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 [...]

Photo Courtesy "In Touch" Magazine Remember Mary Kay Letourneau, the ex-school teacher/convicted felon, whose passionate affair with a 13-year-old student produced two children and a seven-year prison sentence? She and Vili Fualaau, who were married in 2005, are now just a typical old married couple. She's 56 and a paralegal. He's a 34-year-old part-time DJ who's thinking about a marijuana business. And, oh, oh, here's a surprise! The marriage is in trouble. The couple has been legally separated since June of last year. It seems that Mary Kay was not only the principal breadwinner, she also handled most of the parenting, finance and household responsibilities. Villi, [...]

Photo courtesy of Unsplash. When did jaw-dropping marriage proposals become a thing? I'm talking about proposals that take place during bungee jumps, on mountain peaks, underwater, skydiving or water skiing.  I am also referencing full-blown productions that are professionally choreographed, directed and video-taped. Go on line, and you'll see photos of a guy, who dressed himself and 47 of his friend as carrots, to perform a dance routine for his beloved as a prelude to the proposal. Then there's the young Russian who hired a screen writer, film crew and stuntman to fake his death before coming back to life and popping the question. Visit YouTube [...]

I'm currently obsessed with Instagram.  I'm taking an online course, which advises that I spend at least five hours a day, posting on my own feed and liking and commenting on other feeds in my niche.  It's a full-time job.  I'm exhausted. On the up-side, I've run across a lot of amusing marital wit and wisdom.  Here are some of the best IG posts under #marriagehumor.  Enjoy!  (And, for the love of God, follow me at www.instagram.com/husbandsmanual/) Now here're a couple of my own IG posts for your amusement. Got a good quote of your own on marriage?  Be sure to let me know.  And share these with someone [...]

Scene from "Dating Naked," which ran on VH1. I'm not a big fan of reality dating shows. I don't think I ever watched a full episode of "The Bachelor" or "The Bachelorette."  So, imagine my surprise when I ran across an article recalling 43 dating shows I never knew existed. The article, which ran on the lifestyle blog, "Beamly," covered gone and best-forgotten programs such as "Dating Naked," which featured strangers dating strangers in their birthday suits; "Age of Love," that matched up a 30-year-old man with a group of  women in their 20s, and a group of women in their late 30s to 40s to [...]

Photo by Huy Phan on Unsplash In our ongoing effort to explore the current dating culture, we've heard about a variety of first-dates that went no further, due to fetishes, concealed marital status, unexpected nudity and public crying (his, not hers). Today we discover that second dates can have their downside as well. Case#5 Brenda couldn't believe her luck.  She met Dwayne online.  He was tall, good looking, well-spoken and took her to a trendy new restaurant.  (She's a bit of a food snob, so this was big plus.)  They talked.  They laughed. OK, in retrospect, he seemed a "bit off," she admits. The second date?  [...]

Photo by Mihai Surdu on Unsplash Up 'til now, I've been reluctant to weigh in on #metoo.  After all, it's been a long time since a 50-something employer chased a 20-something me around the office shouting, "who're you afraid of, me, or yourself?" I'm now prompted to speak by the overwhelming pervasiveness of the issue and the confusion it is generating in some men. Every day there's a new outrage, with charges of inappropriate behavior hurled at seemingly inoffensive men. (Garrison Keillor, for God's sake!) Then there's the recent online survey, which reveals that 51% of women say they've been subjected to inappropriate touching and 77% [...]

Bette Davis with real-life husband Gary Merrill in "All About Eve." It's been said that all my cultural references are dead people, which is highly unfair.  Only the good ones are dead. This week I made a valiant effort to find pertinent quotes from contemporary funny ladies such as: Amy Schumer, Sarah Silverman and Tina Fey.  While these are highly entertaining women, their one-liners lack the bitchy wit of previous generations. For that we must turn to the self-proclaimed tough broad herself, Bette Davis, who famously said, “The best time I ever had with Joan Crawford was when I pushed her down the stairs in Whatever Happened to Baby [...]

Unless they manage to hitch up before a judge or magistrate, couples are rarely permitted to tie the knot without submitting to one or more outdated custom, designed to bring them health, good fortune and a tiny measure of humiliation.   This is true around the world. Here're a few examples: Germany Following the ceremony, a young German couple is required to work together to saw a log in half.  According to Southern Bride Magazine, the act is designed to demonstrate the bride and groom's ability to work together.  Presumably, the wedding is annulled if one of them loses a finger. Fiji In Fiji, the bridegroom must gift his [...]