'MARRIAGE' NEWS- February 2006: The REAL Proposal For Marriage magazine

"Marriage In The News" is not a representation of The Real Proposal magazine...

The news articles and features presented below are simply an indication of how topical, controversial, and all-encompassing the issues surrounding marriage are throughout our society--and the world-- today. Some of the views and opinions expressed, and their respective web sites, do NOT reflect the views or opinions of The Real Proposal™ magazine. Many are highlighted largely to reiterate that the alarming statistical trends on the chaotic state of "Marriage" and "Family"--outlined in "A Mere Glimpse"--will continue unabated without a fundamental grasp and purposeful dissemination of TRUTH on the issues.

Not marriage Cherry Hill Courier Post, NJ - Sally Saunders, Feb 28, 2006
Re: "N.J. Supreme Court ponders same-sex marriage" (C-P, Feb. 16).
One of the arguments mentioned in this article was, "If the institution of marriage was changed to allow blacks and whites to marry, why can't it be altered again?" Shame on those who would use that argument. Changing the law to allow interracial marriage did not alter the institution of marriage. It simply recognized that men are men and women are women, regardless of race. Similarly, gay men and women are, first, men and women. As such, they enjoy the same rights and privileges as any other citizen. Every citizen has the "right" to get married. Gay citizens are not denied a right that others have -- rather, they are demanding a right that no one has. No one has the right to marry someone who is the same gender as themselves. Additionally, no one has the right to marry someone who is already married, not of age or a close relative. . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: N.J. Supreme Court ponders same-sex marriage Cherry Hill Courier Post, NJ - By MATT KATZ, Feb 16, 2006.

'Bachelor' Travis Stork Picks Sarah Stone
'Bachelor' Travis Stork Picks Fellow Nashville Resident Sarah Stone ABC News.com, Feb 28, 2006
Vanderbilt emergency room Dr. Travis Stork kept it close to home by picking Nashville kindergarten teacher Sarah Stone in the season finale of ABC's "The Bachelor: Paris." Stork presented her with a diamond ring on a necklace. . .
Rules of Engagement Washington Post, United States - By Sandra G. Boodman, Feb 28, 2006
When Jeannine Calandra and Zachary Butterfield got engaged last year, they decided to work on their marriage, not just their wedding. So when the Arlington computer programmers began researching boutique hotels in Mexico, they also signed up for a premarital education course called PAIRS, an acronym for Practical Application of Intimate Relationship Skills. They hoped the seven-month course would help them reconcile their very different backgrounds and manage the conflicts that help torpedo more than 40 percent of first marriages. . . . . Unhappy couples and those who divorce tend to resort to what John Gottman, a Seattle psychologist and one of the pioneers of the study of marital behavior, calls "the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse": criticism, contempt, defensiveness and stonewalling. . . .

'Bachelor' Travis Stork picks Sarah Stone

Parenting Issues: The ‘Seven R’s Pledge’ Reminds Us What Kind of Men We Should Be BlackAmericaWeb.com, By Joseph C. Phillips, Feb 28, 2006
I lured my sons into the garage recently to help me look for some long lost document with the promise of buried treasure. We never found the document I was looking for. However, while sorting through some of my father’s old papers that were mixed up with mine, I came across something entitled “The Seven R’s Pledge." I don’t know who wrote it or from where it comes. It was just a Xeroxed piece of paper that my father had tucked away someplace and forgotten. It also seemed to articulate rather well lessons I am trying to teach my sons. . . The pledge also has great resonance for adults. If time alone has not seen fit to provide essential wisdom, the pledge makes clear the nexus between virtue and happiness. The forward movement of our people to victorious shores requires strong families and strong communities, and that requires strong faith. . . .

Health Issues: A secret of the ages Townhall.com, By Burt Prelutsky - Feb 28, 2006
. . . The truth is, if you exercise every day, watch your diet, never smoke or drink, you may outlive the fat couch potato next door. Or, depending on your respective genes, you may not. My point is that the way people carry on, you’d think the difference between living to be 30 and living to be a robust 600 is an hour-a-day on the treadmill. Folks have been brainwashed into ignoring the evidence, into believing that immortality is just a matter of jogging, cutting out dairy products, and guzzling several gallons of water-a-day. And as a result, are you all living longer lives? No, not really. . .

Denzel Fights Back at Broken Marriage Reports Holllywood.com -By WENN, Feb 24, 2006
Denzel Washington has fired back at reports his marriage is in trouble due to his womanizing ways. The Oscar-winner is still puzzled by the rumors of infidelity and love children, and he's breaks his silence in the upcoming Hollywood issue of Essence magazine. . . . .
JACKSON'S ARRANGED MARRIAGE Contactmusic.com, UK - Feb 23, 2006
Actor SAMUEL L JACKSON married his wife LaTANYA RICHARDSON after she planned the entire ceremony without his knowledge - or his consent. The PULP FICTION star was living with Richardson, when she handed him a printed invitation to his own wedding. He explains, "I came home one day and she had this stack of things (invitations) and she gave me one and said, 'Be here.'. .

Everything you always wanted to know about marriage

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Marriage
But were Afraid to ask Stephanie Coontz National Review Online- NY, By Maggie Gallagher, Feb 23, 2006
In Sunday's New York Times, Stephanie Coontz, director of public education for an outfit called the Council on Contemporary Families (which advocates for non-traditional families), administered a pop quiz on marriage. Maggie Gallagher, president of the Institute for Marriage and Public Policy, offers the iMAPP marriage quiz, below:
1. True or False: Young women today are more eager to marry than young men. True. According to the Monitoring the Future Survey, 82 percent of high -chool seniors who are girls said having a good marriage and family life was "extremely" important to them, compared to 70 percent of high-school seniors who are boys. (National Marriage Project, State of Our Unions, 2005)
2. True or False: College students today are more likely to approve of casual, uncommitted sex than college students 20 years ago. False. Between 1980 and 2000, the proportion of students in the UCLA College Freshmen survey who agreed that "if two people really like each other, it's all right for them to have sex even if they have known each other for only a very short time" dropped from 48 percent to 42 percent. . .

'Traditional' Marriage Has Changed a lot Seattle Post Intelligencer- By Stephanie Coontz, Feb 23, 2006
. . . Most of the "traditions" we associate with marriage are in fact comparatively new. It was only two centuries ago that people began to marry for love rather than for mercenary or practical considerations. Only 130 years ago did men start to lose their legal right to physically beat or imprison their wives. And only in the past 40 years have we established the principle that within a marriage wives and husbands have equal rights in decision-making. . . Trying to revert to antiquated and unfair traditions is not the answer. We need to figure out how to build on the opportunities and minimize the risks associated with the ongoing modernization of marriage. . .

Welfare, marriage and the Bible Townhall.com- By Marvin Olasky, Feb 22, 2006
Academics often say biblical belief has no place in the social sciences because it keeps people from open-minded analysis of data. Actually, the opposite is true: A biblical worldview often reveals the limitations of conventional approaches and pushes us to ask the right questions, so that the data we obtain will not leave us still ignorant. The key new component of the welfare reform bill signed into law earlier this month by President Bush -- the move to fund marriage education -- arose out of asking the right questions. . . . . One reflection of the new thinking came in a conference report published late in 2003 by the Manhattan Institute, "Whither Welfare Reform? Lessons from the Wisconsin Experience." In it, NYU professor Lawrence Mead argues that "we must find a way to get the fathers involved," and New York Times welfare specialist Jason DeParle notes what his reporting showed him: "The biggest surprise to me was just how much yearning there was among the kids and their mothers for the fathers." None of this was a surprise to those with a biblical worldview. . .

The Essence of Marriage and Equality: The New Jersey Supreme Court Considers Same-Sex Marriage FindLaw, CA - By Sherry F. Colb, Feb 22, 2006
Last week, the New Jersey Supreme Court heard argument in Lewis v. Harris. The case asks whether the State Constitution's guarantee of equality requires New Jersey to permit gay couples to marry. The state intermediate appellate court last year ruled against the plaintiffs, holding that the legislature may decide whether or not to extend all of the benefits of marriage to gay people. The issue of same-sex marriage may now force the highest court of New Jersey to confront important questions about what "marriage" and "equality" really mean. What Is The Essence of Marriage? . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Dissolving Marriage: If everything is marriage, then nothing is Stanley Kurtz, National Review Online, February 3, 2006
Cohabitation and Sex Before Marriage: A Recipe For Disaster Streaming Faith.com- By Dr. Creflo A. Dollar streamingfaith.com, Feb 22, 2006
. . . You can simply pick up a magazine or turn on the TV, and instantly, you are exposed to compromising lifestyles. We must remember, however, that just because an idea, concept or way of life seems acceptable doesn't mean it is right in God's eyes. . . God has not changed his mind about this, and He will not bend His own rules because Believers have decided not to take His Word seriously. He didn't create His statutes to spoil your fun but to protect you from harm. Sex outside of marriage can blur your judgment, stifle your growth and prevent you from developing a healthy relationship with the opposite sex. It can make you vulnerable to getting your heart broken when your expectations go unfulfilled, and it stunts the type of emotional growth you need as a couple. . . .

Gays Rebuff Hillary New York Observer-The Politicker, NY -Feb 21, 2006
In an email to his board members obtained by The Politicker, the head of New York State's leading gay rights group describes Hillary Clinton as a "disappointment" on same-sex marraige, and suggests gays and lesbians stop giving money to her campaign...In the February 10 email, marked "confidential," Alan Van Capelle, executive director of the influential, well-funded Empire State Pride Agenda, says he's refusing to "lend my name and sell tickets" to a gay-oriented fundraiser for Hillary's reelection. . . . These are the shifting sands of the same-sex marriage issue. . . In that context, Van Capelle's letter marks something of a turning point for mainstream gay rights groups: Marriage is now make-or-break. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Gay rights leader slams Clinton over same-sex marriage Newsday.com- By Beth Fouhy, Feb 22, 2006

Activists see gay adoption as next battleground USA Today- By Andrea Stone, Feb 20, 2006
Efforts to ban gays and lesbians from adopting children are emerging across the USA as a second front in the culture wars that began during the 2004 elections over same-sex marriage. Steps to pass laws or secure November ballot initiatives are underway in at least 16 states, adoption, gay rights and conservative groups say. Some — such as Ohio, Georgia and Kentucky — approved constitutional amendments in 2004 banning gay marriage. . . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Both sides on gay adoption cite concern for children USA Today- By Andrea Stone, Feb 20, 2006

Pure Sex    FreeConservatives.com- By Martha Zoller - Feb 21, 2006
. . . . It was clear from the heated discussion that followed that we are as uncomfortable talking about sex in 2006 as we were in 1956. Clearly, what isn’t being talked about at all is the biblical perspective of sex. The Bible teaches us that sex between a man and a woman within the confines of marriage is the only way to have a fulfilling sex life. The gift that God gives men and women who follow this path is a fantastic sex life. Since the sexual revolution or the "if it feels good, do it age," we have been led to believe that it’s okay to have sex before marriage. In fact many thinking people think you have to have sex before you get married or else how will you know if it is "good." Believe me, you’ll know it. It’s one of those things that you know without comparison. . .  . . To those walking wounded of the sexual revolution, there is hope for all of us. Ask yourself a few questions, are families stronger since the free love era, are children doing better? And have we evolved to a better place for families and children? Finally, are we satisfied with our sex lives?. . .

RELATED WEB SITE:  www.mylamesexlife.com

Marriage is a financial partnership Pioneer Press, MN -By Ieva M. Augstums, Feb 21, 2006
First comes love. Then comes marriage. But before you even think about pushing a baby carriage (or merging your bank accounts, buying a house or combining your health insurance), it's important to have that money talk with your spouse — for better, not worse. . . Many people have trouble talking about money, because money usually represents more than just dollars and cents, experts say. "Many are unaware of the emotional load associated with money," said Olivia Mellan, author of "Money Harmony: Resolving Money Conflicts in Your Life and Relationships." "Everybody has money secrets because people believe it's taboo to talk about money. . .
Beyond a blind date: Here's blind marriage New Brunswick Home News Tribune, NJ -By Karal L. Richardson, Feb 21, 2006
Normally before a wedding, officiant John Graf Jr. meets the couple and gets to know them. In this case, he won't even know the couple's names until they are standing before him at the altar. Then again, the bride and groom won't know the other's real names either. . . . DJs Scott Shannon and Todd Pettengill proposed this "social experiment" because, statistics have shown, half the marriages in the United States end up in divorce anyway. The participants will not be legally married, but rather joined in a commitment ceremony. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Strangers to tie knot on WPLJ's wed-cast New York Daily News, Feb 16, 2006

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The Hetero-flexible Gene Townhall.com, By Jennifer Roback Morse, Feb 20, 2006
The recent New York Times article on the Cuddle Puddle at Stuyvesant High School unwittingly undermines the legal strategy of the Gay Rights movement. . . There is actually plenty of data that supports the position that sexual orientation is not a fixed trait. I know, I know, I can hear the howls already. Everybody knows that homosexuality is genetically determined. Actually, everybody who knows anything about the subject knows exactly the opposite. No “gay gene” has been discovered. Dean Hamer is the scientist most widely accredited with the discovery. The media have not trumpted the fact that his results have never been replicated. Surveys of identical twins indicate a heritability level for homosexuality of roughly 20% to 35% which makes it, for all practical purposes, non-genetic. Moreover, survey data of behavior indicate two overwhelming facts. First, homosexuality is not a well-defined phenomenon. It is a complex combination of behavior, attraction and self-identification. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: The Cuddle Puddle of Stuyvesant High School New York magazine, By Alex Morris
Researchers find it shocking that 11 percent of American girls between 15 and 19 claim to have same-sex encounters. Clearly they’ve never observed the social rituals of the pansexual, bi-queer, metroflexible New York teen.

RELATED SITE & RESOURCES: God created them male and female

Is Focus losing Focus on real Families?   Blogger News Network -Posted By Danny Carlton, Feb 20, 2006
In recent statements, Focus [on the Family] founder Dr. James Dobson and the government lobbying arm of the Colorado Springs-based ministry have noted that the bill in question addresses the issue of “fairness” in obtaining certain benefits for a pair of people who want them. He has denied he supports "gay marriage," civil unions, or domestic partnerships. . . The question is, should those who actually respect the institution of marriage be punished for the acts of those who don't?. . . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: The Appearance of Weakness   The Conservative Voice- By Adam Graham, Feb 1, 2006

RELATED ARTICLE: Focus on the Family, Dobson Defend Support for Colorado Benefits Bill   The Christian Post.com- By Francis Helguero, Feb 19, 2006

Health Issues: It's time for a health care 401k Townhall.com, By Michael Barone - Feb 20, 2006
Sometimes a little-known law can reshape our economy and our personal lives. One such law was Section 401(k) of the 1978 tax law. . . Bush administration officials and some conservative thinkers hope that health savings accounts can change health care finance in a way similar to the way Section 401(k) changed pensions. Health savings accounts allow holders of health insurance policies to retain monies they do not spend. . . Will health savings accounts be an entering wedge to produce a more market-oriented health care sector? Democrats fear that, and Republicans hope so. I confess that I am not sure. What is clear is that health savings account-type policies have been rapidly growing since passage of the 2003 act. There are now 3 million people with health savings accounts, and big employers in increasing numbers are offering high-deductible policies. . .

God can help bring harmony to marriage Sioux Falls Argus Leader, SD -By Bryce Hecht, Feb 18, 2006
. . . Valentine's Day probably inspires romantic love, which is a necessary aspect of a couple's love for each other. Physical attraction draws two persons together into an intimate relationship, but it takes a greater love to act as a bonding agent through the years of marriage. This kind of love enables a couple to stay true to one another through years of marriage. This love is founded upon each individual's desire to care for, encourage and support his or her spouse. It is called a sacrificial love. It is the willingness to serve the needs of others. Marriages begin to break apart when the focus no longer is the will to offer a sacrificial love for one's spouse but instead, "What is going to make ME happy?" . . .

Madonna asks for help to save her marriage Daily Mail Online-UK, By Nicole Lampert, Feb 18, 2006
Madonna has enlisted the help of Kabbalah rabbis to save her marriage. The singer has sought advice from the leaders of the religious sect in London amid rumours she is planning to separate from her husband. They have advised her not to do anything until after the festival of Passover, in April, which they believe signifies the exodus of man from the physical to the spiritual world. Sources within the London Kabbalah Centre have revealed that the 47-year-old star is deeply distressed by the pressure on her relationship with Guy Ritchie, the British film director who is ten years her junior. . . . .
Lachey seeks spousal support from Simpson USA Today.com, Feb 18, 2006
— In divorce papers, Nick Lachey is seeking spousal support from Jessica Simpson, and he wants his jewelry back. . . Lachey, who gained fame as a member of the boy band 98 Degrees, had more earning power when the couple wed in October 2002. However, Simpson's fame skyrocketed during the marriage. The 25-year-old singer-actress reportedly earned more than $30 million last year, including earnings from her big-screen debut playing Daisy Duke in The Dukes of Hazzard movie. . .

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Travis Frey's sicko 'marriage contract' one for the ages

Sicko "Marriage Contract" One For The Ages
Repulsive "Wifely Expectations" pact emerges in Iowa kidnap case The Smoking Gun.com, Feb 17, 2006
--This country, as you know, is filled with the deranged. And then there's Travis Frey, a 33-year-old Iowa man who is facing charges that he tried to kidnap his own wife (not to mention a separate child pornography rap). Frey, prosecutors contend, apparently is a rather demanding guy. In fact, he actually drew up a bizarre four-page marriage document--a "Contract of Wifely Expectations"--that sought to establish guidelines for his spouse in terms of hygiene, clothing, and sexual activities. In return for fulfilling certain requirements, Frey (pictured left) offered "Good Behavior Days," or GBDs. Each GBD, Frey wrote, could be redeemed by his wife to "get out of doing the things" he requested daily. A copy of the proposed contract, which Frey's wife never signed and later provided to cops, can be found below. While we normally point out the highlights of most documents, there are so many in this demented, and very graphic, contract, we really can't do it justice. So set aside ten minutes--and prepare to be repulsed. . .

Fourth Annual Black Marriage Day Planned
Organizers hope emphasis on marriage will solve many of the problems facing African American families Family News In Focus, CO - Feb 17, 2006, By Kim Trobee
This year marks the fourth anniversary of Black Marriage Day held annually on the fourth Sunday in March. Nisa Islam Muhammed is the founder and Executive Director for the Wedded Bliss Foundation, the group that sponsors the event. “We have the lowest marriage rates in America, we have the highest divorce rates and the highest out of wedlock childbearing rates and we see the devastation these rates have caused in our community and in our families.”. . Betty Jean Wolfe, President of the Urban Family Council, sees benefits from the event. . . But Wolfe, an African American herself, does have reservations about a specific day for black marriage. . .

RELATED WEB SITE: www.blackmarriageday.com

RELATED ARTICLE: African-American women celebrate marriage, family Staten Island Advance, NY - Feb 20, 2006

Fourth annual Black Marriage Day planned

John and Emilia Rocchio: The Guiness Book of World Records' longest-married couple in the world

Real Love's In The Air, Believe It Or Knot The Voice Online- UK, By Janelle Oswald, Feb 17, 2006
“She had on a white blouse, a blue skirt — and legs. Wow! And legs," John Rocchio recalls of the first time he saw his then-to-be wife Emilia Antonelli in Providence, Rhode Island, in 1922. “So I says to myself, ‘I need to meet that broad.’" And so he did. They fell in love, got married and still live happily together after 82 years. It is an astounding achievement and one that apparently makes John, 101, and Emilia, 100, the Guinness Book of Records’ longest-married couple in the world. With World Marriage Day celebrated February 12 and St Valentine’s on February 14, we explore whether John and Emilia’s feat can be repeated by this generation. . .

French Government Report Says No to same-sex "Marriage" WDC Media News- By John-Henry Westen, Feb 17, 2006
PARIS (LifeSiteNews.com) --- A government commission set up at the request of the President of the French National Assembly has concluded that homosexual ‘marriage’ and adoption by homosexual couples, and medically assisted procreation for homosexual couples should not be permitted by law. The decisive factor to the report’s conclusions, after an investigation of more than a year, was the commission’s decision to act “to affirm and protect children’s rights and the primacy of those rights over adults’ aspirations.”. . .

RELATED RESOURCES: The Truth about Same-sex Marriage FamilyLife Today

Who needs Valentine's, when flowery youths seem silly?

Who needs Valentines, when flowery youths seem silly? Standard, Kenya - By Benjamin Farasi, Feb 17, 2006
. . . Like the 12-year-old girl who talks down at her 11-year-old sister, calling her "Child!" we often try so hard to outgrow ourselves that we miss out on a lot of fun. Perhaps what we need to ask ourselves is, are we averse to Valentine’s because it is not a genuine holiday — or because of other psychological reasons we would rather not be reminded about? Before dispensing with the silly-sounding idea of re-committing to your love life, try to answer the following six questions with honesty, preferably together with your partner:
1. Does Valentine’s remind you of a communication barrier you may have erected over time between you and your partner?
2. Has life got in the way of your romance? Do you find yourself spending so much time on parenting, work and money matters that you have no time left for your mate?. . .
6. Study this quote by one John Rush: "Marriage turns lovers into relatives." Do you agree? Are you relating with your partner more like siblings than as a couple? . . .

David Furnish Gives Madonna Marriage Advice Via the tabloids... Entertainmentwise, UK - Feb 17, 2006
Elton John has offered his estranged friend Madonna advice on her reportedly failing marriage to director Guy Ritchie. But what advice could the newly marriage Elton John and David Furnish possibly give? Furnish allegedly said to the Daily Mirror: "Elton and I have spoken to Madonna plenty of times lately. She and Guy are close friends of ours. "They both need to concentrate on their careers if they want their relationship to work. Elton and I completely understand. "But if they neglect that, their relationship will inevitably disintegrate. "They will be fine if they don't neglect what they love to do. . .
Eisler puts marriage on ice for Buffy
Olympic medal winner leaves family after skating with original Vampire Slayer Globe and Mail, Canada - Feb 16, 2006
Lloyd Eisler's heart has been stolen by a vampire slayer. The two-time Olympic figure skating medalist and skating coach has fallen for his reality television skating partner, Kristy Swanson, a former Playboy cover girl best known for her role as the original Buffy in the 1992 film Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The two met last fall when they were partners on Fox's Skating with Celebrities, a show that matches figure-skating champions with actors looking for a popularity boost. . . The news had on-line message buzzing and was fodder for tabloid television shows this week. But it was unwelcome news for Mr. Eisler's wife of three years, who lives in the small Eastern Ontario village of Bath with the couple's two boys -- one 21 months old and the other eight weeks old. . . ..
Lisa Marie Presley Marries Guitarist ABC News.com, Feb 16, 2006
-- Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of rock 'n' roll king Elvis Presley, has married guitarist and music producer Michael Lockwood in a ceremony in Kyoto, Japan, her publicist said Thursday. Presley, 38, and Lockwood exchanged vows in a traditional Japanese ceremony on Jan. 22, spokesman Paul Bloch said. It was Presley's fourth marriage. She was previously married to Nicolas Cage, Michael Jackson and Danny Keough, who is the father of her two children. . . . .

Halle Berry Steps Out With Her New Man People Magazine Online, Feb 15, 2006
At the recent reopening of Donatella Versace’s flagship boutique on Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue, all eyes were on a 6'2" blond with broad shoulders, a chiseled jawline and – oh yes – Halle Berry on his arm. At the party Berry, 39, and her new boyfriend, Canadian model Gabriel Aubry, 30, let go of each other’s hands only once (to flank their hostess on a couch) during the party. "Oh my God, it's like you can read it on their faces," says a pal of Aubry. "They are so smitten." And have been since they met shooting a Versace ad in L.A. in November. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: The Inter-Racial Romance Theme in ‘Something New’ is Anything But Groundbreaking BlackAmericaWeb.com- By Gregory Kane, Feb 9, 2006

N.J. Supreme Court ponders same-sex marriage Cherry Hill Courier Post, NJ - BY MATT KATZ, Feb 16, 2006.
The state Supreme Court heard arguments Wednesday in a case that could make New Jersey the second state to legalize gay marriage. For more than an hour, the justices peppered attorneys with questions that echo arguments on both sides of this divisive issue: If gay marriage is legalized, what's to say polygamy won't soon be allowed? If the institution of marriage were changed to allow blacks and whites to marry, why can't it be altered again? The justices will rule on the issue within the next few months. A state deputy attorney general argued that the power to alter the definition of marriage rests with the Legislature, not the Supreme Court, while an attorney representing the couples said denying gays the rights of marriage is flat-out discrimination. . . . .
NY Appellate Courts Rules 5-0 for Marriage
Samuels v. Department of Public Health, No 98084 (N.Y. App. Div. 3 Dept. 2006)
Text of Feb. 16, 2006 opinion here: http://decisions.courts.state.ny.us/ad3/Decisions/2006/98084.pdf

“Plaintiffs seek to bring the right to marry the person of their choosing regardless of gender within the protection of the well-recognized fundamental right to marry. However, we find merit in defendants’ assertion that this case is not simply about the right to marry the persons of one’s choice, but represents a significant expansion into new territory which is, in reality, a redefinition of marriage. The cornerstone cases acknowledging marriage as a fundamental right are laced with language referring to the ancient recognized nature of that institution, specifically tying part of its critical importance to its role in procreation and thus, to the union of a man and a woman. . . .

It is an undisputed biological fact that the vast majority of procreation still occurs as a result of sexual intercourse between a male and a female. In light of such fact, “[t]he State could reasonably decide that by encouraging opposite-sex couples to marry, thereby assuming legal and financial obligations, the children born from such relationships will have better opportunities to be nurtured and raised by two parents within long-term, committed relationships, which society has traditionally viewed as advantageous for children” (Standhardt v. Superior Court of Arizona at 287-288).”

Massacre Valentine's Day LATimes.com- Editorial, Feb 14, 2006
ST. VALENTINE WAS SUPPOSEDLY a martyred 3rd century priest, not a shill for the flower industry or a marketing genius for a certain Kansas City, Mo., greeting-card titan. Still, with all due respect to his martyrdom, we think it's high time the holiday bearing his name be abolished. Call us hopeless romantics on this page, but we find that true love is overwhelming, irrepressible and spontaneous. Romance shouldn't be confined to a particular day; nor need it be triggered by the arrival of Feb. 14. Compulsory love is an oxymoron. . . So be a real romantic and say no to mandatory love. Show up empty-handed tonight; don't sign that card. Repeat after us: "Honey, I won't submit my boundless love for you to this manufactured charade. . .
Love isn't for sale, but Valentine's Day sure is Canada.com, Canada - By Lisa Fitterman, Feb 14, 2006
. . . I began to think, then, of what people are missing around this day dedicated to L-O-V-E, and of the pressures associated with the societal need to be one-half of a couple. While I got cards this year that wished me a "Happy Groundhog's Day" - an occasion during which we wait to see, in a portent of spring, what a rodent-like creature will do once it pops its head out of the ground - it's such an artificial and silly construct, it didn't matter that I was alone on the day of. But the very concept of love - the basis for Valentine's Day - is fraught with peril. We either love, or we don't. We're either loved, or we aren't. We fall in love, and out of love. It's unconditional, a gut reaction rather than something that can be intellectualized or made rational. At its core, love is love is love. Still, it's made more difficult these days because it's underscored by the expectation that we should be able to harness and control it, like a diet, hair colour or our spending on clothes. Indeed, our society tries to solve most things through consumerism. . . .

Politicians want to get between your sheets
Government wants a more hands-on role in promoting and sustaining marriage The Australian, Australia - By Patricia Karvelas, Feb 14, 2006
. . . Coalition MP David Fawcett, one government backbencher who is spearheading the campaign, is calling for financial support from the federal Government for a quit-smoking-style campaign to prevent marriage breakdown. "We need to change the perception in the community that marriage is old-fashioned," he says. "The facts show that marriage is better for your health." Fawcett says there is a role for Government to get involved in promoting and supporting marriage. "Put aside any moral or religious perspectives, the social cost of breakdowns and the instability. . . A scan of magazine racks suggests people want lasting relationships and true love, but Anderson believes they are jaded about whether they can achieve it. "You've only got to look at the magazines to realise that people still idealise the idea of lifelong commitment. They are frightened about lifelong commitment because my generation and older haven't set a very good example. They still hanker after it, but we need to encourage them strongly: relationships are a choice and a commitment and they can be made to work". . . .

Cupid: not enough arrows Chicago Tribune, By Charlie Madigan, Feb 13, 2006
Take a close look at single America and, a new survey shows, it's pretty clear why it's single. Most single Americans aren't actively looking for relationships, and even those who are looking for partners are not very active on the dating scene. This comes from the Pew Research Center in Washington, which usually occupies itself with a collection of subjects that aren't very romantic, political surveys and measures of attitude and the like. But in an American Life Project survey last fall, the Pew pollsters decided to dive deep into the dating waters and see who was swimming around. Lots of people, the survey found, are still up there on the beach. . . . .

Turning a funeral pulpit into a political soapbox Townhall.com- By Star Parker, Feb 13, 2006
It's sad to say but it must be said. It should be clear to anyone who watched the tasteless politicization of Coretta Scott King's funeral by a black minister and by a former president why the black community remains, after all these years, as troubled as it is. . . Aside from the question of propriety, what about the message? "For war, billions more, but no more for the poor?" Does [the Rev. Joseph] Lowery really believe that blacks are suffering today because they are not getting enough government money? As I, and others, have pointed out, time and again, incomes of intact black families, those with a married father and mother living at home with their children, are in line with those of all Americans. The glaring pockets of poverty in the black community are in the broken families, the single parent homes. The incidence of these broken families is three times higher today than they were in the 1960's when Lowery was marching with Dr. King. . . . .

Turning a funeral pulpit into a political soapbox

The inter-racial romance theme in 'Something New' is anything but groundbreaking

The Inter-Racial Romance Theme in ‘Something New’ is Anything But Groundbreaking BlackAmericaWeb.com- By Gregory Kane, Feb 9, 2006
When some movies hit the theaters, it’s almost a no-brainer about which ones I’ll see and which ones I wouldn’t watch even if I had a gun pointed at my head. . . Now, normally I’d be seated front and center for a flick featuring such gorgeous black women as Sanaa Lathan, Golden Brooks, Taraji P. Henson and Felicia Walker. And I might have gone to see “Something New” if people had just shut up about it. But nooo. Folks had to talk about it. One ad -- featuring some of the actresses in “Something New” -- called it “the first movie by black women for black women.” That left me kind of baffled. Hadn’t these sisters ever heard of Julie Dash’s “Daughters of the Dust?". . . There have been numerous films made about the black woman/white man romance. Don’t tell me it’s “something new” when a similar movie came out just last year. Or am I the only one who can remember “Guess Who?”. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Spotting a few new trends at the multiplex Newsday, NY -By Sheryl McCarthy, February 13, 2006

Health issues: You bet I want fries with that! Townhall.com- By Jeff Jacoby, Feb 13, 2006
I don't usually follow nutrition stories, but it was hard to miss last week's shocker about low-fat diets. Like many papers, The Boston Globe put it on Page 1, high above the fold: "Study finds no major benefits of low-fat diet." The study, a project of the National Institutes of Health, had taken eight years, cost $415 million, and involved nearly 49,000 older women, 40 percent of whom were assigned to a diet that kept their intake of calories from fat significantly below that of the other 60 percent. Researchers had expected to confirm what earlier studies and conventional medical wisdom had long suggested -- that consuming less fat is good for your health. What they learned instead was that the women who dutifully cut back on fried foods, ice cream, and pizza ended up no better off than the women who ate whatever they wanted. . . There is a seemingly inexhaustible willingness to believe that the voice of science is the voice of truth -- impartial, incorruptible, and unambiguous. It isn't, of course. . .

Why so many singles can't find love MSNBC.com- Today show, Feb 8, 2006
Jillian Straus, a successful TV producer, dated many men, but she couldn’t find Mr. Right. She wasn’t alone. Her single girlfriends had the same problem. So Straus, who now lives in New York City, decided to research a book on why it was so hard for singles to settle down. She interviewed 100 men and women in their 20s and 30s around the country about their dating habits—and disappointments. In “Unhooked Generation: The Truth About Why We're Still Single,” Straus, who was invited to appear on the “Today” show, reveals why singles remain single. Here’s an excerpt. . . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Dating Pains Book may help make a relationship work Winston-Salem Journal, NC- By Colleen Long, Feb 17, 2006

The Army's Marching Orders on Marriage:
Jerks, No; Acronyms, Yes The Washington Post.com, Wed Feb 8, 2006
They are the Pentagon's new "rules of engagement": U.S. Army chaplains are trying to teach troops how to pick the right spouse, through a program called "How to Avoid Marrying a Jerk." The matchmaking advice comes as military family life is being stressed: Defense Department records show that more than 56,000 people in the Army -- active-duty, National Guard and reserve -- have divorced since the campaign in Afghanistan started in 2001. . . The program is also called "PICK a Partner," for Premarital Interpersonal Choices and Knowledge. It advises the marriage-bound to study a partner's FACES -- family background, attitudes, compatibility, experiences in previous relationships and skills they would bring to the union. It teaches the them to pace themselves with a RAM chart -- the Relationship Attachment Model, which basically says not to let your sexual involvement exceed your level of commitment or level of knowledge about the other person. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Army divorce rates drop, marriages rise Belvoir Eagle, VA - Feb 2, 2006

Troubled childhood, failed marriage led teacher and boy to Mexico Monterey County Herald- CA, By Bill Estep, Feb 8, 2006
- Having an affair with a female teacher can be the stuff of fantasy for a 14-year-old boy, and Justin Carter apparently couldn't resist some adolescent bragging. Justin told others that he was having sex with his teacher, 26-year-old Angela Comer, and once let another teen listen while he called Comer to ask whether she was bringing the birth control for a tryst that night, said Justin's grandmother and guardian, Betty York. . . Now the case is the stuff of sensation, rumors and crime TV - a small-town teacher accused of running off with a student, tracked down at a motel in Mexico and brought back to face the embarrassing music. Comer has been charged with two counts of third-degree sodomy, four counts of unlawful transaction with a minor and one charge of custodial interference. . .

CHILD TRAGEDIES: MISSING MARRIAGE New York Post Online (Free Subscription)- By W. Bradford Wilcox, Feb 8, 2006
SEVEN shocking child deaths in the last four months: Liyah Atkinson, Quachaun Browne, Nixzmary Brown, Josiah Bunch, Dahquay Gillians, Sierra Roberts, Michael Segarra. This staggering death toll from abuse or neglect has focused justifiable attention on malfeasance at the city's Administration for Children's Services. But another thread tragically links these kids: All were living outside of an intact, married family. Four-year-old Quachaun Browne died at the hands of his mother's controlling, 18-year-old live-in boyfriend. One-year-old baby Josiah Bunch also appears to have died at the hands of a mother's boyfriend. Nixzmary Brown, 7, was beaten to death by her domineering step-father. Three infants, Liyah Atkinson, Dahquay Gillians, and Michael Segarra, died in the custody of their unmarried mothers, apparently by accident. Sierra Roberts, 7, was killed when her single father lost his temper. And so it goes. For all the heartbreaking media coverage, almost no stories have mentioned that children are much more likely to die outside of an intact, married home than they are to die inside an intact, married home. Consider the empirical evidence. . .

MSNBC CELEBRATES VALENTINE"S DAY WITH A 3-HOUR SPECIAL
"LOVE AND MARRIAGE-- REAL JOURNEYS," PREMIERING SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 12 AT 7 P.M. (ET) Press Release- NBC Universal Media Village, Feb 7, 2006
. . . With growing ambitions and responsibilities in the 21st century – a successful career, a thriving social life, raising and providing for a family, household duties, to name a few – how does one find success in love and marriage? Frank Sinatra says they "go together like a horse and carriage," but after returning home from a long day at the office to piles of bills, laundry, and dishes, a married couple can feel more like roommates cohabitating and fulfilling their responsibilities than lovers. The three hour special, "Love & Marriage – Real Journeys" catalogs the four separate stories of these couples and how they have (or have not) found success in love and marriage. . .

MSNBC celebrates Valentine's Day with a 3-hour special 'Love and Marriage- Real Journeys'

Popping The Question. . . ESPN Radio, Feb 7, 2006
Some dream of their weddings for years. Others dream of going to ESPN. Mike & Mike are making both these dreams come true for one lucky couple. You could get married at ESPN live on Mike & Mike in the Morning. Tell us how sports brought you together and why you deserve the ultimate sports wedding. Include a photograph that best exemplifies why you're the best couple for the Mike & Mike's Marriage Madness. Sixteen (16) finalists will be determined and will advance to the Elimination Round. If you win, Greeny & Golic will throw you the ultimate sports wedding on Friday, May 26 live on Mike & Mike in the Morning at ESPN. . .

RELATED BLOG: How to Guarantee a Quick Divorce Deadspin.com, Feb 7, 2006

Prison Love Part I: Inmates who once vowed to be 'lifemates' speak ... WBIR-TV- TN, Kay Watson- Reporter, Feb 6, 2006
February is known as the month of love, and love knows no limits. It can even work its way inside prison walls. George and Jennifer Hyatte recently pushed East Tennessee to focus on the issue of prisoner marriages. Jennifer Hyatte lost her job as a prison nurse at the Northeast Correctional Complex, after smuggling in food for inmate George Hyatte. The couple later married. Last August, she allegedly murdered a corrections officer to free her husband. . . "A lot of women like that bad boy, and a lot of women like that fixer upper," Smith explained. . .

Hitch to 'No Fault' Divorce: BOREDOM Yahoo! News- NY Post Online- By Andrea Peyser, Feb 6, 2006
DARN. My favorite extreme spectator sport - celebrity divorce - could soon get a whole lot duller. . . New York, I'm amazed to report, is not just a notoriously difficult place to find a mate. Legally, our state is also the toughest place in the nation to get un-hitched. . . But that seems about to change. . . "I'm not a great fan of no-fault divorce. It means that every man who has lots of money and wants to trade in for a new model doesn't have to go before a judge and explain why he wants to break, not only a legal, but a moral and ethical contract," said Raoul Felder, who handled Giuliani's case. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Quicker, Cheaper 'no fault' divorces proposed Newsday.com- By Mark Johnson, Feb 7, 2006
Family Fortunes
A new film will put divorce back on the agenda. . . The Sunday Times-UK Feb 5, 2006
Last week saw the start of another television reality series, involving families in crisis and the specialist counsellor who gets parachuted in to save them. We’ve had fat families, floundering parents, sexually challenged couples — now it’s the turn of families on the verge of breaking up. How to Divorce Without Screwing up Your Children (yes, believe it) ticks all the right boxes — conflict, misery, wide age appeal — and its timing is bang on. Divorce statistics are always in the news, but the emotional consequences are back on the agenda in a way they haven’t been since Kramer vs Kramer. . . Divorce happens. Some people do it better than others. Some families go on to join other families and be blissfully happy. But, if you are a child of divorcing parents, as The Squid and the Whale reminds us, the fact of your mother and father no longer loving each other (bad), no longer living together, with you (bad), putting their happiness first (they don’t see it like that, but you do), is only the beginning. . .

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Lance Armstrong, Crow Decide to Split ABC News - Feb 3, 2006
AUSTIN, Texas Feb 3, 2006 — Lance Armstrong and Sheryl Crow have split, the couple announced in a joint statement Friday night. The seven-time Tour de France champion and the rock star announced their engagement in September. It would have been her first marriage and his second. He has three children from a previous marriage. . . Crow talked about being part of a celebrity couple in an interview with The Associated Press in November, saying she wasn't crazy about all the attention that goes with it. She said celebrity magazines are more interested in seeing a couple break up than reporting on them being happy together. . .

Dissolving Marriage
If everything is marriage, then nothing is. National Review Online-CA, By Stanley Kurtz, Feb 3, 2006
"The way to abolish marriage, without seeming to abolish it, is to redefine the institution out of existence. If everything can be marriage, pretty soon nothing will be marriage. Legalize gay marriage, followed by multi-partner marriage, and pretty soon the whole idea of marriage will be meaningless. At that point, Canada can move to what Bailey and her friends really want: an infinitely flexible relationship system that validates any conceivable family arrangement, regardless of the number or gender of partners. . .". . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Beyond Gay Marriage The Weekly Standard.com- By Stanley Kurt