Successful Hands Transplant, Yearns for Wife's Touch

Jeff Kepner became the first person in the United States to successfully have two hands transplanted. He can already move his fingers and grab a tennis ball, but what he really wants to do is feel his wife's touch. The doctors say that the nerves haven't yet grown back and it will take some time--about an inch a month. The surgery took place in May at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and took nine hours. Jeff lost his hands and feet a decade ago to a bacterial infection and didn't want the surgery at first, however his wife Valarie Kepner was persistent. She had contacted UPMC without telling her husband. She wanted him to be able to regain some of his independence after being on her schedule for years. Obviously, Jeff came around. Read more here.

Daily Sex Good for Sperm

For couples trying to conceive, they should have sex everyday. Aside from the obvious, a new study by Dr. David Greening of Sydney IVF, an Australian center for infertility and in vitro fertilization treatment, says daily sex improves the quality of the sperm. Dr. Greening studied 118 men with above-average damage to their sperm DNA. He found that after they ejaculated for seven consecutive days, the quality of sperm increased--dropping 8 percent in the amount of damaged sperm. His advice for those of you ready to do some baby making? "It seems safe to conclude that couples with relatively normal semen parameters should have sex daily for up to a week before the ovulation date," he says.

Public Servant Injustice to Marriage

Seriously, what's wrong with our government officials. Today it was revealed that South Carolina governor Mark Sanford had cheated on his wife with a woman from Argentina. Earlier this month Sen. John Ensign of Nevada admitted to having an affair with a woman who had worked for him. Oh, there's also Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa; former New York governor, Eliot Spitzer; his replacement David Paterson; presidential candidate John Edwards; and let's not forget former Idaho Senator Larry Craig who was caught soliciting sex in a bathroom stall at an airport. Of course the lineage goes on much further than that, but you get the point.

Why is this? And don't say it's the pressure, there are tens if not hundreds of thousands of people who work in jobs where life and death stare them in the face every day. Perhaps since it's okay for the government to meddle in military sexual behavior with the "don't ask, don't tell" rule, maybe the government should implement a new rule for all government officials that says if you can't stay faithful to your own spouse, how can the people you're supposed to govern trust you; therefore you will be immediately discharged from your government position if caught cheating? What are your thoughts?

Lose Weight on a Budget, Run!

USA Today is running (no pun intended) a weight-loss challenge and have selected Paul and Amy Kreidler of Glendale, Mo. to share their story. Combined, the couple dropped 160 pounds; Paul shed 120 pounds and Amy lost 40. In short, the couple blamed their weight gain on their hectic lifestyles and poor choices. Between work and raising kids, the couple often found themselves grabbing fast food. The couple decided they needed a change. They made two moves that helped them lose weight and become a happier, healthier couple. They started to eat healthier food and run. Amy, who doesn't like running as much as her husband says it's the quickest and best way to get her workout in. "It's free. It's fast. You put your shoes on, you warm up, you stretch and you go."

What's your weight loss secret?

Become a Sensuous Wife

We want to help out our friends over at Sensuous Wife who have just launched their new store (click here) with the slogan "pleasure for wives and the husbands who love them." Their store offers a little bit of everything including oils, music, edible paint, toys, furniture, books and much more. Not sure if this is just for the launch of the store, but most of their Liberator products, for example, are being discounted. The Equus is currently dicounted a whopping $111. While the current economy has many people budgeting, always remember that your spouse and your relationship is always worth investing in, whether that's through date nights, flowers or a new product to keep that spark alive. Once you've checked out the new store, follow Sensuous Wife on Twitter at @sensuouswife.

Awesome Visualization of Credit Crisis

If you have a hard time wrapping your head around all the terms flying around along with how credit or housing connects with the collapse that's taken place on Wall Street, watch this!

Our Experts are Busy

Today, Dr. Karen Sherman spoke about stress on Robin Hardy's show. The show aired 11:00PT/ 2:00ET. If you missed the show, be sure to listen online at www.BlogTalkRadio.com/Robin-Hardy. Also part of the conversation is another one of our regular contributors, Debbie Mandel.

In other news, Dr. Noelle Nelson in promotion of her new book, "Your Man is Wonderful," is running a contest. To enter, pick just one of her suggestions, put it into practice for a week in your life, and then share with us what happened. Submissions will be based on the follow criteria: originality 25%, attitude of contestant 25%, adherence to the contest theme & suggestions 25%, and the change that takes place by following the suggestions 25%. Every person who enters the “Toad to Prince” contest will receive a free PDF download of Dr. Noelle Nelson’s book "Everyday Miracles Vol. 1." The grand prize winner will receive a $1,000 travel voucher to use for a romantic getaway for 2 people. Visit, www.toadtoprince.com to enter.

Lastly, Dr. Trina Read sent me an interesting article the other day on male contreception from MSN. Click here to read the article. Dr. Read would like to add to this conversation and we'll have a podcast with her in the coming weeks speaking about this subject, so please check back often.

Military Wife Writes About Army Marriage

Lily Burana has written a book detailing her life as a newlywed and her struggle to reconcile a provocative past with the pious pressures of being a soldier's spouse. Her book is titled, "I Love a Man in Uniform." Burana, who in 2002 married an intelligence officer in West Point's history department, discusses how she dealt with her husband being deployed to Iraq just eight weeks after their wedding. Her husband is only referred to as "Mike" in the book to maintain his privacy. The book delves into ways that war changed her relationship with Mike and the lonely holidays and other candid events that go along with being a military life. For example, Burana was a stripper in her past life (before she met Mike) and because of that, the military canceled her book signing at West Point. Burana has a favorite saying for situations like that, "I'm an Army wife. I'm not the Army's wife." Read more here.

Chat with Dr. Karen Sherman About Body's Barometer

On Wednesday night (May 6th) you can hear Dr. Karen Sherman speak with Sharon Kay, host at Fisk University WFSK 88.1FM in Tennessee. You can either listen in at www.wfsk.org or call in at 615-329-8810. Dr. Sherman says, "We'll be discussing 'Do You Read Your Body's Barometer for Making Choices?'" The discussion starts at 5:00PM (CT)/ 6:00PM (ET) will refer to Chapters 3 - 6 in her book, "Mindfulness and The Art of Choice: Transform Your Life."

Cage Fighting Makes for a Happy Marriage

Do you train in any sport with your spouse?

One Couple, Two Trolley Cars, One Happy Marriage

When you read stories of couples working together, it's often within the same office or where one is assisting the other. Framingham, MA couple Diane and Ed Hyman run two roadside eateries, The Trolley Stop and Trolley Stop Jr. "We got married and we were just looking to do something together," says Ed. "It kind of came about by a fluke." The couple were dropping Diane's daughter off at a friend's when they spied the trolley trailer for sale. "We joked about it, then talked about it more seriously. We bought it a few weeks later." Ed works the Jr. store, while Diane attends the main Trolley Stop. The article from the Boston Globe doesn't go into detail on their marriage, but does talk a lot about the food deals. For example, a $2 trolley dog, plus for $1.25 more you can add chips, a drink and a chocolate chip cookie. A plain hot dog sound boring, how about a Snoop Dog with chili and cheddar cheese, or the Remdog adorned with sauerkraut. If visitors want something beyond a dog, they can get homemade soups, clam chowder, chili, sirloin angus hamburgers, mac and cheese. Morning patrons can also get coffee, cappuccinos, lattes, and chai tea. Do you have a favorite couple-run eatery near you? Maybe we should put together a list?

Boredom Can Doom a Marriage

It's the weekend. Are you doing anything fun with your spouse? Researchers at Stony Brook University in New York have been following 123 couples for 16 years. For all of them it was their first marriage and the average age for the women was 24 and 26 for men. At the seven year mark into their marriage, the researchers asked them to rate their level of boredom in their marriage through a series of questions. The resutls showed that greater boredom in year seven predicted significantly less satisfaction at year 16. Saying as much, researcher Irene Tsapelas and colleagues note that their findings suggest excitement promotes closeness, further promoting satisfaction."If partners experience excitement from other sources (such as novel and challenging activities) in a shared context, this shared experience can reignite relationship passion by associating the excitement with the relationship," the researchers write. Sound familiar? If not, listen to podcast Episode 61 with Dr. Karen Sherman. To read the complete article, click here.

Big Smiles Equal Happy Marriage

LiveScience reports that researchers studied college yearbook photos rating the smile intensity in pictures from 1 to 10. None of these who had the most intense smiles (fell within the top 10 percent in intensity) had divorced. Conversely, those who fell in the bottom 10 percent of smilers had about a 1 in 4 divorce rate. In a second study, they had people submit their own photos from childhood. Again, the big smilers had about a 1 in 10 divorce rate while over 30 percent of the frowners had been divorced. Overall, the results indicate that people who frown in photos are five times more likely to get a divorce than people who smile. This is a fascinating study, but the researchers say they can't conclude on the correlation between marital success and smiling. How big is the smile in your yearbook?

Is Your Husband's Biological Clock Ticking?

This video from the Today show explore's a relatively new concept...a man's biological clock. Watch the video below.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Wife Wants to Die with Ill Husband

Betty and George Coumbias of Canada have been in touch Dignitas, a Swiss assisted suicide group. The reason is that assisted suicide is legal in Switzerland and George is ill. Betty, however, is prefectly healthy and wants to go if George passes, which is where the controversy lies. Dignitas came under fire last year for helping a 23-year-old Briton commit suicide after he was left paralyzed by a rugby injury, but was not terminally ill. So is it unethical for Dignitas to help Betty take her life if she wants to if/when her husband goes? We'll keep an eye on the news and see how this story plays out. In the meantime, we'd love to hear you weight in on the message boards. Click here to read the complete article.

Good Fat Burns More Calories

Three different studies from researchers in Boston, Finland and the Netherlands all found that there are two types of fat in the adult human body: good fat and bad fat. Think of the good fat as baby fat, which the researchers say is more brownish in color and stored in the neck and collarbone area, while bad fat is more yellow and white-ish and stored near the wasteline. The good fat is believed to spur the body to burn calories to generate body heat (which they previously thought only happened for babies). Because of this finding, scientists believe they may be able to create a pill that stimulates the brown fat to actually burn even more calories and in a sense become a weight loss pill. Here are some other findings about brown fat: Lean people had far more brown fat than overweight and obese people, especially among older folks; brown fat burns far more calories and generates more body heat when people are in a cooler environment; women were more likely to have it than men, and their deposits were larger and more active. Click here to read the entire article.

More Baby Formula Trouble

There might still be a battle going on between breast milk and baby formula, but some mothers out there might decide that nature's milk wins by default. After many recent scares about tainted baby formula, there is a new one. A new study from scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention did a small study of 15 powdered formulas and the scientists found that all were contaminated with perchlorate. Perchlorate is a component of rocket fuel that's linked to thyroid disease. The study did not name the companies it studied, but did reveal that cow's milk formula with lactose had the highest perchlorate levels, compared to formulas that were soy-based, lactose-free or "elemental." Not sure if this will make you feel any better, but the Environmental Working Group found that perchlorate has been found to contaminate the drinking water in 28 states and territories. The baby formula study was conducted with perchlorate-free water. So what's next? This article (click here) says concerned parents should make sure that their infants have a diet with sufficient iodine, which can counteract perchlorate's harmful effects. They also added that the study didn't actually measure perchlorate in infants and that a study of that nature is essential to determine if infants are actually absorbing the perchlorate to which they're exposed to.

Surviving the Battle of the Netflix Queue

A South Carolina newspaper callled, The State has addressed a very modern point of conflict among today's married crew: the Netflix queue. The battle of the husband moving Braveheart to the top of the queue not knowing that his wife adjusted the queue at the last minute resulting with the husband opening the red envelope stuffed with Pride and Prejudice instead, is raging on. The article offers many scenarios like this, and doesn't mention until the very end of the article that sharing a queue is an unnecessary strain on your marriage. In fact, Netflix subscribers can set up multiple profiles with individual queues so that each can receive the movie they want. My wife and I do that and it works great. The problem, as many couples in the article pointed out, is when the other expresses interest and so you hold off watching, then weeks go by and the movie is still sitting in the sleeve waiting to play. If you have something you want to watch or if you want to watch one of your movies, also try Netflix's Watch Instant feature, which you can watch right on your computer without waiting or even on your TV (third party equipment required). Click here to read the complete article.

We'd love to hear your Netflix stories...do you and your spouse fight over what movie gets played and/or added to the queue?

Guys, Take This Quick 5 Question Survey

Hey men, our Twitter friends at Simple Marriage are conducting a survey asking what are the five basic elements to make a marriage survive. The survey is anonymous and takes less than five minutes. So far, over 600 people have taken the survey, but roughly 75 percent of them have been women. I took the survey to try and help level the numbers out--now it's your turn. That doesn't mean that more women aren't needed, but ladies, if you do take it, get your husband to complete the survey as well. It'll be fun for you to share your answers afterward and see if you have the same perspective on making your marriage survive. Click here to take the survey.

86,000 Trip and Fall Over Pets

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released a report saying that over 86,000 fall injuries occur from people tripping over their pets. You have to imagine that if this is the reported number, there's probably tens of thousands more that aren't reported. The report says that 88 percent of injuries involved dogs: falling when walking them, tripping over them, getting dragged or pulled down by them, or stumbling on a food dish or toy. For cats, the report suggests that most falls occur when the owners are chasing them (no specifics on why the owners were chasing them). Lastly, women were twice as likely to be injured as men.

Growing up with dogs, I have to admit that I too have tripped over a pooch a few times, fortunately never causing any kind of injury. Have you injured yourself tripping over your pet? Willing to share your story? Stay safe out there.

Wacky Tax Write Offs

We're rounding the final countdown for tax season. If you're getting your books squared away this weekend, be sure to read this article on the 9 wackiest tax deductions for 2009 from BankRate.com. Now, these didn't necessarily work, it's just what some taxpayers attempted to write off. For example, one accountant noted a client had a check for over $2,000 written to a gynecologist. It was classified on the business books as 'repairs and maintenance.' Another out-there attempt has been from some animal lovers. The article mentions one pet lover who claimed his dog as a dependent, another who attempted to write off the dog food for his "home security system," and yet another who claimed Fido as a landscaping subcontractor. Got to admit, these are some pretty creative deduction attempts.

What's the craziest thing you've ever been able to write off? Click here to read the complete aritcle.

Get Help from a Romance Decorator

Ready to plan the perfect romantic evening, but you're struggling with the details? You know you want Champagne and maybe chocolate strawberries, but then you go blank. That's fine. That's where the help of someone like Mary Chatman comes in. Chatman is the founder of Creations of Love, a romantic decorating company ready to romanticize your place. Creations of Love will supply all the materials and decorate with a variety of items including fresh rose petals trails, aromatherapy candles, chocolate covered strawberries, chocolate truffles and more. Clients can pick the details of what they're looking for and Creations of Love will do the rest and offer a variety of packages. They currently operate in Atlanta, Los Angeles and New York. If you're out of those areas don't worry, they also offer DIY packages. Check out their website (www.creationsofloveinc.com) for more information.

When was the last time you romantically decorated (or had someone decorate) your place?

Can Having a Kid Help Your Marriage?

The short answer: No. Brian Doss, a professor of psychology and his team at the University of Denver just published their findings in the current "Journal of Personality and Social Psychology." For the study, 218 couples were tracked over an eight-year period, comparing pre-birth and post-birth behavior patterns and how the arrival of the baby directly affected the relationship between the father and mother. Sure, having a baby can bring tremendous joy to a couple's life, but for most couples, Doss found that having a first child resulted in more marital problems. He says in a video that existing problems become exacerbated with the arrival of a new child. The article states that the birth of the first baby was followed by more problems in communication, decreases in couples' confidence that the marriage would last and declines in couples' overall satisfaction with the marriage. A really interesting finding was that mothers who gave birth to girls showed larger drops in marital satisfaction. Doss thinks this may be a result of fewer husbands being involved in the childcare tasks of girls compared to boys.

This is obviously not a study that will prevent people from having kids, but for the (hopefully) few couples out there who think having a kid will wash away their existing problems, the Doss's team has determined that a new child would most likely make them worse. Read the complete article here.

Sex Therapist Explains Men

AOL interviewed sex therapist Ian Kerner asking him many questions about men. For example, Ian explains how men do like to nonsexual physical affection, then dishes on why men, then, don't cuddle after sex. He reasons that while men would like to, it's that they have other things they'd rather be doing like checking e-mail. Ian also says men find relationship routines boring--even describing it as prison. In terms of men being into porn, Ian explains it's nothing to worry about, saying "We really prefer being with an actual woman." If you'd like to read the entire interview, click here.

Don't Waste Money on These Things

SmartMoney.com has run a story of 7 things that you're wasting money on. Times are tough and we know a lot of you are looking to save a few bucks here and there. So where are you wasting money? The seven places they mention are bottled water, extended warranties, gym memberships, overdraft fees, organic produce, auto insurance, and music downloads. There's definitely money to be saved in each of these and SmartMoney breaks down an estimate of how much money you could save. There are obviously many variables to consider here. Some other items we'd like to add to this list are eating out, coffee runs, entertainment expenses, alcohol and movie rentals. Another thing is to be more thoughtful and plan ahead. For example, if you're going to run errands on the weekend, map out where you need to travel and make sure you take the most direct route. This will save not just time, but gas, which we know is money. Please go on the message boards and share your tips.

Drink With Friends...It's Good for You

Nearly 20,000 Japanese men were asked about their alcohol consumption and drinking environment over the span of more than 9 years by researchers from Osaka University. What these Japanese researchers found was that light to moderat drinking aligned with reduced risks of stroke and heart disease, and the effect was more pronounced in men with high levels of social support. One researcher believe the social support prevented unhealthy behaviors and enhancement of stress buffering. Moderate consumption was rated as less than 299 grams per week. Over 300 grams was shown to increase the risk of a stroke. Another interesting tidbit was that heavy drinkers were also more likely to not be married! So grab your spouse, find some friends and enjoy some moderate drinking. Cheers!

Outdoor Lovin'

Are you looking to add some serious spice to your marriage? Check out this website called Outdoor Lovemap. It is what it sounds like, a map of places around the world to make love. Of course, you could get into legal trouble if you're in a spot you're not supposed to be in and this website doesn't seem like it takes any of that information into account. It's basically a user-generated map that grades sites on a five-star system of privacy, comfort and legality. Each site is also given a description of the location. Last month, the site cracked 100 locations. Click here to check out the map.

10 Ways to be Happy in Marriage

Everyone has their tricks to maintaining a happy and successful marriage. The Seattle Times offers a list of 10 things you can do to be happy in marriage. Here are a couple fo highlights:

1. Talk about the important stuff. Most couples spend more time planning a vacation than they do planning for their relationship. Create a relationship vision by asking: "If we could have it exactly like we want, how would it be?"

2. Listen to the heart more than you listen to the words. Focusing on the words can lead to endless and meaningless debate: "No, that did not happen on Tuesday, it happened on Monday!"

3. Don't be a Darren Stevens. In the old sitcom "Bewitched," Samantha merely had to wiggle her nose to make incredible things happen. Darren was always trying to get her to stop using her magical powers.

Even as a little kid, I thought the guy was nuts. He could have had anything he wanted. Instead he tried to get Sam to stifle her gifts. Encourage your partner in her gifts.

4. Don't assume that just because you are married, you know how to be married. Pay attention to what works for other couples. Read all you can. Go to seminars. Find a coach. It's a lot less expensive than divorce, financially and emotionally.

We especially agree with that last item, which is why we exist. Tell your friends if they're looking for some good reading material, we're here to help.

Sex Patch for Women Doesn't Work

Procter & Gamble has created a patch called Intrinsa that increases testosterone levels in women. The patches were denied use in the U.S. back in 2004, but have been used in London. A review released on Tuesday found that the patches appear to not do much to boost a woman's sex drive after menopause and their long-term safety is unclear. The trials were conducted on 4,000 women and only lasted for six months, which is why long-term effects are still unknown. Some women did report small improvements in their sex drive, but so did others who were recieving a placebo. I guess to boost the sex drive it's back to Marvin Gaye. Click here to read the complete article.

Dr. Haltzman Talks Pros of Marriage

Click here to watch Dr. Scott Haltzman discuss with his local news team the benefits of being in a healthy marriage. Dr. Haltzman highlights many good points such as the fact that men live longer (on average up to 10 years longer, women 4 years), stay slimmer, decreased risk of heart disease, stroke, or high blood pressure, less hospital time, less nursing home time, and less alcoholism. But to get all these benefits, you need to sustain a happy marriage, which Dr. Haltzman says means thinking about what will make your partner happy and fight fair without finger pointing.

This is terrific publicity of what a healthy marriage can do, but is ruined by the hack journalist who needs to add his own commentary to the story once the clip is done playing. It's these types of comments that undercut the work done by professionals such as Dr. Haltzman and stain the attitudes of the community this "journalist" is supposed to be serving.

Beauty Really is in the Eye of the Beholder

New research shows that men process beauty on the right side of their brains, while women use their whole brain to do the job. Furthermore, when women consider a visual object they link it to language while men concentrate on the spatial aspects of the object. What's interesting is that while beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder, and beauty is processed differently based on gender, researchers who published these new findings say gender has nothing to do with what people find beautiful. While they're not sure, they conclude people may find beauty in different things based on age, education or some other factor. To read the entire article, click here.

The Modern Marriage

Barack Obama has become not just the symbol of hope for the country, but it seems also for the institution of marriage. Newsweek offered an essay a few weeks back identifying Barack and Michelle's union (married at age 28 and 31) as the new model marriage. A union that reflects marriage statistics--men and women are waiting longer to get married, first establishing their personal and professional identities--and one of equality and respect. The essay highlights the fact that until recently, Michelle's resume was more impressive and his (mayoral assistant, nonprofit exec, hospital veep) earning her a six-figure salary. And while she has stepped down (for the time being) from her professional career, their union remains on equal footing. The article highlights an incident where Barack called home to crow his Senate victory and Michelle responded by asking him to run errands on the way home. So why all the hype?

Most millennials have yet to experience marriage firsthand, and what they've experienced by proxy hasn't been particularly encouraging: a 50 percent divorce rate, a steep rise in single parenthood, a culture captivated by cheap celebrity hookups. Even America's most visible household hasn't offered much hope, veering from '50s-era subservience (the Reagans) to boomer dysfunction (the Clintons). But now the Obamas—two independent individuals who also appear to be (surprise!) in love—have filled the void. For young people who have rejected the tired "wife in the kitchen" template but resolved not to follow their parents to divorce court, it's a relief to see that the sort of marriage they hope to have—equal and devoted—can actually exist.

Of course, reflecting on past generations doesn't mean that their marriage models didn't work or weren't as fullfilling, and many of them reflect the same kind of union as Barack and Michelle's. But there's clearly been disfunction as of late considering the high divorce rate and this is a chemistry young people have never seen in the White House. This doesn't mean that it's always, "happily ever after" either. In a recent People magazine interview, Michelle acknowledges, "we have a strong marriage, but it's not perfect." While perhaps not perfect, the new first couple is quickly becoming the aspirations of domestic equality, stability and bliss.

Last Chance Marriage Therapy

ABC News video taped a couple, Kathryn and Heath (last names withheld), who are making a last ditch effort in a crash 5-hour marriage therapy session to see if their marriage can be saved. Their seems to be two big problems, his infidelity and her out of control kids from a previous marriage. This couple has bravely allowed their session to be taped and viewed. You can view clips of the first half of their session by clicking here. Just from the picture to the right, and making an assessment from their body language, you can see that this couple has a long way to go.

Money Rules for Marriage

Money issues are one of the leading causes of divorce in the country. With money issues crippling the country right now, it's a good time to review the following rules from The Motley Fool. For starters, they say you have to "have the talk." To break the ice they recommend asking, "If you had $50 to burn, what would you spend it on?" Then go into the more difficult financial questions. Another rule is to not ignore financial issues with your ex (if you're remarried). If you had a joint credit card, make sure it's taken care of. With your current spouse, they recommend not feeding each other's bad habits. Who's going to be the party pooper when you both want to purchase a new car, but know that it's not a smart financial decision for you at the moment.

It's not all negative talk on money. There are many benefits to being a financial duo. You can save on insurance, get banking deals and more. They also recommend that you get your future financial plan in order. Discuss your goals (short and long term) and then talk about how you're going to get there.

Jerry Seinfeld To Save Marriages

Do you miss your Seinfeld time on TV? The wait for his return is almost over. NBC just announced that Jerry Seinfeld will return as the creator and executive producer of a new show called The Marriage Ref. According to the release, the show will feature "opinionated" celebrities, comedians and sports stars who will candidly comment, judge and offer different strategies for real-life couples in the midst of a classic marital dispute. Seinfeld dds, "This is not a therapy show, it's a comedy show. After nine years of marriage, I have discovered that the comedic potential of this subject is quite rich." Six one-hour episodes have been ordered for a planned fall release. Hopefully Seinfeld himself will make an appearance on camera, but there's no information of that yet. From somebody else this type of show could come off as cheap drivel, but in the hands of a comic legend, The Marriage Ref has big laugh potential.

Love After Layoff

When one spouse loses their job, it's not just a financial strain on the marriage, but also an emotional one. A British study released late last year by the Institute for Social and Economic Research at the University of Essex found that couples who experience job loss are more likely to divorce within a year than their employed counterparts. This flies counter to other studies that have said the financial crunch slows divorces because people can't afford them--if nothing else. In this article from MSNBC, Nicholas Yrizarry, a financial planner from Reston, Va., says he sees two types of couples: the ones who are obsessed with money and material things and allow a layoff to destroy their marriage; and the ones who have a mature relationship and adversity only brings them closer. "They are the types that can live in a phone booth together and still be OK," he said.

This is a good reminder of what really matters in life. That doesn't mean that money troubles aren't real. Yrizarry offers the following steps couples should take:

1. Sit down "calmly" and discuss what your assets are.

2. Come up with a financial plan to deal with the loss of income and strategies to get a new job--or have a non-working spouse get a job. Assess your options for taking on temporary work or retraining if your skills are not marketable anymore.

3. Implement the plan.

On the emotional front, he recommends being respectful and supportive of each other and making sure not to play the "blame game." It's a time to be constructive and supportive, especially in troubled times.

What Kills Sex in a Marriage?

Two recent books address this issue, "The Sex-Starved Wife" by Michele Weiner Davis (which we excerpt here), and "He's Just Not Up for It Anymore," by Bob Berkowitz and Susan Yager-Berkowitz and the authors were interviewed by USA Today. Here's what they said:

Q: You surveyed more than 4,000 men and women online who identified themselves as currently or in the past being in a sexless marriage (sex 10 times a year or less). What findings surprised you the most?
Berkowitz: It shocked me that 68% of men said the reason for their slumping sex drive is that "she's not sexually adventurous enough." That's a lot of finger-pointing. So many used "not adventurous" as an excuse.

Yager-Berkowitz: A number of men in our survey said the wife had gained too much weight — 38% of men said she "gained a significant amount of weight." Also, it surprised me that 30% of men admitted they had ED (erectile dysfunction). Even 15 years ago, I don't think that would have happened. Now that there are some solutions and some hope, that's allowed a conversation to open up.

Q: You and Redbook magazine surveyed 1,004 women online about their husbands' low sexual desire; you say that low desire is often mistaken for erectile dysfunction. Why?

Weiner Davis: So many people in the general public think low sexual desire is synonymous with ED. He doesn't want sex because he can't have sex. There is some truth to that, in that ED can turn into a problem of low sexual desire, but it is vastly overrated as the only reason men turn off to sex. A man who has erectile dysfunction does not always have low sexual desire. In fact, he will only get low sexual desire if he can't find some effective way or means to remedy the situation because then it becomes an ordeal rather than pleasure. But if a man learns how to manage and overcome it, he might have very high sexual desire.

Click here to read the complete interview.

Husband Wakes from Coma After Wife Pulls Plug

Some stories are almost to miraculous to be believed. If it were written into a movie you'd probably think it was cheesy, but this story is real. Mike Connolly's heart stopped beating and his wife called 911. The paramedics worked for 35 minutes to get his heart working again and doctors say his brain stopped receiving oxygen for at least 10 minutes (more than four minutes is supposed to cause brain damage). Mike lay in a coma for 96 hours and every time doctors attempted to bring him out of a coma Mike suffered seizures. The family finally decided to disconnect life support. Then Mike woke up! To this point, there doesn't seem to be any major complications with his condition and Mike seems to be on his way to recovery. Click here to read the complete, amazing, story.

Top 5 Videos Games for Couples

The old days of video games are for boys are long gone. Recent data shows that women play games just as much as guys. So what are the best games that the two of you can play together? MSNBC has put together a list of their top five. Coming in at No. 5 is a remake of a classic racing game, Mario Kart. The newest version can be played on the Nintendo Wii. No. 4 is recent phenomenon Guitar Hero, available for all major consoles. No. 3 may be a controversial pick single it's only a single player game in which the player is an attorney out to solve crimes in Phoenix Wright (for Nintendo DS). At No. 2 is another surprise pick, the horror survival game Resident Evil, available on all major consoles. Lastly, again for the Nintendo Wii is WarioWare: Smooth Moves, where players can compete in over 200 mini games. This list definitely has some surprises. What games would be on your list?

Beware of Cute e-Cards

Hackers are using Valentine's e-Cards to sneak malicious software onto unprotected computers. According to this article from MSNBC it works like this, "they want you to click on the link in the e-mail or instant message to retrieve your e-card. That will send you to their web site which has malware waiting to be downloaded." The code will then access a user's e-mail address book and send replications of the e-card message to them. One of the scams offers a free development kit that supposedly lets you create your own Valentine e-card. The message features a pair of Shih Tzu puppies (see image of what bogus e-mail looks like). Click on the link to get the kit and you've just infected your computer.

So to stay safe, if you don't recognize the recipient don't open the e-mail. If you're searching for an e-Card to send to your spouse, be sure the card is coming from a reputable source or look within your own e-mail system for a template you can use without using a third party. Have a safe V-Day.

VDay on the Cheap

Consulting firm Brand Keys found that Americans will spend an average of 15 percent less this Valentine's Day than they did last year. BIGresearch for the National Retail Federation, found that consumers plan to spend an average of $102.50 on Valentine's Day this year, down from $122.98 last year. This article from MSNBC says this is the first dip in spending in eight years. The article says individuals should expect just a card instead of a gift card. The beauty of this drop is that it will help many couples refocus the importance of the holiday to love, not money or gifts. Do you plan on cutting back? Are you going to visit a cheaper restaurant instead of your usual favorite? If you have any cheap ideas, please share.

Best Romantic Comedies

If you're thinking of staying in this Valentine's Day or if you are just looking to find a movie compromise to snuggle up to while the weather continues to chill the outdoors Moviefone has put together a list of the 25 Best Romantic Comedies. Starting the list at No. 25 is "My Best Friend's Wedding" starring Julia Roberts. At No. 20 is "Harold & Maude," No. 15 is "Muriel's Wedding," No. 10 is "Bridget Jones's Diary," and No. 5 is "Pretty Woman" another Julia Roberts flick. We won't give you the rundown of the top 5, but we will hint at No. 1. It's a Meg Ryan film and it's not "Sleepless in Seattle," "You've Got Mail," or "French Kiss." Check out the list and tell what your top 5 list looks like.

Scientific Facts About Love

With Valentine's Day just around the corner, we thought this article on the science of love was timely and interesting. It's from Happen magazine and it offers 10 "crazy" facts. For example, being in love drops the serotonin levels in the brain, which can lead people to obsess about their lover. Another items suggests that their may be a "right" way to kiss. People are more likely to tilt their heads to the right when kissing instead of left, says a report published recently in the journal Nature. A scientist from Ruhr University in Germany analyzed 124 pairs of smoochers and found that 65 percent go toward the right. Perhaps most interesting is a study from the Twin Research Unit at St. Thomas' Hospital, London. The study says that if one twin exhibits infidelity, the other twin strays 55% of the time. In the general population, the number is 23%. Click here to read the full article.

Economy Good for Therapists Bad for Mental Health

USA Today is reporting that as the economy unravels, so is the mental health of U.S. citizens. "I've never seen this level of anxiety and depression in 22 years of practice," says Nancy Molitor, a psychologist in Wilmette, Ill. "The mental health fallout has been far worse than after 9/11." The article reports a staggering 40% jump in the demand for therapists from June to December. So what are we supposed to do? Unfortunately there are no easy answers and if professional help may be the best option. Psychologist Salvatore Maddi of University of California, Irvine suggests there are three qualities of those who are able to maintain their emotional health in these tough times. Maddi says these "hardy people" stayed committed to what they were doing; they didn't back off or become alienated. They also sought control, trying to influence what happened to them, looking at every avenue for solutions. They saw stressful changes as inevitable and took them as a challenge, an opportunity to grow.

HUD To the Rescue

If you're facing foreclosure and are located in any of the cities of Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami, New York or Phoenix then the U.S. Housing and Urban Development government agency would like to offer free mortgage delinquency and default resolution counseling. The program was developed to help those who face losing their home. Their may be other options, the first is to call your local HUD agency at (877) HUD-1515 or visit www.hud.gov. So does their counseling work? A recent HUD study noted a 55 percent increase in the number of clients receiving foreclosure prevention counseling between 2006 and 2007. Of the approximately 136,000 families that completed this counseling during 2007, 45 percent were able to remain in their homes while 14 percent ultimately lost their home through foreclosure. That's a pretty good success rate and definitely worth a phone call. To read the complete release, click here.

Nearly Half Want to Move

In new survey by a Pew Research Center found that nearly half of Americans want to live elsewhere. The survey was survey conducted over the telephone in October with 2,260 adults and reveals some really interesting tidbits. For example, more Americans would rather live in a place with more McDonald's than Starbucks. Furthermore, affluent adults are twice as likely as poorer individuals to want to live in Boston. The survey also helped identify where some of these people would prefer living and not live. The survey found that men in rural areas are far happier living there than women. But the city isn't for everyone either. Fewer than half of all city residents say there is no better place to live than in a city, and adults 50 to 64 who live in cities are the least likely to say they live in the ideal place.

So where does everyone want to go? The survey says...Denver, followed by San Diego and Seattle. Are you happy where you live?

50 Best Romantic Getaways

Depending if you were one of the 50,000+ who recently got a pink slip this week, you may or may not want to get away. If you got a nice severance package and want to go someplace romantic, Travel + Leisure magazine offers their 50 best romantic getaways. Some of the locations include, Whidbey Island, Washington; Chassignolles, France; Granada, Spain; and Vico Equense, Italy. So how did these places make their list? Vico Equense, for example, they offer the following description: A crenellated castle, pink-washed clifftop church, and pebbled beach make Vico Equense perhaps the most dramatic—though surprisingly undiscovered—village on the Sorrento Coast.

Sounds like a great romantic getaway. Can you remember the most romantic place you and your spouse have ever been? Please share.

Do You Spank Your Kids?

The debate rages on. Columnist, Jenny Sokol of the OC Register brings up this issue after a Swedish friend nearly called the police after witnessing a neighbor smack their child's behind--apparently, hitting children is not permitted in Sweden (perhaps this is worthy of further research and an in-depth article on child discipline throughout the world). Anyway, Sokol explained how it's very much still in debate in this country. Then she offers the many tactics she's used over the years to discipline and encourage including spanking, chores, sticker charts and so on. My favorite part of her column is the story of how an acquaintance got her four boys in line. She ordered a truck full of dirt to be dumped in her front yard and gave them each a shovel and wheelbarrow. "I need this moved to the backyard by tonight. Work together," she told them. By the time they finished, the boys were buddies again. The dirt was then ready to be moved back to the front yard for their next argument.

Where do you stand on this issue?

Love Story in Just Six Words

Can you tell your love story in just six words? A new book called Six-Word Memoirs on Love & Heartbreak has famous and non-famous authors do just that. Here are some pulled from the book:

- Much married, fourth time is charmed. -Erica Jong
- Wonder-filled, and never a dull torment. -Diane Ackerman
- It's just a matter of luck. -Ayelet Waldman
- He still needs me at sixty-four. -Armistead Maupin

It's a clever and fun read. It's also a fun little practice for yourself. Perhaps the best part of this article in USA Today are the comments attached below the article. Here are some of my favorites:

- We met, we played, we've stayed!
- You smiled, my whole world changed.
- He makes me laugh, I make him wonder.

I'd love to hear yours. Start a thread on the message board and see how many we can come up with.

Beat the Winter Blues

The winter days keep coming and coming and some of you might need a little pick me up. Forbes.com offers a few tips to help get you out of the doldrums. Their first tip is to eat a balanced diet. The also recommend regular exercise, a regular sleeping pattern, being social, and antidepressants! We're not saying antidepressants are bad or that their isn't a purpose for them, but to beat the winter blues? Their final tip seems more appropriate and a better initial step: therapy.

Here are some of our tips: go on a date this weekend, find new recipes to cook together, take a class together, begin planning your summer vacation, go see a movie, go snowboarding, do a craft project together, or start a blog. Essentially, break the monotony of your days. Be sure to read our recent article, "Super Wife Sunday" which offers a terrific idea that may turn into a yearly tradition.

Couple Gets Cash and Jail Time for Bank Error

Pennsylvania couple Randy Pratt, 50, and Melissa Pratt, 36, are now in jail because they cashed out over $175,000 when the bank messed up on where to put the decimal point. Randy is a roofing installer and deposited a check for $1,772.50, but when they read their statement, it showed a deposit of $177,250. They Pratts didn't call the bank and report the error when it occurred last summer. Instead, the couple withdrew the money, quit their jobs and moved to Florida. They were tracked down when they were attempting to buy a house in the Orlando. When questioned by police, Melissa said her husband often got large checks and that she wasn't aware of any error. No wonder the banks need a bailout!

What's the most amount of money you've "stumbled upon?"

Babysitter and Mommy Mixers

Finding a good, reliable babysitter that you trust can sometimes be difficult. If you have young kids, having a babysitter every once in a while so you and your spouse can go out and spend time with another is essential. Fortunately, the internet has made finding a babysitter a little bit easer, and even fun. There are several companies out there offering "mommy mixers," where moms can meet with each other and with prospecting babysitters. Some of these, like MommyMixer (www.mommymixer.com), require a registration fee ranging anywhere from $100 to $500 for a VIP membership, which gives you access to babysitters in different cities (for jet-setting parents), unlimited "immediate help" searches and more. MommyMixer is currently in over 50 cities throughout the country. If you're looking for something in the Tampa Bay area, there's Sitter Soirees (www.sittersoirees.com). Event registration at this site starts at $60.

Have you tried one of these services before? How was your experience? Would you recommend it to others?

More Tickets During Recession

It's not just businesses and household income that hurts during a recession, local government also feels the pinch. So it's no surprise that when economist Thomas A. Garrett conducted a study to find out if traffic tickets were purely dished out for public safety that he found the number of tickets cited go up significantly when local government revenue falls. In short, when there's a 1 percentage point drop in local government revenue there's roughly a .32 percentage point increase in the number of traffic tickets in the following year. What's interesting is that according to Garrett, the number of tickets does not go back down when good times return. Garrett says the increase makes sense as it's an appealing way to generate revenue, particularly during a time when raising taxes is not an option.

Furthermore, Garrett does say that the tickets being handed out are at their heart for public safety reasons, but doesn't believe many cities go out of their way to make a point to write more tickets. However, this article from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch references a 2004 investigative piece where top police officials in the town of Bel-Ridge, MO threatened officers if they didn't write more tickets.

Have you received a traffic ticket lately? Did you deserve it? Noticed more police patrolling the streets? Let us know.

Racial Medicine

Do drugs respond differently to people of different races? There was a case of a drug called BiDil, which the FDA approved in 2005 to treat heart failure in blacks. The drug worked for African Americans but not other ethnic groups. This has raised the question of developing drugs for racial groups, which becomes a genetic difference not just a social category--and beyond skin color. This article from Newsweek suggests that maybe the touchy subject is the reason that only 3 percent of the patients who might benefit from BiDil were actually getting it. It seems clear, however, that humans can expect more drugs in the future to be designed not just for their race, but their own individual genetics. Because as it's pointed out in the article, identifying yourself as an African American, while may be accurate, doesn't mean you have the same ancestry (one could be from Kenya or South Africa or a mix of many nations and heritages).

What do you think?