Are You Kidding Me? Mom allows 51-year-old actor to marry her 16-year-old daughter

Doug Hutchinson, 51-year-old star of "Lost" and "The Green Mile" recently wed 16-year-old Courtney Stodden.  Although Courtney was too young to legally marry Doug, she did so with her mother's parental consent.

Marriages with extreme age differences have existed throughout history.  Men in the Bible had young wives, kings and queens married at 12 and 13, and it was not uncommon for a landowner to chose the young girl next door as his bride.  Not to be outdone, celebrities have also married those much younger (i.e., Woody Allen, Jerry Lee Lewis, Larry King, etc.).  So this is not a new phenomenon.

As there is a long-standing history of such marriages, we still freak out when hearing stories like this.  In this case, you have to wonder what a 51-year-old and a 16-year-old have in common?  How did mom allow her daughter to marry a man 35 years her senior?  Is the daughter trying to become famous?

In each state, marriage consent laws specify at what age an individual may legally marry (hence why mom had to give consent since Courtney is not 18).  Assuming that these laws exist for a reason and that most young people don't have enough life experience to agree to marry, I wonder what criteria mom used to determine that her daughter was "ready".  Which is the bigger issue here, the age difference or the fact that mom agreed to this union?

For a list of U.S. age of marriage consent laws click here.

Read more about the newlyweds here.

Are You Kidding Me? Phone Apps That Help You Cheat

As if smart phones didn't make it easy enough to hide things, now creators of phone applications are making sneaky behavior much easier.  Many apps make it virtually (no pun intended) impossible for others to know what we are doing with our phones.  Some apps connect you to potential cheating partners, others hide your interactions with "secret" people and will destroy any incriminating evidence that may be left behind.  

Here are just a few of the most popular sneaky apps out there:

LoKy for Android

• Messages and calls (of your choice) are hidden within secret folders on your phone
• Only a special code can unlock the "secret" data
• A dummy version keeps you looking like an angel
• It can be closed quickly by gently shaking the phone

TigerText

• Set how long text messages remain in your phone
• "Suspicious" messages are deleted from your phone, the receiver's phone AND the databases of both carriers
• Messages CANNOT be forwarded or copied

Ashley Madison

The popular adultery website, who's catchphrase is "Life is short, have an affair" has released the mobile version that:

• Eliminates the electronic trail found on computers
• The application can be hidden on phone

Only the tip of the iceberg, these apps join many others being released on a steady basis.  But, what do these say about our views of infidelity?  These are definitely leading us further and further away from authentic relationships.

Are You Kidding Me? Releasing a Sex Tape to Get Ahead...

Usually I try to provide detailed information as to the source of my various posts and rants. This time is no different, except I am waiting for the full information.  But, hearing about this study forced me to blog about it and get some discussion started.


A recent study conducted by an online dating website (CanDoBetter.com) states that women in the millenial generation or Generation Y have some interesting views on paths to success.  According to the site:

• 64% of women would make/release a sex tape to become famous
• 35% of women would blackmail a co-worker in order to get a promotion
• 38% of women would sleep with a professor to get a good grade
• 46% of men would buy an expensive gift for a boss to get ahead 

First and foremost, you must consider the source of the survey and that these results are only applicable to members of this particular dating site.  But, with constant media coverage of celebrity cases (Paris Hilton, Kim Kardashian, Montana Fishburne, Kendra Wilkerson, Danielle Staub...) one could assume there may be an effect on those who are susceptible to media's influence. 

Secondly, I cannot confirm the validity of the results.  I have yet to receive a copy of the full survey (waiting on said survey to arrive) in order to check what methods were used and how the questions were worded.  

Despite the above, I wonder if this generation is overly desensitized to personal information made public and driven to succeed despite any and all costs?

Thoughts??

Are You Kidding Me? Child Leashes...

A friend and I were in a store the other day when we stumbled upon one of those child leashes shaped like a teddy bear.  A conversation began, filled with insight and many jokes, about the type of parent who would use one of these.

We have all seen children out in public running around and misbehaving while parents ignore or encourage the behavior.  Some of us have fought the urge to intervene, while others made their opinion known.  Despite whatever undesireable behavior we may see in a child, can anyone in their right mind agree with putting a child on a leash?

A child on a leash demonstrates lacking skills on behalf of the parent NOT the poor behavior of a child.  It is inhumane, degrading, and down-right lazy to put your child on a leash.  Leashes were created to control domesticated animals...pets who at times lack decision-making capabilities to remain near their owners.  It is to protect the pet and those who come in contact with it.

So who's bright idea was it to apply this technique to toddlers?

I have a better idea, take the $25 you were going to spend on the leash and enroll in a parenting class!

Any thoughts?

Divorce Rings and Wedding Ring Coffins

 

Rings with a gap to signify divorce and personally engraved coffins to store your wedding ring...is it just me or is this going a bit too far? (the links are to sites for each)

Story:Dealing with the Suffer-Ring

 

Lie Detectors

The other day, I was listening to one of my favorite satellite radio stations when one of the co-hosts was talking about her fiancée and his bachelor party in Las Vegas.  Listeners were calling in, sending emails and posting on the channel’s Facebook page to tell her stories of what goes on there.  You know, "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas"...right?

After working herself into a complete and utter panic, once he returned she suggested that he take a lie detector test!?!  And she wanted him to take it live on the air!?!  But of course, he refused.  The other co-hosts were on opposites sides on this one.  The other female on the show agreed and said that she had no problem asking her husband take one.  The male on the show -whom I love BTW- stated that he would NEVER take one and would be offended if asked to do so.  

Despite the fact that lie detector tests have horrible reliability and validity, her insistence that he take one (and in such a public manner, no less) speaks volumes about her INSECURITIES and her INABILITY TO TRUST him.  Also, she said that she would take one also as she had nothing to hide.

IMHO, he should take this situation VERY seriously and think about the decision to marry her.  This is definitely a sign of things to come.

Thoughts?