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"MARRIAGE" In The News
(September 2007) |
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The news articles and features presented below are simply an indication of how topical, controversial, and all-encompassing the issues surrounding marriage are throughout our society--and the world-- today. Some of the views and opinions expressed, and their respective web sites, do NOT reflect the views or opinions of The Real Proposal™ magazine. Many are highlighted largely to reiterate that the alarming statistical trends on the chaotic state of "Marriage" and "Family"--outlined in "A Mere Glimpse"--will continue unabated without a fundamental grasp and purposeful dissemination of TRUTH on the issues.
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- Love woes: private pain, public gain The Age- AUSTRAILIA, By Max Markson, September 30, 2007
Why do women like to read about spurned women in women's magazines? Well, if you have to ask that question, you're obviously not a woman. Actually, I'm not a woman, either, but I do know the answer. Women love to read about high-profile celebrities going through relationship problems because it makes them feel better about themselves. They like to read about Jennifer Aniston's break-up with Brad Pitt, and Nicole Kidman's break-up with Tom Cruise and Pamela Anderson's break-up with — well, just about everyone — because it makes them realise that life on the other side of that velvet rope isn't all that perfect after all. Oh, sure, they like to read about celebrities in the first place because they are glamorous but, at the same time, there is something very reassuring about knowing that even the rich, famous and surgically enhanced find it hard to hold on to a man. . . .Not that it's only women who like to read those stories, you know. Oh, yeah, your man might shake his head and laugh when you pop that New Idea or Woman's Day into the shopping trolley, but you should see him make a grab for it when you head for the bathroom. And why? The rescue fantasy. . . .
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RELATED ARTICLE: Fab Tab Cover Stars Forbes.com, By Lacey Rose, October 2, 2007 RELATED ARTICLE: Jennifer Aniston covers sell celebrity magazines New York Daily News, October 4, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: Wronged women sell magazines The Age- Austrailia, By Michelle Griffin, September 30, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: The High Price of a Broken Heart Psychology Today, By A.J.S. Rayl, June 22, 2007
The heart is the honorary seat of emotion—and no wonder. Experience, mood, temperament, and thought style can profoundly alter the ticker. Dispatches from the hidden superhighway between heart and mind. . . .
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- LUST LIFE: Emotional Affairs- The limits of restricting yourself to one mate New York Press, By Stephanie Sellars, September 2007
Once upon a time, when I was miserably monogamous, I experienced what is commonly referred to as an “emotional affair.” Every few weeks, my “lover” and I rendezvoused for dinner in dimly lit restaurants and spent timeless afternoons at the Met. He was a painter, so naturally I posed nude for him. When sexual tension became as thick as the oil paints he slapped onto canvas, I broke off our posing sessions. We continued to see each other, however, in the innocent world of dinners, museums, art openings and movies. We connected through similar tastes and aesthetics—the delicacy of a line, the beauty of a floating space—details that my boyfriend couldn’t see. These details seemed to reflect the lines and spaces within me, intricacies that also eluded my boyfriend—and yet my not-quite-lover-but-more-than-a-friend “got” them. Sometimes we held hands or kissed, but never more than that. It was an old-fashioned courtship, an erotic friendship. It was sublime. But I should have cut him off! I should’ve known that non-sexual romance would jeopardize the relationship with my boyfriend! That affair inspired me and satisfied a hunger, but I must say that it was wrong. Why? Because it opened me to the awareness that deep emotional connections can be felt with more than one person at a time. Isn’t that a terrible consequence? These ironic afterthoughts are part of my reaction to Heather Johnson Durocher’s article in the August issue of Redbook, “The Affair You Don’t Know You’re Having.”. . .
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- A 'gay' guide to GOP candidates World Net Daily, By Joseph Farah, September 27, 2007
Salon magazine recently performed a public service for homosexuals – publishing a thorough "gay" guide to the GOP presidential candidates. But it's not just a public service for homosexuals. It's also a public service for those of us who see the homosexual political agenda as extremely dangerous to the very survival of our nation. I thought I would perform a public service myself by making it unnecessary for you to read through a voluminous report in a publication littered with soft-core porn, obscenity, vulgarity and profanity by summarizing it right here. . . . . It seems to me homosexual activists have more choices among the Republican candidates than do traditional Republicans. . . . .
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- Democratic Candidates Say They're OK With Second-Grade Teacher Reading Gay Prince Fairy Tale FOX NEWS, By Catherine Donaldson-Evans, September 27, 2007
A fairy tale about two princes falling in love sparked a backlash — and a lawsuit — against a teacher and a school last year when it was read to a second-grade class in Massachusetts. But the three frontrunners in the Democratic presidential race suggested Wednesday night at their debate in New Hampshire that they’d support reading the controversial book to children as part of a school curriculum. Moderator Tim Russert asked John Edwards, Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton whether they’d be comfortable having the story — called “King & King” — read to their children in school. Edwards gave the first and most definitive answer — a resounding and instant “yes, absolutely” — although he added that it “might be a little tough” for second-graders. Obama agreed with Edwards and revealed that his wife has already spoken to his 6- and 9-year-old daughters about same-sex marriage. Clinton said she believes it’s up to parents to decide how to handle such topics, but added that it’s important to teach kids about the “many differences that are in the world.”. . . . . . Clinton said she respects the viewpoints of Obama and Edwards, but she sidestepped the question of whether she’d be comfortable having a storybook like “King & King” read to her own child at that age. . . . . Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who is vying for the Republican nomination for president, weighed in afterward with a statement accusing the Democratic candidates of being “out of touch” with America. . . . .
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RELATED ARTICLE: Why Liberals Make Atrocious Parents TownHall.com, By Kevin McCullough, September 30, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: 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- UK, By Anushka Asthana, March 11, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: Controversy Over Kid's Book Depicting Gay Marriage CBS4 Boston, April 20, 2006
RELATED ARTICLE: Since same-sex marriage is legal in state, administrator says no parent ok needed WorldNetDaily, April 19, 2006
RELATED ARTICLE: District lifts ban on parent over pro-'gay' book- Father allowed on campus, but notification policy unchanged WorldNetDaily, Nov 23, 2005
RELATED ARTICLES: David Parker -- his arrest, court appearances, abuse by school officials, harrassment by pro-gay activists in town, and federal civil rights lawsuit! Mass Resistance.org
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- Will the Media Cover THIS Story? TownHall.com, By Kristen Fyfe, September 26, 2007
. . . . There it is, the G word. The mainstream media are, shall we say, selective in their coverage of homosexuality as well. They collectively went nuts when Senator Larry Craig’s solicitation of ‘gay’ sex in a Minneapolis airport bathroom became public knowledge. However, they typically turn a blind eye to nudity and sexual acts occurring in broad daylight during “pride” parades. Public nudity is commonplace, as is sadomasochism, at the Folsom Street Fair. The fair’s Web site proudly promotes pictures of past events to prove the point. According to Concerned Women for America, “The most unimaginable and vile acts of debauchery are commonplace during the fair. Senator Larry Craig was arrested and driven out of the Senate for allegedly soliciting public ‘gay’ sex, yet during this event the city of San Francisco suspends the law and allows ‘gay’ men and women to parade the streets fully nude, many having sex – even group orgies – in broad daylight, while taxpayer-funded police officers look on and do absolutely nothing.” And so we ask again: Will the mainstream media cover the Folsom Street Fair?. . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Folsom Street Fair Reminds U.S. of What “Gay Pride” Means TownHall.com, By Frank Pastore, September 30, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: When Blasphemous Gays Rip into Christians the MSM says Diddly Squat TownHall.com, By Doug Giles, September 29, 2007
RELATED SITE: Folsom Street Fair (Rated MA: For Mature Viewers Only)
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- 10 frequently asked divorce questions: Get answers to some of the most important questions about separation and divorce Homemakers.com, By Anne Bokma, September 2007
Deborah Moskovitch wants others to learn from the mistakes she made when she got divorced. And there were plenty, not the least of which was allowing the divorce to drag on for seven years. "I realized there were huge lessons to be learned and I wanted to share them with other people," says Moskovitch, a 48-year-old mother of three who began her divorce odyssey 11 years ago and now operates her own divorce consulting service in Toronto. Moskovitch sat down with Homemakers Magazine to give anyone contemplating or just beginning a divorce the benefit of her 20/20 hindsight. Here are the answers to all those questions you never thought to ask, are too embarrassed to ask or never knew whom to ask:
1. My husband and I don't love each other anymore, even though we don't fight. Should we stay together for the kids? . . . . 2. Don't my kids deserve to know the truth -- that my husband cheated on me?. . . . . 3. How do I find the right divorce lawyer for my case?. . . . . 4. Can we get divorced without going to court?. . . . . 5. My ex spoils the kids and has few house rules. What if the kids turn against me for being more strict?. . . . 6. Help! I'm jealous of my ex's new live-in girlfriend. . . . . 7. Why are my old friends avoiding me now that I'm divorced? . . . . 8. I want custody of the children. At what point should I state this?. . . . . . 9. How do I deal with my family's disapproval of my divorce? . . . . . 10. I'm lonelier than ever when the kids are with my ex. How do I fill the empty hours? . . . .
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RELATED ARTICLE: Dr. Bad News Salon.com, By Cathy Young, October 3, 2000
After conducting a massive 25-year study, Judith Wallerstein concludes that children of divorce are hit hardest after they grow up. RELATED ARTICLE: Unexpected Legacy of Divorce PBS.org, December 19, 2000
Judith Wallerstein discusses her latest book, "The Unexpected Legacy of Divorce," an analysis of the long-term effect of divorce on children. RELATED ARTICLE: Transcript From Chat with Dr. Judith Wallerstein PBS.org, April 18, 2001 RELATED ARTICLE: Family stress could hit employers' bottom lines Springfield Business Journal, By Dr. Jennifer Baker, September 10, 2007
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- Health Issues: Certain types of cancer mean higher divorce rates, experts say CBC News- AP, By Maria Cheng, September 27, 2007
- People who develop cervical or testicular cancer may face another harsh reality: they are more likely to get divorced, a new study says. In research presented Thursday at a meeting of the European Cancer Organization, Norwegian experts found that women with cervical cancer had a 40 per cent higher chance of getting divorced than other women. Men with testicular cancer were 20 per cent more likely to get divorced than similar men without cancer. Both types of cancer are curable and mainly affect young people. "Sex could have something to do with this," said Lesley Fallowfield, a professor of psycho-oncology at Sussex University who was not connected to the study. "If men and women with cervical or testicular cancer aren't having sex with their partners, that may be a problem." For nearly two decades, the study looked at 2.8 million people in Norway, comparing the divorce rates of 215,000 cancer survivors to those in couples with no cancer. They did not ask couples about the reasons for the divorces, but only looked at marriage and divorce registration data. . . . .
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- 111 Across: Will You Marry Me? Puzzle Lover Plants Marriage Proposal in Sunday Crossword ABC News- Good Morning America, September 25, 2007
Millions of us enjoy racking our brains over crossword puzzles, but a Boston man saw romance among all those clues. Aric Egmont asked the puzzle masters who create the Boston Globe crossword to help him propose to his girlfriend Jennie Bass. Now the crossword-loving couple are a seven-letter word for "getting married." Since their fourth date, doing the Sunday puzzle in the Boston Globe (in pen) has been the couple's favorite thing to do together. One of us holds it, one of us reads over their shoulder, it is what we do," Egmont said. Egmont thought, why not pop the question in a crossword puzzle? So he asked the editors at the Globe. Doug Most, the editor of the Boston Globe magazine, found the idea "romantic." "I thought it was sweet. I thought it was original," Most said. The Globe played along, and called last Sunday's puzzle "Popping the Question.". . .
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- 'The Bachelor' star Brad Womack narrows the field to 15 bachelorettes Reality TV World, By Christopher Rocchio, September 25, 2007
The 25 women attempting to woo Brad Womack got their first chance during last night's premiere broadcast of The Bachelor's eleventh installment. But when it was over, the 34-year-old Austin, TX bar owner sent 10 packing in his journey to find true love via the long-running ABC reality dating series. . . . . Each of the bachelorettes took a different approach in attempting to make Brad remember her for The Bachelor 11's first Rose Ceremony. Kristy, a 29-year-old acupuncturist from Chicago, IL, examined Brad's tongue and diagnosed that he was "under some stress." Hillary, a 27-year-old registered nurse from Philadelphia, PA, gushed about the broken nose she recently suffered while Erin, a 25-year-old publishing sales executive from Tampa, FL, did one better by explaining how she suffered a broken face twice. Jessica decided to put her skills as an anchorwoman to the test to ask Brad the "hard questions." "The girl right now that stands out in my mind is Jenni," said Brad, talking about the 27-year-old Phoenix Suns cheerleader from Wichita, KS. "It's because of her laugh. Everything I say she laughs at! It could be a bad thing maybe, but I think she's just truly happy." Michele, a 30-year-old realtor from South Brunswick, NJ, tried to put Jenni on the spot by having her showoff some of her cheerleader moves for Brad. However the move backfired when he actually enjoyed it. . . . .
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- Why do so many modern women think being a sex object is cool? The Daily Mail- UK, By Rosie Boycott, September 24, 2007
. . . . . . It is impossible to imagine that any one of these women entered 'the game' out of free choice. Yet according to Belle, the heroine of the new eight-part ITV series, The Secret Diary Of A Call Girl, which starts on Thursday, she loves sex and money and so prostitution was a natural career choice. The series is based on the life of 'Belle de Jour' - the pseudonym of a high-class prostitute - who launched an internet blog in 2003, detailing her daily adventures with men who paid her for sex. So successful was the blog that two books were subsequently published, both best-sellers. Controversy always followed Belle: was this in fact total fantasy (possibly even written by a man) or was this the real thing? Belle claimed to be a young woman in her early twenties, a university graduate who had failed to find a job which satisfied her need for entertainment and sufficient funds to meet her love of clothes, jewels, smart apartments and bling. . . . . . If you were to believe the world of Belle, it's one of the best career moves for a young girl with her heart set on making money in an easy way. There's just one problem with all this: it's nonsense - insidiously dangerous nonsense that should shame the TV makers and publishers behind the Belle phenomenon. . . . . .
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- Lindsay Lohan named in divorce papers of British heiress The Daily Mail-UK, September 23, 2007
A British heiress has started divorce proceedings in the wake of claims that Lindsay Lohan had sex with her musician husband in the toilet of a rehab clinic. Sensational divorce papers identifying Mean Girls star Lohan were filed last week by US lawyers acting for Stephanie Allen, 28, whose family is worth £720 million. Mother-of-two Stephanie, from Lincolnshire, pulls no punches against her husband Tony, 39, the Dead Stays Alive frontman, in the 52-pages filed in Chatham County Court in Savannah, Georgia. Stephanie states that her three-year marriage "is irretrievably broken" and gives the grounds for divorce as his "adultery" and 'cruel treatment.' The papers also accuse her husband of being "guilty of habitual drug addiction" and that she should retain custody of their eight-month-old twins. The lawyers do not name Lohan in the actual complaint but they refer to her husband's "conduct and relationship with another woman" as described in an American magazine and on showbiz internet sites. But Exhibit 'A', which is attached to the divorce papers, includes articles claiming Lohan, 21, who has had an on-off affair with Calum Best, started a relationship with Tony Allen while they were both being treated at the Cirque Lodge clinic in Utah. . . . . .
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- Greg Norman's ex-wife lashes out against Chris Evert The Daily Mail- UK, By Richard Shears, September 23, 2007
She may have accepted a £50million divorce settlement, but the former Mrs Greg Norman is clearly not yet ready to go quietly. And squarely in her sights is the golfer's new love, former Wimbledon champion Chris Evert, whom she accuses of betrayal and blatantly pursuing her husband. "She came after him. I have never seen anything like it," said Laura Norman, who since divorcing the man known as the Great White Shark has reverted to her maiden name of Andrassy. "I would never have thought anyone would be so aggressive (in pursuing him) in front of me like I didn't exist. It just turned into a fiasco. I really don't have a lot of respect for her as a woman. She is not a great person." Miss Andrassy, 57, said she had always considered Miss Evert a friend - until she chased after Norman and then flaunted their love affair. She also claimed that she would still be married to her husband of 25 years if it had not been for the tennis star. Speaking for the first time since her reported £50million divorce deal, Miss Andrassy claimed that Miss Evert had befriended her and stayed in the Norman home with her then husband, one time U.S. skiing champion Andy Mill. Mr Mill, 53, was the golfer's best friend. . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Chris and Greg admit they're a team This is London- ShowBiz News, January 1, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: Chris Evert's Ex Wishes Her, Greg Norman 'Happiness' People magazine, By Jeff Truesdell, January 3, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: Shark 'bite' looms larger Melbourne Herald Sun, Australia -May 21, 2006
RELATED ARTICLE: The Big Question: Has divorce become too expensive for the rich? The Independent Online- Legal- UK- By Maxine Frith, May 19, 2006
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- “Not Tonight Dear, I Have a Headache” 4 ways to save your sexless marriage Vanguard- Nigeria, September 23, 2007
If you hear “I’m not in the mood” more than you hear “come hither” whispers from your spouse, you may be among the many couples living in a sexless marriage. When couples aren’t connecting intimately, marriages suffer because ignoring each other’s physical and emotional needs is not how to make a marriage last. If this common marriage problem sounds familiar, read on to find out how to turn your chaste union into a nonstop spicy soirée. . . . . . Once a month? Once a week? Every night? How often must you have sex with your spouse to have what’s considered a healthy love life? There’s no set number. However, experts define a sexless marriage as one in which couples make love no more than 10 times a year. A 2003 Newsweek magazine study concluded that between 15% and 20% of couples fall into this category. That’s enough for experts to label it an epidemic. Sex isn’t the ultimate litmus test of a loving relationship, but physical intimacy is a vital way to stay emotionally connected with each other. Besides, it’s fun!. . . . . . Now, here’s the good news: You can rekindle the intimacy you once enjoyed. Start by following these three rules: 1. Stop the Blame Game. . . . . . . 2. Talk It Out. . . . . . 3. Enlist a Pro’s Help. . . . 4. Take Action. . . .
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- Thai gold-diggers make fools of retired Japanese The Japan Times, By Geoff Botting, September 23, 2007
By all appearances, 71-year-old Shozo Ikeda leads a life many men of his age would dream of. For starters, his wife, Jo, at age 42, is young enough to be his daughter. The happy couple live in Thailand, Jo's home country, where the low cost of living means that Ikeda, a former taxi driver, can live like a king on his pension of ¥160,000 a month. "We bought the house, we bought the car, and now we're going to register our marriage," he boasts to Shukan Post, in the last of a series of articles about Japanese people retiring overseas. As a Japanese living the high life in Thailand, Ikeda is hardly alone. In the city where he lives, Chiang Mai, an estimated 3,000-4,000 Japanese are long-term residents. Like Ikeda, most are elderly and male. What's the draw? According to the magazine, it's largely the local women. For these guys, marrying women half their age or just cavorting with them is a very real possibility in Thailand. "About 80 percent of the Japanese men here have local wives," says Junji Taniguchi, the publisher of Chao, a Chiang Mai-based Japanese-language magazine. So what's in it for the ladies? That answer is also very simple — money. . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: How To Land A Rich Man Forbes.com, Lacey Rose, July 25, 2006
RELATED SLIDE SHOW: How to Land a Rich Man Forbes.com
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- 'Can We Talk?' The 10 most important questions you and your spouse should ask each other about retirement -- and probably haven't Wall Street Journal, By Glenn Ruffennach, September 22, 2007
Presumably, most wives and husbands take time to discuss the big issues in their lives: whether to have children, which career paths to follow, and who gets to control the TV remote. So why aren't spouses talking about retirement? A study published earlier this year by Fidelity Investments in Boston underscored what many financial planners already know: Wives and husbands aren't taking time to discuss and plan for later life. . . . We asked financial advisers and couples across the country to identify the most important questions that spouses should ask each other about retirement -- ideally, at least five years before leaving the office. In many cases, their suggestions focused on lifestyles first, and finances second. Here are the most-suggested conversation starters, along with some advice and observations from those interviewed: "Do we really want to retire, and if so, when?". . . . . "What is our vision of retirement -- and do we share the same vision?". . . . . "Where do we want to retire?". . . . . "What's our strategy for building and preserving a nest egg?". . . . "What assets do we have for retirement -- and are they invested in the most beneficial ways to achieve our goals?". . . . "How much money will we need to support our lifestyle in retirement?". . . . .
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RELATED SURVEY: A FAILURE TO COMMUNICATE
In a survey of 502 married couples approaching retirement, wives and husbands often had different understandings of their plans and preparations for life after the office:
• 61% disagreed on which income source (workplace savings, pensions, Social Security, etc.) would be their primary source of funds in retirement.
• 58% disagreed about whom their spouse would turn to for financial guidance in the event of the other spouse's death.
• 41% disagreed about whether at least one partner would work in retirement.
• 39% differed on the amount of their life-insurance coverage.
Note: Spouses were questioned individually. On average, surveyed couples had been married 24 years and were nine years away from their expected retirement. Husbands were 54 years old, on average; wives were 53.
Source: Fidelity Investments
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- Oprah’s uh-oh moment: By backing Obama, Winfrey is abandoning gay, lesbian Americans Washington Blade, September 21, 2007
Queen of Daytime talk Oprah Winfrey is omnipresent. Her monthly oracle — O, the Oprah Magazine — espouses the principles of self-help, self-love and self-giving. Her image floods newsstands. Bookstores stockpile their inventory with her choice for the book of the month. And presidential hopefuls genuflect before her to win votes. Now for the first time, the media magnate is involved in politics. And Oprah threw a star-studded fundraiser for her presidential pick, Sen. Barack Obama. With 1,500 guests at her sold-out private soiree paying $2,300 apiece, Oprah’s endorsement of Obama just might help him buy the election. But her “chosen one” is a candidate who would unquestionably deny gay Americans their full and equal civil rights, especially when it comes to same-sex marriage. “I am somebody who has not embraced gay marriage. I’ve said that it’s not something that I think the society is necessarily ready for. And it strikes me that in a lot of ways for a lot of people, it may intrude in how they understand marriage,” Obama stated on CNN’s “Larry King Live” in late 2006. But nearly a year later, and after being given much more information and education about the essential need to afford gay Americans their full and equal marriage rights, his position is unchanged. . . . .
RELATED RESEARCH: The Oprah Factor in Campaign '08: Do Political Endorsements Matter? Pew Research Center Publications, September 20, 2007
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RELATED BLOG: Oprah Celebrates Homosexuality, Again, as Audience Applauds Americans For Truth, October 6, 2006
RELATED ARTICLE: Queen of ignorance? Dallas Voice, By Daniel A. Kusner, September 20, 2007
Latifah recently made some bigoted comments about gay marriage. And she’s coming to Dallas to raise money for a domestic abuse foundation. Doesn’t she realize that prohibiting gay marriage can threaten laws that protect same-gender domestic violence?
RELATED ARTICLE: Oprah's Great Black Hope TownHall.com, By Larry Elder, September 13, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: Is The "M" Word The Same As The "C" Word? TownHall.com, By Austin Hill, August 12, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: The Runner-up for "Worst Person in the World" Speaks Out TownHall.com, By Sandy Rios, August 9, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: Surprise! You Are Now a Bigot The Pilot, By Michael Pakaluk
RELATED ARTICLE: Don't be manipulated by the master marketers Townhall.com, By Rebecca Hagelin, Oct 4, 2005
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- How to cure seven-year itch? Limit marriage to seven years Times Online- UK, By Roger Boyes in Berlin, September 21, 2007
Marilyn Monroe would have approved. The Seven Year Itch, argues Germany’s most glamorous politician, could be cured by making marriage vows valid for only seven years, thus legislating away what is regarded as the most unstable phase of a relationship. The proposal to turn marriage into a kind of time-share arrangement has shocked Germany. It comes from Gabriele Pauli, who is running to become head of the Bavarian conservative Christian Social Union (CSU) party. “Many marriages survive only because people think it gives them security,” Ms Pauli told a news conference in Munich. “But only love should count.” Her idea would apply only to civil marriages. Vows sworn on the altar, “till death us do part”, would not be amended. Civil marriages would be regarded as a limited seven-year contract. “After that initial period each partner would have to say ‘yes’ again in order to prolong the marriage,” she said. “If they do, there is no reason why marriage should not end up as a lifelong partnership, but in the meantime we will have saved the financial and emotional cost of many divorces.”. . . . . .
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- A Beloved Professor Delivers The Lecture of a Lifetime Wall Street Journal- Moving On, By Jeff Zaslow, September 20, 2007
Randy Pausch, a Carnegie Mellon University computer-science professor, was about to give a lecture Tuesday afternoon, but before he said a word, he received a standing ovation from 400 students and colleagues. He motioned to them to sit down. "Make me earn it," he said. They had come to see him give what was billed as his "last lecture." This is a common title for talks on college campuses today. Schools such as Stanford and the University of Alabama have mounted "Last Lecture Series," in which top professors are asked to think deeply about what matters to them and to give hypothetical final talks. For the audience, the question to be mulled is this: What wisdom would we impart to the world if we knew it was our last chance? It can be an intriguing hour, watching healthy professors consider their demise and ruminate over subjects dear to them. At Carnegie Mellon, however, Dr. Pausch's speech was more than just an academic exercise. The 46-year-old father of three has pancreatic cancer and expects to live for just a few months. His lecture, using images on a giant screen, turned out to be a rollicking and riveting journey through the lessons of his life. . . . . . . . Near the end of his talk, he had a cake brought out for his wife, whose birthday was the day before. As she cried and they embraced on stage, the audience sang "Happy Birthday," many wiping away their own tears. Dr. Pausch's speech was taped so his children, ages 5, 2 and 1, can watch it when they're older. His last words in his last lecture were simple: "This was for my kids.". . . . .
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- Heath Issues: Newlyweds need to get off the couch together Canada.com- The Nest, By Alonna Friedman-Freelance, September 19, 2007
Maybe you've gained the "newlywed nine" or you've been spending so many hours gazing longingly at each other that you've put off exercising and eating right. But now that you've had a few months or years of wedded bliss, it's time to start getting those hearts pumping for a different reason: to get in shape and slim down. With this plan, you can lose weight together. THE PLAN: Encourage and push each other to eat better every night and work out at least three times a week. Set a mental goal now: "We want to lose xxx pounds," or "We want to run a five-kilometre race." Whatever your goal is, say it out loud, tell your co-workers (and mate, of course), hang it on the fridge, and sign up for your "challenge" (e.g., the race). WHY DO IT? Even if you eat right and work out occasionally, this is a chance to really push yourselves and start feeling more in control of your health and your goals. Schedule your daily itinerary around workouts and soon it will be a way of life. And you'll start having more energy and feel less tired -- you won't want to go without it. We know you hear this all the time, but why not give it a shot -- especially now that you have a legally bound partner? WHY TOGETHER?. . . . .
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- Why do unmarried couples opt out of wedlock? CNN.com, By Jocelyn Voo, September 19, 2007
-- First comes love, then comes marriage -- or at least that's how the saying used to go. An increasing number of heterosexual couples have been shacking up without plans for a trip down the aisle. According to a 2003 U.S. Census Bureau report on families and living arrangements, 4.6 million U.S. households were occupied by unmarried couples of the opposite sex. That's up from 2.9 million in 1996."People don't question, 'Why did you get married?' They only ask you, 'Why haven't you gotten married?' " points out Marion Willetts, an associate professor of sociology at Illinois State University. "I think a lot of people feel if you were really serious about your partner and your relationship, then you'd get married." But from what Willetts has found with the life partners she's spoken to, that is simply not true. "They're in this for the long haul," she says. "This isn't just some convenient thing or trial marriage. They're just as committed to their relationship as married people." While Census data doesn't identify couples who have sworn off marriage, Willetts has followed this group in a study of 83 couples she's surveyed over the past few years for her current research, tentatively titled "Union Quality Comparisons between Heterosexual Licensed Domestic Partners and the Legally Married." According to her research, it's not just 20-something social idealists who decline to get married. Willetts has interviewed octogenarians in committed relationships who are not planning to tie the knot. . . . . .
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RELATED ARTICLE: Angelina wants to adopt a baby from Burma to add to her 'rainbow' family The Daily Mail-UK, By Polly Dunbar, September 23, 2007
RELATED INTERVIEW & VIDEO: A Day in the Life of Brad Pitt: Lawmen Were to Jesse James What the Paparazzi Is to Pitt ABC News- Good Morning America, September 20, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: When we devalue marriage Capitol Hill Blue, By Betsy Hart, December 16, 2006
RELATED ARTICLE: Why falling marriage rates are bad for the culture ScrippsNews, By Betsy Hart, October 26, 2006
RELATED ARTICLE: Five non-religious arguments for marriage over living together TownHall.com, By Dennis Prager, Oct 3, 2006
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- Parenting Issues: Child Care Concerns Bother The Rich and The Poor TownHall.com, By Janice Shaw Crouse, September 18, 2007
There is a new wrinkle in the old argument about federally-funded universal child care. According to the National Association for Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies one in five (23 percent) women is delaying pregnancy or has decided against having a second or third child because she cannot afford day care costs. Even middle-class women, they claim, are struggling to afford child care while the mother works during the day. When polls cite "agonizing decisions" middle-class parents have to make and the "stark reality" that parents face, they don't mention the families who choose a boat, second car, larger house, big-screen television, expensive vacation or other luxury item instead of paying for quality child care or having the mother take a break from her career to nurture the family's children. Instead, the activists assume that the public ought to pay for an individual family's child care costs so that family, regardless of its income or spending priorities, can use its disposable income on some luxury item. The underlying premise is that no one should ever have to sacrifice in order to do whatever he or she wants to do. . . . . . Instead, we ought to be looking at getting fathers back into the home –– that is a proven way to provide stability and bright futures for children. The fact that single-mothers (many of them valiant, caring and conscientious) struggle to get it all done is not new information. They are the first ones to say that one person cannot possibly do it all when it comes to parenting. . . .
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- Maryland High Court Affirms Marriage: Constitutional amendment still needed to protect it from the Legislature CitizenLink.org, By Devon Williams, September 18, 2007
Maryland’s highest court today upheld a state law that defines marriage as the union of one man and one woman. Nine gay couples, who had been denied marriage licenses, filed suit with the help of the American Civil Liberties Union, claiming that Maryland’s law defining marriage as solely between one man and one woman was unconstitutional. A lower court overturned the law in 2006, saying it amounted to “sex discrimination” and violated the state's Equal Rights Amendment. But the Court of Appeals, the state's highest court, set the record straight in a split decision. Jenny Tyree, associate marriage analyst for Focus on the Family Action, called it a significant decision. “The Maryland court upheld two important ideas — that the marriage laws do not discriminate, and that procreation is a rational basis for the Legislature to protect marriage in the state," she said. “It's an especially heartening decision as we see evidence that children do best with a married mom and dad. This decision confirms that marriage is not a legal institution for the purpose of equality; it's a social institution with children at its heart." Today's ruling sends the matter back to the Legislature. . . . .
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- Canadians more accepting of interracial unions than Americans Canada.com, By Shannon Proudfoot- Canwest News Service, September 2007
Canadians - particularly those under 35 - are significantly more accepting of interracial marriage than Americans, according to a new report. While 77 per cent of Americans approved of marriage between blacks and whites in a recent Gallup poll, a report released today by University of Lethbridge sociologist Reginald Bibby shows that 92 per cent of Canadians are in favour of such unions. A similar proportion approve of intermarriage between other ethnic groups. The approval rating climbs to almost 99 per cent among those under age 35. . . . "We see ourselves as not just multicultural but really multi-everything," says Bibby. "Even if people don't necessarily agree with each other (or) don't explicitly approve of what people are thinking and doing, the Canadian way is to at least be willing to accept diversity." This mentality extends to opinions about same-sex marriage, abortion and legalizing marijuana, he says. His data comes from the Project Canada surveys he's conducted every five years since 1975, which form the core of his latest book, The Boomer Factor. Bibby says the differences go beyond attitudes to the way people actually live. Census data shows that 43 per cent of black Canadians who are married or living common-law have non-black partners, while just 10 per cent of African Americans are in the same situation. . . .
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- Pillow Talk BBC News, By Tom Geoghegan, September 18, 2007
Sex is talked about in the media more than ever before. But 50 years after a landmark report that pushed boundaries in public discourse on sex, what impact has this culture had on relationships? Has it bred a more honest approach between partners?. . . . . Modern society loves talking about sex. Newspapers, magazines and television chatshows have ensured public discussion on sex is now a solid fixture in the mainstream. On BBC Radio 4, a series of programmes devoted to sexuality in modern Britain is under way to mark the 50th anniversary of the Wolfenden report. The report in 1957 suggested that homosexual behaviour between consenting adults should no longer be a criminal offence, but it had a much wider impact by ushering in a new era of openness in discussing sexual behaviour. Fifty years later, there is a barrage of information. Its impact on young people and premarital sexual relations is often discussed, but what about married and cohabiting partners? Are they more likely to discuss their sexual preferences with each other, and does that make for a healthier relationship?. . . . . .
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- 'Marriage is a course I failed at'
From Judy Carne to Loni Anderson and Sally Field, the women in Mr. 'call me Burt' Reynolds' life play bigger roles than his kitschy celebrity might suggest Globa and Mail- CANADA, By Sarah Hampson, September 17, 2007
'I have tremendous regrets about things," Burt Reynolds says. "I could have done things gentler, better." The seventies star, whose first big hit was the 1972 movie Deliverance and whose moment of sex-symbol being was forever captured in the photograph of him, lounging nude on a bear rug, for the centerfold of Cosmopolitan magazine that same year, has placed his tinted aviator glasses on the table between us. For much of our conversation, he fixes his gaze on the middle distance. "Gentler?" I inquire, curious about his choice in words. He now turns to look directly at me. "Gentler, yes," he says. "With relationships and whatever.". . . . .The mustache is part of the 71-year-old's brittle stuck-in-time exterior that has been helped, or rather stitched in place, by some obvious plastic surgery. Which is why the soft interior that Mr. Reynolds readily puts on display is a surprise. "Marriage is a course I failed at," he says with a laugh, when asked if he would ever make the commitment again. He has been married twice: for two years in the mid-sixties to comedian Judy Carne, a star on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, and later (from 1988 until 1995) to actress Loni Anderson. "I passed up some incredible, wonderful women," he continues. By not marrying them? "Yeah, and I think that probably I would still be married if I'd married some of them.". . . . . "But I guess Sally [Field] was the one, if I had to name the woman who really stole my heart.". . . . .
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- Couple divorce after online 'affair' Ananova.com, September 17, 2007
A Bosnian couple are getting divorced after finding out they had been secretly chatting each other up online under fake names. Sana Klaric, 27, and husband Adnan, 32, from Zenica, poured out their hearts to each other over their marriage troubles, and both felt they had found their real soul mate.The couple met on an online chat forum while he was at work and she in an internet cafe, and started chatting under the names Sweetie and Prince of Joy. They eventually decided to meet up - but there was no happy ending when they realised what had happened. Now they are both filing for divorce - with each accusing the other of being unfaithful. . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: A Hollywood Ending? FamilyLife.com, By Dave Boehi, October 15, 2007
RELATED BLOG: Couple Divorce After Having an Online Affair... With Each Other News Bloggers, Posted by Ben Greenman, September 18, 2007
RELATED BLOG: When Do Couples Fall Out of Love? News Bloggers, Posted by The Young Turks, September 18, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: Online Activity Used in Divorce Court Switched.com, Posted by Joshua Fruhlinger, September 18, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: Tell-All PCs and Phones Transforming Divorce New York Times, By Brad Stone, September 15, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: Is This Man Cheating on His Wife? Wall Street Journal, By Alexandra Alter, August 10, 2007
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- A perfect disaster
Jennifer Niesslein sought to create the perfect life by reading every self-help book she could find and putting their ideas into practice. Did it work? Times Online- UK, By Carol Midgley, September 17, 2007
Jennifer Niesslein would never for a moment have claimed to be unhappy with her life. She had a husband and son whom she dearly loved, a detached suburban home, two dogs and an enviable job: she knew she was luckier than most and she was grateful. And yet something niggled. She wasn’t sad but, to use her words, she wasn’t “super-happy” either. For most of the time she felt mildly harried, her emotional state “just on the positive side of neutral”. The sum of the parts of her life should have added up to more joy. But instead she felt in a permanent state of mild distractedness. The house was a mess; she needed to lose a few pounds; she wasn’t getting enough quality time with her husband; why did she let petty things annoy her? It is a feeling many of us will recognise: a vague sense that we are failing to make the most of our existence, that if we could just strive to be slimmer, more giving, have nicer curtains, be more disciplined and perhaps live a bit more like the people we see in the airbrushed pages of OK! magazine, life would somehow be better. Perhaps it is a malaise of those who have their basic needs more than adequately met – those for whom, as Niesslein says, “happiness is the final frontier”. So she decided to do something about it; she decided to try to create the “perfect life”. . . . . .But midway through the project she began to have panic attacks. She started to sleepwalk again for the first time in years. Niesslein is not a fragile creature but she now thinks too much introspection and self-indulgent navel-gazing can affect self-esteem and mess with your mind. She charts her journey through the world of self help in a book, Practically Perfect in Every Way. Its closing words, meant ironically, are: “But enough about me.” “It is a very American idea that you can keep striving and striving and get better and better and better and do it all by yourself by just pulling up your bootstraps. But that doesn’t mean it’s true,” she says.. . . .
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- Parenting Issues: Fury as 12-year-old 'model' fronts world fashion show The Daily Mail- UK, September 17, 2007
A 12-year-old has caused a media frenzy after she was chosen to front one of the world's largest fashion shows. Blonde-haired, blue-eyed Maddison Gabriel was picked as the official ambassador of Gold Coast Fashion Week in Australia and has also worn a number of revealing outfits for the Queensland event. The country's Prime Minister John Howard strongly criticised the decision saying it was unacceptable. He said: "Catapulting girls as young as 12 into something like that is outrageous." Mr Howard wants Australia to follow the example of Europe and ban models younger than 16 appearing on catwalks. "There should be age limits, I mean there has to be, we do have to preserve some notion of innocence in our society," he said. But the 5ft 7ins youngster, who turned 13 yesterday, believed she deserved to win the modelling competition to become the 'face' of the show. . . . . Her mother Michelle Gabriel has defended her child's right to model and demanded an apology from the Prime Minister. "I believe the Prime Minister is getting very doddery," she said. "He does not know exactly what 13 and 14-year-old girls are like. I used to vote for him. We're trying to get our teenage daughters to act older. I am so happy that I've got a daughter who has got a good head on her shoulders.". . . . .
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RELATED ARTICLE: Modern Girls and the Modesty Movement National Public Radio, August 23, 2007
LISTEN TO: Talk of the Nation National Public Radio, August 23, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: I’m single, I’m sexy, and I’m only 13: Teenage girls are strutting their stuff in the revealing styles of their pop idols. But such rampant sexualisation is taking its toll on their mental health Times Online- UK, July 28, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: Girls Gone Mild TownHall.com, By Mona Charen, July 27, 2007
RELATED BOOK EXCERPT: 'Girls Gone Mild' Chapter One, By Wendy Shalit
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- VIDEO DISCUSSION: "We now pronounce them. . . Family Scholars Blog, By Elizabeth Marquardt, September 13th, 2007
"WE NOW PRONOUNCE THEM...commendably civil to one another." Thus spake bloggingheads.tv , a unique web-based effort to get the blogging, talking heads talking to one another. The production values are low, yes, but in a refreshing, this-is-for-real kind of way. The civil discussion in question is between Jonathan Rauch and David Blankenhorn. View the online discussion (and stick around to the end when the name calling begins!). . . .
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- Parenting Issues: First your kids won't leave...
CANADA CENSUS 2006: Nearly half of all adults in their 20s lived under their parents' roof last year in 2006 - a 12-per-cent jump from 1986 - and experts say the reasons aren't entirely economic Globe and Mail- CANADA, By David Andreatta, September 13, 2007
Hi mom and dad, I'm home! That refrain has become increasingly common in households in Canada, where census data released yesterday show nearly half of all adults aged 20 to 29 are shacking up with their parents.Statistics Canada reported that 44 per cent of the roughly four million adults in that age range lived at their parental homes in 2006, representing an almost three-percentage-point jump from 2001 and a pronounced spike since 1986, when the figure was 32 per cent. Among people aged 20 to 24, 60 per cent were living with their parents last year, up from 49 per cent two decades earlier. While that group accounted for most of the adults residing at home, its 11-per-cent growth over the past five years was outpaced by 25- to 29-year-olds, which ballooned 15 per cent. "It's a really large change and evolution on that front," said Rosemary Bender, director general for social and demographic statistics at Statistics Canada. Experts say many factors are at play, including immigrant cultural customs, shifting attitudes toward premarital relationships and parents' compassion for children recovering from unions gone sour or poor career choices. But observers of the so-called boomerang phenomenon say the overarching reasons for the growing number of adults living at home are economic. . . . .
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RELATED ARTICLE: Then they won't get married... CANADA CENSUS 2006: THE NEW HOUSEHOLD: UNMARRIED AND UNABASHED Globe and Mail, By Siri Agrell, Spetember 13, 2007 RELATED ARTICLE: Then your in-laws move in: CANADA CENSUS 2006: THE NEW HOUSEHOLD: SANDWICH GENERATION Globe and Mail, By Siri Agrell, September 13, 2007
RELATED SITE: Statistics Canada
RELATED ARTICLE: The parent trap: boomerang kids: When 20-somethings come home, families need some frank talk about finances to stay within budget US News.com, By Nisha Ramachandran, December 4, 2005
RELATED ARTICLE: The Parent Trap US News.com, By John leo, October 2, 2005
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- The Fertility Gap: More Christians on the Way TownHall.com, By Chuck Colson, September 12, 2007
Every time you turn around, a presidential candidate whips out his Bible—or a position paper—to let us know how faithful he or she is. Senator John Edwards (D-N.C.) says God "would be happy with the fact that" he's focused on people without health care. Senator Barack Obama (D-Ill.) says we should "discuss religion . . . in the positive sense of what it tells us about our obligations towards one another." Republicans, also, are quick to point out how faith informs their policies. Clearly, the candidates are appealing to America's religious voters—and they are smart to do so. As one social scientist recently noted, they are going to need religious voters for the long term—because Christians are having far more children than their secular neighbors. . . . This is significant, because kids tend to grow up to worship the way their parents do. In a generation or two, we are going to have a bumper crop of conservative citizens. Candidates who appeal to Christians will win more elections simply because of demographics. This is not the first time in history we have seen the demographic power of the Church. Take, for example, ancient Rome. . . . .
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- Skip work, make babies, says Russian governor Reuters, By James Kilner, September 12, 2007
ULYANOVSK, Russia- The governor of a central Russian province urged couples to skip work on Wednesday and make love instead to help boost Russia's low birth-rate. And if a woman gives birth in exactly nine months time -- on Russia's national day on June 12 -- she will qualify for a prize, perhaps even winning a new home. "It's normally something for the home -- a fridge or a television set," Yelena Yakovleva at the Ulyanovsk regional administration press office, said. "It doesn't matter if it's a girl or a boy.". . . . Regional governor Sergei Morozov told employers to contribute to a Kremlin campaign to boost the birth rate by giving couples Wednesday off to have sex. Russia wants to reverse a trend in which the population is shrinking by about 700,000 people a year as births fail to outpace a high death rate boosted by AIDS, alcoholism and suicide. This is the third year Ulyanovsk region, famous as the birthplace of Soviet state founder Vladimir Lenin, has dedicated a day to encouraging couples to produce more babies. . . .
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- TV REVIEW: 'Decision House'
The Marriage Is in Trouble, So They Take It Onto Television New York Times, By Ginia Bellafante, September 12, 2007
During each episode of “Decision House,” a reality series that starts tonight on MyNetworkTV, a judge, Lynn Toler, monitors a couple on the verge of dissolution as they spend three days locked in a bungalow that looks as if it were a set piece in a West Elm catalog. The effect is disconcerting: The couples are trying to work out messy and even insurmountable problems in a trendy-looking, cheerful space. They are people like Rob and Sally, who, though in their 40s and seemingly old enough to know better, married impetuously only five weeks after they met. To say that Sally has had a rough go of it is like calling the Great Flood of 1927 the result of a nasty storm. “You were in fact dating another woman while you were with Sally,” Judge Toler points out to Rob. Judge Toler is the host of “Divorce Court,” and the couples here are culled from the same demographic. “You have lied,” she continues. “You called her a slut. You don’t allow her to have friends. You were only married for nine months, but you have physically abused her over a number of hours on more than one occasion.”. . . . . “Decision House” is irredeemable on both moral and dramatic grounds. It is grotesque. Like so much on television, it perceives the difficulties of marriage largely through the lens of its own classism. As the new HBO series “Tell Me You Love Me” tries to lend further credence to the idea that problems like sexlessness and infertility are the province of upper-middle-class marriages, “Decision House” imagines that it is the less well off and unsophisticated who beat their wives and describe their children as lame or pathetic. This is a series that ought to be missed. No, it ought to be canceled . . ..
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- Love, e-company style:
The co-founders of Six Apart, Flickr and Bebo share secrets on how they successfully combined their professional and married lives CNN.com- Business 2.0, By Pia Chatterjee, September 12, 2007
-- For Ben and Mena Trott, there was never any doubt about which of them would be the voice of their startup. After all, she was the one who strode into the Baskin-Robbins in Petaluma, Calif., where he was working and asked him to the senior prom. "He was the valedictorian, and I was the class clown," Mena recalls. It was the beginning of a productive - and profitable - partnership. The high school sweethearts went on to found Six Apart, which makes one of the most popular blogging tools on the Internet, attracting more than 40 million unique visitors each month. The Web, it turns out, is filled with companies run by married couples. Most of them are tiny mom-and-pop operations destined to stay that way. But several have blossomed into hit websites with millions of users and all the attendant pressures and complications. . . . . . . Running a thriving business is hard work. Staying married may be even harder. So how do these couples do it? Having weathered the entrepreneurial storms and made both their companies and their marriages work, the husbands and wives behind Bebo, Flickr, Nerve, and Six Apart were kind enough to share the secrets of their success. . . . .
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- Young adults delaying marriage USA Today, By Sharon Jayson and Anthony DeBarros, September 12, 2007
Almost three-quarters of men and almost two-thirds of women in their 20s in 2006 said they had never been married, according to Census data released today that shows a sharp increase in never-married twentysomethings in just six years. Among men ages 20-29, 73% said they had never been married in 2006, compared with 64% in 2000. For women, 62.2% had never married in 2006, compared with 53.4% six years earlier. The data also show the percentage of those marrying in their 20s continues to decline. . A USA TODAY analysis of the new Census figures shows that just 23.5% of men and 31.5% of women ages 20-29 were married in 2006. (The analysis excludes those who are married but separated.) Both the number and percentage of those in their 20s fell from 2000, when 31.5% of men and 39.5% of women were married. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Here Comes the Bride...But When? TownHall.com, By Rebecca Hagelin, July 13, 2007
- CANADA: The changing definition of marriage Canada.com- National Post, Compiled by Kirsten Smith- CanWest News Service, September 12, 2007
The definition of marriage has evolved over the past century, sometimes driven by societal pressures, sometimes forced by changes in law. The national census has tracked all these developments:
1901 - For the first time, the census includes divorced as a martial status.
1968 - The federal Divorce Act introduces the concept of marriage breakdown as a grounds for divorce. Prior to that, in provinces that allowed divorce, only adultery could lead to the dissolution of marriage. 1976 - The census revises its form so that the head of the household could be either the husband or wife.
1986 - Amendments to the Divorce Act come into force, making marriage breakdown the primary grounds for divorce.
1991 - For the first time, the national census asks about common-law relationships. . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: CANADA: Unmarrieds now outnumber the legally wed, but couples still rule Canada.com, By Randy Boswell- CanWest News Service, September 13, 2007
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- Modern rules of engagement: multiple partners, prenups and the "I'm taken" conversation Sydney Morning Herald, By Samantha Brett, September 11, 2007
I was out with a group of friends on the weekend when the conversation quickly turned to the muddled rules of modern love. "How many men can we date at once?" queried one who is currently juggling three (unbeknownst to the poor blokes). "Do we really need to think about a pre-nup?" sighed another, who is in the throes of organising the wedding of the century. "Who knows?" replied a third, "I just want to be able to be honest with men and quit all the stupid games we play". "Amen to that!" came the unanimous reply. And for a second, we all indulged in her erotic reverie of a dating minefield absent of any games. Sigh. But I wondered, what was going on? Why are modern femmes so utterly confused as to how to navigate the steely world of muscles, men and dating mishaps? Is feminism to blame? Have bad-boys/princess-women tainted our faith and beliefs in ourselves and our own judgment? Surely we're all sufficiently equipped with the modern rules to enable us to know what to do? Evidently not. . . . . Multiple partners: How many people can we date at once? That was the question posed to me by radio host Sarah MacDonald on ABC 702 during a segment on the modern dating rules. The question was sparked by John Howard's comments to Cosmopolitan magazine when he mused that men shouldn't wait the supposed three days to call a woman after a first date. (Apparently three days is somewhere in the book of "playing hard to get" rulings.) Instead, by our gallant Prime Minister's reckoning, blokes should call immediately after the first date. (Who knew Howard was such a ladies man?) His comments sparked a flood of talkback callers confused over the modern love rules. Personally, I like to stick by the three rule. . . . . . When to drop in "I've got a boyfriend" in the convo. . . . . Till prenup do we part. . . . .
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- Helping Marines to be the few, the proud, the married Hampton Roads.com-Pilot Online.com, By Jacey Eckhart, September 11, 2007
Ever since I saw Clint Eastwood in "Heartbreak Ridge," I suspected marriage might be a little harder for Marines than for regular people. In the movie, Eastwood plays a gunnery sergeant who eats nails and spits blood and growls at the barkeep, "It seems marriage and the Marine Corps aren't too compatible." That would have been enough to convince me, thanks. Except that Eastwood ends up spending a lot of time in his truck reading women's magazines and trying to understand what it was that his ex-wife wanted. Now wanting and having ain't the same thing. So I was kind of surprised last month when I met a group of six Marine sergeant majors who didn't need a magazine - or a barkeep - to figure out marriage. All of these Marines stationed with the 1st Marine Corps Recruiting District had been deployed as much as Eastwood could imagine. Each of them had also been married more than 20 years. The men credited some of their career success to being happily married and some of their happiness in marriage to being good Marines. . . . . Here are a few of the things on the list of lessons learned: Stay single as long as you possibly can. . . . Make the decision to be a better husband. . . . . Read about the stuff you don't know . . . .Don't be short on the phone. . . . Be faithful to a tough woman. . . .
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- Still Married, With Children, but in Russian New York Times, By Clifford J. Levy, September 10, 2007
— Turn on the sitcom that is the hottest television show in Russia, and it all seems so familiar. Moored to his living room couch is a shoe salesman who is more interested in watching sports than conjugal relations. His wife has shocking hair and an even more shocking mouth. A couple of ne’er-do-well teenagers round out this bawdy, bickering bunch. In fact, the show is an authorized copy of the American sitcom “Married With Children,” with a Russian cast and dialogue but scripts that hew closely to those of the original. This knockoff is such a sensation, especially among younger viewers, that its actors have become household names, and advertisements for its new season are plastered around Moscow. A drumbeat of anti-Americanism may be coming from the Kremlin these days, but across Russia people are embracing that quintessentially American genre, the television sitcom, not to mention one of its brassiest examples. . . . . . .
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- Marriage is good for you El Paso Times, By Diana Washington Valdez, September 10, 2007
Married people in general are likely to be healthier than unmarried people, according to a U.S. federal government report this year. A focus on the most rigorous recent evidence reveals that marriage has positive effects on certain health-related outcomes," according to the report summary by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Human Services Policy. "These studies find, for example, that marriage improves certain mental health outcomes, reduces the use of some high-cost health services (such as nursing home care), and increases the likelihood of having health insurance coverage." The report, "The Effects of Marriage on Health," is based on research of available scientific literature on the subject. Richard King is making plans to celebrate 25 years of marriage later this month. At 53, the El Paso businessman said he wouldn't have it any other way. . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: I Confess – Treated her bad, now I'm so sad The Nation News-BARBADOS, September 7, 2007
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- TV REVIEW: "Tell Me You Love Me" a great, grown-up look at marriage Seattle Times, By Florangela Davila, September 9, 2007
If HBO's "Sex and the City" made you crave cosmos and Manolos, then "Tell Me You Love Me" (9 p.m. Sundays) will hurtle you to bed. For a hug. Because despite all the buzz about this new show and its explicit sex scenes (yes, they are graphic, and there are many, many of them), the sex here doesn't arouse as much as it makes you flinch because of all that follows. Like the pain of not feeling attractive to one's spouse after 12 years of marriage and two kids. Or the rage when the pregnancy test reads negative. And the emptiness after revenge sex and/or the jealousy that creeps up when you dwell on the notion that your fiancé is a flirt. It's all here in a smart, groundbreaking series that's both brave and honest in its portrayal of the hard work that is marriage. (Just how real it is will make married viewers squirm). And if you're not hearing people talk about this show in the way, oh, people used to go on and on about "Sex and the City" or even that other significant relationship show called "Thirtysomething," it's only because watching this show feels so raw and private. . . . .
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RELATED ARTICLE: TV REVIEW: Don’t ‘Tell Me’ Pointless sex cheapens HBO couples drama (Grade: D) Boston Herald, By Mark A. Perigard, September 9, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: TV REVIEW: Between sheets, dust bunnies, 'Tell Me' a riveting study in coupledom Chicago Tribune- Metromix.com, By Maureen Ryan, September 9, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: TV REVIEW: 'Tell Me You Love Me' is stimulating New York Daily News, By David Bianculli, September 7, 2007
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- 10 Bad Habits that Could Ruin Your Marriage LifeScript.com, By Emily Battaglia, September 2007
Do you bite your fingernails? Pick at your hair? While these habits are annoying in nature and unnerving to other people, they aren’t a huge deal in the scheme of life. But there are some bad habits – seemingly small in size – that can ruin your relationships. If you’re married, you probably know what I’m talking about. Find out how to save your marriage from these 10 very common bad habits. Plus: Do you fight fair?. . . . . Breaking a bad habit can take days, months, even years. But your marriage can’t wait that long. Tina B. Tessina, Ph.D. and author of How to Be a Couple and Still Be Free (New Page Books, 2002) explains 10 bad habits that add strife to your marriage and offers advice on tempering them before your “happily ever after” turns into never. Remember, overcoming your bad habits isn’t easy, especially if you’ve spent years living with them. But admitting your faults and making changes is always a better option than a broken marriage. . . . 1. Not having sex. . . . . 2. Letting yourself go . . . . .
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- Parenting Issues: Nude photo storm threatens to wreck career of High School Musical star The Daily Mail- UK, September 7, 2007
The teenage star of one of Disney's most popular films is at the centre of a nude photo storm that threatens to wreck her career. An explicit photo of Vanessa Hudgens from the hugely successful High School Musical has been posted on the internet. The 19-year-old “squeaky-clean” star has been forced to admit she posed for the candid snap. The admission will come as a major embarassment to Disney chiefs who had hoped to build on the wholesome image of the young star. Hudgens admitted that the colour photograph had been taken privately. She did not reveal when the shot was taken or where, but there are rumours it was for her boyfriend and co-star Zac Efron. The picture appears to have been taken in a bedroom. Standing and pulling her hair back with one hand, a smiling Hudgens shares the frame with a bed, wooden dresser — and nothing else. . . .
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RELATED ARTICLE: Source: Vanessa Hudgens Sent Nude Photo to Drake Bell People magazine, September 8, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: Disney Backs 'High School Musical' Star AP, By David Bauder, September 7, 2007 RELATED ARTICLE: HSM Star is a Disappointing Role Model for Young Women Progressiveu.com, Blog Posted by Greenisgreat, September 7, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: 'High School Musical' Star Poses Nude, Loses Some Fans: Parents Can Use Role Model's Mistake to Teach Kids a Lesson About Good and Bad Choices ABC News, September 7, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: Sex and Scandal at a Prep School Time magazine, By Andrea Sachs, September 6, 2007
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- Parenting Issues: MTV Will Air Bisexual Dating Show CitizenLink-Focus on the Family, September 7, 2007
Just weeks after its own survey showed teens place high value on family and faith, MTV is rolling out a bisexual dating show. A Shot At Love With Tila Tequila, which is scheduled to premiere on the cable network Oct. 9, will feature 16 heterosexual men and 16 lesbians competing for the attention of the show's namesake. Jeff Johnston, gender issues analyst for Focus on the Family, said MTV should heed the results of its survey. "Men and women are made in the image of God, and our masculinity and femininity reflect something of his wonder and glory. So it’s no wonder the enemy attacks this area and works to create confusion, brokenness and lust," he said. "It’s sad that MTV is cooperating so readily with our adversary. Especially since they just learned that what makes young men and women happy is time with their families and with God, not sexual brokenness and confusion. "
RELATED ARTICLE: Family ties key to youth happiness - AP-MTV poll GMA NEWS.TV, August 20, 2007
SEE RELATED POLL: AP-MTV poll results
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RELATED ARTICLE & COMMENTS: Tila's New Show Goes Both Ways TMZ.com, September 7, 2007 RELATED ARTICLE: Tila Tequila Time magazine, BY Lev Grossman, December 16, 2006
RELATED SITE: Tila Tequila's MySpace
RELATED ARTICLE: Seeking more money at MySpace Chicago Tribune, By Joseph Menn, September 2, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: Parenting Issues: "Dr. 90210" -- or Dr. Crotch? Townhall.com, By Brent Bozell III, September 1, 2007
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- Cherie: Milking 'Brand Blair' for all it's worth The Daily Mail-UK, By Paul Scott, September 7, 2007
Grappling singer Bono into a vice-like — and distinctly proprietorial — embrace in the South of France this week, Cherie Blair wore the rapt and adoring expression of a somewhat ageing bobby-soxer. With a girlish giggle, and before the massed ranks of the paparazzi, she proceeded to plant two wet kisses on the stubbly cheeks of the U2 frontman. It was an exuberant and excitable performance, given that this was hardly the unexpected reunion of two long-lost friends (the Irish singer spent much of last week in the company of the Blairs as they holidayed on the Riviera). But as Cherie has come to realise of late, it pays to make the most of every good photo opportunity. It is an approach that might be better suited to a minor reality television star or wannabe model, rather than a respected human rights barrister and wife of the former Prime Minister. But as Mrs Blair adapts to life after No. 10, she has thrown herself wholeheartedly into launching what those in her entourage are christening "Brand Cherie". . . . . . While friends say Tony barely gives a thought to finance, Mrs Blair is painfully aware that his PM's pension of £117,500-a-year (he also receives £90,000 for secretarial staff) will not cover the combined £20,000-a-month mortgages on their £3.5million house in London and two flats in Bristol. One friend who saw Cherie shortly after Blair left office, said: "She kept going on about how she had been working her guts out for ten years. "She actually said: 'There's no way Tony's going to be allowed to sit round on his butt.'. . . . .
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Love At Sixty For Luciano And Nicoletta Corriere Della Sera (Italian Life), September 6, 2007Multi-million dollar separation from first wife, then a daughter and another wedding. It started with a kiss in Barbados. Tenor left his wife after falling in love with twenty-six-year-old assistant in 1996. . .
MILAN – For years, Luciano Pavarotti filled the gossip columns as his love affair with former assistant Nicoletta Mantovani flourished. After falling in love at sixty, the great tenor sought separation from Adua, his wife of thirty-six years. THE KISS THAT TOLD – The story hit the front pages of gossip magazines all over the world in March 1996, thanks to a photograph of Pavarotti kissing the then twenty-six-year-old Nicoletta in the crystal-clear Caribbean waters of Barbados. Many observers believe that it was the classic last straw for a marriage that was already under strain after rumours and denials of the relationship between the sixty-year-old tenor and his secretary from Bologna. SEPARATION – Luciano and Adua had three daughters: Lorenza, who was thirty-three at the time, Cristina, thirty-one, and Giuliana, who was twenty-eight. When the photographs were published, Signora Pavarotti said that her husband, “like every man, especially those who are successful, has had many amorous opportunities and approaches in his life but he has always been able to cope with them wisely”. But this case was perhaps different. “Whether because of his age and the kind of attack to which he has been subjected”, Signora Pavarotti went on, “he has been induced to behave in such a way as to pass a point of no return and to make a choice that I hope will be a happy one for him”. The carefully phrased message was the prelude to a long legal battle after the divorce. . . . .
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- Sir Ben Kingsley makes Brazilian ex-waitress half his age his 4th wife The Daily Mail-UK, September 6, 2007
The actor Ben Kingsley has secretly married a Brazilian former waitress half his age. The 63-year-old Oscar winner is said to have made bit part-actress Daniela Barbosa de Carneiro, 34, his fourth wife. She became Lady Kingsley in front of just a dozen guests sworn to secrecy at a country house in Oxfordshire, on Monday. After the service there was a reception at the 'Gandhi' actor's £2.5 million manor house near Chipping Norton. The father of four met Miss Barbosa over two years ago in Hollywood. Many expressed doubts as to whether the relationship between Sir Ben - who enjoys pottering in the garden and reading - and the "bombshell" would last. Sadly Sir Ben, who insists on people using his knighthood when they refer to him, said he was too busy filming to go on honeymoon: "We're extremely happy. "Daniela is like an ancient mythological princess. She has great deep dignity. She moves like an ocean liner.". . . .
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- Kim Porter On Breaking up with Sean "Diddy" Combs and Starting Fresh Essence.com, By Jeanine Amber, October 2007 Issue
Last December, glowing couple Sean Combs and Kim Porter opened their hearts to Essence readers. A few months later, Kim learned the unthinkable had happened. In this excerpt of our exclusive interview she talks about what happened. . . .. . . . ESSENCE: Speaking of being faithful, there have been rumors about Sean and a baby in Atlanta swirling around for a while. Is this why you left the relationship? KIM PORTER: Hmmm... Well, that definitely was part of it. . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Kim Porter Says She Was Betrayed by Diddy People magazine, By Stephen M. Silverman, September 10, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: Kim Porter Planned 'Dramatic' Split from Diddy People magazine, BY Stephen M. Silverman, September 6, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: Diddy Promises Marriage!!! Kim Porter Takes Him Back!!! Media Take Out, September 4, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: Q&A – Am I Better Off Without Him? LifeScript.com, Dr. John H. Sklare, Ed.D, July 19, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: No Ordinary Love: Sean "Diddy" Combs and Kim Porter Essence.com, By Jeanine Amber, December 2006 Issue
RELATED ARTICLE: Black Teens Disheartened Toward Marriage: Poor examples are making marriage elusive in their eyes Eurweb.com- Agape Press, September 11, 2006
RELATED ARTICLE: The ‘Seven R’s Pledge’ Reminds Us What Kind of Men We Should Be BlackAmericaWeb.com, By Joseph C. Phillips, February 28, 2006
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- Even a MANS man can use a little help Globe and Mail- CANADA, By Sarah Hampson, September 6, 2007
Dear suitors of alpha women, I envy you not. For starters, the zeitgeist is against you. Consider Know Your Pig, a book about women's relationships with men, written, no less, by guys: Michael Coogan and William Burton. It's meant to be playful, and it is. It plays on the now conventional wisdom that men are emotional dimwits. But listen, I get it. It's not that you aren't emotionally intelligent. It's that women keep changing the rules of what we want from you. . . . . You know how there are all those goofy acronyms to express social status? In her book, Why Smart Men Marry Smart Women, Christine Whelan coined SWANS to identify strong women achievers, no spouse. Well, I figure it's time men made one of their own. How about MANS for men are not stupid? Then you could say you are a MANS man. Here's your tip sheet: your MANSual, if you like: The alpha woman wants a man. But you need to know how to court her, live with her and, if it works out and she can get her head around the idea again, marry her. Don't be intimidated if she says she only has relationships now out of desire, not out of need. I know that many men need to be needed. And you are, in innumerable ways, but she doesn't need you to complete her. . . . .
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- Unpacking Baggage Of First Marriage Hartford Courant, By Helen T. Gray, September 4, 2007
Marcha and Mark Juett were sure they wanted to marry. What they weren't sure of was how to make a marriage work. Both had failed first marriages. "Those of us getting remarried obviously didn't get it right the first time," Mark says. When they learned of a class geared toward people remarrying, both wanted to take it "to be absolutely sure we were a match, because divorce was not an option," Marcha says. "Our first divorces were so painful, I told Mark I never want to go through that again." Divorce statistics vary, but experts generally say 43 percent to 50 percent of first marriages and about 60 percent of remarriages end in divorce. Clergy and professional counselors have known the need to learn how to stay married. More recently they see a need for training specifically tailored for couples entering their second or third marriages. . . . One reason for the high failure rate of remarriage, Parziale says, is "many assume they have experience. They have experience with marriage but not success." "The hardest thing is getting them to believe there are things going on inside the two of them that will cause the destruction of the marriage. They are blaming the former spouse," he says. . . . . And why are the divore rates for second marriages higher than the rates for first marriages? "They don't take time to fully heal and assess what went wrong the first time before they remarry," Landers says. Other factors that affect remarrying couples are that they tend to be older and most have children, which "is the biggest complication," Landers says.Remarrying couples often fail to recognize that they have "the seeds of destruction already in place with the children," Parziale says. "There really is not a honeymoon period for remarriages," he says. "The minute you come back from your honeymoon, the children are waiting at the door with their problems." . . . .
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- Evangelist says she'll take on role of anti-violence advocate The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, By D. Aileen Dodd, September 4, 2007
She aired her dirty laundry on a national stage, first as a victim of divorce and dead-end affairs and now as a victim of domestic violence. National Pentecostal evangelist Juanita Bynum, 48, went public with her pain Tuesday, sharing yet another chapter in her tumultuous lifbreakdown and life on welfare, broke her silence two weeks after her second husband, Bishop Thomas W. Weeks III, allegedly beat, stomped and choked her in a hotel parking lot. Bynum appeared Tuesday night as a special guest on TBN's "Praise The Lord" program, a Christian talk show featuring ministers, gospel artists and other newsmakers. On the show, Bynum said she had no bitterness toward her husband. She would not say anything negative about Weeks. "Nobody could give me enough money," she said. "As long as he's my husband I won't break that covenant." Also on the show, she said the church would help people by preaching more about personal experiences such as her own. While interviewimg other guests, an emotional Bynum said, "I came here tonight to declare that I can bear it, I can bear it, I can bear it." Before the television appearance, in a room with flashing cameras, Bynum said she has forgiven Weeks for the alleged attack and that her ministry will take a new twist because of the pain she has suffered. "Today, domestic violence has a face and a name and it is Juanita Bynum," said the pastor. . . .
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RELATED ARTICLE: Are Mega-Preachers Scandal-Prone? Time Magazine, By David Van Biema, September 28, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: A Minister’s Public Lesson on Domestic Violence New York Times, By Shaila Dewan, September 20, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: Bishop denies abuse: 'I walked away that night' The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, By D. Aileen D. Dodd, September 14, 2007
RELATED INTERVIEW: Tom Joyner Interviews Juanita Bynum Black America Web, September 12, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: Weeks will contest divorce: Lawyers for Weeks say he might even accuse Bynum of "cruel treatment" The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, By D. Aileen Dodd, September 11, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: Evangelist Juanita Bynum is Exploiting her Marital Problems for Personal Gain and Publicity says Rev. Peterson ChristianNewsWire Press Release- Earned Media.org, September 10, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: Bynum's estranged husband hopes to reconcile: Weeks makes statement through lawyers The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, By D. Aileen Dodd, September 7, 2007
RELATED STATEMENT: BISHOP THOMAS WEEKS III My Fox Atlanta, September 5, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: Juanita Bynum Speaks Exclusively to FOX 5 News MyFox Atlanta, Reported By: Aungelique Proctor, September 5, 2006
SEE RELATED VIDEO: The Juanita Bynum Interview MyFox Atlanta, September 5, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: Bishop Jakes Op Ed on Prophetess Juanita Bynum and Domestic Abuse Essence.com, By Bishop T D Jakes, September 4, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: Coalition: Bishop should step down The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, By S.A. REID, September 3, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: A troubled model marriage: Popular preachers taught couples how to strengthen relationships The News Journal, By Gary Soulsman, September 1, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: Pastor Rebukes Juanita Bynum, Bishop Weeks and Paula White: Apostle Brian S. Lewis warns you can't sow a seed to get out of your problems. EUR Web.com, August 29, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: For 'prophetess' of true romance, marriage a mess The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, By Rosalind Bently, August 26, 2007
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- A cruel husband? Be brave and get out The Telegraph- UK, By Leslie Garner, September 4, 2007
Dear Lesley: Thank you for printing my letter, in July, about my long marriage to a bullying and abusive man. Your observations showed much insight and I found the reply very helpful. My mother neglected me as a child. She virtually never allowed me to have my own way and this is obviously connected with my problems. I was already building up the confidence to leave my husband but your contribution has given me more encouragement. Thank you. Jennifer.
Dear Jennifer, I hope it will give you further encouragement that many of those who read your story in the Telegraph wrote to me with similar experiences of their own. I want to start the new Lifeclass term with these stories, knowing that they must represent the tip of a particularly depressing iceberg and that printing them will reach yet more women who are locked into cruel and repressive relationships. The clear message from everyone who wrote to me is this: get out. Preferably, do this after the first incidence of violence or cruelty, because the situation is unlikely to improve. But even after years of torment, years that undermine and destroy self-confidence and courage, it is still worth paying the high price of financial insecurity and possible loneliness for the ultimate prizes of peace and self-worth. The power of a column such as this is that one person's story resonates with so many others. Women wrote to me expressing that shocked sense of recognition, déjà vu, disbelief that here was their own story. Perhaps the shock was so strong for these individuals because an abusive marriage is a very private, shameful secret that is kept tightly within the home. Men who tyrannise their wives can be charming in public and, as in your case, Jennifer, it is the charm that hooks the wives in the first place. . . .
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- Shaq files for divorce The Miami Herald, September 4, 2007
Miami Heat center Shaquille O'Neal wants to divorce Shaunie, his wife of nearly five years. ''The marriage between the parties is irretrievably broken,'' says his petition, filed Tuesday by attorney Ira Elegant. The O'Neals have four children together -- Shareef, 7, Amirah, 5, Shaqir, 4, and Me'Arah, 1. Shaq has a daughter, Taahirah, and Shaunie has a son, Myles, from previous relationships. The family lives on Miami Beach's exclusive Star Island. They bought an $18.8 million estate in the summer of '04, at the time of his trade to the Heat. It is for sale -- No. 32 is asking $32 million. Shaq, 35, and Shaunie, 32, wed Dec. 26, 2002, in a lavish ceremony at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Shaq, then with the Lakers, gave Shaunie a ring with 17 carats of diamonds. . . . . Shaunie, he says, has been ''secretive about her assets . . . particularly with respect to certain properties owned or titled in either [her] name alone or in other entities.'' He wants the court to order Shaunie to give a ''correct accounting of all money, funds, stocks, bonds, and other securities (including bearer securities)'' that she came into during the marriage. . . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Shaquille O'Neal Files for Divorce People magazine, By Sara Hammel, September 5, 2007
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SEE RELATED COURT DOCUMENTS: Shaquille O'Neal v. La' Shaundya Nelson O'Neal
RELATED ARTICLE: Couples agree to love, honor and hide money The Detroit Free Press, By Sonja Haller- The Arizona Republic, September 2, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: The Marital Money Pits: Don’t Let Finances Drive You Apart LifeScript.com, By Emily Battaglia, August 15, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: Saving a marriage: Spend, save or give? Understanding your partner can save you a trip to divorce court MSNBC.com- Forbes.com, By Scott Reeves, May 31, 2006
RELATED ARTICLE: Talk About Money Forbes.com- By Scott Reeves, Apr 10, 2006
RELATED ARTICLE: Family (Financial) Planning Forbes.com- By Scott Reeves, Apr 15, 2005
RELATED ARTICLE: First Comes Love, Then Financial Planning Forbes.com- By Scott Reeves, Feb 9, 2005
RELATED SLIDE SHOW: First Comes Love, Then Financial Planning
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- Access Exclusive: Halle Berry Confirms Pregnancy To Nancy O'Dell Access Hollywood, September 4, 2007
LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Halle Berry is pregnant, she confirmed exclusively to Access Hollywood’s Nancy O’Dell. The 41-year-old actress revealed the news in an e-mail to Nancy on Tuesday that she is three months pregnant with boyfriend Gabriel Aubry’s baby. “Yes, I am three months pregnant! Gabriel and I are beyond excited, and I’ve waited a long time for this moment in life. Now the next seven months will be the longest of my life!” she wrote to Nancy. “Can’t wait to see you and give you a squeeze and see a pic of your little sweetie. Until then, you heard it from ME first!" Upon hearing the news, Nancy was elated for her good friend. . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Halle Berry Is Pregnant People magazine, September 4, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: Halle Berry Says No More Marriages People magazine, By Stephen M. Silverman, March 19, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: Declining Marriage Rates Aren’t Just a Black Family Thing – They're an American Thing BlackAmericaWeb.com, By Joseph C. Phillips, July 17, 2006
RELATED ARTICLE: The Verdict on Cohabitation vs. Marriage Marriage & Families, By Jeffry H. Larson, January 2001
RELATED ARTICLE: Reversing the Trend- Avoiding the Myths of Cohabitation Marriage & Families, By Thomas B. Holman, January 2001
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- Love, and loss, among the stars USA Today, By Cindy Clark, September 3, 2007
The weekend was full of celebrity weddings and one breakup. USA TODAY breaks down the love, and pain:
The just-marrieds: Kate Walsh, 39, and Alex Young, 36 The ceremony: The Private Practice star and Fox executive married Saturday in the town of Ojai, just north of Los Angeles, reports People.com. After the couple exchanged vows at the Ojai Presbyterian Church, a reception was held at the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa's Spanish-style estate, Casa Elar. Walsh wore a custom-made wedding gown by Monique Lhuillier. The guest list: TV doctors packed the house, with Walsh's Grey's Anatomy co-stars Katherine Heigl, Chandra Wilson, Sara Ramirez and Justin Chambers, as well as show creator Shonda Rhimes, among the 100 guests. The history: Walsh met Young in February, and they were engaged three months later.
The just-marrieds: Usher Raymond, 28, and Tameka Foster, 37. . . . . The just-marrieds: Giuliana DePandi, 32, and Bill Rancic, 36. . . . . The newly single: Heath Ledger, 28, and Michelle Williams, 26. . .
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RELATED ARTICLE: Tobey Maguire Marries Jennifer Meyer in Hawaii People magazine, September 4, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: Heath Ledger and Michelle Williams Split People magazine, By Charlotte Triggs, September 2, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: Dancing with the Stars's Alec & Edyta Wed in San Francisco People magazine, By Monica Rizzo, September 2, 2007 RELATED ARTICLE: Grey's Anatomy's Kate Walsh Marries Movie Executive People magazine, By Ulrica Wihlborg, September 1, 2007 SEE RELATED PHOTOS: Kate Walsh Wedding Just Jared.com RELATED ARTICLE: Usher & Tameka Foster Finally Get a Wedding People magazine, By Ulrica Wihlborg, September 1, 2007
RELATED PHOTOS: Usher and Tameka's Wedding Album Essence.com RELATED ARTICLE: You're Married! Apprentice Bill Rancic Weds E! News Anchor People magazine, By Natasha Stoynoff, September 1, 2007
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- If Your Marriage Were A Business, Would Your Spouse Be Looking For Another Job? Modern Ghana- AFRICA, Source/Credits: Merit Gest, September 3, 2007
If your marriage were a business, would your spouse be looking for another job? Our most important and intimate relationships often don't receive the attention, time and training that we give our business relationships. Here are two secrets from the business world to apply to your personal relationships.
1. Know Your Customer
People communicate in different ways. Some people are highly visual and the way they process information and express themselves is in visual ways. For example, a visual person would describe their spouse using descriptive words like: 6 feet tall, brown hair, blue eyes, handsome, etc. Auditory people take in their world by evaluating what they hear. They would describe their spouse in this way: She compliments me and says the sweetest things, He has a deep voice and sings out loud. Kinesthetic people typically rely on how they feel and they learn by experience. They would describe their spouse in this way: I get butterflies when she's around,She holds my hands, He's cuddly & warm, I feel safe and comfortable in his arms. Each of us has all three of these traits in us, though one tends to dominate. . . . .
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- Coalition: Bishop should step down The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, By S.A. REID, September 3, 2007
A national coalition of African-American and Latino churches wants Bishop Thomas Weeks III suspended from the ministry for allegedly beating his wife, popular televangelist Juanita Bynum. The Washington-based National Black Church Initiative acknowledges that Weeks' Global Destiny Ministries is not part of its network, but considers the domestic violence charges leveled against him detrimental to the entire Christian church. The coalition, which works to address racial health disparities and problems in the black family, views Weeks' alleged actions as "morally wrong and reprehensible." Domestic violence, the group said, is a root cause in the failure of black families and marriages. NBCI recommends that the ecclesiastical body that governs Weeks suspend him for three years and is urging its member churches and their congregates not to support Weeks' ministry or recognize him as ordained clergy. NBCI claims 16,000 member churches. "We're just not going to tolerate this kind of behavior," the Rev. Anthony Evans, NBCI president, said Sunday. "He has hurt the cause of Christ."The coalition also demands that Weeks apologize to his wife, his church and the Christian family as well as seek counseling. . . . . not he is restorable, this will be left to Almighty God. ... We cannot begin healing the black family without taking this action.". . . . .
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RELATED ARTICLE: A troubled model marriage: Popular preachers taught couples how to strengthen relationships The News Journal, By Gary Soulsman, September 1, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: Bishop indicted in attack on wife: Couple's church at risk of losing lease Atlanta Journal-Constitution, August 31, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: For 'prophetess' of true romance, marriage a mess The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, By Rosalind Bently, August 26, 2007
RELATED PHOTOS: BYNUM-WEEKS SAGA The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
RELATED ARTICLE: 10 Ways to Lift Yourself Up When a Spiritual Leader Lets You Down Beliefnet.com- NY, By Valerie Reiss, Nov 9, 2006
RELATED ARTICLE: Signs of a Restorable Spirit: What are the tangible evidences of repentance? Christianity Today, Posted by Marshall Shelley, Nov 8, 2006
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- Couples agree to love, honor and hide money The Detroit Free Press, By Sonja Haller- The Arizona Republic, September 2, 2007
Paul Schencker doesn't know where his wife's safe-deposit box is, and he doesn't know how much money is in it. Nor does he want to know. "I believe what I don't know won't hurt me," he says. His wife, Geri, agrees: "If he knew how much money I had hidden, he'd have a heart attack." Geri has been squirreling money away for the length of their 10-year marriage. The Fountain Hills, Ariz., couple are not alone. A 2005 survey by Money magazine found that 71% of 1,001 women and men with incomes of $50,000 or more admitted keeping money secrets. The survey didn't say how many of those couples kept secret accounts, though three in 10 said they or their partner had a separate account both knew about (and in 30% of those cases, only the owner knew how much was in the account). . . . . Though the words "secret account" make relationship and financial experts cringe, many see value in couples knowing about and having separate stashes to spend as they wish. "It's fine and can be very powerful for couples to have an account that they claim as their own," says Spencer D. Sherman, who counsels couples on money issues through his company, Abacus Wealth. MP Dunleavey, columnist for the New York Times and MSN Money, as well as author of "Money Can Buy Happiness" (Broadway, $18.95), says the majority of times, money hiders simply "don't want their spouse to criticize or even remark on a purchase. It's a real privacy issue.". . . . .
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- Larry Craig is not Gay—He Has Restless Crotch Syndrome Townhall.com, By Doug Giles, September 2, 2007
As all of you know by now, Idaho Senator Larry Craig was busted several weeks ago for attempting to get his summer groove on with a Minnesota Serpico in a Minneapolis airport toilet. Yes, it appears that Larry tried to get a party started by playing footsie with an undercover cop who was trying to offload a chimichanga he just had for lunch. I guess Justin Timberlake isn’t the only one trying to bring sexy back. I have a question for the homosexual community: is this a normal gay thing…the…uh…toilet sex? Help me out, those in the know, are the urges that crazy and intense? Can’t they just wait until they get back to their Miata or a Motel 6 and resist the urge to do the funky monkey in a nasty public lavatory?. . . . . Look, Larry, none of us are buying the not guilty and not gay claims. If you want the GP to believe your nonsense, what you need to do is invent some malady to blame for your behavior. Our dysfunctional and therapeutic community will buy that horse crap, and I guarantee that a drug company will create a pill for your fabricated pain. Howzabout something like this: you’re a victim of RCS (Restless Crotch Syndrome). . . . Seriously folks, why can’t anyone just say that they’re guilty and deserve whatever whipping comes their way when they’re caught red-handed doing stupid, stupid stuff?. .
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RELATED ARTICLE: Why Sen. Craig was right to resign World Net Daily, By Les Kinsolving, September 4, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: Former NJ Governor's Wife Recalls Ordeal Philly.com, By Angela Delli Santi- AP, September 1, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: A Precedented Scandal Washington Post, By Ruth Marcus, August 31, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: Secret Signals: How Gay Men Cruise for Sex- When Men Cruise for Sex in Public Places, Police Take Notice and Gays Say It's Unfair ABC News.com, August 28, 2007
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- Indians shun traditional matchmakers and try to click with someone online The Times Online-UK, By Jeremy Page, September 1, 2007
Finding a spouse has always been a lottery in India, where dating - let alone premarital sex - is frowned on and 95 per cent of all marriages are still arranged. Mrinalini Das, a 27-year-old fashion designer from Delhi, has, however, found a way to improve her odds by several thousand per cent. Like many middle-class Indian women, when she reached her mid-twenties she succumbed to her parents’ nagging and asked them to find a suitable partner. They spread the word and soon she had a dozen resumés that detailed her suitors’ age, height, caste, education and religion. . . . She has subscribed to Shaadi.com, one of India’s two top matrimonial websites. Suddenly she was not looking at a dozen crumpled resumés but at hundreds of thousands of profiles on the site, which claims to have ten million registered users and 300 million page views per month. For a fee of 1,500 rupees (£18), she could find out more about a potential partner and start a relationship by e-mail or telephone. “The best part is that it’s not face to face,” she said. “You can get to know the guy before bringing in the families.” Sixty years after India won its independence, its society remains deeply conservative – and never more so than when it comes to marriage. In villages girls are often married off before reaching puberty. Even in cities couples generally meet once before they are engaged. . . . . .
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- How to Spot a Great Guy: The 10 essential things to look for Modern Ghana, Credit: Dr. Bethany Marshall, September 1, 2007
We all want to find a great guy. But let's face it—how many of your exes seemed fantastic at first, only for you to find out later they were Mr. Wrongs? Well, no more bad boys, mama's boys, or anything of the sort! Dr. Bethany Marshall shares her shopping list for a healthy man in this excerpt from her book, Deal Breakers. . . .When you first meet a man, whether it's online, at the grocery store, at a bar, at school, or at your job, you should feel that he wants you. . . . Soon after meeting him, you should discover that he has appropriately achieved in at least one area of his life. . . . If he's a healthy man, he will never make plans for the future that he does not intend to back up. And he will certainly not say, “I'm not sure where this relationship is going,” and then continue to call you and have sex with you.. . If you are in the right relationship, it will feel reciprocal and mutual. When you offer emotional support, is he appreciative? Does he give back by surprising you with a special little something? Or remembering your favorite drink? Do you feel that what he gives is as valuable and meaningful as what you offer?. . . . .
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RELATED ARTICLE: The Two Types of Men: Mr. Fabulous vs. Mr. Strong (Steady) Modern Ghana- AFRICA, By Bob Grant, L.P.C, August 14, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: Does Your Man Truly Value You? Modern Ghana- AFRICA, By Mimi Tanner, July 8, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: All About DATING and COURTSHIP (Chapter Two & Three) Modern Ghana- AFRICA, Credit: David C. Pack, June 21, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: All About DATING and COURTSHIP (Introduction & Chapter One) Modern Ghana- AFRICA, Credit: David C. Pack, June 17, 2007 RELATED ARTICLE: 10 Things Guys Don't Want You to Know Modern Ghana- AFRICA, Credit: AskMen.com, May 28, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: The Right Person Modern Ghana- AFRICA, Credit: Charles Ayiku, January 1, 2007
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- Parenting Issues: "Dr. 90210" -- or Dr. Crotch? Townhall.com, By Brent Bozell III, September 1, 2007
After reading this piece, you may be tempted to think that Bozell finally has lost his marbles, simply because what is presented just cannot be true. If you will trust me that everything I'm going to present you is very real, you may instead conclude it is La-La Land that has gone completely Ga-Ga. Channel-surfing with your remote, you've doubtlessly come across the E! cable network -- and clicked right past, for good reason. E! is owned jointly by Disney, Comcast and Liberty Media, making you wonder where all the adult supervision went. . . . . The other day the audience -- do not lose sight of the fact that this show is deemed by E! to be acceptable for eighth-graders -- was treated to an episode titled "Sexual Healing," with three procedures featured. Calahan, a woman trying to enter the male world, had her breasts amputated. (How that's defined as "sexual healing" is anyone's guess.) A man named Mike had a genital wart removed, an underwhelming procedure that lasts about two minutes, but which also allowed E! to focus on Mike's happy promiscuity. "This is no wakeup call for me! I'm still going to lead a pretty promiscuous lifestyle. I waited a long time to have success!" Then Sara came to the doctor seeking -- are you ready, all you E! channel kids? -- a labia reduction. . . . What compels anyone at this network, from the CEO to the lowliest of interns, to associate himself with this product? Just how proud of themselves are the sponsors, from Visa to Macy's to Fisher-Price, makers of babies' toys? This isn't an industry that has lost its mind. It has lost its soul. . . .
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