It's Valentine's Day, or close to it.  Aa very good excuse to talk about love and its companion, marriage.

I'm all for it.  Love and marriage.  Valentines Day is a catalyst for a discussion of same sex marriage.  Proposition 8 is again back in everyone's consciousness.  That's how these things work, BTW.  For any  issue.  Big for a while, then it fades and an occasion comes up to bounce it back into the mix. 

 Personally I do not think anyone should ever pass laws against same sex marriage.   Legislators would have better luck with a ban against "no sex" marriage.  If you get married you have to have sex.  It's the law.  

         Same SexBoys                                                        Same Sex Girls   

As it is, I don't think the legislators or the court has gone far enough.

Same Sex Marriage.

A fairly rational argument against same sex marriage can be found on the slippery slope, i.e., if we change marriage to mean the joining of two men or two women, why not a woman and a horse, or a man and a donkey?  

Slippery slopey speaking, the argument is a logical one.  If the man/woman marriage model is the default, allowing two men or two women to marry would change the default.  In this case it's to appease the growing social and political clout of homosexuals.  If you change marriage for them, the reasoning goes, who's to say we won't be pressured into changing it for people who want to love their animals in the biblical sense , provide them health benefits or give Fido  power of attorney?

Nonsense! 

While the logic works, the reality is too absurd to take seriously.  Even die-hard evangelicals don't think marriage would be extended to include animals, except maybe those snake handlers in Georgia.

Multi Sex Marriage.

This is the better choice.  This would allow the  marriage of a man, woman and nanny.   Many modern couples are pursuing high-powered careers while still insisting on being parents.  Nannys and au pairs are an integral part of these family units.  Why not make it legal?  Once these well paid couples organize, they will form a substantial (and wealthy) political constituency with enough power to affect legislation. 

                                        Good Nanny

Obviously there are many permutations here:  man/woman/woman; man/man/ man; man/man/woman; woman/woman/man; woman/woman/woman.  For this piece, I'll stick to the traditional combination.

Marrying the nanny is cost effective. 

It eliminates the expense of a decent salary for a regular Nanny Nancy, as well as not having to fork over those pesky social security taxes socially conscious do-gooders like Zoe Baird and Caroline Kennedy avoid, until they're nominated for office, like other tax cheats, Tom Daschle and Tim Geithner. 

That's so they can use the extra money to buy expensive wines, Birkenstocks, Priuses and organic food.  Sure, they have to feed the nanny spouse, but couples generally feed the nanny anyway, once the scraps are assembled.

                                               Not-So-Good Nannies

Everyone benefits.

The man/woman/nanny marriage arrangement is a win-win situation all around.  Incorporating these often nubile nannys into the marriage contract should satisfy the roving sexual eye of husbands AND wives -- remember, many permutations -- lessening the possibility of divorce.

The children are spared a messy break-up with the inevitable custody battles and the parents get laid more.  It makes sense for all those liberal-minded couples pushing same-sex marriage on everyone else's sensibilities.  Here's a chance to dive into the new-marriage pool and really make a social statement.

The Arrangements.

The basic wedding ceremony needs to be adjusted to accommodate these marriage add-ons,  maybe a procedure called Marriage With Modifications.  There'd first be the happy ceremony with man and woman, parents and friends, and then, when the kids and nanny come along, the Supplementary Ceremony.  An entirely new ritual would be developed, from wedding showers to  weddings to honeymoons to reality show.

Getting the right nanny is, of course, is the key.  She or he would have to be good with children and have nice breasts.  Both parents would have to like her.  A bonus if the grandparents like her, too.

There would be the initial interview, then a short dating period followed by consensual sex.  Then, both parents propose and off we go. 

Sometimes a nanny could come recommended by another couple, who aren't yet ready for a total commitment, but have already tried her out.

The nanny could not have a career, of course, being relegated to the home and the raising of the parents' child.  It's possible that the troika itself procreates as the nanny becomes pregnant with the man's child.  This only serves to solidify the family unit.
 
Once the nanny is included as a marriage partner, efforts can proceed to add a personal trainer into the mix.