyrighted, illegal or offensive content.
  2. Contest starts on Wednesday, April 5th, 2012 10:00 PDT and ends on Tuesday, April 11th, 2012 at 11:59PM PDT.
  3. Entrant must submit entry using the email address associated with his/her Skout account.
  4. Winning photo will be chosen by Skout staff.
  5. By entering this contest, entrant gives Skout consent to post the photo and his/her Skout username to Skout’s official Facebook, Twitter, and Flirt Blog pages.
  6. Only one entry per person.
  7. Any user with multiple Skout profiles is automatically disqualified.
  8. All entrants must comply with Skout’s Terms of Service.

Oi and Konichiwa!

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Skout is now available in Japanese and Portuguese for Android users!

Download version 2.11.0 now.

Enjoy these new enhancements:

  • Portuguese and Japanese languages – Whether you are a Japanese or Portuguese native speaker or you prefer to use Skout in those languages, you now have the option to do so!
  • Skout is available on Android tablets – download the app on your tablet now.
  • Additional app enhancement features – performance and graphical/user interface improvements, bug fixes.

Download the latest Skout version in Google Play now!