SNIPPETS - here are interesting bits and pieces which I have collected from various places and seemed to deserve a place somewhere.

"Mother of the bride takes her revenge

Melbourne - The mother of a bride, distraught after her daughter's marriage ended when the groom stormed out of the reception, later rammed a truck into a car parked at her son-in-law's home ... [She] rammed the car twice, pushing it forward about six metres into a steel fence and knocking over a decorative steel archway. ... Noting the 'sad and tragic events that preceded what occurred,' [the magistrate] did not convict [her]."

Abridged from an AAP report in the NZ Herald, February 20, 1996, Section 1, page 9.

On page 2 of the same paper, there is an article entitled "Help on way for victims in their hour of need". It includes:

"Victims of domestic violence will no longer face their troubles alone. ... refer the victim to counselling and women's support groups."

Marriage and happiness:

"Adjusting for age, sex, and race, results indicate the higher level of social attachment, the lower the level of psychological distress, although living with a partner and being married are not significantly different."

"The effects of social attachment and of marital status on depression do not differ for men and women." (p.137)

From: Ross C E (1995) "Reconceptualising marital Status as a Continuum of Social Attachment", Journal of Marriage and the Family, 57 (February), pp129-140.

[This would appear to go against the view that women are happier unattached, whereas men are happier in a relationship.]

Remarriage:

"... we went to Mr Gunnings and heard an excellent sermon. ... he did there speak largely in commendation of Widowhood, and not as we do to marry two or three wives or husbands, one after another." (p.18, February 19, 1660)

From: Latham R (ed.) The Shorter Pepys, Harmondsworth: Penguin (selected and edited from The Diary of Samuel Pepys)

[Note that this was written over 300 years ago]

Long honeymoon?

"When a man hath taken a new wife, he shall not go out to war, neither shall he be charged with any business: but he shall be free at home one year, and shall cheer up his wife which he hath taken."

From: Deuteronomy 25:5, Holy Bible, King James Version.

Stuart Birks

Last updated 20 February, 1996