Is Marriage becoming the new obsolete?

I got these stats from Time Magazine:

Is marriage becoming obsolete?:

62% of unmarried parents living with their partner say YES.
46% of unmarried also say YES
45% High School education or less say YES
39% of ALL groups say YES
31% of married say YES
27% of college educated folk say YES

My personal favorite is that 44% of Americans under 30 say marriage is heading for extinction yet only 5% of those in that age group do not want to marry.

First and foremost, I think we can all say that marriage has changed.  Older women marry younger men.  Stay-at-Home Dads aren't that uncommon anymore.  There are 2 income families, no income families, and a woman who became a man and married a woman but saved her/his uterus and had babies.

Things have changed.

Now, I have never quite understood all the judgement around marriage. The sacredness of the union, in the sense that everyone is throwing around these days.

People get married in Vegas for 3 hours and then get it annulled, shout out to Ms. Spears.  Hell, Amy Winehouse was allowed to marry and I doubt she can remember anything from the past 5 years at all. People get divorced, people cheat, people lie, and people beat... on each other. I was going with the whole rhyme thing.

On the other hand, people yearn for it. People make drama about it. When is he going to ask me?!  When am I going to find someone?!

We put so much pressure on a concept. It's a concept people.  An idea of 2 people coming together to take on life as a team.  Yes, it's a beautiful concept. Doubly yes, no one wants to die alone.  Triple yes, sometimes after many year of marriage, you double think that whole dying alone thing.

In Brazil, if you move in with each other, you are referred to as married.  The line of thought is that you live together and basically are, just sans the paper.  Personally, I think it's because it's a bitch to rent and get your own place in Brazil. You have to buy a washer, an oven, and a fridge for goodness sake.  That's commitment.

What I really don't get is that with all the socially acceptable changes happening around marriage, why the big old Red Haring tradition argument?  We have blended families, unmarried couples raising children, Single Mothers, Divorce, 3rd marriages, Jewish/Hindu wedding ceremonies, and so on and so forth.  You name it, we've done it.  The great thing about traditions is that they can always be adapted and new ones can be made.

So my question is, why the drama about gay marriage? Hell, 39% of you (44% under 30) think it's on the out anyway. It's the tube sock of tradition these days.  It never really goes out of style but it kind of does at the same time.

So what gives?  We don't like pairs?  I mean, after the woman/man had a baby person got married, we're basically saying it comes down to genitals. That's genitalism or something?

Personally, I have nothing against genitals nor gay marriage. I think we straight people have screwed the sacred union over enough. Let's just try to add in another group and see if they can help turn it around.  Maybe we can bedazzle over the stains left on the so-called pious tradition.

And don't even comment on my blog that gays can basically be married. Didn't we LONG ago cover that separate but equal is NOT equal?  Do you not remember history class?  Shame shit, different stink.

So what are you thoughts?  Is marriage on the outs?  Should we open our hypocritically restricted laws? Let's start a dialog

Brazil, as seen by 60 Minutes

Jim, my source for news, recipes, culture, and drink ideas posted a great piece done on Brazil by 60 minutes.

I watched it with my husband who was a bit confused. "Isn't this stuff obvious. You guys (Americans) don't know this?"

I sometimes see him as an innocent. He's one of the few who refuses to believe that most Americans know nothing about the rest of the world. Thankfully, he has not tested me on World Geography. That will be a sad day.

Anyway, check out the video. I'm going to post the youtube version for those of you who, like me, feel the need to fast forward, pause, and rewind. I put the ADD in vADDeo watching.

Got to love Lula and his smack on European perfectionism or whatnot. And yes, you can invite people over, they accept, and then they don't show up. It happens and it's socially ok. Again, I love me some Sass and Pizzazz. I guess I picked the right place to settle down.

Snow or Bidet?

I've been in the states for a whole 5 days now and I'm already missing a couple of things about Brazil.

For example, I miss the fruit. It's winter and this morning, for the first time this season, there was a thin layer of snow.  I forgot that fruits don't really like to grow in this weather.  Of course we can get staple fruits. This is America people. But no, we will not eat American bananas. I am a Banana snob after Brazil and the American banana is like the American fake breast. It's beautiful to look at, but is as hard as a rock and tastes like cardboard. Not that I know or anything.

I also miss the bidet and/or butt hose.  Call me French, call me Brazilian, call me messy, but the bidet is the Cat's meow.   My Mother is a very good sport and got us the flushable wipies to help fill the void.  It's so not the same as a hose spraying right up your bum.  And I am really unaccustomed to my grownup parts smelling like baby powder.  It's a little creepy.

And then there's the doorman. No doorman here.  Well, it would be a bit strange to have a doorman sitting on my parent's front porch.  Strange or kind of cool.  Anyway, where is the random conversation. I have no one to discuss the weather with as I wait for the elevator.  Of course I don't have an elevator either but that is beside the point. 

Last and totally least, I miss the heat. Well, not the heat really but the convenience of it.  Heat means not having to bundle up.  You can kiss the 4 layers of clothing goodbye! 

There are some other benefits of hot as well. For starters, it's super easy to gorge on food here. Ever eat a salad in 4 degree (30 F) weather? No, that would be insane.  And going outside. My kids are troopers but how long can you really last dressed up as the Pillsbury dough boy.  That leaves about 10 hours a day stuck inside somewhere. Thank goodness for inexpensive toys, art supplies, and unfinished basements for running around in

But one thing makes all this worthwhile.  And you know what that one thing is, BACON! Oh yes people, I have real bacon in my hands, in my mouth, and all over my clothing.  The strips are almost 2 inches wide, the fat to "meat" ratio is balanced, and I can cook it in a broiler.  Mmmmmmmmm. 

I bet you guys thought I was going to say family.  Don't you know me by now?

The Boob Whisperer

Hello, I am the Boob Whisperer.

I am the Pied Piper of the breast.

You see, I go places and breasts come to me.  I don't seek them out, and I most certainly don't holler their name.  They just come to me, like moths to a flame. And they are always naked. It really makes for a different kind of moment

Let me give you an example.  Last night, I was coming home from a candlelit plantation tour in the middle of nowhere, of the middle of nowhere Maryland. Oh yes, costumes, confederates, and all.  We were really out there, both figuratively and literally. It was an interesting and fun experience.

Anyway, to get home, we had to drive down this dark country road. It was a foggy night and no one was out.  I look out my window for a brief moment and there is a woman standing in her bedroom window, topless, for all the world to see. One minute I was seeing trees, the next an eyeful of boob.  In her defense, I bet only her second and third cousins go down that country road.

My husband, poor man, cried his typical, it's so unfair cry. Why was I the only one who saw them?  What magic do I possess?  You see, he is a lover of breasts, believing a bad pair does not exist. Bless his soul.  And they are all being wasted on his straight wife's eyes. I swear, he would be a much happier man if I were a little bi and could share the same pleasure in them.

At least I get pleasure in laughing at his reaction after each boob exposure.  As a Boob Whisperer, these stories pop up when you least expect it.  Maybe it's a friend of a friend who enthusiastically shows me her  fake breasts, and insists I touch them. Awkward! Of course, I do.  It would be 21st century rude not to.

It could be a wardrobe malfunction, a VERY enthusiastic Brazilian hook up/boob slip, or a simple accidental boob grab of a neighbor. I really don't know why it happens to me but it does. It's like the psychics who have spirits talk to them, except mine are breasts and they just stare at me.

Well, it could be worse.  I could be getting an eyeful of plumbers butt.

Food is where MY heart is

I'm in the US to visit my family. It's all about bonding, cuddling, chatting, and the overall spending of time together.

My second goal is to eat.  Thankfully, this goes wonderfully with the holiday season and bonding with the fam.  I have officially been at my parents house for about 36 hours. Since I am a go getter and overachiever, I can already cross some items off my list.

They are the following:
Nutter Butters
Triscuits - original
Triscuits - Sun dried tomatoes (yummy!)
Cheddar and feta
Some more cheddar and feta
Bagel with cream cheese
Bagel with feta and cream cheese
Enchiladas
Pop Tarts
Chef Boyardi (sp?) beef ravioli
Vanilla Wafers
String cheese
Sandwich with thinly sliced roast beef and provolone
Fritos
Reeses Peanut Butter ice cream
milk
Dill pickles

My goal is to move out of snacks and into real food by the beginning of next week. When I almost ate half my Mother's index finger... in my defense, her fingers do look strangely like Jimmy Dean sausages... I was informed that I am not starving and the food will be there tomorrow.

Say What?!  Tomorrow?  I'm on a strict gastronomic schedule here people. This food is not going to eat itself.

For you expats out there, what should I eat in your honor?