1. Acceptance

The hardest part of dealing with somebody else is to fully embrace and accept them for who they are. We all want people to be who we want them to be. We also rarely ever encounter anybody who manages to pull that off. If you're going to truly be in it to win it with somebody, you've got to be able to accept them as they are, flaws and all. Beyoncé. Now that's not to say that you can't suggest that perhaps they grow in areas where they could use some improvement (same for you), but it does mean that you have to realize that who they are is who they are and that should be good enough. Unless they are a murderer. In which case, tread lightly.

2. Acknowledgment

You know how at the end of movies and books and stuff, people who have contributed in order to make a good product get the credit they deserve? Relationships are just like that. The more you can acknowledge the good deeds your partner has done, the more they will do good deeds. People like doing things that they're good at doing. The more positive you are, the more positive you all will be. I'm sure Socrates said that when George Bush was President or something. Either way, it's a theoretical fact.

3. Appetite

Even if you're not humping each other daily, you still have to have some sort of sexual appetite for one another. Attraction, however it is achieved, be it mental (long haul) or physical (short run) is paramount to a successful relationship. Once the desire for the other person leaves, the relationship is doomed to cold nights and longing for days of yore. After all, your degrees won't keep you warm at night.

Read the rest of Panama's A+ list at the link above. My bonus A tips? Act your age (no pouting), Admit when you're wrong (on those rare occasions) and Add some spice to your undies drawer (it'll perk you both up). 

First of all, greetings to all you Guyspeak readers. I must confess I was once a player. Chivalry prevents me from getting into any details, but I dated two girls at once, dumped people via Facebook, forgot to call back for three weeks, and got beaten up by a few excessively large brothers of girls I slept with. I reformed a few years ago when I actually figured out what I wanted in a relationship, which did wonders for actually making one last, and immediately turned all those energies I spent tomcatting to writing. 

Here's the thing about sex that too many players forget: it's really, really easy for a lot of people to get emotionally attached to the person they're having sex with on a regular basis, which is probably a good thing for the human species, but makes it difficult to have sex with multiple people or to have a relationship based entirely on sex and nothing else. Sure, it's possible, but it's like other impossible things, say surviving a lightning strike or hitting the lottery: it's dependent entirely on luck and it's probably not going to happen.

So, if someone asks, skip right to the chase and tell him "Let's just be friends." It'll save you time, aggravation, and if you're a guy, discovering her brother really does know Krav Maga.

Welcome, Dan! Hope you've found happiness in a lovely lady with no big brothers. As for "no strings attached" I think you get to either be friends or have benefits, one or the other. At Applebee's you gotta choose your side - veggies or French fries - you don't get both. So look over the menu closely and ask yourself which is going to be more satisfying later that night.

There are two overarching facts when it comes to online dating. Fact One: It is a tireless, nearly intolerable circus of lies, disappointments, and ego shots to your heart and nuts. Fact Two: It can work. 

And that "can," that little seed of hope thrown amongst all those venomous vines, is what keeps millions going back and back and back again. It's not romantic. It's work.  A means to an end like going to the gym or going down on a smelly girl. The task is not as important as the fruits of its labor. For most, online dating isn't a sprint. It's more like an Iron Man triathlon in the Sahara, and instead of water, your fuel is the hope that there is just one guy out there that doesn't lie about his age, double chin, sexual orientation and criminal record. 

So dust off your old profile and start using this Wayne Greztsky quote as your new mantra: "Every shot not taken is a shot missed." Who knows, one day you too can have a snot nosed 5th grade grandson retell stories of how you fell head over heels for Pop-Pop solely because of his sweet screen name: TheRealKanyeWestsPenis.

Get over the stupid guy who broke your heart, go out in the world and get online. If you're terrified of dating, pretend someone hired you to test out these dating sites and the blind dates your pals want to set you up with. This little mental trick will help you get over your nerves and into some fun new people.

So, because his wife sticks around, it is OK for you to screw her man? Not quite sure which of the pair of you is dumber, here. Her, probably, but you are running a very close second. You are darn tootin' it's wrong.

To answer your question, what makes you think he thinks anything of you at all? After all, he certainly doesn't think at all about the woman he actually, you know, freaking married!

Stop it. Have some bloody pride. Sheesh.

Ooooh, I love it when Mystery Man's claws come out! This girl deserves the verbal pouncing she just got it. Meow for more Mr. Mean Guy!

Absolutely. What a tool. It's not just the rude comment that's a problem, but the fact that he would ever think that insulting you is an acceptable way to express himself or motivate you. He sounds either very young or very dumb. Or both.

To have an issue with your partner's looks is almost always driven by selfishness. It's about you, not them. You want them to change something so that they will be more pleasing to you. Is your guy concerned about your health or just how you look on his arm? Is he afraid someone might think he's--gasp!--dating a fat chick? (Not that you are one; it's just an example.) We all want our mates to look good, and we want to look good for them, but other concerns trump that. Your partner's self-esteem should be infinitely more important to you than the fact that she might have gained 5-7 pounds over the holidays. If you aren't mature enough to understand that, maybe you shouldn't be dating.

No one would blame you if you dumped the guy, but what you decide to do is your choice and your business. At the very least, I think you should make it crystal clear to Cap'n Dumfuk that comments like that are disrespectful and unacceptable. Don't stand for it.

Oh, sweetie, I'm giving you a hug. And then a swift kick out of that guy's life. He does not deserve you. And he doesn't even deserve a lesson in how callous, hurtful and inappropriate his remark was. Tell him your thighs are made for walking far away from him.

There's a guy out there who doesn't like Star Wars?? I thought everyone with a penis was required to like Star Wars, The Matrix, and The Big Lebowski. He doesn't even like Empire Strikes Back? I'm in shock. It's like I just saw Bigfoot or something. Your guy must be studied for science! (Also, you started with the original Star Wars trilogy and went backwards, right? I can't imagine anyone over the age of eight who starts with Episode I: The Phantom Menace would want to continue.) 

Have you tried Battlestar Galactica (the recent version), Lost, or Firefly? Amazing shows that anyone with an interest in quality television will enjoy that are also gateway drugs to geekery. If he likes Firefly, also try Joss Whedon's Dollhouse--a dark, action-packed show with a post-apocalyptic twist that didn't get a fair shake during its short run on FOX. (And don't forget Serenity, the underrated Firefly movie.) Also, if he likes Dr. Who, try other time travel fiction like Quantum Leap, Somewhere in Time, 12 Monkeys, or the twisty indie flick Primer.

Of course, there are classic sci-fi movies that should be required viewing for anyone with even a passing interest in film. Blade Runner, Robocop, Brazil, Dark City,Metropolis (1927), The Fifth Element, The Matrix (not the sequels),Terminator,Terminator 2, Escape from New York, the first two Alien movies, Big Trouble in Little China, A Clockwork Orange, District 9, Moon, Donnie Darko, 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Road Warrior, Mad Max, The Thing, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, the Back to Future movies, Children of Men, Planet of the Apes (the original), Akira, Ghost in the Shell, Iron Giant, Wall-E, Short Circuit, E.T., Batteries Not Included, The Last Starfighter, Flight of the Navigator, and Invasion of the Body Snatchers are just some of the many science fiction flicks that should have a home in everyone's Netflix queue. I'm assuming he's seen at least a couple of these, but going back to the classics never hurts.

Gal Pal says:

Nick has many more sexy sci-fi suggestions at the link above. I know the kind of Close Encounter I'd like to have with the GuySpeak Guys... it would definitely take me to another realm. (Who's blushing? Just me??) That's it for this week - thanks for playing, guys and girls!