'MARRIAGE' In The NEWS: The REAL Proposal For Marriage magazine

New star-studded Web video protests Proposition 8 Washington Post, By Jake Coyle, December 4, 2008
-- Since Proposition 8 passed in California, much of Hollywood has been up in arms. Now, they are singing and dancing, too, in a new Web video called "Prop 8: The Musical." The video was posted Wednesday on FunnyOrDie.com, the video site co-founded by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay. The site has found a niche in getting professional talent to quickly create topical comedy videos. "Prop 8: The Musical" may be a 3-minute Internet video, but it has a blockbuster cast _ including Jack Black (who plays Jesus), Neil Patrick Harris, John C. Reilly, Andy Richter, Maya Rudolph, Margaret Cho, Rashida Jones and others. . . . . The video was conceived and written by Marc Shaiman, the Tony-winning composer of "Hairspray" and "South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut." . . . . Shaiman had been involved in a more serious debate over Proposition 8. After voters approved Proposition 8, which changed the state's constitution to ban same-sex marriage, it was revealed that Scott Eckern, artistic director of the California Musical Theater in Sacramento (the state's largest nonprofit musical theater company) had donated $1,000 to the "Yes on 8" campaign. Shaiman's "Hairspray" had played at the theater and he said he would never allow anything he wrote to play there because of Eckern's donation. Others protested and Eckern resigned in November. In an interview Wednesday, Shaiman regretted that it came to Eckern losing his job and said: "It's a tragedy for everyone involved. You'll certainly see that no one called for him to resign.". . .

New star-studded web video, Proposition 8 - The Musical, protests Proposition 8 (Click for Related Video)

RELATED VIDEO: "Prop 8 - The Musical"
Starring Jack Black, John C. Reilly, and many more... : A star-studded cast turns out for Marc Shaiman's "Prop 8 - The Musical." FunnyOrDie.com

RELATED BLOG: Just A Quick Note To Jack Black About Prop 8 -The Musical KXNet.com- Say Anything Blog, December 4, 2008
Dear Jack, May I call you Jack? I mean, you seem like an amiable guy. I have some questions about your new little video slamming Mormon supporters of Proposition 8: I’m assuming that this is the first of a series of mocking videos and I was wondering when we could expect the next installments and which group that supported the measure would be slammed in it. Will the next installment slam the black community, which overwhelmingly voted against gay marriage? Or the Latino community, which did also? Oh, and I’m eagerly waiting for a future installment in which you take the Muslim community - who really, really hate gays - to task. You and your fellow Hollywood types have shown us how courageous you can be by tackling that the radical Mormons. But - they weren’t the only ones who didn’t support gay marriage. Show us how brave you are by addressing the above groups as well. I know you won’t let us down. Go get ‘em, Jack. I’ll be holding my breath in anticipation of your courage in this matter.

RELATED ARTICLE: Jack Black, Jesus, and Prop 8 Townhall.com, By Frank Pastore, December 4, 2008
The point of the production is to shame the voting public for passing Proposition 8 a month ago, which simply defined marriage in California as between a man and a woman. The musical is clearly intended to spark more “public outrage.” No doubt, more protests, more storming of Mormon temples and Catholic churches and more vandalism against churches will follow. Beyond that, it is likely that more church services will be crashed by same-sex activists—all in the name of “tolerance,” “love,” and “mutual understanding.” The strategy behind this shaming-of-the-public production is simple: lampoon the supporters of the constitutional amendment into embarrassment so that the next time same-sex marriage shows up on the ballot, they’ll do the “loving thing,” and support it rather than reject it, which is the only one true path to social penance, cultural redemption and liberal forgiveness—at least in the mind of the same-sex marriage crowd. What’s new about all this is their overt play, albeit erroneously, of the Jesus card. Yes, even the “No on 8” crowd can “get religion.”. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: The New Hollywood Blacklist Townhall.com, By Brent Bozell III, December 5, 2008
Hollywood can still mount a soapbox and recall the dark days when people lost their jobs in show business for daring to take an unpopular political position that was outside the mainstream. Whenever they're criticized, they proclaim, "McCarthyism," accuse their critics of "blacklisting," and condemn the deplorable "intolerance." Hollywood has yet to accept, perhaps even to understand, that it is the entertainment industry that excels at this slanderous behavior. . . It wasn't enough for Marc Shaiman to get Eckern fired. Next, he made a star-studded satirical video (appearing on the comedy website Funny Or Die) mocking opponents of Prop 8, casting the comedian Jack Black as Jesus Christ, who trashed the Bible as hopelessly out of date. It is more of the anti-religious bigotry for which this industry, supposedly so devoted to "tolerance," has become famous. . .

It's time to speak out against the 'Mormon Boycott'

It's Time to Speak Out Against The 'Mormon Boycott' AmericanThinker.com, By William A. Jacobson, December 4, 2008
Supporters of gay marriage have reacted with anger at the passage of California Proposition 8, which amended the California state constitution to provide that only marriages that fit the traditional definition (one man, one woman) will be recognized. The resulting protest movement has devolved into anti-Mormon bigotry which has been met with silence by liberal civil rights groups. The anti-Mormon fervor has become so nasty, and is growing at such a pace, that it is time to speak out against the "Mormon boycott.". . . . .The use of boycotts in support of gay marriage, including by some law professors, preceded the passage of Prop. 8. These boycotts, which aim at suppressing political speech, are distinct from the boycotts of the black civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s. The civil rights boycotts sought not to suppress speech, but to provide access to goods and services by targeting those people withholding the goods and services. . . . The irony of singling out a religious group which has itself been the victim of discrimination appears lost on anti-Prop. 8 boycott groups. The anti-Prop. 8 boycott efforts have not been limited to Mormons, but Mormons have been the primary focus of public vitriol and at the center of the boycott movement. The evidence is mounting daily that the "Mormon boycott" efforts of pro-gay marriage groups have gone too far, and have devolved into anti-Mormon hate speech. While the web is filled with hate speech by fringe elements directed at many groups, the anti-Mormon efforts are openly embraced and promoted by a wide range of anti-Prop. 8 groups. Anti-Mormon hate speech no longer is on the fringe, it is at the heart of the post-election anti-Prop. 8 campaign. The examples are too numerous to list completely. This sampling reflects the breadth and increasing scope of post-election anti-Mormon activities:. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: LDS Church Investigated by State for Defending True Marriage: The implications of this complaint should be a cause for serious concern to all those who are dedicated to the defense of true marriage. Catholic Online, By Deacon Keith Fournier, November 26, 2008

RELATED ARTICLE: Political bullying works Jewish World Review, By Cal Thomas, April 5, 2001
Gay rights groups are experienced intimidators. Add to that the effective infiltration of the media, academia, religion and psychiatry by gay rights activists and their sympathizers and you see how this issue has been turned around in a single generation.

RELATED SITE: Above the Hate
Please sign the petition below to join us as we stand together to say "Enough!" to the campaign of hate and intimidation being waged against the LDS Church and other supporters of California's Proposition 8. Now is the time to stand together to protect the rights of minority religious communities to participate in the political process without fear of violence, intimidation, or vandalism.

RELATED ARTICLE: Above the Hate Townhall.com, By Maggie Gallagher, November 25, 2008
Judging from their unwillingless to speak out, leaders of the gay marriage movement (including powerful politicians like Mayor Newsom) apparently believe that the new politics of payback works for them. Something new and very ugly has entered American politics. Right now, the politics of hate may be centered on marriage, but if these tactics are permitted to work uncriticized, I promise you one thing: They won't end there.

RELATED ARTICLE: California's Epic Battle for Marriage and Religious LIberty Townhall.com, By Maggie Gallagher, May 21, 2008
There are religious liberty defenses under the U.S. Constitution for youth ministers, but not for Christian schools, physicians, social workers, teachers, attorneys, psychiatrists, counselors or tax-exempt charities. The First Amendment will not protect us if our own governments (through the courts) decide that, for example, my Catholic faith is in itself a form of bigotry. If gay rights advocates don't really mean this to happen, why don't they stop asking courts to rule in this way?. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Why We’re Losing Our Right to Speak Out Townhall.com, By Chuck Colson, May 1, 2008
David Woodward is a political science professor at Clemson University—one who has first-hand experience on how dangerous it can be to speak out in favor of traditional values: He almost lost his job over it. In 1993, Woodward was asked to testify about the political power of homosexual groups in American life. . . . . .To publicly oppose the campaign for same-sex “marriage” and gay rights was, he writes, “the equivalent to being sent to the university Gulag.” He was denied an administrative position on the grounds that he was “ideologically incompatible” with the values of the university. He often found the word homophobe scribbled on his office door. The press viciously attacked him for his views. But in private, Woodward was hearing a different message. People would call to whisper encouragement. So did parents and university staffers. Some students came into his office, carefully closed the door, and whispered their support. “The one thing they all had in common is that they were all scared, and they all spoke in whispers,” Woodward writes. Homosexuality is not the only issue Americans can no longer speak freely about. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Same-Sex “Marriage,” “Hate Crimes,” and the New Totalitarianism LifeSite Special Report, By Michael D. O’Brien, February 28, 2005
Is it so far-fetched to consider the possibility that we are in a downward slide toward totalitarianism? Few people would go so far as to maintain that we are living in the early phase of an Orwellian 1984 or alternatively a softer form of totalitarian government such as Huxley’s Brave New World, yet the elements of State-enforced social reconstruction are now in operation. We should also consider the fact that in just over one generation we have been shifted from a society in which homosexual acts were a crime under the then existing law, to a society in which homosexual acts have become a government-protected and fostered activity, while voicing criticism of it “publicly” has become the crime. Call it by any name you like, but this is Thought Crime. As Orwell predicted, we have arrived at a situation in which “some of us are more equal than others.” . . .

Will there be a first mother-in-law in the White House? (Click for Related Video)

An In-Law in the White House? AOL News- America in Transition, By Greg Toppo, USA Today, December 4, 2008
— As they stare down their big move to the White House on Jan. 20, Michelle and Barack Obama face a sea of important decisions: Which church to attend? Anyone know a good organic chef? Standard poodle or goldendoodle? Historians also are hanging on another question: mother-in-law or no mother-in-law? The family says they expect Michelle Obama's mother, Marian Robinson, to leave her native Chicago early next year and move to Washington to help care for their two young daughters — a job she held throughout the presidential campaign. "If somebody's going to be with these kids other than their parents, it better be me," she told The Boston Globe. It isn't clear whether Robinson will move into the White House; neither she nor Michelle Obama would comment. If she does take up residence with the first family, they'll doubtless face a fair share of ribbing from late-night comedians. A sample so far: From Jay Leno: "Barack Obama's mother-in-law might be moving into the White House with him. See, Joe Biden was right: Hostile forces will test him in the first few months.". . . . . But in the end, says Cambridge University psychologist Terri Apter, the multigenerational Obamas could help make extended families visible again. "It seems unusual for Michelle Obama's mother to move in. You say, 'Oh, my goodness, this doesn't fit my idea of a family.' And yet it is highly consistent with a lot of real families. "Multigenerational families represent 3.6% of households, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's most recent survey in 2007, which is up from 2.2% in 2000. An estimated 3.6 million parents live with their grown kids, according to the Census Bureau. . . . . How bad can it get? In Italy, for example, a husband's inability to protect his wife from his mother is now grounds for divorce. Apter thinks Robinson and the Obamas have one huge advantage to getting along in the White House: At 55,000 square feet with 132 rooms, 35 of them bathrooms, the house is very, very big. "That helps, and it's already staffed.". . .

RELATED VIDEO: 60 Minutes: Obama Not Stupid, Won't Compare His Mother In Law To A New Dog YouTube.com

RELATED ARTICLE: DU research shows in-law relationships impact marital happiness University of Denver, By Kristal Griffith, November 25, 2008
With the holidays approaching, some people might be trying to figure out how to avoid their in-laws. Six years of research at the University of Denver suggests that is a bad idea. . . . Morr Serewicz says the most important thing couples can do is realize the seriousness of these relationships. In her most recent research, published in the Journal of Family Communication (2008, issue 4), she proposes a triangular theory to point out the priority in-laws have in making marriage satisfying. The theory basically states that a couple isn’t alone in a marriage — the in-laws are part of the relationship, too. It’s with that knowledge that she passes on this advice. First, the most positive impact a parent-in-law can have on their child’s marriage is to express their acceptance of the new child-in-law. . .

Heidi Montag's Mom: I Give Her Marriage to Spencer Pratt Six Months

Heidi Montag's Mom: I Give Her Marriage Six Months Us magazine, December 3, 2008
Heidi Montag's mom opens up in the new issue of Us Weekly about her "devastation" over her perceived loss of her daughter to Spencer Pratt - whom, she says, may have even drugged Montag before their surprise Mexico elopement. "He's manipulative and seems to have power over Heidi," Darlene Egelhoff, 46, told Us in an exclusive interview from her home in Crested Butte, Colorado the day after Montag, 22, blew off Thanksgiving with her family to stay with Pratt in Cabo San Lucas., the site of her Nov. 20 elopement. "I would like to see a blood test from Mexico. It wouldn’t surprise me if he had her drugged." "Spencer has tried to cut everyone out of her life," Egelhoff tells Us. "I've been honest with Heidi, and it's caused our relationship to decline. I'm more devastated about that than the marriage, because I'm confident the marriage won't work out." Egelhoff - who divorced Montag's dad when she was just 3 and admits she rushed into things too - says they used to be inseparable. "She was my Velcro, always attached to me," says Egelhoff. "I want the best for my daughter - and he's definitely not it. I think Spencer wants to possess Heidi more than marry her.". . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Heidi Montag Finds Criticism of Wedding "Extremely Disappointing" US magazine, December 4, 2008
Heidi Montag is speaking out for the first time since marrying Spencer Pratt in Mexico on Nov. 24. Her eloping has shocked many, including her mother, Darlene Egelhoff, who tells the new issue Us Weekly that Spencer may have drugged her daughter to get her to marry him. "I want to make it very clear to family, friends and fans that the decision to marry Spencer was very much mine. It was a beautiful day, and I've never been happier," Heidi tells Usmagazine.com exclusively. "For someone who wasn't even there to suggest otherwise is extremely disappointing.". . .

RELATED PHOTO ESSAY: Look back at Heidi and Spencer's cheesiest moments Us magazine

Anne Heche Is Pregnant! Us magazine, December 3, 2008
Anne Heche and her beau, actor James Tupper, are expecting their first child together, her rep tells Usmagazine.com exclusively. "They are thrilled," her rep tells Us. The two first met in 2006 on the set of their short-lived ABC drama Men In Trees while Heche was still wed to husband Coley Laffoon. "In that friendship, we kind of discovered we saw the world in a somewhat similar way," Tupper, who was also married at the time, told the Vancouver Sun last year. "I think we both made decisions that were based on the relationships we were in." Shortly after Heche announced her split from Laffoon (with whom she has a 6-year-old son, Homer), the two stepped out publicly. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Anne Heche's Ex Claims She's 'Mentally Unstable' People magazine, By Alexis Chiu, June 07, 2007
In the latest salvo in Anne Heche's bitter divorce battle, her estranged husband Coley Laffoon questions Heche's parenting skills and accuses the actress of resorting to lies to win custody of – and destroy his relationship with – their 5-year-old son Homer. According to the papers, "[Heche's] credibility should also be called into question as a result of her mental instability which was highly publicized in her [2001] autobiography entitled Call Me Crazy.". . .

Anne Heche and her beau, actor James Tupper, are expecting

RELATED ARTICLE: Anne Heche Marries, Uncovers Past: A wedding and a book promotion for Ellen DeGeneres's ex, who tells Barbara Walters that her father sexually abused her when she was a child People magazine, By Stephen M. Silverman, September 04, 2001
. . . Heche, who split with Ellen DeGeneres in August of last year [2000], reportedly met Laffoon while he was working on a documentary about DeGeneres's stand-up comedy tour. When they were together, Heche and DeGeneres were considered the country's most prominent lesbian couple. As for her memoir, Heche reveals in its pages that she spent the first 31 years of her life suffering from mental illness that she says was triggered by sexual abuse at the hands of her father. (Donald Heche was a choir director in a Baptist church who frequented gay bars at night. Heche found out about her father's double life at the age of 12, as he lay dying of AIDS.). . .

RELATED ARTICLE: The Best Research Yet: Two psychologists show that homosexuals should not be discouraged from seeking change Christianity Today, By Tim Stafford, September 13, 2007
When Stanton Jones first began to study psychology, homosexuality was a malady, listed and described in the official "diagnostic Bible," the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. In 1973, that diagnosis was dropped. Now the American Psychological Association's official website states, "The reality is that homosexuality is not an illness. It does not require treatment and is not changeable." The website warns that "conversion therapy" is poorly documented and could cause potential harm. The American Psychiatric Association's website adds, "[T]here is no published scientific evidence supporting the efficacy of 'reparative therapy' as a treatment to change one's sexual orientation. The potential risks of 'reparative therapy' are great, including depression, anxiety, and self-destructive behavior." What to make, then, of the apparently sincere personal testimonies of people claiming to be ex-gay?. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: 'Ex-Gays? A Longitudinal Study Of Religiously Mediated Change In Sexual Orientation' NARTH.com, By George A. Rekers, Ph.D.
This is clearly the best scientific study yet conducted on change of homosexual orientation and on the question as to whether attempts at such change are inherently harmful. My academic peer review found this investigation to be the most rigorous, well-designed empirical study to date on these questions. This study meets the high research standards set by the American Psychological Association that individuals be validly assessed, followed, and reported over time with a prospective, longitudinal outcome research design. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: How Might Homosexuality Develop? Putting the Pieces Together NARTH.com, By Jeffrey Satinover, M.D.
. . . For all these reasons, when as an adult he looked back on his childhood, the now-homosexual man recalls, "From the beginning I was always different. I never got along well with the boys my age and felt more comfortable around girls." This accurate memory makes his later homosexuality feel convincingly to him as though it was "preprogrammed" from the start. . .
RELATED ARTICLE (PDF): Female Homosexual Development NARTH.com
It is often claimed that sexual orientation is an innate and normal variation of sexuality and therefore immutable or unchangeable aspect of a person's core self or identity. But there is no conclusive evidence that female homosexuality is innate or solely genetic or biologically based. Most respected scientists agree that homosexuality is due to a combination of social, psychological, and biological factors. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Homosexuality: Is It Just Another Lifestyle? Exodus International, By Alan Medinger
The fact that homosexuality brings with it great suffering cannot be denied. Normally, confronting a condition or behavior that can bring such human suffering, all efforts are made at prevention and correction. With homosexuality, though, the public pressure to deny the harm, or to shift the blame to society, has all but ruled out society taking any step at prevention or change. And so the suffering goes on. . .

RELATED RESOURCE: LIBRARY: Exodus International The Largest information and referral ministry in the world addressing homosexual issues
The Online Exodus Library brings together hundreds of articles on every facet of homosexuality, from science to theology, from facing pro-gay activism to facing your own struggle with homosexuality.

RELATED ARTICLE: Book Review: "Destructive Trends in Mental Health: The Well-Intentioned Path to Harm" NARTH
"Psychology, psychiatry, and social work have been captured by an ultra-liberal agenda"
"Misguided political correctness tethers our intellects"
"If psychology is to soar like an eagle, it needs both a left wing and a right wing."
The above statements do not emerge from the pen of a radical, right-wing, fanatical conservative. Rather, they are the conclusion of a new book written by two self-identified "lifelong liberal activists" and influential leaders of the American Psychological Association (APA), who vigorously oppose the illiberalism of their fellow psychologists. Rogers H. Wright and Nicholas A. Cummings have been visible presences in the APA in the following roles:. . . . . Cummings and O'Donohue conclude that psychology has surrendered its professionalism and its science to political correctness. They offer the following examples: APA's support for absolving responsibility for aberrant behavior when it is "hardwired"; the broadening of the concept of victimology where "everyone is a victim, but no one is crazy"; and the reformulation of psychiatric diagnosis because of pressure from activists (p. 8). The author's view of the 1973 and 1974 decisions reclassifying homosexuality is worthy of quoting here: The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association yielded suddenly and completely to political pressure when in 1973 it removed homosexuality as a treatable aberrant condition. A political firestorm had been created by gay activists within psychiatry, with intense opposition to normalizing homosexuality coming from a few outspoken psychiatrists who were demonized and even threatened, rather than scientifically refuted. Psychiatry's House of Delegates sidestepped the conflict by putting the matter to a vote of the membership, marking the first time in the history of healthcare that a diagnosis or lack of diagnosis was decided by popular vote rather than scientific evidence. . .

Legislative grandstanding on Proposition 8 insults voters

Legislative Grandstanding on Prop 8 Insults Voters Yes on 8 News, December 2, 2008
– Leaders of the ProtectMarriage.com – Yes on Proposition 8 campaign today accused legislators of “grandstanding for the cameras” in an inappropriate and misguided publicity stunt designed to influence the California Supreme Court in the lead-up to the Court’s scheduled hearing on the validity of Proposition 8. “You’d think that these legislators would be focused on resolving the budget deficit or improving the economy. Instead, they seem more interested in grandstanding for the cameras and thumbing their noses at voters who enacted Proposition 8 by a nearly 600,000 vote margin,” said Ron Prentice, Chairman of ProtectMarriage.com – Yes on 8. “Sadly, with an approval rating hovering at an all-time low of 15%, the Legislature continues to disregard their duties to the citizens of California.” Openly-gay legislators and other members of the GLBT Caucus held a press conference today in Sacramento to announce the introduction of a legislative resolution declaring that Proposition 8 is an illegal “constitutional revision” and thus should be declared invalid by the California Supreme Court. However, the legislators backing the resolution have no apparent qualifications as constitutional scholars to make such a finding, nor does a symbolic resolution have any standing in courts of law. “This resolution adds nothing to the debate about the validity of Proposition 8. It is simply designed to get press coverage for the legislators involved,” said Andrew Pugno, General Counsel of ProtectMarriage.com. “The California Supreme Court, at our request, has already decided to hear the challenges to Proposition 8. We are confident that Prop. 8 will be upheld, as many legal scholars have recently commented. . .

RELATED SITE: Yes on 8 — Protect Marriage.com (Final Approval 52.3%)

RELATED ARTICLE: Proposition 8: Respecting the Will of the People BeliefNet.com Blog: Lynn v. Sekulow, By Jay Sekulow, December 3, 2008
Regarding the legal challenges filed by opponents of Proposition 8, this is yet another example of a court being asked to improperly usurp the will of the people. The voters of California have spoken clearly on this issue on two different occasions (the California Supreme Court invalidated a voter-approved traditional definition of marriage earlier this year). The people of California, like the people of countless other states that have been presented with the issue, unequivocally reaffirmed the traditional definition of marriage, and that decision should not be overturned by an activist judiciary. As we pointed out in a letter filed with the California Supreme Court, all perceived doubts regarding Proposition 8 must be resolved in favor of upholding it. . . . . In short, the case is about what "marriage" is, not about whether an individual is denied the ability to enter a "marriage." All adults in California equally enjoy the fundamental right to enter a marriage, i.e., a union between one man and one woman, and no person holds a right to enter any other form of relationship and call it "marriage.". . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Anatomy of a Failed Campaign The Advocate, By Ben Ehrenreich, December 16, 2008 Issue
In two short months, the battle over California’s Proposition 8 went from double-digit opposition to passing with 52% of the vote on Election Day. Could the heartbreaking loss have been avoided? Depends on who you ask. . . .

Do You Need a Marital Checkup?
Study: An Annual Tuneup Could Improve Your Relationship ABC News- Good Morning America, By Andrea Canning, Jennifer Pereira, and Imaeyen Ibanga, December 3, 2008
When most people hear the word checkup, they might think of semi-annual dental visits or physicals, but it turns out an examination might also help improve the health of your marriage. Psychologist James Cordova is convinced annual marital counseling can improve relationships, and he said a recent study he led proves it. "Essentially, what we've discovered over time is that marital health, really is a health concern. The qualities of a person's marriage and the extent to which they are doing well in that marriage have a dramatic effect on physical health and mental health," said Cordova, an associate professor of psychology at Clark University in Worcester, Mass. The Study: In a two-year National Institutes of Health study, Cordova followed 68 couples, who varied in age, for six months. On average the pairs had been together for 15 years, with the husbands' ages around 47 and the wives' 44. Half of the married couples were given marriage checkups, which included therapy once a year, and the other pairs received no therapy at all. Cordova found that the couples who participated in the two-session checkup intervention, which included completing a battery of questions and face-to-face assessment, fared better. . . . Cordova said the most common complaint he hears from couples involves not being able to fit their marriages into a hectic lifestyle. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: ‘Marriage Checkup’ Works Psych Central, By Kathleen Doheny (Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D.), November 17, 2008

Through Prison Glass: Pam and Robert Griffin have survived a 25 year marriage despite Robert's incarceration

Through Prison Glass Los Angeles Times, By Joe Mozingo, December 2, 2008
This series is based on court and law enforcement documents and interviews with Pamela Griffin and her husband, Robert. Times staff writer Joe Mozingo also interviewed federal prosecutors and agents, corrections officials, sheriff's detectives and former Aryan Brotherhood associates, and attended the Aryan Brotherhood racketeering trial in Los Angeles in 2006-07. He reviewed records of Robert Griffin's parole hearings, his habeas corpus petition and his murder trial, as well as declassified FBI reports on the Aryan Brotherhood and 300 pages of correspondence between Robert and Pamela Griffin.

RELATED ARTICLE: Drifting souls connect: A quarter-century marriage to a man behind bars (Part 1 of 3) Los Angeles Times, By Joe Mozingo, November 30, 2008
. . . She would take yoga classes, attend the opera and travel with friends to the Galapagos, Palau, Peru and Alaska. He would be transported to a Los Angeles courtroom with a steel box over his handcuffs and a hood over his head -- to be tried in one of the largest death-penalty cases in U.S. history. In a physical exile, they would share the closest of bonds. Their correspondence would fill boxes, and they would chat on a prison phone through bulletproof glass for hours at a time. She would not only stand by Robert, she would embark on a two-decade legal quest to get him out. If you both keep these vows, your home will be happy and full of joy," Wipf said that day in the prison yard. Robert put a gold band on her finger. A friend in the prison crafts shop had made it, inscribing runic symbols for "DM" and "DB," Dragon Man and Dragon Bait. "With this ring, I thee wed," Robert said. There was a kiss, but no dancing or cake. For her wedding night, she drove back down U.S. 50 to her apartment, made dinner and went to bed alone. . . . . . She found herself acting as a mediator between Robert and his family, who didn't buy the claims of innocence they'd heard for years now. She defended him when they disparaged him. Yet she struggled with her own doubts. . .

RELATED PHOTOS: Pam and Robert Los Angeles Times

RELATED PHOTOS: A challenging relationship Los Angeles Times

RELATED COMMENTS BLOG: An unlikely union: readers weigh in Los Angeles Times, December 3, 2008
Posted by: Andy Wilkins | December 03, 2008 at 10:41 PM:
What a sad delusional women (sic). This man is part of the Aryan Brotherhood, a racist neo-nazi gang. The evidence he ordered these murders is overwhelming. Yet this woman - seemingly smart, successful - throws away her life for him. Maybe she is afraid of real world relationships, where the man might leave you or things don't work out. So she has a relationship with a man in a cage. Sad. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Two worlds collide as lawyer fights for inmate husband (Part 2 of 3) Los Angeles Times, By Joe Mozingo, December 2, 2008
Pamela Griffin battles to get her husband out of the isolation cell that grinds him down. He claims his gang days are over. The government says he's still calling the shots. . . . .The Griffins were married in the visiting yard at Folsom State Prison in July 1984. He had been incarcerated since 1970, first for an armed robbery in Fullerton, then for an assault on a fellow inmate in San Quentin and the murder of an inmate at the state prison in Chino. He had an almost mythic reputation in the system as a leader of the Aryan Brotherhood, or the Brand. Pam and Robert had fallen in love during the 11 years she was married to his older brother, Gerry. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Trial strains the hope of a prisoner's wife (Part 3 of 3) Los Angeles Times, By Joe Mozingo, December 3, 2008
Pamela Griffin long imagined her husband, Robert Griffin, getting out. His indictment in a federal case targeting the Aryan Brotherhood stunted those dreams. As the trial unfolds, her fears mount. . .

Britney Spears: Ready for Husband Number Three FOXNews.com, December 01, 2008
Take note fellas, Britney Spears is on the lookout for husband number three! In a new interview with Glamour magazine, the comeback queen says she hasn’t given up on love. “In five years, I would like to be married and have a father figure for my kids, someone who is a provider and can be really stable,” Spears says. “It’s hard doing it on your own,” she added. But Spears is hardly the party girl she was just a few short years ago. “I don’t like going out,” she said. “I hate clubs. I hate being around too many people. I love my home and staying in bed and watching ‘Dancing With the Stars’ or reading a Danielle Steel novel. I’m kinda boring.” Spears looks the part of the all-American girl we know and love her as on the cover, in a white button down shirt and bare feet. The images were shot by famed photographer Patrick Demarcherlier in Los Angeles in October. The Glamour interview is hardly the star’s first candid moment in her return to the spotlight. Her MTV documentary, which premiered on Nov. 30, offered a glimpse into the star’s personal life. Fans got to see the star through rehearsals, her family life and her nightmarish experiences with the paparazzi. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Britney Spears Starts Over Glamour magazine, By James Patrick Herman, November 30, 2008
She has her health (and body) back, an album she says is her best yet and the whole world rooting for her. In this Glamour exclusive, Britney Spears talks about surviving her “crazy year” and trying to set a good example for her boys.

Britney Spears: Ready for Husband Number Three Click for Related Video)

RELATED VIDEO: Watch Britney Spears in Action! Glamour magazine, January 2009 Issue
“America’s reigning pop princess has a firm grip on fame, fortune and, more important, reality.”

RELATED ARTICLE & VIDEOS: Britney: For the Record MTV.com

RELATED ARTICLE: Kevin Federline: My Side of the Story People magazine, By Marisa Laudadio, December 3, 2008
Britney's ex opens up about raising their sons, the pop star's breakdown – and why he still loves her. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: After that disastrous X Factor performance, Britney Spears high-tails it to New York The Daily Mail- UK, By Richard Simpson and Natalie Trombetta, December 01, 2008
Britney Spears left behind a trail of disappointed fans as she headed for New York yesterday after a 24-hour visit to London. The singer kept herself hidden behind oversized sunglasses and a fedora hat as she touched down at JFK after her whistlestop tour to the UK fell short of expectation. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Britney's mum tells all on her daughter The Sun- UK, By Emily Smith- US Editor, September 4, 2008
Troubled Britney Spears began boozing aged 13, lost her virginity at 14, then started taking drugs at 15, according to a shocking tell-all book by her mum. Wild child Britney allegedly first hit the bottle after joining Disney’s squeaky-clean Mickey Mouse Club. Mum Lynne claims 14-year-old Britney then had sex with an 18-year-old high school footballer soon after she quit the TV show. And she had her first taste of drugs at 15 when she went to Los Angeles to record her debut album Baby One More Time. The sensational revelations were leaked last night ahead of publication of Lynne’s memoir, titled Through the Storm. Lynne, 53, tells how she regrets handing over control of Britney’s career to managers and allowing her daughter to be promoted as a sex object in raunchy videos at such a young age. She believes Britney’s wild behaviour as a teenage star is the root of her current problems. Britney, now 26, has twice been admitted to a hospital psychiatric ward this year. . . . As Britney later pursued her pop career, Lynne let her 16-year-old daughter sleep with teen sweetheart Justin Timberlake, despite claiming she was a virgin. . .

Ivana Trump splits from husband number 4, Rossano Rubicondi, after seven months of marriage (Photo: Courtesy People magazine)

Ivana Trump splits from husband No 4, just seven months after their £3million wedding The Daily Mail- UK, December 01, 2008
When thrice-divorced Ivana Trump walked down the aisle to marry Rossano Rubicondi in April, she was hoping it would be fourth time lucky. Just seven months after the couple's £3million wedding in Palm Beach, Florida, they have announced they have separated. It appeared it was a matter of geography which led to their downfall, with Ivana preferring to live in New York City, while the Italian entrepreneur wanted to split his time between Milan and Florida. According to legal papers, the couple actually separated in August, after just four months of marriage. The Czech-born businesswoman, 59, delayed going public with their split until now because her 36-year-old spouse was starring on Italian reality show L'isola Dei Famosi, similar to I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! A statement from Ivana said: 'Rossano wants to live in Miami and work in Milan. 'But, I am a New Yorker and my family, friends and businesses are here. As the beautiful song says, "Que sera sera!"'. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Trump that! 'Over the top' doesn't come close as Ivana gets hitched to husband No 4 (23 years her junior)... The Daily Mail- UK, By Alison Boshoff, April 12, 2008

RELATED ARTICLE: Is this Ivana's next 'victim'? Newly single Ms Trump latches onto a new toyboy after splitting from husband No. 4 The Daily Mail, December 2, 2008
If Ivana Trump was nursing a broken heart following her split for husband No. 4, she certainly didn't let it show last night. The 59-year-old was spotted cosying up to French model John-David Dery, 22, at an awards night at the Hotel Bristol in Paris. In between kisses and hugs, a high-spirited Ivana also joined in a raucous round of singing with the roving band. Her latest ex husband, Rossano Rubicondi, also appears to have swiftly moved on - he was seen kissing another woman at the J'Adore in Marotta, Italy. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Inside Secrets of the Ivana Trump Wedding Las Vegas magazine— Robin Leach's Vegas Luxe Life blog, April 14, 2008
After a six-year stormy off-again and on-again tumultuous romance Ivana Trump has married her 23-year-younger Italian stallion Rossano Rubicondi . . . . He had the theme music of Rocky played for his entrance! Ivana was attended by 25 bridesmaids, led by her daughter Ivanka as maid of honor. . . . The wedding was literally a TV production in its own right. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Traditional marriage under fire: Who's really to blame? Houston Chronicle, By Daniel Allott, November 9, 2005
Current societal understandings of the marital bond (perpetuated by the entertainment industry) run primarily on the notion that lifelong emotional love is a necessary condition for a successful marriage. When the tingling ecstasy of emotional love fades then one is entitled indeed, even obligated, to dissolve the relationship and seek another lover (just like those couples in the movies). But, without the ability to develop a mature understanding of love, this new love also inevitably fades as certainly as the first. (Second marriages have a divorce rate of 60-70 percent.) This perfect storm of legal, political and cultural conditions has produced a generation of young people who have learned that traditional marriage does not work. Is it any wonder so many are opting out of marriage altogether, or why some marrying couples are choosing to replace the traditional wedding vow " 'til death do us part" with rather less ambitious promises like "for as long as our love shall last," or the utilitarian, "for as long as our marriage shall serve the greatest good"? . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: "The Sanctity of Marriage" Secrets of the City, By Jeannine Ouellette, December 21, 2005
For thousands of years, the aim of marriage had been to establish beneficial kinship bonds and to pool or transfer resources for maximum economic and political advantage. Then suddenly, Europeans and Americans started expecting and even demanding emotional and sexual fulfillment from their marriages. Crises were bound to erupt. . . . Marriage as a required construct of modern social life is undermined by those who divorce and cohabit. But marriage as a free and conscious choice is not. Unlike Allott, I no longer assume that marriage is required in modern social life. Love’s inclusion in the equation has complicated matters and weakened marriage as an institution, but it has also elevated the potential of marriage to be something it never was before—a path to fulfillment and spiritual growth. . .

The (Recently Decided) Closeted Straight Man Running a Gay Magazine
Neal Boulton deals the biggest blow to bisexuals ever Jossip, December 1, 2008
Neal Boulton is the editor of Genre, the gay men's magazine, and something called BastardLife.com, a bisexual men's web magazine. Clearly the man has a thing for mixing media and gender identity, as the various "anonymously sourced" items about Boulton's NYC sexing — which reek of having been planted by Boulton himself — also suggest, as does his former editorship of Men's Fitess, which is basically a magazine for straight guys to ogle other guys. Not terribly surprising, then, that his on-and-off (and back on) partner for the last 16 years, Claire, used their sometimes open relationship to sometimes enjoy the company of other women while her husband was off dabbling with homos. And now, like The Pregnant Man, they're on a road to sharing their story with the world. Read on, America, for the next great chapter of the GLBT movement. . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Secrets of an Open Marriage PageSix magazine, By Esther Haynes, November 30, 2008
For years, magazine honcho Neal Boulton and his wife, Claire, had an open relationship—him dating men, her dating women— until it all collapsed in a wave of drugs, heartbreak and gossip-column scandal.

Magazine editor Neal Boulton extolling the 'open marriage' he has with partner Claire

RELATED VIDEO: Homosexual Activist Says There’s No "Gay Gene" CitizenLink.org, August 7, 2008

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RELATED ARTICLE: Homosexuality: it isn’t natural: Ignore those researchers who claim to have discovered a ‘gay gene’, says Peter Tatchell: gay desire is not genetically determined Spiked.com, By Peter Tatchell, June 24, 2008
There is a major problem with gay gene theory, and with all theories that posit the biological programming of sexual orientation. If heterosexuality and homosexuality are, indeed, genetically predetermined (and therefore mutually exclusive and unchangeable), how do we explain bisexuality or people who, suddenly in mid-life, switch from heterosexuality to homosexuality (or vice versa)? We can’t.

[Editor's note: Peter Tatchell is a human rights campaigner, and a member of the queer rights group OutRage! and the left wing of the UK Green Party.]

Gift Reminder

Brits on top in casual sex league as survey reveals Britons are the most promiscuous in the world (Click for Related Video)

Brits on top in casual sex league as survey reveals we are the most promiscuous in the world The Daily Mail-UK, By Caroline Grant, December 1, 2008
It is far from an achievement to be proud of - research suggests that British men and women are the most promiscuous in the Western world. It appears the days when we took a strict moralistic approach towards sex are long gone. Researchers blamed the situation on a decline of religious scruples, the growth of equal rights for women and a highly sexualised popular culture. They found that when it comes to one-night stands, numbers of partners and attitudes to casual sex, Britain leads the field, ahead of even liberal nations such as the Netherlands and the passionate Italians. The researchers believe that our place at the top of the table could be linked to the way society has become more tolerant of sexual promiscuity among women as well as men. Women are now as accepting of one-night stands as men, they claimed. The research was led by David Schmitt, a professor of psychology at Bradley University, Illinois. . .

RELATED VIDEO: One night stands: The Two Perspectives CBS4.com
A study puts the two sexes on opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to their views on a one night stand

RELATED ARTICLE: Understanding the Hookup Culture Townhall.com, By Allison Kasic, October 20, 2008
The hookup culture is a complete inversion of the traditional dating script: “College men used to ask women to go on dates with the hope that something sexual, such as necking or petting, might happen at the end of the date. In the hooking-up era, this sexual norm is reversed. College students, following the hookup script, become sexual first and then maybe go on a date someday.”

RELATED ARTICLE: Casual sex left me feeling worthless: How a one-night stand left one woman emotionally destroyed: New research says women bitterly regret one-night stands. But the emotional damage can go deeper than you think... The Daily Mail— UK, By Helen Weathers, July 3, 2008
In today's heavy-drinking ladette, anything-he-can-do-I-can-do-better culture, the prevailing belief appears to be that what's good for the gander is good for the goose, too, so to speak. But is it? According to new research published last week by Anne Campbell, Professor of Psychology at Durham University, the answer appears to be a surprising no. Indeed, her findings suggest that the majority of women aren't suited to one-night stands at all, no matter how much they try to persuade themselves otherwise. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: The Morning after the Night Before: Affective Reactions to One-Night Stands among Mated and Unmated Women and Men Human Nature- Volume 19, Number 2 / June, 2008

RELATED ARTICLE: Get Chaste: The Dawn and the Eden of a countercultural revolution National Review Online, By Kathryn Jean Lopez, December 5, 2006
Dawn Eden, an editor at the New York Daily News and blogger with an eclectic background, is author of a new book published by Thomas Nelson called The Thrill of the Chaste: Finding Fulfillment While Keeping Your Clothes On. Eden’s tried it both ways, and in the book describes the life-changing experience that came with her decision to stop having lots of sex in the city. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Now you may kiss the bride: Forget sex. Claudaniel and Melody vowed never even to kiss on the lips until their wedding day. Living by the rules they teach, the two abstinence educators waited . . . and waited . . . and waited . . . until Saturday Chicago Sun Times, BY Mary Wisniewski, November 30, 2008
So what is it like to kiss a girl for the first time ever, after she has become your wife? "It was surreal," said Claudaniel "CD" Fabien, 30, after his marriage to Melody LaLuz Fabien on Saturday. "It was like, my other self came out and said, 'Look dude, you're kissing her!' " . . . . The couple will leave for a honeymoon in the Bahamas today, but planned to stay in Chicago on Saturday night. "We got business to take care of tonight," her husband said, doing a little dance in his white suit while his new bride giggled. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Is your ex in bed with you? If your ex is overshadowing your new romance, it's time for an exorcism Times Online- UK, By Andrew G. Marshall, April 4, 2008
It's an inescapable fact that when we fall in love, we bring all our previous sexual experience and conquests into the new relationship. However much we want to make a fresh start, and in the words of Madonna approach our new partner “like a virgin”, it's hard to throw off the past. For many people, the legacy is a positive one, especially if the ex has helped them to feel safe and secure. However, if he or she was possessive, abusive or unfaithful, the past can cast a shadow over subsequent relationships. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Wedding-night consummation losing allure? Fewer couples feel the need to do the deed right away The San Diego Union Tribune- COX News Service, By Helena Oliviero, May 2006
No canoodling on the wedding night? About one in three brides-to-be expect to hop in the sack and snooze after the wedding reception. One in 10 say they anticipate staying up late swapping stories from the big day. That leaves just over half of brides consummating their vows, according to a recent Brides.com survey of 1,057 women. The take-it-or-leave-it attitude toward sex marks a dramatic shift from previous generations, when virgin couples got married early — sometimes years earlier — just to have sex. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: 9 reasons why people have sex before marriage Daily Express—Malaysia, June 21, 2005
Hadikusumo, a lecturer in Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), cautioned against the risk of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). "It may affect future fertility. HIV/AIDS, HPV resulting in cervical cancer and incurable virus like herpes may affect future relationships. "Psychologically, premarital sex affects one's sense of security and self-respect. "And once emotional bonding to partner occurs, there will be devastation if relationship breaks up. The partner is emotionally fragmented or feels exploited." She said as far as spirituality is concerned, there is the feeling of uncleanness, being burdened without a "whole" heart to give, and with no sense of purity or "rightness". Hadikusumo cited nine reasons why people have sex before marriage: * Present youth culture * Pressure from partner * Looking for love * Peer acceptance * Expression of love * Lack of alertness * High-risk activity * Rebellious acting out * Getting over a break-up or rebound. . .

"Marriage" News November 2008

"Marriage in the News" is not a representation of The Real Proposal magazine...