Free Republic

I know you've been waiting for someone to ask this. Who, of the 66 bond girls so far (three girls x 22 films)should James Bond have married and settled down with? With all due respect to Tracy--Countessa Teresa Di Vicenzo, "Tracy Draco", Bond's beloved deceased wife, played by Diana Rigg--and the un-named Kissy Suzuki, played by Mie Hama--who should be the real Mrs. Bond? And I'm not talking about considering the acting ability of the actress playing the part, or your personal hate for her. And you need not name only one--nothing unseemly implied here. I know some of you...

If it is the received opinion that Prince William and Kate Middleton were too young to be wed, then I would suggest that the received opinion is in error. Indeed, if it is the young Prince’s own view that 24 is too young to be married, then I would suggest this may be a mistake. The mid-twenties are a perfect time for a young couple to be married. Indeed, at 25, a woman is already past the peak of her biological fertility, which occurs at the age of 23. It has become the custom among the middle classes not to...

It can be argued, and without a hint of mockery, that the commitment crisis befalling the current marrying generation could come down to a question of deodorant. And it's a big question. Blinking at the vast rows of tubes in the pharmacy aisle, there are many considerations: Stick or aerosol? Regular or scented? Sea Breeze or Powder Fresh? Newfangled body spray or old-fashioned antiperspirant? The options feel endless. And overwhelming. The same can be said of the modern state of dating and mating and trying to marry, says Jillian Strauss, author of "Unhooked Generation: The Truth About Why We're Still...

Wondering about that muffled howl you’ve been hearing the last couple weeks? It’s the sound and fury of feminists reacting to Michael Noer’s latest exegesis, Don’t Marry a Career Woman. Noer’s column, which ran at Forbes.com, surveyed marriages in which the wives doggedly pursue a high-powered career, all the while neglecting family and home. The research shows these women are more likely to be unhappy if she earns more than the guy, or if she quits her job and stays home. Either way, she’s going to be a grump. Her husband is more prone to be discontented if she is...

What women look for in a man Wed Apr 5, 2006 4:47 PM BST164 LONDON (Reuters) - The old adage that women look for wealth in a man appears to be under threat after research on Wednesday showed women are starting to put physical attractiveness above solvency. The shift is occurring because women have been freed from the constraints that previously dictated how they chose a mate as they increasingly control their own finances, the study said. "We are seeing that women who have control over their finances are less concerned with the fiscal status of their potential mates and...

Haydee Leon is planning her wedding with a spreadsheet in hand. It's the “something new” prospective brides need these days. Leon and her fiance, Chris Mandernach, 25, have set a budget for their Sept. 18 wedding at The Clubhouse on Baltimore, and she's determined not to overspend. When they got engaged in December, they decided they wanted a wedding that was elegant and in good taste, “but without going overboard,” says Leon, 26, who lives in Overland Park. “Something that was just reasonable.” In the end, they decided that $16,000 was reasonable. It is, compared to the cost of a...

As if the dating game weren't hard enough already, now there's a new twist to the age-old practice of pitching woo: More singles want Mr. or Ms. Right to belong to the "right" political party as well. And a slew of new political dating websites have popped up to help people find a pool of like-minded candidates. If that sounds like preelection hoopla, consider the fact that politics has invaded every other facet of American life in the past three years. It's on TV, in movies, and in mainstream publications. "Who are you voting for?" is becoming an icebreaker for...