I've always thought there was a lot to be said for same-sex marriage -- even for couples who aren't gay.  Instead of a Venusian and a Martian struggling to cohabit, the partners would at least be from the same planet. They'd like the same movies. They'd read the same books. They'd speak the same language. They might even manage to converse with each other. Then I met Brian and Matthew. Now, I'm convinced of it. Together for 16 1/2 years and married for two, Brian and Matthew are highly successful business men who lead busy, demanding lives. Their strategy for blending those lives is a model we'd all [...]

Did you hear about the romance/suspense writer in Oregon who, six years ago, wrote an essay titled, "How to Murder Your Husband"?  Earlier this month she was arrested for apparently taking her own advice. Nancy Crampton Brophy, 68, (who has pleaded not guilty) was accused of gunning down her husband of 25 years last June. Daniel Brophy, 63, was a chef/instructor at the Oregon Culinary Institute, where his body was found in one of the school kitchens. In 2011, the widow Brophy's essay appeared on the website "See Jane Publish." The essay, which has since been archived opens with, "As a romantic suspense writer, I spend a lot [...]

Photo Credit: Cindy Baffour on Unsplash It used to be mostly high-profile athletes, Robert De Niro and the Kardashians: now it seems to be everywhere. I'm speaking of Interracial dating and marriage. You see it in commercials, at neighborhood restaurants, TV shows. Most recently, it received the royal stamp of approval from the House of Windsor. In 1967, when the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Loving v. the State of Virginia (which struck down all state laws banning interracial marriages), some 3% of U.S. marriages were bi-racial.  According to Pew Research, in 2017 it was 17% for the newly married. In some places, the percentage [...]

What's the first thing a young couple has to decide when they get engaged? No, it's not the wedding date or the venue or who will walk the bride down the aisle. In the social media age, the most important decision is the "wedding hashtag." I confess, until recently, I didn't even know such a thing existed. While, I was basking in my ignorance, however, a whole industry cropped up. For those who are equally oblivious, let me explain: couples today create a unique hashtag, which is added to invitations, party fare, online websites and social media posts.  Think #MeganHarry2018 or #BradAndAngelina4Ever. Friends and family can then search [...]

In his latest book, "Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow," Israeli historian Yuval Noah Harari, predicts that algorithms will soon work more effectively than the human brains that create them. In particular, he envisions a time when love-algorithms will eliminate all the agony of dating and mating by matching you up with the one person with whom you are best suited to spend eternity. Scoff if you like, but that day may be closer than you think. I recently read an article titled, "Should You Always Swipe Right on Tinder?" which explains there's a Tinder algorithm that plays a major role in who you get matched with on [...]

When 22-year-old me married 26-year-old Jack Schindler in 1964, some 72% of all American adults were married.  adults were married.  Today it's more like 50%.  Despite the fact that more people are legally allowed to marry than ever before, fewer are opting to doing so. Furthermore, those who do get married are doing so later.  Back in 1964, the average first-time bride was 20, while the average first-time groom was 22.  Today, the average is 27.4 for women and 29.5 for men. Experts cite a number of sociological changes behind the declining popularity of marriage. The biggest reason is probably choice.  Women no longer need a husband to [...]

If you think you'd like to be young and single again, better think twice. The whole process of dating and mating has been reduced to a game, literally.  Last month the Match Group, Tinder's parent company, introduced "Crown," which is the dating equivalent to the "Sweet 16" in basketball. Every day, the algorithm sends you 16 possible love interests in eight pairs.  You choose the one you like best in each pairing. Now you have four pairs of eight matches. You keep winnowing down the options until you "crown" the winner. If you've both crowned each other, you have the option of starting a conversation and meeting up.  [...]

Social media is a-twitter with the report last month that pop singer Ariana Grande, 24, and "Saturday Night Live" star Pete Davidson, also 24, got engaged after dating one week. Although "Cosmopolitan" contends they were secretly seeing each other since March while both were involved with other partners.  (I keep up with these things, so you don't have to?) Despite the fact that Ariana and Pete already have matching tattoos, it's anyone's guess whether this pairing is destined for death-do-us-part. Fox News cites other celebs involved in quickie engagements, most of which did not see happily ever after: Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee, married after 96 hours, divorced [...]

Photo courtesy of Pexels I recently saw a meme that said, "My husband and I both have colds.  I keep living my life, but we may have to call his family, so they can say goodbye." When my friend Karen's husband had a cold, he turned to her and asked, "do you think I will ever get well?" "Yes," she said, "I'm fairly confident you will." What's going on here?  Big, strapping guys, who can change a tire, chop wood and kill spiders, fall apart when they have a muscle cramp or upset tummy. A few years ago, Huffington Post Blogger Diedre A. Ware wrote a [...]

Photo courtesy of rawpixel on unsplash We've heard a few horror stories about dating online.  Meredith had a different experience. In her 20s at the time and starting a career in food service, she had very little time for a social life.  The dating apps seemed like a harmless way to meet new people, go new places and get her out of a rut. She didn't realize that it could take over her life. Signed up with two different apps, the young, attractive operations director was soon overwhelmed with responses, as many as 20 a day. She spent long hours replying to messages, reviewing bios, checking [...]