'MARRIAGE' NEWS- January 2007: 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.

U.S. Women May See Independence in Singlehood Women's Enews, By Rivers and Barnett- WeNews commentators, January 31, 2007
Recent headlines have noted the growing singlehood of U.S. women, and the stories haven't all been celebratory. But Caryl Rivers and Rosalind Barnett say that single women no longer have the cards stacked against them and their status is sticking. . . . . . . Manipulating Census Bureau numbers and selectively interviewing anti-marriage academics, the Times created the story it wanted to report: marriage is dying in the U.S." . . . . But though the 51 percent figure that got the story on Page 1 seems shaky, we are indeed seeing a historic trend as more and more women remain single and do not rely on a husband for financial support. While class issues deserve attention, there is no denying that we're seeing a national phenomenon that is unlikely to fade away. . . . .We are still very much a marrying country; some 61 percent of women above the age of 30 are currently married. But there is no question that women--at least those with good incomes--are getting choosier. . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Why Are There So Many Single Americans? International Herald Tribune, By Kate Zernike, January 21, 2007

U.S. Women May See Independence in Singlehood.

Mary J. Blige Turns Her Life Around After Periods of Addiction, Promiscuity, Abuse and Thoughts of Suicide: Parade magazine, Feb 4, 2007 Issue

Mary J. Blige Turns Her Life Around After Periods of Addiction, Promiscuity, Abuse and Thoughts of Suicide Parade magazine, January 31, 2007
. . . . Mary credits her current husband, Kendu Issacs, with saving her life. “We met when I hated men,” she says. “He’s a great man—very smart and full of love, because his parents gave him love. I treated him so badly for a while, because I’d never experienced real love before. I was suspicious. It seemed too good to be true.” After Mary met Issacs, everything seemed to change in her life. “He was the first person to ever challenge what I did: ‘Why are you drinking? Why do you hate yourself? You don’t need to be around people who tear you down. You’re beautiful, Mary.’ He was the first man to ever tell me that.” . . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: BLIGE ADDRESSES MARRIAGE RUMORS IN JET MAGAZINE: Couple was vacationing in Mexico when they heard about the drama. EURweb.com, January 22, 2007

The Disastrous Effects of Match.com and What Women Can Do About It WASHINGTON POST, January 28, 2007
Jennifer Aniston. Christie Brinkley. Sheryl Crow. Teri Hatcher. Either dumped or cheated on in a most humiliating and public way. Every woman in the dating world has thought, "If it can happen to her, it can happen to me." While he's snoring away, we think quietly at night about what we can do to make sure it doesn't happen to us. We respond by trying to make our stomachs flatter, our boobs bigger, our faces prettier, and our clothes tighter and more revealing. We do everything possible to please our man. You prefer French cooking? Mais oui, mon cher! You want my hair long? No problem, I'll get a hair extension. Spending part of your vacation with buddies? Go have a good time. You don't want to be with my family on Christmas? I'll see you on New Year's Eve. Is that OK or would you prefer some other time? Do you like my mani-pedi'd, spray on tanned, liposuctioned, Pilates body? Can't commit? Oh, that's right. You're just not that into me. Or her. Or her. Or her. What the hell has happened? Three words. Match dot com. . . .

Domestic chimp, runaway bride Concord Monitor, By HILLARY NELSON , January 28, 2007
. . . . The same week Judy the Chimp was in the news, a splashy headline hit the front page of The New York Times: "51% of Women Are Now Living Without Spouse." The article, by Sam Roberts, analyzed the latest census data on marriage. For the first time in American history, more women are unmarried than married, 51 percent in 2005, compared with 35 percent in 1950. Pundits have gone nuts over this statistic, bemoaning it as a symptom of our decadent/uncaring/fractured (fill in the blank) society. It is true that there are troubling nuances in these statistics (for example, that 70 percent of black women are unmarried) that merit careful scrutiny by all of us. But you know, isn't it just possible that there are some people in the world (men included - there are almost as many unmarried men in this country as women) who, when the door unexpectedly opens, decide not to clean that metaphorical toilet? Isn't it possible some people are happier single?. . . . .

Catholic Church Out of U.K. Adoption Biz? Blair to unveil new plans in gay adoption row.

SPECIAL: Catholic Church Out of U.K. Adoption Biz?
Blair to unveil new plans in gay adoption row THE TELEGRAPH- UK, By Graeme Wilson, January 26, 2007
Tony Blair said this morning that he will announce proposals to resolve the gay adoption row next week after a Cabinet revolt forced him into a climbdown. In an unexpected move, the Prime Minister issued a brief statement which all but confirmed that he had bowed to his Cabinet ministers and ruled out giving Catholic adoption agencies an opt-out from new laws that would make it illegal for them to refuse to deal with gay couples. Instead, he is expected to introduce proposals - which will be voted on by Parliament next month - for a “transition” period of around a year to allow the agencies adapt to the new gay rights laws. . . . . Faced with a full-blown revolt, Mr Blair adopted a more conciliatory tone in today’s statement. “I have always personally been in favour of the right of gay couples to adopt. Our priority will always be the welfare of the child,” he said. “How do we protect the principle of ending discrimination against gay people and at the same time protect those vulnerable children who at the present time are being placed through, and after-care provided by, Catholic agencies, who everyone accepts do a great job with some of the most disturbed youngsters?” . . . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Cardinal writes to the Prime Minister and Members of the Cabinet re. Catholic Adoption Agencies The Catholic Church- England & Wales, January 22, 2007

RELATED ARTICLE: Letter from the Archbishops of Canterbury and York to the Prime Minister Anglican Communion News Service, January 24, 2007

RELATED ARTICLE: Rise in Adopted Children Living With Gay Couples THE EVENING STANDARD- This is London-UK, January 19, 2007

RELATED ARTICLE: 'Gay designer Gabbana is against same sex parents' THE EVENING STANDARD- This is London-UK, January 19, 2007

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

Parenting Issues: Love of Learning: Which Children Have It Most NEW YORK TIMES, By Sam Roberts, January 24, 2007
Which children like school the most? Asians and girls and the children of parents who are married, make the most money, have advanced academic degrees and live in the suburbs of the Northeast. Those are also likely to be the same students who say they are most interested in their schoolwork and often work hard in school. Which are most likely to be enrolled in programs for gifted students? Children of better-educated parents. If one imagined a category combining the leading factors, it would be the daughters of married couples from the suburbs in the South whose parents’ income was above the poverty level. Those are some of the findings in the Census Bureau’s analysis, “A Child’s Day,” released this month. The report surveyed parents nationwide to analyze benchmarks of well-being for 73 million children under 18 from a 2003 review of income and participation in various government assistance programs. . . .

Love of Learning: Which Children Have It Most

Why Are There So Many Single Americans? International Herald Tribune, By Kate Zernike, January 21, 2007
THE news that 51 percent of all women live without a spouse might be enough to make you invest in cat futures. But consider, too, the flip side: about half of all men find themselves in the same situation. As the number of people marrying has dropped off in the last 45 years, the marriage rate has declined equally for men and for women. . . . . But when it comes to marriage, the two Americas aren’t divided by gender. And it’s not the career girls on the losing end. It’s their less educated manicurists or housekeepers, women who might arguably be less able to live on their own. The emerging gulf is instead one of class — what demographers, sociologists and those who study the often depressing statistics about the wedded state call a “marriage gap” between the well-off and the less so. Statistics show that college educated women are more likely to marry than non-college educated women — although they marry, on average, two years later. . . . Women with more education also are becoming less likely to divorce, or inclined to divorce, than those with less education. They are even less likely to be widowed all in all, less likely to end up alone. . . .

Women don't want men? Ha! Chicago Tribune, By Jeffery M. Leving and Glenn Sacks, January 21, 2007
The recent census data finding that for the first time the majority of American women are unmarried is being greeted in a largely celebratory tone. One newspaper explains, "Who needs a man? Not most women." MSNBC warns, "Watch out, men! More women opt to live alone." CBS says, "More women saying `I don't.'". . . . The message is clear--men don't measure up, and are no longer needed nor often even wanted. Since women have careers now, we are told, men's traditional contribution--financial support--has become largely irrelevant, and men do not now nor did they ever contribute much more than that. In reality, men give a lot to their families--as much as women do. The current trend away from marriage and toward divorce and/or remaining single has more to do with overcritical women and their excessive expectations than it does with unsuitable men. . . .

RELATED BLOG: If 'Marriage' is dead, America's got a real problem! The Real Proposal magazine, January 22, 2007

RELATED ARTICLE: Married people are happier than unmarried people... so this country's got a problem Kennebec Journal- Morning Sentinel, By Joseph R. Reisert, January 19, 2007

RELATED ARTICLE: Journalistic Malpractice in "Marriage is Dead" Report The Michael Medved Show, Posted by: Michael Medved, January 17, 2007

RELATED ARTICLE: 51% of Women Are Now Living Without Spouse International Herald Tribune- NEW YORK TIMES, By SAM ROBERTS, January 16, 2007

Gay marriage support growing among young adults: Survey
(Gay) Study shows ‘Generation Next’ more open minded than older Americans Washington Blade, By JOSHUA LYNSEN, January 19, 2007
In the five years he’s lectured on same-sex marriage, Michael Ryan has detected a trend. After each lecture, a handful of students tell him the class forced them to rethink their position on the issue. And in many cases, he said, those students go on to say they now support marriage equality. “I would love to take credit for that,” said Ryan, who is gay and gives guest lectures regularly on same-sex marriage at the University of Maryland and elsewhere. “But it really belongs to the information itself, not my presentation of it.” The apparent growing acceptance of same-sex marriage among young adults is reflected in a new Pew Research Center study. According to the study released last week, an estimated 47 percent of adults ages 18-25 support allowing gays and lesbians to marry. By comparison, an estimated 30 percent of adults age 26 and older back marriage equality. . . . .

RELATED STUDY: A Portrait of "Generation Next": How Young People View Their Lives, Futures and Politics The Pew Research Center, January 9, 2007

Married people are happier than unmarried people... so this country's got a problem.

Married people are happier than unmarried people... so this country's got a problem Kennebec Journal- Morning Sentinel, By Joseph R. Reisert, January 19, 2007
The New York Times reported this week that, according to the U.S. Census, married women living with their spouse are now a minority of all women. The Times presented these results in a generally upbeat front-page story full of anecdotes about happily single, divorced, and widowed women who love the freedom that comes from being unattached. . . . Although we probably all know some woman or some man who is happy to be single -- who, like the women quoted in the Times, delights in not having to share the remote control or to pick up someone else's dirty socks -- there is reason to believe that such people are the exception, not the rule. . . . The results of the happiness survey provide good reason to be concerned about the trends reported by the Census Bureau. . . . . Such large-scale societal trends as these are typically the product of large-scale social forces, which create short-term incentives for doing what is not in our long-term best interest. Rather than celebrate the increasing number of single-person households, policymakers should recognize instead the fragility of marriage as a social institution and seek ways to encourage women and men to embrace it once more.

RELATED ARTICLE: Are We Happy Yet? Pew Research Center, February 13, 2006

Canada gay-wedding central
More and more same-sex foreigners are flocking to Canada to tie the knot THE CALGARY SUN, By Kathleen Harris, January 18, 2007
-- Foreigners are flocking to Canada to have legal same-sex marriages, according to a new report that shows more than half of recorded gay weddings were couples from abroad. StatsCan data on 2003 nuptials, which included gay couples for the first time in Canadian history, found 3.5% of the 22,000 marriages in B.C. were between people of the same sex. And nearly 56% of those were non-residents of Canada. . . . When the data was collected, Canada was the only country in the world that allowed same-sex marriages between people who weren't residents. While the marriage is often not legally recognized in the couple's home country, Hasselriis said it is symbolically important for them. . . . But, Brian Rushfeldt, executive director of the Canadian Family Action Coalition, called it a "misuse of a system" for foreign gay couples to use Canada in a bid to shape their own country's laws. "To me, it's unconscionable, he said. "Why, why is Canada issuing marriage licences to people from another country? "We wouldn't issue a business licence to a company that had no intention of staying in the country." . . . .

SEE RELATED STATISTICS: STATISTICS CANADA

Reforming No Fault Divorce (Part 2) Ethics & Religion, By Michael J. McManus, January 17, 2007
"For what experts say is probably the first time, more American women are living without a husband than with one," reported The New York Times this week on page 1. "In 2005, 51 percent of women said they were living without a spouse, up from 35 percent in 1950 and 49 percent in 2000." These numbers are somewhat misleading. Oddly, Census data includes all females over the age of 15. If only adults over 18 are counted, 52% of women are married. However, the increase of women without husbands is indisputable. Why? It's not due to an increase of widows, who were 11.8 percent of women in 1950 but only 9.4 percent in 2005. Divorce is the major reason fewer have husbands. . . . Secondly, there has been an alarming increase of never-married people. . . . What is not widely recognized is that these trends feed upon each other. . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: DIVORCE LAW: Foundation Wants Stricter Rules for Splits Washington Post, By Tim Craig, January 5, 2007

RELATED ARTICLE: Mutual Consent: A Major Divorce Reform Ethics & Religion, By Michael J. McManus, January 10, 2007

Journalistic Malpractice in "Marriage is Dead" Report The Michael Medved Show, Posted by: Michael Medved, January 17, 2007
On Tuesday, January 16th, 2007, the American people awoke to startling and disturbing news: for the first time ever, the majority of women in the country were living without a husband. All the TV networks, radio news broadcasts, pundits, talk show hosts and leading newspapers reported on the devastating milestone, and saw it as yet another indication of the ongoing collapse of the traditional family. Some commentators hailed this development as an encouraging sign of newfound freedom, while others decried it as a reflection of decadence and dysfunction. With all the debate and pontification about the new minority status of married women, it’s just too bad that no significant media outlet (beyond this writer, on my nationally syndicated radio show) made the single most important and salient observation about the big news--- That is, it’s not true. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Focus Calls New York Times on Anti-Marriage Bias; Paper Distorted Census Data to Report That Marriage No Longer Matters in the U.S. PR Newswire, Jauary 17, 2007

Journalistic Malpractice in Marriage is Dead Report.

RI Supreme Court Sends Gay Marriage Case Back To Lower Court WCSH6.com, January 17, 2007
The Rhode Island Supreme Court has questions about what is believed to be that state's first gay divorce case. Margaret Chambers and Cassandra Ormiston were married in Massachusetts. They filed for divorce last year in Rhode Island, where the law is silent on gay marriage. . . . An attorney for Chambers says he believes the court wants to make sure the case is legitimate, and isn't being used as a way to legalize same-sex marriage in Rhode Island. . . .
Madison OKs swearing-in statement protesting gay marriage ban Pioneer Press- AP, By RYAN J. FOLEY, January 17, 2007
MADISON, Wis. - In the first protest of its kind in the U.S., Madison leaders will be able to denounce the state's new constitutional ban on gay marriage when they take their oath of office. The city council voted 14-4 on Tuesday night to allow hundreds of elected and appointed officials to add a statement saying they are taking the oath under protest because the amendment "besmirches our constitution." The statement also includes a promise to work to overturn the gay marriage ban and prevent discrimination resulting from its passage. . . . . But critics said adding a statement to the oath sends a dangerous signal that city officials will only uphold the parts of the constitution that they support. Council member Jed Sanborn said he voted against the gay marriage ban but found it inappropriate to tinker with the oath. "You take an oath to affirm a system of government where elected leaders follow the law and not their own personal whims. . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Don't tamper with oath of office Wisconsin State Journal- Editorial, January 14, 2007

Brown's Will Preceded Wedding, Son's Birth: Godfather Of Soul's Estate Leaves Out 5-Year-Old, Divided Among His Other Six Children.

Brown's Will Preceded Wedding, Son's Birth
Godfather Of Soul's Estate Leaves Out 5-Year-Old, Divided Among His Other Six Children ShowBuzz- CBS News-AP, January 16, 2007
James Brown's will, which was read last week, excludes his partner, Tomi Rae Hynie, and their 5-year-old son. It was drawn up 10 months before the child's birth and more than a year before their marriage, a newspaper reported Tuesday. The will was signed Aug. 1, 2000, Strom Thurmond Jr., Brown's probate attorney in Aiken, S.C., told The Augusta Chronicle. Brown, who died last month in Atlanta at age 73, married Hynie in December 2001. James Brown Jr. had been born six months earlier, on June 11. . . .

NY Times Study On Women 'Living Without Spouse' Included 15-Year-Olds Newsbusters.org, Posted by Dave Pierre, January 16, 2007
This morning, NewsBusters' Mark Finkelstein reported (here) how CBS anchors yucked it up over a front-page story in today's New York Times that blared, "51% of Women Are Now Living Without Spouse." This study is nothing to laugh at. It's incredibly misleading, if not dishonest. The Times got their numbers from the Census Bureau's new American Community Survey, which surveyed "117 million women over the age of 15." Wait a minute. "Over the age of 15"? Is it really a surprise that millions of 15-20 year-olds are "living without spouse"? It shouldn't be. . . . . . for what it's worth, 1996 census report on marriage and divorce (pdf file) stated that "nearly everyone marries" (at least once during their lifetime). . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: 51% of Women Are Now Living Without Spouse International Herald Tribune- NEW YORK TIMES, By SAM ROBERTS, January 16, 2007

RELATED SURVEY: 2005 American Community Survey Data Profile Highlights

NY Times Study On Women 'Living Without Spouse' Included 15-Year-Olds.

51% of Women Are Now Living Without Spouse International Herald Tribune- NEW YORK TIMES, By SAM ROBERTS, January 16, 2007
For what experts say is probably the first time, more American women are living without a husband than with one, according to a New York Times analysis of census results. In 2005, 51 percent of women said they were living without a spouse, up from 35 percent in 1950 and 49 percent in 2000. . . . In addition, marriage rates among black women remain low. Only about 30 percent of black women are living with a spouse, according to the Census Bureau, compared with about 49 percent of Hispanic women, 55 percent of non-Hispanic white women and more than 60 percent of Asian women. . . .

Author Blames 9/11 On 'Cultural Left' Newsmax.com, By Paul Crespo, January 16, 2007
When it comes to laying blame for Sept. 11 – the greatest attack on U.S. soil since Pearl Harbor – one of America's foremost thinkers says it doesn't lay with the terrorists. Instead, America's enemies are right beneath our noses. Dinesh D'Souza identifies them as our "cultural left.". . . . While D'Souza admits many Muslims irrationally hate Israel and some specific aspects of U.S. foreign policy, he argues that the growing anti-Americanism abroad is directed more at the global spread of our debased pop culture and the leftist political ideas that liberals so proudly defend. Family collapse, "gay marriage," licentiousness, pornography, abortion on demand, the war against religion in the public square – are all threats to traditional values in the West, as well as in the Muslim world. Though many Muslims believe their fight is against "America" and the West, they are really fighting the secular left. . . . .So far some in America's cultural left have gone into pre-emptive apoplectic rage based solely on the publisher's introduction letter. For example, James Wolcott of Vanity Fair, who seems not to have read the book, admitted he took an "instant animus" against it. . . .

Parenting Issues: Programs just produce `trophy child' Akron Beach Journal, By John Rosemond, January 16, 2007
Q: In my hometown, various enrichment programs for children under 3 are proliferating. A 2-year-old can take ballet, music or yoga, or join a soccer team, among other options. Even newborns can be signed up for Kindermusik or Gymboree classes. I've always considered these classes a waste of money, but worry that I might be setting my toddler up for a lifetime of failure (which is the implication in the literature of many of these programs) if I don't put her in an expensive class right now. Is there any real benefit to these programs, or are they a general waste of money? Are parents denying their toddlers important developmental skills by not forking out the big bucks for ballet or music classes? . . . .

A: . . . . Personally, I admire Tiger more for his grace, manners, apparent humility, and that he seems to have formed a stable marriage, than I do for his golfing skills. . . . .

Newlywed know-how: Young couples flocking to magazines and message boards to find answers.

Newlywed know-how
Young couples flocking to magazines and message boards to find answers Lawrence Journal-World, By Tanya Barrientos - The Philadelphia Inquirer, January 15, 2007
The honeymoon’s over. Now what? There’s the daunting task of living life as a couple, real life, as in: he takes money out of the ATM and doesn’t tell her, while she leaves wet clothes in the washer. Life with compromises on everything, from what to watch after Entertainment Tonight to agreeing what to hang on the walls as art. Call these the adult version of the ’tween years — when men and women are no longer single, but not yet parents. When they’ve moved out of the bridal magazine set, but aren’t quite ready for the backyard swing set. . . . . But chiefly because of the Internet, it has become a prime target for Web site chatter, advice books, and at least two new magazines — the Nest and Tango — offering young lovers how-to, don’t-ever, and oh-no-you-didn’t advice on making the heart grow fonder. . . . Psychologist and relationship therapist Karen Sherman of New York says she thinks "committed couples" magazines will be successful because the market is big and very needy. . . .

Gays and lesbians put their own stamp on the wedding industry St. Petersburg Times- AP, January 15, 2007
He's no celebrity, but when Phillip McKee III tied the knot in September, he did it with all the pomp and circumstance of an A-lister: Custom-designed gold rings, a $2,000 kilt and a caviar-and-crepe reception at a five-star hotel. McKee, 34, sank about $60,000 into his Scottish-themed nuptials, worth it he says for the chance to stand before a minister and be pronounced husband - and husband. Even as lawmakers across the nation debate legislation banning same-sex marriage, couples are uniting in weddings, fueling a growing industry peddling everything from pink triangle invitations to same-sex cake toppers. . . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Rainbow Wedding Network and Out In America Create Alliance to Target Same-sex Wedding Market ClickPress (Press Release), January 10, 2007

Gays and lesbians put their own stamp on the wedding industry.

Don't tamper with oath of office Wisconsin State Journal- Editorial, January 14, 2007
It's anti-democratic, arrogant and shortsighted. That's why the City Council should unequivocally reject a proposal to permit city officials to modify their oath of office so they can protest Wisconsin's new constitutional ban against gay marriage. UW-Madison political science professor Howard Schweber correctly warned that the proposed anti-oath would allow officials to "come perilously close to saying (that) in their duties they will ignore the law or alter the law when it conflicts with their personal principles. "That is a fundamental breach of the duty of office." . . . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Madison Wisc. Approves Gay Marriage Protest Oath 365Gay.com, January 17, 2007

Dr. Laura is in:
HER OLD-FASHIONED VIEWS APPEAL TO LEGIONS OF LISTENERS, READERS MercuryNews.com, By Brad Kava, January 15, 2007
Radio host Dr. Laura Schlessinger is on the phone, about to do a book signing in El Cajon, when she gets the news that in its first week out, her book ``The Proper Care & Feeding of Marriage,'' is No. 2 on the New York Times bestseller list. ``Boy, how cool is that?'' says Schlessinger giddily, showing off the laugh, timing and humor that have made her one of the top talk show hosts in the country. . . . And her latest book, which castigates feminism with an Old Testament-like wrath and suggests that women should do more to honor their husbands and men should do more to support their wives, is her ninth bestseller, despite the fact that publisher Harper Collins releases her books in January when many readers are honoring New Year's diet resolutions. . . .

Married couples want divorce to be harder The Sunday Times Online- UK, By Jack Grimston, January 14, 2007
BRITONS have turned against four decades of liberalisation in the divorce laws by calling for break–up to be made harder. In a poll published in today’s Sunday Times Magazine, a majority of two to one married people backed the statement “divorce in Britain should be made more difficult” — 45% were in favour and 21% against. There were smaller majorities among single divorced people and those cohabiting. The results suggest a hardening of attitudes since a similar poll in 1983, with a significant increase in the numbers believing divorce should be made harder. The poll also suggests that, despite the decline in the numbers marrying, it remains the “gold standard” of relationships. . .

Married couples want divorce to be harder.

Senior divorce rate rises, causing unsettling problems Northwest Herald- CT, By Korky Vann - The Hartford Courant, January 14, 2007
A couple in their 90s who had decided to divorce sought the advice of a lawyer. “You’ve been married so long,” said the lawyer. “Why on earth would you split up now?” “We were waiting for the kids to die,” came the reply. Call it “late-life divorce black humor.” And in a surprising number of cases, call it not so far from the truth, says author Deirdre Blair, who says she heard variations on the story from lawyers, family members and divorcing seniors themselves while researching her book, “Calling It Quits: Late Life Divorce and Starting Over,” . . . . The book explores what an AARP Magazine survey referred to as the “groundbreaking” and growing trend of late-life divorce and provides an insider look at life in the years after the end of a long-term union. . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Longstanding couples give up on marriage The Age, Australia, By Sarah Price, Sept 9, 2006

RELATED STUDY: Gender, the Marital Life Course, and Cardiovascular Disease in Late Midlife JOURNAL OF MARRIAGE AND FAMILY- Volume 68 Page 639- August 2006, By Zhenmei Zhang and Mark D. Hayward

Former Miss World and leading Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai and fellow star Abhishek Bachchan are engaged to be married.

Aishwarya Rai engaged to Bachchan BBC News.com, By Monica Chadha, January 14, 2007
Former Miss World and leading Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai and fellow star Abhishek Bachchan are engaged to be married, it has been confirmed. Ms Rai's secretary Hari Singh confirmed to the BBC a ceremony had taken place on Sunday evening at her home in the city of Mumbai (Bombay). The confirmation ends frenzied speculation in the Indian media about the couple. Rumours were sparked when the stars visited a Hindu temple in November. . . . She was featured on the cover of Time magazine in 2003 as Bollywood's leading lady and was interviewed by Oprah Winfrey and David Letterman. . . .

Patrick Dempsey's marriage counselling SoFeminine.co.uk, January 12, 2007
He plays a dreamy doctor with plenty of adoring female patients in Grey's Anatomy, but in real life, actor Patrick Dempsey's number one priority is his young family. "Fatherhood is the most important thing. Everything else is a joke," says the actor during an interview at his home. Patrick and his wife Jillian, a makeup artist, are the parents of a four year-old daughter, Talula, and are awaiting the birth of twins. "Now, making money is about providing for my children. And being a father makes you look at yourself. You look at your marriage and go 'How do I improve this? How do I keep growing and create a stable environment for my children?' . . . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Patrick Dempsey: "I've Come A Long Way" Life magazine, By Margy Rochlin, February 2007 Issue

RELATED ARTICLE: What's it like to be married to McDreamy? Jillian Dempsey tells all. Life magazine, By Margy Rochlin, February 2007 Issue

'Married With Children' Mom Katey Sagal, 49, Has Baby Girl FOX News-AP, January 13, 2007
— It's a girl for former "Married With Children" TV mom Katey Sagal. The 49-year-old actress and her writer-producer husband Kurt Sutter, 43, welcomed their first child together on Wednesday, Sagal's publicist Cara Tripicchio said. Daughter Esme Louise Sutter was born via a surrogate in Los Angeles, Tripicchio said. Sagal also has a 12-year-old daughter and a 10-year-old son from a previous marriage. . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: The fertility lottery Sunday Business Post- Ireland, By Jennifer O'Connell, January 14, 2007

RELATED ARTICLE: 'Embryo Bank' Stirs Ethics Fears: Firm Lets Clients Pick Among Fertilized Eggs The Washington Post, By Rob Stein, January 6, 2007

'Married With Children' Mom Katey Sagal, 49, Has Baby Girl.

RELATED ARTICLE: Grappling with the Moral Dimensions of Advances in Assisted Reproduction University of British Columbia, By Prof. Judith Daniluk (Dept. of Education and Counselling Psychology and Special Education, Faculty of Education), January 4, 2007

RELATED ARTICLE: The Parent Hood: How technology and social progress are turning procreation into self-actualization. The Daily Standard, By Claudia Anderson, December 4, 2006

RELATED ARTICLE: The Revolution in Parenthood: The Emerging Global Clash Between Adult Rights and Children's Needs AmericanValues.org

Louise Brown: World's 1st test tube baby gives birth

First test-tube baby becomes a mother The Daily Mail- UK, January 12, 2007
Louise Brown, the world's first test-tube baby, has given birth to a child of her own, it was reported last night. The baby was said to be a boy. Louise, 28, an administrative assistant, and her husband Wesley Mullinder, 37, were said to be delighted at his safe arrival. A family friend said last night: 'She and Wesley are over the moon. It's what they've always wanted.' The birth of Louise on July 25, 1978 made headlines around the world. It was the culmination of 12 years' research by a British team headed by Dr Robert Edwards and Dr Patrick Steptoe. . . . . Unlike her parents, Louise was able to conceive naturally and did not need IVF treatment. . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: First test-tube baby has baby The Sun- UK, By JOHN COLES, January 12, 2007

Man who wants wife’s last name files lawsuit
Husband sues California for discrimination because of complex process MSNBC.com- AP, January 12, 2007
- Mike Buday isn’t married to his last name. In fact, he and his fiancée decided before they wed that he would take hers. But Buday was stunned to learn that he couldn’t simply become Mike Bijon when they married in 2005. As in most other states, that would require some bureaucratic paperwork well beyond what a woman must go through to change her name when marrying. . . . Bijon, 28, approached Buday about the idea when they were dating. She had no brothers but wanted to prolong the family name. Buday, a 29-year-old developer of interactive advertising, was estranged from his own father and was not attached to his own last name. “I knew immediately it was pretty important to her or else she wouldn’t have brought it up,” Buday said. . . .
New Jersey Civil Unions & Discrimination Law iMAP- marriagedebate.com, Posted by William Duncan, January 11, 2007
Yesterday, the New Jersey attorney general issued an opinion titled “Whether Public Officials and Religious Figures May Decline to Exercise Their Authority to Solemnize Civil Unions.” For public officials, the opinion says they may decline to solemnize both marriages and civil unions but if they are “available generally” to solemnize marriages they must also be available to solemnize civil unions. If they solemnize marriages but not civil unions, they will be in violation of the state Law Against Discrimination. The reasoning is that “the availability of a public official to solemnize a marriage or civil union” is a public accommodation. The attorney general will bring an action against a public official who violates this law. The opinion also says that the LAD “does not apply to the administration of religious rites by members of the clergy.” Religious organizations are not places of public accommodation under New Jersey law. The opinion also says that clergy refusal to solemnize civil unions does not raise any constitutional issues. Thus, clergy can still solemnize marriages without also solemnizing civil unions. . . .

RELATED DOCUMENT: NJ Attorney General opinion

Editor's notebook: Thanks, but I'm resolved not to change a thing Rocky Mountain News, January 12, 2007
Most new year's resolutions have the shelf life of an overripe banana - which is why I make a conscious effort every January to leave myself just the way I am. It isn't easy, mind you. This month, as every January, brings a glut of self-improvement books determined to make me a better person. They implore me, for example, to "Eat Right, Stay Young, Feel Great and Look FABULOUS," when I'd just as soon devour a Hostess cupcake, ignore my age and plop myself onto a couch that looks FABULOUS! . . . . I could solve marital difficulties without saying one word to my spouse - all by taking the advice of Dr. Patricia Love. Love has been married "a total of 36 years" spread over 3 divorces, which, admittedly, might make one doubt her expertise. . . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: If You’re Battling the New Year’s Blues, Remember Your Many Blessings – and Be Grateful Black America Web.com, By Joseph C. Phillips, January 02, 2007

RELATED BLOG: Battling The New Year's Blues? The Real Proposal™ magazine BlogSpot, Posted by Donna Kassin, January 11, 2007

Editor's notebook: Thanks, but I'm resolved not to change a thing.

Parenting Issues: With stronger home lives, more students are 'on track' The Washington Times, By Cheryl Wetzstein, January 11, 2007
More American children are "on track" academically and live in homes where parents set rules on television viewing than a decade ago, according to a new federal snapshot on the well-being of children. The Census Bureau report -- the third of its kind -- also shows that most children younger than 18 still eat dinner every day with their parents . . . . "Family meals are still the norm in the American family," said Brett Brown, a researcher at Child Trends Inc., which recently issued a paper on the importance of eating together. Teens who eat regularly with their families are more likely to do well in school, delay sexual activity, have better mental health and are less likely to get into fights, think about suicide or smoke, drink or use drugs, he said. . . .

Parenting Issues: Growing Up Without Siblings May Not Be the Ideal The Ledger- FL, By ADRIENNE JOHNSON MARTIN- Raleigh News & Observer, Jan 11, 2007
- When in 2002, Deborah Siegel and Daphne Uviller met through a mutual friend they bonded easily. They were both writers, and women of about the same age. But there was something less tangible to tie them, too: They were "onlies," adults who had grown up without siblings. Siegel, who grew up in Chicago, had mixed feelings about being an only child, sometimes feeling smothered by her parents, other times fearing leaving them behind. Uviller, a New Yorker, reveled in her status; her nightmare was that her mother might get pregnant. The dueling characteristics of the only child - lonely or independent? precocious or smart-mouthed? clingy or loyal? - and the women's divergent perspectives, they decided, had the makings of a book. . .

Parenting Issues: A Portrait of "Generation Next"
How Young People View Their Lives, Futures and Politics The Pew Research Center, January 9, 2007
A new generation has come of age, shaped by an unprecedented revolution in technology and dramatic events both at home and abroad. They are Generation Next, the cohort of young adults who have grown up with personal computers, cell phones and the internet and are now taking their place in a world where the only constant is rapid change. . . . . More than two-thirds see their generation as unique and distinct, yet not all self-evaluations are positive. A majority says that "getting rich" is the main goal of most people in their age group, and large majorities believe that casual sex, binge drinking, illegal drug use and violence are more prevalent among young people today than was the case 20 years ago. About half of Gen Nexters say the growing number of immigrants to the U.S. strengthens the country more than any generation. And they also lead the way in their support for gay marriage and acceptance of interracial dating. . . . .

Navajo on the war path over gay rights charter The Sunday Telegraph, By David Harrison, January 8, 2007
The days of smoke signals and beating drums may be long gone, but the ancient Navajo nation is incensed with a collection of bureaucrats 5,000 miles away in Britain. Councils, police, health trusts and the probation service are all using the tribe's name to promote the "well-being" of gay men, lesbians and bisexuals. More than 100 organisations have obtained the Navajo charter mark under a scheme set up to ensure that they are "gay-friendly". The project's supporters say the name was chosen because the Navajo traditionally believed that homosexuals had "special spiritual powers", and afforded them a "unique" status in society, where they were "admired and honoured for their sexuality". The native Americans, however, are furious. . . . . The 300,000 Navajo live on a huge reservation in north-eastern Arizona, Utah and New Mexico, and enjoy considerable independence from Washington. They make many of their own laws, including one passed overwhelmingly in 2005, banning homosexual marriages. . . .

Navajo on the war path over gay rights charter.

NY Judge Voids Mass. Gay Marriage But Upholds $780K Post-Nup.

NY Judge Voids Mass. Gay Marriage But Upholds $780K Post-Nup 365Gay.com, By Newscenter Staff, January 8, 2007
New York City judge has ruled that the marriage of a city couple in Massachusetts was never valid in New York State but their separation agreement is. The case involved David Gonzalez and Steven Green who were married in Massachusetts on Valentine's Day 2005. But the marriage did not last and Gonzalez filed for divorce. Green in turn petitioned for a ruling that the pair was never married. In a ruling published Monday State Supreme Court Justice Phyllis Gangel-Jacob said the marriage was never legal. . . . . But on the issue of a separation agreement between the two men, Justice Gangel-Jacob said there is nothing preventing two unmarried people who live together from making an agreement under the rules of contract law. . . .

POPPING THE QUESTION AS EVERYBODY WATCHES
With public marriage proposals, the surprise isn't always on the bride Chicago Tribune, By Nara Schoenberg, January 8, 2007
Forget candlelight dinners. In the 21st Century, nothing says romance like an intimate moment shared with millions of perfect strangers. Just ask J.P., the anonymous blogger who says he has raised more than $70,000 in his quest to obtain Super Bowl ad time to propose to his girlfriend. Or Ian Johnson, the Boise State University running back who proposed to his cheerleader girlfriend on national television, shortly after scoring the game-winning two-point conversion against Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl. Or the six men popping the question in the February issue of Essence magazine. . . . Public proposals aren't for everyone -- some women aren't interested in, say, a particular sports event or they may just want an intimate evening for two. But Bratten at Brides magazine says that, in an age when 60 percent of couples live together before marrying, it makes sense that men are seeking a dramatic way to mark the beginning of a new stage of life. . . .

Popping The Question As Everybody Watches: with public marriage proposals, the surprise isn't always on the bride.

Another homosexual activist cuts bisexuals out of wedding march.

Another homosexual activist cuts bisexuals out of wedding march Townhall.com, By Janet M. LaRue, January 8, 2007
It turns out that some are more equal than others. Another nationally-known homosexual activist, Michaelangelo Signorile, dismissed the prospect of legalized polygamy as a scare tactic and went on record against a “married” ménage-a-trois, which is the topic of my recent column. Even so, I’m guessing that Signorile and friends are applauding Wednesday’s ruling by a Canadian appeals court that a five-year-old boy has a legal right to two mommies and a daddy. If the ruling isn’t the Tour de Luge to polygamy, what is?. . . . Signorile, like other homosexuals, tried to equate a ban on “same-sex marriage” with laws that prohibited interracial marriage, which was the subject of the U.S. Supreme Court case, Loving v. Virginia, 388 U.S. 1 (1967). It’s not a valid comparison because interracial marriage doesn’t change the very nature of marriage — one man and one woman. . . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Three parents for Canadian boy TV NZ.co.nz, January 4, 2007

Questionable stance on marriage Contra Costa Times- CA, By Miss Manners: Judith Martin, January 8, 2007
DEAR MISS MANNERS: I agree that the marrying age is increasing and that often brides and grooms are more independent, but the bride's parents are still responsible for the wedding. Parents have two or three decades to notice that they have a daughter and to realize that someday she will probably marry. Saving for a wedding should be a priority. It seems that parents often dismiss this responsibility, as some dismiss their responsibility to plan for their children's college education. This is consistent with our self-centered society. Yes, the costs should be reasonable, and the bride and groom can contribute their own funds if they want something extravagant, but $10,000 to $20,000 is not extravagant for a middle- to upper-middle-class family. . . . Gentle Reader: You're joking, right?. . . .

Miss Manners: Questionable stance on marriage.

Dear Abby: Keeping sex change a secret undermines marriage talk Delaware Online- The News Journal, By JEANNE PHILLIPS, January 7, 2007
DEAR ABBY: My boyfriend of two years, "Marc," has been talking a lot about marriage lately. I love him and want to spend the rest of my life with him. There is, however, one fly in the ointment: I was born a biological male. . . . Marc loves me very much and would support me no matter what, but I have left my past behind me, and I feel no reason to needlessly disturb our relationship. How do I convince my brother to let this go? At a Loss in New York. . . . DEAR AT A LOSS: Although you may not think that the fact that you are a transsexual is relevant, it is presumptuous. . . .

Husband-bashing survey may boost marriage.

Husband-bashing survey may boost marriage Orlando Sentinel, By Sheryl P. Kurland, January 7, 2007
'Would you marry him -- again?" asked a newly-published poll by Woman's Day magazine and AOL .com. The results reveal that a whopping 36 percent of married women would not marry their husbands if they had to do it all over again, with another 20 percent saying they weren't sure if they would or not. I am 99.9 percent certain that my blood is boiling. . . . In and of itself, the very fact that this poll was conducted demonstrates that love and companionship are important and desirable elements of life. Legitimate studies show that 95 percent of all American adults marry at least once, and 75 percent of divorcees marry again. Gauging by these statistics, it's fair to assume that most adults will continue to partake in marriage no matter what the odds. . . .

A tale of a happy marriage
Calvin Trillin previously showed wife in caricature. After death, she's for real Akron Beacon Journal, By Hillel Italie- AP, January 7, 2007
. .. . . . . For Calvin Trillin's many readers, especially those who have followed his adventures of food and family, Alice seems as familiar, and as one-dimensional, as a still image, a "sitcom'' character, he acknowledges. Just as Calvin Trillin keeps most of her pictures on the upper floor, much of her life was carefully omitted from his work, where she was presented as the sensible spouse with the ``weird predilection for limiting our family to three meals a day.'' That character, of course, was very much a real person. She was an editor, educator and author. She was a nonsmoker who survived lung cancer, became a crusader for cancer victims and then died at age 63 of heart failure, in the early morning of Sept. 12, 2001, of all the times to go. . . . An essay appeared in The New Yorker last March, and he has expanded it into a short book, About Alice, which he found "emotionally hard'' to work on, but not technically difficult, if only because he knew the story so well -- or thought he did. What for Trillin was an attempt to add at least a second dimension to his wife, became, unknowingly, the portrait of a happy marriage. . . .

Giuliani fears ex-wife will hit presidential bid The Sunday Times-UK, By Sarah Baxter, January 7, 2007
THERE is one woman who could cause Rudy Giuliani, the former New York mayor, more problems than Hillary Clinton in the race for the White House: she is Donna Hanover, his second wife, writes Sarah Baxter. Hanover, an actress and broadcaster, was enraged by Giuliani’s flagrant infidelity towards the end of their 18-year marriage and the divorce case was vicious. Giuliani’s advisers fear that she could be a loose cannon in the 2008 campaign. . . . New Yorkers relished the details of Giuliani’s larger-than-life personal story. But conservative “values voters” could be different, as Giuliani’s own aides noted in a 140-page memo leaked last week by supporters of a rival candidate. The campaign dossier suggested that Hanover could be one of several potentially “insurmountable” vulnerabilities that could cause him to drop out of the race. It was an embarrassing start to a campaign that is not yet officially under way. . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Leaked Notes on ’08 Show Giuliani Without the Spin New York Times, By Joyce Purnick, January 5, 2007

Giuliani fears ex-wife will hit presidential bid.

Nicole Kidman-Keith Urban divorce on the cards?

Nicole Kidman-Keith Urban divorce on the cards? Zee News, January 6, 2007
It seems that another celebrity break-up is on the cards, for rumours are swirling that a Nicole Kidman-Keith Urban divorce is imminent. Lingerie model Amanda Wyatt has been claiming that that Urban had a two-year long affair with her, which lasted even when he and Kidman got engaged, reports the Post Chronicle. A source also told American publication In Touch that the couple’s marriage is “hanging on by a thread”, after reports of the affair started circulating. . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Rep: Keith Urban Is Still in Rehab People magazine, By Stephen M. Silverman, December 28, 2006

RELATED ARTICLE: How Nicole's new husband cheated on her with a party girl The Daily Mail- UK, By CAROLINE GRAHAM, December 24, 2007

Split rumours grow as Justin Timberlake attends premiere alone Daily Mail- UK, January 5, 2007
Rumours that Justin Timberlake and Cameron Diaz have split were given more credibility last night when the singer turned up to the premiere of his new movie alone. Sources in America have said 25-year-old Justin split with 34-year-old actress Diaz shortly before Christmas. And last night Timberlake added to the speculation by attending his film Alpha Dog without Diaz. . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Justin & Cameron: It's Over People magazine, January 11, 2007

RELATED ARTICLE: On The Rebound N Y Post- Page 6, January 5, 2007

RELATED ARTICLE: Diaz defends "charming" Jude Law China Daily, Dec 11, 2006

RELATED ARTICLE: Marriage will ruin my sex life: Timberlake Ninemsn- Australia, Sep 20, 2006

Renee's 'devastating' marriage break-up Metro.co.uk, January 5, 2007
Renee Zellweger has opened up about the end of her marriage to Kenny Chesney, admitting it was "devastating". The star reportedly got teary-eyed as she spoke of her sadness about the short-lived union, but said she would marry again if the circumstances were right. . . . The 37-year-old told Life magazine that although she did not care about what was in the media, seeing the details of her break-up on the front on magazines was "salt in the wound". . . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Renée Zellweger Revealed: After a year of heartache and tabloid headlines, the actress looks ahead to the future Life magazine, By Josh Young

Renee Zellweger has opened up about the end of her marriage to Kenny Chesney, admitting it was devastating.

Divorce Law: Foundation Wants Stricter Rules for Splits The Washington Post, By Tim Craig, January 5, 2007
-- After its victory in last year's fight over a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage in Virginia, the Family Foundation of Virginia announced Thursday that it will push to change the state's divorce laws to make it more difficult for parents to end their marriage. The Family Foundation, which opposes abortion and promotes socially conservative values, said it will lobby the General Assembly this year to amend the state's long-standing no-fault divorce law, which essentially allows a husband or wife to terminate a marriage without cause. The foundation is advocating "mutual consent divorce" for couples with children, which would require a husband and wife to agree to divorce before a marriage can be legally terminated, except in certain instances, such as abuse or cruelty. The proposed legislation would not affect childless couples. . . . "People were saying, 'It is not the homosexuals wrecking marriage, it's the heterosexuals,' so we are saying, 'Is there any truth to that?' " said Del. Robert G. Marshall (R-Prince William), who has filed legislation to study the effects of no-consent divorce on state marriage rates. . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: The Heterosexual Revolution The New York Times, By Stephanie Coontz, July 5, 2005

Book Review: Unprotected Townhall.com, By Mona Charen, January 5, 2007
Meet the liberated college woman. You may pity her. "Unprotected" is a hard slap at the sexual free-for-all that prevails on American campuses and throughout American life. The author, revealed since publication as Dr. Miriam Grossman, a psychiatrist at the student health service at UCLA, was hesitant to put her name on this book. The orthodoxy within the academic world is a strict one, and those who transgress often pay with their jobs. Let's hope for her sake, but particularly for her patients' well being, that she is not punished for her heterodox views. What does Dr. Grossman believe that is so dangerous to admit? Well, start with ordinary sex. . . . . And that may be the least of it. Health service physicians and nurses at UCLA and other colleges actually cheerlead for promiscuity. . . .

Three parents for Canadian boy TV NZ, January 4, 2007
A five-year-old Canadian boy can have two mothers and a father, an Ontario court ruled this week in a landmark case that redefines the meaning of family and examines the rights of parents in same-sex relationships. In a ruling released on Tuesday, the Ontario Court of Appeal said the female partner of the child's biological mother could be legally recognized as the boy's third parent. The biological father, named on the boy's birth certificate, is a friend of both women and is taking an active role in the child's life. . . . "We think there are many good reasons for continuing to uphold the definition of family as two parents," said Joanne McGarry, executive director of the Catholic Civil Rights League, one of the groups represented by the alliance. "Once you remove it from the realm of nature and the realm of traditional moral and religious teachings, who's going to decide how many parents a child can have? What's so magical about three, maybe there could be more." . . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Court ruling allowing 3 parents for boy raises concerns for custody battles Times Colonist, Gregory Bonnell- The Canadian Press, January 03, 2007

A five-year-old Canadian boy can have two mothers and a father, an Ontario court ruled this week in a landmark case that redefines the meaning of family and examines the rights of parents in same-sex relationships.

Grappling with the Moral Dimensions of Advances in Assisted Reproduction University of British Columbia, By Prof. Judith Daniluk (Dept. of Education and Counselling Psychology and Special Education, Faculty of Education), January 4, 2007
Almost two years have passed since a single Romanian woman in her mid-60s gave birth to a daughter conceived through the use of donated eggs and sperm and in vitro fertilization (IVF). Worldwide, there was great concern about the ethical and moral implications of such technologies being used to assist a woman in her 60s, much less a single woman, to become a mother, given her life expectancy and the probability that she would not live to see her daughter reach adulthood. . . . However, these advancements bring with them a number of challenging moral, ethical and social issues with which individuals and couples using these treatments must contend. . . .

Book Review: The Thrill of the Chaste: Finding Fulfillment While Keeping Your Clothes On The American Spectator, By Pia de Solenni, January 4, 2006
Sex used to have something to do with marriage. That was then, this is now. Now, sex happens in more ways and places than perhaps ever before; but people don't seem much happier for it. Consider the fact that sex is everywhere, men and women claim to be looking for love and commitment, and the singles industry is booming; but the marriage rate doesn't appear to be keeping pace and people seem to spend much more of their lives being single. In such a light, the sexual revolution appears to have been more limiting than liberating. . . . . Extremely honest and forthright, Eden details her decision to pursue chastity as a way of ultimately being happy, whether or not she ever meets Mr. Right. Fortunately, her writing style lacks the saccharine drama commonly found in inspirational books. Rather than condemn a particular lifestyle for pages on end, she helps the reader to understand the lifestyle. Whether one is on the outside looking in or completely immersed, Eden provides a framework that helps explain the choices that so many people assume are "natural.". . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: 'Sex outside marriage is bad for you' The Brunei Times, By Paul Harris- NY, January 8, 2007

How to save a marriage
Read an excerpt from talk show host and marriage counselor Dr. Laura Schlessinger's new book, “The Proper Care and Feeding of Marriage” Today Show- MSNBC.com, January 3, 2007
Many marriages are filled with resentments, complaints and bitterness... and Dr. Laura Schlessinger gets to hear them every day on her syndicated radio talk show. In her latest book, “The Proper Care and Feeding of Marriage,” she offers advice on how to bring a marriage back from the brink of disaster. Here's an excerpt:
Chapter One: "Me Tarzan. You Jane."

The first and most obvious issue in approaching the glory and angst of marriage is to understand the fundamentals of the two people involved; one is a woman, the other is a man. And that is no small thing! Sometimes it must seem to frustrated spouses that each has more genetics in common with flies and daffodils than each other. Not so; but if one doesn't understand, admire, respect, and at times forgive, the nuances of the opposite sex, then the beauty and satisfaction that can arise from the uniting of man and woman in the most important covenant of marriage will not be discovered and enjoyed. . . . .

Why we divorce lawyers are having a VERY happy New Year.

Why we divorce lawyers are having a VERY happy New Year The Daily Mail- UK, By VANESSA LLOYD PLATT, January 3, 2007
For me it came as no surprise to learn January 2 is regarded as Black Tuesday for marriages, the end of the road for many dwindling relationships. For as long as I've been a divorce lawyer - some 29 years - it has always been the same; the first working day after the Christmas break is the busiest of the year. It's a bit like the stampede on the first day of the January sales, except we have customers queuing up round the block for divorces, not discounts. On Tuesday, my phone was ringing off the hook with distressed clients wanting to make appointments, with seven women and two men demanding divorces by the end of the day. So why is it that January is such a bleak time for relationships? . . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: The big day: UK divorce most common today Guardian Unlimited- UK, January 8, 2007

RELATED ARTICLE: Look out for 12-year itch boys News.com.au- Austrailia, January 4, 2007

Judaism Teams With Vatican to Counter Worldwide Homosexual Marriage LifeSiteNews.com- NY, By Cassidy Bugos, January 3, 2007
– In a move that Orthodox Jews assert marks a “new ecumenism” with Rome, a special emissary of the Rabbinical Alliance of America, representing over 850 Orthodox Rabbis, gathered in an emergency meeting with Vatican officials in Rome January 2 to discuss ways of blocking the worldwide push for homosexual “marriage.” In particular they wanted to coordinate with Rome to stop the Italian government’s proposed homosexual civil union legislation, which could appear as a bill in the Italian Senate by the end of this month. . . . .In a recent press release Rabbi Yehuda Levin, a leading representative of the Rabbinical Alliance, declared that this proposed legislation marks “the latest attempt by the worldwide Homosexual network to impose their amoral values on normative society. . . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Muslim and Jews join gay-laws protest The Daily Mail- UK, BY STEVE DOUGHTY, January 3, 2007

RELATED ARTICLE: Gay Marriage Advocates Don’t Want Tolerance, They Want Their Lifestyles to Become Mainstream BlackAmericaWeb.com, By Joseph C. Phillips, November 07, 2006

Massachusetts lawmakers approve gay marriage vote ABC News- Reuters, January 2, 2007
- Massachusetts lawmakers approved a measure on Tuesday that could give voters a chance next year to ban gay marriage in the only U.S. state where it is legal and overturn a historic ruling by the state's highest court. . . . The 200-member legislature, which has faced a grueling battle over the issue for three years, immediately moved to reconsider its vote, a step gay-marriage supporters had hoped would defeat it. But the measure passed a second vote by the same 61-132 margin. . . . Although a majority in the Democratic-controlled state legislature voted against it, the measure needed only 50 votes to pass. It also was backed by 170,000 Massachusetts voters who signed a petition along with social conservatives including Republican Gov. Mitt Romney, a probable White House contender. . . . .

- Massachusetts lawmakers approved a measure on Tuesday that could give voters a chance next year to ban gay marriage in the only U.S. state where it is legal and overturn a historic ruling by the state's highest court.

Who's Who welcomes the world of gay marriage for the first time.

Who's Who welcomes the world of gay marriage for the first time This is London- UK, January 2, 2007
It has listed the 'noteworthy and influential' - and their wives and husbands - for more than a century. But the latest Who's Who has a new category. The entries now include the other halves of those who have 'married' in same-sex civil partnerships. It means that, for the first time, Sir Elton John's long-time partner David Furnish is included, along with actor-writer Sir Antony Sher's partner Gregory Doran. The law allowing same-sex couples to enter civil partnerships came into law in December 2005 and it is estimated that by 2010 nearly 22,000 homosexual ' marriages' will have taken place. . . .

Why getting hitched is the real hitch for women Times Online- UK, By Carol Sarler January 2, 2007
For those who like to begin every new year with predictions of the end of civilisation as we know it, here’s a cracker: married women are officially in the minority for the first time. Furthermore, the rise of the singleton is clearly going to continue with some ferocity, given her marked showing among the younger set: fewer than one in three women in her late twenties is married, compared with 85 per cent as recently as 30 years ago. Thus, in a single generation, crumbles the aspiration that has steered centuries, during which marriage has traditionally been the highest aim of women (and their mothers), propelled by a truth universally acknowledged that a single woman in possession of good sense must be in want of a husband. . . . . In other words, their own experience has taught them what their younger sisters are working out for themselves: that marriage, these days, simply isn’t much of a deal for women. . . .
A billionaire divorce - and not a lawyer in sight AZ Central, By Robert Frank- WSJ, January 2, 2007
Tim and Edra Blixseth spent 25 years building a $2 billion life together. When they decided to divorce, they spent a single afternoon in the Beverly Hills Hotel, dividing it all up. With just two notebooks and a bottle of wine, the Blixseths - California real-estate tycoons and founders of the famed Yellowstone Club - finished the job in a matter of hours. No attorneys. No accountants. No judges. . . . Call it the do-it-yourself divorce, billionaire style. Rather than fighting over every piece of silver, the Blixseths decided to keep what's most important to each of them and split the difference. Life's too short, they figured. And why give the lawyers all the money if you can work it out yourselves? Their peaceable parting marks a triumph of hope over history, and reason over money. . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Sorry, WSJ, even an amicable divorce is a bad deal financially BloggingStocks.com, By Amey Stone, January 2, 2007

If You're Battling the New Year's Blues, Remember Your Many Blessings - and Be Grateful

If You’re Battling the New Year’s Blues, Remember Your Many Blessings – and Be Grateful Black America Web.com, By Joseph C. Phillips, January 02, 2007
It may be that I have never really had one of those New Year celebrations that are scripted in Hollywood films: Big parties, beautiful people, expensive champagne flowing like water and enough romance to last well into the morning if not deep into the New Year. More often than not after the confetti and streamers, there is a lot of standing around, looking at each other, as if to say: “Now what?” As for romance, the kids fall asleep around 10:30 p.m.; my wife and I are usually asleep by 11:15. Sometime around 12:30 or 1:00 a.m., one of us wakes up, nudges the other, gives a tired New Year's kiss and promptly falls back asleep. Exciting, I know. After 15 New Year celebrations together -- 13 of those as a married couple -- there isn’t much new to discover on New Year's Eve, just more of the same. Not quite the rousing way to bring in the New Year. . . .

RELATED BLOG: Battling The New Year's Blues? The Real Proposal magazine BlogSpot, Posted by Donna Kassin, January 11, 2007

For a baby name with appeal, try appeals court
Ruling - A couple get an answer in their 2 1/2-year dispute over whose last name their daughter should bear THE OREGONIAN, By Ashbel S. Green, January 1, 2007
Choosing a name for a baby can involve lengthy parental negotiations. But getting lawyers involved -- well, that's stretched a dispute about a Heppner girl's name to more than 21/2 years. And it may not be over. The girl was born April 8, 2004, to Christy M. Wizner and Chad M. Doherty, who were not married. Wizner, now 30, decided her daughter should have the same last name as her three other children. Doherty, now 31, wanted the girl to have his surname, arguing that "Wizner" is not ancestral but rather the name of the mother's former spouse. . . . Morrow County Circuit Judge Jeffrey M. Wallace said the standard for settling such a dispute was unclear, but he decided that it seemed prudent to follow the custom of naming the child after a parent the child is related to "by blood." Wizner appealed, and on Dec. 27 -- more than two years later -- the Oregon Court of Appeals weighed in. But not before a quick review of nearly 1,000 years of naming customs. . . . .

Chris and Greg admit they're a team This is London- ShowBiz News, January 1, 2007
Finally, it was easier to let the pictures tell the story. After months of denying that they are an item, Greg Norman and Chris Evert appeared together in public and made no attempt to conceal their affection for each other. The 51-year- old Australian golfer had insisted that he and 52-year- old Miss Evert - the former darling of Wimbledon - were nothing more than 'very, very, close friends'. They revealed the truth, however, with a high-profile date at the famous Doyles fish restaurant within sight of Sydney Harbour. . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Chris Evert's Ex Wishes Her, Greg Norman 'Happiness' People magazine, By Jeff Truesdell, January 3, 2007

Chris Evert and Greg Norman finally admit they're a team.

More Marriage News: December 2006