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"MARRIAGE" In The News
(February 2008) |
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The news articles and features presented below are simply an indication of how topical, controversial, and all-encompassing the issues surrounding marriage are throughout our society--and the world-- today. Some of the views and opinions expressed, and their respective web sites, do NOT reflect the views or opinions of The Real Proposal™ magazine. Many are highlighted largely to reiterate that the alarming statistical trends on the chaotic state of "Marriage" and "Family"--outlined in "A Mere Glimpse"--will continue unabated without a fundamental grasp and purposeful dissemination of TRUTH on the issues.
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- What happens when the woman proposes
Just when a chap gets comfy in a long-term relationship, along comes the day he dreads - when she can propose The Times Online, February 29, 2008
Today tradition permits women to pop the question to men. This custom has dubious origins. In 5th-century Ireland, St Bridget, then the Mother Superior of a nunnery, demonstrated her ignorance by complaining to St Patrick that men took too long to propose, and that women should have an opportunity. Refusal hit the chap in his pocket to the tune of a 100-punt fine, which sounds like a small fortune. But this is small fry compared with how much a modern guy can lose if he says “yes”. A long-term relationship with a woman who doesn't display signs of borderline personality disorder can be fantastic. It offers companionship of the “you and me against the world - we attack at dawn” kind, foible-driven sex, a pleasant-smelling home, admission to your social set's “couples only” dining club, and the cool confidence needed when dealing with work experience girls in backless dresses. In the 21st century it's not uncommon for couples to go as far as procreating and/or mortgaging without tying the knot. We men love to jam ourselves into a cosy little rut - witness the indentation of our butts upon the sofa - so the functional long-term relationship is pretty much an ideal situation. But wedlock comes with financial obligation. The bottom line is: if you're married, she can have half your money. Maybe more. . . . When it comes to matters of the heart I'm a complete coward. As are most men. The most successful cowards operate by avoiding terrifying situations - such as being proposed to - before they even arise. So here are some sure-fire ways to avoid today's doomsday scenario. . . . |
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- Five tips for breaking up and getting back together SheKnows.com, By Sharon M. Rivkin, February 29, 2008
Nobody ever said that breaking up is easy. And it's easy to fall right back into "love" and to want to get back into your routine again. Who doesn't tend to remember the good times over the hard times. It doesn't hurt though to get back in to see why you both originally decided to move on in the first place. . . . One of the hardest tasks we face in a relationship is leaving. A more difficult undertaking is staying out. “Maybe it wasn’t so bad,” “Maybe I didn’t try hard enough,” “Maybe he/she could change after all,” “Maybe I could put up with more than I thought, after all I do love him/her!” When we leave our partner, we’re relieved (at first, that is) because it’s usually been a long time coming, and we’re just glad it’s over and done with. However, after some time passes, our doubts and loneliness creep in, and we start to think differently about the love we left behind. “After all, even though there were bad times, there were also good times.” And “when we were together, it was – at one time - loving, comfortable and warm.” But now that we’re away from our partners, we often paint an unrealistic picture of how it used to be. Anything seems better than the scary, lonely, and helpless feelings that are often times experienced after a relationship ends. So back in we go to try again, usually against our better judgment and against the advice of our close friends. But take heart in knowing that each time we go back in and find ourselves in the same stuck place (which is usually inevitable), we have still learned something. . . |
- Reproduction and Public Discourse First Things, By Ryan T. Anderson, February 28, 2008
Benedict XVI recently asked the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to turn its attention to the ethical challenges that new biotechnologies pose. Aware that the Church “cannot and should not intervene on every scientific innovation,” the pope charged the congregation with “reiterating the great values at stake, and providing the faithful, and all men and women of good will, with ethical and moral principles and guidelines for these new and important questions.” To help direct the congregation’s reflection, he offered two principles: “(a) unconditional respect for the human being as a person from conception to natural death; (b) respect for the originality of the transmission of human life through the acts proper to spouses.” Around the same time the pope gave his address, the Drudge Report highlighted a story out of Newcastle, England, where scientists have created human embryos with three biological parents. Meanwhile, the February 2 issue of the New Scientist noted the work being done with stem cells to create “female sperm” and “male eggs.” This will allow same-sex couples to have children biologically related to both parents, a goal that an accompanying editorial praised while calling the “fears” of critics “largely irrational.” What should all of this tell us?. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Mother gives birth to baby using frozen sperm from husband killed by cancer FOUR years ago The Daily Mail- UK, By Luke Salkeld, March 19, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: Wanted: Someone to Play God Time magazine, By Nancy Gibbs, February 21, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: Homo erectus extinctus The Times Online, By Lois Rogers, December 16, 2007
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- Parenting Issues: Your 16-year-old daughter falls for a divorcee of 36 and wants him to move in. Would you let him? Meet the parents who did The Daily Mail-UK, By Morag Turner, February 28, 2008
When Alison Garcia, 16, announced that she was leaving home to be with her 36-year-old lover, her parents could have been forgiven for hitting the roof. Instead, Sheila and Paul Garcia did something most other parents would find unthinkable. Last month, they invited divorced double-glazing fitter and father-of-one Craig Wright into their home, where he now shares a bedroom with their daughter. According to 51-year-old Sheila, of Northfleet, Kent, who runs a yachting business with her 56-year-old husband, they had no choice in the matter. . . . . . . Sheila, for her part, blames the situation on "society" and "the premature ageing and sexualisation of young people". Rather more enlightening is her admission: "We took the liberal approach to bringing up our child. "We treated her like a mini-adult all along, never taking the attitude that because she was a child we should treat her as less of an equal." But if anything, the experience of the Garcia family is a depressing reminder of the perils of modern parenting, where boundaries and guidelines are so often thrown out of the window and where allowing a child to do whatever they want is somehow seen as the action of a loving, trusting parent. . . . . |
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RELATED ARTICLE: Why Liberals Make Atrocious Parents TownHall.com, By Kevin McCullough, September 30, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE & COMMENTS: Angelina's secret sadness - by her brother The Daily Mail- UK, By Sharon Feinstein, March 26, 2007
. . . In fact, the young Angelina was precocious in many ways. This was a girl sufficiently confident to start a sexual relationship at the age of 14 and bring her lover back to live under the same roof with the tolerance, if not the approval, of her mother.
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- WIFE: I did it for the TV money. 'TRUTH' Humiliates Hubby NY Post, By Jeane MacIntosh and Adam Buckman, February 27, 2008
-- The buxom blond wife of a city cop yesterday said she humiliated her husband in front of 8 million viewers of the reality show "Moment of Truth" - revealing she slept around and wanted to be wed to another guy - in a bid for fame and fortune. But Lauren Cleri, 26, and her baby-faced hubby, rookie NYPD Officer Frank Cleri, 24, of Rockland County, said after appearing on the Fox show Monday night, they came away without any prize money, no immediate job offers for her - and a potentially irrevocably broken marriage. . . After admitting that she cheated on Frank, too, and netting another $100,000, she was asked if she thought she is a good person. She answered, "Yes," but the lie-detector test said she was lying. She lost all of the money. Lauren said she had been called by a casting agent months ago about appearing on the show and, "I didn't think it was going to be this big a deal, because I thought so many people are doing it, we're not going to stand out." The pair said they had planned to share any money she won. But the show's executive producer, Howard Schultz, said Lauren Cleri told him later that "she doesn't want a relationship [with her ex or her husband]. "She wanted out of her marriage, and she wanted to . . . tell the truth," Schultz told The Post. . . . |
- Is Angelina Driven to Be a Compulsive Mother?
Need for Babies Can Signal Depression or Even Manipulation, Experts Say ABC News, By Susan Donaldson James, February 27, 2008
As Hollywood buzzes about whether actress Angelina Jolie is expecting her fifth (and second biological) child, some observers are asking whether celebrities such as Jolie who collect babies is a sign of deeper problems. "Following a bout with depression, the compulsion to have kids can be a way of self-medicating," California psychologist Lara Honos-Webb told ABCNEWS.com. "In essence -- a distraction and diversion from the inner feeling of emptiness." . . . Jolie is not the first Hollywood celebrity to display her children like jewels. Actress Mia Farrow's life was strikingly similar. . . . . Jolie and Farrow fit the classic profiles of those who hide unrecognized depression behind pregnancy and adoption, according to Honos-Webb. Having babies can sometimes keep personal problems at bay. . . Celebrity columnist Ted Casablanca of the E! Network told ABCNEWS.com that Jolie's compulsive mothering has more to do with manipulation."She is a fiercely independent woman, the most independent big star in Hollywood," he said. He sees more parallels between Jolie and Elizabeth Taylor, the stunning actress who had four children — one of them adopted — and eight husbands. . . . . Though employable, neither woman had moneymaking careers when each turned to husbands and children to create a new image. "This is really an independent way of cementing and giving her a foothold in another world that never has anything to do with the movie business," he said of Jolie who doesn't seem to mind the gossip and photographs of her children. "She lives for it. She's a brilliant saleswoman." "She is a woman who wants to be beholden to no one," according to Casablanca, who maintains Jolie is "still working out what happened with her father" and is destined to leave Pitt. . . . |
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RELATED PHOTO ESSAY: The Growing 'Brangelina' Brood? ABC News, February 27, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: EXCLUSIVE: Brad Pitt confirms: 'We're having twins' The Daily Mail- UK, February 27, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: A BRANGELINA PRENUP: Brad and Angelina May Tie The Knot NY Post- Page Six, By Reed Tucker, February 28, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: Reproduction of the rich and famous: Forget golden statuettes. In the new, family-friendly Hollywood, the real status symbols are sonograms and diamond solitaires Salon.com, By Daniel Harris, November 20, 2006
RELATED ARTICLE: Kids mimicking celebs' debauchery? WorldNet Daily, By Katharine DeBrecht, July 26, 2006
RELATED ARTICLE: Brad and Angelina: Hollywood Idolology Part 1 & 2- The glamorization of out-of-wedlock pregnancy Woman Talk, By Katharine DeBrecht
RELATED ARTICLE & COMMENTS: Angelina's secret sadness - by her brother The Daily Mail- UK, By Sharon Feinstein, March 26, 2007 |
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- In praise of the 'ordinary' woman: It's time to embrace being Miss Average The Daily Mail- UK, By Kathryn Knight, February 27, 2008
Wallis Simpson once observed that a woman could 'never be too rich or too thin', and spent much of her life in slavish pursuit of both states. By and large, the former Duchess of Windsor appeared to succeed in her endeavours - certainly in the latter if the photographs of her mind-bogglingly waspish waist are anything to go by. She just never looked particularly happy about it, the same photographs revealing a red-lipsticked mouth set in a permanently thin, hard, gloomy line. Wallis wouldn't thank us for pointing it out, but her natural heir is Victoria Beckham, a woman who once looked like a perfectly attractive girl-next-door type but who increasingly resembles a sleek, scowling android given an all over hose-down with the plastic coating they use on wicker furniture. Nonetheless, contemporary wisdom has it that the Victoria Beckhams of this world have got it sussed. She has, after all, morphed by sheer force of will into an ultimate version of herself, a walking testament to the worship of superlatives. Success is about being the slimmest, prettiest, cleverest and wealthiest (Victoria is, admittedly, pushing it on the middle two). The odd thing is that it doesn't seem to help her with the quality that is arguably the most important: the happiest. It begs the question of when being ordinary got such a bad press. After all, some of the most contented women I know are average in the nicest possible way. . . . . |
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- Artist hanged herself after aborting her twins The Telegraph, February 26, 2008
An artist killed herself after aborting her twins when she was eight weeks pregnant, leaving a note saying: "I should never have had an abortion. I see now I would have been a good mum." Emma Beck was found hanging at her home in Helston, Cornwall, on Feb 1 2007. She was declared dead early the following day - her 31st birthday. Her suicide note read: "I told everyone I didn't want to do it, even at the hospital. I was frightened, now it is too late. I died when my babies died. I want to be with my babies: they need me, no-one else does." The inquest at Truro City Hall heard that Miss Beck had split up with her boyfriend, referred to as "Ben" after he "reacted badly" to the pregnancy. She saw her GP before the termination, but missed an appointment at a hospital in Penzance. She then cancelled, but later turned up to an appointment at a clinic at Royal Cornwall Hospital in Treliske. The counsellor was on holiday so a doctor referred Miss Beck to a pregnancy counselling telephone service eight days before carrying out the abortion when she was eight weeks pregnant, the inquest heard. The coroner, Dr Emma Carlyon, ordered that the identities of the doctor who performed the abortion and her lead consultant be kept secret. The inquest heard that Sylvia Beck, the victim's mother, wrote to the hospital after her daughter's death, saying: "I want to know why she was not given the opportunity to see a counsellor. "She was only going ahead with the abortion because her boyfriend did not want the twins. "I believe this is what led Emma to take her own life - she could not live with what she had done.". . . . |
RELATED ARTICLE & COMMENTS: The Suicide of Emma Beck and Silence No More Townhall.com, By Michelle Malkin, February 27, 2008
RELATED BLOG: Real Inconvenient Truths.... About Abortion The John Birch Society, By Selwyn Duke, February 26, 2008
Conception is obviously a seminal point, for it isn’t development, but that which initiates it. It’s much as with fire. Would we say that a fire is only a fire when it’s of use to us, such as when we need heat? No, once you have the necessary ingredients — combustible materials, oxygen, a spark and ignition — a fire is born. It may develop, grow and spread, but a fire is a fire no matter how small. And it will then continue until it runs its course and exhausts itself — or until it is snuffed out. . . .
 RELATED BLOG: Abortion: An "inconvenient truth" within Marriage The Real Proposal Magazine, January 26, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: The Negro Project: Margaret Sanger's EUGENIC Plan for Black Americans Life Education And Resource Network (L.E.A.R.N), By Tanya L. Green
Margaret Sanger aligned herself with the eugenicists whose ideology prevailed in the early 20th century. Eugenicists strongly espoused racial supremacy and "purity"," particularly of the "Aryan" race. Eugenicists hoped to purify the bloodlines and improve the race by encouraging the "fit" to reproduce and the "unfit" to restrict their reproduction. They sought to contain the "inferior" races through segregation, sterilization, birth control and abortion.
RELATED ARTICLE: The SLED Test – Four Top Arguments Heartlink.org, By Steve Wagner
We all agree that toddlers are valuable human beings with rights. Yet the unborn differ from toddlers in only four ways, and the first letters of each of these differences spell an easy-to-remember acronym, SLED (Size, Level of Development, Environment, Degree of Dependency).
RELATED SITE: THE CASE FOR LIFE: Like You Have Never Heard It Before
Only One Issue: The abortion controversy is not a debate between those who are pro-choice and those who are anti-choice. It’s not about privacy or trusting women. To the contrary, the debate turns on one key question. What is the Unborn?
RELATED ARTICLE: What Do You Know About Roe v. Wade? Family.org, By Shana Schutte
Like many Americans, you know Roe v. Wade legalized abortion, but you may know little else
RELATED SITE: Abort73.com: The Case Against Abortion
RELATED VIDEO: This is Abortion RATED: MA (Mature Audiences Only)
WARNING: Contains graphic post-abortion pictures. Be Warned! The Visual Evidence is Disturbing.
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- Q & A: Finding love again:
Lesley Garner advises a woman who has found love again at the age of 71, but at what cost? The Telegraph- UK, By Lesley Garner, February 26, 2008
Dear Lesley, I'm not sure that anyone can solve my problem, but I would be grateful for your wisdom in any case. I am 71 and in love all over again with a man I loved years ago. We had two affairs in the Seventies that ended because our partners were unwell and we had young children. We both went on to get married again, but not to each other, and we each have a child from our second marriage. Over the years I have thought of this man, David, often - and I have never stopped loving him. My marriage has been a contented one. My first husband died after a long illness and my second husband was divorced, with two children of his own. He is a quiet, kind and reliable husband but, for the past 15 years, we haven't had a physical relationship. . . .
Dear Elizabeth, Unlike you, I am so glad I am not 17. One of the advantages of growing older, surely, is that the emotional climate grows calmer. Contentment replaces ecstasy. Warmth and affection replace burning desire. Companionship and tolerance replace agony and despair. Of course, it is completely thrilling to fall in love at any age and get high on one's own supply of intoxicating brain chemicals, but then comes the intolerable withdrawal and pain. At 17 you go into a blind turmoil of anguish and despair. At 71 you would think that life had given you the experience, wisdom and detachment to recognise this torment for the internal poisoning it is. But it seems not. . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: What kills sex in a marriage? Look past the stereotypes USA Today, By Sharon Jayson, January 6, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: Our Best Sex Advice: For 20 years Marriage Partnership has offered real, biblical, practical insight for bedroom issues. Here are 20 of the best Christianity Today- Marriage Partnership, Spring 2008
For 20 years Marriage Partnership has offered real, biblical, practical insight for bedroom issues. Here are 20 of the best. . . . Planning. . . Evaluate priorities. .. . Men and aging. . . .Giving pointers. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Great 'Sex'pectations: Married couples should enjoy a sexual relationship that is expressed body-to-body, heart-to-heart and soul-to-soul Family.org, By Lysa TerKeurst
RELATED ARTICLE: Myths About Sexless Marriage Passionate Marriage.com- Marriage & Family Heath Center with Dr. David Schnarch & Dr. Ruth Morehouse
RELATED QUIZ: What's the state of YOUR union: Do You have a sexless marriage? By Drs. David Schnarch and Ruth Morehouse, MSNBC.com
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- Do men remember their first car better than their first kiss? The Daily Mail- UK, February 25, 2008
Most men remember their first car more than their first kiss, the Mail revealed. In fact, getting their first set of wheels ranked higher than first girlfriends and 18th birthdays in men's memories, according to a survey. So why is your first car so special, and is it really more memorable than your first kiss? Femail asked several well-known men to cast their minds back to both. . . . Ben Fogle, 35, TV presenter and adventurer: First kiss: A first kiss is something we would all like to remember, but should often be forgotten. All my practice on my pillow didn't help. . . . Anton Du Beke, 41, ballroom dancer and star of BBC's Strictly Come Dancing: First kiss: My first kiss was from a very favourable girl called Catherine Grindley outside the swimming baths where I grew up in Sevenoaks, Kent. I was 14 at the time and quite the lad. Catherine was the kind of girl at school who'd kiss you easily and probably show her knickers if you asked her. She had me up against the wall - quite the knee-trembler, and it put me off French kissing for quite a time. . . . Paul Daniels, 70, magician: First kiss: Before I had ever kissed anyone, I always wondered what happened to noses when people kissed - I didn't know where they went. Sure enough, during my first kiss when my head went right so did hers, and when it went left hers did too, until I finally grabbed her head and held it to one side. I remember thinking: "This is good but not as good as card tricks.". . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: British drivers 'more likely to remember their first car than their first kiss' The Daily Mail- UK, By Tom Kelly, February 24, 2008
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- Mid-life crisis divorces soar, survey finds The Telegraph- UK, By Andy Bloxham, February 25, 2008
The pressure to be happy has seen the number of divorces attributed to a 'mid-life crisis' soar, according to a new survey. And in almost every case, it is the husband who has suffered the desire to recapture the freedom of their youth. An increasing intolerance of unhappiness in middle age was given as the main reason for the shift, which is the fastest growing cause of marriage break-ups. . . Mid-life crisis caused the divorce in 14 per cent of cases surveyed, up from just two per cent in 2006. It is now the second most cited reason for divorce, behind extra-marital affairs, which was responsible for 29 per cent of splits. The third most common reason was the strains caused by everyday family life, which caused 11 per cent of divorces. The survey found that it was men who underwent the crisis in 93 per cent of marriages. . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Mind the gap: 'I'm going away.' 'How long for?' 'I don't know...' The Telegraph- UK, By Lisa Forest, February 8, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: Mid-Life Psychology Today, Last Reviewed By Laura Stephens, April 17, 2006 |
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RELATED QUIZ: Romantic Space Profile: Take the Test Psychology Today
Are you able to give your significant other the space he/she needs, or do you have an uncontrollable urge to spend every waking moment with him/her? While spending quality time together is essential for happy and healthy relationship, constant togetherness can lead to codependency or even drive a partner away. Find out whether you're a space-giver or space-crowder by taking the Romantic Space Profile Test. |
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- Get me to the ranch on time Boston Globe, By Elinor Lipman, February 25, 2008
I felt inexplicably let down when I heard that Jenna Bush's nuptials would be held in Crawford rather than my preferred venue, the East Room of the White House. Such a concern may suggest Living Page preoccupation with couture and catering, but as Time magazine noted the week Tricia Nixon married Edward Cox, "a White House wedding, whoever the incumbent or the bride, has a certain nimbus of history about it." We need that, don't we, a certain nimbus? The Bushes have presented a united front, but do I detect a note of maternal disappointment in First Lady Laura Bush's wedding explanation, that "It'll be small and private, just what Jenna wants. I think it'll be lovely and simple and just perfect"? What about us, though - the immediate country?. . . . . As the wedding approaches, the popularity ratings of the Bush family will soar. Women will follow this story and they are some of the most disenchanted by the war in Iraq. They will see the president as a father, and a good one at that, and it will give him a reprieve in the popularity polls." A White House wedding is forever. . . . |
- Tiger Woods hasn’t exactly been derailed by marriage or fatherhood, eh? MerceExtra, Posted by Tim Kawakami, February 24, 2008
Golf isn’t the biggest driver for this blog’s readership–not even Tiger Woods gets the numbers going or those comments popping, unless I can somehow rope Alex Smith or Monta Ellis into the links-land analysis. (And I can’t.) Oh well. This is just too good to ignore, and, as you might know by now, Woods is a particular fascination for anybody who follows golf and loves sports history of any kind. (That would be me.) You’ve probably seen the stats–and I’ve got more down lower:
* Woods’ monster 8 and 7 crushing of Stewart Cink in the finals of the World Match Play Championship today gave Woods victories in his last four PGA Tour starts since last fall, and made it 6 for 6 if you toss in two international wins.
* It was his ninth tournament victory in his last 11 starts, overall.
* It was his 23rd victory in his last 57 starts, world-wide, since the end of the 2004 season.
That’s a .403 winning percentage. That’s better than the Indiana Pacers this season. Winning golf tournaments. –Hmm, end of 2004 season. Why does that ring a bell? Here’s why: That’s precisely when TW married Elin Nordegren–October 2004, at one of the bleakest moments of his great, great, great career (and bleak only in relation to his own greatness). Remember, during TW’s phenom stage, when analysts suggested that pending marriage and fatherhood might be the only things that could test Woods’ focus and possibly derail his march into history? Wrong, apparently. In fact, marriage and fatherhood… have basically made this guy invincible. . . . |
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- Jennifer Lopez & Marc Anthony Welcome Twins! People magazine, February 22, 2008
It's double the baby joy for Jennifer Lopez and husband Marc Anthony: They're the proud new parents of twins, a boy and a girl, Lopez's manager tells PEOPLE exclusively. The babies were born early Friday in Long Island, N.Y. The girl was born at 12:12 a.m. and weighed 5 lbs. 7 oz., and the boy followed at 12:23 a.m., weighing 6 lbs. "Jennifer and Marc are delighted, thrilled and over the moon," Lopez's manager Simon Fields tells PEOPLE exclusively. They're the first children for Lopez, 38, and the fourth and fifth for Anthony, 39. The couple celebrated the impending births with a baby shower in New York on Jan. 19. "They were just beaming the entire time," said one partygoer. . . . .During the early weeks of her pregnancy, Lopez skillfully ducked the question, even when appearing on TV in October with Diane Sawyer and with David Letterman. Lopez shrugged off the secrecy, telling Harper's Bazaar, "I kind of feel like everybody knew anyway. I was on tour with a bubble gut!". . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: WORLD EXCLUSIVE: See Jennifer Lopez's Twins! People magazine, March 20, 2008 |
RELATED ARTICLE: J-Lo 'spent $1.4million giving birth to her $6million babies' The Daily Mail- UK, February 29, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: COURTING TROUBLE NY Post- Page Six, February 27, 2008
Dayanara Torres plans to spill the beans on her short and tumultuous marriage to Marc Anthony, reports The Post's Sandra Guzman. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: How Much for That Baby on the Cover? How About $6 Million? People Latest Mag Set to Shell Out Big for First Snaps of Celeb Spawn Advertising Age, By Nat Ives, February 18, 2008
People magazine is poised to pay Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony between $4 million and $6 million for exclusive U.S. rights to the first photos of their expected twins, people familiar with the negotiations said last week. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Why babies can't wait News.co.au, By Jeremy Laurance, February 9, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: The risks - and rewards - when motherhood begins at 40 The Sydney Morning Herald- Life & Style, By Kate Benson Medical Reporter, January 9, 2008
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- The Bride Wore Very Little The New York Times, By Ruth Ferla, February 21, 2008
The gown was almost wanton — fluid but curvy with a neckline that plummeted dangerously. “It makes me feel sexy and beautiful,” said Natasha DaSilva, who slipped it on for a fitting last week. Cut away at the rear to reveal a tattoo at the small of her back, the dress suggested a languorous night in the honeymoon suite. Except that Ms. DaSilva, who will be married on Long Island in September, plans to wear it at the altar. “Why not?” she asked. “I want to look back in 20 years and feel like I looked hot on my wedding day.” Ms. DaSilva, 26, thinks of herself as adventurous, but not so brash that she is about to cross a line. Dressing for a wedding as if it were an after-party is accepted among her family and friends. “For my generation, looking like a virgin when you marry is completely unappealing, boring even,” she said. “Who cares about that part anymore?” Ms. DaSilva is typical of a growing number of brides flouting convention by flaunting their curves. More vamp than virgin, many are selecting gowns that bare a generous expanse of cleavage, midsection, lower back or thigh, temptress styles that may be better suited to a gala or boudoir than to a church or ballroom. . . . |
RELATED ARTICLE: 20 hot wedding trends for 2008: How to make your wedding one to remember The Sunday Times, By Deborah Joseph, January 20, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: Paris Wedding Trends 2008: The Black Wedding Dress Parisian Party, Posted by Kim, November 23, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: Top Wedding Trends for 2008 The Knot.com
What's hot now? This year, bigger is definitely better, from luxe place settings to statement-making gowns and hairstyles.
RELATED ARTICLE: 2008 Wedding Trends About.com, By Nina Callaway
A Guide to the Hottest Wedding Trends of 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: One Perfect Day: The Selling of the American Wedding AlterNet, By Emily Wilson, June 15, 2007
Pre-World War II, many couples got married in clothes they already owned. Today, they spend thousands. In her new book, One Perfect Day, Rebecca Mead shows how the wedding industry became so powerful and who it has exploited in the process.
WEDDING PLANNING RESOURCES: Big City Bride Colin Cowie Preston Bailey
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- Valerie Bertinelli: Eddie & I Cheated On Each Other People magazine, By Brian Orloff, February 21, 2008
Valerie Bertinelli is kissing and telling: In a revealing new sit-down with Oprah Winfrey, the actress and Jenny Craig spokeswoman says that she and ex-husband Eddie Van Halen cheated on each other. "I cheated," she tells Oprah on the episode airing Feb. 25 (via Entertainment Tonight). "He claims to this day that I cheated first, but I don't know. I don't know about the timing." Bertinelli, 47, who's promoting her tell-all book, Losing It: And Gaining My Life Back One Pound at a Time, also reveals that her ex, with whom she's now friendly, wanted to take their relationship slow – at least at first. "He didn't want to sleep with you," asked Winfrey. Responded Bertinelli: "I know ... I wanted to sleep with him ... and he wanted to talk to my dad first.". . . . |
RELATED ARTICLE: Exclusive: Valerie Bertinelli Comes Clean About Living a Lie Oprah.com, February 21, 2008
She was America's favorite girl next door. For the first time, actress Valerie Bertinelli opens up about her 20-year rock-and-roll marriage to Eddie Van Halen and her public battle with weight. Tune in Monday, February 25, 2008.
RELATED ARTICLE: The Infidelity Files Day 3: 'Adultery isn't the end - it's a wake-up call' The Telegraph-UK, By Angela Levin, January 23, 2008
In the final part of her investigation into Britain's infidelity epidemic, Angela Levin reveals how wronged partners deal with being cheated on - and how the crisis can improve their relationship.
RELATED ARTICLE: The Infidelity files: Day 2 -'Being unfaithful keeps me happy' The Telegraph- UK, By Angela Levin, January 22, 2008
Continuing her investigation into Britain's adultery epidemic, Angela Levin talks to professional women who have affairs to bolster their marriages - and revitalise flagging sex lives.
RELATED ARTICLE: The Infidelity files: Day 1 - Desperately seeking someone The Telegraph, By Angela Levin, January 21, 2008
In the digital age, having an affair has never been easier. Author Angela Levin spent five months interviewing middle-class professionals for an extensive study that charts the rise of the no-strings-attached* relationship. In the first of a three-part investigation, she reveals why the UK is in the grip of an infidelity epidemic
RELATED ARTICLE: Adultery Is Killing the American Family The Conservative Voice, By Nathan Tabor, Sept 22, 2005
RELATED ARTICLE: THE NEW INFIDELITY: Overworked and Underappreciated, More American Wives Are Seeking Comfort In The Arms Of Other Men Newsweek, By Lorraine Ali and Lisa Miller, August 9, 2004 Issue
RELATED BROADCAST & RESOURCE: Escaping the Lure of Infidelity- Part 1 Focus on the Family, February 7, 2008
RELATED BROADCAST & RESOURCE: Escaping the Lure of Infidelity- Part 2 Focus on the Family, February 8, 2008
RELATED RESOURCE: HOPE & HEALING: Helping Couples Recover from Adultery |
- When a couple divorce, whose side do you take? Especially when the bride ends up living with the best man The Daily Mail- UK, By Alison Smith Squire, February 21, 2008
Soon after Karen Mears and Kevin Ware married in 1999, he nearly died of a brain haemorrhage. When he recovered she decided he was no longer the man she loved. Shortly after that Karen moved in with the best man. Her behaviour has divided their family and friends. Here, each of those involved give their different stories . . . . .Two weeks after his haemorrhage, when Kevin came out of his coma, I looked into his eyes and knew immediately that the man I loved was no longer there. And even though on my wedding day I had meant every word of my vows - and I'd said that I would be with him in sickness and in health - for me, after his illness, there was no longer a future for us. I can understand some people thinking that sounds very cold. I am sure there are some people who will never understand how I could leave my husband. Believe me, I have asked myself the same question - and still do: how could I leave Kevin when he needed me most?. . . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Ten Ways to Help a Friend or Family Member Who Is Struggling in Their Marriage Family.org, By Mitch Temple
It's common to know someone whose marriage is in trouble and to be unsure how to help. These 10 practical tips will help you get started helping others. |
- Children of Sperm Donors Have Rights, Too Townhall.com, By Maggie Gallagher, February 20, 2008
In New Jersey, the state Senate has twice voted to give adopted children access to their original birth certificates, that is, to the names of their biological mothers. Birth mothers would have one year to notify the state that they wish to remain anonymous. Even so, such birth mothers would be compelled by government to provide social, cultural and health information, or else their identities would be released regardless of their consent. Recently, one southern New Jersey newspaper weighed in forcefully in the bill's favor: "This is not too much to ask from a birth mother ... The adoptee's right to this information is as important as protecting the privacy of the birth mother," the editors of the Courier-Post opine. But why pick exclusively on birth mothers? If children have a right to know their own biological parents -- a claim recognized in international human rights law and one to which I am deeply sympathetic -- there is no good reason to limit this claim to the small number of women who accept the agonizing burden of giving life to children they cannot raise. Far more children these days are deprived of knowledge of their origins by a totally difference process: artificial insemination. . . . . My own position on sperm donation is considered beyond the pale. Ideally, before a man becomes a father he ought to be able to persuade some woman to marry him. But consider this an absolute minimum: A man who wants to be a father ought to be able to find some actual live woman who wants to have sex with him. Call it nature's quality control. . . . |
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RELATED ARTICLE: I was the daughter of a sperm donor - shame no-one told me The Daily Mail- UK, By Alison Smith-Squire, January 30, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: The Revolution in Parenthood: The Emerging Global Clash Between Adult Rights and Children's Needs AmericanValues.org
RELATED ARTICLE: The prospect of all-female conception The Independent- UK, By Steve Connor, April 13, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: The fertility lottery Sunday Business Post- Ireland, By Jennifer O'Connell, January 14, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: 'Embryo Bank' Stirs Ethics Fears: Firm Lets Clients Pick Among Fertilized Eggs The Washington Post, By Rob Stein, January 6, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: The Parent Hood: How technology and social progress are turning procreation into self-actualization. The Daily Standard, By Claudia Anderson, December 4, 2006
RELATED ARTICLE: Where is Technological Reproduction Taking Us? COMMONWEAL magazine (Subscription required), By Barbara Dafoe Whitehead, October 20, 2006
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- Pastor Prescribes 30-Day Sex Challenge For Married Couples
Author Hopes To Help Combat Divorce Rates NBC6.net, February 19, 2008
-- A Florida church is urging its married members to have sex every day for 30 days. Pastor Paul Wirth of the Relevant Church said he believes the 30 Day Sex Challenge will help combat America's rising divorce rate. "We wanted to be able to help couples, both married and single, to really refocus their sex lives around what God's principles are," Wirth said. Wirth said he came up with the idea because so many people have told him that they have no time for sex. Single people also have a challenge: They will have to abstain from sex. "We're asking the single people to ... take a break from sex, maybe take a sex detox for 30 days," Wirth said. Pastor Wirth said that while the challenge should rekindle passion and affection in married couples, it will also teach singles to appreciate themselves and their partners without sex. . . .
RELATED VIDEO: Minister to married couples: Sex every day! CNN.com- AP, February 19, 2008
RELATED VIDEO: 30-day SEX Challenge Guide You Tube.com- Relevant Church
RELATED SITE: 30daysexchallenge.com
RELATED BLOG & COMMENTS: Relevant Church- Where Culture Meets Christ |
RELATED ARTICLE: Holy inappropriate! Britain's first Christian sex shop The Daily Mail, By Jenny Johnston, February 2, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: One preacher's message: Have hotter sex MSNBC.com- America Unzipped, By Brian Alexander, December 4, 2006
Minister Joe Beam says good Christian marriages walk on the wild side.
RELATED ARTICLE: The Passionate Marriage Family.org, By Al Janssen
It's the inspiration for every great love story ever written. And it's a reflection of what God intends for your marriage.
RELATED ARTICLE: Romance and Lifelong Intimacy Family.org, By James Dobson, PhD,
Dr. Dobson offers helpful advice to couples who've lost the wind in their romantic sails.
RELATED SITE: WhollyLove: Products and resources celebrating God's fantastic gift of sex within marriage |
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- Parenting Issues: Lindsay's Mom: Nude Photos 'Tastefully Done' People magazine, By David Caplan, February 19, 2008
Lindsay Lohan's nude pictorial in the current issue of New York magazine has received the stamp of approval from her manager-mom Dina. "It was very tastefully done," Dina tells PEOPLE of the photos, a recreation of Marilyn Monroe's legendary 1962 photo shoot shot by Bert Stern. "I respect the photographer as an artist, so I look at them artistically. For him to call Lindsay 46 years later and to say can you recreate these photos is an honor. I looked at it as art, and as Lindsay doing a character. So I don't look at them like it's Playboy; she was being a character. So if you look at it that way, you can look at it as a mother." And Dina adds that had the photos been inappropriate, Lindsay's sister Ali would not have visited the set. "Trust me," Dina tells PEOPLE, "I wouldn't have sent my 14-year-old to the set [if the shoot was in bad taste]. And obviously Lindsay wouldn't do anything with her sister there, that was risqué." . . . |
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RELATED ARTICLE: Lindsay Lohan: Perhaps, Momma doesn't always know best! The Real Proposal magazine Blog Spot, February 26, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: Lindsay Lohan as Marilyn Monroe in "The Last Sitting" New York magazine, Photographs by Bert Stern, Article by Amanda Fortini, February 18, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: Lindsay Lohan Poses Nude – as Marilyn Monroe People magazine, By Stephen M. Silverman, February 18, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: Lindsay Lohan gets up close and personal on her hotel balcony with her THIRD man in 24 hours The Daily Mail- UK, January 1, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: Celebrity: Moms Gone Wild Vanity Fair, By Judith Newman, November 2007 Issue
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. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: The power of parenting Townhall.com, By Rebecca Hagelin, May 19, 2006
RELATED ARTICLE: Dishing out some Hart-felt wisdom Townhall.com, By Rebecca Hagelin, September 20, 2005
RELATED ARTICLE: Fighting for our children isn't easy Townhall.com, By Rebecca Hagelin, August 9, 2005
RELATED ARTICLE: Poor Parenting at the Root of Problem Teens Atchison Daily Globe - KS, By Jeff Schmucker, May 19, 2005
RELATED ARTICLE: We can win Townhall.com, By Rebecca Hagelin, May 13, 2005 |
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- One family, two portfolios
Five ways you and your spouse can bridge your differences and keep your finances on track. CNN Money (Money Magazine), By Carloyn Bigda, February 18, 2008
-- At first glance, Justin and Kim Ritchie seem in perfect financial sync. The couple, who grew up on the same street in Georgia and both went to college in Atlanta, are saving more than half of their combined six-figure income so they can buy a bigger house in their hometown of Bonaire, Ga., cover college tuition costs for sons Giuseppe, 2, and Gianluca, 1, and retire together before they hit 60. Just one problem: Currently the bulk of the couple's savings, some $62,000, is languishing in a money-market fund, and the Ritchies can't agree on the next step. Kim, 27, a production management specialist for the Air Force, says she has a high tolerance for risk. She wants to try for bigger returns on their savings, including buying individual stocks. Justin, 29, a sales manager for a multimedia company, is rattled by recent market losses. Even the couple's visit to a financial adviser was a bust. After reviewing the plan, Justin was overwhelmed and backed out. "It felt too aggressive," he explains. Says Kim: "We're together in marriage, but we have different ideas about the way to go." Alas, as the Ritchies are learning, being in love doesn't guarantee that you and your partner will be financially compatible. . . |
RELATED ARTICLE: A family that saves together flourishes Stuff.co.nz, February 19, 2008
Family can be a force to be reckoned with, but when it comes to finances the family unit is a much overlooked asset. Amanda Morrall explores intergenerational planning.
RELATED ARTICLE: Make A Date to Talk About Money Townhall.com, By Carrie Schwab Pomerantz, February 12, 2008 |
- A family's struggle against great debt
Ill health, credit cards, a house-load of woes Philly.com, By Harold Brubaker, February 18, 2008
Anthony and Lisa Grande's house stands out in their Levittown neighborhood. "It's the big house," Lisa said when giving directions. The Grandes borrowed more than $100,000 - much of it on credit cards - to double its size four years ago because they wanted enough room for their five children and did not want to move. But now, the Grandes are fighting to stay there, having repeatedly fallen behind on their mortgage payments, which climbed from $1,841 to $2,487. They offer a powerful example of how lax mortgage underwriting, excess credit-card debt, and catastrophic health problems can add up to financial disaster for an American family. The Grande household was among an estimated 1.5 million in the United States that entered foreclosure last year, pushing the national foreclosure rate to 2.7 percent from an average of 1.7 percent between 2001 and 2005. The deflating housing bubble and the subsequent credit crunch made it impossible for many troubled borrowers, such as the Grandes, to refinance and has stalled economic growth. To escape a severe downturn, the Federal Reserve has sharply lowered interest rates, and Congress has promised more than $100 billion in tax rebates to spur consumer spending. The Grandes' problems, however, go far beyond the reach of a federal stimulus package. . . . . |
RELATED ARTICLE: Bad Marriage and Foreclosure?
Darren is facing foreclosure. He and his wife were going through a divorce, and they let the house payment go, but now they’re getting back together and want to get the house back. It is a conventional loan and they are seven months behind. Do they have a chance of getting their house back?
RELATED ARTICLE: Last bid to shed debt Chicago Sun Time, By Mark J. Konkol, February 8, 2008
After her life falls apart financially, real estate broker decides to raffle off her four-bedroom house
RELATED ARTICLE: ECONOMIC STIMULUS PACKAGE: Macabre Waltz Into The Abyss NewsWithViews, By Devvy Kidd, January 31, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: Getting a Grip It's Hush Money, Baby ArtVoice, By Michael I. Niman
RELATED ARTICLE: Look Who's Making Coin Off The Credit Crisis Forbes.com, By Maureen Farrell, January 31, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: Usury Laws, the Christian Right, and Bad Statistics Outside The Beltway, By James Joyner, February 17, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: Top 5ive Tips For Buying a Foreclosure Smart Money.com, By Stacey L. Bradford
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- A Real Wife, In a Real Marriage
An outspoken, smart black woman or a bossy, emasculating wife? Michelle Obama defies stereotypes, but cannot escape them, either. Newsweek.com, By Raina Kelley, February 25, 2008 Issue
In my junior year of high school, I ran for Student Council president. In my 17-year-old mind, this position was not that different in prestige and power from being president of the United States except that being the head of the Student Council boosted my chances of getting into Yale. I put posters along the hall where most of the black students hung out. Each one featured a drawing of an Oreo and proclaimed: A VOTE FOR RAINA IS A VOTE FOR RACIAL UNITY. I was playing on the conceit that I did not fit the stereotype of a young black woman (I worshiped the "Preppy Handbook" and Gloria Steinem) but was still too dark to be homecoming queen. The response was, well, galvanizing. My classmates were furious with me for being condescending and inappropriate. I realized that stereotypes cannot be controlled unless you think that grabbing a tiger by its tail is controlling it. And as Michelle Obama captures the media's attention, I am reminded of my past foolishness. She is a strong, smart black woman who does not hesitate to speak her mind—and that has been the source of her appeal. But as her husband rises from underdog to front runner, and Michelle becomes more visible and vocal in the campaign, those "feisty dame" stereotypes that had been her strengths might be turning around to bite her. Critics are now taking her to task for being emasculating, sarcastic and bossy—c | | | | |
