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Is marriage really just for white people?
As part of a CNN series "Black in America" producer Dionne Hill wonders if she'll ever get married. 45% of black women have never married, as opposed to 23%.
This statistic has led her to believe that marriage might be for white people.
I am neither black, nor female, (I am white and male) but I don't think marriage is that important. I mean I support gay marriage, and straight marriage, but only for financial reasons, and maybe for the open bars at the receptions.
But the whole institution doesn't seem that important to me.
What do you think? As part of a CNN series "Black in America" producer Dionne Hill wonders if she'll ever get married. 45% of black women have never marr... more -
Men grow happier with age while women grow miserable, says new report
Middle-aged women are unhappier than their male peers, even though they start adult life more content, a study suggests.
Researchers looked at data spanning several decades, and concluded that after the age of 48, men are generally happier than women.
Men are most miserable in their 20s, but grow more satisfied as they get older, marry and earn more money, they found.
Women on the other hand are happier than men in early adulthood, but the glow wears off with time.
Researchers at the University of Cambridge and University of Southern California looked specifically at the role of unfulfilled desires in a person's sense of well-being.
They found that overall happiness is most heavily linked to the stability of a person's family and finances.
Both sexes have fairly similar life goals when it comes to love, the study reveals. Nine out of 10 people reach adult life wanting a happy marriage.
The saddest period of the average man's life – his 20s – is also the period when he is most likely to be single.
Young men are also more dissatisfied than young women with their financial situations, not because they are worse off, but because they want more and therefore experience a greater "shortfall," the researchers said.
But age alters many things, including men's money woes and lacklustre love lives.
After the age of 34, men are more likely to be married than women, and the gap only widens with age, mirroring men's growing satisfaction with family life.
Ms Plagnol said: "In later life men come closer to fulfilling their aspirations, are more satisfied with their family lives and financial situations, and are the happier of the two."
Men also become more satisfied with their financial situations over time, as reflected in their increased spending power. The researchers found that men tend to covet big-ticket items that might not be within reach until later in life, such as a car or holiday home.
Some age milestones:
41: Age at which men's financial satisfaction exceeds women's financial satisfaction
48: Age at which men's overall happiness exceeds women's overall happiness
64: Age at which men's satisfaction with family life exceeds women's satisfaction
Are you a woman growing ever unhappier, or a man getting more and more content? How does what you want now differ from what you wanted 5 or 10 years ago, and what you want 5 or 10 years in the future? Could the prevalent social idea that age is thought to diminish women's beauty and therefore her worth, whereas age makes a man more valuable and distinguished, have something to do with it? What changes do you notice in your male and female friends as you grow older, and which of the two sexes appear to be happiest? Or is it all a load of crap, with no differences between men and women at all?
Middle-aged women are unhappier than their male peers, even though they start adult life more content, a study suggests. ... more -
A Sexless Marriage --- Why she stays
Why she'll "wait and see" about her marriage (even though they don't have sex!).
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Should Equal Rights be up to Voters?
This article claims "The Field Poll of 672 likely voters found that 51% oppose Proposition 8, which would amend the state Constitution to define marriage as only between a man and woman. Forty-two percent of voters support the November ballot measure." The margin is small, that could easily change...
It makes me wonder - I believe in State rights, but to me, gay marriage is an equal rights issue. The idea that marriage is "defined" as being between a man and woman doesn't hold water- we made up that definition and we can change it (Just look at voting rights!)
So here's my question(s): Should an issue like gay marriage really be up to the states? If the Federal Gov is going to step in and tell us what to do all the time anyway, shouldn't they do it in cases like this, to uphold everyone's equal rights in America?
This article claims "The Field Poll of 672 likely voters found that 51% oppose Proposition 8, which would amend the state Constitution... more -
Businessman puts divorce details online to stop rumours | Money | guardian.co.uk
A millionaire businessman has posted his divorce settlement on the internet to stamp out rumours that he was "tight" and trying to fleece his wife in order to keep up his champagne lifestyle.
Gary Dean, 47, who runs his own advertising company, divorced Helen Dean, mother to his four children, after 19 years of marriage.
When gossip began circulating around the village of St Michaels on the affluent Fylde coast in Lancashire where the couple lived, Dean decided to reveal his £3.7m payout. A millionaire businessman has posted his divorce settlement on the internet to stamp out rumours that he was "tight" and trying to fle... more -
Dutch replace ‘maiden name’ with ‘birth name’ on marriage forms
The Dutch civil service has developed a new name for "maiden name" so married gay men won't feel awkward.
"Geboortenaam" translates to "birth name". It will replace maiden name on official forms, radio Netherlands reported on Wednesday.
The Dutch Language Union hopes it will save married gay men from any embarrassment when taking their spouses surname.
Despite its liberal reputation, Amsterdam and the rest of the Netherlands have been facing a rise in homophobic attacks over the last few years.
The government has committed to millions of Euros to fighting homophobia in the country.
A recent European poll found the Dutch to be the strongest supporters of same-sex marriage in the EU, with 82% in favour. The Dutch civil service has developed a new name for "maiden name" so married gay men won't feel awkward. ... more -
Stand By Your Man
Venus will do anything for her man. Even if it means seeing him behind bars for 14 years.
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California Supreme Court keeps anti-gay marriage initiative on ballot
"The California Supreme Court refused Wednesday to remove an anti-gay marriage initiative from the November ballot.
Meeting in closed session, the court denied a petition calling for the removal of the initiative, Proposition 8, on the grounds it was a constitutional revision that only the Legislature or a constitutional convention could place before voters.
Gay rights lawyers also argued that petitions circulated to get the measure on the ballot inaccurately summarized its effect.
The court, meeting at its regular weekly conference, denied the petition without comment in a brief order.
Proposition 8 would limit marriage to opposite-sex couples. The California Supreme Court, in a 4-3 decision, struck down a ban on same-sex marriage on May 15, and same-sex couples began marrying last month."
Still trying to stop gay people from getting married, any way they can. Sad. "The California Supreme Court refused Wednesday to remove an anti-gay marriage initiative from the November ballot. ... more -
Massachusetts Senate Approves Gay Marriage Rights for All U.S. Citizens
"The state Senate voted swiftly and unanimously yesterday to strike down a 95-year-old law that blocks gay and lesbian couples from most other states from being married in Massachusetts, drawing condemnation from Catholic Church leaders but delivering a victory for advocates who have fought for the repeal and who say that same-sex marriage has become an accepted part of the state's culture."
In a unanimous decision, the State Senate would legalize the practice of out-of-state, homosexual couples to join in the right to be married, already guaranteed to in-state couples. Additionally, it would recognize marriage documents obtained from other states which support similar rights for all couples -- California, for example.
If successful in the House, the decision would pave the way for an influx of gay couples into the state, likely bringing in over $111 million in extra revenue, as well as expanding the Constitutionally guaranteed rights of straight couples to marry, to all couples regardless of gender or sexual identity.
Most excitingly, "There were no chanting protesters outside, and not a voice on the Senate floor was raised against the repeal."
" 'People have become resigned to the fact that all the chaos that was predicted in 2004 - the sky was going to fall, it would be catastrophic - it never happened. And so it has become, as we expected it would, as much a part of the reality of life in Massachusetts as anything else,' Senator Dianne Wilkerson, a Roxbury Democrat who has championed the repeal bill, said of yesterday's vote."
"The state Senate voted swiftly and unanimously yesterday to strike down a 95-year-old law that blocks gay and lesbian couples from mo... more -
EEEW, Crabs!
Who knew these little things were so creepy-crawly-nasty?!
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Out of State Gays can soon Marry in Mass!
"Gay couples from across the country are one step closer to a Massachusetts wedding.
The state Senate voted Tuesday to repeal a 1913 law used to bar out-of-state gay couples from marrying in the state. The move to repeal the law, which prohibits couples from obtaining marriage licenses if they couldn't legally wed in their home states, is driven in part by California's recent legalization of same-sex marriage.
The House is expected to vote on the repeal later this week. Gov. Deval Patrick, whose 18-year-old daughter announced publicly last month that she is a lesbian, would have 10 days to sign it.
An analysis released by Massachusetts' Office of Housing and Economic Development found repealing the law would draw thousands of couples to the state, boosting the economy by $111 million, creating 330 jobs and generating $5 million in taxes and fees over three years.
The study assumes New York would provide the largest number of gay couples — more than 21,000 couples — with New Hampshire, New Jersey, Connecticut, Vermont, and Maine bringing the total to more than 30,000 in the first three years after the ban was lifted."
NY should be next legalize gay marriage- we have one of the largest bi/homosexual communities and look at how much MONEY Mass's economy is going to get from this. If every state legalizes gay marriage, the federal government will have to rethink their laws! "Gay couples from across the country are one step closer to a Massachusetts wedding. ... more -
Happiest marriage brings home the bacon
A bizarre ritual dating back to the 12th Century was held in Essex on Saturday, in which five couples, all of whom have been married for at least 'a year and a day' tell the story of their marriage to a mock court of 'six maidens and six bachelors', with the couple judged 'happiest' awarded the prize of half a pig. A bizarre ritual dating back to the 12th Century was held in Essex on Saturday, in which five couples, all of whom have been married f... more
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California's LGBT community ditches wedding gifts for donations
Gays and lesbians marrying in California are ditching traditional wedding gifts and asking friends to contribute money to fight a ballot measure that would make their unions illegal.
A month after California began legally marrying same-sex partners, thousands of dollars that might have been spent on toasters or dinnerware for newlyweds have been donated to the campaign against the November referendum that seeks to define marriage in the state as only between a man and a woman.
"Most of the couples marrying have been together a very long time. They have already moved in together and some of them have kids together," said John Duran, president of Equality California.
"So the usual notion of a huge reception or acquiring your first microwave is not really happening. A lot of these couples are directing their family and friends to the wedding registry on our site to help us keep these marriages in place."
California's Supreme Court struck down a ban on same-sex marriage in May, making the state the second after Massachusetts to allow gay weddings. Opponents hope to override the court's ruling by winning the November ballot.
Duran said the Equality California wedding registry Web site ( www.eqca.org ) had raised tens of thousands of dollars in the last three weeks to fight the marriage-definition measure.
Dozens of hotels, photographers and caterers serving the gay community have pledged to donate 10 percent to 50 percent of their proceeds to the campaign when their wedding services are used.
Gays and lesbians marrying in California are ditching traditional wedding gifts and asking friends to contribute money to fight a ball... more -
Is cheating ever ok?
Greta Christina ponders what situation would make cheating OK, and discusses sexless marriages.
Are you breaking your side of the bargain if you are not having sex with your partner and should you expect them to remain monogamous?
Greta Christina ponders what situation would make cheating OK, and discusses sexless marriages. ... more -
Jolie + Pitt TWINSSS!
Million dollar babies is an understatement
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Children Raised by Homosexuals are 7 times more likely to be Gays or Bisexuals
This review is a survey of nine studies (click on the link for details)
Based on the average found in the following nine studies, 14% of children raised by homosexual parents develop homosexual or bisexual preferences. These studies reported rates of non-heterosexuality ranging from 8% to 21%. The most frequently reported percentages were 14% and 16% (two studies each). For comparison purposes, data from the best national surveys report that approximately 2% of the general population is non-heterosexual (Laumann, Gagnon, Michael, and Michaels,1994). Therefore, if these percentages hold true in better designed studies, children raised by homosexuals appear to be about seven times more likely to develop homosexual or bisexual preferences than children raised by heterosexuals. And, as was explained earlier, 14% may be an under-estimate due to the young ages of many of the subjects in these studies.
The nine studies surveyed are reviewed and include the authors' abstracts or descriptions provided by others, followed by her comments and/or analysis. They are presented in alphabetical order
This review is a survey of nine studies (click on the link for details) ... more -
Green bride and groom go by Tube
An environmentally-friendly couple in London have had a green wedding by travelling to their ceremony by Tube.
Stefanie Schmiedel, Robert Gray and their wedding guests went from Dollis Hill underground station in north-west London to Marylebone register office.
"We thought about going on our bikes but this was a compromise," he said.
Her dress was made from reusable material, her engagement ring was second-hand and the menus and order of service were printed on recycled paper.
To ensure the event was as environmentally-friendly as possible, catering at their reception used local produce and the wedding cake was organic.
Ms Schmiedel said: "If in everyday life we try to be as environmentally friendly as we can, why should we change on our wedding day?"
Mr Gray added: "We didn't feel that we needed a stretch limo to get to their register office when we have got an Oyster card and the Tube."
Inspirational, or just a bit mad? Is your wedding day (if you're crazy enough to get married) the one day you can push the boat out, or the best day ever to show the world that green is greatest?
An environmentally-friendly couple in London have had a green wedding by travelling to their ceremony by Tube. ... more -
McCain polygamist, married to first wife when he applied for licence to marry seco...
Republican presidential nominee John McCain may have been married to his first wife when he obtained a marriage licence to wed Cindy McCain.
According to the Los Angeles Times, court documents show that the Arizona senator received a licence to marry his second wife about a month before a judge granted his divorce from Carol McCain in April 1980.
The report contradicts McCain's account from his 2002 memoir Worth Fighting For, in which he said he divorced Carol McCain in February 1980.
McCain has acknowledged he was legally married to Carol when he began seeing Cindy; he has said the two were separated. McCain's divorce petition stated he and Carol lived together until January 7, 1980, the Los Angeles Times reported.
A McCain campaign spokesman declined to comment on McCain's split from his first wife.
"The senator has always taken responsibility for it," said the spokesman, Tucker Bounds.
In the late 1970s, McCain was a US navy captain when his marriage to Carol, a former model who was nearly crippled in an auto accident during his captivity in Vietnam, began to fall apart. He later told his biographer, Robert Timberg, that he had engaged in a series of extra-marital "dalliances".
In 1979, McCain met Cindy Lou Hensley, the scion of an Arizona beer distributing family, at a Honolulu reception. They wed the following year. McCain retired from the navy in 1981 and, aided by his new wife's fortune from her family's beer distribution business, launched his political career with a successful run for the US House the following year. He was elected to the US Senate in 1986.
McCain's swift remarriage alienated him from Ronald and Nancy Reagan, who in winter and spring 1980 were campaigning for the White House. The Reagans were close to Carol McCain, according to the Los Angeles Times.
John and Cindy McCain have four children together. He and Carol had one daughter.
This is not the first time during the 2008 campaign that rumours of infidelity have plagued McCain.
In February, the New York Times published an article suggesting McCain had had an inappropriate affair with a telecommunications lobbyist. McCain and the lobbyist denied they had a romantic relationship.
Republican presidential nominee John McCain may have been married to his first wife when he obtained a marriage licence to wed Cindy M... more -
Muslim couple get married over the telephone
A Indian couple exchanged vows over the telephone because the groom could not return home from Kuwait (where he works) for the wedding.
The whole of the village in India's state of West Bengal watched as the Muslim clerics put the phone on speaker mode to hear the wedding vows.
The Islamic cleric who organised the modern marriage ceremony said: "They said qubul (I do) thrice and the marriage was complete" A Indian couple exchanged vows over the telephone because the groom could not return home from Kuwait (where he works) for the wedding... more -
Lesbian couple facing jail if they marry out of state
A lesbian couple from Wisconsin who are planning to head out of state to marry could face nine months of jail time and a fine of up to $10,000 for fraud, according to reports by Salon today.
Kathy Cox and Kim Whalen have been together for over 20 years and plan to tie the knot on 8/8/08 in California, but an old law from 1915 prohibits couples from leaving the state to marry and then returning with a union that isn't valid in Wisconsin.
The couple are planning to go ahead anyway, says Cox, "The pioneers get the arrows, and the settlers get the land. So we'll take a few arrows."
Should utterly ridiculous laws like this be, um, outlawed? Could it be that they conveniently provide the anti-same-sex marriage brigade with ammunition to punish and prevent gay marriages?
A lesbian couple from Wisconsin who are planning to head out of state to marry could face nine months of jail time and a fine of up to... more
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