As a companion to our monogamy discussion going on over in Threadbare, here's the venerable Luther Vandross's take the subject — in song.

Wherein you, the readers, talk amongst yourselves.

What is the most important quality you look for in a significant other? What's the deal breaker?

Wherein you, the readers, talk amongst yourselves.

An exasperated friend who is chronically unlucky in love recently proclaimed that she has come to the conclusion that all black men cheat on their significant others. I argued, and she later backed down a bit, conceding that of course not every black man cheats and that infidelity is not a phenomenon limited to black men (or men, period), but in her personal experience, a guy is more likely to cheat than not to cheat. What are your thoughts? Guys and gals, weigh in.

• Get bank accounts, people! [FC]

• If you had a really lonely Valentine's Day… [PR]

• Tanzania got a $698 million grant to help fight malaria during Bush's visit this weekend. [CNN]

• Ohio's not looking too good for Barack Obama. [ND]

• Yes, the fashion industry is racist. All over the world. [SM]

It's possible I'm stealing this idea from Cord over at our brother site, Mollygood, but the news day couldn't possibly be slower, and it's Valentine's Day — the most loved and hated fake holiday that ever was.

For that reason, I would love to hear your best Valentine's Day stories, be they good, bad, or very ugly. Or better yet, hilarious. Post away!

• The drugs and guns found on his tour bus weren't his, says Lil Wayne. In other words, he pleaded not guilty to charges. [E!]

• G.W. Bush mistakes Al Sharpton's daughter for his wife. Why were Sharpton and Bush fraternizing to begin with? Oh, Black History Month. [FBNY]

• Whatever happened to just googling and Myspace/Facebook-stalking your dates? [Jossip]

• The mastermind behind the Cheetah Girls, which has netted Disney millions and millions, lives in a cramped studio in Manhattan. Story old as time… [LAT]

• Juvenile…marijuana possession…yawn… [E!]

According to NBC Nightly News's series on black women, we are destined to die alone (and probably of breast cancer) as we clutch our undergraduate diplomas and curse our sorry fates! Just kidding. Mostly. I was pretty hard on Rehema Ellis and Co. Tuesday and Wednesday, but that was mostly because I really wanted the series to be excellent, and it's only been so-so. Not bad, just less than what I expected.

I liked last night's segment — even though it contained some more dismal info, this time about how black women aren't getting married anymore and, basically, how a good black man is hard to find — because of the personal relationship stories the women, including Rehema Ellis, shared. I also didn't know that so many single black women adopt children.

Tonight's segment revolves around black women voters, Hillary Clinton, and Barack Obama, which is pretty much what this election revolves around, too.

Terrence Howard's trip to Paris for Eva Longoria and Tony Parker's nuptials cost him a girlfriend, and he doesn't seem to upset about the loss. Her toilet-paper-to-baby wipe ratio was probably off, or she forced him to have sexual intercourse. Either way, he's far better off without the sexual temptation of an unsanitary female.

"I lost my girlfriend on that trip because I didn't take her… Sometimes you go to places by yourself, and I had the need to be in Paris by myself. I didn't feel like explaining anything… I went and did my thing and it was great and I discovered me on that trip, I like being single."

Sorry, ladies. I know you're lining up, but he's gonna go the single route for a while. I know. It stings.

[SP]

The fact that Terrence Howard's ex-wife won't take him back despite his pleading is not such a surprise considering this quote from a recent Elle interview:

"Toilet paper - and no baby wipes - in the bathroom. If they're using dry paper, they aren't washing all of themselves. It's just unclean. So if I go in a woman's house and see the toilet paper there, I'll explain this. And if she doesn't make the adjustment to baby wipes, I'll know she's not completely clean."

And this:

"If a relationship is built on sexuality, it won't last long. Now I'm completely chaste through a relationship unless I get married. I don't believe in premarital sex. It enabled me to date three or four women at the same time, because as long as I wasn't having sex with them, I could always just walk away. There were some [past girlfriends] who pushed for sex, and sometimes they won. Afterward, I would feel unclean, like I'd compromised my own values. So I would have to let them go because they didn't help me to be a stronger person."

The guy is just plain creepy, obviously, with questionable views on both women and personal responsibility. Imagine if he was your man, counting your baby wipes after each trip you made to the bathroom and blaming you every time he got aroused. No wonder Halle Berry and Gabrielle Union never called his ass back.

[Jezebel]