This one's for Karin, who has requested twice now that I give this whole advice column thing a shot. I had to ponder it for some time, before posting it, because I wanted to make sure I could give it that special "Phil twist." And so, without further adieu, I present to you my advice column:

YO PHIL

Karin, blogress extraordinairre of "Journey of a Creative Mind," writes:

"Yo Phil, where does one find a decent date at 37 years old? Any suggestions on meeting nice guys?"

Karin,

I would like to address your two inquiries one at a time. With regard to your first question, while I know that dates tend to have a long shelf-life, I think 37 years is pushing it. If you check at your local grocer, I'm sure they would recommend not eating a date known to be more than one year old. In fact, even the most non-perishable foods top out at 2-3 years.

In response to your second question about meeting nice guys, I highly recommend not bringing dates into the equation. It is true that the way to a guy's heart is through his stomach, but consider this the exception to the rule.

Should you like to seek a nice guy out without the use of a date (my recommended course of action), I suggest you look in the last place you would ever think to. Remember the saying "nice guys finish last"? Truth be told, that is much more than a saying. It speaks volumes of truth. So wherever you least expect to find a nice guy, chances are you just might find one.

-Phil