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For what experts say is probably the first time, more American women are living without a husband than with one, according to a New York Times analysis of census results. In 2005, 51 percent of women said they were living without a spouse, up from 35 percent in 1950 and 49 percent in 2000. Coupled with the fact that in 2005 married couples became a minority of all American households for the first time, the trend could ultimately shape social and workplace policies, including the ways government and employers distribute benefits. Several factors are driving the statistical shift. At one...

Men lust for hourglass curves, say researchers By Roger Highfield Science Editor Last Updated: 11:14pm GMT 09/01/2007 The traditional theory of beauty says that for every man who chases the voluptuous type, such as Jordan or Marilyn Monroe, there is another who prefers to woo a waif such as Twiggy or Kate Moss. But this and the idea that beauty is subjective and ever-changing has been overturned by Prof Devendra Singh and his daughter Adrian Singh. The psychologists from the University of Texas today publish research showing lovestruck men have only one thing on their minds: a woman's WHR -...

BANGKOK (AFP) - "I could not find anybody in the States. There was nothing in America for me. That's why I'm here," says the clean-cut 52-year-old bachelor, who bears a passing resemblance to Hollywood actor Michael Douglas. Sullivan, an emergency nurse from Florida, is one of a growing number of foreign men seeking young and beautiful Thai brides via the Internet. Speaking at the Bangkok office of Sweet Singles, a Thai bride-by-Internet company, Sullivan says he has decided to "go beyond boundaries" in his search for a wife after a futile quest in the United States. "American women in my...

....More American women than ever are putting motherhood before matrimony. New data released by the Centers for Disease Control show that nearly four in 10 U.S. babies were born outside of marriage in 2005—a new high. These unwed moms aren't all teens—last year teen pregnancies fell to their lowest levels in 65 years. Some—like 44-year-old Mary Lee MacKichan, who used a gay friend as a sperm donor—are professional, older women who want to have babies before their biological clocks run out, but most are low-income twentysomethings. (Unwed births among 30- to 44-year-olds are up 17 percent since 1991; among those...

In this world of pain, confusion and question, today we give pause. We don’t today focus on the half empty cup but rather CHOSE to look at the joy of life, the blessings of life and the friendships of life. Today we give thanks to God for his gift of life & blessings in this troubled world. We give thanks to friends and family for the gifts of friendship and joy they share with us Today is day ONE of the LONG 4-day Thanksgiving Weekend here at the Singles Thread. We are thankful that Jim & John Robinson have...

How does a girl avoid dating or marrying some festering bag of ripe compost like Kevin Federline and his helix-missing ilk? I know Britney Spears is about as sharp as a bag of wet mice; however, even with her low levels of discernment and her Turkish walnut like density, I believe Brit (as well as those below and above her in brilliance) can, with a little guidance, steer relationally clear from any urge to merge with some future K-Fedian bad date. So . . . how does a girl circumvent the date from hell? It’s pretty simple, ladies. Follow the...

Tomorrow Kate of Spice Island will be sharing her stories of the “Sixth Sense” More Linky Links Great Halloween Craft Prjoects Bobbing for apples Hangman Game Curly Bill’s Halloween Thread 2005 Curly Bill’s Halloween Thread 2006 THE HAUNTED PALACE BY E. A. POE, ESQ. In the greenest of our valleys By good angels tenanted, Once a fair and stately palace — Snow-white palace — reared its head. In the monarch thought's dominion — It stood there! Never Seraph spread his pinion Over fabric half so fair. Banners yellow, glorious, golden, On its roof did float and flow — This...

The U.S. economy remains in better shape than bearish partisans contend. Broad economic indicators like real GDP, payroll employment, and industrial production are expanding, while the U.S. economy itself is nearing its sixth year of expansion. Yet the same bullish claim cannot be made about Michigan, which continues to lose jobs. It’s rare for a state with an economy as large as Michigan’s to record job losses in the midst of a national expansion. A lot of ink is spilled in Detroit each month reporting short-term job losses. But some key long-term trends have been overlooked. How bad is Michigan’s...

Amish Weddings Family is the core element in the Amish church, and choosing a mate is the most important decision in an Amishman's life. Boys and girls begin their search for a spouse when they turn sixteen. By the time a young woman turns twenty or a young man is in his early twenties, he or she is probably looking forward to the wedding day. But several definite steps must be taken by a couple before they may marry. Both must join the Amish church. They are baptized into the Amish faith and are responsible for following the Ordnung....

They hiked over 40 kilometers, killed close to 20 Hizbullah guerrillas and spent 32 days in Lebanon without a single casualty. But on Monday, soldiers from the Herev Battalion emerged from battle, sweaty, dusty and tired making history twice - as the first battalion to enter Lebanon and the one to spend the longest amount of time deep in enemy territory under Operation Change of Direction. The battalion, consisting strictly of Druse soldiers from northern Israel, was on its way to take control of the northern border with Lebanon on July 12, when Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser were kidnapped...

The History of the Middle Finger Salute NO OFFENSE TO ANYONE, I HOPE! Very interesting and now you'll know for certain what is implied by this gesture. The History of the Middle Finger Before the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, the French, anticipating victory over the English, proposed to cut off the middle finger of all captured, English soldiers. Without the middle finger it would be impossible to draw the renowned English longbow and therefore they would be incapable of fighting in the future. This famous English longbow was made of the native English Yew tree, and the act of...

Alot of people are harping on the Liberal undertones of the new Superman movie. I see something else. I see conservative values creeping into Hollywood. This Lois is no slut. She has been getting knocked around for being an unwed mother but lets look at the facts of the story. In Superman 2 Lois and Clark get married and have sex while he is human. Lois' memory of those events are wiped clean and Superman leaves (Superman 3&4 never happened). Ok Lois ends up pregnant and the man that made her that way is gone. What does she do? Does...

“Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But, the Marines don't have that problem. Ronald Reagan, 1985 ~*~ Government is like a baby. An alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other. Saturday Evening Post, 1965 ~*~ “Trust, but verify“ ~*~ Abortion is advocated only by persons who have themselves been born. ~*~ Above all, we must realize that no arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men...

Randi Anderson knew she was on her own the day her son was born 22 months ago when she drove herself to the hospital. Long before Anderson pulled up to Swedish Medical Center, her film-school boyfriend was gone. Twenty hours after she arrived at the hospital, she joined the growing ranks of single mothers. It is a group that often feels isolated, suffers higher-than-normal rates of depression and believes it carries a stigma in a culture that celebrates marriage. "I certainly feel like it's written across my face," Anderson, 34, said. "We've been told it's not OK to be a...

Twenty-five years ago, most men in the Tampa Bay area married by age 35. But since 1980, the number of never-married men 35 to 55 has jumped sevenfold. ST. PETERSBURG - On the eve of his 50th birthday, Robert Mendenhall was trying to decide whether to spend the big day with someone new or with his ex-girlfriend. She had held his interest the longest: eight months. Mendenhall, who works in regional sales for a roofing and window company, hangs out with half a dozen never-married men in their late 40s and early 50s. They are successful at their jobs, keep...

Well, due to time constraints and running a feline MASH unit, I admit this beginning will be very plain, but when I host it for my scheduled turn in May, I'll be sure to "bling" it up better. This weeks theme will be pets: Pansy from 1987 Pansy from 2006 Greystone, taken 4-06-2006 The subjects are: 1. Current pets 2. Past pets 3. Anything else to do with pets.

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (Feb. 24, 2006) -- Most Marines strive to be the best at what they do, but only a select few can claim they were the "first" in history to accomplish something. Like Samuel Nicholas who became the first Marine officer in 1775, Opha Mae Johnson who became the first female Marine in 1918 or Carol A. Mutter who became the first female major general in 1994. Through hard work and dedication, Kimberly D. Walker joined these distinguished Marines in February when she became the first female master gunnery sergeant to serve as a combat...

Catholic Teacher Single, Pregnant -- and Now Unemployed Diocese Disputes Lawsuit Charging It With 'Pregnancy Discrimination' By Jim Brown and Jody Brown December 7, 2005 (AgapePress) - A Catholic school teacher in New York who was fired for becoming pregnant while unmarried is contesting her termination. St. Rose of Lima School in Queens recently fired pre-kindergarten teacher Michelle McCusker upon learning she had engaged in non-marital sex. With help from the New York Civil Liberties Union, McCusker has filed a discrimination complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. She informed the school of her condition one month after this school...

Moral turpitude ain't what it used to be By Kathleen Parker Nov 26, 2005 What a funny world. Where once it was scandalous to be unmarried and pregnant, now it is scandalous to disapprove of another's being unmarried and pregnant. The latest episode in these morally confused times occurred in New York recently when a Roman Catholic school fired a teacher because she is single and pregnant. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn claims that teacher Michelle McCusker violated "the tenets of Catholic morality" and thus could not be employed by the school. For her part, McCusker claims she was...

NEW ORLEANS, Nov. 25 (UPI) -- Women seem to have become a rare sight in many sections of New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. At a bar in the French Quarter on a recent night, there was not a single unattached woman, observers said. City officials guess New Orleans now has a population of 150,000 during the day and 75,000 at night after commuters have left, The Los Angeles Times reports. Sally Forman, the mayor's press secretary, says: "There's this strange feeling that it's all men in town." Part of the reason is that the wives and children...