'MARRIAGE' NEWS- November 2007: The REAL Proposal For Marriage magazine

Celebrity: Moms Gone Wild. Pictured: Britney Spears and her mother Lynne

Parenting Issues: Celebrity: Moms Gone Wild
Sure, mothers always get blamed for everything. But—as a look at the women behind Paris, Lindsay, and Britney reveals—if your child is your meal ticket and career booster, it's hard to be the parent she needs Vanity Fair, By Judith Newman, November 2007 Issue
I'm on the phone with Lynne Spears, Britney's mother, when my five-year-old grabs a wad of cash, waves good-bye, and disappears into the elevator. "See?" says Spears as she listens to me scream at my son. "It's not so easy, is it? You can't even get your five-year-old to listen to you." True, my son had not yet publicly flashed his crotch, vomited in his limo, wiped up dog poop with a $6,700 Zac Posen gown, or accused me of forcing him into rehab. But her point is a good one. Mothers take a lot of hits. Some are unfair. Some are not. This year the mothers of Hollywood's wild girls—Paris, Lindsay, and Britney—have found themselves almost as much a part of the tabloid circus as the daughters themselves. . . . . Dina Lohan, frequently seen living la vida loca with her troubled daughter, has been pitching reality shows, and once told Star magazine that Lindsay's friends called her mother "the white Oprah" because they all told her about their problems. And then there is Kathy Hilton, Paris's mother. Kathy sobbed when Paris was sentenced to jail for driving with a suspended license, calling the 23-day stint "Paris-cide." When Paris was released, her mother came to pick her up, seated at the open window of an S.U.V. in full hair and makeup as the cameras flashed. Kathy Hilton appeared ready for her close-up. . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Thanks, Britney, from all bad mothers   The Times Online, By Rosie Millard, January 20, 2008
Women struggling to live up to the myth of the perfect mother should bury their angst and just be grateful that others fail far more spectacularly.
RELATED ARTICLE: The Bad-Mommy Brigade New York magazine, By Ayelet Waldman, January 13, 2008
Britney goes to the psych ward, and mothers everywhere secretly rejoice. Why we love to hate the ultimate bogeymama.

RELATED ARTICLE: Teaching Spiritual Values AOL Black Voices- Streaming Faith.com, By Dr. Kevin B. Lee, June 26, 2007

RELATED ARTICLE: "Mom, It's Not Right"   Huffington Post, By Jamie Lee Curtis, June 10, 2007

RELATED ARTICLE: If My Parents had Raised Paris Hilton National Ledger, By Alan Burkhart, May 11, 2007

RELATED ARTICLE: Bette Midler slams 'wild and woolly slut' Britney The Daily Mail- UK, December 7, 2006

RELATED ARTICLE: I (don't) want to be a Hilton   Townhall.com, By Kathleen Parker, June 1, 2005

Gay nuptials could bring tax gain to Md.
Study says marriage would net the state $3.2 million a year Baltimore Sun, By Kelly Brewington, November 29, 2007
A booming wedding industry could swell Maryland's budget by millions if gays were permitted to wed, according to a university report released yesterday. The study, by UCLA School of Law's Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation Law and Public Policy, estimates that spending on gay nuptials could top $280 million the first three years, generating $14 million in tax revenue during that time. While the state would see some reductions in other tax revenue, including income, transfer and inheritance taxes, the study concludes that extending marriage benefits to gays could result in a net gain of $3.2 million a year. "The discussion on same-sex marriage is often about rights and benefits," said Lee Badgett, research director at the Williams Institute and director of the Center for Public Policy and Administration at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. "What we wanted to add to this was that marriage is not only about rights and benefits, it's about obligations and responsibilities. This is a way of seeing how those two sides have budgetary impact." Paired with a census snapshot of Maryland's gay population, the report offers an economic prism through which to view the contentious same-sex marriage debate, a battle often waged on religious and social grounds. Both sides of the debate are preparing for a battle in the General Assembly starting in January. In September, Maryland's highest court upheld the state law defining marriage as between a man and woman. Several lawmakers plan to push legislation to legalize same-sex marriage, while [opponents] pledge to back a proposal to ban it in the state's constitution. The Williams Institute report not only makes a fiscal argument for extending marriage rights to Maryland's growing number of same-sex couples. It also assumes state lawmakers will permit out-of-state residents to marry here. The study estimates that half of Maryland's 15,600 same-sex couples would marry, and that many more would flock here to tie the knot, tourism dollars in hand. . .

Study: Gay nuptials could bring tax gain to Maryland

Anti-Gay Marriage Activists Go All Out in NJ EDGE Boston, By Kilian Melloy, November 29, 2007
Anti-gay marriage equality opponents may have jumped the gun with a barrage of phone calls and expensive radio ads in New Jersey. Fearing that a lame duck session of the New Jersey state government could see advancement of a bill to extend marriage equality to Garden State gay and lesbian families, two anti-marriage equality groups, one called The National Organization for Marriage and one called The N. J. Family Policy Council, sprang into action with emails and advertisements, reported New Jersey newspaper The Star-Ledger today. . . . . Officials in the state government and proponents of marriage equality say that there was never any intention to bring the long-dormant marriage equality bill to the floor during the lame duck session. Indeed, given that the Jan. 8, 2008 end for the session will see new legislators sworn in, some marriage proponents say that acting now would be contrary would be contrary to the best interests of marriage equality. . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Opponents of gay marriage launch all-out N.J. campaign NewJersey.com- The Star Ledger, By Robert Schwaneberg and Josh Margolin, November 29, 2007

RELATED SITE: National Organization For Marriage (NOM)

LISTEN TO RADIO AD: Nation For Marriage

RELATED ARTICLE: Adult children speak out about same-sex parents TownHall.com, By Maggie Gallagher, July 7, 2007

RELATED ARTICLE: Collateral Damage? Children With a Gay Parent Speak Out Family.org, By Amy Tracey

DWS winner Helio Castroneves talks about his experience and fiancee Aliete. (Click for Radio Interview)

Helio Splits From Fiancée After 'DWS' Win
Follow This Lead: Castroneves and Dance Partner Kiss While Fiancee Gets the Gate ABC News, November 28, 2007
Not only is Helio Castroneves the new winner of "Dancing With the Stars" -- he's also a newly single man. Castroneves told entertainment news show "Extra" on Wednesday that he has split from his fiancée, Aliette Vazquez. There's speculation that the breakup may have been caused by a budding romance between Castroneves and his "Dancing With the Stars" partner, Julianne Hough. The two shared a kiss on Tuesday night's show. "It was the beginning of something," Castroneves told "Extra," "[but] it [the relationship] was beyond that point. It was time to let go." Earlier in the season, the racing star pushed back his engagement. If there is something brewing between Castroneves and Hough, it wouldn't be the first time "Dancing With the Stars" has sparked an on-set romance -- or an off-screen obstacle. . . . .

Pop a Bottle! Urshmeka Have Healthy Baby Boy Vibe.com, By Linda Hobbs, November 26, 2007
R&B's most hated-on couple, Usher Raymond and Tameka Foster, brought into the world a healthy 7-lb, 9-oz baby boy Monday (November 26) night. Usher Raymond V, was born at 9:59 p.m. in an Atlanta hospital. Happy dad Usher, 29, called up Atlanta's hip hop radio station V-103 to toast. "I'm officially in the club," Usher gushed to radio host Ryan Cameron. Usher, who says he helped with the delivery of his boy, met his wife Tameka Foster, 36, when she came on-board as his stylist in 2001 during the debut of his album 8701. The two reportedly bonded over their relationship woes. At the time, Tameka was in a dead-end marriage, while Usher was dropping "confessions" concerning his ongoing romance with TLC's Chili, who he dated up until the age 25. The R&B sex-symbol, whose most known professionally for turning hearts to hot lava before Justin Timberlake got his ghetto-pass and Chris Brown slid across music video screens, almost became a father before his and Chili's relationship. He got a girl pregnant, and further revealed to VIBE writer Lola Ogunnaike that he wasn't sure if the girl had an abortion or miscarriage. "I left it up to her," he said. . . . .

Pop a Bottle! Usher and Wife Tameka Have a Healthy Baby Boy

Why the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit Rejected a Man's Claim for Relief from Involuntary Fatherhood   FindLaw.com, By Joanna Grossman, November 27, 2007
The "Involuntary Father": A Biological Father's Claim that the Mother of His Child Lied Both About Being Infertile and Using Contraception Just in Case. This case arose when Matt Dubay engaged in sexual relations with his girlfriend, and she became pregnant just three months into their relationship. Dubay only learned of the pregnancy after they had already broken up. After their daughter was born, a Saginaw County, Michigan prosecutor brought a paternity action against Dubay. The Michigan Paternity Act establishes the duty of unmarried parents to support their children, and empowers courts to enter paternity and child support orders once paternity has been adjudicated or admitted. Once Dubay's paternity was established, he was ordered (as any parent would be) to pay $500 per month in child support. (Under the Michigan Act, all "legal" parents owe their children a duty of support.) Represented by the National Center for Men, an advocacy group with the stated mission to "educat[e] the public about how men are hurt by sex discrimination," Dubay sued the prosecutor. In his suit, he alleged that the application of the Michigan Paternity Act to the facts of his case violated his rights against sex discrimination, as guaranteed by the Michigan and U.S. Constitutions. Dubay claimed that he should not be deemed the baby's father because he had relied on what he alleged were his girlfriend's false assurances that she was unable to get pregnant, due to a medical condition and that she was using birth control, just in case. He also claims that he told her explicitly, before they began a sexual relationship, that he was not interested in becoming a father. Legally speaking, the crux of his claim is that he was deprived of the opportunity to avoid parenthood both by his girlfriend's alleged misrepresentations and by the legal fact that men have no say over whether a pregnancy is carried to term. . .

SEE RELATED DOCUMENTS:   Dubay v. Wells.

RELATED ARTICLE: Court rejects 'Roe v. Wade for Men' suit   USA Today, November 6, 2007

RELATED ARTICLE: Dads: No cash for unwanted children- In lawsuit, activists argue if women have right to decide fate of fetus, fathers can decline financial role The Detroit News- David Shepardson and Eric Lacy, Mar 9, 2006

New Data Shows Men Are Giving Up Too Soon On Impotence Pill

Health Issues: New Data Shows Men Are Giving Up Too Soon On Impotence Pill Response Source-Press Release, November 26, 2007
A third of men with erectile dysfunction (ED), who are unable to perform after their first tablet, are giving up on sex, according to research presented at the 10th Congress of the European Society of Sexual Medicine. Dr David Edwards, a research author and Oxfordshire GP commented: “We know that oral treatments usually work well for men with ED, except in the most severe cases. However this research has shown that 1 in 3 men with ED are not able to have satisfactory sex the first time they take a tablet and consequently a third of them do not return to their doctor. These men could still be successfully treated by simply switching to a different tablet or increasing the dose. This study shows just how important success with the first tablet is for some patients.” PDE5 inhibitors, such as Levitra, Cialis and Viagra, have revolutionised the treatment of men with erection problems and are now widely prescribed as a first option for treatment. The finding that 1 in 3 men do not return to the surgery after a failed first attempt is a concern for doctors. ED can be a signal that a man might be developing conditions such as diabetes or cardiovascular disease, so it is important that men with ED visit their doctor regularly. . . . . Men in the study ranked ‘high success rate with first tablet’ alongside “works quickly” as the most desirable attributes that a treatment can have. Other desirable qualities included having few side effects. Authors concluded that patient desired attributes should be discussed and taken into consideration when a treatment is prescribed. . . . .

Taking Marriage Private   New York Times, By Stephanie Coontz, November 26, 2007
Why do people — gay or straight — need the state’s permission to marry? For most of Western history, they didn’t, because marriage was a private contract between two families. The parents’ agreement to the match, not the approval of church or state, was what confirmed its validity. For 16 centuries, Christianity also defined the validity of a marriage on the basis of a couple’s wishes. If two people claimed they had exchanged marital vows — even out alone by the haystack — the Catholic Church accepted that they were validly married. Not until the 16th century did European states begin to require that marriages be performed under legal auspices. In part, this was an attempt to prevent unions between young adults whose parents opposed their match. . . . . . Perhaps it’s time to revert to a much older marital tradition. Let churches decide which marriages they deem “licit.” But let couples — gay or straight — decide if they want the legal protections and obligations of a committed relationship. . . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Marriage, by God or Government? New York Times- Letters to the Editor, December 2, 2007

RELATED ARTICLE: The Future of Marriage TownHall.com, By Maggie Gallagher, March 21, 2007

RELATED ARTICLE: Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Marriage* But Were Afraid to Ask Stephanie Coontz National Review Online, By Maggie Gallagher, February 23, 2006

RELATED ARTICLE: God's Design for Marriage: Find the key to making your marriage flourish — just as God designed   Family.org, By Carol Heffernan

RELATED ARTICLE: The Covenant Marriage: How serious are marriage vows? If they are anything like an Old Testament covenant, they're very serious   Family.org, By Al Janssen

Wedded blitz
In Hollywood, marriage is so, like, whatever. But Australians are also nixing the knot Sydney Morning Herald, November 26, 2007
When the words "till death do us part" are flimsier than one of Paris Hilton's bathing suits and celebrities change spouses with greater frequency than their designer shoes, it's no wonder we've become wary of tying the knot. And nowhere is the worldwide reluctance to wed more evident than Hollywood, where the liberated are leading the way. "Hollywood women no longer seem to worry about what people think of them," explains psychologist Dr Janet Hall. "These days they don't feel that have to get married to please their parents. They also don't want to be like everyone else and have a divorce. "As long as the couple is compatible and share the same goals, it's not the recipe for disaster as many would believe it to be." Time magazine concurred, posing the question "Who Needs A Husband?" on its July 2007 cover, while The Pussycat Dolls' go-girl anthem titled I Don't Need A Man claims that modern women "don't need a ring around my finger" and "can get off when you ain't around, oh!" Charlize Theron is one such femme. . . . .Traditionally, of course, it's not just the women who shy away from commitment but the gents who put their noses in the air at the thought of settling down, preferring to gallivant about town rather than taking a wife. Also known as the man about town, scorned women call him a lady-killer. As cute as he may be, this guy breaks hearts, dirties the sheets and never keeps his promises. Sound attractive? Heck, no. Yet perhaps Oscar Wilde's theory as to why an increasing number of women are putting their trust into one such man rings true: "By persistently remaining single, a man converts himself into a permanent public temptation.". . . .

Modern love: More and more singles like Charlize Theron refuse to tie the knot

RELATED ARTICLE: Who Needs a Husband? Time magazine, By Tamala M. Edwards, July 5, 2007

RELATED ARTICLE:  Marital vows mean commitment no matter what   Scripps Howard News Service, By Betsy Hart December 14, 2006

RELATED ARTICLE: How to Stay Married As Published in The Times of London, By Stephanie Coontz, November 30, 2006

RELATED ARTICLE: Marriage problem? Yes, but it's not same-sex unions The Hook, By John W. Whitehead (Rutherford Institute), June 22, 2006

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

RELATED ARTICLE: Top 10 Marriage Myths   Discovery Health, By David Popenoe, the National Marriage Project at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, N.J.

RELATED ARTICLE: What Does the Bible Say About Marriage?   About.com, By Mary Fairchild

RELATED ARTICLE: What Does the Bible Say About Divorce and Remarriage?   About.com, By Mary Fairchild

Luciano Pavarotti and wife Nicoletta Mantovani on their wedding day, December 13, 2004

Widow sues Pavarotti's friends for $50m The Sydney Morning Herald- Austrailia, November 27, 2007
The widow of opera star Luciano Pavarotti has sued two friends of the late tenor for 30 million euro ($50 million), claiming their comments about her marriage were defamatory, her lawyer said. Nicoletta Mantovani filed the lawsuit last month after warning that speculation about the state of her marriage to Pavarotti would not be tolerated, her lawyer said. Pavarotti died on September 6 of pancreatic cancer at age 71. Soon after, friends close to the tenor told Italian media he had been unhappy in the marriage, and Mantovani was fighting his grown daughters from an earlier marriage over his estate. "Since the comments did not cease - and were, in fact, reiterated - Mantovani had no choice but to file the lawsuit," lawyer Anna Maria Bernini said, confirming weekend reports in the small daily L'Informazione, based in Pavarotti's hometown of Modena. "She is doing it to protect her sense of respectability - privately for the sake of her daughter and the memory of the maestro, publicly for her image and any future professional activity," Bernini said. . . . .

Macca's dating Heather double News of the World- UK, By James Desborough, November 25, 2007
Sir Paul McCartney is secretly dating Hollywood babe Rosanna Arquette—the virtual DOUBLE of his estranged wife Heather Mills. Macca, 65, enjoyed a romantic stroll with the blonde Pulp Fiction beauty this week. And they shared a loving cuddle in the street as Paul tenderly kissed Rosanna goodbye after their day out. Our photo is sure to shock Macca's other love interest, multi-millionairess Nancy Shevell, who enjoyed a similar intimate date with him three weeks ago. Nancy was recovering from a bout of illness at her US home, unaware of Macca's date—and celebrated her 48th birthday without him by her side. . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Paul McCartney Steps Out with Rosanna Arquette People magazine, By Kate Stroup and Pete Norman, November 26, 2007

RELATED ARTICLE: Paul's New N.Y. Honey Pie Spent Romantic Weekend in Hamptons with Rich MTA-Board Gal Pal NY Post, By Todd Venezia, Jeremy Olshan, and Bill Hoffman, November 7, 2007

Linda Hogan files for divorce from Hulk Reality TV World- AP, November 24, 2007
Linda Hogan has filed for divorce from her wrestler husband Hulk Hogan, a newspaper reported Friday. Hulk Hogan, whose real name is Terry Bollea, told the St. Petersburg Times that he had no idea his wife had filed for divorce. He was informed by a reporter that Pinellas County court records showed that the paperwork was submitted Tuesday. "Thank you for the great information," he told the reporter. Family spokesman Adam Handelsman referred calls to another spokesman, who did not immediately respond Friday night. "My wife has been in California for about three weeks. ... Holy smokes," Bollea later told the newspaper. "Wow, you just knocked the bottom out of me." The couple star in the VH1 reality TV series "Hogan Knows Best," with their two children. Recent episodes show the normally close couple attending marital counseling, but they eventually reconcile. . . .

Matchmaker Aneela Rahman claims to be living proof that arranged marriages do work

Arrange Me A Marriage - new BBC TWO series My Park magazine, November 22, 2007
Matchmaker Aneela Rahman gets to grips with Britain's legions of unmarried 30-somethings and aims to find them a partner using the principles of a modern Asian arranged marriage, in this new, five-part series. Aneela – a bold, no-nonsense, Glasgow-born Asian woman in her thirties – is living proof that arranged marriages work. She's been married to husband Maqsood for around 15 years and has two children. Throughout the series, Aneela aims to share the secrets of her success and get an inexplicably unmarried – but desperate-to-be-married – Brit to the altar. She believes the key to successfully finding a life partner is through the principles of a modern arranged marriage in which compatibility is crucial. Only by matching up class, education, family background, life goals and earnings will it succeed. . . . .

Fulfilling relationships: The truth about middle-age sex The Daily Mail- UK, By Rosie Boycott, November 21, 2007
Earlier this summer, an elderly friend of my husband's came to tea. I get on very well with Andrew, and over the years we've become close friends. He's usually very solicitous as to how I am and how my life is going, but on this occasion he seemed both distracted and in particularly good humour. We were sitting at my kitchen table when he suddenly leaned across and said: "I have to tell you that I've fallen in love." Single friends of mine - I'm in my 50s - are always falling in love, but what was startling about this revelation was that Andrew is in his mid-80s and the woman he'd fallen for had just turned 80, too. Furthermore, she wasn't single. They'd met a few months previously at a party. Andrew's own wife has been dead for many years and he'd been living a single life ever since. In a heartbeat that had all changed. Now, they were meeting for afternoon trysts in hotels and phoning each other every evening. Their sex life, he assured me, was fantastic. Though Andrew is still a very good-looking man, I have to confess to feeling more than a little shocked as the story tumbled out. Was it the right thing to be doing - to sleep with someone in your 80s? Weren't you meant to have hung up your spurs, and be more worried about care home costs and Zimmer frames than hotel rooms and sexy undies? Well, no. The answer according to Andrew was quite different. . . .

Spain: Woman killed after rejecting TV marriage proposal The Guardian- UK, By Paul Hamilos in Madrid, November 22, 2007
A man has been arrested on suspicion of the murder of his former girlfriend just five days after she rejected his marriage proposal on a daytime television show. Ricardo Antonio Navaro, 30, of Alicante, was arrested after Svetlana Orlova died on Monday from stab wounds to the neck. Navaro had a history of domestic violence against Orlova and a former partner. . . . . Orlova had been invited on the Patricia's Diary show, which is watched by around two million viewers, unaware that her former boyfriend would be appearing in an attempt at reconciliation. Going down on one knee, he presented her with a ring, saying: "I want you to marry me, you are everything to me." Looking uncomfortable, she said no. A spokesman for the programme said yesterday that there was no connection between the public rejection and the victim's subsequent murder. "At the time it appeared very romantic. We believed they had split up for financial reasons. He wasn't violent or tense, and neither was she," he said. "The law protects people's privacy and does not allow us to investigate their backgrounds. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Rejection turns to 'murder' after TV proposal snub Sydney Morning Herald, November 22, 2007

'The Bachelor's' Brad Womack's Choice? Nobody! (Click for Video)

‘The Bachelor’s’ choice? Nobody!
Womack takes his walk instead of becoming another strikeout victim MSNBC.com, By Mary Beth Ellis, November 20, 2007
At the start of this journey, we grew to truly care about Brad Womack, The Bachelor, who owned four bars and was amazing and incredible, as well as professional dance team smiler Jenni, who was, Brad reminded us repeatedly, “happy.” Then there was bartender DeAnna, also amazing and incredible, and together the three of them came to have intense feelings and hearts opening and BLAAARRRRGH. Sounds like just another season of “The Bachelor” here in FliessWorld: A forced proposal followed by bets across America as to the timing of the inevitable “we’ve decided to choose different paths” press release. But wait! What if “The Bachelor,” after an entire season of “he chooses his bride” hyping, doesn’t choose anyone? For once, a bachelor gave “The Bachelor” a great big one-finger salute — and it wasn’t by slipping a big old diamond on the left hand of a tooth-whitened real estate agent from Tampa. Brad didn’t issue a proposal, or a promise ring, or even an “I love you — I’m just not in love with you.” He rejected both finalists. . . . . . .It speaks well of Brad that he ripped off both Band-Aids while standing atop a kingly stone podium with precedent pushing him to at least temporarily anoint one woman. Unlike the premise that a man could make a lifelong commitment to one woman while presumably being in love — or, at least, fantasy-suite like — with another, Brad was fully and completely honest about his BS. . .

RELATED VIDEO: After The Final Rose ABC.com- The Bachelor

Husband, Arnim Ramdass, Wins $600,000 In Lottery, Keeps It Secret From His Wife, Donna Campbell. (Click For Video)

Husband Wins $600,000 In Lottery, Keeps It Secret From His Wife WCSH6.com, November 20, 2007
MIAMI, FL (NBC) -- A woman whose husband has kept about $600,000 in lottery winnings from her says she has a number for him: half. And Donna Campbell is suing her husband in her attempt to get it. But American Airlines mechanic Arnim Ramdass disappeared after his wife confronted him about the secret, so process servers haven't been able to hand him the lawsuit papers yet, Campbell's attorney said. "Here's a guy who for years has spent marital money on the lottery and at casinos, and he's always lost," Bruce Baldwin said. "And now he finally wins, and he's trying to keep it from his wife. That's pretty low." Campbell, Ramdass' wife since 2005 and girlfriend for five years before that, said she suspected he was hiding something when he disconnected their phone and kept their television off. A postcard offering congratulations on a new house purchase was her final clue. . . . .

Making decisions in marriage Courier Mail- Austrailia, By Elizabeth Brown, November 19, 2007
On the third day of our honeymoon, I knew I was in trouble. I should have seen it coming the minute we climbed into our little Renault Elf after landing at Brussels Airport. My husband went straight for the driver's seat. I tossed my bag into the boot and sat on the passenger's side. We kissed and buzzed off to find Belgian waffles. We were young lovers on the two-week honeymoon of a lifetime. Day 2: Rural Belgium. Fields of crops soared past the Elf's windows. So did the cutest little sidewalk cafes and bakeries that probably had warm chocolate croissants. I was hungry. "We'll stop and get some bread," he promised. I trusted him. Then another bakery passed by - and another. "We'll stop in the next town," he offered. I felt stuck in my seat. But he was happy. "We're making good time," he said, beaming, as we passed a horse pulling a cart. We crossed into France. Sunflower fields stretched for kilometres, bright yellow faces turning to smile at us. Wouldn't it be nice to stop and take a picture? "Oh, there will be plenty of places to take pictures," he said. "Let's keep going.". . . . .

Parenting Issues: Parents of MySpace hoax victim seek justice
‘No apologies’ over teen who hanged herself over failed romance, kin say MSNBC.com- Today Show, By Mike Celizic, November 19, 2007
The parents of a 13-year-old Missouri girl who hanged herself after a failed MySpace romance — later uncovered as a hoax — say they have yet to receive an apology from the family they blame for their daughter’s death. They’ve absolutely offered no apologies,” Ron Meier told TODAY co-host Matt Lauer on Monday. “They sent us a letter in the mail, basically saying that they might feel a little bit of responsibility, but they don’t feel no guilt or remorse or anything for what they did.” Rather, said Tina Meier, the people are upset with her for going public with their story. Last week, while shopping, she ran into the woman who invented the hoax, Tina Meier said. “She asked me to stop doing all of this,” she told Lauer. “I told her that we would not stop, that we were going to continue for justice for Megan because we knew what they did.” The Meiers’ daughter, Megan, hanged herself Oct. 16, 2006. The Meiers have not named the people because they do not want to identify their teenage daughter, who had once been a friend of Megan’s. After the two girls had a falling out, the mother invented a 16-year-old boy, “Josh Evans,” created a MySpace account for him, and made Megan believe he was new in town and thought she was cool. . . . . For a year, the Meiers kept quiet at the request of both the FBI and local law enforcement officials while they investigated the incident. Ultimately, investigators told the Meiers that while the hoax was cruel, it was not criminal. . . .

Teenage Megan Meier killed herself after being the victim of a cruel Internet hoax. (Click for Video)

Senior pastor of Cathedral at Chapel Hil D.E. Paulk has found out through DNA tests that Bishop Earl Paulk, his uncle and the church's founder who has been plagued with sexual lawsuits, is actually his biological father

Megachurch leader in mega-sized sex scandal
80-year-old Georgia man slept with brother’s wife, fathered her child MSNBC.com- AP, November 19, 2007
DECATUR, Ga. - The 80-year-old leader of a suburban Atlanta megachurch is at the center of a sex scandal of biblical dimensions: He slept with his brother's wife and fathered a child by her. Members of Archbishop Earl Paulk's family stood at the pulpit of the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit at Chapel Hill Harvester Church a few Sundays ago and revealed the secret exposed by a recent court-ordered paternity test. In truth, this is not the first — or even the second — sex scandal to engulf Paulk and the independent, charismatic church. But this time, he could be in trouble with the law for lying under oath about the affair. The living proof of that lie is 34-year-old D.E. Paulk, who for years was known publicly as Earl Paulk's nephew. "I am so very sorry for the collateral damage it's caused our family and the families hurt by the removing of the veil that hid our humanity and our sinfulness," said D.E. Paulk, who received the mantle of head pastor a year and a half ago. . . . . . The archbishop, his brother and the church are being sued by former church employee Mona Brewer, who says Earl Paulk manipulated her into an affair from 1989 to 2003 by telling her it was her only path to salvation. Earl Paulk admitted to the affair in front of the church last January. In a 2006 deposition stemming from the lawsuit, the archbishop said under oath that the only woman he had ever had sex with outside of his marriage was Brewer. But the paternity test said otherwise. . . . .

Queen celebrates diamond wedding
The Queen and Prince Philip have celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary with a service which featured a reading from Prince William BBC News, November 19, 2007
Prayers were said and the Archbishop of Canterbury asked the couple, in a blessing, to "renew in your hearts promises you made to one another". More than 30 family members were among 2,000 people at Westminster Abbey. Other guests included five choristers from the 1947 service, as well as 10 couples who married on the same day. The service was also watched by Prime Minister Gordon Brown as well as his predecessors John Major and Baroness Thatcher. The Queen is the first British monarch to reach a diamond wedding anniversary. . . . The couple's actual 60th wedding anniversary is on Tuesday when they will travel to Malta where they lived as a young married couple from 1949 to 1951, while Prince Philip was stationed there as a serving Royal Naval officer. . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Prince Andrew's big regret: I let my parents down with my failed marriage The Daily Mail- UK, By Rebecca English, November 15, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: Duchess of York: 'Love blinded me to pressures of being a royal' The Daily Mail- UK, November 15, 2007

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Dying to Date TownHall.com, By Kathleen Parker, November 16, 2007
-- If you're younger than 30 or maybe even 35, you may not recognize the word "date" as a verb. But once upon a time, dating was something men and women did as a prelude to marriage, which -- hold on to your britches -- was a prelude to sex. By now everyone's heard of the hook-up culture prevalent on college campuses and, increasingly, in high schools and even middle schools. Kids don't date; they just do it (or something close to "it," an activity that a recent president asserted was not actual sex), and then figure out what comes next. If anything. As one young woman explained "hooking up" to Washington Post writer Laura Sessions Stepp (author of the book "Unhooked"): "First you give a guy oral sex and then you decide if you like him." This conversation took place in the family room of the girl's home. Immediately after that definition was served, the mother offered Stepp a homemade cookie. And we thought cluelessness was for teenagers. . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: AIDS: The Questions They Won’t Ask TownHall.com, By Robert Knight, November 30, 2007

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MOVIE REVIEW: The Beauty of Bella TownHall.com, By Rebecca Hagelin, November 15, 2007
Rarely am I so taken by the beauty and power of a movie that I want everyone I know to see it. “Bella” is a film you must see. The story (I won’t reveal too much, because I don’t want to spoil it for you) concerns a young soccer star whose career is abruptly cut short. He winds up working in his brother’s restaurant in New York City, where he befriends a struggling waitress. The story is rich in messages of redemption, friendship, sacrifice and hope. No wonder the Hollywood crowd is beginning to cut it to shreds. “Bella” isn’t for the little ones. It deals with mature themes (and is rated PG-13) revolving around a fatal car accident, an out-of-wedlock pregnancy, and the subjects of abortion and adoption. But in a refreshing break from the status quo, “Bella” handles these topics in a moral and uplifting way. The film is full of all the right messages about the character qualities that everyone should applaud -- honesty, devotion, family commitment, courage. It’s a masterpiece of cinematography, writing and acting. Director Alejandro Monteverde, and the outstanding actors Eduardo Verastegui and Tammy Blanchard, deliver the “feel good” movie of the year. . . . .

RELATED INFO: Find a Theater Near You

RELATED SITE: Bella-The Movie

MOVIE REVIEW: The Golden Compass Has no Moral Compass TownHall.com, By Matt Barber, November 15, 2007
With its fantasy world backdrop, sympathetic talking animals and extravagant battle scenes, the new movie, The Golden Compass, may resemble C.S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia. But parents be advised, this film — which is very intentionally being marketed toward children — is nothing of the sort. The Golden Compass was created with the benefit of a multimillion dollar budget and big name actors such as Nicole Kidman, Kevin Bacon, and Sam Elliot. It opens December 7, and promises to be action-packed and visually stunning in the epic tradition of Narnia or The Lord of the Rings. But upon closer review, it becomes abundantly clear that both this movie and the man behind it have a very certain anti-Christian axe to grind. . . . . . . Psalm 14:1 tells us, “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.” With The Golden Compass, Phillip Pullman shares his heart with us — a heart that says, “There is no God.” And he clearly wants to influence your child’s heart as well. This movie’s creation — or chance materialization, take your pick — has a specific agenda. It is clearly targeted toward unsuspecting children with the furtive goal of enlisting the next generation of “fools.”. . . . .

RELATED SITE: The Golden Compass

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Parenting Issues: Must-Flee TV TownHall.com, By Cal Thomas, November 15, 2007
There are events in most of our lives that offer opportunities for us to change our ways. The strike by television writers affords one such opportunity. By its very nature, television is mostly illusion. During the golden age of television (that would be the ’50s and ’60s), real audiences laughed (or didn’t laugh) at comedy shows, which were mostly live. If you weren’t funny, you didn’t get laughs. But most shows were genuinely funny and devoid of bad language. The FCC had more influence then and there were only three television networks. Today, a laugh track laughs for you, whether or not anything is funny and most “comedy” is full of sexual innuendo. On cable, there is no innuendo. The f-word is used like a bludgeon. . . .Television was once viewed as a welcome guest in the home. Programmers were to behave as any guest, not soiling the carpet or breaking furniture, controlling their children and demonstrating sensibilities that would not offend their hosts. No more. Today’s television programs behave like uninvited guests who stay too long, eat all the food, drink too much and throw up on the new rug. Most people could live without TV if they tried. The Writers Guild strike gives them that chance. Take a walk with your daughter. Have a conversation with your wife, your husband. Eat dinner together as a family without the distraction of the television set. Read a book and immerse yourself in fictional characters or real history. Instead of being spoon-fed irrelevancies and meaningless chatter, exercise your mind. . . .

SPAIN: High-profile marriage split adds to Spanish royal family's woes The Independent- UK, By Elizabeth Nashin, November 15, 2007
Princess Elena, the eldest daughter of Spain's King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia, is to separate from her husband, in the first case of marital breakdown the immediate Spanish royal family has experienced. After 12 years of marriage, the princess, fourth in line to the throne, is leaving the home she shared with Jaime de Marichalar, taking the couple's two children with her. The separation is the latest misfortune in what is becoming an annus horribilis for the Spanish royals, who had, with the exception of some minor members, avoided the domestic upheavals and embarrassing headlines associated with their British counterparts. But yesterday's front pages were awash with photographs of the couple looking glumly away from each other, as happened to the Prince and Princess of Wales before their divorce. The couple do not plan to divorce, just "a temporary cessation of conjugal living". But it has been common knowledge for months that the royal couple, who married in Seville Cathedral in 1995, have been leading separate lives for some time. . . . The couple's problems started in December 2001 when Don Jaime suffered a brain haemorrhage while training at the gym. Eighteen months later he suffered a further vascular problem. . .

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