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"MARRIAGE" In The News
(June 2006)

Enter Our Blog Spot!

"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.

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  • Media provides cover for assault on traditional marriage  CNN.com, By James C. Dobson, June 28, 2006
    -- On June 7, the U.S. Senate voted for a second time on an amendment to define marriage in the U.S. Constitution as being exclusively between one man and one woman. Again this year, the amendment failed to pass by a wide margin, falling 18 votes shy of a required two-thirds majority. The final tally was 49 in favor, 48 opposed. Rarely has there been a greater disconnect between members of the Senate and the American people who put them in power. . . .
      However, there was another "poll" that the media completely ignored. In fact, there were 19 of them. They represented the 19 states in which voters overwhelmingly defined marriage as being between a man and a woman. Not one state has chosen by popular vote to permit marriages between homosexuals. . . .
Dr. James Dobson: Media provides cover for assault on traditional marriage

RELATED ARTICLE:  By 58- 36%, Most Want Ban on Same-Sex Marriage, Yet Gibson says Public 'Evenly Split'   NewsBusters.org, Posted By Brent Baker, June 6, 2006


TO SEE HOW YOUR STATE SENATORS VOTED:
  U.S. Senate: Roll Call Votes 109th Congress- 2nd Session


RELATED SITES:
 
Focus on the Family      Focus on the Family ACTION

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Mitt Romney: People, not courts, should define civil rights
  • Romney said the people, not courts, should define civil rights  Boston Globe.com, By Steve-LeBlanc- AP, June 28, 2006
    BOSTON --Gov. Mitt Romney, renewing his support for a ballot question banning gay marriage, said Wednesday it's the job of voters -- not the courts or lawmakers -- to define what constitutes a civil right. "Who's going to tell us what a civil right is and what's not? Well, the people will," Romney said at a news conference calling on lawmakers to allow a vote on a proposed amendment to the state constitution that would ban same-sex marriage here. That vote is scheduled for July 12. Supporters have long cast same-sex marriage as a civil right that should not be subject to a popular vote, likening it to the desegregation battles of the 1950s and 1960s, where the courts played a central role in expanding rights for blacks. . . .

RELATED ARTICLE:  4 ex-govs urge 'no' on gay marriage ban  The Capital Times- WI, June 28, 2006


RELATED ARTICLE:
 
Same-Sex marriage: Hijacking the Civil Rights Legacy  The Weekly Standard- By Eugene F. Rivers & Kenneth D. Johnson, June 1, 2006


  • Parenting Issues:  NEA Backs Down From Gay Marriage Support  Queerty, NY - Filed by David, June 28, 2006
    One of the United States' largest academic unions – the National Education Association, which represents teachers, higher education faculty, and other education professionals – was all set to encourage its 2.8 million members to support gay marriage and civil unions in all 50 states. But two days after a NEA delegate leaked language of the resolution to the American Family Association (yes, that American Family Association), the NEA changed the language of the original bill. Now the org's officials are claiming they didn't change their support of gay marriage because of the AFA's threat of protests but rather decided not to take a stance on the issue. . . .
NEA backs down from gay marriage support

RELATED ARTICLE:  Unacceptable to promote gay marriage  Modesto Bee, CA, June 28, 2006


RELATED ARTICLE:
 
Educators say pre-school set needs straight talk on gay issues  Bay Windows, By Ethan Jacobs, June 22, 2006


Vatican worried about positions on 'family'
  • Vatican Worried About Positions on Family   Los Angeles Times, By MARIA SANMINIATELLI, June 28, 2006
    VATICAN CITY -- The Vatican is worried its opposition to abortion, embryonic stem cell research and gay marriage could one day land it before an international court of justice, a senior Vatican official said in an interview published Wednesday. Cardinal Alfonso Lopez Trujillo, who heads the Pontifical Council for the Family, reiterated traditional Roman Catholic Church positions and criticized some European countries, including Belgium, the Netherlands and France, for giving legal recognition to civil unions. "We worry especially that, with current laws, speaking in defense of life and the rights of families is becoming in some societies sort of a crime against the state," . . . . . 

RELATED ARTICLE:  Is Catholicism now "Unacceptable"?   TownHall.com, By Pat Buchanan, June 20, 2006


RELATED ARTICLE: 
Banned in Boston: The Coming Conflict Between Same Sex Marriage and Religious Liberty Cover Story- The Weekly Standard, By Maggie Gallagher, May 15, 2006 Issue


  • Wedding bells ring only once for most Canadians: Study  CBC NEWS, June 28, 2006
    Most Canadians take only one trip down the aisle in their lifetime, according to a new study on marriage. Almost 90 per cent of married Canadians have been wed only once, says the study in the Canadian Social Trends survey, released Wednesday by Statistics Canada.  The study, "Till death do us part? The risk of first and second marriage dissolution" appears in the June 2006 issue of Canadian Social Trends. Ten per cent of respondents in the study had married twice, and less than one per cent had gotten hitched more than twice. . . . . According to the study, first marriages were more likely to succeed if the couples: . . . .
Study: Wedding bells ring only once for most Canadians

RELATED ARTICLE:  Age, but not familiarity can influence a successful marriage  Canada.com, By Meagan Fitzpatrick, June 28, 2006


  • Gay pair asking to be wed in Mass. say no ban in R.I.  BOSTON GLOBE, By Brian MacQuarrie, June 27, 2006
    A Massachusetts Superior Court judge heard arguments yesterday that a gay couple from Providence should be allowed to marry in the Bay State because Rhode Island law does not explicitly ban same-sex marriage. . . .


  • The death of marriage?  Guardian Unlimited, UK, June 26, 2006
    Love and love, love and marriage - no longer go together like a horse and carriage. Marriage is on its last legs, trotting swiftly towards its demise, both socially and statistically. It's not just the increasing frequency of divorce - though of course divorce is a growth industry. But to get divorced you must first get married. Fewer and fewer are doing so. . . . . When did you last hear the phrases "living in sin" or "illegitimate child", let alone "bastard" or any of those other god-awful expressions? Today a high proportion of kids in any school - certainly any non-faith school - are the fruit of unmarried partnerships. It's far too widespread for anyone to bother about. . . . .


    RELATED ARTICLE:
     
    Marriage is giving way to cohabitation in SA  Independent Online, South Africa - June 26, 2006Z


    RELATED ARTICLE: 
    Dated, discredited and deeply ungroovy?  Times Online, By Shane Watson, June 25, 2006

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Kidman weds her Urban cowboy
  • Kidman weds her Urban cowboy  Herald Sun- Austrailia, June 26, 2006
    NICOLE Kidman and Keith Urban were married in a romantic twilight ceremony yesterday at a clifftop chapel in Sydney. Veiled and wearing an ivory gown designed by Nicolas Ghesquiere for Balenciaga, Kidman was every bit the princess bride as thousands of well-wishers lined the streets. She exchanged vows with Urban in a traditional Catholic ceremony at the Gothic-style Cardinal Cerretti Memorial Chapel at St Patrick's Estate, Manly. The church bells rang out at 6.25pm to indicate the couple were married. . . . .



    RELATED ARTICLE:
       Kidman weds Urban  NEWS.com.au, Australia, By Holly Byrnes, June 26, 2006


    RELATED ARTICLE:
      How did Nicole Kidman re-marry in a Catholic church?
      BBC NEWS- UK, June 26, 2006

RELATED ARTICLE:  A modern glamour icon  The Sydney Morning Herald, By Patty Huntington, June 26, 2006


RELATED ARTICLE:
 
No honeymoon hurry star newlyweds  NEWS.com.au, Australia, By Erin McWhirter and Jonathon Moran, June 26, 2006


  • After the wedding  Jamaica Gleaner- News, By Karen Blair, June 26, 2006
    . . . . . It's simple. When your wedding day ends, your marriage begins. All too soon, we come to the realisation that the glamour and the glitz slowly fade away. The bouquets wilt, the family members and friends return home, the attendants cash their cheques and say bye and all you are left with is each other. You now live with another person for the rest of your life; this other individual, whom you pledged to stick with, come what may. It's not as scary as it sounds and can be a beautiful experience, but you must know how to approach your marriage and how to survive life after the wedding is over. Firstly, you need to know the facts. . . .

  • More couples use nuptials to raise cash for causes  Chicago Sun-Times, US, By Brad Foss, June 26, 2006
    ... It is a trend that is picking up momentum, wedding planners said, with help from a handful of Web-based nonprofits that serve as virtual intermediaries. . .  'We were looking for ways to cut back on the excess," said Crane, who like many brides-to-be these days was astounded by how quickly the costs of a wedding can escalate. "The whole wedding industry is a little bit out of control." Because weddings are increasingly secular "commercialized" events -- Americans spend $26,000, on average -- "people are looking for a way to reflect that they are deeper than all that,". . . .   

European Muslims resort to virginity ploy

'Marboro Man' marine, wife divorcing
  • 'Marlboro Man' Marine, wife divorcing   USA TODAY.com, Posted by Michael Winter, June 26, 2006
    The honeymoon is over for the "Marlboro Man" — and so's the marriage for the former Marine who gained notoriety for the now-famous photograph of his grimy face with the dangling cigarette in Fallujah two years ago. Just three weeks after Americans contributed $15,000 to a "dream wedding," the man from Pikeville, Ky., has filed for divorce from his bride. . . . The happiness lasted nine days. By June 12, court papers show the pair were living apart, and Miller filed for divorce June 20. . . .

RELATED ARTICLE:  In the hills of Kemtucky, a soldier and his wife get the message --THANK YOU  San Francisco Chronicle, By Matthew B. Stannard, June 11, 2006 

RELATED ARTICLE: 
THE WAR WITHIN: Miller returns home   San Francisco Chronicle, By Matthew B. Stannard, Jan 29, 2006 


  • Spain sees first gay divorce a year after legalizing marriage  EiTB-24, Spain, June 26, 2006
    Some 1,300 gay weddings have now taken place in Spain. The marriage legislation gives same-sex unions the same status as heterosexual ones, including inheritance rights and adoption.
    A year after legalising gay marriage, Spain is now seeing its first gay divorce, complete with a custody fight over the couple's dogs, a newspaper reported on Monday.The claimant is asking for the right to stay in the marital home and to take custody of their pets. . . .

  • Court ruling talk of Gay Pride parade   Statesboro Herald- AP, GA -June 26, 2006
    Floats and participants fill the street for the Gay Pride parade in midtown Atlanta Sunday. One of the largest Gay Pride parades in the country was held not far from where the Georgia Supreme Court will hear arguments two days later on whether to reinstate a constitutional ban on gay marriages that was thrown out by a judge last month despite its overwhelming popularity among voters in 2004. . . .

    RELATED ARTICLE:
    Judge: Georgia Gay Marriage Ban Violates State Constitution FOX News - May 16, 2006
Court ruling talk of gay pride parade


Marcia Cross weds Tom Mahoney
  • Marcia Cross weds Tom Mahoney  USA Today, By Donna Freydkin, June 25, 2006
    She's desperate, but only on the small screen. Marcia Cross, 44, who plays tightly wound widow Bree Van De Kamp on ABC's Desperate Housewives, married her stockbroker fiancé, Tom Mahoney, 48, on Saturday. . .  .


    RELATED ARTICLE:
    Marcia Cross Gets Married   People magazine, By Ulrica Wihlborg, June 24, 2006
      

  • Dated, discredited and deeply ungroovy?  Times Online, By Shane Watson, June 25, 2006
    On the contrary. Despite divorce, the demise of religion and all evidence to the contrary, marriage is thriving more than ever, particularly among the young. So what’s the attraction ? Divorce has been on our minds a lot lately, what with the news of the McCartney marriage and various high-profile court cases. Meanwhile, a change in the law has given Britain’s 4.4m cohabitees a new level of financial protection. The message seems to be coming over loud and clear: marriage isn’t working. Yet nobody is listening. . . . .

  • What Shamu Taught Me About a Happy Marriage   New York Times( Free Subscription)-US, BY Amy Sutherland, June 25, 2006
    . . . . I listened, rapt, as professional trainers explained how they taught dolphins to flip and elephants to paint. Eventually it hit me that the same techniques might work on that stubborn but lovable species, the American husband. . . .

  • Truth should be more important than unity   Telegraph.co.uk, By Michael Nazir-Ali, June 25, 2006
    In many ways, the United States is a study in contrasts. It is full of clashing colours and jangling messages. Socially and politically, it is very divided. . . . . Why, then, should I have been shocked on entering the Greater Columbus Convention Centre in Ohio, where the General Convention of the Episcopal Church (the Anglican Church in the USA) was being held? Should I not have expected tension, difference and debate? There was, first of all, culture shock.. . . . There is a serious breakdown of marriage discipline and, while I was there, the ECUSA bishops passed a resolution indicating their advocacy of same-sex marriage. This happened without any debate on the nature of marriage and how the Church contributed to a public understanding of such a vital social institution. . . .

  • Cheating in Marriage  Jamaica Gleaner, June 25, 2006
    UTTER THE words cheating and marriage in the same sentence and the listener may immediately think a third party, besides the husband and wife, is involved. However, Kingston-based marriage counsellor George Ramocan believes that couples are quite capable of cheating each other within the marriage and frequently do. . . . "In my experience, deprivation happens both ways, but wives are especially prone to 'disciplining' their husbands by the act of withholding sex," the counsellor said. .

  • Marriage is for grown-ups  SturgisJournal.com, By James and Audora Burg, June 24, 2006
    We sometimes wonder how it comes off that a couple of young pups married only eight years presume to offer insight and advice about marriage when some who read these columns have been married longer than either of us has drawn breath. Jim can quote statistics and research findings and the accumulated professional wisdom about relationships and marriage — and we often do here — but it's head knowledge, not life experience. So we thought we’d defer to the real experts for a few paragraphs — those who live the beauty of love, proven by commitment, tempered by time. . . .

  • Strengthen your marriage  South Florida Sun-Sentinel, By June Hall, June 24, 2006
    Dear June: Is it possible to love two men at the same time? After 17 years, I never thought I'd look at another man with longing eyes. I'm wondering if I would be happy having everything with this man, who is my customer, that I already have with my husband. I'm wondering if I am falling in love with him. We have such great conversation and we can't wait to see each other. We've met by accident at the same place at the same time. My marriage is a happy one, but could I have feelings for someone else also? -- Anonymous. . . . . . Dear June: Regarding the woman who wanted to have a ladies' retreat but didn't tell her husband, I am surprised at your response. . . .

  • Marriage is also a commitment to God  Seattlepi.com, By Dr. Billy Graham, June 24, 2006
    DEAR DR. GRAHAM: Our marriage isn't what it used to be, and to be honest, I find myself very attracted to a divorcee who has moved into our apartment complex and is very friendly and sympathetic. What's wrong with being friendly with her? Doesn't God want us to be happy? -- B.R. . .


  • Christian Activists Shouted Down, Threatened at Philly's Homosexual Rally  Agape Press, By Jim Brown, June 22, 2006
    - The head of a Philadelphia-based Christian ministry says his group was targeted by a "lawless mob" of homosexuals at the city's annual homosexual pride event -- and that city police refused to enforce state laws against harassment and disorderly conduct at that time. New video footage from Repent America shows homosexuals with the group "Anti-Racist Action" shouting profanities at RA director Michael Marcavage and even threatening him with physical violence in the presence of Philadelphia police officers. Members of the group also yelled "Christian fascists" at RA participants while ministering at the June 11 event. Marcavage suggests the pro-homosexual groups participating in the event are getting special treatment. . . . .

    RELATED SITE:
    Repent America: Calling a Nation in Rebellion Toward God to Repentance 

    RELATED VIDEO:  Repent America  (RATED: R  FOR LANGUAGE)
Christian activists shouted down, threatened at Philly's homosexual rally

  • Parenting Issues:   Educators say pre-school set needs straight talk on gay issues  Bay Windows, By Ethan Jacobs, June 22, 2006
    Despite the controversy that can arise when gay issues are talked about in elementary school classrooms, a group of educators are trying to give schools the tools they need to do just that. This year Wheelock College offered a new course for early childhood education workers on making schools and daycare settings welcoming for same-sex couples and their children. The course prompted the formation of the Massachusetts LGBT Early Childhood Education Initiative, a consortium of people in the field working to make classrooms around the state more inclusive of LGBT families. . . . For its first project, the initiative organized the Cambridge City Hall celebration June 14. The event featured photos from the traveling exhibit “Love Makes a Family,” which shows families in all their various constellations. . . .

    RELATED ARTICLE:
      Parenting Issues: Controversy Over Kid's Book Depicting Gay Marriage  CBS4Boston, Boston - Apr 20, 2006
      
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What marriage really needs is rewards
  • What marriage really needs is rewards   NorthJersey.com (Scripps Howard News Service), By David Waters June 22, 2006
    Now that the Senate has been unable to find any WMD -- Weddings of Mass Destruction -- maybe we can get serious about defending the institution of holy matrimony. . . . It's hard out here for a married couple. Just look at the divorce rate. One of every two marriages fail. If one of every two incumbents failed to get re-elected, Congress would have passed the Incumbent Protection Amendment years ago. About the only thing harder than being and staying married in this society is being and staying married with children. Instead of making it harder to get married, Senator, how about finding ways to make it easier to be married?. . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Landmark Report by Scholars is a Powerful Defense of Marriage  United Families International- By Sharon Slater, June 21, 2006

RELATED REPORT:
Marriage and the Public Good: Ten Principles


  • Marriage problem? Yes, but it's not same-sex unions  The Hook, By John W. Whitehead (Rutherford Institute), June 22, 2006
    . . . . Supporters of the Amendment insist that same-sex marriage threatens the very foundation of the traditional family. But a quick glance at today's American family, which is far from traditional or cohesive, shows that the issue of same-sex marriage is merely a small symptom of a much bigger problem. For instance, America's divorce rate is close to a staggering 50 percent. Many experts point to financial struggles, marriage at young ages, work stress, and lack of education as key contributors to this alarming statistic. Furthermore, while evangelicals in the so-called "Bible Belt" states have been leading the charge to protect and defend the institution of marriage, divorce rates in that region of America are higher than in traditionally liberal states. . . . .Perhaps even more surprising are the divorce rates among professed evangelicals. .
Marriage problem? Yes, but it's not same-sex unions

RELATED ARTICLE:  Christian marriage seminar lures 960  AZStarNet.com, By Stephanie Innes, June 23, 2006

RELATED RESOURCE: Weekend to Remember 


Sex the second time around has a whole new set of expectations and issues
  • Sex the Second Time Around
    For remarried couples, intimacy has a whole new set of expectations and issues
      ChristianityToday.com, By Ginger Kolbaba, Summer 2006 Edition
    . . . . Sex is different after a divorce. Because sex is the most intimate thing you can share with a spouse, sex can take the hardest hit in a new marriage. Trust, betrayal, anger, hurt-all are things that affect intimacy. Thus, this is one area that needs the most attention in a remarriage. . . .Sex the second time around encounters a handicap before the couple even gets started. Usually, once a couple gets to the point of divorce, the sex is no longer really great-if it's there at all. So couples may enter remarriage believing their spouse is going to fulfill all their sexual desires. It becomes quite a jolt, then, when that doesn't happen. . .  . Also, women may enter into a second relationship with certain anxieties that men may not necessarily have. If she's had children, for instance, she may have more of a body image issue than in her first marriage. If you and your spouse are struggling with intimacy issues, there's hope. Here are eight things to keep in mind. . . .

    RELATED ARTICLE:
      Boomers: Sex most important to marriage 
    UPI, June 22, 2006

  • Catholic League to Canadians Who Oppose Gay Marriage: "Prepare to be further marginalized"  LifeSiteNews.com, By John-Henry Westen, June 21, 2006
    "Ryerson's half-hearted support of its own decision to give Dr. Somerville this honour is yet another example of how the forced acceptance of the gay 'marriage' agenda is restricting free speech in circles including the academy."  That was the comment of Phil Horgan, President of the Catholic Civil Rights League, on the controversy surrounding the decision of Ryerson University to grant an honorary degree to Margaret Somerville, professor of the Faculties of Law and Medicine at McGill University. Dr. Somerville accepted the degree and addressed the graduates at the convocation ceremonies. Even though Somerville supports civil unions for homosexuals, while opposing same-sex "marriage," gay activists launched a campaign to have the honour rescinded. Several professors on stage turned their backs to her in protest.   The university, while it refused to withdraw the degree, issued a statement suggesting it would not have invited her to receive it "if it had known her views on same sex marriage.". . . .
Catholic League to Canadians who oppose gay marriage: Prepare to be further marginalized

RELATED ARTICLE:  Protest As Gay Marriage Foe Receives Honorary Degree  365gay.com- The Canadian Press, June 19, 2006

RELATED ARTICLE: 
Is Catholicism now "Unacceptable"?   TownHall.com, By Pat Buchanan, June 20, 2006


Wedding countdown begins
  • Wedding countdown begins  NEWS.com.au, Australia -From Sydney Confidential, June 22, 2006
    WEDDING fever stepped up a notch yesterday as the groom's family and the bride's celebrity friends filed into town, as Nicole Kidman celebrated her hen's night and the rest of Sydney waited for the big day on Sunday. The day started early when Kidman's close friend and suspected bridesmaid Naomi Watts touched down in Sydney about 6am. . . . It has also emerged that Kidman is not pregnant, with her US publicist strongly denying recent rumours. . .

    RELATED ARTICLE:
      Happy ever after for Kidman?  BBC News- Entertainment, June 20, 2006  

  • How to be a Great Wedding Guest   ABC-7 Online- WABC-DT New York, June 2006
    There's more to attending a wedding than getting dressed up, shedding a few tears, and partying all night long -- you've got responsibilities, too! Here's everything you need to know to be a great guest. . . .
    Getting an Invitation: When you receive an invite (usually six to eight weeks before the wedding), don't let it get lost on the coffee table -- check the date and decide if you'll go. Whether you can or can't, respond ASAP -- the R.S.V.P. date noted on the invitation isn't arbitrary. . . . . A few dos and don'ts:. . . 

    RELATED ARTICLES:  The Ultimate Wedding Planner  ABC-7 Online- WABC-DT New York

    RELATED SITES:  The Knot     Consciousweddings    Consciouswedding.com 
    (different site)

Tom Cruise threatens to have 10 more kids
  • Tom Cruise Threatens To Have 10 More Kids   Entertainmentwise.com- By Lowri Williams, June 21, 2006
    Hollywood heavyweight Tom Cruise has announced that he plans on having at least 9 more children with his fiancée Katie Holmes. Gulp! Holmes gave birth to Cruise’s first biological child Suri in April; he already has two adopted children from his marriage to Nicole Kidman. Speaking at the Shangai premiere of his recent film 'Mission: Impossible III’ he said: "I always wanted to be a father. I remember my whole life, I wanted to be a father. So I'm hoping maybe I have 10 children. "It was the best Father's Day". . . . . Reader Comments:  Has he forgotten that he is already a father to two children? What makes this fathers day any better than the others he shared with Conor and Isabella. Comments like this will surely make those children feel like outsiders just because they are not his biological children -
    ANGELA, LONDON. .

RELATED ARTICLE:  Tom Cruise Delays marriage, But Eager For More Kids  Cinemablend.com, By Mr. H, June 21, 2006

RELATED ARTICLE: 
Angelina: Zahara Is Jealous of Shiloh   People magazine, By Stephen M. Silverman, June 21, 2006

RELATED ARTICLE: Tom Cruise & Katie Holmes: Marriage Impossible?  National Ledger, AZ - By Lynda Johnson, May 9, 2006

RELATED CELEBRITY ARTICLE:  'TomKat' thumbs nose at marriage and reality  IndyStar.com, By Lori Borgman, April  23, 2006


  • Are Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt 'Colonial Overlord's?  Entertainmentwise.com- By Lowri Williams, June 21, 2006
    Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have come under fire from Namibia's National Society For Human Rights. The NSHR have labelled Brangelina as "colonial overlords" and has accused the celebrity couple of "using heavy-handed and brutal tactics" in their bid for privacy while staying in the African country. An NSHR spokesman has said: "To shut down a national border so she can give birth in peace is a massive abuse of power." . . .

    RELATED ARTICLE: Brad and Angelina's Baby Girl  People magazine, June 1, 2006

  • Beyond Gay Marriage
    A circle of friends point toward the next battle for acceptance
      VILLAGE VOICE- NY, By Corina Zappia, June 20, 2006
    Watch the news reports on gay marriage and you'd think the queer community had magically morphed into a Noah's Ark of same-sex couples—all conveniently packaged two by two, a place for everything and everything in its place. Fit neatly into one of these circumscribed categories and maybe we'll make room for you at the dinner table. Now consider this proverbial wrench: a Brooklyn-based group of lesbian, gay, transgender, and straight friends who hang out, make out, and uphold an anything-goes policy on who gets with whom. A lesbian can kiss a gay man, a transgender can sleep with a straight woman—without fear of the reproach they might receive elsewhere from members of the queer and straight communities alike.
    . . The battle for gay marriage is just the beginning. . . .  

RATED: MA
FOR MATURE READERS ONLY
SEXUALLY EXPLICIT MATERIAL

MA RATING: FOR MATURE READERS ONLY

Robert Evans' seventh wife seeks divorce
  • Robert Evan's Seventh Wife seeks Divorce  The Washington Post-AP, June 20, 2006
     -- Robert Evans is headed to divorce court _ again. His seventh wife, Victoria White O'Gara, filed for divorce June 16 in Superior Court, citing irreconcilable differences, according to People magazine. Michael Levine, spokesman for the 75-year-old former Paramount production chief, declined comment Tuesday. The pair were married last August in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. . . .

    RELATED ARTICLE: 
    Divorce No. 7 for Producer Robert Evans  People magazine, Mary Margaret Acoymo, June 20, 2006

    RELATED ARTICLE: 
    When Love and Fame aren't enough   MSNBC.com, Commentary By Michael Ventre, Oct 5, 2005

  • Taking your marriage vows seriously  EnidNews.com- OK, By Peggy Goodrich, June 20, 2006
    Do you take your marriage vows seriously? Think about it. June is National Wedding Month. Many young people are united in marriage to start wonderful lives together. Their world is all ahead of them. They have a plan for the future. New families are formed. New horizons are in view. What a great time in their young lives. . . . We take the phrases of the marriage vows very seriously about “through sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, until death parts us.” We want them to love, honor, trust, and cherish each other forever. We want every happiness for them in their new life together. . . . .

  • June ... A Sacred Month For Marriage  Wedlock.com- By Laurie Sue Brockway, June 20, 2006
    Rejoice! If you are in Las Vegas to tie the knot or renew your vows this Wednesday, June 21, you've made a very lucky choice. It’s summer solstice … the longest day of the year, a time when the sun is at the height of it’s power and good vibrations abound. . . . . Because the midsummer celebration marks the center of the year, a complete six months away from winter solstice, it is viewed as an aspect of yin-yang, male-female. The two points of the year, together, are considered the marriage of heaven on earth. It is a time of year that celebrates the rites of summer and encourages people to fall in love and consume each other in fiery summer passion. . . 

Giving parents a break: TiVo helps out
  • Parenting Issues: Giving Parents a break
    TiVo helps out
       Townhall.com, By Chuck Colson, June 20, 2006
    Kids are revealing everything about themselves to complete strangers over the Internet on MySpace. The TV networks are suing to keep the FCC from cracking down on indecency. And ingenious minds are making it easier than ever to access porn, by way of cell phones and iPods. It seems as though technology is always working against us. The more innovations and inventions go on the market, the harder parents have to fight to protect their kids from a steady stream of smut, violence, and even sexual predators. But that gives us all the more reason to celebrate when we find technology that can actually benefit our families. . . . TiVo has now unveiled a new product called KidZone, designed specifically to help parents find and record family-friendly programming and to block kids from finding not-so-friendly programming. . . . .

    RELATED SITE:
     
    TiVo Kid Zone

  • Is Catholicism now "Unacceptable"?   TownHall.com, By Pat Buchanan, June 20, 2006
    On the political roundtable "21 This Week," on Maryland's tiny Access Montgomery cable channel 21, Robert J. Smith has been a regular panelist. Introduced as a "Republican activist," Smith was also Gov. Robert Ehrlich's appointee on the Metro Transit Authority board.  No more. Smith has been fired for remarks that the GOP governor considers "inappropriate, insensitive and unacceptable." What did Smith say? . . . . .  Smith interrupted: "That's fine, that's fine. But that doesn't mean that the government should proffer a special place of entitlement within the laws of the United States for persons of sexual deviancy." . . . . . Smith held his ground. "Homosexual behavior, in my view, is deviant," Smith said. "I'm a Roman Catholic."  . . . .

    RELATED ARTICLE: 
    Banned in Boston: The Coming Conflict Between Same Sex Marriage and Religious Liberty Cover Story- The Weekly Standard, By Maggie Gallagher, May 15, 2006 Issue

  • A Father's Presence Helps Young Girls Resist Shallow, Sexualized Self-Images  BlackAmericaWeb.com- By Tonyaa Weathersbee, June 20, 2006
    . . . .  While there’s a saying that it takes a father to teach his son to be a man, I believe that an addendum ought to be that it takes a father to teach his daughter to love herself for what’s inside, not for what’s on the outside. . . Look at the teen magazine racks these days, and you’ll find not only pouty, sexualized teen models gracing the covers, but teaser articles that tend to be more about how girls can make boys like them than how to prepare for college. There’s Lil’ Kim, who has found lewdness and lawbreaking to be lucrative, and Kim Roberts, the second stripper and convicted embezzler who e-mailed the public relations firm that represented Lil’ Kim for advice on how she could market the Duke lacrosse team rape scandal to her advantage. . . . . And who can forget Karrine Steffans, the video vixen whose sexual prowess with assorted rappers earned her the nickname “Superhead.” . . .

    RELATED ARTICLE: 
    Real fathers don't abandon their children 
    Philly.com, June 18, 2006



Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day!
Click Here for a Special Greeting

 

Happy Father's Day!



  • Father's day and the current state of fatherhood  TownHall.com -By Armstrong Williams, June 17, 2006
    As Father’s Day 2006 approaches I am absolutely devastated about the current state of fatherhood in this country. It is terribly  troubling that our society accepts fatherhood as a luxury, not a necessity. An involved, loving, active father has become the exception in this country, and it’s time we make it the norm again. There are some things that only a father can provide his children. . . .
    As we celebrate Father’s Day this year, we should praise the men who are true fathers - the men who willingly involve themselves in their children’s lives. We should thank them for their love and dedication, and be proud of their achievements. However, we must also call attention to the cowards who father a child but never become a true dad. . . .

RELATED ARTICLE:  House passes 'Father's day' resolution lambasting single dads  RawStory.com, June 15, 2006

RELATED ARTICLE: 
Life with--and without--father  Townhall.com- By Rebecca Hagelin, June 13, 2006

RELATED ARTICLE:  Father's Day by the numbers  Townhall.com- By Maggie Gallagher, June 13, 2006



The price of day care can be high
  • Parenting Issues:  The Price of Day Care Can Be High  New York Times (Free Subscription), By David Leonhardt, June 14, 2006
    THERE is one place in North America where parents of young children don't have to worry about child care. In Quebec, full-time day care costs just $7 a day — Canadian dollars, at that — thanks to a government program aimed at one of the thorniest problems that workers in their 20's, 30's and 40's face. . . . . Almost a decade after the family policy started, however, there was still a big mystery about it. Nobody had done the work to find out how it had affected children. The province was spending $1.4 billion a year on a grand social experiment, yet no one had bothered to look at the results. So three economists took up the challenge a few years ago, realizing that the program offered an excellent way to examine a much-debated topic. . . .

  • Marriage always requires tinkering  Toronto Star,  Canada -By Ellie, June 14, 2006
    Q. My first wife died suddenly. Ten years later I married a widow whose husband died three years prior. I'm 59, semi-retired; she's 54. While dating, we enjoyed many activities together and our sex life seemed terrific. Then, when her daughter gave birth to a son, my wife agreed to look after the baby two days weekly while her daughter worked. I was not asked. Now my wife is devoted to her grandson and daughter's family at every moment.... I'm uncomfortable having her family in my face daily. And she's uncomfortable having me around the house when I'm not working. . .
    .

  • And now, FEMA fixes marriage  Chicago Tribune, By Charles M. Madigan, June 13, 2006
    A brilliant idea came to me as the Senate Republicans pushed their hopeless proposal for a constitutional amendment to protect marriage from amorous gay people. I agree with all of the arguments about marriage being a foundation in our culture and the best way to raise a family and nourish values. That being the case, let's focus on the real threat. It's time to arrest and imprison everyone who has ever been divorced, make it illegal to have serious marital problems and set up a federal agency to enforce it. It's just that simple. . . .

    RELATED STORY:
    Cupid: Not enough arrows   Chicago Tribune, By Charlie Madigan, Feb 13, 2006

  • Marriage. Commitment. Forever. How Do I Know If I Love Him?  New York Observer- The Bridal Blog, June 13, 2006, Posted by Mary Dixie Carter
    . . . . . The answer feels hollow and it brings to the forefront the nagging question that's been in the back of my brain. How do I know if I really love Todd? Do I really love him or is it just that he puts up with me and loves me, seemingly unconditionally? Am I getting married to fulfill some societal standard of what I should be doing at 34? . . .
Time for FEMA to fix marriage?

  • Getting Creative to Pay for Your Wedding? Tell Your Story  ABC News, June 13, 2006
    —  It's June and wedding bells chime. But with the national average cost of a wedding at $28,000, saying "I do" has become an increasingly expensive proposition. To ease the cost, some enterprising brides are finding creative ways to finance their dream weddings, such as finding corporate or local business sponsors who place ads in the wedding program or on place cards at the reception. One New York couple even rented out a baseball stadium and is busy selling advertising space on the billboard. Is this tacky or practical? Have you or anyone you know tried something like this for an upcoming wedding? ABC News is looking for people who have gotten creative to pay for a wedding. . . . .

    RELATED ARTICLE:
      Couple Signs Advertisers to Sponsor Wedding Day 
    Advertising Age- By Willow Duttge, June 13, 2006


  • Thousands of Weddings Tied Up in Red Tape
    Homeland Security Paperwork Glitch Delays Citizen-Immigrant Marriages
      AOL News-AP, By Lara Jakes Jordan, June 13, 2006
    - True love waits for no one - except maybe the Homeland Security Departme