diff --git a/dist/core/abstract-resume.js b/dist/core/abstract-resume.js
index 4955970..00ec0d1 100644
--- a/dist/core/abstract-resume.js
+++ b/dist/core/abstract-resume.js
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ Definition of the AbstractResume class.
     AbstractResume.prototype.duration = function(collKey, startKey, endKey, unit) {
       var firstDate, hist, lastDate, new_e;
       unit = unit || 'years';
-      hist = hist || __.get(this, collKey);
+      hist = __.get(this, collKey);
       if (!hist || !hist.length) {
         return 0;
       }
diff --git a/dist/core/fluent-date.js b/dist/core/fluent-date.js
index 10ff22f..971df34 100644
--- a/dist/core/fluent-date.js
+++ b/dist/core/fluent-date.js
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ The HackMyResume date representation.
   module.exports = FluentDate;
 
   FluentDate.fmt = function(dt, throws) {
-    var defTime, month, mt, parts, ref, temp;
+    var month, mt, parts, ref, temp;
     throws = (throws === void 0 || throws === null) || throws;
     if (typeof dt === 'string' || dt instanceof String) {
       dt = dt.toLowerCase().trim();
@@ -78,33 +78,7 @@ The HackMyResume date representation.
       } else if (/^\s*\d{4}\s*$/.test(dt)) {
         return moment(dt, 'YYYY');
       } else if (/^\s*$/.test(dt)) {
-        defTime = {
-          isNull: true,
-          isBefore: function(other) {
-            if (other && !other.isNull) {
-              return true;
-            } else {
-              return false;
-            }
-          },
-          isAfter: function(other) {
-            if (other && !other.isNull) {
-              return false;
-            } else {
-              return false;
-            }
-          },
-          unix: function() {
-            return 0;
-          },
-          format: function() {
-            return '';
-          },
-          diff: function() {
-            return 0;
-          }
-        };
-        return defTime;
+        return moment();
       } else {
         mt = moment(dt);
         if (mt.isValid()) {
diff --git a/dist/verbs/validate.js b/dist/verbs/validate.js
index 66a5f37..89ffde0 100644
--- a/dist/verbs/validate.js
+++ b/dist/verbs/validate.js
@@ -104,7 +104,6 @@ Implementation of the 'validate' verb for HackMyResume.
           shouldExit: true
         };
       }
-      console.log('1111');
       return ret;
     }, this);
   };
diff --git a/src/core/abstract-resume.coffee b/src/core/abstract-resume.coffee
index 81e2588..1670eda 100644
--- a/src/core/abstract-resume.coffee
+++ b/src/core/abstract-resume.coffee
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ class AbstractResume
   ###
   duration: (collKey, startKey, endKey, unit) ->
     unit = unit || 'years'
-    hist = hist || __.get(this, collKey)
+    hist = __.get @, collKey
     return 0 if !hist or !hist.length
 
     # BEGIN CODE DUPLICATION --> src/inspectors/gap-inspector.coffee (TODO)
@@ -27,24 +27,21 @@ class AbstractResume
     # Convert the candidate's employment history to an array of dates,
     # where each element in the array is a start date or an end date of a
     # job -- it doesn't matter which.
-    new_e = hist.map( ( job ) ->
+    new_e = hist.map ( job ) ->
       obj = _.pick( job, [startKey, endKey] )
       # Synthesize an end date if this is a "current" gig
       obj[endKey] = 'current' if !_.has obj, endKey
       if obj && (obj[startKey] || obj[endKey])
-        obj = _.pairs( obj )
+        obj = _.pairs obj
         obj[0][1] = FluentDate.fmt( obj[0][1] )
         if obj.length > 1
           obj[1][1] = FluentDate.fmt( obj[1][1] )
-      return obj
-    )
+      obj
 
     # Flatten the array, remove empties, and sort
     new_e = _.filter _.flatten( new_e, true ), (v) ->
       return v && v.length && v[0] && v[0].length
-
     return 0 if !new_e or !new_e.length
-
     new_e = _.sortBy new_e, ( elem ) -> return elem[1].unix()
 
     # END CODE DUPLICATION
diff --git a/src/core/fluent-date.coffee b/src/core/fluent-date.coffee
index f08d156..92472cf 100644
--- a/src/core/fluent-date.coffee
+++ b/src/core/fluent-date.coffee
@@ -59,16 +59,7 @@ FluentDate.fmt = ( dt, throws ) ->
     else if /^\s*\d{4}\s*$/.test(dt) # "2015"
       return moment dt, 'YYYY'
     else if /^\s*$/.test(dt) # "", " "
-      defTime =
-        isNull: true
-        isBefore: ( other ) ->
-          if other and !other.isNull then true else false
-        isAfter: ( other ) ->
-          if other and !other.isNull then false else false
-        unix: () -> 0
-        format: () -> ''
-        diff: () -> 0
-      return defTime
+      return moment()
     else
       mt = moment dt
       if mt.isValid()
diff --git a/src/verbs/validate.coffee b/src/verbs/validate.coffee
index 4e655e0..68d6654 100644
--- a/src/verbs/validate.coffee
+++ b/src/verbs/validate.coffee
@@ -85,8 +85,6 @@ validate = (sources, unused, opts)  ->
     if opts.assert and !ret.isValid
       throw fluenterror: HMSTATUS.invalid, shouldExit: true
 
-    console.log '1111'
-
-    return ret
+    ret
 
   , @
diff --git a/test/scripts/test-dates.js b/test/scripts/test-dates.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..93f58ec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/scripts/test-dates.js
@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+/**
+@module test-dates.js
+*/
+
+var chai = require('chai')
+  , expect = chai.expect
+  , should = chai.should()
+  , path = require('path')
+  , _ = require('underscore')
+	, FRESHResume = require('../../dist/core/fresh-resume')
+  , FCMD = require( '../../dist/index')
+  , validator = require('is-my-json-valid')
+  , EXTEND = require('extend');
+
+chai.config.includeStack = true;
+
+var gig = {
+  employer: 'E1'
+};
+
+var r = {
+  name: 'John Doe',
+  meta: {
+    format: 'FRESH@0.6.0'
+  },
+  employment: {
+    history: [ null ]
+  }
+};
+
+var tests = [
+  // single job, concrete start, no end
+  [ { start: '2010-01-01' } , { val: 6, unit: 'year' } ],
+  [ { start: '2010-01' } , { val: 6, unit: 'year' } ],
+  [ { start: '2010' } , { val: 6, unit: 'year' } ],
+
+  // single job, concrete start, concrete end
+  [ { start: '2010-01-01', end: '2015-01-01' } , { val: 5, unit: 'year' } ],
+  [ { start: '2010-01', end: '2015-01' } , { val: 5, unit: 'year' } ],
+  [ { start: '2010', end: '2015' } , { val: 5, unit: 'year' } ],
+
+  // single job, falsy start, falsy end
+  [ { } , { val: 0, unit: 'year' } ],
+  [ { start: null } , { val: 0, unit: 'year' } ],
+  [ { end: null } , { val: 0, unit: 'year' } ],
+  [ { start: undefined } , { val: 0, unit: 'year' } ],
+  [ { end: undefined } , { val: 0, unit: 'year' } ],
+  [ { start: null, end: null } , { val: 0, unit: 'year' } ],
+  [ { start: '', end: '' } , { val: 0, unit: 'year' } ],
+  [ { start: ' ', end: ' ' } , { val: 0, unit: 'year' } ],
+  [ { start: undefined, end: undefined } , { val: 0, unit: 'year' } ],
+
+  // two jobs (concrete start + end) -> ( concrete start )
+  [ { start: '2000-01', end: '2013-01' }, { start: '2013-01' }, { val: 16, unit: 'year' } ],
+  [ { start: '2000-01', end: '2013-01' }, { start: '2013-01', end: '' }, { val: 16, unit: 'year' } ],
+  [ { start: '2000-01', end: '2013-01' }, { start: '2013-01', end: null }, { val: 16, unit: 'year' } ],
+  [ { start: '2000-01', end: '2013-01' }, { start: '2013-01', end: 'current' }, { val: 16, unit: 'year' } ]
+
+];
+
+tests.forEach(function(t){
+   _.initial( t ).forEach(function(t){ t.employer = 'E1' });
+})
+
+describe('Testing DATES', function () {
+
+  tests.forEach( function(t) {
+
+    it( JSON.stringify( _.initial(t) ), function () {
+      r.employment.history = _.initial( t );
+      var rObj = new FRESHResume();
+      rObj.parseJSON( r );
+      var dur = rObj.duration();
+      expect( dur ).to.equal( _.last(t).val );
+    });
+
+  });
+
+
+
+});