In the Helper I added

module AssetsHelper
 def date_received_form_column(record, input_name)
  select_date record[:date_received],:name=>input_name, :include_blank
=> true
 end

To create a "null" on the drop down...  The null now appears in tho
HTML, and the data is reformatted correctly. But, the date is never
updated in the database (for Nulls or any data changes)
.
The log has no errors, but the trace record is below ... Note that I
do have numerous dates, the only one overriden is "Date_recieved" ...
It was set to 4/2/2000 ..  But alas, no update to the database.

Note that the trace shows date"=>{"month"=>"4", "day"=>"2",
"year"=>"2000"}, seems to refer to the "date_received"  which I set to
4/2/2000 ..

Processing AssetsController#update (for 127.0.0.1 at 2007-04-24
08:41:10) [PUT]
  Session ID: 312a7c8f9387cb3ba443304768084054
  Parameters: {"commit"=>"Update", "date"=>{"month"=>"4", "day"=>"2",
"year"=>"2000"}, "_method"=>"put", "action"=>"update", "id"=>"7",
"controller"=>"assets", "associated_id"=>"",
"record"=>{"name"=>"0004569", "date_excessed(5i)"=>"00",
"orig_cost"=>"0",
"issuances"=>{"1177418430937"=>{"date_installed(5i)"=>"40",
"Orig_Issuance"=>"", "patch_method"=>{"id"=>""},
"date_removed(1i)"=>"2007", "date_removed(2i)"=>"4",
"date_installed(1i)"=>"2007", "use"=>{"id"=>""},
"date_removed(3i)"=>"24", "customer"=>{"id"=>""},
"date_installed(2i)"=>"4", "named_server"=>{"id"=>""},
"date_installed(3i)"=>"24", "date_removed(4i)"=>"08",
"room"=>{"id"=>""}, "lan_desk"=>"false", "date_installed(4i)"=>"08",
"holding_account"=>{"id"=>""}, "date_removed(5i)"=>"40"},
"4707"=>{"date_installed(5i)"=>"26", "Orig_Issuance"=>"",
"id"=>"4707", "patch_method"=>{"id"=>""}, "date_removed(1i)"=>"2007",
"date_removed(2i)"=>"4", "date_installed(1i)"=>"2007",
"use"=>{"id"=>""}, "customer"=>{"id"=>""}, "date_removed(3i)"=>"24",
"date_installed(2i)"=>"4", "room"=>{"id"=>""}, "lan_desk"=>"false",
"named_server"=>{"id"=>""}, "date_removed(4i)"=>"08",
"date_installed(3i)"=>"24", "date_installed(4i)"=>"08",
"holding_account"=>{"id"=>""}, "date_removed(5i)"=>"26"},
"4708"=>{"date_installed(5i)"=>"30", "Orig_Issuance"=>"",
"id"=>"4708", "patch_method"=>{"id"=>""}, "date_removed(1i)"=>"2007",
"date_removed(2i)"=>"4", "date_installed(1i)"=>"2007",
"use"=>{"id"=>""}, "date_removed(3i)"=>"24", "customer"=>{"id"=>""},
"date_installed(2i)"=>"4", "named_server"=>{"id"=>""},
"room"=>{"id"=>""}, "date_removed(4i)"=>"08",
"date_installed(3i)"=>"24", "lan_desk"=>"false",
"holding_account"=>{"id"=>""}, "date_removed(5i)"=>"30",
"date_installed(4i)"=>"08"}}, "date_last_inventory(1i)"=>"2007",
"date_last_inventory(2i)"=>"4", "date_last_inventory(3i)"=>"24",
"date_last_inventory(4i)"=>"08", "tagged"=>"false",
"date_last_inventory(5i)"=>"26", "date_excessed(1i)"=>"2003",
"orig_po"=>"dr = 2000\\4\\2", "date_excessed(2i)"=>"4",
"date_excessed(3i)"=>"1", "xmodel"=>{"name"=>"HP LaserJet Series II",
"brand"=>{"id"=>"26"}, "category"=>{"id"=>"6"},
"model_specs"=>{"514"=>{"id"=>"430"}}, "id"=>"300",
"standard"=>{"id"=>"40"}, "part_number"=>"33440A"},
"date_excessed(4i)"=>"00"}}