If John Mayer has indeed “met you in a sandbox,” “passed you on the side walk” or “watched you walk away,” (as the “Love Song For No One” lyrics claim) and you are looking for a way to find him, look no further than Craigslist’s “Missed Connections”, a unique category of personals for hopelessly romantic, love-at-first-site-seeking singles.

Log on to your local Craigslist page (where you’ll find classifieds for more than 550 cities in over 50 countries worldwide), and see if you missed a connection by scrolling through posts, which often look something like this:

“We traded glances and a smile on the L train around 9 p.m. You were wearing black frame glasses, classic pearl earrings and the cutest short haircut that framed your face perfectly. I would love to talk to you. I know this is a long shot, but if you felt the same way maybe you are looking here also.”

Sure, it may be a long shot, but with over 50 million users each month, you never know. Curiosity kills no cat in this case; after all, someone may be looking for you. While there are no statistics on how many of these missed connections have actually been mended, Gawker did do a hell of a job breaking down where missed connections occurred in New York City over a period of five days in 2006.

On Craigslist you can also post a regular personal ad and file it under women seeking men or men seeking women, misc romance, casual encounters (no-strings-attached sex), or strictly platonic. There is also a category for rants and raves. While this may seem like an open forum for the virtual bitch-slapping of anyone or thing, we’re sure it has a more genuine purpose. (Suggestions, anyone?) Each listing lasts for seven days in large cities and 45 in small ones, and range from one-liners to 2000-word novels that fall somewhere between an autobiography and transcription of an hour-long therapy session.  

The beauty of personals on Craigslist is the price: personals are a free for all –i­n terms of both cost and sincerity. Like most other Craigslist-ings, you truly have nothing to lose by listing or browsing. Your identity –including your e-mail address, which is anonymized– is totally concealable. Only a small percentage of listings include photos, which can be a blessing for the modest, only-personality-matters seeking sort, and a curse for those who can admit they care about looks and online credibility.

We’d love to give missed connections some credibility of its own: if you know anyone who has connected or reconnected on Craigslist (or if you are the gorgeous watch salesman who asked what I was looking for, but should have asked for my number –hey you, I’m still single!) then let us know with your comments below. 

She’s honest, sweet, and sassy and she’s living life in La La land, a.k.a. Los Angeles. Meet our blogger crush this week, Everyday Goddess. Her birth certificate does not read “Everyday Goddess” (how awesome would that be?) but rather, Liz Rizzo. Rizzo is a film school alum who works in post-production and has dreams of directing movies/television. And judging by her fresh and witty entries, it’s evident that this lady has the drive and talent to make dreams come true.Liz sounds off about relationships (including an Katy Perry’s hit song “I Kissed A Girl”, and racy sex positions that she would try for the right guy.Her blog also includes two important links. One is for Everyday Goddess Does… This is kind of like a sub blog in which Liz is sent various products from companies that she tests and then reviews for her site. Blogher, the community for women who blog, is the other important link featured on Everyday Goddess. Liz has her own blog on this site as well.”If there’s really only one great person in this world, then this world is ridiculous, and I don’t believe that. There’s a lot of great people. A lot a lot.” We appreciate Liz’s optimism and brutal honesty, and that is why she is this week’s blogger crush.Last week’s crush: Eve 101.Got a blog we should check out? Email tips@tangomag.com.

In his column this week on The New York Times Frank Bruni wrote about gender-based customs and differences in restaurants. Even in the age of third-wave feminism and political correctness, some restaurants still observe rules like serving a woman first, taking the wine order from the man and giving the man the check.

Some of the rules have pretty much disappeared: giving a woman a menu without prices if she’s there with a man, and seating a woman against the wall so she’s facing out. I didn’t know these were common customs, however I do prefer sitting facing out—doesn’t everyone? That way you can check out the entire room.

But apparently men and women do have different preferences when it comes to dining out, and proprietors have to take the variations into account when planning menus and decor. According to the article, women tend to like healthier menu options, while men ask about steak; if there will be lots of women at an event party planner turn up the heat, because women wear less clothing; gals want to know about lighting, men almost never do. According to famous chef Mario Batalo, “‘Women are looking for somewhere comfortable, men are looking for somewhere to show off.’”

Men eat more than women, so a table of all men might receive better treatment than a table of women, because the server is expecting a bigger tip from a bigger bill. Women tend to stay and talk longer, meaning fewer total bills for a server to make money on.

With one guy I date we always split the check, so when someone gives it to him it annoys me, because it’s as if they think I’m not supporting myself because I’m there with a man.  But another man I go out with always wants to pick up the check, so it’s nice when they give it to him, because it makes me feel less awkward about not paying.

What do you think about gender differences in restaurants? And how do you split the check when you’re dating? How about when you’re in a relationship?

Connecticut today became the third state to extend the same rights to same-sex marriages as those that apply to straight couples.

The state Supreme Court ruled in a 4-3 decision that Connecticut’s previously approved civil unions are unconstitutional and discriminatory. The dissenting opinion argued that the “regulation of procreation,” which it said includes defining marriage as a union between a man and woman, should be left to the state legislature instead of the courts.

Vice Presidential candidates Sarah Palin and Joe Biden touched on a similar discourse during their debate last week: whether or not granting marital rights to gay couples amounts to the redefinition of “marriage,” and which body of government, if any, should be charged with deciding this.

Gay marriage is legal in California and Massachussetts. New York honors out-of-state unions but does not grant them, and Vermont and New Jersey grants certain rights through civil unions between same-sex individuals.

Nicole Ritchie just had a baby, so Paris Hilton needs a new friend she can ring up to bail her out during her next DUI. Jezebel’s got a clip from Hilton’s new reality show, My New BFF (I’m proud to admit I didn’t know there was such a thing!) in which the heiress plays a little getting-to-know you game of “I Never.” You remember it from 9th grade sleepovers? “I never kissed a boy,” “I never gave a blowjob,” “I’ve never had sex”… Wouldn’t you know, the producers found themselves a virgin (or an actress) for Miss Sex Tape Star.

After Paris coos “[Being a virgin] just means you’re, not, like a slut,” I want to airlift this poor girl out of that snake pit. Good luck to you, sweetie!