A friend of ours over the weekend told us she was taking a vacation with a guy she had just started dating recently. While were excited for her, we just want to make things clear about what it can mean.

Dear DateSpacers,

Earth Day? 4-20? Chances are, if you like Hacky Sack this was a good week for you. Of course, if you like Hacky Sack, our website is probably of little to no interest to you, since, in all likelihood, the last time you had a date was when grandma told you to eat a bunch of them when she found out you were irregular. (We’re just kidding. We love the Hack. It made us look irreverent and clumsily athletic as middle schoolers.)

Seriously, though, this week we thought we’d give Earth Day the attention it deserves. Check out what we found: 1990’s “The Earth Day Special.” In case you missed this one when it originally aired, be prepared to be overwhelmed. Check out this cast list! Middler as Mother Earth? Dustin Hoffman? Barbara Streisand? Meryl Streep? The chick from Blossom? Yes!

Well, here it is.

Here at DateSpaces HQ, there are some questions to which we can’t agree about an answer. So we got two of our staffers (one female, one male) to argue it in a feature we call: the Date Debate.

Our latest query: long distance dating. Is it worth the effort?

Here’s a question from one of our own staff members, who was curious about a simple, old-time tradition: should you bring flowers on a first date? Ponder that one for a while.

Done pondering? Good. The short answer is no. While the gesture is sweet and she’ll probably think, initially, that you’re a pretty classy dude, inevitably one or more of the following three thoughts will pop into her head:

Arrested Development: The Lost Episodes*
-OR-
Please rate, review, and comment on Datespaces.com!

NARRATOR: Michael Bluth was finishing up another long day at his computer, trying to generate more content [***HINT HINT***] for his new startup Web site, DateSpaces.com. Michael started the project in response to the recent housing market crisis, in hopes of propping up his family’s already struggling real estate business.

Finally! Some good weather is coming our way…which means some of our staff members are beginning to feel the effects of Spring allergies. Aaaahh-choo!

Anyhoo, here’s this week’s question from Sam from Yonkers, who cornered us at a party and asked our advice about the following: “I want to ask out my friend’s ex-girlfriend. They’ve been broken up for over a year and I’ve been in touch with her a lot. Even when they were dating, we hung out without my friend, which was fine with him then. Is that okay to do?”

This week’s issue of Thursdates is brought to you by: unWined

Interested in sponsoring a future issue of Thursdates?
email: chris@datespaces.com

Dear DateSpacers,

We’ve been on a game show kick lately. Hey, what could be better than the original reality TV? This week, we wanted to offer a tribute to America’s favorite game show: Supermarket Sweep. Unfortunately, loading a shopping cart with Tide® and Butterball® turkeys doesn’t really have an email-ready analogue. (And, yes, we watched Lifetime in the 90s.)

As a consolation, we’re providing you with a puzzle that would make Pat Sajak and Vanna White proud (unlike this contestant. Poor little lamb.) First reader to solve the puzzle wins a shout-out in the next issue of Thursdates and a date with your favorite DateSpaces.com Team Member!* Hint: the solution epitomizes the poignant paradox of romance. (Also, think maudlin tremolo meets Chevy commercial.)

The category is “Before & After.” Talk it out. Good luck:

Normally, here on DateSpaces, we try to keep things PG-13…for the most part. But this story was too hilarious not to post. Your author has asked for the veil of anonimity, so we’re going to call him George Constanza. Here is George’s tale:

Due to our ever-growing readership, we’ve decided to bring back a few oldies but goodies from our vault of advice. Here’s one that we just heard about that happened to a friend of us with one of his relationships turning into a friendship. Here’s our take.

Good morning, faithful readers. Here’s a question from one of you New York City dwellers out there who needs some of our patented dating advice.

Jeremy from Park Slope sent us this query: “After a few of what I thought were dates, I just heard from yet another attractive
girl that they think of me ‘like a brother.’ This is ridiculous! What can I do to avoid the dreaded ‘Friend Zone’?”

G’day, DateSpacers!

In thinking of how to charm you into visiting, posting on, and promoting the site this week, we came up with a novel idea: when you read this week’s edition of Thursdates, give your Internal Reading Voice an Australian accent. (Name him/her Simon or Shelia. It helps.) People love Australian accents. Try it. Say: “Crikey!” right now and tell us it doesn’t make you happier than a dingo in a maternity ward.

No good at accents? No worries, mate! Turns out Americans—which most of you are—are terrible at distinguishing between accents. Let’s face it—to us, all people from non-U.S., English-speaking countries sound the same. Here’s an example of beloved Kiwi Jemaine Clement playing an Aussie in a television commercial. Could you tell he wasn’t the real thing? And if Jemaine can fool you, think how easy it will be to fool yourself, clever as you are! (Note: This is not a slam on New Zealanders. DateSpaces.com is adamantly opposed to any and all discrimination against New Zealanders. Contrary to the belief of the ill-informed, New Zealanders are people, too, and they don’t ride around in their kangaroos all day.)

So give it a whirl. Just keep it to yourself. We can’t have everyone running around flooding the market with Australian accents—the novelty would wear off. and our fake accents would no longer be enough to get people to go out with us.