'MARRIAGE' NEWS- March 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.

How wives can kill their marriage: Part II

How Wives Can Kill Their Marriage: Part Two TownHall.com, By Doug Giles, Saturday, March 31, 2007
From the negative reaction I’ve received from cranky women and toxic feminists, as well as the tremendous positive responses/confessions from honest and repentant ex- men emasculators, I think I’m on to something with my “How Wives Can Kill Their Marriage” series. In regards to screeching female critics of my column, you and I both know that if I went to town on husbands (which I have many times . . . check my archives) everything would be cool. I would be loved and hailed by all the misandrists far and wide. Yes, the man haters would be giddy. However, when I turn my guns on the girls for their garish behavior towards their husbands, all of a sudden I’m a sexist, or a homo, or a . . . a . . . a something. What’s the matter? Can’t take the heat? Listen, little Miss Can’t Do Wrong, I’m here to tell you that, believe it or not, you’re capable and oft times culpable for creating for your mate a living hell that is only surpassed by an eternal one. . . .Having covered 1) Nag Your Husband and 2) Disparage Him in Public in my last column, I now offer you, the man-eater, points three through six for your bitter arsenal. . . . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: How Wives Can Kill Their Marriage: Part One TownHall.com, By Doug Giles, March 24, 2007

The (futile) pursuit of happiness The Daily Mail- UK, By HELEN KIRWAN-TAYLOR, March 30, 2007
Throughout my whole life, I have striven to be happy. Indeed, on the surface, I have everything required to reach such a state of contentment: a loving husband, beautiful children, a nice house, the absence of debt or physical impediments. However, despite all this, despite my best attempts to remain positive, most of my waking life is spent in a state that is far, far short of euphoric. Not that I would ever dare admit to anyone that I am anything less than blissfully happy. For in the 21st century, being openly negative, miserable or even a little unhappy in today's glossy, airbrushed, size zero, Hello! magazine world, has become a taboo of unspeakable proportions. . . . . . One of my friends now regrets her divorce, and admits: "I indulged in how I was feeling in the moment - which was deeply unhappy - and convinced myself everything would be fantastic if I just left the marriage, when I should have taken the long view and put up with some unhappiness." . . . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Great Expectations Psychology Today, By Polly Shulman, March 27, 2007

Even when we have everything we believe we need to be happy: a loving husband, beautiful children, a nice house, the absence of debt or physical impediments, why does happiness still elude so many of us?

If the present trend continues, some national demographers believe that fewer than 85 percent of current young adults will ever marry, according to the National Marriage Project at Rutgers University.

LDS singles are delaying marriage
Growing trend mirrors national census data Deseret Morning News, By Nicole Warburton and Leigh Dethman, March 30, 2007
. . . . . The average age of first marriage for LDS Church members is approximately 23, said Jason Carroll, assistant professor of marriage, family and human development at Brigham Young University. That may not sound old, but the LDS Church teaches that marriage and family are an important part of progression both now and in the afterlife. Young adults in the faith traditionally married as early as 18 during the last half of the 20th century. Nationally, the average age of first marriage jumped from 20 for females and 23 for males in 1960 to 25 and 27 in 2000, respectively, according to the most recent Census data. If the present trend continues, some national demographers believe that fewer than 85 percent of current young adults will ever marry, according to the National Marriage Project at Rutgers University. The study found that nationally, men don't commit because they want to avoid divorce and want to enjoy the single life. Foremost, it said the availability of sex outside the bond of marriage and enjoying the "benefits of having a wife by cohabitating" were the top reasons for delaying the commitment to marry. . . . During spring commencement at BYU in 2005, Elder Earl C. Tingey, then a member of the presidency of the Seventy, called on singles to take on the adult responsibilities of marriage and family. He referred to an article in Time Magazine that called singles who avoid marriage "'twentysomething Peter Pans' who never 'grow up,"' preferring to play and work after college graduation. . . . .

Britney and K-Fed Settle Up E! Online, By Natalie Finn, March 29, 2007
Now there's yet another thing no longer hanging over Britney Spears' head. Attorneys representing the shorn pop star and estranged hubby Kevin Federline said Thursday that the couple have reached a "global divorce settlement on all issues of their marriage," including custody of their two children. A day after visiting the dentist for the second time in a week to get a painful tooth checked out and a little more than a week after checking out of rehab, Spears met with Federline and their lawyers for five hours, after which they signed off on their agreement, a spokesman for K-Fed's attorney, Mark Vincent Kaplan, told E! News. The terms of the settlement remain under wraps, but sources close to the situation told E! that a TMZ.com report stating Federline walked away with $1 million and joint physical custody of the kids is not accurate. . . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Britney Spears & Kevin Federline Reach Divorce Settlement People magazine, By Frank Swertlow, March 29, 2007

RELATED ARTICLE: The Top Ten Myths of Divorce: Discussion of the most common misinformation about divorce, with references to social science literature The National Marriage Project- Rutgers University, By David Popenoe, April 2001

Navy doc goes from magazine cutie to TV’s latest ‘Bachelor' Marine Corp Times, By Mike Hughes, March 29, 2007
Navy Lt. Andy Baldwin, TV’s latest “Bachelor” reality star, seemed headed for a steady, stable life. He was on a farm near Lancaster, Pa. “I grew up with a family with modest means,” he says. “Our neighbors were Amish.” Life moved at a peaceful pace. Then his world expanded. Baldwin, 30. has gone from Pearl Harbor to the Persian Gulf, from mountain villages in Laos to a “50 hottest bachelors” spread in Cosmopolitan. And now he’s the next “The Bachelor” on ABC. “I had no idea how difficult (it is),” Baldwin says. “I’ve done the Iron Man six times, but this is hard.”. . . . . One assumes he could attract a woman without the help of a reality show. Still, Baldwin says this is logical. “There are people falling in love in stranger ways.” The track record for the show has been mixed so far.

Navy Lt. Andy Baldwin- The Bachelor: An Officer and a Gentleman_ Courtesy ABC TV-Shows

Meet ABC's newest Bachelor, Officer and a Gentleman, Navy Lt. Andy Baldwin and his pick of Bachelorettes

Halle Berry may be the image of independence and confidence today, but, of her own admission, that wasn't always the case.

Halle Cops to Suicide Attempt E!Online News, By Gina Serpe, March 29, 2007
Halle Berry may be the image of independence and confidence today, but, of her own admission, that wasn't always the case. The Oscar-winning actor has confessed to Parade magazine that she tried to commit suicide shortly after the demise of her first marriage, to Atlanta Braves ball player David Justice. Berry, 40, told the weekly magazine that she attempted to gas herself in her car but pulled out after realizing how "selfish" the act would be. . . . .Things went better, though not much, with her second marriage to confessed sex addict Eric Benet. The twosome married in 2001 and divorced four years later in the wake of Benet's widely publicized confession. Berry described the marriage as "really horrific" and told Parade she wishes she'd gotten out of the ill-fated relationship a lot sooner. "We were in sex rehab after one year. . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Berry Upset with Suicide Story Hollywood.com, By WENN, April 7, 2007

RELATED ARTICLE: Halle Berry - Web Exclusive: PHOTOS & INTERVIEW Parade.com, March 29, 2007

RELATED ARTICLE: Halle Berry's Ex-Husband Fights Back. . . against actress' slurs... Entertainmentwise, By Lowri Williams, June 27, 2006

Defining Marriage Down . . . is no way to save it The Weekly Standard, By David Blankenhorn, April 2, 2007- Volume 012, Issue 28
Does permitting same-sex marriage weaken marriage as a social institution? Or does extending to gay and lesbian couples the right to marry have little or no effect on marriage overall? Scholars and commentators have expended much effort trying in vain to wring proof of causation from the data--all the while ignoring the meaning of some simple correlations that the numbers do indubitably show. . . . When it comes to the health of marriage as an institution and the legal status of same-sex unions, there is much to be gained from giving up the search for causation and studying some recurring patterns in the data, as I did for my book The Future of Marriage. It turns out that certain clusters of beliefs about and attitudes toward marriage consistently correlate with certain institutional arrangements. The correlations crop up in a large number of countries and recur in data drawn from different surveys of opinion. Take the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP), a collaborative effort of universities in over 40 countries. It interviewed about 50,000 adults in 35 countries in 2002. What is useful for our purposes is that respondents were asked whether they agreed or disagreed with six statements that directly relate to marriage as an institution:
1. Married people are generally happier than unmarried people.
2. People who want children ought to get married. . . . .

Same-sex marriage opponents rally The Indianapolis Star- IndyStar.com, By Bill Ruthhart, March 27, 2007
Hundreds of people attended a rally at the Statehouse this afternoon in support of a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. The event was organized by Advance America, a conservative group that has pushed for the amendment. The group's founder, Eric Miller, called for House Democrats to allow a vote on the controversial amendment without making any changes to the proposal. Same-sex marriages already are illegal in Indiana, but Miller and other supporters of the amendment say it's necessary to keep activist judges from creating civil unions, which could carry the benefits of marriage. .

RELATED ARTICLE: Gay Marriage Ripe for Court Decisions in Three States Pew Research Center Publications, By Christine Vestal, March 1, 2007
Lilly against gay marriage ban The Indianapolis Star- IndyStar.com, By Mary Beth Schneider, March 28, 2007
Eli Lilly and Co. today became the latest large Indiana employer to oppose a proposed constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. Tony Murphy, Lilly's senior vice president for human resources, sent a letter to House Speaker B. Patrick Bauer, D-South Bend, and other legislators saying the amendment could hinder Lilly's ability to attract employees and also paint an image of Indiana as an intolerant state. Murphy said in the letter that Lilly, which employs nearly 16,000 people in Indiana, has offered domestic partner benefits since January 2004. . . . The proposed amendment passed the Indiana General Assembly in 2005, but must pass a second time before going to voters for their approval. The Senate approved the amendment earlier this year, and now it is awaiting action in the House. It is highly unusual for Lilly to weigh in on an issue with such large political and social overtones. And the fact that Lilly doesn't usually speak out gives its comments this time even greater weight in the Statehouse. . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Queer Inc.: How Corporate America fell in love with gays and lesbians. It's a movement. CNN Money (Fortune magazine), By Marc Gunther- Fortune senior writer, November 30 2006

The Bee In My Bonnet: We care about what J.Lo thinks - not! Arkadelphia Siftings Herald, By Dolores Harrington, March 28, 2007
They did it again. The magazine section that comes with the state newspaper on Sunday featured a cover photo of Jennifer Lopez this past Sunday. I know little about Lopez, really just that she's a CELEBRITY. That, of course, means she's paid major money to do something that will not make a particle of difference in the scheme of things. Certainly, the effort that makes her a celebrity won't improve the quality of life on this planet. The photo on the front is just the beginning. There is a big spread in the center of the magazine offering Lopez' words of wisdom (duh!) on a variety of subjects. I didn't read the story (I have better things to do), but I saw enough to believe that the woman actually purports to have found the path to a happy life. I learned from an informant that Lopez has been married at least three times and has been involved in several relationships besides her marriages. Now the woman has been married for under two years, and she's an expert on everything. Look, if I want advice - or even information - about love and marriage, I won't be consulting Lopez or any other "celebrity.". . . . .

Jennifer Lopez performing on stage with husband Marc Anthony

Wynonna Judd seeks divorce after husband's arrest The Washington Post- Reuters, By Pat Harris, March 28, 2007
Country music singer Wynonna Judd filed for divorce on Tuesday after her husband was arrested on what police said were sexual battery charges involving a child under 13. Nashville police spokesman Don Aaron said Judd's estranged husband, Dan. R. Roach, was arrested in Abilene, Texas, as a fugitive after his indictment by a Nashville grand jury last week. "The indictment is the result of an investigation by the (local police department's) sex crimes unit that began in late February of this year," Aaron said. Roach will be returned to Nashville in the next few days, he said. The sexual battery charges against Roach were defined as inappropriate fondling and touching but not penetration, Aaron said. . . . .

The Elizabeth Effect Washington Post Blog- The Fix, By Chris Cilliza, March 27, 2007
During an interview on "60 Minutes" over the weekend, former Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.) told Katie Couric that the return of his wife's cancer should play no role in whether or not voters support him. "There's not a single person in America that should vote for me because Elizabeth has cancer," Edwards said. "Not a one. If you're considering doing it, don't do it. Do not vote for us because you feel some sympathy or compassion for us." But, just five days removed from the public acknowledgment that Elizabeth Edwards's cancer was back, it's clear that her illness -- and the couple's decision to keep the campaign going -- is having a profound effect on how John Edwards is perceived. Witness a speech Edwards gave this morning to the Communication Workers of America in Washington. . . .

John and Elizabeth Edwards open up about Elizabeth's cancer

Has the quest to find the perfect soul mate done more harm than good?

Great Expectations Psychology Today, By Polly Shulman, March 27, 2007
Has the quest to find the perfect soul mate done more harm than good? Psychologists provide insight into how the never-ending search for ideal love can keep you from enjoying a marriage or a healthy relationship that you already have. . . . Long live the new marriage! We once prized the institution for the practical pairing of a cash-producing father and a home-building mother. Now we want it all—a partner who reflects our taste and status, who sees us for who we are, who loves us for all the "right" reasons, who helps us become the person we want to be. We've done away with a rigid social order, adopting instead an even more onerous obligation: the mandate to find a perfect match. Anything short of this ideal prompts us to ask: Is this all there is? Am I as happy as I should be? Could there be somebody out there who's better for me? As often as not, we answer yes to that last question and fall victim to our own great expectations. That somebody is, of course, our soul mate, the man or woman who will counter our weaknesses, amplify our strengths and provide the unflagging support and respect that is the essence of a contemporary relationship. The reality is that few marriages or partnerships consistently live up to this ideal. . . . .

Maybe it was death from overexposure Miami Herald, By Fred Grimm, March 27, 2007
. . . . .The size of the media mob. The number of officials and cops clustered around the podium. The thicket of camera tripods. The tone of the mean deputy's voice. All indicated history in the making. I asked a woman next to me in a distressed T-shirt and stretch pants why she had braved this unruly mob, most of whom had the excuse of being paid to be there. She gave me a dismissive look and a terse answer. ``This is historical.'' I'm pretty sure, unless she was a time traveler, she meant historic. . . . Yet . . . it felt counterfeit. Faux historic. More like a TV reality show -- a cheap production from the ratings-desperate Bravo-A&E-FX-E-USA end of the cable spectrum. A tacky reality show gone amok. . . . Perper rattled off an astounding bouquet of antidepressants, anti-anxiety drugs, painkillers, antibiotics, a flu drug, vitamin V-12, immunoglobulins and human growth hormone, some of which had been injected into her buttocks, leading to a needle infection and yet another complicating factor. Anna Nicole's mad drug medley brought to mind the deadly combinations found in the one-time king of pop culture, three decades ago. . . .

Anna Nicole Smith's death accidental, Florida officials say International Herald Tribune- Americas, By John Holusha, March 26, 2007
Anna Nicole Smith died from an accidental overdose of drugs, officials in Broward County, Florida, said Monday. They said no criminal activity was involved and they did not expect to file charges against anyone. Charlie Tiger, chief of the Seminole Police Department, which had jurisdiction in the case, said there was "no evidence of illegal drugs" and "no foul play" in the case, which has been closed. . . . Blonde and curvy, Smith was a Playboy centerfold, actress and television personality whose life was marked by financial and legal struggles, an improbable marriage and tragedy. Her son Daniel, 20, the product of her first marriage, died on Sept 10, 2006, three days after she gave birth to her second child, Dannielynn, whose paternity is still in dispute. He died in his mother's hospital room in the Bahamas, and a medical examiner hired by the family found the cause of death the accidental result of the interaction of methadone and anti-depressants. . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Drug Overdose Killed Anna Nicole Smith; Inquest Into Son's Death Begins This Week AOL Entertainment- The Daily Pulse, By CHRIS FRANCESCANI- ABC News, March 27, 2007

Testosterone- The principal male sex hormone that promotes health and well-being

The Ups and Downs of Testosterone
Testosterone levels are high when men are single, go down when they marry, and rise when they divorce Psychology Today, By Annie Murphy Paul, March 26, 2007
Men who worry that marriage will tame their wilder impulses may not be far wrong. Levels of the hormone testosterone, which is thought to contribute to aggressive and dominating behavior, are high when men are single, go down when they marry, and rise when they divorce. Although some men have consistently higher levels of testosterone than others, hormone levels in all men respond to changes in status. In anticipation of a competition, for example, testosterone goes up; after it's settled, the testosterone of the winner rises further still, while that of the loser goes down. Researchers have found a similar process in marriage. . . .

From Here to Paternity
Robert Jones has a sales pitch for D.C.’s marginalized fathers. First, he has to find them. Then, he has to get them to buy it. WASHINGTON CITY PAPER, By Amanda S. Miller
. . . . . “Employment has always been a major impediment,” says McRae. “Most guys, particularly young guys, when they have children, if we can find them employment and get them some life skills—you’ll see they won’t run away from their obligations. When employment is not there, they say forget [the mother] and the children. That’s just how men function.”. . . . Jones grew up in Brooklyn and Queens with a mother he describes as a very attractive woman who didn’t know how to pick good partners. When his mother had “company,” she would lock him and his siblings up in a closet “until that nigga left.” Jones says his mother was hardly around. She had nine children by seven men; Jones never even met his father. . . . Out of more than 200 fatherhood grants nationwide, the state of California got the most money, followed by Maryland, home of the National Fatherhood Initiative. Third in line: the District of Columbia. So why are the feds throwing all this money at D.C.’s dads? In 2004, the latest year for data, more than half (53 percent) of District children lived with families headed by a single woman. Study after study shows children living with single women are more likely to fall into poverty and crime and repeat the cycle. . . . .

Robert Jones of the Hunt Place Health Center has a sales pitch for D.C.'s marginalized fathers. First, he has to find them. Then, he has to get them to buy it.

Let's talk about sex Belfast Telegraph, By Grainne McCarry and Chrissie Russell, March 26, 2007
What are young women's attitudes to sex? And does anyone here really still insist on walking down the aisle before jumping into bed? Grainne McCarry and Chrissie Russell ask some very personal questions indeed. . . . I have had around 40 sexual partners: Aine Kelly (26) lives in Belfast with 15-month-old daughter Stella and works as a gallery assistant. She says: I became sexually active when I was 12. I wasn't in a relationship at the time and I suppose now I wish I'd waited a bit longer. A lot of my friends were older and they were all doing it and it seemed like a good idea at the time. I'm not one of those people who thinks sex is a beautiful thing that people should wait for. I've had around 40 sexual partners - I had a bit of a mad time at university. . . . If you haven't had it, you don't miss it . . . . .Sharing a bed with someone means a lot. . . . I'll most likely marry in my early thirties. . . . Ulster attitudes to sex are so old-fashioned. . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Sex and sensibility The Age- Austrailia, By Sophia Cunningham, March 10, 2007

RELATED ARTICLE: America Unzipped: Sexual exploration goes mainstream
Seems everybody's engaging in once-fringe acts, but are we satisfied yet? MSNBC, By Brian Alexander- MSNBC contributor, Dec 1, 2006

RELATED ARTICLE: The State of Our Marital Unions: For Better or Worse . . . Mostly Worse Breakpoint.org, By Chuck Colson, July 24, 2002
How Wives Can Kill Their Marriage: Part One TownHall.com, By Doug Giles, March 24, 2007
“The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish tears it down with her own hands.” - King Solomon, Proverbs 14.1. . . . . If some of you ladies want to know how you can suck the life out of your marriage and drive your husband to insanity . . . or to the bar . . . or into the arms of another woman . . . or to a divorce attorney . . . or just shrivel him up into a conquered quail who inwardly loathes you as he dies a slow, emotionally tortuous death, well then . . . this is your lucky day. Here are 10 surefire principles that’ll make your husband more miserable than Donald Trump being forced to watch Rosie O’Donnell River Dance naked. They are . . .

Purity balls are seemingly an inevitable offspring of a permissive culture that at times seems more predatory than liberating.

Extreme Fathers of the Bride Real Clear Politics, By Kathleen Parker, March 23, 2007
Those darned patriarchal Christians are at it again. With "purity balls'' back in the news -- dress-up affairs during which fathers and daughters profess their allegiance to sexual purity -- evangelicals once again have become America's favorite whipping boys. Are these guys weird, or what? Well, yes, a little. But then again, not really. Purity balls are an inevitable offspring of a permissive culture that at times seems more predatory than liberating. The dads and daughters who "date,'' dance and exchange purity oaths are merely a reactionary response. Every extreme invites another. . . . Most fathers generally hope that their daughters will postpone sex until adulthood, if not marriage. They may know that's an unlikely proposition, especially once their daughters hit college, where virginity is considered a sign of abnormality. But sane parents prefer that their daughters (and sons) not waste themselves on random hook-ups where sexually transmitted diseases are more likely to be exchanged than last names. Critics of the purity balls marshal the usual feminist arguments. The fathers, they say, are trying to keep women in their subordinate place, reiterating the oppressive patriarchal structure of Christian homes and the broader society they seek to control. This position is always offered as though women have no choice in whom they marry or what religion they practice.

SEE RELATED VIDEO: CARENET PURITY BALL

RELATED ARTICLE: Would you pledge your virginity to your father? Glamour magazine, By Jennifer Baumgardner, January 2007 Issue

RELATED COUNTERPOINT: Father-Daughter Purity Ball Iowa Underground Forum Index: The Chimperor's Lost Clothes

RELATED ARTICLE: Study: Abstinence pledges may trigger risky sexual behavior USA Today, March 18, 2005

RELATED ARTICLE & STUDY: Teens Who Make Virginity Pledges Have Substantially Improved Life Outcomes The Heritage Foundation- Center for Data Analysis, By Robert E. Rector, Kirk A. Johnson, Ph.D., and Jennifer A. Marshall, September 21, 2004

Sweden Proposes Moving from Civil Unions to Legalizing Homosexual 'Marriage' LifeSiteNews.com, By Gudrun Schultz, March 23, 2007
- A one-person committee appointed by Sweden's government recommended Wednesday that same-sex couples be given all the rights of marriage, the Associated Press reported March 21. While the country permits homosexual civil unions under legislation passed in 1994, same-sex marriage is not allowed. "Two men or two women should be able to wed, and in the future be called spouses," said Hans Regner, who carried out the commission. "All the rules for heterosexual spouses will be applied also to homosexual couples." Under the proposed legislation, same-sex couples already in civil unions would automatically be considered married. The new law still needs Parliamentary approval, but with homosexual "marriage" receiving widespread support in the country the measure is expected to pass. . . . .

A one-person committee appointed by Sweden's government recommended Wednesday that same-sex couples be given all the rights of marriage.

Indianapolis Colts Coach Tony Dungy spoke Tuesday at the 2007 Friends of the Family Banquet. The coach told the audience he supported the group's efforts to amend the Indiana constitution to define marriage as between one man and one woman. - KELLY WILKINSON / The Star

Dungy's stand on gay marriage reverberates Indianapolis Star- AP, By Michael Marot, March 23, 2007
Tony Dungy is a deeply religious man who puts his faith first in his life, even above family and football. So his support of a proposed gay-marriage ban likely surprised few. What was surprising is the Indianapolis Colts' quiet coach shared his position publicly, sparking discussion about the impact of the Super Bowl winner's comments. Dungy caused a stir Tuesday when he accepted the "Friend of Family" award from the conservative Indiana Family Institute. The coach told the audience he supported the group's efforts to amend the Indiana constitution to define marriage as between one man and one woman. . . . Dungy is not the first public figure to draw fire for anti-gay comments. Former NBA star Tim Hardaway apologized twice after responding to a question about his reaction to a gay teammate by saying "I hate gay people." Actor Isaiah Washington, of the hit television show "Grey's Anatomy," sought counseling after using a gay slur when he referred to another cast member. Author-columnist Ann Coulter was chastised for repeating the slur when referring to Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards during a speech to a conservative group.

South Carolina Bans Gay Marriage EDGE Boston, MA, By Seanna Adcox-AP, March 23, 2007
South Carolina officially banned gay marriage Thursday as legislative leaders ratified a constitutional amendment approved by voters in November. New Hampshire, meanwhile, moved in the opposite direction, with a state House panel endorsing the creation of civil unions for same-sex couples. South Carolina was among eight states with gay marriage bans on the ballot last year. The measures passed everywhere except Arizona. Nearly four out of five South Carolina voters approved the amendment, which reads, "A marriage between one man and one woman is the only lawful domestic union that shall be valid or recognized in this state.’’. . . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: House panel endorses New Hampshire civil unions EDGE BOSTON- AP, Mar 23, 2007

RELATED ARTICLE: Gay Marriage Ripe for Court Decisions in Three States Pew Research Center Publications, By Christine Vestal, March 1, 2007

South Carolina officially banned gay marriage March 22, 2007, as legislative leaders ratified a constitutional amendment approved by voters in November 2006.

In Secret, Polygamy Follows Africans to N.Y. New York Times, By NINA BERNSTEIN, March 23, 2007
She worked at the Red Lobster in Times Square and lived with her husband near Yankee Stadium. Yet one night, returning home from her job, Odine D. discovered that African custom, not American law, held sway over her marriage. A strange woman was sitting in the living room, and Ms. D.’s husband, a security guard born in Ghana, introduced her as his other wife. . . . . Polygamy in America, outlawed in every state but rarely prosecuted, has long been associated with Mormon splinter groups out West, not immigrants in New York. But a fatal fire in a row house in the Bronx on March 7 revealed its presence here, in a world very different from the suburban Utah setting of “Big Love,” the HBO series about polygamists next door. . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Fathers of Bronx fire victims unite USA Today-AP, March 9, 2007
Defining marriage: Judge must decide whether transsexual can marry La Crosse Tribune, By CARRIE ANTLFINGER- AP, March 23, 2007
— By law, marriage in Wisconsin is described as a union between one man and one woman. But what if the man is a transsexual? That’s what Barbara Lynn Terry, 58, is trying to find out. Terry, who changed her name from Ronald Francis Terry, and Australian Nicole Winstanley, 22, received a marriage license from Milwaukee County. They have a meeting with a judge this morning to determine whether he will marry them in a formal ceremony. There have been similar cases in a handful of states across the nation, said New York Law School professor Arthur S. Leonard, an expert in sexual-orientation law. Judges or appellate courts usually base their decision on the sex on people’s birth certificates, unlike in Great Britain where transsexuals can obtain new birth certificates and marry in their adopted gender, he said. . . . .

Judy, Judy, Judy New York Sun Politics Blog, Posted by Ryan Sager, March 23, 2007
So, yesterday Judith Giuliani made it known that Rudy Giuliani isn't her second husband, he's her third. . . . However, while I've written before about Mrs. Giuliani as a potential liability, I don't see how this latest disclosure could do much damage. Republican primary voters know the mayor's personal life is a mess. Given the magnitude of what people already know, this doesn't even constitute a drop in the bucket. And they've gotten it out of the way early. My favorite quote from Mrs. Giuliani, however, is this: "Rudy and I believe very strongly in the institution of marriage." Of course they do. They'd have to, with five marriage between them!

RELATED ARTICLE: Political Video of the Day: Team Rudy & Judy New York Sun Politics Blog, Posted by Ryan Sager, March 14, 2007

Judi Giuliani's Secret Husband Revealed The New York Post, By ANDREA PEYSER and MAGGIE HABERMAN, March 22, 2007
-- Rudy Giuliani's wife Judith revealed a shocker yesterday - the thrice-married Republican White House hopeful isn't her second husband, he's her third. "Something I will share with you is that, since I haven't done (many) interviews .. Rudy and I have both been married three times," Mrs. Giuliani told The Post in a sit-down interview yesterday, the first time she has disclosed the bombshell personal information. Even long-time Giuliani supporters had thought he was her second husband, not her third. . . . . Mrs. Giuliani described the pair as having "a great respect for the institution of marriage." . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Grumbling in Giuliani camp follows revelation of wife's second previous marriage Charleston Daily Mail- Newsday, March 24, 2007

RELATED ARTICLE: Rudy's Family Values Yahoo! News, By Maggie Gallagher, March 6, 2007

JUSTIFYING MARITAL VIOLENCE: A German Judge Cites Koran in Divorce Case Spiegel Online International, By Veit Medick and Anna Reimann, March 21, 2007
He beat her and threatened her with murder. But because husband and wife were both from Morocco, a German divorce court judge saw no cause for alarm. It's a religion thing, she argued. The case seems simply too strange to be true. A 26-year-old mother of two wanted to free herself from what had become a miserable and abusive marriage. The police had even been called to their apartment to separate the two -- both of Moroccan origin -- after her husband got violent in May 2006. The husband was forced to move out, but the terror continued: Even after they separated, the spurned husband threatened to kill his wife. A quick divorce seemed to be the only solution -- the 26-year-old was unwilling to wait the year between separation and divorce mandated by German law. She hoped that as soon as they were no longer married, her husband would leave her alone. Her lawyer, Barbara Becker-Rojczyk agreed and she filed for immediate divorce with a Frankfurt court last October. They both felt that the domestic violence and death threats easily fulfilled the "hardship" criteria necessary for such an accelerated split. In January, though, a letter arrived from the judge adjudicating the case. The judge rejected the application for a speedy divorce by referring to a passage in the Koran that some have controversially interpreted to mean that a husband can beat his wife. . . .

TV Review: The Tudors
When Royals Become Rock Stars TIME Magazine, By REBECCA WINTERS KEEGAN, March 22, 2007
A handsome, charismatic young star is bored with his marriage and worried about his legacy. He distracts himself by bedding young lovelies, throwing extravagant parties and hanging out with friends who keep him out of trouble--at least until the wrong girl comes along. If this sounds like an upcoming episode of Entourage, then adjust your cultural references back about 500 years and add some tights. The young celeb: Henry VIII. The first wife: Catherine of Aragon. The friends: Cardinal Wolsey and Sir Thomas More. The temptress: Anne Boleyn. Sound familiar?. . . . . . For audiences who like their history juicy, relatable and full of comforting moral certainties--which is to say pretty much everybody without a Ph.D.--there may be no better subject than young Henry. He was a rock star in a glittering, perilous age, an intellectually curious, athletic charmer who became a uxoricidal, paranoid turkey-leg chomper, pursuing a male heir through six wives. It's a wonder it took the entertainment industry so long to fully exploit him--and the other Tudors too--since the period was one of the most scandal plagued in British history. . . . . .

The Tudors_King Henry VIII_Jonathan Rhys Meyers.jpg

Watch The Tudors On Showtime- Preview Episodes 1 & 2

Terry McMillan & Jonathan Plummer in happier times

Terry McMillan Sues Her "Little Fag" Ex The Smoking Gun, March 22, 2007
In the latest chapter of Terry McMillan's legal battle with her ex-husband, the best-selling author yesterday filed a $40 million lawsuit charging him with conspiring to destroy her reputation during their contentious divorce and subsequent legal actions. McMillan's complaint against Jonathan Plummer (and his lawyer Dolores Sargent) follows recent restraining order applications filed by both sides in California's Contra Costa Superior Court. As seen on the following pages, McMillan, 55, and Plummer allege that finalization of the couple's divorce did not lead to a cessation of hostilities. . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Terry McMillan Sues Ex-Husband for $40 Million People magazine, By Brian Orloff, March 22, 2007

RELATED ARTICLE: Can the British Still Call a Cigarette a Fag? TownHall.com, By Doug Giles, March 10, 2007

RELATED ARTICLE: I’m not Homophobic; I’m Chick-O-Centric TownHall.com, By Doug Giles, February 24, 2007

TV Review: Tori and Dean
Fans, Start Your Engines for Extreme Marriage New York Times, By VIRGINIA HEFFERNAN, March 20, 2007
. . . . Similarly, reality-television fans are fast acquiring scholarly insight into celebrity relationships. Surely some pricey marriage clinic could use our wise analysis of famous couplings. Years of rigorous training — studious attention to Nick and Jessica, Carmen and Dave, Britney and Kevin, Travis and Shanna — have, in fact, produced a sacred algorithm that lets us tell within minutes whether a marriage conducted largely on television is going to last. (A hint for the uninitiated: no = zero = 0 = {null set}.) . . . . . Around Dean, Tori showboats, running even to vaudeville. She uses a high, little-girl voice, as when proposing sex, and she prances around for cameras and fans. What’s more, her wiglike hair and giant face — swollen to clown size in pregnancy — work well for comedy, and the effect is pretty, in a rag-doll way. Her patchwork image is heightened by the overalls and brightly patterned clothing she opts for as maternity wear. It’s hard to imagine that she ever took herself seriously. Did she? And did anyone ever take her seriously enough to dislike her, let alone admire her?. . . .

Halle Berry Happy Without a Ring Daily Blabber, ivillage, March 20, 2007
You can't really blame Halle for not wanting to walk down the aisle ever again. The girl married some real shmucks in the past. Even though Hal has been dating that cutie model Gabriel Aubry, and is very happy with him, she's done with making it official. . . . Although marriage may be out of the question, little Berrys are a good possibility. "I definitely want children. Very much." . . . Comments. . . . What a good example she is setting --- live with some dude -- have a baby --- no wonder the younger generation is so mixed up on values and morals . . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Halle Berry Says No More Marriages People magazine, By Stephen M. Silverman, March 19, 2007

Movie Review: I think I Love My Wife MeeVee- By BlogCritics, March 19, 2007
Chris Rock thinks he loves his wife. To top that, he also has the delusion that he has what it takes to make his fans love him for more than just being a comedian. He is under the impression that he is also a good writer and director; a thought that has him headed for disaster. That potential disaster is a little film called I Think I Love My Wife, which coincidentally was written, directed by, and stars the iconic comedian as a bored married man who is no longer intimately acquainted with his wife and it is starting to get to him. Rock plays Richard Cooper, a successful financial broker with a wife (Gina Torres), two lovely children, and all the problems that every married man is faced with: a monotonous routine and worst of all, no sex. The no sex part is something that Richard was learning to deal with, that is until the day that Nikki (Kerry Washington) popped into his life. . . .

ALTERNATE REVIEW: Rock grows up, on and off the screen San Francisco Chronicle, By Michael Ordoña, Sunday, March 18, 2007

Financial Vows in Marriage:
Did you promise to love, honor, and save for retirement? Motley Fool.com, By Elizabeth Brokamp, March 19, 2007
When my husband and I were on our honeymoon, we decided to write private wedding vows, which were a bit different than the typical "I do's" we'd exchanged at the church. Why? We hadn't relished the idea of sharing our innermost thoughts with the 100+ friends and family who bore witness to our marriage, and flowery promises just aren't our style. Besides all that, it would have been downright embarrassing to utter the words, "I vow never to wear big-bottomed undies," in front of the priest, our parents, colleagues, and former boss. . . . . In addition to promising to forego the "granny panties" (although the mental picture still makes me laugh), our private vows included this wish: that when we are staring at retirement, we'll focus less on sadness over our empty nest and more on the joyous opportunity to be a couple again. I fancied us very wise to think so long term ("forever" seemed synonymous with retirement at that point), but like so many things about marriage, this promise was but a beginning. . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: For Richer or Poorer Mother Jones, January/February 2005 Issue
Who is and isn't marrying, and why Seattle Times, By Michelle Goodman, March 17, 2007
Move over, marriage. When it comes to romantic commitment, you're not the only game in town. While the culture wars rage on — conservatives doing their darndest to ban same-sex marriage, domestic partners gay and straight clamoring for the same legal rights as their married neighbors, and singles shouting, "Hey, where's our piece of the government pie?" — a funny thing happened: Marriage slipped off its pedestal. . . . Love still may be a many-splendored thing. But now that women don't need marriage to secure a roof over our heads (thank you, Mom, for marching in the '70s), we can afford to be choosy about whom we commit to, when we commit and if marital vows figure into the picture at all. The result? Many of us remain single. Others cohabit. Some shun traditional marriage for a commitment ceremony. And for those who do get hitched, playing "wife" thankfully looks nothing like the repressive gender role many of our mothers were cast in. In other words, when it comes to commitment these days, we've got options galore. . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Wedded to Marriage: Invest now or pay later? National Review Online, By Wade F. Horn, Aug 9, 2005

RELATED ARTICLE: The Marrying Kind: Which Men Marry and Why The National Marriage Project- The State of Our Unions 2004, By Barbara Dafoe Whitehead and David Popenoe

Jolie Good Boy: Meet Pax Thien Jolie, Angelina's Newest Adopted Tot FOX NEWS, Friday, March 16, 2007
Meet Pax Thien Jolie, the 3-year-old boy Angelina Jolie adopted Thursday from an orphanage in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The boy's name was originally Pham Quang Sang, which means "brilliant" and is common in Vietnam. But Jolie immediately changed his name to Pax Thien Jolie, a fusion of Latin and Vietnamese meaning "peaceful sky." The boy takes Jolie's last name, since boyfriend Brad Pitt, the father of her two adopted kids and one biological child, was not listed as a parent on the child's adoption papers. In Vietnam, couples who are not married are not allowed to adopt, so Jolie made the trip without Pitt. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: The Tale of Angelina's New Son TIME magazine, By Kay Johnson/ Hanoi, March 22, 2007

Angelina Jolie's newly-adopted Vietnamese son_ Pax Thien Jolie

Affair with teacher leads to slaying Boston Globe- AP, By Duncan Mansfield, March 16, 2007
--In a tragic twist to a familiar story, a teenager who had sex with his married 30-year-old teacher was fatally shot outside the woman's home, and authorities have charged the woman's husband. "You see all this stuff with teachers involved with their students. It just comes up time after time on the national news," said Norman McLean, father of suspect Eric McLean. But this time, he said, someone "actually died over it." McLean's wife, Erin, had completed half of a one-year teaching internship at West High School, where she met the 18-year-old Sean Powell last fall. . . . The attorney for Eric McLean, 31, acknowledges that McLean killed Powell. "So this trial is going to be about what really did happen and why -- not who," attorney Bruce Poston said. Poston said McLean is in a "state of shock. Like watching a deer caught in the headlights. Literally wondering, 'Have I made a decision that will ruin the rest of my life as well as others?'". . . . .

At a 'Purity Ball' young women sign pledges to remain virgins until marriage. So, why is the media so upset?

Tell Me - What's So Wrong With A 'Purity Ball'? National Ledger, By Pam Frantz, March 16, 2007
A 'Purity Ball' is an event held by fathers for their daughters. They are fancy affairs, with the girls dressed in formal attire. The young women sign pledges to remain virgins until marriage. So, why is the media so upset? The first "Purity Ball" was held in 1998 by the founders of Generations of Light, a popular Christian ministry in Colorado Springs. . . . . . The movement’s latest mission is to make abstinence cool (it’s been called “chastity chic”). I find the whole idea wonderful. That is how it was intended since the beginning."Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh." The act of intercourse actually meant something once. It wasn't just recreational. It wasn't just "something to do" if you like a guy. So, I ask you, what is wrong with encouraging a young woman to maintain her purity until marriage? Apparently, there seems to be a major problem with this concept among the media. . . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Would you pledge your virginity to your father? Glamour magazine, By Jennifer Baumgardner, January 2007 Issue

RELATED COUNTERPOINT: Father-Daughter Purity Ball Iowa Underground Forum Index: The Chimperor's Lost Clothes

RELATED ARTICLE: 75% - Casual Sex Among the Young Pew Research Center- The Databank, February 23, 2007

RELATED ARTICLE: Generation Confused: Cancer vaccines, birth control, emergency contraception -- with all these options, are teens any sexually healthier? San Francisco Chronicle, By Heather Boerner, February 11, 2007

RELATED ARTICLE: Study: Abstinence pledges may trigger risky sexual behavior USA Today, March 18, 2005

RELATED STUDY: Ten Important Research Findings on Marriage and Choosing A Marriage Partner: Helpful Facts for Young Adults The National Marriage Project- Rutgers University, By David Popenoe and Barbara Dafoe Whitehead, November 2004

RELATED ARTICLE & STUDY: Teens Who Make Virginity Pledges Have Substantially Improved Life Outcomes The Heritage Foundation- Center for Data Analysis, By Robert E. Rector, Kirk A. Johnson, Ph.D., and Jennifer A. Marshall, September 21, 2004

RELATED ARTICLE: The State of Our Marital Unions: For Better or Worse . . . Mostly Worse Breakpoint.org, By Chuck Colson, July 24, 2002

RELATED STUDY: Why Men Won't Commit The National Marriage Project, Publications: The State of Our Unions: The Social Health of Marriage in America, 2002- Summary of focus groups of young men 20 to 33 conducted around the country.

The Crime of Conviction: General Pace and Morality Breakpoint.org, By Chuck Colson, March 15, 2007
Heaven forbid that our nation's highest ranking military officer should believe in morality - or that the military should uphold the highest standards of integrity. . . . .Our nation’s top military officer, a veteran decorated with no less than forty-eight military awards and a very distinguished career, made a startling revelation this week: He has moral conviction. The world gasps, hurls insults, and demands an apology. How dare one of the top leaders of our land have a moral belief and share it when questioned! But that’s exactly what happened this week when the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff—the first Marine general ever to hold that position—General Peter Pace, commented in a wide-ranging interview with the Chicago Tribune, “My upbringing is such that I believe that there are certain things, certain types of conduct that are immoral. I believe that military members who sleep with other military members’ wives are immoral in their conduct, and that we should not tolerate that.” But then Pace went on to tell the Tribune, “I believe that homosexual acts between individuals are immoral and that we should not condone immoral acts.” Well, stop the presses. . . . .

Marine Gen. Peter Pace, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Monday he considers homosexuality to be immoral and the military should not condone it by allowing gay personnel to serve openly.

Furor Over Baptist's 'Gay Baby' Article Gay.com- AP, By DAVID CRARY, March 15, 2007
The president of the leading Southern Baptist seminary has incurred sharp attacks from both the left and right by suggesting that a biological basis for homosexuality may be proven, and that prenatal treatment to reverse gay orientation would be biblically justified. The Rev. R. Albert Mohler Jr., one of the country's pre-eminent evangelical leaders, acknowledged that he irked many fellow conservatives with an article earlier this month saying scientific research "points to some level of biological causation" for homosexuality. Proof of a biological basis would challenge the belief of many conservative Christians that homosexuality -- which they view as sinful -- is a matter of choice that can be overcome through prayer and counseling. However, Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., was assailed even more harshly by gay rights supporters. They were upset by his assertion that homosexuality would remain a sin even if it were biologically based, and by his support for possible medical treatment that could switch an unborn gay baby's sexual orientation to heterosexual. . . . .

Blankenhorn: A family guy with a cause USA Today, By Sharon Jayson, March 14, 2007
David Blankenhorn may be best known as an advocate for the importance of fathers, but the 51-year-old think-tank founder and author is about to step onto the firing line with a much more controversial issue: gay marriage. The Harvard-educated Mississippi native is a former VISTA volunteer and community organizer who has made a career of thinking about big issues and telling others what he believes. He's written scores of op-ed pieces and essays, co-edited eight books and written two: the 1995 Fatherless America, which attributes many of society's ills to the lack of involvement of fathers in children's lives, and now, The Future of Marriage. In it, he argues kids need both a mother and a father, and because same-sex marriage can't provide that, it's bad for society and kids. . . . .

RELATED VOTE: Should same-sex couples be allowed to adopt?

David Blankenhorn, founder and president of The Institute for American Values, spends time with his twin daughters Sophie, left, and Allie, right,, his son Raymond and wife Raina_ Todd Plitt for USA TODAY

French High Court Rejects Gay Marriage Guardian Unlimited- UK, March 14, 2007
- France's highest court Tuesday rejected as unlawful the first marriage by a gay couple in France, annulling the union of the two men. Stephane Charpin and Bertrand Charpentier were married in a civil ceremony on June 5, 2004, in Begles, a town in the southwest Bordeaux region. The government immediately said the union was outside the law, and a series of court decisions unfavorable to the couple followed. . . . The couple said after the 2005 appeals court ruling that they would take their case to the European Court of Human Rights if necessary. It was not immediately clear whether they would do so. . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: France high court rules same-sex marriage invalid JURIST Legal Nrews & Research, By Brett Murphy, March 13, 2007

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Calls Homosexuality 'Immoral' FOX News-AP, March 13, 2007
— The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Monday he considers homosexuality to be immoral and the military should not condone it by allowing gay personnel to serve openly, the Chicago Tribune reported. Marine Gen. Peter Pace likened homosexuality to adultery, which he said was also immoral, the newspaper reported on its Web site. "I do not believe the United States is well served by a policy that says it is OK to be immoral in any way," Pace told the newspaper in a wide-ranging interview. Pace, a native of Brooklyn, N.Y., and a 1967 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, said he based his views on his upbringing. . . . With Democrats in charge of Congress, Rep. Martin Meehan, D-Mass., has introduced legislation to reverse the military's ban on openly serving homosexuals. . . . .

Partner Adopted by an Heiress Stakes Her Claim New York Times, By PAM BELLUCK and ALISON LEIGH COWAN, March 19, 2007
. . . . Recently, though, the Watson name has surfaced in a different context, a most unusual lawsuit. It concerns Olive F. Watson, 59, granddaughter of the I.B.M. founder and daughter of Thomas J. Watson Jr., the company’s longtime chief executive; and Patricia Ann Spado, 59, her former lesbian partner of 14 years. In 1991, Ms. Watson, then 43, adopted Ms. Spado, then 44, under a Maine law that allows one adult to adopt another. The reason, Ms. Spado has contended in court documents, was to allow Ms. Spado to qualify as an heir to Ms. Watson’s estate. But less than a year after the adoption, Ms. Watson and Ms. Spado broke up. Then in 2004, Ms. Watson’s mother died, leaving multimillion-dollar trusts established by her husband to be divided among their 18 grandchildren. Re-enter Ms. Spado with a claim: Because she was adopted by Olive F. Watson, she said, she is technically Thomas J. Watson Jr.’s 19th grandchild and is therefore eligible for a share of the trusts. . . .

Parenting Issues: The Real Solution: How to Help Our Kids Succeed Breakpoint.org, By Chuck Colson March 12, 2007
It’s an argument that has gone on almost as long as we have had public schools: What makes children succeed in school—and what makes them fail? In a recent New York Times column, David Brooks offers a big part of the answer: If kids have a chaotic home life, he writes, it is much harder for them to succeed in school. Brooks mentions programs in which mature women visit mothers under stress to offer “the sort of cajoling and practical wisdom that in other times would have been delivered by grandmothers or elders.” If we want better students, Brooks concludes, the government ought to fund more of these programs. The next president, he suggested, could win on such a platform. I admire David Brooks, but he is dead wrong on this. He is addressing symptoms, not the sickness: The sickness is broken and unformed families. . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Want Better Schools? Get Better Parents Arizona Republic, Mike McClellan, March 2, 2007

Parenting Issues: The prince married a man, and lived happily ever after
Religious groups attack circulation of books raising gay issues among primary school pupils The Guardian Unlimited, By Anushka Asthana, March 11, 2007
A pilot scheme introducing books dealing with gay issues to children from the ages of four to 11 has just been launched in England's schools. It is being argued that the books, one of which is a fairytale featuring a prince who turns down three princesses before falling in love and marrying a man, are necessary to make homosexuality seem normal to children. Fourteen schools and one local authority, backed by teaching unions and a government-funded organisation, are running the controversial scheme, which has been attacked by Christian groups. . . . . Tahir Alam, education spokesman for the Muslim Council of Britain, agreed: 'This is not consistent with Islamic teachings and from our point of view many parents would be concerned.' Other parents felt that children aged four and five were too young for the books. 'I don't know of many younger primary school children who would really understand what homosexuality is,' said Andy Hibberd, co-founder of the support group, the Parent Organisation, who has sons aged seven and nine. 'I don't have a problem with what happens between consenting adults, but I don't believe it needs to be forced on young children.'. . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: How public schools have changed Townhall.com, By Phyllis Schlafly, August 15, 2005

RELATED ARTICLE: Controversy Over Kid's Book Depicting Gay Marriage CBS4Boston, Boston - Apr 20, 2006

RELATED ARTICLE: Since same-sex marriage is legal in state, administrator says no parent ok needed WorldNetDaily, OR -Apr 19, 2006

RELATED ARTICLE: District lifts ban on parent over pro-'gay' book- Father allowed on campus, but notification policy unchanged WorldNetDaily, OR -Nov 23, 2005

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Georgia), who is considering a presidential bid, made an effort to answer questions about one of his past transgressions: adultery.

Time To Come Clean CBSNews, By Steve Chaggaris, March 9, 2007
Thanks to the Internet, political candidates are having a harder and harder time running from their mistakes. Take Sen. Joe Biden's (D-Delaware) comments in January when he described fellow candidate Sen. Barack Obama (D-Illinois) as "the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy." A recording of that answer from an interview with a New York Observer reporter hit the Internet and created a firestorm, prompting Biden to issue an apology soon afterwards. This week, fully aware of the increased impact past and present transgressions can have thanks to the Web, two politicians actually made pre-emptive strikes regarding some sketchy past acts. Turns out, right before Obama announced his presidential run, he felt the need to clean up a little mess that had been festering for about 20 years: a load of unpaid parking tickets. . . . . And now today, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Georgia), who is considering a presidential bid, made an effort to answer questions about one of his past transgressions: adultery. . . . .

War Divorces 'Marriage President' From Reality US News & World Report, By Bonnie Erbe, March 9, 2007
Of all the depressing statistics emanating from President Bush's invasion of Iraq, this obscure but important figure stands out: 60,000 marriages rent asunder by this war. The Marriage President, who proposed spending billions of federal dollars on a healthy-marriage initiative, may well be doing more to destroy formerly healthy marriages by sending hundreds of thousands of Americans off to war and then not properly counseling them on how to deal with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) when they come home. . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: 'Marlboro Man' Marine, wife divorcing USA TODAY.com, Posted by Michael Winter, June 26, 2006

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

Sex and sensibility The Age- Austrailia, By Sophia Cunningham, March 10, 2007
. . . . There were people who had started off having sex five times a night every night of the week and three years later weren't having any at all. There were people who hated sex. There were people with toothbrush fetishes (don't ask). Some couples dealt with inequities of desire and staved off boredom by having affairs or joining swingers groups. However, the couple I was most struck by had a marriage that had been arranged and had lasted 50 years. . . . . Love - and to that I would add sex - is an erratic driver. The two don't always drive in the same car and we often don't know which turn they will take. Some couples will have a marriage where sex is a ritualistic and pleasurable enactment of their devotion to the other. Some like a quickie and some have no sex at all. A lot of people have affairs. Words can be erotic. Sex can be soulless. A good laugh, for many, is more important than good sex. What's normal? ". . . . .

Love - and to that, one could add sex - is an erratic driver. The two don't always drive in the same car and we often don't know which turn they will take.

The Work of Marriage MoorPark Acorn, By Deborah Barber, PhD, March 9, 2007
. . . What does it mean to "work on a relationship?" Is it like going to work every day and putting in the time and effort, sometimes without result? Is it so devoid of fun and full of sacrifice that only the most determined can make it? I don't believe so. In fact, I know a few couples who make it look easy and have fun together while doing it. As I have observed these couples, I've noted some similarities. First, they know themselves pretty well individually. . . . . Second, their attitude in relationship is anything but selfish. . . . .
Worth Wedding For:
Does America Have a "Marriage Gap"? Breakpoint.org, By Anne Morse, March 9, 2007
The Washington Post ran a story last weekend announcing that “Numbers Drop for the Married With Children,” in which staff writer Blaine Harden quotes demographers who “peg the rise of a class-based marriage gap to the erosion since 1970 of the broad-based economic prosperity that followed World War II.” Marriage with children has become an exception rather than the norm, she writes. The piece bothered me for a number of reasons. . . . . Harden notes that many poor, cohabiting couples think they cannot afford marriage. Why not? Apart from a one-time fee for the marriage license, how is marriage more expensive than shacking up? Unless these couples think marriage is about having an obscenely expensive wedding, why do they think marriage is going to cost them more than living together does? . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Numbers Drop for the Married With Children
Institution Becoming The Choice of the Educated, Affluent Washington Post, By Blaine Harden, March 4, 2007

RELATED ARTICLE: Wedded to Marriage: Invest now or pay later? National Review Online, By Wade F. Horn, Aug 9, 2005

RELATED ARTICLE: The State of Our Marital Unions: For Better or Worse . . . Mostly Worse Breakpoint.org, By Chuck Colson, July 24, 2002

Salma Hayek_Francois-Henri Pinault announced that they are engaged AND expecting a baby.

Salma Hayek Gets Engaged, Expecting A Baby The Gossip Girls, March 9, 2007
After romances with the likes of Edward Norton and Josh Lucas, Salma Hayek did not have very much relationship talk surrounding her. Now the actress has landed a double whammy on fans with not only news that she is engaged, but that she also happens to be pregnant. Talk about a whirlwind year! It was recently announced that Salma has been dating Francois-Henri Pinault, a big moneymaking businessman. Although it is still uncertain how long the two have been smitten with each other, Pinault is set to provide his fiancee and future child with the good life. The business mogul is chairman of PPR, a conglomerate that owns Gucci and Yves Saint Lauren, according to AHN. . .

Mills needs $24000 per day to 'get by' Ninemsn- Australia, March 8, 2007
Heather Mills has demanded a whopping $24,000 per day from estranged husband Paul McCartney, saying she needs the money just to "get by". As their courtroom divorce battle becomes increasingly bitter, a friend of the ex-Beatle tells The Sun magazine that her request is simply "amazing". “When you consider her humble beginnings, £10,000 (A$24,000) a day is a phenomenal sum to cover her needs. It's as much as some Premiership footballers earn. Many people have to work a year for what she wants to bank in just one day." . . . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: McCartney and Mills Come Together in Court E!Online, By Sarah Hall, March 1, 2007

Heather Mills has demanded a whopping $24,000 per day from estranged husband Sir Paul McCartney, saying she needs the money just to get by.

A Long Way Backwards TownHall.com, By Suzanne Fields, March 8, 2007
The latest flavor of feminism is exhibitionism. "You've come a long way, baby, but you're dancing backwards." Betty Friedan is spinning. . . . Alarmed by the sexual saturation of images influencing young girls, the American Psychological Association identifies the influence of these images in different developmental stages: "We have ample evidence to conclude that sexualization has negative effects in a variety of domains, including cognitive functioning, physical and mental health, and healthy sexual development." That's Ph.D. language for "this trash is bad for young girls in nearly every way." The report links the omnipresent sexual images with the three most common mental health problems confronting girls and women: eating disorders, low self-esteem and depression. . . Lewd and lascivious trump love and marriage. Emotional vulnerability is sacrificed to sexual conformity and exhibitionism. Shakespeare, the deadest white male long since exiled to the periphery of the campus, nevertheless got it right. What fools these mortals be. . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Gloria Steinem: 'India represents the world better than the US' Rediff.com- India, By Sheela Bhatt, March 9, 2007

NC rally seeks vote on constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. State law already says that a valid marriage is one created by the consent of a male and female person.

NC Rally seeks vote on gay marriage ban EDGE- Boston, MA, March 8, 2007
Buoyed by the recent passage of similar legislation in seven states, several thousand people rallied Tuesday to urge lawmakers to let them vote on constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. "It’s not right for them to be here, sent by the voters, and not represent the desires of the voters of North Carolina," said Rev. Ron Baity, a Winston-Salem Baptist pastor and leader of the Return America group that organized the rally. Supporters of the idea said citizens shouldn’t be denied a chance to vote to change the N.C. Constitution to allow marriage only between a man and a woman. Democratic leaders have declined to take up similar questions over the past three years, saying no changes in state law are needed and that more important issues should take precedence. . . . . State law says that a valid marriage is one "created by the consent of a male and female person." A 1996 law also states that North Carolina doesn’t recognize gay marriages performed in other states. But supporters of an amendment fear that same-sex couples who have received marriage licenses elsewhere could try to force North Carolina in court to recognize their partnerships, or that a judge could find the statute unconstitutional. . . .

Gay marriage: How comfortable are you with it?
MORE CALIFORNIANS OPPOSE IT THAN BACK IT, BUT MARGIN CLOSING San Jose Mercury News, By Kate Folmar-Mercury News Sacramento Bureau, March 8, 2007
- More receptive attitudes among younger Californians are a key reason why state residents increasingly accept the idea of allowing gay couples to wed, according to an analysis of 20 years' worth of polling data released today. While more Californians still oppose same-sex marriage than support it, the margin is closing fast and approaching an even split. Last year, 50 percent of state residents were opposed and 43 percent approved, the analysis of Field Poll data concluded. In 1985, 30 percent were supportive. Asked to choose whether gay couples should be allowed to marry, enter domestic partnerships or get no legal recognition, about one-third of Californians choose each category. . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Study on gay marriage finds that age accounts for differences in Calif. Boston Herald- AP, March 8, 2007

RELATED FIELD POLL: FIELD POLL REPORT #2223: While individual attitude changes are partly responsible for the rise in support for same-sex marriage in California over the past 20 years, most of the change derives from generational replacement. . . .

RELATED ARTICLE & POLL RESULTS: Survey: Departure from God is Cause of America's Moral Decline Christian Post, By Audrey Barrick, March 8, 2007

Graying divorce has many 'whys' HeraldNet, By Linda Bryant Smith-Herald Columnist, March 6, 2007
In the past few weeks there's been a spate of news reports and TV sound bites about an increase in divorce among older Americans. Frequently they include the story of a couple in their 90s seeking a divorce. When asked "Why now?" they explained they were waiting for the children to die. Most of the women in my quilt group had heard that joke when I brought up the subject at lunch. . . .If the divorce rate among our peers is increasing, the obvious question is "Why now?" One woman recalled having the "Why now?" conversation with her mother. . . . . What will never change is the pain that comes with divorce, especially if children are involved. The "why" comes whether they're adults with families of their own, or too young to express the range of emotions tearing at their hearts. The answers are rarely adequate. "Compared to other losses that may occur at midlife or older," the AARP study reports, "people age 40 and older generally feel that divorce is more emotionally devastating than losing a job, about equal to experiencing a major illness and somewhat less devastating than a spouse's death." . . . .

Flossing, aspirin, marriage a few tips to living to 2071 The Bluffton News-Banner, By Justin Peeper, March 6, 2007
. . . . Just as surprising, however, is the reminder that many of the factors affecting how long we will live are things we can control, excluding accidents and the unforeseen. Not only does the doctor’s program tell you how long you are expected to live, but it also gives some personalized suggestions on how you can add years to your life expectancy based off your responses. Some of those suggestions surprised me:
• Looks like I need to get married, as being married could add three years to my life expectancy. As a man, being married will likely improve my chances of living to 100, the test told me. . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: A SPECIAL REPORT: How long will you live? USA Weekend Magazine, March 4, 2007

Presidential hopeful, Rudy Giuliani defends his third wife, Judi, after family estrangement goes public.

Rudy Defends Judi After Family Estrangement Goes Public FOX News, March 06, 2007
Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani on Monday spoke in glowing terms about his third wife Judith Nathan Giuliani after his son Andrew said the former New York mayor's latest marriage had distanced him from his dad. "My wife Judith is a very loving and caring ... mother and stepmother. She has done everything she can. The responsibility is mine," Giuliani told reporters gathered outside the Los Angeles County Sheriff's headquarters. "I believe that these problems with blended families, you know, are challenges — sometimes they are," he said. "The more privacy I can have for my family, the better we are going to be able to deal with all these difficulties. And the best way to kind of handle that is to make as little comment about this as possible.". . . . . In the Times article Saturday, Andrew alluded to Judi Giuliani. "There's obviously a little problem that exists between me and his wife." Andrew, a Duke University student who aspires to be a professional golfer, later told ABC News' "Good Morning America," "I got my values from my mother. She's a strong influence in my life. She's a strong woman. I have problems with my father, but that doesn't mean he won't make a good president." . . .

Rudy's Family Values Yahoo! News, By Maggie Gallagher, March 6, 2007
Back when he was mayor, Rudy Giuliani made a very good point: "75 percent of adolescents charged with murder grew up without fathers. ... "(I)f you wanted a social program that would really save these kids ... I guess the social program would be called fatherhood." This week Rudy made another good point: "(B)lended families are challenges, sometimes they are. And the challenges are best worked on in private." Painful is the only word to describe what it was like for the rest of us to watch as Andrew Giuliani, America's mayor's 21-year-old Duke sophomore son, stepped up to tell his truth to The New York Times: that he would not be campaigning for his dad. . . . Yes, remarriage, and the blended families it creates, can bring new possibilities of warm family relations, and the many divorced fathers and stepparents who've succeeded in rebuilding warm family ties deserve credit. But too often the blending process produces painful loyalty conflicts instead. What can be more painful for any child than feeling that your father has chosen his new wife over you?. . . . . For the rest of us, who are not all politics all the time, there's a different bottom line. Rudy was right back in the '90s: Fathers matter. And I hope he finds a way to make this thing right, too. There's a big truth on painfully public display: It's hard to be both a good husband and a good father if you're not married to the mother of your children. . . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Rudy's Family Values The New York Sun, By MARC HUMBERT- AP, March 10, 2007

RELATED ARTICLE: Marriage, Divorce and the Secret Affairs of Presidential Candidates Associated Content, By Delores Williams, March 09, 2007

Qatar reformed by a modern marriage
The ultimate power couple brings the trappings of democracy – Al Jazeera, the vote, debate – to their remote nation Christian Science Monitor, By Danna Harman, March 6, 2007 edition
. . . . The pretty Qatari commoner who caught the crown prince's eye all those years ago has transformed herself over time into a royal wife the likes of which the conservative Arab region has never seen before. To begin with, she is seen. The second of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani's three wives, Sheikha Mozah is the first and only ruling spouse here to show herself in public. But that is just the start of it. . . . Focused, energetic, and hardworking, the glamorous mother of seven of the emir's 27 children rivals her husband in terms of influence in this land. "Her Highness is the best thing that ever happened to Qatar," states Esra al-Ibrahim, a young Qatari student, matter-of-factly. "She totally inspires us. Since she came to power, Qatar has changed 100 percent." The sheikha laughs at that. It's the emir, she says, who inspires her. . . .

Left: Emir of Qatar- Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani Right: Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser al Missned

'Chauvinistic' Husbands in Japan Change to Keep Their Wives ProgressiveU.org, By Ada Castellon, March 6, 2007
"A group of Japanese men say they have the answer to marital bliss. In September, they gathered in suits and ties outside a busy train station in Tokyo and chanted their Three Principles of Love: saying "sorry" without fear, saying "thank you" without hesitation and saying "I love you" without shame. . . . These formerly old-fashioned husbands are serious about becoming modern-style spouses and aim to give men a chance to learn how to communicate better with their families, have a relationship based on equality and become loving husbands. . . . They even hope they'll help curb the nation's declining marriage rate, fueled not only by an increase in divorce but also by delayed marriage among women, whose mean age for marrying has increased 2.5 years in the past two decades, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. The more educated a Japanese woman, the more likely she will wait for wedlock; among women aged 25 to 29, 40 percent are single, but among university graduates of similar ages 54 percent are single. . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Japanese PM keeps lost son at bay The Sunday Times-UK, By Michael Sheridan, Sept 4, 2005
Rontrell's Choice
Why a South Carolina teen has to work his way through high school OpinionsJournal, The Wall Street Journal, BY BRENDAN MINITER, March 6, 2007
JOHNS ISLAND, S.C.--At 16 years old, Rontrell Matthews has a better idea than most of his peers what an education is worth. This past summer, he made his way through this rural, poor community not far outside of Charleston to show up at the doorstep of Capers Preparatory Christian Academy. In his hand was his first paycheck, a meager sum of $32.86 that he'd earned making sandwiches at the local Subway shop. Spurring him along was a determination to buy his own way out of one of the state's many failing public schools. . .

Producer David E. Kelley is back with a new take on nuptials in The Wedding Bells- Left: Bridezilla, Missi Pyle, with Delta Burke

Kelley takes plunge in 'Wedding Bells' USA TODAY, By Gary Levin, March 6, 2007
Spring brings wedding season, and producer David E. Kelley is back with a new take on nuptials in The Wedding Bells, a romantic comedy about three sisters and their family wedding business. Bells premieres Wednesday on Fox (9 ET/PT) before settling into a regular Friday-at-9 time slot. "There's something just very familiar and inviting about a wedding," Kelley says. "It brings back pleasant memories; you go to a wedding with a certain degree of optimism about love and idealism, about the institution of marriage itself.". . . . Stories veer from the bride-of-the-week guest star to personal stories of the three Bell sisters, played by Teri Polo, KaDee Strickland and Sarah Jones, owners of the Wedding Palace. . . .

Employees from hell: Drunken forklift driver CNNMoney.com - Fortune Small Business, March 6, 2007
-- You can't fault Clark Glavé's interviewing process. When hiring a driver for his storage facility business, Glavé, 44, grilled several candidates using a seven-page questionnaire that asked about such topics as job expectations and potential ethical dilemmas. When he pinpointed the best candidate, Glavé checked that person's references, driving record and health record and then asked for a drug test. As an offsite employer - Glavé lived in Richmond; his warehouse was in Raleigh - he had to be careful. His new driver passed all his screens. . . . . But after Glavé returned home, he says, all hell broke loose. Glavé remembers showing up on a Monday morning for a surprise visit and finding that his office resembled a bachelor pad: "The place was filthy, there were six cases of empty beer cans and bottles in my dumpster, and the warehouse was an absolute mess." . . . . First, he should have paid attention when Jerry started talking about his marriage problems. . . . .

Pilot crashes into in-laws' house USA Today, March 5, 2007
— A pilot took his 8-year-old daughter up in a small plane Monday and crashed it into his former mother-in-law's house in southern Indiana, killing himself and the girl, authorities said. A preliminary crash investigation leads "us to believe that this was an intentional act," Indiana State Police spokesman 1st Sgt. Dave Bursten said. The crash in Bedford, about 20 miles south of Bloomington, killed Eric Johnson, 47, of Bedford, and his daughter Emily, Bursten said. Emily did not go to school Monday, and Johnson's ex-wife, Beth Johnson, went to Bedford police headquarters about 11:30 a.m. to say she believed he might have abducted the girl, Bursten said. . . . .

A firefighter walks by a plane that crashed into a home in Bedford Ind_ By Rich Janzaruk, Bedford Times Mail

The Motherhood Experiment New York Times Magazine, By SHARON LERNER, March 4, 2007
To the dismay of pundits and politicians alike, women in industrialized countries and elsewhere have been bearing fewer and fewer children. More than 90 states have fertility rates below the replacement level of 2.1 children per woman, and the trend, which began in the early 1960s, is already leading to fewer workers, graying populations and dire predictions about vanishing peoples. While scholars blame several phenomena, including greater access to birth control, later marriage and a drop in what one researcher calls “hopefulness about the future,” many researchers agree that at least part of the problem is due to the particular burdens women face in the work force. If becoming a mother requires a woman to take a huge financial and professional hit, the thinking goes, she will be far less likely do it. . . . .

Hurley marries in secret Sydney Morning Herald- Australia, Mar 4, 2007
Model and actress Elizabeth Hurley married Indian businessman Arun Nayar in a secret ceremony on Friday, a day before the couple were due to host a lavish wedding party, British media reported on Saturday. The Daily Mirror newspaper said Gloucestershire's county superintendent registrar Anne Williams conducted the civil ceremony at Sudeley Castle in the west of England together with another registrar in front of two witnesses. The Reverend John Partington told the newspaper he would bless the couple later on Saturday at the castle, describing his blessing as "a celebration of their wedding.". . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: & PHOTOS: Liz Hurley and wedding party prepare for party marathon The Evening Standard- This is London, March 5, 2007

Angelina Jolie's adoption of a Vietnamese boy breaks Vietnam law Bosh- NY, March 5, 2007
The 'Good Shepherd' star filed papers with Vietnamese and US officials to become the child's guardian as a single parent last week. Under Vietnamese law single parents who are co-habiting cannot adopt. International adoption official Tatiana Beams said: "This is a clear contradiction of Vietnamese law, and such situations would not be allowed for other couples. "Most co-habiting couples who try to adopt as a single parent are either turned away from agencies or face difficulties." The US department dealing with the matter insists it abides by Vietnamese rules when it comes to adopting from the country, but has not opposed Angelina's action. . . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Official: Angelina Jolie Files to Adopt in Vietnam People magazine, March 2, 2007

RELATED ARTICLE: Star in baby-buy furore The Age- Austrailia, By Mark Baker, July 6 2002
CHRIS ROCK AND WIFE RELEASE STATEMENT: Couple done with taking the ‘high road’ amidst rumors. EURweb.com, March 5, 2007
*Chris and Malaak Compton Rock are completely through with recent media reports of their marriage being unstable. Still together despite reports last November of the actor beginning divorce proceedings, the couple released a statement to People magazine that attempts to put the matter to bed once and for all. . . . We remain, as always, very happy and committed to our marriage and the beautiful family that we have built.”. . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: MARRIAGE RUMORS STILL FOLLOW CHRIS ROCK: Was he asked to hold off divorce until after his new film opens? EURweb.com, March 2, 2007

Numbers Drop for the Married With Children
Institution Becoming The Choice of the Educated, Affluent Washington Post, By Blaine Harden, March 4, 2007
-- Punctuating a fundamental change in American family life, married couples with children now occupy fewer than one in every four households -- a share that has been slashed in half since 1960 and is the lowest ever recorded by the census. As marriage with children becomes an exception rather than the norm, social scientists say it is also becoming the self-selected province of the college-educated and the affluent. The working class and the poor, meanwhile, increasingly steer away from marriage, while living together and bearing children out of wedlock. . . . . Married couples living with their own children younger than 18 are also helping to drive a well-documented increase in income inequality. Compared with all households, they are twice as likely to be in the top 20 percent of income. Their income has increased 59 percent in the past three decades, compared with 44 percent for all households, according to the census. As cohabitation and out-of-wedlock births increase among the broader population, social scientists predict that marriage with children will continue its decades-long retreat into relatively high-income exclusivity. . . .

Punctuating a fundamental change in American family life, married couples with children now occupy fewer than one in every four households -- a share that has been slashed in half since 1960 and is the lowest ever recorded by the census.

RELATED ARTICLE: Census Numbers Show Shift In American Family All Headline News, By Nicole King, March 4, 2007

RELATED ARTICLE: Why Do Married Couples Have More Money? Huffington Post, By Bella DePaulo, March 4, 2007

RELATED ARTICLE: Americans Love Marriage. But Why? Time magazine, By John Cloud, February 8, 2007

RELATED ARTICLE: Separate and unequal WorldNetDaily, By Rebecca Hagelin, February 1, 2007

RELATED ARTICLE: The State of Our Marital Unions: For Better or Worse . . . Mostly Worse Breakpoint.org, By Chuck Colson, July 24, 2002

RELATED STUDY: Why Men Won't Commit The National Marriage Project, Publications: The State of Our Unions: The Social Health of Marriage in America, 2002- Summary of focus groups of young men 20 to 33 conducted around the country.

Health Issues: Without Health Benefits, a Good Life Turns Fragile New York Times (Free Online Subscription), By ROBERT PEAR, March 5, 2007
— Vicki H. Readling vividly remembers the start of 2006. “Everybody was saying, ‘Happy new year,’ ” Ms. Readling recalled. “But I remember going straight to bed and lying down scared to death because I knew that at that very minute, after midnight, I was without insurance. I was kissing away a bad year of cancer. But I was getting ready to open up to a door of hell.” Ms. Readling, a 50-year-old real estate agent, is one of nearly 47 million people in America with no health insurance . . . . . Ms. Readling is engaged to be married in June, to another real estate agent. But she said she may postpone the wedding because she would not want her husband to be legally responsible for her medical bills. “I am scared to get married because I don’t have insurance,” Ms. Readling said. “If I have to go to the hospital and I can’t pay my hospital bills, what happens? Do they go after him? Can they take your home?” To collect unpaid medical bills, health care providers often obtain judgments against a patient’s spouse, as well as the patient, and file liens against their homes. Ms. Readling says she does not own a house, but her fiancé does. . . . .

Publisher of African American Magazine for Homosexuals Announces Conversion to Christ
She Publicly Rejected Her Old Lifestyle Associated Content, By Mike White, March 3, 2007
The publisher of a magazine targeted toward African American homosexuals announced her conversion to Christianity on the magazine's website. Her conversion was announced on the news website, www.onenews.com yesterday. In her article, the publisher of Venus Magazine rejected the lesbian lifestyle she has lived her adult life. In the actual article on the website of the magazine, Charlene E. Cothran said that although "over the past 29 years of my life I have been an aggressive, creative, and strategic supporter of gay and lesbian issues" and have "organized in countless marches, and various lobbying efforts in the fight for the equal treatment of gay men and lesbians," she must now come out of the closet herself-as a Christian. . . . .

Charlene E. Cothran, Venus Magazine Publisher, has announced her conversion to Christ and publicly rejected her old lifestyle.

A Date With Destiny The NEW YORK TIMES (Free Online Subscription), By MICHELLE HIGGINS, March 2, 2007
CHRISTMAS. New Year’s Eve. Spring break. There are certain dates on the calendar when travelers know that hotel rooms in prime vacation spots will be nearly impossible to come by, even if they try to book months in advance. This year, add another day to the list: Saturday, July 7. That’s because that date — the almost numerically perfect 7/7/07 — is being sought after by couples around the country as the ideal day for a wedding. More than 31,000 couples have already signed up with theknot.com, a wedding-planning Web site, saying they plan to marry that day, a figure that is roughly triple the number for any other Saturday that month — and nearly 20,000 more than the number of couples who got married on the corresponding weekend a year earlier. . . . . The number 7 has held a special significance at least from the time of the ancient Babylonians, who revered the seven sacred planets, and it is a crucial numeral in the Bible, as in the seven days of the Creation to the seven petitions of the Lord’s Prayer. . . .

In many instances, children, it would appear, are not at all tempted by the princess and airplane beds their parents have so hopefully prepared for them.

Parenting Issues: Whose Bed Is It Anyway? New York Times, By PENELOPE GREEN, March 1, 2007
. . . .“I used to get hysterical and wonder, what is this new life of stumbling around in the middle of the night?” Ms. Costello said. “Now it’s just so oddly part of the routine. Paul and I wonder, will we ever sleep together again?” The Costellos are not alone in not being alone in their bed. But they are also not the happy hosts of the so-called family bed that’s been inching its way into the mainstream. . . . More than a decade after the infant sleep expert Dr. Richard Ferber horrified parents by warning against co-sleeping and advocating a cry-it-out approach, and four years after the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development published a survey in which 12 percent of respondents reported sleeping with their babies anyway, never mind Ferber, it would seem that those babies have grown into children, and those children are not at all tempted by the princess and airplane beds their parents have so hopefully prepared for them. Child-sleep consultants say their practices are swelling, and that they are treating the parents of “ambulatory” children just as much as the parents of infants. . . .

A Disconnect on Hooking Up The New York Times, By STEPHANIE ROSENBLOOM, March 1, 2007
WHEN Laura Sessions Stepp warned of the potentially damaging effects of “hooking up” in a new book, some people scoffed — particularly those who believe they were unscathed by their own unfettered years of casual sex. Others, though, were incensed. In “Unhooked: How Young Women Pursue Sex, Delay Love and Lose at Both” (Riverhead), Ms. Sessions Stepp, a Washington Post reporter, writes about how smart, ambitious young women do emotional damage to themselves by getting physical — making out to having sex — with men they are not dating or may have met for the first time. . . . .To critics, the book, which was published on Feb. 15, is an odd throwback — not only retro in its point of view, but also out of sync with the current climate of high-achieving girls who are usually applauded for focusing on their careers and their female friends, rather than on finding Mr. Right. . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Get Chaste: The Dawn and the Eden of a countercultural revolution National Review Online, By Kathryn Jean Lopez, December 5, 2006

RELATED ARTICLE: Why so many singles can't find love MSNBC.com- Today show, Feb 8, 2006

Argentina Moving Toward Gay Marriage Rights 365Gay.com, By Newscenter Staff, March 1, 2007
(Buenos Aires) Legislation will be presented in Argentina's Parliament this fall that would give same-sex couples all of the rights of marriage. Currently the law limits marriage to opposite-sex couples. However the country does afford gay and lesbian couples some rights including inheritance, adoption and survivor pensions. Two regions of the country permit civil unions - the province of Río Negro and the federal district of Buenos Aires. . . .Same-sex marriage is currently legal in the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Canada, South Africa and the state of Massachusetts. At least 18 countries offer some form of legal recognition to same-sex unions. . . .

Gay Marriage Ripe for Court Decisions in Three States Pew Research Center Publications, By Christine Vestal, March 1, 2007
Three years after its historic court ruling legalizing same-sex marriage, Massachusetts stands alone in blessing gay marriages -- 6,500 to date -- and its example has spurred no imitators but lots of backlash. Following the festive scenes of gay and lesbian brides and grooms waiting in long lines to wed in the Bay State on May 17, 2004, 23 states -- for a total of 27 -- fortified their state constitutions to withstand judicial edicts like the Massachusetts one. Massachusetts itself is considering a proposal to end its experiment with same-sex unions. Gay-rights groups can point to some progress in expanding legal acceptance of same-sex relationships. . . . Even if the number of gay weddings in the United States is minimal so far, the uproar over same-sex marriage has been deafening. The issue has rocked every state capital and inflamed passions in Congress and presidential politics, as advocates of equal rights for gays and lesbians are pitted against religious and other socially conservative groups committed to protecting traditional marriage. . . . .

Gay marriage ripe for court decisions in three states.

More Marriage News: February 2007