Results tagged “marriage” from iVillage - Sex on My Desk
Last night MSNBC anchorman Keith Olbermann delivered an eloquent and thought-provoking "Special Comment" about Proposition 8 (which overturned a recent California Supreme Court decision that had recognized same-sex marriage in California as a fundamental right). I think it's worth watching.
He says, "This isn't about politics. This is about the human heart. And if that sounds corny, so be it." Watch the video here:
He asks, "Why does this matter to you? What is it to you? In a time of impermanence and fly-by-night relationships, these people over here want the same chance at permanence and happiness that is your option. They don't want to deny you yours." I'm interested to hear your answers. The delightfully opinionated iVillage community clearly has a lot to say about this issue, which they did right here. But please share your thoughts below, as well.
With all this recession talk, all this "we may be headed for the next Great Depression" talk, many of you are having trouble sleeping, eating, motivating themselves from the mornings through the nights of otherwise-ordinary days.
Some of you are having unpleasant conversations with your husbands: "How long will our savings last if one of us is laid off? What would happen if both of us were laid off?" They're powerful questions involving joint decisions about your joint future that can create an atmosphere with an intense sense of team--or one that's just plain tense. You'll feel like you're in this together--or like it's every family member for him- or herself. You'll talk about how you'll make it work--or you'll argue that someone isn't pulling his or her weight.
It's a time of extremes.
Do you feel like your relationship is recession-proof? Take this poll then share your story below.
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- Chris Self: Ask the iVillage love and money expert
"On the list of nine things that make up a successful marriage, having children was ranked as eighth in importance. The numbers in 2007 had declined from two thirds in 1990 who considered having children as important to marriage --- ranking it third in importance on the nine-point list."Here's their complete top, um, nine list (clearly I'm missing one... please let me know if you can find it!):
- Faithfulness
- Sexual compatibility
- Sharing chores
- Adequate income
- Good housing
- Shared religious beliefs
- Shared tastes and interests
- Having children
- Agreement on politics
I've seen a lot of strange studies conducted, but baseball? Really? Don't get me wrong. I love baseball. Love it, love it, love it. Can it save marriages? Not sure I'd take it that far... nor would it even occur to me to do a study on it. But the folks at Divorce360.com did some research, and they say there's a definite correlation. (Riiiight.)
According to the National Center for Health Statistics, "The Northeast has the most ball clubs and the lowest divorce rate in the U.S."
Coincidence?
I think yes.
Divorce360.com says no:
If you’re married and you live in a city that has a professional baseball you’re less likely to get a divorce than if you live in a city without a pro ball team. “You’re 28 percent more likely to get a divorce if you live in a town that wants a professional baseball team,” said Howard Markman, director of the Center for Marital and Family Studies. “Baseball is something couples can do together for fun. Baseball is a family-oriented activity, unlike the theatre. If you talk while you’re at the theatre they’ll kick you out. But you can go to a baseball game and talk to your hearts content and nobody cares, explain Markman. Couples who attend baseball games are more likely to stay together over the long haul than those who don’t.What do you think? Talk back below.
Did anyone else watch The Moment of Truth the other night?
I don't want to place judgment on the contestants because I realize that "desperate times lead to desperate measures," and I don't know their financial situations. But I just can't imagine that they'll look back and say their winnings were worth what they lost.
Just to set up the premise for those of you who didn't watch (the show airs again tonight on Fox if you want to tune in): The contestants are asked questions before the show while hooked up to a lie detector test. But they're not told whether the test registered their answers as truthful. They're then asked the questions again during the show taping... while friends, family members and—most notably—wives and girlfriends look on from a few feet away. Only then does the voice come over the loud speaker to announce whether they're being honest or lying. Every time the contestants' answers match the lie detector's answers, they make money (up to $100,000).
Sounds fun, right? Well, it is for at-home viewers—if not a bit unsettling—but it definitely isn't fun for the wives and girlfriends.
The host asked one contestant, who had already admitted to a gambling addiction, if he was hiding a bank account from his girlfriend. He said no, and the lie detector confirmed that to be true.
Phew!
But not all exchanges went quite so smoothly. The host asked another contestant if he's done anything during his 2.5-year marriage that would make his wife lose his trust. He said yes, as his wife responded that she had no idea what he might be referring to. Later the same contestant was asked if he's delayed having children with her because he doesn't think she'll be his "lifelong partner." Again, he said yes. At that point, her friend turned to her and whispered, "Is it worth $100,000 to learn that?"
And that's what I want to ask you: Would it be worth $100,000 to find out information about your partner that you might not want to know? Comment below.
