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"MARRIAGE" In The News
(February 2007) |
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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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- Court: Bury Anna Nicole Smith in the
Bahamas CNN.com, February 28, 2007
-- A Florida appeals court
cleared the way Wednesday for Anna Nicole Smith to be buried next
to her son, Daniel, in the Bahamas. The decision by a panel of
three judges with the 4th District Court of Appeal upheld a lower
court ruling that gave custody of Anna Nicole Smith's remains to
the court-appointed guardian for her daughter, Dannielynn. Last
week, Broward Circuit Judge Larry Seidlin awarded custody of
Smith's body to Richard Milstein, whom Seidlin had appointed as
guardian ad litem for the nearly 6-month-old girl. Smith's mother,
Virgie Arthur, appealed that ruling, because Milstein wants the
former Playboy playmate buried in the Bahamas and Arthur wants her
daughter buried in Texas with other family members. . . . . . . But
Arthur's attorneys argue that a strict reading of Florida law gives
her custody of her daughter's remains. They said there is no
written record of Smith's intentions, and when there is no spouse
and no child at least 18 years old, custody of the body goes to the
next of kin, which in this case is the mother. .
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- Same-Sex Marriage in California: Legal and Political
Prospects Pew Research Center Publications, February 28,
2007
California has been one of the
most active battlegrounds in the same-sex marriage debate. The
fight began in earnest in 2000, when the state's voters passed
Proposition 22, which defined marriage as the union between a man
and a woman. Four years later, following the legalization of gay
marriage in Massachusetts, San Francisco began issuing marriage
licenses to same-sex couples, a move quickly rebuked by the state
Supreme Court. In September 2005, the California Assembly became
the first state legislature in the nation to deliberately approve
same-sex marriages. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger ultimately
vetoed the bill on the basis of Proposition 22. Now, the California
Supreme Court is considering whether Proposition 22 violates the
state constitution's guarantee of equal protection under the
law. . . . . . The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life,
The American Constitution Society, The Federalist Society and The
USC Annenberg Knight Program convened a distinguished panel of
experts to discuss the upcoming state Supreme Court case and other
legal issues, as well as the political prospects for same-sex
marriage in California and around the nation. . . . .
READ THE FULL
TRANSCRIPT: Same-Sex Marriage in
California: Legal and Political Prospects
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- Gay-wed photos back at NY
restaurant Business Week Online, February 28, 2007
An exhibit of
same-sex marriage photos that was ordered removed from a
Westchester County restaurant on Wednesday was allowed to go back
up hours later. The decision to rehang the 37 photo-collages
at a Cosi restaurant came after a closed-door meeting between
officials of the restaurant chain and the Empire State Pride
Agenda, an advocacy group that organized the monthlong exhibit.
After it went up on Monday, the eatery reportedly received several
complaints about the photos, which show gay and lesbian couples and
their friends and families. They are part of a statewide "family
photo album" that will be used to lobby state officials to legalize
same-sex marriage. . . . .
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- Hawaii civil unions plan goes nowhere
BusinessWeek- AP, By MARK NIESSE, Feb 28,
2007
Hawaii lawmakers
effectively killed a proposal to create civil unions for gay
couples by declining to vote on the legislation. More than 100
people packed the House Judiciary Committee hearing Tuesday, many
waving pink signs reading, "Civil Unions. Equal protection, justice
for all." At least 400 people submitted extensive written or oral
testimony. After five hours of testimony, though, the committee
declined to vote. Representatives offered little explanation to the
public, but it was a sign that the bill lacked enough support to
become law. . . .
- Children need both a mother and a
father Rocky Mountain News, By James C. Dobson, Focus on the
Family, February 28, 2007
In December of last year, I received a request from Time
magazine asking me to address the issue of Mary Cheney's decision
to have a baby with her lesbian partner, Heather Poe. I complied,
and my commentary was published in the magazine's Dec. 18 issue.
Although the statement was entirely respectful to Cheney and Poe, I
did express my strong opinion that children need both a mother and
a father, and that the preponderance of behavioral research
supports that belief. From that point forward, I have been
subjected to a barrage of criticism and insults from homosexual
activists, including two lesbian protesters who came to the door of
our organization last week demanding a retraction. The Rocky
Mountain News reported their unexpected visit, but to its credit,
has now given me an opportunity to reply. . . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Mary
Cheney defends same-sex parenthood- Vice president's lesbian
daughter says baby not 'prop' San Francisco Chronicle, By Katharine Q. Seelye- New York
Times, February 2, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: Two
Mommies Is One Too Many. Mary Cheney is starting a family. Let's
hope she doesn't start a
trend Time magazine, By JAMES C. DOBSON, December 10, 2006
RELATED
ARTICLE: It's a
Cheney! Reality Is a Blessed Event The Washington Post,
By Ruth Marcus, December 8, 2006
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- Parenting Issues: Britney Spears, America’s Troubled
Girl Child
Will the U.N.’s empowerment programs help girls move safely
through adolescence to adulthood? TownHall.com, By Janice Shaw Crouse, Tuesday, February
27, 2007
. . . . But when it comes to “harmful attitudes and
practices,” our culture can certainly hold its own –– especially
regarding the nation’s sexualized pop culture. The dangers to girls
from the worst of American culture can be just as destructive as
the cultural practices that are recognized around the world as
harmful to girls and women. The effects of our cultural destruction
can be illustrated by Britney Spears, America’s troubled girl
child. Though an adult, Britney’s problems began in her childhood
and only worsened as she moved through adolescence into adulthood.
. . . . Clearly,
too, those girls from every country around the world who want to
emulate Britney also need help. They aren’t likely to get it from
the current talks at the U.N. Their parents would be much wiser to
listen to the American Psychological Association which recently
warned that sexualizing girls was harmful to their health and
well-being. . . .
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RELATED
ARTICLE: Sandra
Dee and Britney Spears TownHall.com, By Suzanne Fields, February 26,
2007
RELATED ARTICLE: The
Celebrity Asylum TownHall.com, By Brent Bozell III, February 26, 2007
RELATED
ARTICLE: Girls Gone Bad-
Paris, Britney, Lindsay & Nicole: They seem to be everywhere
and they may not be wearing underwear. Tweens adore them and teens
envy them. But are we raising a generation of
'prosti-tots'? Newsweek- MSNBC.com, By Kathleen
Deveny with Raina Kelley, February 12, 2007 Issue
RELATED
ARTICLE: Movie
stars plus marriage equals disaster The
Telegraph- UK, By Bee Wilson, February 11,
2007
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- Male
Biological Clock- It Seems the Fertility Clock Ticks for Men,
Too New
York Times, By Roni Rabin, February 27, 2007
When it comes to fertility and
the prospect of having normal babies, it has always been assumed
that men have no biological clock — that unlike women, they can
have it all, at any age. But mounting evidence is raising
questions about that assumption, suggesting that as men get older,
they face an increased risk of fathering children with
abnormalities. Several recent studies are starting to persuade many
doctors that men should not be too cavalier about postponing
marriage and children. . . .
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- Savage on gay marriage, parenting: "It makes me want to puke. ... I think it's child abuse" Media Matters, February 27, 2007
On the February 26 broadcast of his nationally syndicated radio show, after playing an audio clip of the beginning of singer Melissa Etheridge's acceptance speech at the Academy Awards in which she thanked her wife and four children, Michael Savage said: "I don't like a woman married to a woman. It makes me want to puke. ... I want to vomit when I hear it. I think it's child abuse." Savage later similarly stated: "I want to puke when I hear about a woman married to a woman raising children because, frankly, I think that it's child abuse to do that to children without their permission. What does a child know? Ask them when they're 16 whether they want to be raised by two lesbians or two men," adding: "What are the two men doing behind the other wall? You think the children don't hear it?". . . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Academy Awards Stories In The News, By Mark Neckameyer, February 27, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: I’m not Homophobic; I’m Chick-O-Centric TownHall.com, By Doug Giles, February 24, 2007
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- Suze Orman Comes
Out AfterEllen.com, By Malinda Lo, February 25,
2007
In the Feb. 25, 2007, issue of
the New York Times Magazine, financial guru Suze Orman revealed
that she is a lesbian and has been with her partner, Kathy Travis,
for seven years. During the interview, which covered her latest
book, Women and Money, due out at the end of this month, writer
Deborah Solomon asked Orman if she is married, and Orman replied
initially, "I'm in a relationship with life." Solomon then
prompted, "Meaning what?" and Orman replied: "K.T. is my life
partner. K.T. stands for Kathy Travis. We're going on seven years.
I have never been with a man in my whole life. I'm still a
55-year-old virgin.". . . .
RELATED
ARTICLE: Suze Orman: Lesbian and
Virgin? Americans For Truth, February 27, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: Questions for Suze Orman: She’s So
Money New York Times,
Interview By DEBORAH SOLOMON, February 25, 2007
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- The Wow Vows The New York Times T Style magazine, By HOLLY BRUBACH, February 25, 2007
. . . . For those of us jaded by reports of Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise’s three-ring circus, or Pamela Anderson’s formal wedding for her dogs, or Donald Trump and Melania Knauss’s product-placement bonanza, it’s startling to see so-called icons like Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio getting married in a day dress and a business suit. Or Elvis and Priscilla Presley cutting a cake emblazoned with their names in winsome, irregular letters that look as if they came out of one of those squeeze tubes you buy at the grocery store — so utterly unprofessional by today’s perfectionist standards. . . . . What has become of us as a society, that orchestrating a wedding has turned into such an aggressive, obsessive, competitive pursuit? Why the compulsive flight into fantasy? Have we gorged on too many fairy tales? And when did a wedding turn into a party for and about the bride? . . . . .
- I’m not Homophobic; I’m Chick-O-Centric TownHall.com, By Doug Giles, February 24, 2007
I think I speak for most heterosexual males when I say I’m not homophobic but chick-o-centric. Let’s keep it positive, okay? It’s not that we dislike you, the gay guy; it’s just that we really like girls. It seems no matter how long we compliantly spend in rehab undergoing the most stringent psychotherapy to rid ourselves of our knee-jerk to your mate choice, the simple fact is . . . heterosexual guys don’t “get” gays. Period. Heck, we don’t understand women. What makes you think we’ll ever understand a man who doesn’t like women yet wants to be a woman? You just rifled right over our heads. In addition, not only are most men incapable of comprehending what a man sees in another man, we also don’t care to try to because football is on—so can we all just shut the hell up with the gay stuff and watch the game?!? . . . . . Now, let me help you, the gay constituency, to understand us girl lovers a tad. Most Chick-O-Centric males would not raise an unwaxed eye brow at a homosexual man if he would not shove his gayness in our faces. It’s the flamers that freak out most heterosexuals. Case in point: Bobby Trendy and Jay Alexander. They seem like nice guys, but the pink hair, lip gloss, heavy eye liner, constant limp wrist and lisp is overkill. Why not, instead of emulating a TBN host, you follow Rob Halford’s lead? That would make it much easier for us to have a beer with you. C’mon . . . work with us, we’re trying to get along. Here are 10 more things you should know about most typical heterosexual males:. . . .
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- 75% - Casual Sex Among the
Young Pew Research Center- The Databank, February 23,
2007
A strong majority (75%) of Gen
Next Americans (18-25 year olds) say today's youth are more likely
to have casual sex than were young people 20 years ago. Only 7% of
Nexters say their generation has less casual sex and 17% say they
have about the same amount. Gen Nexters offer some other fairly
harsh assessments about how their behavior and lifestyle compare
with the generation that preceded them. . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: A
Portrait of "Generation Next": How Young People View Their Lives,
Futures and Politics
Pew Research Center Publications, January 9,
2007
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- Parenting
Issues: The Power (and Peril) of Praising Your Kids
How Not to Talk to Your Kids:The Inverse Power of
Praise. NEW YORK magazine, By Po Bronson, February 19, 2007
Issue
. . . . .Offering praise has
become a sort of panacea for the anxieties of modern parenting. Out
of our children’s lives from breakfast to dinner, we turn it up a
notch when we get home. In those few hours together, we want them
to hear the things we can’t say during the day—We are in your
corner, we are here for you, we believe in you. In a similar
way, we put our children in high-pressure environments, seeking out
the best schools we can find, then we use the constant praise to
soften the intensity of those environments. We expect so much of
them, but we hide our expectations behind constant glowing praise.
The duplicity became glaring to me. . . . . .
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- Love will keep us together
Georgia State researchers on the puzzle of sexless marriage The Sunday Paper, By Stephanie Ramage, February 18, 2007
It had been 12 years since Heloise and Peter had had sex. But she could not forget the experience. “In my case, the pleasures … we shared have been too sweet,” she wrote. “Wherever I turn, they are always there before my eyes, bringing with them awakened longings and fantasies which will not even let me sleep.” Their story, usually referred to as Heloise and Abelard, is one of the greatest romances in history. . . . . New research from Georgia State: At Georgia State University, sociologists Elisabeth Burgess and Denise Donnelly have been trying to decode the puzzle of the sexless marriage since 1999, when a researcher’s dream landed in their laps. . . . In their research, Burgess and Donnelly found three patterns. For the majority of those in their sample—65 percent—sex had just kind of petered out over time. “They might still be very much in love with a partner and consider that person their best friend, but they just were not having sex anymore,” says Burgess. But for about 15 percent, the sex had stopped abruptly. . . .
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RELATED ARTICLE: Domestic duties in an erotic world Sydney Morning Herald- Australia, Mark Coultan, February 16, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: "Not Tonight Dear, I Have a Headache": 4 Ways to Save Your Sexless Marriage LifeScript.com, By Emily Battaglia, LifeScript Staff Writer
RELATED ARTICLE: Sexless marriages: When couples stop coupling Iconocast.com
RELATED ARTICLE: Myths About Sexless Marriage Passionate Marriage.com- Marriage & Family Heath Center with Dr. David Schnarch & Dr. Ruth Morehouse
RELATED QUIZ: Do you have a sexless relationship? Dateline-MSNBC.com, By Drs. David Schnarch and Ruth Morehouse
This quiz, based on over 40 years of clinical experience and reviewing research on sex and marriage, can help you assess the sexual side of your relationship. Rather than measuring your adequacy or rating your marriage, use it to scrutinize your love life and decide if you want to change it. Read each question and choose the answer that best fits your experience. . . . .
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- The marriage
test Napa Valley Register, By KEVIN COURTNEY, February 18,
2007
When we are besotted with love, it's easy to skip
over some of the critical relationship issues that can determine if
a marriage will be a success. And so the New York Times has
published a list of 15 questions. They should be asked in the
afterglow of Valentine's but before the spring wedding. For those
of us already wed, this exercise is not without value. The examined
life is a better life. Over Saturday morning coffee, Cheryl
and I went down the list to see how well we'd done our homework
before marrying four years ago. We did not earn A-pluses. The
questions:. . . . .
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- The Romantic Life of Brainiacs The Boston Globe, By
Stephanie Coontz, February 18, 2007
College-educated, highly successful women have long had a
reputation for marrying less (and having lousier sex). But in a
historic reversal of past trends, these women now triumph in
matrimony. A marriage historian explains. . . . If a woman reads
Proust or computes calculus, is she unable to attract a mate?
Conventional wisdom says the answer to both questions is yes. But a
close look at the historical transformation of marriage in America
suggests that educated women now have a surprising advantage when
it comes to matrimony. . . . The flip side of the dire warnings
aimed at educated or high-achieving women is an astonishing
contempt for men, whose egos are deemed too fragile to handle an
egalitarian relationship. Educated, high-achieving men get hit from
two sides. Social scientists claim they won't accept an equal for a
wife. But for a century or more, popular culture has portrayed
educated men as nerds who aren't studly enough to sexually satisfy
a woman. . . .
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RELATED
ARTICLE: Careers and Marriage Forbes.com, August 23,
2006
POINT: Don't Marry Career Women Forbes.com, By Michael Noer, August 22, 2006
COUNTERPOINT: Don't Marry A Lazy Man Forbes.com, By Elizabeth
Corcoran, August 23, 2006
RELATED
ARTICLE: Working women more likely to
divorce Telegraph.co.uk- UK, Jul 10,
2005
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- Blacks debate 'dirty laundry'
Talk in mainstream media about group's problems spurs
outrage Baltimore Sun- AP, By ERIN TEXEIRA, February 18, 2007
Late last year, essayist John Ridley wrote an
article for Esquire magazine, using an in-your-face style to rip
the black underclass. He went on to describe famous blacks who've
excelled in recent years - Condoleezza Rice, Colin Powell - and
argued that the whole group benefited from their work. It's up to
us, he wrote, to emulate their success. It quickly became clear
that irate readers weren't much concerned with Ridley's argument.
They were derailed by the fact that a black person had blasted
other blacks. In a national magazine. With a mostly white audience.
Using the N-word. . . . Chris Rock was among the first to go on the
attack in public. More than a decade ago, he famously - and angrily
- joked in his standup act about the difference between black
people and those he called a derogatory name. The latter, he said,
boast about taking care of their children and not going to jail.
"What do you want," Rock asked of them, "a cookie?" It's a
sentiment others agree with, such as those involved in the push
within the African-American community for marriage. Organizers of
the fourth annual Black Marriage Day - set for March 25 - lament
that nearly seven in 10 black children are born to unmarried
parents. Most single parents have less time and money than married
ones, they say, and children can suffer. . . .
RELATED
ARTICLE: The
Manifesto of Ascendancy for the Modern American
Nigger Esquire
magazine- Volume 146, Issue 6, By John Ridley, December
2006
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- Running of the
Brides Boston Herald, February 17, 2007
Now in its 60th year, the annual
Filene's Basement Bridal Event draws crowds of hundreds in search
of the perfect gown. Brides-to-be and their faithful bridesmaids,
mothers, friends, and a few fiances lined up today outside the
Downtown Crossing store well before the sale started at 8 a.m.,
braving the ice and cold for a bargain on designer wedding
dresses. . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Mob
scene: ‘Sopranos’ star runs with Filene’s
brides Boston Herald, By Renee Nadeau, February 17,
2007
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- Trash-Talk Wife Tears into 'Cad' Kidd & His Babe
Bench NEW YORK POST, By LEELA de KRETSER and ERIC LENKOWITZ,
February 17, 2007
Basketball superstar Jason
Kidd cheated on his wife with a cavalcade of women - including her
pal, a Nets season-ticket holder, strippers, a team employee and
several TV reporters, his jilted spouse said yesterday in her
vicious response to his brutal divorce suit. Joumana Kidd - who
finally broke her silence on the couple's disastrous marriage by
filing a sensational counterclaim for divorce - portrays her
husband as a violent, alcoholic narcissist who has impregnated
women around the country. . . . .
- Anna Nicole Smithing TownHall.com, By Doug Giles, February 17, 2007
Not every girl wants an education, a righteous
vocation, respect from decent people, excellent health, a happy
family and the enjoyment of a long and fulfilling life. With the
advent of Anna Nicole Smith and her ilk, Girls Gone Wild and
Internet Porn, it seems as if today’s ladies would rather be known
for no panties, making out with their girlfriends at Coyote Ugly,
snot slinging drunkenness and having their college orgies broadcast
on YouTube. You go, girl. Show you’re right. Get it right, you
holier-than-thous: not all lassies want a well-thought-of life. So
back off. Some girls are chomping at the bit to step into Anna
Nicole’s bra and replace her as the next human freak show. And who
are we to stop them? . . . . . So, instead of offering some
legalistic and graceless judgmental blast towards those babes who
are following (or wallowing) in Anna Nicole’s path, here instead
are eight helpful tips to assist you ladies in Anna Nicole Smithing
(ANS) your way through life. Are you ready? You are? Then let’s get
busy!
1. You’ve gotta
have a “To hell with education” mindset. . . . . .
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- Lieutenant pops question in national
magazine Air
Force Link- DC, By Tech. Sgt. Rebecca Danet, February 16,
2007
-- A McGuire AFB lieutenant will be taking his new bride on
a dream honeymoon in South Africa after their 2008 nuptials -- a
trip which the couple won this week following an extreme marriage
proposal in Essence Magazine's February love issue. 1st Lt. Kerry
Mackey Jr., a 305th Comptroller Squadron budget officer, proposed
to his longtime friend Diedra Chism of Memphis, Tenn., after
beating out hundreds of other applicants for the opportunity to do
so in the magazine. . . . . As all six women said yes, the magazine
set up an Internet poll on its Web site and asked readers to vote
for their favorite couple to win the dream honeymoon. The six
couples made a guest appearance on ABC Television's Good Morning
America show Valentine's Day where Essence Magazine's
Editor-in-Chief, Angela Burt-Murray, was expected to announce the
winning couple. "We had millions log on," Ms. Burt-Murray said. "I
think they were really excited about all these wonderful stories
and these heartfelt expressions of love.". . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Magazine to
send Rock Hill couple on S. African honeymoon Rock Hill
Herald SC, By April Bethea- The Charlotte Observer, February 14,
2007
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- N.J. to honor out-of-state gay
marriages USA Today- AP, By Geoff Mulvihill, February 16, 2007
— Gay couples who
legally married elsewhere will have all the rights of married
people in New Jersey, but they can't call themselves married, the
state's attorney general decided Friday. New Jersey should
consider those couples to be in civil unions rather than marriages,
Attorney General Stuart Rabner said in the opinion for the state
Department of Health and Senior Services, which is responsible for
registering civil unions. Civil unions, which will be available in
New Jersey starting Monday, grant all the benefits of marriage to
gay couples. . . . . Gay couples married in Massachusetts, Canada,
the Netherlands, South Africa and Spain will be recognized as civil
union partners, as will couples who have entered into civil unions
in Vermont and Connecticut. Domestic partners in California — where
domestic partnership works much like a New Jersey civil union —
will also be considered civil unions. . . .
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- Facing Same-Sex
Marriage Progressive U, By Ceila30, February 16,
2007
Every individual desires
equality, especially here in the United States. Every one of us is
human, we all love, and we all make decisions on what we believe is
right for us. It is understandable that there are different beliefs
of right and wrong and that everyone sets their own acceptance
level based on their perception of that concept. Unfortunately,
people on the left and on the right, ideologically speaking, have
exploited the same-sex marriage debate in attempt to sway others in
one direction or another. Nevertheless, same-sex marriage (SSM) is
an issue that is being discussed, with regularity, around the
world, as well as here in America. How ever someone may feel on the
topic, some believe it is essential to look at the interesting
similarities on both sides of the issue. Although some people find
it morally unacceptable to allow same-sex marriage, others find it
to be an equality issue that needs addressing. Therefore, leading
society to the question, should same-sex marriage be legalized?.
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Church-state showdown: Italian bill proposes rights for
unwed couples Catholic News Services, By John Thavis-Catholic News
Service, February 16, 2007
-- An Italian legislative proposal that would grant
some legal rights to unwed couples -- including same-sex partners
-- has set the stage for a major church-state showdown. On one side
is a wide spectrum of Italian social and political forces,
including many lay Catholics, who say the bill would end
discrimination against unwed couples in areas of health care,
pensions, housing and employment. On the other side is the Italian
bishops' conference, which has argued that the law would undermine
marriage and the traditional family. Some bishops have warned
Catholic legislators that they are duty-bound to vote against the
proposal. . . .
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- Howard Stern's Valentine's Day Shocker: He's
Engaged!
Radio veteran has a change of heart, pops question to longtime
girlfriend Beth Ostrosky
MTV.com, By Chris Harris, February 14,
2007
When Howard Stern signed on to
his satellite radio show Wednesday morning
(February 14), he realized it wouldn't be long before the phone
lines at Sirius were all lit up with fans and friends just waiting
to ridicule him. And really, why shouldn't they? Since the
dissolution of the veteran shock jock's 20-year-long marriage to
first wife Alison back in 2000, Stern has repeatedly vowed — with
his entire audience as his witnesses — that he would never, ever
tie the knot again. At times, he'd even deride his own pals and
members of his staff in the wake of their own engagements, advising
them against making the same terrible mistake he'd once made. Well,
it seems the 53-year-old King of All Media doesn't care about
making the same mistake twice. Stern revealed Wednesday that he
proposed to longtime girlfriend Beth Ostrosky the night before. . .
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- Most believe
marriage is still for life Reuters, By Paul Casciato, February 14,
2007
LONDON (Reuters Life!) - 'Til death
do us part. Or at least that's what most people on the planet still
believe. Seven out of 10 people across the planet still think that
marriage should last a lifetime, according to a Valentine's Day
survey released by global research firm AC Nielsen on Tuesday.
Muslim and Catholic strongholds in Asia topped global rankings in
favor of lifelong marriage in the poll of 25,000 people across 46
countries. . . . . In the West, Americans turned out to be the
strongest believers in marrying for life, while Europeans from
Catholic and conservative countries showed an unexpected lack of
enthusiasm for the concept. . . . .
SEE RELATED POLL RESULTS: With Valentine’s Day
Beckoning, ACNielsen’s Love and Marriage Barometer
Reveals… AC
Nielsen News Release, February 13, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: Wedlock Unlocked: Old Rules Are Changing,
But Most Still Expect To Join The Club Hartford
Courant, By JOANN KLIMKIEWICZ, Courant Staff Writer, February 14,
2007
RELATED ARTICLE: Americans Love Marriage. But
Why? Time magazine, By John Cloud,
February 8, 2007
- Words
of love add up to lasting marriage Niles Daily Star, By Marcia Steffens, February 14,
2007
I always enjoy the Valentine
stories this time of the year about people who met their true love
and have been happily married for as long as I have been alive. My
latest issue of Michigan County Lines, the Midwest Energy
Cooperative magazine, January 2007, has pages of stories in a
feature article titled, "Longtime Lovers." The winner of
their grand prize of an anniversary dinner went to a couple in
Manton. My heart went out to them as I read the list of trials they
went through in their 51 years of marriage. The husband had a brain
tumor, a son died of cancer, their home burned and their pig herd
got a disease. Wow. That list can make our troubles seem quite
small. . . . . Words which helped other couples stick together and
still be in love after 50 years in some of the other contestants
include: "communicating ... give-and-take ... mutual ... trusting
... laughter ... understanding ... learning ... equal ... faith ...
tolerant." One couple actually wrote the words to signify
their "10 commandments for a happy and lasting marriage:
admiration, respect, devotion, consideration, commitment,
understanding, listening, patience, cooperation and honor." . .
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- Love
proves indescribable, especially when you're in
it St Petersburg
Times- Tampa Bay, FL, By JACK BRAY, February 14, 2007
"What is this thing called love? This funny thing
called love. Just who can solve its mystery?" Seventy-eight years
ago, Cole Porter wrote those lyrics for the Broadway show, Wake Up
And Dream. We still ask that question and, in fact, always have
since we first felt a strong, emotional attraction to someone.
Today is the day that we celebrate love with the feast of St.
Valentine. Across the country, candy, flowers, cards and gifts are
exchanged between loved ones, all in his name. . . . But if we had
to define love, I believe St. Paul said it best when he wrote to
the Corinthians more than 2,000 years ago, "Love is patient, love
is kind. It is not jealous, it is not pompous, it is not inflated,
it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick
tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over
wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, hopes
all things, endures all things. Love never fails." . . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Valentine's
Day a waste of time Dixie
Sun- Dixie State College of Utah, By Brock Bybee, February 14,
2007
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- There are no rules on Valentine's
Day The Eagle Tribune, MA, By Everyday Etiquette , Judy
Bowman, February 14, 2007
Q: I know Valentine's Day is for
lovers, but how did it originate, and what is the best gift to give
my valentine?
A: The history of St. Valentine's Day has many legends that speak
of both Christian and ancient Roman myths. Although many are murky,
one legend, a favorite of mine, suggests that in the third century
in Rome, Emperor Claudius II believed that single men made better
warriors and outlawed marriage for young men. One priest,
Valentine, defied the law and performed the marriages. . . . . What
women really want. . . . What women don't want . . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Who is
Valentine? Jamaica Observer- JAMAICA, By Walda
Pitt, February 12, 2007
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- If you're thinking of wooing at work, then why not sign a
love contract? Western Mail- WALES, February 12, 2007
Workplace gifts may be misinterpreted explains
Molly Watson, so take care on Valentine's Day. Around £2.4bn is
expected to be spent on Valentine's Day in the UK this year, making
it one of the most lucrative holidays of the year. But, while it
might not sound in the romantic spirit of the day, if you're
thinking of wooing a colleague at work, you might want to check up
on your company's harassment policy first. . . . But experts say
the number of people involved in office romances is growing thanks
to a culture of longer working hours, and a survey carried out last
year by Lloyds TSB found more than 70% of workers have had a
relationship with someone they've worked with and almost a third
say they met their future life partner at work. So it's more
than likely that a large proportion of the £262m being spent on
flowers, the £467m on jewellery, the £95m on chocolate or the 25
million cards being sent, will be targeted at colleagues. . . .
.
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- Valentine's Day: Have the Ladies' Mags Lost the
Love? Cybercast News Service, By Kristen Fyfe, February 13,
2007
Valentine's Day. The words evoke
romance, tenderness, cards, candy, and flowers. Given that
the media often turn to the subject of love at this time of year,
the Media Research Center's Culture and Media Institute decided to
find out what women's magazines are writing about in their February
issues. The answer is, pretty much what you'd expect -- from
Playboy. In 11 of the top-selling monthly women's magazines, with a
combined circulation of more than 30 million, messages about S-E-X
outnumber messages about love and romance more than 2-to-1. . . .
In an age where divorce rates hover in the 50 percent range,
cohabitation rates are high and even sex among teenagers is not
universally condemned any more, the media's continual force-feeding
of a laissez-faire sexual ethic has to be considered a contributing
factor to the decline in public moral standards. . . . . Cultural
corrosion of sexual mores has profound consequences. In a
fascinating book called "Unprotected: A Campus Psychiatrist Reveals
How Political Correctness in Her Profession Endangers Every
Student," Dr. Miriam Grossman details the real cost of this sex
obsession and doctrine of sex without consequences. . . . .
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- The
best marriage money can buy The Sydney Morning Herald, By Sam Brett, February 13,
2007
MONEY, money, money. Some
say it's the root of all evil, others say it can never bring
happiness, and most say you can't buy love (although gold-diggers
would beg to differ). Yet Forbes magazine recently concurred
with the gold-diggers, taking a jab at the mega-millionaire Donald
Trump. "If he were a dishwasher," it writes, "it's a safe bet that
supermodels would not clamour for the opportunity to be the next
Mrs Trump. But The Donald is rich, and he's famous and he's
powerful. That makes him much more appealing than a dishwasher of
similar age, build and comb-over." Perhaps the Renaissance English
poet Christopher Marlowe was right when he said that money can't
buy love, but it would certainly improve your bargaining position.
. . .
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- Get Married to Debut on WE TV in April;
New Magazine Show is All About
Weddings PR Web Press Release, February 13,
2007
-- A new-concept television show about
everything to do with marriage and weddings hits WE tv this spring
with the debut of a weekly series, Get Married. A half-hour,
news-you-can-use magazine show, Get Married will be hosted by
Atlanta TV and radio personality Jenn Hobby with reports by noted
wedding expert Crys Stewart and correspondent Jessica Campbell. It
will cover everything about weddings, providing news, trend
stories, celebrity interviews, expert tips and ideas, surveys,
destination weddings, honeymoons and viewer feedback as the only
show of its kind on the television landscape. . .
.
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- An Affair Of the Head
They Say Love Is All About Brain Chemistry. Will You Be
Dopamine? The Washington
Post, By Neely Tucker, February 13, 2007
It's all about dopamine, baby,
this One Great True Love, this passionate thing we'd burn down the
house and blow up the car and drive from Houston to Orlando just to
taste on the tip of the tongue. You crave it because your brain
tells you to. Because if a wet kiss on the suprasternal notch --
while, say, your lover has you pinned against a wall in the corner
of a dance club -- doesn't fire up the ventral tegmentum in the
Motel 6 of your mind, well, he's not going to send you roses
tomorrow. Dopamine. God's little neurotransmitter. Better known by
its street name, romantic love. Also, norepinephrine. Street name,
infatuation. . . . "Love is a drug," says Helen Fisher, an
anthropologist at Rutgers University and author of "Why We Love:
The Nature and Chemistry of Romantic Love." "The ventral tegmental
area is a clump of cells that make dopamine, a natural stimulant,
and sends it out to many brain regions" when one is in love. "It's
the same region affected when you feel the rush of cocaine.". . .
.
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- I'd Do Anything for You, or to You:
They Clicked, Then She
Snapped Washington Post, By Jennifer Frey, February 13,
2007
Ah, the power of love. Makes you
giddy, makes you miserable, or -- in the case of some folks --
makes you out-and-out loony. Theirs is a brand of passion destined
for TV-movieland ("based on a true story" and starring Anne Heche)
or, better yet, the Oxygen Network, which has an entire reality
series built around women who murder their men. It's called
"Snapped!" Astronaut Lisa Nowak -- she of the BB gun, trench coat
and Depends -- may be the current poster girl for that kind of
crazy, but she has plenty of company when it comes to Women Who
Snap Over Love: . . . . * Amy Fisher. . . . * Jean Harris. . . . *
Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Observers:
Astronaut Lisa Nowak Suffered 'Mental Anguish' Over Career, Love
Life FOX News.com, February
8, 2007
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- Remembering Anna Nicole
Smith Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.com, By Peter Leo, February 13,
2007
Watching a train wreck . . .
"There was something almost touchingly retro about her wretched
train wreck of a life. She wasn't, in fact, celebrated just for
being a celebrity. She'd earned her notoriety the old-fashioned
way: She took her clothes off for it, then married rich. Americans
have a hard time abiding a tale of struggle without reward, or a
story without a happy ending, which is why we so often confer a
disproportionate attention on the plucky but dubious dead.". . .
The Playboy Curse . . . . The title of Playmate of the Month seems
to carry a terrible curse, The Sun (London) notes. Anna Nicole, a
four-time Playboy cover girl, is one of 25 women who met an
untimely death after stripping for the magazine's centerfold. Three
playmates have been murdered, four have died from overdoses, four
were victims of car accidents, 12 died from illness including
cancer, and one died in a plane crash. . . . Trying to make
something of herself . . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Who'll
tell Anna Nicole's story? Newsday.com, BY DANIEL MASSEY- Newsday Staff
Writer, February 9, 2007,
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- Marshall could be father of Anna Nicole's
daughter The Telegraph- UK, By Philip Sherwell, Feb 11, 2007
First it was the celebrity photographer versus the
Hollywood lawyer. Then Zsa Zsa Gabor's husband entered the fray.
Yesterday, the extraordinary whodunnit over who fathered Anna
Nicole Smith's baby took another twist - it could have been her
elderly billionaire husband, who died on August 4, 1995. J Howard
Marshall II's name was reportedly thrown into the paternity stakes
by the half-sister of Smith, 39, the buxom, platinum blond former
Playboy Playmate of the Year who died in mysterious circumstances
in a Florida hotel room last week.In the manuscript for a new book,
Donna Hogan says her sister froze the 90-year-old Mr Marshall's
sperm and may have used it to become pregnant, according to
yesterday's New York Daily News. Dannielynn Hope Marshall Stern,
who bears the names of two of her possible fathers and became the
heir to a share of the oil baron's $1.6 billion fortune when her
mother died, was born in the Bahamas five months ago. . .
.
RELATED ARTICLE: The
Plot thickens: Is Zsa Zsa's husband father of Smith's
baby? The
Chicago Tribune- AP, By Noaki Schwartz- Los Angeles, February 11,
2007
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RELATED
ARTICLE: Maybe
I'm the dad, says prince The Sydney
Morning Herald- Australia, By Noaki Schwartz- Los
Angeles, February 11, 2007
RELATED
ARTICLE: Glamorous Anna's Greek Tragedy: Soap opera life matched
Aristotle's definition of the genre Lexington-Herald Leader- Kentucky.com, By Derrik J. Lang,
February 11, 2007
RELATED
ARTICLE: Possible
father of Anna Nicole's daughter may have been a
'hoax' Actress Archives, February 11, 2007
RELATED
ARTICLE: Legacy
of a gold-digger The Daily Mail- UK, By WENDY LEIGH, February 9,
2007
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- Movie stars plus marriage equals
disaster The Telegraph- UK, By Bee Wilson, February 11,
2007
Can any Hollywood marriage last?
Last year, like every year since celluloid began, had its fair
share of 'shocking' movie-star break-ups. Reese Witherspoon and
Ryan Phillippe, long touted as a relatively normal couple by LA
standards, split up after seven years of marriage and two children.
So did Kate Hudson and Chris Robinson (six years and one child),
and Hilary Swank and Chad Lowe (eight years, several parrots and a
Karu dog). . . . . The weird thing about these broken unions is not
so much that they don’t last as that we ever expected them to in
the first place. As Valentine’s Day approaches, it seems a good
time to question our continuing desire to see movie-star
relationships as in any sense ideal. . . . The divorces have become
nastier, and the mud-slinging ever dirtier. This is, after all, the
land of make-believe, which doesn’t mean happy endings; it means
lots of people with a slim grip on reality. It should tell us
something about Hollywood that the most lifelike relationship
portrayed on screen is probably the one between Mr and Mrs Shrek.
The real-life stars, by contrast, seem like marionettes in some
twisted puppet show. The same destructive patterns repeat
themselves over and over; the only variation comes from the small
print on the pre-nup. . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Short Shelf Life of Celebrity
Marriage BBC News- UK, Sept 16,
2005
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- Uncivil Unions
The American Spectator, By W. James Antle
III, February 11, 2007
What harm is there in redefining
marriage to include same-sex partnerships? It's a reasonable
question. One might begin to answer by looking at the ongoing
Miller-Jenkins v. Miller-Jenkins case, in which a woman may see her
biological child taken from her home and placed in the custody of
her former lesbian lover. . . . But a new definition of marriage
that does not consider childrearing very important is especially
likely to subordinate children's interests to adult desires. When a
woman with a troubled family history enters into a relationship
with another woman and conceives a child with a stranger's sperm,
potential difficulties are easy to foresee. Yet an increasing
number of states want to rewrite the basic assumptions of the
family to accommodate such arrangements. . . .
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RELATED
ARTICLE: About Isabella Washington Post magazine, By April Witt, February 4,
2007
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- As bodies falter, love survives
Bonds often remain for separated
couples Concord Monitor, By MEG HECKMAN-Monitor staff, February
11, 2007
They hold hands, laugh, dance to "Crazy" or "To Each
His Own." When their visits end, they ride the elevator to the
lobby where he kisses her goodbye, leans on his walker and waves as
she drives away. This isn't how Vernon and Evelyn Vermouth imagined
their seventh decade together: he a resident at the New Hampshire
Veterans Home in Tilton and she commuting a half-hour from Bristol
to visit each week. They miss the routines of cohabitation, like
sharing meals or squabbling over who gets the shower first. But
they say that, in many ways, separation has rendered their marriage
as pure as courtship. . . . For the Vermouths, who are both 82,
living apart has forced them to focus on being together, much like
when they first started dating many decades ago. They met in high
school at the beginning of World War II, but they didn't get
together until after Vernon finished his Army service and returned
to their small Vermont town. Around Thanksgiving 1945, he wandered
into the jewelry store where Evelyn worked. "We greeted each other.
I made the purchase," he said. "She wrapped it. We shook hands and
neither one of us let go." . . . .
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RELATED ARTICLE: DOWNEY: 'Until death do you part' ends
39-year marriage covenant (Part
5) Olean Times Herald- Bradford Publishing (Z-wire.com), By
Joe Downey, Sept 09, 2006 RELATED
ARTICLE: DOWNEY: Despite her illness, Ruth Ann hung
tight to her Lord’s teaching(Part
4) Olean Times Herald, By Joe Downey, August 25, 2006
RELATED ARTICLE: DOWNEY: Marriage series focuses on
relationship with Christ, ‘King David complex' (Part
3) Olean Times Herald, By
Joe Downey, August 25, 2006 RELATED
ARTICLE: DOWNEY: Marriage Reflections: A covenant with
Christ of 39 years (Part 2) Olean Times Herald, By Joe Downey, August 18,
2006 RELATED
ARTICLE: DOWNEY: ‘Marriage Reflections’: A look at 39
years of a covenant (Part 1) Olean
Times Herald, By Joe Downey, August 12, 2006
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- The truth about the first Cosmo
girl The
Daily Mail- UK, February 11, 2007
. . . . More than three decades
after she became Britain's first ever Cosmopolitan cover girl,
Julia Crosthwait still possesses that exhilarating blend of
sensuality, empowerment and self-assuredness that helped define a
generation. But appearances can be deceptive. While Cosmopolitan,
which celebrates its 35th anniversary this month, has become
ever-more sexually explicit in the name of female equality, Julia's
life has unfolded in a very different direction. The Mail on Sunday
tracked Julia down to her home in Santa Monica, California. In an
exclusive interview, she revealed that, far from being strong,
independent and promiscuous, she has had three marriages, shunned
drink and drugs and is shocked by the licentiousness of the
magazine which helped launch her career. . . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Woman to Woman: Is
the trend of unmarried women positive or negative? Atlanta Journal Constitution
(Free Online Subscription), February 1, 2007
RELATED BLOG: Finally, The Real Proposal™ magazine
BlogSpot! The Real
Proposal magazine BlogSpot, November 19,
2006
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