The longer I'm married, the more I kind of see the point of an arranged marriage.

Is this a slam on my D? Nope. Wouldn't trade him for the world, etc. etc. mushy stuff. But I can see the value in having an outside party assess whether or not someone is a good match for you. How many times have you sat blankly staring at a brother or sister-in-law, as they once again tell their pet story, which somehow manages to be both inappropriate and boring. And you wish you had been consulted about letting this person into the family.

I did a little research about what are also called "pragmatic" marriages and found this half funny/half profound little list of the "Rules" for arranging a marriage. Since the funniest shows on TV don't use laugh tracks, I'll refrain from commenting on each Rule and let these little excerpts speak for themselves:

~ Rule 1 -- Magic no. 28

In an ideal scenario, a girl goes to college at the age of 18. By the time she graduates, goes for her post graduation and/ or works for 1-2 years, she will be about 23-24. This means that she has spent about 5 years away from her home. In the 5 years period, she would meet many smart guys at college or during her first few years on job. So, in all probability it would be difficult to find a good girl older than 24 yrs.

~ Rule 7 -- Girl's Beauty

A girl's looks attract, but then no one wants to end up marrying a dumb blonde. It is like buying your bike. When you initially buy it, you are crazy about the looks, but later on you love it for its reliability, fuel economy & comfort level.

~ Rule 8 -- Taking advice

As I have mentioned in the next rule, it's very important that the final decision on whom to marry must necessarily be yours. However, don't do the mistake of isolating yourself from the world while planning your marriage. Discuss with your parents & very close friends on this issue. They are your well wishers.