'MARRIAGE' In The NEWS- January 2008: The REAL Proposal For Marriage magazine

Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick apologizes, vows not to resign (Click for Related Video)

Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick apologizes, vows not to resign The Detroit News, By Mike Wilkinson, January 30, 2008
DETROIT -- In a city waiting for answers and at a church where he prays, Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick sat with his wife Carlita on Wednesday night before a single camera and apologized -- to his sons, his wife and to the city he's led since 2002. His famed bravado absent, a somber and contrite Kilpatrick said he alone was responsible for the turmoil that has roiled his administration and his city for a week, since romantic text messages between him and his chief of staff surfaced. "Let me start by saying to the citizens of this great city: I'm sorry," Kilpatrick said during a 10-minute address televised across the region from the Greater Emmanuel Institutional Church of God in Christ, a northwest Detroit church where he worships. . . . But the speech did not address daunting questions: Did the revelations of intimate text messages between Kilpatrick and long-time chief of staff Christine Beatty -- who last summer denied under oath that they had an affair -- constitute perjury? And did the city shell out more than $9 million for a legal settlement in an attempt to keep those messages secret? The mayor said legal considerations prevented him from speaking in further detail. His wife, Carlita, also spoke, asking Detroiters to "remain committed to him," as she is. . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: In tough times Carlita Kilpatrick stands by her husband The Detroit Free Press, By Suzette Hackney, January 30, 2008

RELATED ARTICLE: Even in a Burned-Out Marriage, The Spark Can Be Rekindled The Washington Post, By Abigail Trafford, January 29, 2008

RELATED ARTICLE: Most text messages just vanish: The ones transmitted by most cell phone services expire when deleted The Detroit Free Press, By Mike Wendland, January 25, 2008

RELATED ARTICLE: FREE PRESS SPECIAL INVESTIGATION: Mayor Kilpatrick, chief of staff lied under oath, text messages show-- Romantic exchanges undercut denials The Detroit Free Press, By Jim Schaefer and M.L. Elrick, January 24, 2008

RELATED VIDEO: Private exchanges contradict public statements The Detroit Free Press, Reporting by Jim Schaefer and M.L. Elrick

FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE: Kwame Kilpatrick: A mayor in crisis The Detroit Free Press

Cover Story: Angelina Jolie Pregnant! OK magazine, January 30, 2008
Of all the A-list names on the red carpet at Sunday night's Screen Actors Guild Awards, Angelina Jolie was the one on everyone's lips as they wondered what the Oscar winner might be hiding beneath that long, billowing Hermes gown — an unusual style pick for an actress known for tight, body-hugging outfits. And now OK! has learned that Angelina is indeed expecting baby no. 2 with boyfriend Brad Pitt and that the actress is over the moon about bringing another child into the world. "Angie has wanted a second biological baby for some time now," a friend of the star tells OK!. "And the minute she's pregnant, she just glows. She's the type that doesn't want to scream it to everyone, but she has the quiet, expectant mother glow. Her smile says she's the luckiest woman in the world.". . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Jolie-Pitts 'Thrilled To Be Adding to Their Brood' People magazine, By Mary Green, February 23, 2008

RELATED ARTICLE: Angelina Jolie looks blissfully happy. But are health fears troubling her paradise? The Daily Mail- UK, By Paul Scott, January 31, 2008

Francesca Edwards: 'I gave Â£100,000 to my Jamaican toyboy but now he's gone back to his wife - taking my money with him' (Click for Related Video)

I gave £100,000 to my Jamaican toyboy but now he's gone back to his wife – taking my money with him The Daily Mail- UK, By Diana Appleyard, January 28, 2008
A group of attractive, well-dressed sixty-something couples were sipping wine around a polished mahogany table in a smart South London flat. Only one man was not joining in the conversation and, when he did, the other guests had to lean forward to catch what he was saying. Hardly surprising, given that he was speaking in a broad Jamaican patois. Dressed in cargo trousers, a gaudy silk shirt with a beanie hat on his Rastafarian dreadlocks, he certainly looked out of place. "My friends were always terribly polite to him," says 63-year-old Francesca Edwards, a slim, good-looking woman who works as a recruitment consultant in central London and lives in Dulwich. "But privately they would say to me, 'Be careful. You can only get hurt by this. What do you have in common? How do you know that he loves you for yourself?' The undercurrent was that he was after my money and my beautiful London flat but I was blinded by love and passion." The 48-year-old Jamaican, Winston, was Francesca's lover. For six years, she'd had a rollercoaster romance with a man 12 years her junior. "The sex was phenomenal," she sighs. "The first time I went to bed with him, I could not believe what it was like to be loved by such an amazingly energetic man with his slim, strong body." . . . .

RELATED VIDEO: Rent a Dread Link International Productions
Sex TV s Field Producers Timothy Speaks Fishleigh and Jessica Canham explore the many levels of male prostitution or romance and tourism in the Caribbean islands of Jamaica and Dominica.

What men REALLY think about women and tattoos The Daily Mail-UK, By Alex Blimes, features director of GQ, January 28, 2008
A salutary tale for young women in the papers the other day: Melanie Chisholm, better known as Sporty Spice, is reportedly ready to spend £10,000 and endure two and a half years of intermittent physical torment to erase her numerous tattoos. Mel C, 34, is said to have grown increasingly unhappy with her ten separate examples of 'body art', which include a Celtic cross on her left arm, a phoenix across her shoulders and the word 'Angel' above her navel. "They look nice when you're toned and tanned," she is said to have said, "but when I put on weight they looked awful." Without wishing to compound the poor woman's misery, I beg to differ: doubtless Mel C's tattoos do look awful when she puts on weight, but they don't look much better when she's toned and tanned. They certainly don't look 'nice'. At the risk of coming across like a retired church warden, multiple tattoos on young women seldom do. . . . . The thing is, tattoos used to mean something. They used to come with a dangerous frisson of outsiderdom. They said, "You can keep your straight lives and your straight jobs, your domestic appliances and your three-up, two-downs, your stiff collars and your Bible studies. I'm off to join the circus and see the world." Well, they didn't literally say that. They said, 'Mum'. But that's what they implied. Tattoos were for sticking it to The Man. People with tattoos were scary, and to be avoided. And women with tattoos were like women with moustaches: feared and ridiculed in equal measure. There are, of course, still those who live as dangerously as they look. Pipe smoker of the year Amy Winehouse has the spirited disregard for convention necessary to carry off her many and varied – and, it must be admitted, highly original – designs. But that doesn't mean the average twentysomething British female would look good with an anchor on her stomach, pneumatic pin-ups on her arms and a jeans pocket above her breast, as if her skin were made of denim. . . .

What men REALLY think about women and tattoos

Marriage’s little secret: it works The Sunday Times, By Imogen Stubbs, January 27, 2008
When I saw the results of the British Social Attitudes report last week, it occurred to me how difficult it is to keep a long-term relationship going in these turbulent times. The report, which has been running since 1983, is significant because it has proved to be a good barometer of social changes and informs social policy. This year it tells us that married couples are no longer seen as the “norm” and that two-thirds of people see marriage and cohabitation as indistinguishable. Most people now see a wedding as an excuse for a party rather than as a declaration of lifelong commitment. I must admit that I have some sympathy with this view. Although married myself, I have always felt somewhat ambivalent about a legal document sealing an emotional commitment - and positively repelled by the money made by lawyers undoing that legal commitment when couples divorce, feeding on people’s personal tragedy. However, it appears true that couples who choose to live together rather than marry are far more likely to break up before their children are five than their staid, married contemporaries. And in my experience, marriage makes a difference for children. They like being part of a solid family unit where everyone has the same name. . . . . I am from an older generation with one foot in the past. I remember my parents’ generation where monogamy and unrelenting stability - yes, maybe tedium - were applauded. Now nobody gives you a gold star for monogamy. We live in a world where young girls have “f***-buddies” and moral values are tumbling. People are still shocked when a marriage breaks up but - given how difficult it can be to sustain a long-term relationship - instead of being disappointed with those who fail, we should celebrate those who make it work. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Paul Newman and wife Joanne celebrate 50 years of marriage Hello! magazine, January 29, 2008

RELATED ARTICLE: Experts say marriage isn't so important now The Times Online, By Carol Midgley, January 29, 2008
As a survey suggests that we no longer think marriage matters, experts say it is a stable relationship that’s important.

RELATED ARTICLE: Divorce doesn’t have to be a disaster The Times Online, By Jane Cassidy, January 24, 2008
Huge changes in family life are taking place, says a new report. But our psychotherapist argues that for children conflict is often worse than divorce

RELATED ARTICLE: Love and marriage don’t have to go together, say modern couples The Times Online-UK, By Rosemary Bennett- Social Affairs Correspondent, January 23, 2008

RELATED ARTICLE: Five non-religious arguments for marriage over living together TownHall.com, By Dennis Prager, Oct 3, 2006

SURVEY RESULTS

66% say there is little difference socially between being married and living together

53% say a wedding is more about a celebration than a lifelong commitment

48% say living with a partner shows just as much commitment as getting married

28% say married couples make better parents than unmarried ones

63% say divorce can be a positive first step towards a new life

78% say that it is not divorce that harms children, but conflict between their parents

Source: British Social Attitudes Survey, 2008

Kay Hymowitz: The child-man in the Promised Land
Today's single young men hang out in a hormonal limbo between adolescence and adulthood City Journal, By Kay Hymowitz, Winter 2008- Vol. 18, no.1
It's 1965, and you're a 26-year-old white guy. You have a factory job, or maybe you work for an insurance broker. Either way, you're married, probably have been for a few years now; you met your wife in high school, where she was in your sister's class. You've already got one kid, with another on the way. For now, you're renting an apartment in your parents' two-family house, but you're saving up for a three-bedroom ranch house in the next town. Yup, you're an adult! Now meet the 21st-century you, also 26. You've finished college and work in a cubicle in a large Chicago financial-services firm. You live in an apartment with a few single guy friends. In your spare time, you play basketball with your buddies, download the latest indie songs from iTunes, have some fun with the Xbox 360, take a leisurely shower, massage some product into your hair and face – and then it's off to bars and parties, where you meet, and often bed, girls of widely varied hues and sizes. Wife? Kids? House? Are you kidding?. . . . It's time to state what is now obvious to legions of frustrated young women: The limbo doesn't bring out the best in young men. . . .Young men especially need a culture that can help them define worthy aspirations. Adults don't emerge. They're made. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: The Myth About Boys Time magazine, By David Von Drehle, July 26, 2007

RELATED ARTICLE: The War on Fathers: How the 'feminization of America' destroys boys, men – and women WorldNetDaily- Whistleblowers magazine, June 2006 Edition
Rod Dreher: What child-men need is some tradition The Dallas Morning News, By Rod Dreher, January 27, 2008
. . . . . This unhappy student rightly recognized that the preceding generation – the baby boomers – had failed in its responsibility to pass on to him a tradition. Had his art teachers only drilled him in tradition, they likely would have bludgeoned his creativity with mannerism. Instead, they declared tradition irrelevant and made each student's individual desire the only necessary standard. Without a tradition against which to measure oneself as an artist, there is nothing to learn, no impetus to learn it and no penalty for not learning it. The student asked a question – What is an artist? – for which his culture no longer provided an authoritative answer. But if you ask a far more important question – What is a man? – the culture comes up equally short, and for the same reason. To be sure, the definition of manhood is culture-bound and has been talked about since time immemorial. . . . . . Today's child-men have been formed by a culture that has lost – or, rather, thrown away – a relatively fixed standard of manhood. It used to be that virtue was the measure of a man. Was a man just? Was he brave (and not necessarily in terms of physical courage)? Was he honorable in his dealings with those weaker than he? Did he respect women? Did he believe in something higher than himself? Did he submit to the concepts of duty and respect? It's not that all men, or even most, lived by this general code. It's that they recognized that they would be judged by it, and judged themselves by it. That's mostly gone, replaced by a therapeutic model in which the autonomous self is its own judge, and personal satisfaction is the measure of a life well lived. . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: The Way We Were…And Now The Real Truth magazine, BY M. Wayne Icenhower, Republished December 7, 2006

Girly Men in the NFL? Tampa Bay Bucs Defensive Tackle Anthony McFarland and Friend Jason Kimbler--Just 2 Girls Getting Their Nails Done (Per Debbie Schlussel.com)

Girly Men: The Media's Attack on Masculinity Salvo Magazine 4, By S. T. Karnick
The tendency of the nation’s schools to suppress boys’ natural way of seeing and doing things, brilliantly documented by Christina Hoff-Sommers in her 2001 book The War Against Boys: How Misguided Feminism Is Harming Our Young Men, is becoming increasingly evident in the culture. According to Hoff-Sommers, programs in America’s public schools are set up to obliterate all that is masculine and establish femininity as the human norm:. . . .The central characters of the new ABC show Big Shots exemplify this elevation of emotions over achievements. These men are the heads of four big corporations, and the hook is that although their businesses are doing well, their personal lives are a mess. One is enormously henpecked, another is divorced and has a young-adult daughter who openly hates him (or seems to), another is distressed by the close friendship between his wife and his mistress, and the other’s wife has been cheating on him with his boss. Get the irony? At work they’re Masters of the Universe, but in the social realm they’re ineffectual schlubs. . . . . Thus, the war against boys seems to have created three main character patterns for the adult male of our time: sensitive guys who want to please women; weenies and dorks who want only to be left alone to drink beer and play video games with their dork buddies; and thugs who, in rebellion against their unnatural education, are perpetually concerned with proving their toughness through increasingly loutish behavior. There are, of course, examples of decent, positively masculine males in the culture, but they are becoming increasingly overwhelmed by the products of educational and cultural feminization. . .

The hell of having Mum live with us
An honest account from a loving son The Daily Mail- UK, By Peter White, January 24, 2008
This is a memory I've almost succeeded in burying. I like to think it's so out of character, that it must have been someone else. And yet there we sat, my wife Jo and I, housing association and sheltered accommodation pamphlets on the table, discussing with my octogenarian mum, Joan, alternatives to her living under our roof. Three years after she moved in with us, we were asking her to leave. No one wanted to be in this situation and yet we felt we had exhausted every other possibility. Finding her a new home seemed the only way to avoid a family implosion. How had we got ourselves into this mess in the first place? . . . . . At this stage, there was no question of residential care - she was becoming frailer, sometimes a little forgetful, but was in no way unable to look after herself. And as she didn't think of herself as old, sheltered or warden-controlled accommodation - a ghetto for the old - seemed equally unthinkable. So, I guess, the idea grew that she should come to live with us; it was logical, as our two sons and two daughters had grown up and left home; and we had the space (or so we thought), whereas my brother and sister-in-law did not. We still lived in Winchester, where Mum had spent the whole of her married life my brother and sister-in-law lived some way out of town. It would be easier to keep an eye on her living with us, than it would be for us to continually dash backwards and forwards between the two houses. But most of all, I wanted to think that towards the end of her life, I could pay back some of the debt I owed her - a decent way of returning security freely and lovingly given. Set down like that in cold print, it all looks very reasonable. . . . .

The hell of having Mum live with us: An honest account from a loving son

RELATED ARTICLE: In-Law relationships Focus on the Family.org
Many couples talk about important issues before they marry: how many children they want, where they'll live and how they'll handle their finances. But there's one problem that couples rarely address — in-laws. Hollywood has made a joke out of in-law problems by poking fun at the havoc negative parental relations can wreak on a relationship. But it's no laughing matter when it's part of your story. It can create marital problems that you didn't anticipate and negative patterns of relating with your new parents that can last for years. If this describes you, you may have tried many tactics that have proved ineffective, such as yelling, screaming , manipulating or remaining silent. Perhaps you are now at the end of your rope and want to hang someone with it. We have suggestions that we think you'll find to be a little more positive. You can't change your in-laws, but you are able to change yourself, and that will make a world of difference. It can enhance your marriage and ease the frustration that has been eating at you for long enough. . .

Noah and the Flood Townhall.com, By Chuck Colson, January 24, 2008
Little Noah Markham was one of the tiniest victims of Hurricane Katrina. When the levees broke, Noah was trapped in a flooded New Orleans hospital. It took 10 police officers using flat-bottomed boats to rescue him. It is an amazing story, but what makes it even more incredible is the fact that—on the day Noah was rescued—he had not yet been born. And no, he was not living in his mother’s womb. Instead, young Noah was living in a canister of liquid nitrogen. He was, in fact, a frozen embryo—a human being at the embryonic stage of life. On January 16, 2007, 16 months after a policeman grabbed Noah’s home away from home—the canister—he was born. As Robert George and Christopher Tollefsen observe in their new book, Embryo, if the police had abandoned that canister of liquid nitrogen, “Noah, sadly, would have perished before having the opportunity to meet his loving family.” And so would more than 1,400 other embryos. Noah, whose parents named him after another flood survivor, is a joyful reminder that embryos are members of the human family—members who are fully human at a very early age. . . . Read Robert George’s and Chris Tollefsen’s new book, Embryo, to learn about why we have a moral obligation to protect humans at every stage of life—even the lives of the smallest people among us. People like Noah. . .

Alison: Your Aim Is True Townhall.com, By Mike S. Adams, January 23, 2008
A recent essay by Alison Piepmeier of the College of Charleston provides some of the best examples of the cruelty, heartlessness, and utter self-absorption embodied in the modern feminist movement. Aptly titled, “Choosing Us,” the essay shows that, for feminists, abortion is a device to prevent one thing: Feminist inconvenience. . . . . What is odd about her quick decision to abort is that she was no teenager. She was 31 years old when she got pregnant and was in a “stable relationship.” In fact, the man who got her pregnant was “Walter,” her husband of five years. She had kept several hundred dollars tucked away in case she ever needed to terminate an unplanned pregnancy - a habit she did not terminate even after years of marriage. Alison confessed in her essay that she was part of a happily married couple, that she and her husband were in good physical health, and that they both had jobs and health insurance. She even said, “Walter and I were pretty good candidates for parenthood.” Midway through her essay she almost sounded as if she knew the decision to abort was wrong for a woman in her circumstances: . . . . And so I wonder what Alison Piepmeier – director of Women’s and Gender Studies at The College of Charleston – will say to the next co-ed who asks her advice on the issue of abortion. . . .

A recent essay by Alison Piepmeier of the College of Charleston provides some of the best examples of the cruelty, heartlessness, and utter self-absorption embodied in the modern feminist movement.

RELATED ESSAY: Choosing Us Skirt magazine, Alison Piepmeier

RELATED BIO: Alison Piepmeier Director, Women's & Gender Studies/Department of English- College of Charleston

RELATED ARTICLE: Dutch woman charged with murder after having abortion in Spain when 27 weeks pregnant The Daily Mail- UK, January 31, 2008

RELATED BLOG: Abortion: An "inconvenient truth" within Marriage The Real Proposal Magazine, January 26, 2008

RELATED BLOG: Abortion as a “love story” PhillyBurbs.com, By J.D. Mullane, January 24, 2008

RELATED ARTICLE: Abortion: Meet the mother and daughter who have both had terminations The Daily Mail-UK, By Natasha Courtenay-Smith, June 6, 2007

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.

Experts on the future of marriage: It's no longer about producing together, but consuming together

ODD NUMBERS: The Future of Marriage
It's no longer about producing together, but consuming together. CondÉ Nast Portfolio.com, By Zubin Jelveh, January 23, 2008
It's no longer about producing together, but consuming together. That's the argument in a brilliantly presented essay by Betsey Stevenson and her husband Justin Wolfers -- both of Wharton. Here is their call for a new economic model of the family: So what drives modern marriage? We believe that the answer lies in a shift from the family as a forum for shared production, to shared consumption. In case the language of economic lacks romance, let's be clearer: modern marriage is about love and companionship. Most things in life are simply better shared with another person: this ranges from the simple pleasures such as enjoying a movie or a hobby together, to shared social ties such as attending the same church, and finally, to the joint project of bringing up children. . . .While the romantic in me really hopes this is true, the cynic has a question. The last child is usually finished and shipped out of the house when parents are in their mid-50's. That means there are about 20 years of healthy living left. Let's assume there was no benefit from shared consumption, then it might make sense for couples to get divorced, have their fun with new people, and then die. So why is this not happening?. . .

Social Networking sites link to town's seven suicides, including Liam Clarke and Natasha Randall

Parenting Issues: Social network sites link to town's seven suicides The Times Online- UK, By Simon de Bruxelles and Jack Malvern, January 23, 2008
Natasha Randall was 17, had a large circle of friends and was studying childcare when, without any indication that she was unhappy, she hanged herself in her bedroom. Her death last Thursday was the latest in at least seven apparent copycat suicides in Bridgend, South Wales, that have alarmed parents, health authorities and police, who believe that they may be prompted by messages on social networking websites such as Bebo. Within days two 15-year-old girls, both of whom had known Tasha, as she called herself, had also tried to take their lives. One cut her wrists and was later discharged from hospital into the care of her parents. The other tried to hang herself and spent two days on life support before showing signs of recovery. Police have since visited the families of 20 of Tasha’s friends, urging them to keep an eye on their daughters. In the 12 months before Tasha’s death, six young men from Bridgend and the surrounding area had killed themselves. Most were known to each other. This month Tasha attended the funeral of 20-year-old Liam Clarke, who was found hanged in a local park the day after Boxing Day. . . . South Wales already had one of the worst suicide rates for young people. Tasha, who called herself “Wildchild”, was not the only one to spend hours each day on the internet in a world about which their parents knew little. . . .

RELATED VIDEO: Is there a new e-suicide cult sweeping through Britain? The Times Online- UK

RELATED ARTICLE:   Does the internet cause copycat suicides?   The Times Online-UK- Comment Central, By Daniel Finkelstein, January 23, 2008

RELATED ARTICLE: Girl is second pupil found hanged after suffering taunts by bullies   The Times Online, By Murad Ahmed, January 10, 2008

RELATED ARTICLE: Parents of MySpace hoax victim seek justice: ‘No apologies’ over teen who hanged herself over failed romance, kin say MSNBC.com- Today Show, By Mike Celizic, November 19, 2007

RELATED ARTICLE:   My Friend is Talking About Suicide. What Should I do? KidsHealth.org, Reviewed By Matthew K. Nock, PhD, June 2005 (Originally reviewed by: D'Arcy Lyness, PhD)

RELATED ARTICLE: Suicide KidsHealth.org, Reviewed By Matthew K. Nock, PhD, March 2006

RELATED INFO & STATISTICS: About Teen Suicide KidsHealth for Parents, Reviewed By Matthew K. Nock, PhD, June 2005, (Originally Reviewed By David V. Sheslow, PhD, and Steven Dowshen, MD)

RELATED RESOURCE: What to Do When Your Friend Is Talking About Suicide Guide to HealthCare Schools Library,
Suicide is an often hushed topic. However, it is a topic that people need to be informed about in order to help their friends and those around them. Many students struggle with suicidal thoughts, but it can be a difficult topic to talk about. In fact, suicide has been called the “silent epidemic” because it is the “second leading cause of death among college students” and “the third leading cause among all people aged 15-24.” According to the National Mental Health Association, four out of five teens “who attempt suicide have given clear warnings.” If you think a friend might be suicidal or have heard a friend talk about suicide, it is important that they seek immediate help. Direct the friend to professional help or to the national suicide prevention lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). Take any worries or concerns you have about a friend seriously. Educating yourself is one of the best things you can do if you're concerned about teen suicide. Check out these resources to learn how to help and become an advocate in your community. Educate Yourself - Learn How to Help - Bring Awareness. . .

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: Prevent Teen Suicide

RELATED RESOURCE: Teen Suicide Emergency Hotline: (800) SUICIDE or (800)999-9999

Parenting Issues: Va. Student's Snow-Day Plea Triggers an Online Storm Washington Post, By Michael Alison Chandler, January 23, 2008
Snow days, kids and school officials have always been a delicate mix. But a phone call to a Fairfax County public school administrator's home last week about a snow day -- or lack of one -- has taken on a life of its own. Through the ubiquity of Facebook and YouTube, the call has become a rallying cry for students' First Amendment rights, and it shows that the generation gap has become a technological chasm. It started with Thursday's snowfall, estimated at about three inches near Lake Braddock Secondary School in Burke. On his lunch break, Lake Braddock senior Devraj "Dave" S. Kori, 17, used a listed home phone number to call Dean Tistadt, chief operating officer for the county system, to ask why he had not closed the schools. Kori left his name and phone number and got a message later in the day from Tistadt's wife. "How dare you call us at home! If you have a problem with going to school, you do not call somebody's house and complain about it," Candy Tistadt's minute-long message began. At one point, she uttered the phrase "snotty-nosed little brats," and near the end, she said, "Get over it, kid, and go to school!". . . . . Not so long ago, that might have been the end of it -- a few choice words by an agitated administrator (or spouse). But with the frenetic pace of students' online networking, it's harder for grown-ups to have the last word. Kori's call and Tistadt's response sparked online debate among area students about whether the student's actions constituted harassment. . .

Va. Student's Snow-Day Plea Triggers an Online Storm. (Click to listen to the call)

'I'm a human pet': Goth teenager Tasha Maltby, whose fiance, Dani Graves, walks her around on a dog lead

Parenting Issues: 'I'm a human pet': The Goth teenager whose fiance walks her around on a dog lead The Daily Mail- UK, By Chris Brooke, January 23, 2008
Given that she describes herself as a human pet – and is happy to walk around on a lead – Tasha Maltby is used to odd looks and even odder remarks. But nothing had prepared her for the reaction of the bus driver who allegedly told the self-styled Goth and her boyfriend: "We don't let freaks and dogs like you on." Miss Maltby and her fiance Dani Graves were so angered they have complained to the bus company of being "victimised". "It is definitely discrimination, almost like a hate crime," 19-year-old Miss Maltby said yesterday. The music technology student had this defence of her lifestyle. "I am a pet, I generally act animal like and I lead a really easy life," she said. "I don't cook or clean and I don't go anywhere without Dani. It might seem strange but it makes us both happy. It's my culture and my choice. It isn't hurting anyone." The bus driver, however, has obviously not been listening. . . . Paul Adcock, of bus company Arriva Yorkshire, said: "We take any allegations of discrimination seriously. "Mr Graves has already contacted us directly and as soon as our investigation has concluded we will inform him of the outcome.". . . .

Death-leap father cleared of murdering son The Times Online, By Steve Bird of The Times in Chania, Crete, January 23, 2008
The man who hurled himself and his children off a hotel balcony in Crete, killing his son Liam, was today found not guilty of murder because he was deemed too psychologically unwell. John Hogan, who remains on medication for his mental health problems, was sent to a psychiatric unit after his crime was found under local law to be "unpunishable" due to his mental state. The jury of three men and a woman deliberated for just 40 minutes before reaching their verdict. Mr Hogan had denied charges of murder and attempted murder. "His responsibility was diminished. He was incapable of murdering his son and he needs to be in a psychiatric unit for therapy," said President Paraskeri Kiraleou, who led the panel of three judges. . . . Meanwhile, at the other end of the court in the public gallery, his ex-wife Natasha wept and was comforted by Avon and Somerset Police liaison officers who had accompanied her on her trip to Crete. . . In a statement read out on her behalf, Mrs Hogan, 35, a nurse who now lives in Newport, Gwent, said: "I have done my best to provide a balanced view of John and our life together so that the Greek court is aware of the troubled times in both John’s life and our relationship together. "This result, albeit somewhat unexpected, has left me feeling that Liam lost his young life for nothing." . . . .

Death-leap father John Hogan cleared of murdering son

Lovewise: Has marriage made you boring? CANOE.com, By Lisa Daily January 23, 2008
On a plane from New York, I gave some dating advice to the attractive single woman sitting next to me. I had mentioned that I was a dating expert, and she confessed how much she wanted to be married and settled, and how hard it was to date sometimes. I sympathized with her and offered some pointers on what she might do to have more success. Then we both got comfortable and read for the rest of the flight. As it so happens, I was reading a very funny novel called Sleeping with Ward Cleaver, about a woman who wakes up one day and realizes her husband has become the most boring man on the planet. I'm guessing she's not the only one. . . . . Sure, couplehood has its appeal. For some, it's the idea of having one special person to spend your life with, a person who knows everything about you, someone to share the mortgage payments with, build a home with, maybe start a family. But why do once-interesting single people become uninteresting partnered people?. . . .

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. . . 'Sex is really important. It's the glue in any relationship, and if you've been together for a long time you've got to make more effort to keep it interesting." It's the sort of remark that not so long ago would almost certainly have been made by a man. But, in fact, it was spoken by Rebecca, a thirtysomething married woman with two children - and it is further proof that in today's world, women are calling the sexual shots as much as men. She speaks from experience. Five years ago, she became so fed up with her husband's lack of interest in her that she decided to do something practical about it and take a lover. . . . The happiness is relative. The partner who chooses to have a fling has to live a life of subterfuge and always be on the alert in case he or she is found out. They also have to deal with their conscience. Even if they manage to reason with themselves that what they get up to has a positive effect on their core relationship, the truth is that most people don't rely on their brain to tell them it's OK to play away. As well as the obvious health hazards, what you gain from an affair is small compared to what you risk losing - except perhaps if an affair is used as a deliberate exit strategy from the marriage. It also only takes a second's carelessness for your infidelity to be discovered. . . .

The Infidelity Files Day 3: Adultery isn't the end - it's a wake-up call

RELATED COMMENTS: Have your say: Share your experience of marital infidelity The Telegraph- UK, January 23, 2008

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.

Cosmo-Not-For-Me Indiana Daily Student (ids.com), By Stefania Marghitu, January 22, 2008
I’m not exactly the world’s biggest feminist. It’s not that I don’t condone some forms of feminism; it’s just never been my bag. But when I picked up the February issue of Cosmopolitan Magazine, the self-proclaimed “#1 Women’s Magazine,” I became quite disappointed. My disappointment started as early as the cover. I was initially interested in reading about this month’s cover girl Katherine Heigl. Then I saw that three of the headlines mentioned “him”: “Arouse Him Like Crazy!” “45 Ways to Get Even Closer to Him” and “The Most Satisfying Sex Position: It Turns Him On ... and It Feels Awesome for You!” I did some research on the history of Cosmopolitan Magazine. According to its Web site, Cosmo started as a general interest magazine in the late 1800s, but it became a publication for independent, sexually-liberated women in the 1960s. Part of the reason for its popularity was the way it made women not feel guilty for having pre-marital sex. . . . . I’ll admit, there were a few good things I got from this issue of Cosmopolitan Magazine. I found a quick and easy recipe for potato gratin, one of my favorite dishes ever. Sadly, this was under a feature titled “Dinner He’ll Love You For.” I also learned that Tommy Lee Jones was Al Gore’s roommate at Harvard and that Anne Hatthaway originally turned down Heigl’s role in “Knocked Up” because “the birthing scene was too graphic.” But if those are the only perks of Cosmo, I’d like a refund. . . .

Vietnam maid's Taiwan boss is her long-lost father Hong Kong Herald, January 22, 2008
A Vietnamese woman who came to Taiwan to work as a maid and to search for her Taiwanese father has been reunited with him in a human drama story bordering on a miracle. All of Taiwan's newspapers on Tuesday reported how Tran Thi Kham, 40, was recently reunited with her father Tsai Han-chao, 77, who could hardly believe what had happened: 'I can only say: This is fate.' The story goes back to 1967 when Tsai, then a 36-year-old businessman, took a business trip to Hong Kong and fell in love with Ah Hua, a Vietnamese girl working as a shop assistant at a Hong Kong department store. Though already married, Tsai fell in love with Ah Hua and gave her his photo and a gold ring. The affair was short-lived as Tsai returned to Taiwan and Ah Hua returned to North Vietnam to care for her sick mother. In Vietnam, Ah Hua gave birth to a girl, Tran Thi Kham, but died when Tran was two months old, leaving behind only a photo of Tran Tsai and a gold ring. . . . . . Tsai's feelings are complicated by his recollection about Tran's mother Ah Hua, recalling now that he had liked her then, but that the affair had been just a fling. 'I met her only twice and never contacted her afterwards. Neither did she contact me. How could I know she became pregnant?' he mused. After Mrs Tsai had died, Tran moved to work for another employer on Taiwan's offshore island Kinmen, and then other employers there. Recently Tran noticed that she had lost her parcel containing Tsai's photo and the ring. She suspected she had left it at Tsai's home, so she asked Kinmen police to phone Tsai to check. . . .

Women turn on 'traitor' Oprah Winfrey for backing Barack Obama

Women turn on ‘traitor’ Oprah Winfrey for backing Barack Obama
Oprah fans leave a barrage of negative messages on her official website in response to the talk show host's support of Obama The Sunday Times, By Tony Allen-Mills, January 20, 2008
AMERICA’S favourite television presenter is paying a painful price for her intervention in the US presidential campaign last month. Oprah Winfrey has been dubbed a “traitor” by some of her female fans for supporting Barack Obama instead of Hillary Clinton. Winfrey’s website, Oprah.com, has been flooded with a barrage of abuse since the queen of daytime chat shows joined Obama on a tour of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina in mid-December. Her intervention was widely credited with broadening Obama’s national appeal - especially among women - and with helping him to an upset victory over Clinton in the first vote of the election year in Iowa. . . . . Yet a backlash by Clinton supporters appears to have prompted a rethink by Winfrey, the African-American media titan who is routinely described as the most influential woman on television. She did not reappear in the final days before the New Hampshire primary - which Obama lost to Clinton - and has been absent from the most recent campaigning in South Carolina, which votes next weekend. . . .It started with a message on her website entitled “Oprah is a traitor” and rapidly expanded to include several discussions that attracted hundreds of comments. . .

Early to Wed The Boston Globe Sunday magazine- The Weddings Issue, By Alison Lobron January 20, 2008
While their college peers perfect the casual hookup and their older sisters and brothers delay marriage until later and later, a small number of college students are bucking both trends and committing to "I do" while still in school. A look inside the lives of these quiet rebels: Kristin Huang's Riverway apartment has a distinctly just-out-of-college feel: A halogen lamp lights up the small living room, purple milk crates serve as bookshelves, and shoes line the narrow hallway. Otherwise, her domestic life is atypical for a 2007 graduate of a Massachusetts college. The 22-year-old got engaged during the fall of her senior year at Harvard, spent spring semester with what she calls a "fourth class in wedding planning," and married Yi-An Huang - who was two years ahead of her at Harvard - a few weeks after her graduation last June. Eight months later, over a dinner of spicy beef and rice, the Huangs say they love married life - which, for Kristin, has been inseparable from post-college adult life. As committed Christians, they did not want to live together before marriage, as many of their peers do, nor did they want to wait until they were closer to the median age for first marriages in the United States, now 25 for women and 27 for men. In Massachusetts, brides and grooms are among the oldest in the country: The median age here is 27 for women and 29 for men. "Once we knew that we wanted to get married eventually, we were thinking, 'Why not now?'" says Kristin. "We were excited about the possibility of spending life together for the rest of our lives, and we wanted to start that journey sooner rather than later." The journey, they say, has brought challenges and surprises for both. . . .

Early to Wed: Clockwise, from top left: Kristin Huang, 22, and Yi-An Huang, 25; Luke Langford, 23, and Amy Langford, 23; Patricia Arevalo-Castillo, 22, and Erik Castillo, 27; Luke Suttmeier, 22, and Allison Kuhns, 20

20 hot wedding trends for 2008
How to make your wedding one to remember The Sunday Times, By Deborah Joseph, January 20, 2008
1 Black orchids: Are you over boring white ones? You should be. This year, it’s all about the black orchid. At £400 per table centre, from the florist Jamie Aston (020 7387 0999), it’s the rarest and most exclusive breed. It isn’t cheap, but boy, does it have impact.
2 Red: If you’re searching for passion, “make your day full-on red”, says the Alist wedding planner Liz Taylor, of Taylor Lynn. Red marquee? Check. Red tablecloths? Check. Red lips? Check, check, check.
3 Couture cakes: In black and white icing, or white with dark chocolate, designs become nipped and tucked, neat and flawless. Look for gilded chocolate patterns with hand-piped black pearls, or black and white polka-dot frills, for a flamenco feel. Sequins, pearls and frills will also be big this year.
4 Marquee villages. . . . .

JOKE OF THE DAY: The Lighter Side
The Bride & Groom:
During the wedding rehearsal, the groom approached the pastor with an unusual offer:
"Look, I'll give you $100 if you'll change the wedding vows. When you get to the part where I'm supposed to promise to 'love, honor and obey' and 'be faithful to her forever,' I'd appreciate it if you'd just leave that out."
He passed the minister a $100 bill and walked away satisfied. On the day of the wedding, when it came time for the groom's vows, the pastor looked the young man in the eye and said:
"Will you promise to prostrate yourself before her, obey her every command and wish, serve her breakfast in bed every morning of your life, and swear eternally before God and your lovely wife that you will not ever even look at another woman, as long as you both shall live?"
The groom gulped and looked around, and said in a tiny voice, "Yes," then leaned toward the pastor and hissed: "I thought we had a deal."
The pastor put a $100 bill into the groom's hand and whispered: "She made me a better offer."

Children- the wellspring of hope that nourishes a country Sydney Morning Herald, By Chris Meney, January 19, 2008
There is nothing that so dramatically influences our day-to-day existence as interacting with a child. Children lift our spirits, enhance our optimism and give us a wider sense of perspective. Having children, especially more than one or two, certainly has its challenges. As parents of four sons and five daughters, my wife Mary Clare and I need to be able to respond constantly to the significant daily personal and practical demands. Our evening meal brings together a dynamic, effervescent community that exposes the patchwork of sin and grace which comprises each of its members. All the banter, argument and sharing of stories seems to erupt with a fullness of life that is hard to imagine for any individually focussed existence. Our kitchen is a bustling society in microcosm. Two-year-old Therese yells for the sauce bottle and her world responds. But we seem to be surrounded by fewer two-year-olds than we used to be. . . . . Another recent study in People And Place titled "The Rise Of The Older Mother", revealed a pronounced growth in the postponement of pregnancy. While the number of women giving birth in their 30s has increased, the overall effect of postponement is further downward pressure on the number of children women have over a lifetime. For baby-boomer mothers born in 1951, the 14 per cent of women who had four or more children contributed 30 per cent of the next generation. We now have a greater proportion of younger women having fewer children. This suggests a growing burden of responsibility will fall on a smaller number of larger families to generate sufficient children to secure Australia's future. . . . . Children are the wellspring of that intergenerational hope essential for individual and social wellbeing. So if we want our country to continue to flourish, we need to acknowledge the essential value of marriage and family. . . .

Children: Thewellspring of hope that nourishes a country

RELATED ARTICLE: Against the Trend, U.S. Births Way Up Breitbart.com, January 16, 2008
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RELATED ARTICLE: Beyond Babies: Why More Married Couples Are going Childless Newsweek International, By Stefan Theil, Sept. 4, 2006 issue

RELATED ARTICLE: Missing Children Without mass immigration, low birthrates doom society Wall Street Journal, By Gary S. Becker, September 3, 2006

RELATED ARTICLE: Beyond babies? TownHall.com, By Maggie Gallagher, August 29, 2006

RELATED ARTICLE: As Europe Grows Grayer, France Devises a Baby Boom Washingtom Post, By Molly Moore, October 18, 2006

RELATED ARTICLE: Sorry, but my children bore me to death! The Daily Mail, By Helen Kirwan-Taylor, July 26, 2006

RELATED ARTICLE: REPORT: Life Without Children The State of Our Unions: The Social Health of Marriage in America 2006 National Marriage Project-Rutgers University, By Barbara Dafoe Whitehead & David Popenoe

Seventeen magazine's February 2008 Issue advises on the 'Shocking Ways You Could Get PREGNANT By Accident.' (Click for Related Video)

Parenting Issues: Teen Pregnancy Not An Accident Townhall.com, By Kathryn Jean Lopez, January 18, 2008
Seventeen magazine is a great gift to the youth of our nation. Before the magazine's February issue, our nation's adolescent girls were in danger of "accidentally" falling into pregnancy, or so their cover implies: "Shocking Ways You Could Get PREGNANT By Accident." Last time I checked, pregnancy results from an activity that requires some effort, some decision-making. Seventeen's editors, however, don't seem to live in my reality. Instead, It buys into the same dangerous and conventional wisdom that kids will have sex -- end of conversation. So all adults can do is help them prevent disease and pregnancy. . . . Alarmingly, a 2004 study found that teen girls look to these magazines "as a valued source of advice about their personal lives." The Kaiser Family Foundation reported: "According to a focus group of seventh through 11th-grade girls, conducted by Teenage Research Unlimited for YM, teen readers want the content in their magazines to reflect their lives, and they rely on magazines as a sounding board, fashion and beauty consultant and close confidant. Another survey conducted by Taylor Research & Consulting Group indicated that 12- to 15-year-old girls look to magazines (42 percent) almost as much as their friends (45 percent) for the coolest trends." Kaiser relayed: "In-depth interviews with girls ages 12 and 13 who were regular readers of teen magazines found that girls used the magazines to formulate their concepts of femininity and relied heavily on articles that featured boys, opinions about how to gain male approval and act in relationships with males." . . . .

Q & A: Ask Amy: She's insulted boyfriend gave her promise ring for Christmas Newsday.com, By Amy Dickinson, January 18, 2008
Dear Amy: My boyfriend and I, both 25, have been dating for about a year. We moved in together two months ago, and are both a year away from finishing law school. We have discussed marriage. I love him dearly, and we have a great relationship. I realize that a wedding is not in our immediate future because we have so much else to think about. I have made it clear that I am ready to become engaged and to begin thinking about a wedding after our graduation from school. He said that he understood but that he likes to take his time on things, especially big decisions. I would like to give him as much time as he needs so he doesn't feel I'm pressuring him into something. For Christmas, he gave me a promise ring. Frankly, I felt hurt and insulted. Where I come from, promise rings are for teenagers. I haven't said anything to him, because I think he thinks that a promise ring is like an "engagement ring light." Every time I look at the ring, I can't help but feel as if he doesn't take our relationship seriously. It is also depressing, when many of my friends are getting engaged and married, to look at my ring finger and see something my teenage sister might like to wear. Should I say something to him? -- Anxiously Awaiting. . . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Live in sin and pay the price Brisbane Times, By Miranda Devine, April 19, 2007

RELATED ARTICLE: Four Myths About Living Together Without Marriage Human Events -By Janice Shaw Crouse, Mar 1, 2006

RELATED ARTICLE: 'Cohabitation is replacing dating' USA Today, By Sharon Jayson, July 18, 2005

RELATED ARTICLE: The Marrying Kind: Which Men Marry and Why The National Marriage Project- The State of Our Unions 2004, By Barbara Dafoe Whitehead and David Popenoe
Q & A: Ask Amy: With improvements in marriage, it's time to dump ex as 'friend' Chicago Tribune, By Amy Dickinson, January 17, 2008
Dear Amy: My husband and I had a tough few years. In addition to other problems, I have had two miscarriages and got very depressed. My husband didn't want to talk about it and told me to get over it. Then the bigger problems started. My husband started gambling. Last year he gambled away almost $5,000. We argued like crazy. I almost left him for this. About six months ago, I crossed paths with an ex-boyfriend from 10 years ago. My husband and I were barely speaking, I was depressed and lost. My ex-boyfriend listened and gave me what I needed. I had no self-worth because my husband would not show any affection to me. Well, my ex-boyfriend was supportive and caring, and one thing led to another and we had sex. I love my husband and realized that I didn't want to give up on my marriage without a fight, and I didn't want to have my family torn apart by a divorce. . . . . I don't want to lose this ex as a friend, but I get frustrated when our conversations go from innocent to sexual. Should I confess this to my husband and risk losing him? Or should I cut off all communication with this ex and bury this horrible mistake so that I could focus 100 percent on my marriage and family? -- M

Marriage & Domestic Violence: A Fatal Combination in the Philippines, Where Divorce is Illegal Alternet, By Tess Raposas- The Women's International Perspective, January 17, 2008
Maria was 16 when she first came to visit the Philippines from California and decided to remain here. Witty and talented, she became a popular movie icon. Then barely in her twenties, she plunged into an early marriage with an upcoming politician from the north. Nineteen years later, her body was found slumped on the stairwell of the 13th floor where she had fallen from the 23rd floor of the condominium unit where she was staying. She was only 38. Why? Maria was also a mother of six whose life became an archetype of marital wretchedness. Even if she had wanted out of her marriage, it would have been impossible for her to opt for divorce: the Philippines is one of only two countries in the world where divorce is not allowed. (The other country is Malta, another Catholic stronghold, like the Philippines.). . . . Maria’s is not an isolated case. Thousands of women suffer from domestic violence within marriage. In less than ten years, there was a big leap in the number of cases reported to police: 1,100 in 1996 shot up to over 6,500 by 2005. And those were just the reported cases of domestic violence. There are still more undocumented and unreported cases where women opt to suffer in silence for the sake of family togetherness. Violence also goes unreported due to victims’ embarrassment, not knowing how or to whom to report, or worst of all, the tragic belief that the violence was unimportant and that nothing could be done anyway. Yet these victims are wasting away from the unresolved injustice of their lives. . . .

Marriage & Domestic Violence: A fatal combination in the Philippines where divorce is illegal

Misogny Is America's True National Pastime

Misogyny Is America's True National Pastime The New York Times, By Bob Herbert, January 17, 2008.
With Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton’s win in New Hampshire, gender issues are suddenly in the news. Where has everybody been? If there was ever a story that deserved more coverage by the news media, it’s the dark persistence of misogyny in America. Sexism in its myriad destructive forms permeates nearly every aspect of American life. For many men, it’s the true national pastime, much bigger than baseball or football. Little attention is being paid to the toll that misogyny takes on society in general, and women and girls in particular. Its forms are limitless. Hard-core pornography is a multibillion-dollar business, having spread far beyond the stereotyped raincoat crowd to anyone with a laptop and a password. Crowds of crazed photographers risk life and limb to get shots of Paris Hilton or Britney Spears without their underwear. At New York Jets home games, men regularly gather at Gate D to urge female fans to expose themselves. In its grimmest aspects, misogyny manifests itself in hideous violence — from brutal beatings and rape to outright torture and murder. . . .

Traditional Marriage Supporters Rush to Fill 22,000 Signatures: Fla. Marriage Amendment in Danger of Not Making November Ballot The Christian Post, By Katherine T. Phan, January 17, 2008
A proposed amendment that would uphold traditional marriage is in danger of not making the November ballot as organizers of a petition effort are currently thousands of signatures short. Leaders of Florida4Marriage.org, backers of the initiative, have only two weeks to collect the required 611,009 signatures. They are short some 22,000. Petitions must be delivered to the organization's Orlando office by Tuesday, Jan. 29. “We are in a state of constitutional emergency with this announcement, and we need immediate action from everyone who supports the Florida Marriage Amendment,” John Stemberger, state chairman for Florida4Marriage.org, told the Florida Baptist Witness. The group had announced in December that it had enough petition signatures to get on the ballot. An audit by the Florida Division of Elections, however, found on Monday that only 589,020 signatures had been verified. The Miami Herald reported that as a result of a "counting glitch" some signatures were counted twice. Florida4Marriage.org blasted an e-mail to supporters Tuesday, urging them to take immediate action and to "pull out all stops" in collecting the signatures. "Right now, we are not interested in whose fault this is," said Stemberger in the e-mail. "We just want to finish the job – and finish it immediately.". . . .

Traditional Marriage Supporters Rush to Fill 22,000 Signatures: Fla. Marriage Amendment in Danger of Not Making November 2008 Ballot (Click for Related Site)

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Exclusive: Marion Jones's First Interview
Marion Jones, the Hero: Stripped of Her Medals Oprah.com, January 16, 2008
Marion says she is grateful for the people who have supported her throughout her ordeal. "The prayers have really allowed me to get through it and be strong," she says. Although being stripped of her medals was painful, Marion says the pain she has put her family and friends through hurts far more. "I've returned the medals, the performances have been taken away, but they fail in comparison to seeing my husband cry," she says. "They fail in comparison to seeing my mother have to stand there in the courtroom and bawl. You know, those things to me are what mean the most." With a 4-year-old at home, Marion and her husband are faced with the daunting task of finding the right words to explain the situation to their young son. "I have not told him yet, " Marion says. "My husband and I have spoken about how we're going to go about doing that. I mean, as you can imagine, it's a very sensitive topic, and we're not dealing with a 15-year-old here who perceives things a different way. We're talking about a 4-year-old who was upset this morning that I couldn't drop him off at school, you know? It's going to be challenging.". . . . .

Marion Jones: 'I've returned the medals, the performances have been taken away, but they fail in comparison to seeing my husband cry'

Does Marriage Matter? Albert Mohler.com, By Albert Mohler, January 15, 2008
The "My Turn" column in each week's issue of Newsweek is always one of the most interesting features in the magazine, and it is often the first page I read. The January 14, 2008 edition featured a column that demands attention -- and has attracted plenty. In her article, "Yes to Love, No to Marriage," Bonnie Eslinger writes of choosing love but insists that she has absolutely no need of marriage. . . . As she recalls, "Meeting Jeff--an intelligent, creative, thoughtful man--became the icing on the rich cake of a life not wasted cruising singles bars and pining over lost loves." As the relationship moved forward, Jeff thought of marriage and then asked Bonnie to marry him. . . . Bonnie Eslinger willingly gave her heart to "the intent of his question," she insists, but not to marriage. Her explanation is straightforward -- she has no need of "a piece of paper from the state" and is not a believer in any religion that would demand that romance, sex, and "committed love" be restricted to marriage -- a couple's "joint allegiance to God." In one sense, the column is not shocking. Rates of heterosexual cohabitation are growing annually. Marriage has been subverted by easy divorce, pummeled in the mass culture and in entertainment, confused through debates over same-sex relationships, and sidelined by a generation that is extending adolescence past age thirty. In another sense, Bonnie Eslinger's column is surely noteworthy for its candor -- and its evasions. . . . Few paragraphs offer such eloquent testimony to the absolute victory of personal autonomy as an ideal. The first-person pronoun appears no less than eleven times in that short paragraph. Where is Jeff? . . .

The Logic of Life (Part 1): The Economics of Marriage Slate.com- The Undercover Economist, By Tim Harford, January 15, 2008
This week Slate is publishing two excerpts from Tim Harford's new book, The Logic of Life, which is premised on the notion that if we want to understand our world-or how to change it-we must first understand the rational choices that shape it. . . . . Ever since John von Neumann's game theory promised to help us understand love and marriage, economists have been interested in how people choose their partners and how relationships work. It takes two to tango, and it also takes two to get married. Marriage therefore requires you to go out and find someone you want to marry, and persuade them to marry you. It's a matching problem, and it is not unique to marriage. Getting a job is emotionally a different proposition to finding a wife or husband, but in some ways it's similar: you need to consider a range of jobs, work out which ones you prefer, and persuade the employer that he likes the match as much as you do. And just as in the job market, who matches up with whom, and on what terms, will depend on what the competition is offering. Whom you marry depends on where you live, but also on how old you are and what race you are. . . . .

The Logic of Life: The Economics of Marriage

Parenting Issues: Is Tough Love an Oxymoron? Townhall.com, By Janice Shaw Crouse, January 15, 2008
On a television talk show this week, I argued that some situations, like teen pregnancy that we were discussing on the program, require “tough love.” Another panelist quickly declared, “Tough love is an oxymoron!” Thus, in the eyes of the left, the only solution to a bad circumstance involving an adolescent is to make it as easy as possible for that child and to help him or her to avoid all negative consequences for personal behavior. Further, the left argues that public policy should be formulated to free teens from the consequences of their mistakes and taxpayer funds should be used to achieve that impossible goal. I respectfully disagree. . . . The abstinence programs also lay a foundation for future relationships by teaching the principles that are necessary for building healthy relationships and preparing for a strong marriage. Such programs are as necessary for the boys as for the girls. Our young men need to know that respect, self-restraint, and deferred gratification of sexual desires are necessary in their relationships with girls and young women. They need to learn to accept responsibility for their actions; otherwise, they will not reach adulthood with the ability to succeed in their personal or professional lives. . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Sex and the Teenage Girl New York Times, By Caitlin Flanagan, January 13, 2008

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New MRSA Bacteria Strain Is Striking Gay Men

Health Issues: New Bacteria Strain Is Striking Gay Men New York Times, By Lawrence K. Altman, January 15, 2008
A new, highly drug-resistant strain of the “flesh-eating” MRSA bacteria is being spread among gay men in San Francisco and Boston, researchers reported on Monday. In a study published online by the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, the bacteria seemed to be spread most easily through anal intercourse but also through casual skin-to-skin contact and touching contaminated surfaces. The authors warned that unless microbiology laboratories were able to identify the strain and doctors prescribed the proper antibiotic therapy, the infection could soon spread among other groups and become a wider threat. The new strain seems to have “spread rapidly” in gay populations in San Francisco and Boston, the researchers wrote, and “has the potential for rapid, nationwide dissemination” among gay men. The study was based on a review of medical records from outpatient clinics in San Francisco and Boston and nine medical centers in San Francisco. . . . Among gay men in the study, MRSA was spread by skin contact, causing abscesses and infection in the buttocks and genital area. The new strain is closely related to earlier ones. Both are known as MRSA USA300. The strain is much more difficult to treat because it is resistant not just to methicillin, but also many more of the antibiotics used to treat the earlier strains, said Dr. Henry F. Chambers, an author of the new study. . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Emergence of Multidrug-Resistant, Community-Associated, Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Clone USA300 in Men Who Have Sex with Men Annals of Internal Medicine, 19 February 2008- Volume 148 Issue 4

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RELATED ARTICLE: Gay Men Plagued by Health Issues Scripture Refiner's Fire Blog, September 3, 2007

RELATED ARTICLE: Till Death Do Them Part: The Deadly Consequences Of Homosexual Unions Catholic Citizens.org, By Dr. Brian Kopp, December 5, 2003
According to Dr. Kopp, "The best scientific evidence suggests that putting society's stamp of approval on homosexual partnerships would harm society in general and homosexuals in particular, the very individuals some contend would be helped. A large body of scientific evidence suggests that homosexual marriage is a defective counterfeit of traditional marriage and that it poses a clear and present danger to the health of the community. . .

RELATED ARTICLES & INFO: HIV/AIDS and Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM) Centers For Disease Control and Prevention

RELATED ARTICLE:  The Health Risks of Gay Sex    Catholic Education Resource Center, By John R. Diggs, Jr. M.D.

RELATED ARTICLE: The Negative Health Effects of Homosexuality   Virtue Online— Family Research Council- Issue No.: 232, By Timothy J. Dailey, Ph. D.
Homosexual activists attempt to portray their lifestyle as normal and healthy, and insist that homosexual relationships are the equivalent in every way to their heterosexual counterparts. Hollywood and the media relentlessly propagate the image of the fit, healthy, and well-adjusted homosexual. The reality is quite opposite to this caricature which was recently conceded by the homosexual newspaper New York Blade News. . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Homosexuals and Same Sex Marriage WPAAG.org
Subjects Addressed in This Document:
Homosexual Promiscuity
Promiscuity Quotes by Homosexuals
Homosexual Health Problems
AIDS Health Costs to Taxpayers
Homosexuality and Children
Same Sex Marriage and Religious Speech Freedom

Parenting Issues: Hosanna, Montana! Christianity Today, By Audrey T. Hingley, January/February 2008 Issue
Kids and critics are singing the praises of Hannah Montana, starring Billy Ray Cyrus and his teen daughter Miley. Here's how they keep faith, family, and fame in perspective. . . . Country music star Billy Ray Cyrus is a big believer in God's plan—in the divine destiny and hope that are part of His grand design. Fitting, then, that he and his wife would name their daughter Destiny Hope. Today, that name seems almost prophetic in view of the Cyrus family saga. Following in her father's successful footsteps, Destiny Hope—better known by her nickname, "Miley"—has become quite the phenom herself, starring as the title character in the Emmy-nominated Disney Channel hit series Hannah Montana. The 15-year-old sensation is now about to wrap up a hugely popular 54-city concert tour. Billy Ray, who plays Hannah's dad on the TV show, says his daughter's success is all "part of God's plan" for Miley, so nicknamed because she was always "smiley" as a young child. There's much to smile about in the Cyrus household these days, not just because of the show's huge success, but also because of the uncanny father/daughter parallels—all a part of God's plan, if you ask them both. . . . After Miley wraps up her concert tour in January, she looks forward to continuing to act and perform. Billy says his CD title Home At Last says it all. "I am at peace with my life—past, present and future," he says. "I know all things that are good come from Almighty God above. . .

Kids and critics are singing the praises of Hannah Montana, starring Billy Ray Cyrus and his teen daughter Miley. Here's how they keep faith, family, and fame in perspective

Parenting Issues: ‘You Have to Try to Fix It Yourself’
ABC features an 11-year-old boy taking it upon himself to help feed Florida’s hungry Culture and Media Institute, By Kristen Fyfe, January 14, 2008
Jack Davis, a red-headed 11-year-old from Florida, has issues with leftovers. Jack’s concern about what happens to the thousands of pounds of leftover food generated by Florida’s restaurants earned him the spotlight in ABC’s weekly feature, “Person of the Week,” on World News with Charles Gibson. You see, character and responsibility aren’t traits restricted to grownups. Gibson set up the story on the January 11th broadcast like this: “Jack Davis is only 11. But he had a pretty grown-up idea. He was disturbed to learn that Florida restaurants throw out food that could be given to the hungry and the homeless, because the restaurant owners could be sued if any of the food’s recipients became ill or developed food poisoning.” After visiting a homeless shelter on school field trips, Davis said he became concerned about people going hungry. He talked to his parents about the problem and was told that a law would need to be passed in order to protect restaurant owners who wanted give away their leftovers. It is safe to say that most adults would have stopped at that roadblock. But not a child. Kids don’t see the world the same way adults do. For kids changing a law isn’t necessarily any harder than changing your socks. . . . .

Former Heat Star Glen Rice (Pictured here in happier times with wife Christina) Has Been Arrested On Battery Charge. He Is Accused Of Assaulting A Man Found In His Wife's Closet

Former Heat Star Arrested On Battery Charge
Glen Rice Accused Of Assaulting Man Found In Wife's Closet Local 10.com- ABC, January 14, 2008
-- Glen Rice joined the Miami Heat in 1989 and became a star. Now, the 40-year-old former NBA player is the focus of an alleged assault at his family's home in the Deering Estate community. Rice is accused of assaulting a man he found in his wife's closet. He turned himself in to authorities Friday afternoon.According to police, the 6-foot-8-inch former basketball star went to the Coral Gables home he once shared with his estranged wife and four kids and used a key to enter the front door. Once inside, he confronted his wife, Christina, and demanded to know the identity of the man who he found crouching in the master closet. "Mr. Rice then grabbed the victim by his throat and physically removed him from the bedroom," Miami-Dade police spokesman Roy Rutland told Local 10's Charles Perez. Police said the man in the closet was Alberto Perez, 37. He ran from the residence and called police. Perez suffered lacerations to his forehead and received nine stitches. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Violence gets a pass in big leagues Boston Herald, By Margery Eagan, January 17, 2008

RELATED ARTICLE: Shelters can't help all fleeing abuse: Cutbacks, shift in policy narrow victims' options The Boston Globe, By Maria Cramer, January 14, 2008

RELATED ARTICLE & POLL: Many cheat for a thrill, more stay true for love MSNBC.com/iVillage survey shows fidelity can be a tough promise to keep MSNBC, By Jane Weaver, April 16, 2007

RELATED ARTICLE: Examining Domestic Violence: Finding the strength to leave Redwood City Daily News, By Melissa McRobbie, October 27, 2006

RELATED ARTICLE: Respecting Accuracy in Domestic Abuse Reporting MediaRadar.com

RELATED SITE: Domestic Violence.org

RELATED SITE: National Domestic Violence Hotline
If you or someone you know is frightened about something in your relationship, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or TTY 1-800-787-3224

Nicole Richie, Joel Madden Have a Girl People magazine, January 11, 2008
Nicole Richie and her rocker boyfriend Joel Madden are the parents of a daughter, the couple's rep at Handprint Entertainment tells PEOPLE. Harlow Winter Kate Madden was born Friday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and weighed 6 lbs. 7 oz. "The beautiful healthy baby girl left the hospital with her ecstatic parents," says the rep, who confirmed the birth to PEOPLE exclusively. Richie, 26, said she was pregnant in July, telling Diane Sawyer on Good Morning America: "I would really want to be someone my child would look up to." Later, Richie, who had a famously wild childhood, said the idea of parenthood had made her more mature. . . . As for Good Charlotte frontman Madden, 28, he told PEOPLE in November he was looking forward to being a dad. "Having a baby is the most exciting thing that's ever happened to me, and to us," he said...

RELATED ARTICLE: Matthew McConaughey: I'm Going to Be a Dad People magazine, January 15, 2008

Mothers' and Children's Poverty and Material Hardship in the Years Following a Non-Marital Birth FRAGILE FAMILIES RESEARCH BRIEF- Bendheim-Thoman Center for Research on Child Wellbeing- Princeton University, Social Indicators Survey Center, Columbia University, January 2008
In 2004, the official U.S. poverty rate for families reached its highest level (12.3 percent) since 1993. Moreover, poverty rates varied substantially across different family structures. Families headed by single females, for example, experienced poverty rates nearly six times as great as families headed by married couples. While the poverty rate is a useful tool for assessing trends in economic wellbeing, the measure has been criticized for its inability to reflect income sufficiency for any particular family in recent decades. In order to better understand how families are faring, researchers have increasingly turned to measures of material hardship. Estimates of material hardship provide insight into whether a family's basic needs such as food, housing, and medical care are being met. Analysts commonly infer that poverty and hardships are highly correlated, although few examine the correspondence between these measures. This brief uses data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study to examine the incidence and concurrence of poverty and material hardships among mothers and children during the first five years following a non-marital birth. . . .

Young mother in motorway suicide, Heather Finkill, treated for postnatal depression

Young mother in motorway suicide treated for depression The Times Online, By David Sanderson, January 11, 2008
A mother who killed herself by walking on to a motorway had given birth to twins two weeks earlier and was believed to be suffering from postnatal depression. Police are interviewing healthcare professionals who had been treating Heather Finkill, 30, for the condition. A source said yesterday that she had visited a psychiatrist the day before she died. Mrs Finkill left her baby girls, Lacey and Isobel, with her husband, Ryan, early in the morning on January 2. Several motorists reported later that they had hit her after she walked on to the northbound carriageway of the M3 near Farnborough, Hampshire, less than 500 metres from her home. . . . .Friends of Mrs Finkill have made donations to the Association for PostNatal Illness in her memory. Diana Nehmé, secretary of the association, said that the condition could be treated with antidepressants, but it was often weeks before an improvement was noticed. She said: “New mothers have no idea how long it will go on for. Many, many women feel that they have gone completely insane and there’s no way back. It’s not necessarily that they want to commit suicide, but it’s the only answer they can find.” She said there was a distinction between postnatal depression - the most common symptoms of which are anxiety, thought disturbance, sleep disturbance and low morale – and “baby blues”, which she described as a “mild imbalance of hormones, which nature takes care of within two or three weeks”. Deborah Morgan-Graham, the head of Perinatal Illness UK, a postnatal support charity, said that the cause of the condition was little understood. She described it as the “silent epidemic”, adding that one in five mothers suffered from it in some form. . . . .

Suit over bar exam query dropped: Man alters view on same-sex marriage

Suit over bar exam query dropped
Man alters view on same-sex marriage The Boston Globe- AP, By Mark Pratt, January 11, 2008
A man who filed a lawsuit contending that he failed the Massachusetts bar exam because he refused to answer a "morally repugnant" question about same-sex marriage says he has since changed his views on gay rights. "After speaking with numerous members of the gay community, including my own friends, I began to empathize with their denial of basic human rights and how they feel discriminated against," Stephen Dunne said in a phone interview yesterday with the Associated Press. Dunne, an Irish immigrant who first came to the United States in 1998, said the change also was prompted in part by racism the Irish once faced in the United States, his six-year stint in the US Army, and the war in Iraq. . . .Dunne, 31, was denied a license to practice law in May after scoring 268.866 on the exam, just short of the passing mark of 270. He sought $9.75 million in the federal lawsuit filed in June against the Massachusetts Board of Bar Examiners and the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. Dunne said his score was hurt because he refused to answer an exam question addressing the rights of two married lesbians, their children, and their property during a divorce. He said the question legitimized same-sex marriage and same-sex parenting, contrary to his moral beliefs. . . .

Unknowing twins marry each other CNN.com, January 11, 2008
LONDON, England (CNN) -- British twins who had been separated at birth learned they were related only after they had become husband and wife, a senior British lawmaker said. The marriage has been annulled. The couple's identities have been protected for legal reasons. Their case was first highlighted by Lord Alton of Liverpool during a discussion on donor conception in the House of Lords in December, but only came to light Friday. The peer told the House of Lords that a court annulled the union as soon as the twins' true relationship became known. "They were never told that they were twins," he said during the Dec. 10 debate on a law covering human fertility and embryology. They had been adopted by separate families and "met later in life and felt an inevitable attraction, and the judge had to deal with the consequences of the marriage that they entered into and all the issues of their separation." No further details about the couple have emerged, and it is not known when the marriage took place or how long they were together before they discovered the truth. Adoption groups said Friday the case proves the need for openness and transparency during the adoption process. . . . .

No sex and the City: A British survey reveals that 75 per cent of women would marry for money. But there are pitfalls in life with a busy big earner

No sex and the City
As a survey reveals that 75 per cent of women would marry for money, our correspondent describes the pitfalls of life with a busy big earner The Times Online- UK, By Karen Barichievy, January 11, 2008
He’s thirtysomething, earns seven figures and lives in an immaculate bachelor pad. He drives an Aston Martin, his Amex is impervious to the most frenzied shopping trip and you’ll never have to slum it on a cut-price holiday again. If this is your idea of the perfect partner, you’re not alone. When Prince & Associates, an American wealth-research firm, asked a sample group of thirtysomething women if they would marry for money, a resounding 75 per cent said yes. However, before you start hunting your City banker quarry, think again. The lifestyle sounds promising on paper, but – like all good things – it comes at a price. . . . . What about sex, then? Surely these testosterone-fuelled chaps are rampant in the sack? Again, you’ll need to adjust your expectations: because if it doesn’t involve earning money, it tends to be rather low on the priority list. A seriously risky trading position will mean he’ll be so consumed by angst that not even a trio of Russian supermodels could appeal to his carnal side. And while you may have the luxury of endless lie-ins, he’ll have bolted out of bed by 6am, scanned his BlackBerry and checked the markets before he’s even got in the shower. . . But in the end all the cashmere in the world cannot insulate you from the cold truth that such men will always love their money and their jobs more than you. You will be an afterthought – an indulgence at best. . . .

Heartbreak Hotel: Devastated Serena Williams reveals secret heartache on blog

Heartbreak hotel: Devastated Serena Williams reveals secret heartache on blog The Daily Mail- UK, By Andy Dolan, January 10, 2008
Tennis star Serena Williams has poured out her heart on the break up of her relationship in an extraordinary internet blog just days before starting her defence of the first grand-slam tournament of the season. In an emotional 600-word account on her official website, Miss Williams, 26, revealed how she fell in love only to have her heart broken when her boyfriend (who she doesn't name) stopped calling and finally told her he 'needed space'. In a blog headlined 'Stand in these shoes (I'm sure u have before)', Miss Williams wrote of her experience meeting someone she wanted to 'spend every second' with. . . . . She stopped short of naming the mystery man in her blog, potentially read by millions of fans around the world, but the tennis star had been linked to little-known U.S. actor and hip-hop artist Jackie Long. In November, U.S. gossip columns also linked her to Chicago-born rapper Common after the pair had been spotted hand-in-hand. . . . "Weeks turn into months and you no longer talk to anyone else, just him. "And then it happens. Not the 'L' word. But what you have been most afraid of. 'What deep in your heart you have been afraid to confront. What you always suspected would happen one day sooner or later. HE STOPS CALLING." Miss Williams said her man "disappeared for a week" before finally calling her. She added: "As you begin to ask him what happened he stops you. He says 'I need space'. "You cringe at these words. . . .

RELATED ARTIICLE: Serena Williams Blogs About Secret Heartbreak Huffington Post, January 10, 2008

RELATED ARTICLE: Serena Williams has a tights malfunction - on a night out with her new man The Daily Mail-UK, By Donna McConnell, November 26, 2007

Seducing Someone's Spouse? It May Cost You
Man Must Pay $750K to Spurned Husband ABC News, January 9, 2008
A Mississippi millionaire must pay $750,000 to the man whose wife he stole away, after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the case. Sandra Valentine had been married to plumber Johnny Valentine for four years when she began working for Holly Springs, Miss., businessman Jerry Fitch Sr. Within a year, Sandra and Fitch, who was also married, began an affair. When Sandra got pregnant, Johnny, who suspected she was cheating, ordered a paternity test, which showed he was not the father. Johnny filed for divorce and then sued Fitch, claiming "alienation of affection," or, in other words, stealing his wife's love. Johnny won more than $750,000 in state court, and the verdict was upheld by the state Supreme Court. Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the case, ending Fitch's appeal. Mississippi is one of only seven states that still allow lawsuits over claims of "spousal theft." The others are Hawaii, Illinois, New Mexico, North Carolina, South Dakota, Utah and Mississippi. The law essentially says that a wife is a man's property, a notion many women, including Sandra Valentine, find offensive. . . .

Sandra Valentine and Jerry Fitch, Sr., appeared on Good Morning America Monday to talk about the lawsuit. (Click for Related Video)

Marriage Junk Mail: It seductive promises of a better life fed my discontent

Marriage Junk Mail: Its seductive promises of a better life fed my discontent Christianity Today-Marriage Partnership, by Christa Rose Bartlett, Winter 2007 Issue
I wasn't looking for trouble. My husband wasn't around, and something enticing snagged my glance. Although I knew better, my curiosity was aroused. His disarming introduction made me feel special, as if he'd chosen me from millions. I lingered on his seductive descriptions of escape from my commitments. I could stop any time, I justified. Would it be so terrible to respond? He was right; I deserved better. I owed it to myself to seize this opportunity. "It's the chance of a lifetime. You could be our next winner!" I barely had time to wonder who wrote these sweepstakes letters before I was clasping the reply envelope and saying yes! I was searching for a stamp, when I stopped. What am I doing? I thought, appalled at almost falling for the scheme. Sighing and ignoring the whispers that I was throwing away lifelong happiness and freedom, I tossed the junk mail in the trash, determined not to consider it again. Or so I thought. Later that evening when my husband came home, our conversation began with our to-do list, then somehow death-spiraled into complaints about my "clutter tolerance" and the number of frozen pizzas we consumed. I retorted that perhaps he would prefer a maid to a lover—and that I deserved a husband who would better appreciate me. What am I doing? The familiar words sprang from my memory of that morning. I was falling for it again. Only this time, it was more treacherous junk mail—it was the deceptive junk mail of marriage. . . .

Blog Takes Failed Marriage Into Fight Over Free Speech New York Times, By Abby Goodnough, January 10, 2008
BOSTON — Normally, Garrido v. Krasnansky, a divorce case playing out in Vermont family court, would be of little interest to anyone but the couple involved. But the court has ordered the husband to stop posting blog items about his wife and their crumbled marriage, possibly turning an ordinary divorce into a much broader battle over free speech on the Internet. The husband, William Krasnansky, posted what he calls a fictionalized account of the marriage on his blog late last year. His wife, Maria Garrido, complained to the judge overseeing their divorce, who ordered Mr. Krasnansky to take down “any and all Internet postings” about his wife and their marriage pending a hearing next month. Mr. Krasnansky, 51, says the order amounts to a prior restraint, a rare restriction of speech before publication, and a violation of his constitutional right to free speech. His lawyer, Debra R. Schoenberg of Burlington, Vt., has asked Judge Thomas Devine of Washington County Family Court to vacate the order and dismiss Ms. Garrido’s motion for immediate relief. . .

Course ENG 317 at the University of Michigan purports to teach 'How to be Gay'

ENG 317: "How Not To Be Gay" Townhall.com, By Mike S. Adams, January 9, 2008
I’ve been studying higher education for a long time, but I’ve never seen anything quite as queer as a new course being taught at the University of Michigan. Section Two of English 317 is titled “How to be Gay: Male Homosexuality and Initiation.” Taught by Instructor David Halperin, the course is worth three credit hours to Wolverine students interested in exploring learned gayness. For years, I’ve been hearing that gayness is a function of some sort of gay gene but, apparently, I’ve been over-simplifying the issue. Here’s what Halperin has to say: “Just because you happen to be a gay man doesn't mean that you don't have to learn how to become one. Gay men do some of that learning on their own, but often we learn how to be gay from others, either because we look to them for instruction or because they simply tell us what they think we need to know, whether we ask for their advice or not.” When I read Halperin’s remarks, I was concerned that they were a bit phallocentric. But I’m sure the University of Michigan – fine institution that it is – will eventually develop a course called “Learning to be Lesbian.” . . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: A “Gay Man” Trapped in a Woman’s Body and Other Nonsense Townhall.com, By Matt Barber, December 26, 2007

Are Connecticut Justices, Hartford Courant Courting Same-Sex Marriage? Townhall.com, By Janet M. LaRue, January 9, 2008
The Connecticut Supreme Court may foist same-sex marriage on its citizens when it issues its landmark ruling in Kerrigan and Mock v. Commissioner of Public Health, which is expected Jan. 11. The state’s largest newspaper, and the oldest in the nation, The Hartford Courant, hasn’t covered the case on its news pages since it was argued last May. But that doesn’t mean the paper has kept its bias in the closet. The Family Institute of Connecticut notes on its blog: “For months now the paper has made no mention of the Kerrigan case. And, of course, it ignored FIC’s Rally for Liberty, which brought 300 people to the state Capitol on a Wednesday morning last September to defend marriage and self-government.”. . . . Connecticut law grants the same benefits and rights to same-sex civil unions as it does to married couples: Parties to a civil union shall have all the same benefits, protections and responsibilities under law, whether derived from the general statutes, administrative regulations or court rules, policy, common law or any other source of civil law, as are granted to spouses in a marriage, which is defined as the union of one man and one woman. Conn Gen. Stats. § 46b-38nn (2007) The fact that the law doesn’t include heterosexuals escapes Campbell’s concern that “separate is never equal”: “A person is eligible to enter into a civil union if such person is … Of the same sex as the other party to the civil union.” . . . . .

RELATED BLOG: Court to Impose Same-Sex “Marriage” on Jan. 11th? Family Institute of Connecticut (FIC) Blog, By Peter, January 2, 2008

RELATED ARTICLE: Already A Family, But Marriage Would Make It Complete The Hartford Courant, By Susan Campbell, December 30, 2007

RELATED ARTICLE: Why Marriage Is a Constitutional Matter Human Events Online- By Jan LaRue, Esq, June 2, 2006

RELATED ARTICLE: Gay Marriage Advocates Don’t Want Tolerance, They Want Their Lifestyles to Become Mainstream BlackAmericaWeb.com, By Joseph C. Phillips, November 07, 2006

RELATED ARTICLE: Gay "Marriage" Townhall.com, By Thomas Sowell, August 15, 2006

RELATED ARTICLE: Opposition to Gay Marriage is Not Discrimination Human Events Online, By Rabbi Aryeh Spero, June 8, 2006

RELATED ARTICLE: There's nothing Hateful About Protecting Marriage Human Events Online, By Michael Lewis, June 7, 2006

Marriage and Social Security Benefits US News & World Report, By Emily Brandon, January 9, 2008
Millions of couples blissfully say "I do" each year with perhaps only a fleeting thought of eventually retiring with their beloved. But married couples should pause to consider the array of Social Security options they have that their single counterparts don't. While both members of a married couple are living, they are entitled to benefits based on their own earning records or a spouse's benefit equal to 50 percent of the higher earner's amount. Olivia Mitchell, a professor of insurance and risk management at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, recommends that you compute your benefits based on your own salary history and then your spouse's. "So I would be entitled to half of my husband's Social Security benefit if it was more than I could get on my own," she says. "If my own benefit is greater than half of his, then I get mine. It would work the other way around too. It's sex neutral.". . . .Widows and widowers also get a survivor's benefit equal to 100 percent of their spouse's benefits, if it's higher than what they would get on their own. And the longer claiming is delayed up until age 70, the more money the surviving spouse will receive. So, while it's often best for single men to claim early because of their traditionally shorter life expectancy than women (and for single women to generally claim later), coupledom turns this notion on its head. . . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Mothers Scrimp as States Take Child Support New York Times, By Erik Eckholm, December 1, 2007

Newly divorced French President Nicolas Sarkozy signals Carla Bruni marriage (Click for Related Video)

Nicolas Sarkozy signals Carla Bruni marriage The Telegraph- UK, By Henry Samuel in Paris, January 8, 2008
President Nicolas Sarkozy has given the strongest sign yet that he intends to marry the former supermodel Carla Bruni. After weekend reports that a wedding is planned for early February, Mr Sarkozy joked that it was not up to Sunday papers to set the date. However, "there is a strong chance that you will learn about it after it's already done," he told a press conference at the Elysée palace. When asked whether the couple had already tied the knot, the president lifted his ringless right hand and smiled. Mr Sarkozy, 52, said that his relationship with Miss Bruni, 40, an Italian-born French former model turned pop singer, was "serious" and that Miss Bruni felt the same way. The couple's romance has been making headlines in France and around the world since they first began dating two months ago. They have since been photographed together in locations from Disneyland Paris to the pyramids in Egypt - often arm in arm. Dubbed a "man eater" by the French press, Miss Bruni has been previously linked to Mick Jagger, Donald Trump and Eric Clapton, as well as former French Socialist prime minister, Laurent Fabius. The heiress to a tyre fortune recently remarked that she found monogomy "desperately boring" and preferred polyandry (having more than one husband). Mr Sarkozy divorced his former wife Cecilia in October, after being married for 11 years. Several opinion polls show the president has lost lost popularity since the New Year, with many French unhappy about his economic policies and the over-exposure of his private life. . .

RELATED VIDEO: Sarkozy's love on the Nile The Telegraph- UK, January 8, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: FACTBOX: Five facts about Sarkozy's girlfriend Carla Bruni Reuters.com, January 8, 2008

RELATED ARTICLE: Ah, l'amour ... but the French aren't so sure The Age- Austrailia, By Jacqueline Maley, January 6, 2008

RELATED ARTICLE: Egyptian Lawmakers to Sarkozy: You Shouldn't Share Room With Girlfriend FOX News, December 28, 2007

RELATED ARTICLE: Disneyland Date Has Sarkozy in the Limelight New York Times, By Elaine Sciolino, December 18, 2007

RELATED ARTICLE: Mum Sarko tells Nicolas: No more weddings Times Online, By Charles Bremner, December 5, 2007

RELATED ARTICLE: Don't go get married again, Sarkozy's mother tells her favourite son The Times Online, By Charles Bremner in Paris, December 5, 2007

RELATED ARTICLE: The French presidency and the press— The perils of open windows: A media stampede into the private life of Nicolas Sarkozy The Economist, October 25, 2007

RELATED ARTICLE: Sarkozy split: Adieu to an ideal BBC News- Paris, By Emma Jane Kirby, October 19, 2007

Saying ‘Will You’ for Prizes, on the Web New York Times, By Douglas Quenqua, January 7, 2008
“ENGAGING the consumer” is a popular phrase in marketing, particularly as the public shifts its attention from television to interactive media like the Internet. This Valentine’s Day, engaging consumers — or getting consumers engaged — is precisely what the online floral retailer 1-800-Flowers.com aims to do. As the first component of a yearlong partnership with Google, the company is holding a “Will You Marry Me?” contest to find the season’s most intriguing marriage proposal. Love-smitten users can log on to a special 1-800-Flowers.com YouTube channel starting on Monday and submit a video of themselves proposing. The winning video will be on YouTube’s front page on Feb. 11. The winner will receive a wedding at a Sandals Resorts property, with transportation provided by American Airlines and an engagement ring from the Internet jeweler Blue Nile. The retailer will also hold a “Video Valentine” contest for those already married or not yet ready to pop the question. Users can upload their Valentine’s Day message to the site, and the winner will be featured on YouTube’s front page on Feb. 14. That winner will receive prizes from 1-800-Flowers.com and Victoria’s Secret. . . . To be sure, 1-800-Flowers.com is hardly the first advertiser to start a channel or hold a video contest on YouTube. Burger King, Pepto-Bismol and Showtime are just a few of the marketers to have done that. But the partnership between 1-800-Flowers.com and Google is unusual because it extends beyond the Internet. . . .

Saying 'Will You' for Prizes, on the Web (Click for Related Video)

Insurer Judges a Church's Stance as Too Risky. Denomination's Support for Gay Marriage Leads to Denial of Property Coverage

Insurer Judges a Church's Stance as Too Risky
Denomination's Support for Gay Marriage Leads to Denial of Property Coverage The Wall Street Journal, By M.P. McQueen, January 8, 2008
A small Protestant church in Adrian, Mich., has weathered controversies surrounding abolition, the Civil War, desegregation and Vietnam since it was established in 1836. Now, because its denomination supports gay rights, the church has been deemed too risky for property insurance. Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Co. of Fort Wayne, Ind., turned down the West Adrian United Church of Christ, citing its national governing body's approval of gay marriage and the ordination of homosexuals. "Based on national media reports, controversial stances such as those indicated in your application responses have resulted in property damage and the potential for increased litigation among churches that have chosen to publicly endorse these positions," Marci J. Fretz, a regional underwriter for Brotherhood Mutual -- one of the nation's largest insurers of religious institutions -- wrote in a letter to the church last summer. For years, same-sex marriage and gay rights have been among the nation's most divisive social issues in both religion and politics. . . . Michigan voters banned gay marriage in 2004. And West Adrian isn't among the local branches of the United Church of Christ that has officially endorsed a resolution by its governing body affirming gay rights. . . .

Divorce Diary: How Christmas made three women realise they HAD to leave their husbands The Daily Mail-UK, Januray 7, 2008
Simmering tensions,a fling at the office party and families thrown together for weeks on end ... no wonder yesterday has become the busiest - and most lucrative - day of the year for divorce lawyers. Even as Jackie Walker put the finishing touches to the sumptuous Christmas meal and table decorations, in her head she was making a life-changing decision. "We'd had the whole family over for Christmas dinner and I wanted everything to be perfect," says 47-year-old Jackie. "But as I served dinner, I looked round the table of smiling faces and I felt like an outsider. I was putting on a happy face and fulfilling my roles as mummy, wife, daughter and daughterinlaw. But, God, I was miserable. As we sat down to eat, I thought about the looming New Year and felt: 'I can't do this any more.'" And so, ten days later, as she swept up pine needles and took down the decorations, Jackie decided - like so many women in the post-Christmas period - that she wanted a divorce. . . . .

Divorce Diary: How Christmas made three women realise they HAD to leave their husbands

What kills sex in a marriage? Look past the stereotypes USA Today, By Sharon Jayson, January 6, 2008
Whether it's low sex or no sex, two new books attempt to dispel the gender stereotype that women have all the "headaches." The Sex-Starved Wife,by Michele Weiner Davis, and He's Just Not Up for It Anymore, by Bob Berkowitz and Susan Yager-Berkowitz, quash the idea that men are always ready for sex. USA TODAYspoke with the authors about men who aren't in the mood. . . . Q: Is there an average or normal amount of sexual activity among married couples, and how does it change with time?. . . . Q: Describe what happens in a sex-starved relationship. . . . . Q: Is avoidance of sexual intimacy primarily a problem of today's baby boomers?. . . . Q: What are your professional backgrounds?. . . . Q: You surveyed more than 4,000 men and women online who identified themselves as currently or in the past being in a sexless marriage (sex 10 times a year or less). What findings surprised you the most?. . . .Q: You and Redbook magazine surveyed 1,004 women online about their husbands' low sexual desire; you say that low desire is often mistaken for erectile dysfunction. Why?. . . .Q: What should women do to broach the subject with their husbands?. . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Sorry, but marriage and sex DON'T go together The Daily Mail- UK, By Sadie Nicholas, January 25, 2008

Having patience is important when looking for mate MyWestTexas, By Jim May-Midland Reporter-Telegram , January 5, 2008
DEAR FAMILY: Choosing a mate is one of the most important decisions a person will make. Would you please publish suggestions about how a college-age girl or boy should "pick" a boyfriend or girlfriend, since that relationship often develops into a potential spouse? I know that there are many great books that my kids won't read but I think they would read your article. Thanks. -- CONCERNED MOM

DEAR CONCERNED: I certainly do agree with your observation that college relationships often lead to marriage and I do believe that marriage is one of the most important decisions anyone ever makes. We know from the research that sadly, proximity is one of the most important reasons people marry who they marry. That is, people marry people they meet and come to know. Nothing radical about that fact but the important component that is missing is patience. Sure, that person may be the best of the lot so far, but he or she may be far from the right one. I believe that it is critical that God be involved in this important process and that a person in search of a mate should continue to pray and ask for God to send that right person. I do realize that many people, and especially college women and men, do not embrace that idea at this point in their lives, so I would also offer some research- based ideas that they should consider. Dr. Neil Warren offers 10 basic principles in his book, "Finding the Love of Your Life," that are worth considering. . .

Why Nicole Kidman IS pregnant and why she's asked her mum and dad to deliver the baby

Why Nicole IS pregnant and why she's asked her mum and dad to deliver the baby The Daily Mail- UK, By Paul Scott, January 4, 2008
Given that she has endured more than 20 years waiting for motherhood, Nicole Kidman has had ample time to bring an almost military precision to bear on her plans for the birth of her first child. Long ago, she confides to friends, she decided she would spend her confinement in her native Sydney with a chauffeur on 24-hour standby to whisk her from her gated waterfront home to the maternity ward of a local hospital once she goes into labour. There, in her private room, will be waiting her doctor father Antony Kidman and her nurse mother Janelle, who will personally deliver the child. On hand, too, for moral support will be Nicole's sister Antonia. These may only be the early days of her pregnancy (the Mail exclusively revealed last week that the Oscar-winning actress has told family and friends she is expecting her first child), but Nicole has long since set her heart on making the birth a family affair.. . . .Hardly surprising, then, given his nomadic existence, that Urban is said to have been dead set against starting a family so early in their marriage. Indeed, just a couple of months ago Nicole was saying publicly with a somewhat sad air of resignation: "My husband really wants a couple of years, he said, where I just have you. So it's kind of romantic. He's like: 'I love just the two of us.' It's really honest. So that's kind of what we decided.". . . . .

Domestic partners get same property tax break as surviving spouses San Francico Chronicle, By Bob Egelko, January 4, 2008
Domestic partners in California won the right to the same property tax breaks as husbands and wives under state law Thursday when the state Supreme Court turned down an appeal by county assessors. The justices left intact an October ruling by an appeals court in Sacramento that allowed registered domestic partners - same-sex couples, or unmarried heterosexual couples in which one partner is at least 62 - to accept or inherit real estate from one another without new tax assessments. That's a significant advantage under Proposition 13, the 1978 initiative that rolled back property taxes to 1 percent of value and limited increases to 2 percent a year. Prop. 13 allowed counties to reassess property to full market value when it was sold or changed ownership, often leading to a substantial tax increase. . . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Is marriage only a piece of paper? icWales- UK, January 2, 2008

What's the secret to sexual compatibility? Debate over how to play your cards when searching for a love match

What's the secret to sexual compatibility? Debate over how to play your cards when searching for a love match MSNBC.com- Sexploration, By Brian Alexander, January 3, 2008
It began with so much hope, the new year did. But despite the magnum of champagne on New Year’s Eve and the kiss you received from that gorgeous stranger at the party (where’s that phone number, anyway?), many of you are still looking for that one person with whom you are supremely sexually compatible. You would like 2008 to be the year of making a match, yes? And not just sex, mind you, though some great sex might be welcome, thanks, but love. Sex and love. That’s what we’re all looking for, or at least most of us, judging from the mail we receive here at Sexploration HQ. Let’s roll up our sleeves, rub our hands together and get down to business, shall we? Let’s get it right this year! So, how does it work again? Do opposites attract? Or are you and your mate supposed to have oh so much in common? Is she supposed to be Republican if I am? Can he be an agnostic if I’m a Baptist? Is my immune system a good match for his? Huh? In what may be a measure of just how desperate we can be to find sex and love, last month a new online dating service called ScientificMatch.com received media play because it promised, for the small fee of about $2,000, to use DNA-matching technology to find ideal mates for its customers. . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: The science of love: What goes on in the brain during attraction, bonding MSNBC.com, By Brian Alexander, February 14, 2006

RELATED ARTICLES: More Sexploration Columns MSNBC.com

A Vast Right-Wing Hypocrisy Vanity Fair, By Michael Joseph Gross, February 2008 Issue
Richard Mellon Scaife, billionaire bankroller of conservative crusades, spent heavily to expose Bill Clinton’s “Troopergate” misbehavior. Now Scaife’s divorce from his second wife, Ritchie, is providing another unsavory saga—adultery! addiction! assault! dognapping!?!—as both parties let loose to V.F. . . . . Over many years, in the five households the couple shared, the wife hired scores of servants to help take care of her rich husband. Then, in 2005, she hired someone to tail him. Margaret Ritchie Rhea Battle Scaife (whose friends call her Ritchie) suspected Richard Mellon Scaife (whose friends call him Dick) of committing adultery, so she enlisted the services of an investigator. It was a private act that would have very public consequences. Richard Mellon Scaife is the best-known living member of Pittsburgh’s storied Mellon clan, whose eponymous bank made the family a 19th-century fortune, which grew steadily with diversified investments, including major coal, steel, and real-estate interests, and Gulf Oil Corporation. Scaife, who owns several newspapers, is a major backer of conservative causes; his political donations fueled the rise of the New Right and its moral crusade against Bill Clinton, making Scaife the central figure in Hillary Clinton’s “vast right-wing conspiracy.” . . . . .

Margaret Ritchie Rhea Battle Scaife (whose friends call her Ritchie) and Richard Mellon Scaife's 2005 Christmas card. Even as the holiday greetings went out, a private detective was confirming Ritchie's suspicions of adultery

Is loving someone for their money any worse than loving them for their looks? Pictured: Paul Daniels and Debbie McGee, who have been the butt of many cruel jokes on this subject

Is loving someone for their money any worse than loving them for their looks? The Daily Mail- UK, By David Baddiel, January 2, 2008
Once, I spent some time explaining to a German what was funny about Mrs Merton's famous question to Debbie McGee: "What first attracted you to the millionaire Paul Daniels?" It took over an hour - I'm not making this up - at the end of which he didn't exactly laugh, he nodded his head sagely, and said, in the most classic 'Allo 'Allo! accent: "I zee. So ze answer is already in ze question?" But to be fair to my German friend - and far be it from me to suggest they are a nation without a sense of humour, although surely any other country would have thought: "We can't possibly be ruled by this bloke who looks like a really angry Charlie Chaplin" - it is worth wondering who is being laughed at in that joke and why. Although a smidgin of the laughs are directed at Paul for being so unattractive that only via his millions could he attract the lovely Debbie, the primary butt is Debbie herself: for being - the joke unfairly implies - so shallow as to marry Paul for money. The part of the relationship that was not being laughed at, or in any way considered ridiculous, was Paul's attraction to Debbie. But, assuming for one moment that the assumptions of the joke are correct, why is Debbie being with Paul for his money any worse, more absurd or morally empty than Paul being with Debbie for her looks?. . . . .

Same-Sex Divorce Challenges the Legal System
Most States Lack Law, Precedent To Settle Issues Washington Post, By Dafna Linzer, January 2, 2008
When her three-year-old marriage broke up, the 44-year-old doctor assumed she and her ex would split their property and jointly parent their two children. Her stay-at-home spouse wanted sole custody and the right to move the children out of Massachusetts. In pretrial motions, both parents made the same argument to a judge: The children should be with me; I'm their mother. For years, family court judges leaned toward a maternal preference when it came to custody disputes. But what to do when both parents are women, or neither is? Judges in Massachusetts have been grappling with that question since gay and lesbian couples began filing for divorce in 2004, seven months after the state Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage. Nearly 10,000 gay and lesbian couples married after the ruling. Massachusetts does not keep records on the number who have divorced, but lawyers who specialize in family cases say it is in the dozens. Those who choose to end their marriages soon discover that the trauma of divorce is compounded by legal and financial difficulties that heterosexual couples generally are spared. . . . .

Same-Sex Divorce Challenges the Legal System: Most States Lack Law, Precedent To Settle Issues

Is marriage only a piece of paper? icWales- UK, January 2, 2008
The Government is due to decide soon if it agrees with Law Commission proposals to give cohabitees more rights, but Ceri Price, head of FamilyFirst at Harding Evans Solicitors, argues that tying the knot is likely to remain the safest option. CURRENTLY more than two million UK couples live together without getting married and within a decade the figure will be nearer three million. In many people’s eyes marriage is, quite simply, going out of fashion. However, the value of that particular formality becomes frighteningly clear when a relationship breaks down and people discover that the term common-law husband or wife has no legal basis. As family lawyers dealing with the aftermath of such breakdowns, one of the most frequent comments we hear from clients is “marriage is only a piece of paper and we didn’t need it to prove that we were a family”. The great irony of that comment is that, without a marriage certificate, they need several far more complex documents in order to try to protect their interests in the event of relationship breakdown. . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Love and marriage don’t have to go together, say modern couples The Times Online-UK, By Rosemary Bennett- Social Affairs Correspondent, January 23, 2008

RELATED ARTICLE: Poll: 1 of 2 Young Adults Say Marriage Not Needed to Prove Commitment Christian Post, By Katherine T. Phan, January 9, 2008

RELATED ARTICLE: Why Marriage Is Good For You City Journal, By Maggie Gallagher, Autumn 2000 Issue

Beware of the office piranha: Male bosses warned of man-eating women who are preying on them

Beware of the office piranha: Male bosses warned of man-eating women who are preying on them The Daily Mail- UK, By Andy Dolan, January 2, 2008
Male bosses who unexpectedly hit it off with a female employee over the festive season were given a stern warning yesterday. You might have caught yourself an office piranha. The name of the man-eating South American fish has been borrowed by lawyer Diane Benussi to describe women who use the office party to snap up a high-flying colleague, whether he is married or not. She warned how a drunken encounter could leave men with a long-term financial hangover if it leads to pregnancy. Mrs Benussi runs a large matrimonial law firm in Birmingham specialising in high-value divorce cases and has almost 30 years' experience. The company is dealing with an increasing number of cases involving single women chasing the fathers of their children for financial support - and office parties offer the ideal environment to trigger such relationships. She said piranhas "want a highearning, high-flying, high-virility man" who will place a ring on their finger. The mere fact that such a candidate might already be married merely confirms those characteristics. . . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Office Christmas Parties Will Reveal Workplace Affairs Ezine Articles.com, By Ruth Houston

RELATED ARTICLE: Go to His Company Picnic with Him to Discourage Workplace Affairs Ezine Articles.com, By Ruth Houston

RELATED ARTICLE: Is He the Cheating Kind? A Quiz Ezine Articles.com, By Ruth Houston

RELATED SITE: Infidelity Advice.com

Certainty, comfort of couplehood likely factors in 'rebound remarriage' The Canadian Press, January 1, 2008
- Rebounding into a new relationship after calling it quits with a former flame is hardly uncharted territory, especially in Hollywood where some stars ditch and switch partners with lightning frequency. But a pair of newly single sporting greats are following a succession of celebrities who split from their old spouses only to plunge into new marriages - some so quickly the ink on their divorce papers had barely dried. Former tennis star Chris Evert and golfer Greg Norman made their love match official late last month when they announced their engagement - less than a year after splitting from their longtime spouses. That same week, Pamela Anderson filed for divorce from hubby No. 3, Rick Salomon, just two months after their Vegas nuptials and less than a year after splitting from Kid Rock following four months of matrimony. Days later, she alluded that a reconciliation with Salomon was in the cards with the one-line entry "We're working things out" posted on her website. Singer Marc Anthony walked down the aisle with Jennifer Lopez in 2004 four days after a judge approved his divorce to former Miss Universe Dayanara Torres. J. Lo had ended her high-profile relationship with fiance Ben Affleck six months earlier. While a quick remarriage may give the impression individuals are rushing to the altar, the honeymoon in their previous unions may have ended long before they formally split from their ex, said David Mensink, a psychologist in student counselling services at Dalhousie University in Halifax. . . . .Since shacking up is no longer the taboo it once was, why don't more couples just live together in unwedded bliss rather than making a return trip down the aisle?. . .

Former tennis star Chris Evert and golfer Greg Norman made their love match official late last month when they announced their engagement - less than a year after splitting from their longtime spouses

Nicollette Sheridan: I'm happier than I've EVER been

Why desperately delightful Nicollette is the housewife's choice
'I'm happier than I've EVER been' says television star The Daily Mail-You magazine- UK, By Chrissy Iley, January 1, 2008
Desperate Housewives star Nicollette Sheridan proved her love for fiance Michael Bolton by sucking his toes during a romantic Christmas holiday in the Caribbean. The 44-year-old actress stunned onlookers with the bizarre show of affection as the couple relaxed on the beach. The pair, who have been engaged for a year, have been enjoying the romantic break with the actress posing in a selection of increasingly skimpy bikinis. Looking besotted, the couple spent much of the week lounging on the beach, frolicking in the waves and in Nicollete's case - caressing her lover's toes. As she gripped her fiance's outstretched foot with both hands, her dazzling diamond engagement ring was clearly visible. Here, in an interview with you magazine's Chrissy Iley, Nicolette reveals all about her life in LA, secrets from the new series - and those persistent pregnancy rumours. . . . Her very first relationship (when she was 16), with pop teen idol Leif Garrett, lasted from 1979 to 1985. Was it painful not to find the right person or was there part of her that wasn't ready? "For me there's only been one person and that's Michael. For the rest, we're all human and you want to believe that something is perhaps more than it really is.". . .

For Women, Marital Distress Means Less Relief From Stress Science Daily, January 1, 2008
That's the suggestion from a new UCLA study that tracked levels of cortisol, a key stress hormone, among 30 Los Angeles married couples involved in one of our age's trickiest juggling acts — raising kids when both parents work full time."At least as far as women are concerned, being happily married appears to bolster physiological recovery from work," said Darby E. Saxbe, the study's lead author and a UCLA graduate student in clinical psychology. "After a tough day at the office, cortisol levels dropped further among happily married women than less happily married ones. Less happily married women also showed a flatter daily pattern of cortisol release, suggesting that they are rebounding less well from everyday stress." Long-term elevated cortisol levels have been associated with a host of maladies, including depression, burnout, chronic fatigue syndrome, relationship problems, poor social adjustment and possibly even cancer. . . . Released by the adrenal glands under stressful conditions, cortisol is widely considered a reliable marker for an individual's response to — and recovery from — stress. Cortisol levels start high in the morning and steadily decline over the course of the day, with intermittent rises as stressors arouse the adrenal gland. The slope of the hormone's daily decline is believed to be correlated with well-being, with steeper declines reflective of better health and shallower declines predictive of health problems. "Cortisol may by one of the routes by which repeated everyday stress translates into long-term mental and physical health problems," Repetti said. Overall, women in happy marriages enjoyed stronger cortisol declines than their counterparts in less blissful unions, the UCLA team found. Men, no matter the quality of their marriage, showed an exaggerated cortisol decrease after busier days. . . .

For Women, Marital Distress Means Less Relief From Stress

Do marriages clue us in to candidates' true colors?

Do marriages clue us in to candidates’ true colors? The Boston Herald, By Margery Eagan, January 1, 2008
Apparently the national “First Marriage” counts. The New York Daily News just polled hundreds of women voters and found that “a straying husband is bad. But a home wrecker is worse.” Or, when it comes to Oval Office occupants, women don’t want first lady Judith Giuliani, whose extramarital affair security squads were billed to a New York City agency helping the disabled. They far preferred Bill Clinton as first laddie despite Monica, Gennifer, etc., etc. That could be just women dissing “other women,” literally. Or maybe it’s that Bill is now post-60, post-heart surgery, thus slower off the dime. In any case, Hillary yesterday, fresh from her “Moms and Daughters Making History” tour,was in a dead heat in Iowa. Once big-time front-runner Giuliani began slipping nationwide just as his taxpayer-funded love trysts made news and more voters heard - again - of Judith’s famed demand for an extra campaign plane seat to accommodate her Louis Vuitton bag. . . . If you want a marriage record that’s better than yours, vote Romney. Ann claims Mitt’s not raised his voice in 38 years. Who can match that? If you want a record that’s worse (then you don’t feel so bad), it doesn’t get much worse than Rudy’s, what with Wife #2 learning from TV news that she was about to get dumped for Wife #3. Plus, the kids hardly talk to him. And ex-illicit love nester Judi now insists everyone call her “Judith,” like she’s suddenly A Woman of Substance. If you want a marriage you can relate to, vote Obama. . . .

Gay Couples Enter Unions in New Year Christian Post, By Nathan Black, January 1 2008
As the clock struck midnight marking the start of 2008, dozens of gay and lesbian couples stood outside the New Hampshire Statehouse to enter into civil unions. Beginning this year, civil unions for same-sex couples are legally recognized in New Hampshire. The law was adopted and signed in May 2007. "We've been together 20 years; we've been waiting for this moment for 20 years; finally the state will recognize us as we are," said Julie Bernier who was joined by partner Joan Andresen. Organizers of the outdoor ceremony said they checked in 37 gay and lesbian couples for the 11 p.m. event on Monday. Same-sex "marriage" advocates cheered while no protesters were seen at the Statehouse. . . . Meanwhile, V. Gene Robinson, Episcopal bishop of New Hampshire, announced that he will marry his same-sex partner in June. "I always wanted to be a June bride," Robinson recently told an audience at a Florida law school during a lecture series on Sex, Morality and Law. Robinson caused uproar when he became the first openly gay bishop to be consecrated in 2003. Conservative Anglicans worldwide have denounced the consecration and called for repentance. . .

RELATED ARTICLE: Gay 'marriage' legislation finds few '07 victories The Washington Times, By Cheryl Wetzstein, December 31, 2007

More Marriage News: December 2007

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