Records put spotlight on Jack the Ripper victims 2/28/11

The world is endlessly fascinated with Jack the Ripper — but what about his victims?

On Tuesday an online genealogy company published census information that casts light on the lives of the women murdered by the Victorian serial killer.

The company findmypast.com trawled records of Britain's 1881 census for information on the five women generally accepted as victims of the Ripper: Mary Ann Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes and Mary Jane Kelly.

All were killed between Aug. 31 and Dec. 20, 1888, in London's East End, where they worked as prostitutes. Their bodies were horribly mutilated.

The firm said the census data — available on its site and elsewhere online — provides "a small window onto the past" and dispels an image some people may have of the victims as teenage streetwalkers. Most were formerly married women with children who resorted to prostitution when their lives took a turn for the worse.

There is no record of Nichols or Kelly in the census, taken on April 3, 1881, suggesting they may already have been working the streets at that time.

Stride was recorded as 37 and living with her husband, a carpenter. Eddowes was 38, living with her husband and two children, her occupation listed as "charwoman."

Chapman was 40, married but living with her parents. She later moved out of London to live with her husband, a stud groom.

The women appear to have turned to prostitution after their marriages broke up. According to newspaper reports of the time, none of the victims was living with their husbands at the time of their deaths.

"Some people treat the Jack the Ripper story as a bit of a game," said Alex Werner, a Museum of London historian who curated a recent Jack the Ripper exhibition. "It wasn't a game. It was against real people in the East End, people who had fallen on really hard times, who had gravitated to the East End as a place where they could earn some kind of living as a prostitute."

Newspaper accounts at the time, which helped the Ripper's fame spread, touched on the women's fall from respectability.

The Star newspaper's report on Sept. 27, 1888, on the death of Chapman, struck a sympathetic tone, describing how a woman who "had perhaps a happy and innocent girlhood, and was once a wife, had to turn out and seek the sale of her body for the price of a bed."

"A few hours later," the newspaper said, "she was found a corpse."

The murderer's infamy spread quickly around the world. London newspapers reveled in the gore, which was spread across the country and to distant lands by telegraph. The killer was dubbed "Jack the Ripper" after a man using that pseudonym claimed responsibility in letters to the media and police.

No one was ever prosecuted for the murders, helping to fuel speculation about his identity that continues to this day. Among the suspects identified at various times are Francis Tumblety, an American quack doctor; Sir William Gull, physician to Queen Victoria; Victoria's grandson, Prince Albert Victor; and the artist Walter Sickert.

Andrew Cook, author of the recent book "Jack the Ripper," thinks the Ripper has always been a media creation. He argues that the crime could not have been committed by a single person.

Cook said the Ripper myth has been constructed from "layer upon layer of sediment, nonsense and crazy theories."

"It has become an industry," he said. "What really was a terrible scenario of events has almost become over-commercialized."

Werner doubts we will ever know the Ripper's true identity.

"My feeling is we'll never know for certain," said Werner. "We are too far away now to make sense of the different candidates." 

Funny Pictures:: Demotivators 2/28/11

The Debt Diva's Frugal Fitness Guide 2/26/11

Break a Sweat without Breaking the Bank to Stay Frugal and Fit in 2009

COLUMBIA, Md. -- More than 80 million Americans go on diets each year, taking a pledge to lose weight, but getting in gear and joining a gym can add up during these tough economic times. But you don't have to break your healthy resolution because it's breaking your bank. The Debt Diva, Clarky Davis, offers some great ways to stay in shape on budget in the new Debt Diva Frugal Fitness Guide.

The Frugal Fitness Guide outlines ways consumers can save money in all areas of their fitness routine. Ordinary items in the home can become workout tools, turning a living room into a gym. 

"You'd be surprised at how differently you can look at your couch, a dinner table and even a wall," says Davis on turning your home to your very own gym. "Everyday items around the home can used as props to hold your feet, keep you balanced and most importantly, help you get in shape you fulfill your resolution to get fit and fabulous, frugally."

Consumers can also learn smart ways to buy the right foods to stay healthy without spending a fortune. The Debt Diva's Guide points consumers to community resources they can use on a regular basis to help them save money and stay on track. Davis also suggests ways to lock in a routine alone or with a workout buddy.

Davis offers some great alternative ways to get fit. Stay on top of your fitness goal in 2009 with these tips from The Debt Diva:

1. The best thing you can do for yourself is just to get up and start moving! Take a few minutes each day to stretch out before you start any exercise is a great way to start any workout whether it'scardio or strength training.

2. The American Heart Association says that a simple 20 to 30 minute walk three times a week will make you feel more energetic, happier and calmer. You mostly want to increase your heart rate when you're working out, because the more it increases, the more calories you burn. And the more you burn, the more fat you'll lose.

3. If you have a limited amount of time and are jumping into a workout routine for the first time, start with squats, lunges, pushups and crunches. And best of all, these are all things you can do in your home using ordinary items in your home for support - like the floor, a wall, your couch or even a dining room chair.

4. A set of weights is as close as your pantry. A regular can of soup weighs just about 2 pounds, which is fine to start with if you haven't done much exercise. If you've tried a can of soup, use water bottles for more mass, which can weight about 3 to 4 pounds.

5. After you drink the water, dry out the bottle and fill it with rice to increase the weight.

6. When you've started to build your routine, try using plastic milk jugs filled with water (or just halfway) to increase the weights you are lifting. Just remember to tape the lids on securely or do these exercises on a linoleum or tile floor in case you have a spill.

7. Walking and jogging are great cardio exercises you can do around the house.

8. Cleaning your house also burns the calories just like walking and jogging. An hour of cleaning will burn about 200 calories! Check out this nifty calculator to see how many calories you're burning by doing chores!

9. Work out with a friend. You'll help each other stay motivated and you'll most likely stick to a routine because you know someone else is counting on you.

10. Turn your workout into time for the family by incorporating activities for everyone. It can be as simple as a game of tennis or a visit to the playground.

"Getting fit on a budget can be fun and rewarding for your wallet and your health," says Davis. "Don't forget to set short term and long term goals for your workout. Your short term goal should be achievable within a month, while your long term goals can be achieved over an extended period of time. Reward your short term goals with a new work out challenge so you're not spending what you've saved. Then take the money you save and reward yourself in a big way, with a new outfit for example, when you achieve your long term goal."

To find more unique ways to turn ordinary items at home into your personal gym, download the entire Frugal Fitness Guide at www.thedebtdiva.com.

About The Debt Diva

Clarky Davis has more than five years of experience in the debt management industry and more than 10 years of hard-won personal experience with credit cards and debit cards. The money saving tips the Debt Diva offers have all been tested and proven by the glamorous girl herself. Davis now offers these hard-won insights to others seeking to maximize their tight budgets and deal with debt. 

5 Serial Killers They Never Caught 2/26/11

Serial killers are among the most elusive of violent criminals, leaving few patterns and calling cards for the authorities to work with. Some killers get their retribution from death, incarceration on other charges or perhaps give up their life of crime, leaving a gaping hole in the justice system and accountability for the record.

Serial killers are among the most elusive of violent criminals, leaving few patterns and calling cards for the authorities to work with. Some killers get their retribution from death, incarceration on other charges or perhaps give up their life of crime, leaving a gaping hole in the justice system and accountability for the record. Here are a few high profile cases that remain a mystery:





The Boston Strangler.

The Boston Strangler crime spree throughout Massachusetts and Connecticut began on June 14, 1962 and came to a close in January 1964 with the arrest of Albert DeSalvo, the self-confessed serial killer. However, forensic technology, not available during the early 1960's, has proven conclusively through DNA testing that DeSalva had lied about at least one of the 13 murders of the female victims.

Although DeSalvo was tried, convicted and held his claim to be the Boston Strangler, his testimony and account of the crime scenes were largely inaccurate, save for the crime scene information that was made public in the newspapers. In addition, the body of the final victim, Mary Sullivan, was exhumed and put through a DNA test using trace elements of vaginal semen. The body fluids did not match DeSalvo and the M/O circumstances were inconsistent, most notably the use of a ligature to strangle, rather than the bare hands.

Upon the arrest of Albert DeSalvo, the gruesome murders had come to a halt, however, that does not mean conclusively that DeSalvo was the killer. Perhaps the real Boston Strangler took the cue that he now had a scapegoat for prosecution, and walked away from his murderous rampage. It's also possible that he had died or was incarcerated on unrelated charges. The truth may never be known who the real Boston Strangler was, or if he is still living among us, but the desperate plea for attention from DeSalvo has long lost its veracity that he did indeed commit these crimes.





Smiley Face Murders.

Since the late 1990's, at least 40 young males, across 11 states, have been murdered and dumped in a serial killer pattern known as the "Smiley Face" murders. The name was adopted for the psychotic and sinister "smiley face" left near to the primary or secondary crime scenes, positioned in a highly visible place where law enforcement could make the connection. The M/O for the victims has been a consistent target against college-aged males, mostly under 25 years old, Caucasian, observed as intoxicated in bar, and traveling alone. Most of the victim's remains were dumped into a river or similar body of water, although the cause of death was something other than drowning.

NYC detectives, Kevin Gannon and Anthony Duarte have studied the evidence and pieced together this most puzzling case, drawing a conclusion that the murders may have been committed by more than one person, perhaps a sadistic group of serial killers drifting across the northeast and mid west regions. The FBI, however, does not concur with the detective's findings and still remains open to the possibility that the 40 murders may be unrelated. Whether the police or the feds are correct, the killings have been bonded together with the trademark smiley face, and only time will tell who will be taken into custody for these brutal and senseless killings.





The Zodiac Killer.

The Zodiac Killer crime spree claimed 37 lives from June 4, 1966 till it came to an abrupt halt on October 11, 1969. The murders took place from the Bay Area in northern California, to the central coastline in Santa Barbara and one attack in Riverside County, with no obvious M/O signs linking the victims by gender, race, age, locality or pattern of sexual assault.

After a three year killing spree, letters presumed to have been written by the serial killer were sent to a number of newspapers for publication. The texts resembled a discombobulated sense of thinking, with repetitive ideas, simplistic verbiage, poor grammar, multiple misspellings and over 400 words run together without the use of a period. Claiming to be the Zodiac Killer, the author of the messages seemed to savor the infamous publicity and enjoyed the cryptic cat and mouse routine with the police.

By 1992, only one suspect has been taken into custody upon an eyewitness testimony that Arthur Leigh Allen was the man who shot a suspected Zodiac victim 23 years earlier, however, DNA results and fingerprints could not prove a match to the 1968 crime scene. Although the Zodiac killings have ceased, there is no statute of limitations on murder, so the investigation will continue until the killer could no longer be living.





The Axeman of New Orleans.

From May 1918 until October 1919, New Orleans and the surrounding neighborhoods lived in a cloud of terror with 8 grizzly axe murders sweeping through the dark of the night. The perpetrator picked his victims randomly, with no preference or similarities among them, even hacking to death a pregnant woman and an infant she held in her arms. Not all of the victims died, however, the few that survived lived to tell a gruesome tale of savagery not seen since the days of Jack the Ripper.

Although there has not been conclusive proof of a name attached to the Axeman of New Orleans, it has been theorized that a possible link may be made to one Joseph Momfre, a name that concurs with New Orleans residency, who was shot to death during the commission of a crime in Los Angeles in 1920. The hole in that theory remains that there was no homicide record of a Joseph Momfre in L.A. by law enforcement and no record of a coroner's acceptance of a body by that name. Whether or not Momfre was indeed the Axeman will never be known, and the lapse of time would most likely render the suspect dead by natural causes.

The Phantom Killer of Texarkana.

On February 22, 1946, the Phantom Killer murder spree began on a quiet road known as Lover's Lane with the homicide of 23 year old Jimmy Hollis, who was parked in a car with his 19 year old girlfriend, Mary Jeanne Larey. Hidden away in the secluded darkness, the victims were attacked at gunpoint and ordered out of the car. Hollis sustained a fatal injury from a blow to the back of his head, while Larey made a run for it down the dark and desolate road. However, the killer caught up to Larey and taunted her with rape until a passing vehicle illuminated the highway, enabling Larey to escape.

This vicious cycle of death would continue until May 4, 1946, claiming 8 victims and 5 decedents in the states of Texas and Arkansas. Although the victims did not share any significant characteristics that would link them together, the method of operation of the Phantom Killer would yield some strange and curious signals as to when he would attack. Many of the crimes were committed under a full moon and became known locally as the "moonlight murders", sending a chilling fear through the region when the lunar cycle was complete. Law enforcement has had their theories on who the Phantom Killer could have been, however, no one was formally charged with the string of midnight murders.

Strange News:: Charlie Sheen’s ‘Two and a Half Men’ Cancelled 2/26/11

Production on Charlie Sheen’s TV comedy series ‘Two and a Half Men’ has been cancelled.
Bosses behind the show decided to axe the remaining four shows of the season following a rant by the troubled actor about the show’s creator Chuck Lorre in which he called him a “pu**y punk” and a “charlatan”.
In a statement, Warner Bros. Television and broadcaster CBS said, “Based on the totality of Charlie Sheen’s statements, conduct and condition, CBS and Warner Bros. Television have decided to discontinue production on ‘Two and a Half Men’ for the remainder of the season.”
However, the 45-year-old actor – who is currently receiving rehab at home for a drink and drug problem – has hit back at Chuck, who he has called a “contaminated little maggot”.
In an open letter, he said, “What does this say about Haim Levine [Chuck Lorre] after he tried to use his words to judge and attempt to degrade me. I gracefully ignored this folly for 177 shows … I fire back once and this contaminated little maggot can’t handle my power and can’t handle the truth. I wish him nothing but pain in his silly travels especially if they wind up in my octagon.
“Clearly I have defeated this earthworm with my words – imagine what I would have done with my fire breathing fists. I urge all my beautiful and loyal fans who embraced this show for almost a decade to walk with me side-by-side as we march up the steps of justice to right this unconscionable wrong.”
Production had been due to continue on the show next week following a hiatus due to Charlie’s drug problems.

Strange News:: London shop to offer real breast milk ice cream 2/25/11

Have you ever tasted actual human breast milk?
I wouldn’t recommend it, unless you are a nursing baby. However, if you really have a massive urge to try it and are in London, you can sample actual breast milk ice cream at an ice cream shop in Covent Garden. Breast milk ice cream isn’t cheap- it’s £14 a serving, or $23 in American cash-money. 35-year-old Victoria Hiley, one of 14 lactating women to supply milk for Icecreamists, says she is a breastfeeding advocate and explained her motivation for donating a boob-juice sample:

‘I saw the advert offering to pay women to donate breast milk on a forum and it made me laugh.
‘There were so many comments and people were having a debate on whether it could be genuine. So I thought I’d find out.’

Icecreamists founder Matt O’Connor says the product isn’t just a novelty thing:

‘The Baby Gaga tastes creamy and rich. No-one’s done anything interesting with ice cream in the last hundred years. We’ve came up with a method of infusing ice-cream with breast milk. We wanted to completely reinvent it… And by using breast milk we’ve definitely given it a one hundred percent makeover. Its just one of a dozen radical new flavours we’ve invented. We want to change the way people think about ice cream’.

Donors were tested, ostensibly for disease or other nasty things, prior to offering up their wares.
Update: Apparently, this is not the first breast milk ice cream rodeo. Huh.

Funny Pictures:: Crazy Demotivators 2/25/11

Standing Out from the Crowd without Being Ostentatious 2/25/11

We girls are always on the lookout to find new ways to stand out in a crowd When we go to a party, a business function, or even out on a date, we are looking for ways that we can make ourselves distinct and different from every other woman in the room


We girls are always on the lookout to find new ways to stand out in a crowd. When we go to a party, a business function, or even out on a date, we are looking for ways that we can make ourselves distinct and different from every other woman in the room. We want people to pay attention to us, and to seek us out as someone they will want to spend their time.

When we are at a party, we want people to notice us and to pay attention to us. When we are at a business function, we want our bosses and co workers to take notice of our finer traits, including our style and fashion sense. When we are on a date, we want our date to see us in a different and brighter light than the women he has met before us.

Many of us have learned that alcohol is not a necessity for us to stand out in a room and get noticed. In fact, we can draw much more favorable attention with the clothes we wear and the accessories we use when we go out.

Dont Be Ostentatious

Most of us know women who are caught up in having the most expensive accessories in the room. For them, it is not just a matter of having distinctive apparel. No, for them, it is a matter of being able to claim more spending power than you or me. Of course, most of us know that spending power does not make you a more attractive person.

Few women who live outside of the major cities of the world, New York City, Paris, London, and Melbourne, Australia, and women who work outside of the entertainment industry, would seriously consider the purchase of a dress from Armani or Versace. We would likely never indulge $2500 on a Gucci purse or a designer dress, although we might spend a healthy amount of money to buy a beautiful wedding dress that we will keep forever after all, we will only get married for the first time, once.

Stand Out With Style

The good news is that there are more ways to stand out in a room than to outspend everyone in the room.

Even an interesting set of earrings, a bracelet or a necklace can attract people quickly to our side to view the beauty or distinctiveness of our jewelry. Of course, it is not even necessary to indulge in gold or diamond jewelry to attract attention from others.

In fact, with the development of the global Internet marketplace, it has become much more easy to buy jewelry from other parts of the world, frequently for prices less than the cost of a cheap gold strand. For example, one could buy a necklace or choker with African styling or even Malaysian styling, for under $100. Despite the seemingly low cost, a piece of jewelry from another part of the world might just attract more attention and conversation than a Gucci purse or a diamond-studded earring set.

Speaking of Gucci, one could even pick up a handmade handbag with African, Mediterranean, Japanese, or Southwest Native American styling that attracts every eye in the room. Why spend $2500 on a handbag, when you could attract even more attention with a handbag that could be purchased for under $100?

The Frugal Shopper

If you are frugal in your shopping, that does not have to mean that you have to be the girl in the corner to whom no one is paying any attention. In fact, being frugal does not mean that you have to be plain or boring either.

Being a frugal shopper simply means that you have the ability to make your money go further, without giving up on having the things that make our lives fun and interesting.

Most women have households to run and children to support. Most of us have had the necessity to be frugal with our money from time-to-time, for the sake of keeping our households running smoothly. As such, many of us have learned that demonstrating style and beauty does not have to be expensive. In fact, many of us have learned that the trick to making our money go further can be summed up in one simple sentence, dont be afraid to shop around.Nicole Maschwitz writes about fashion and design. When you are in the market to shop for Great Gift Ideas, handmade jewellery,Fashion handbags, unique gifts or decorative homewares, please visit Gift Hut and browse their selection of products from around the world at: http://www.gifthut.com.au

Strange News:: Couple arrested for allegedly abusing adoptive children; made them eat dog food, sleep in dog cages 2/24/11

Sonja Kluth and John Kluth, accused of torturing their adoptive children in Oklahoma. Mugshot via Canadian County Jail.

In a gruesome and macabre act of cruciation, an Oklahoma couple, John and Sonja Kluth, ages 50 and 57, have been arrested for allegedly torturing their adoptive children. According to KFOR Channel 4 Oklahoma, the Kluth’s have been accused of “brutal beatings and even feeding their children dog and cat food”. The children were reportedly found extremely malnourished.

KFOR reports that authorities were notified when the Kluth’s 15 year son ran away and was later found sleeping in a box behind a retail store. Police reports also indicate that the 15 year old refused to go home and filed the following about the condition of how the boy was found:

…with a broken hand, scars on this abdomen where he was cut with a knife, scars on this abdomen and back where he was burned with utensils, injuries on this neck where he was strangled and swelling to his finger from having his fingers smashed.

Court documents also state that the kids, ages 9, 11 and 15, were starved and forced to sleep in dog crates in their home’s cellar. It also states that Sonja Kay Kluth admitted to becoming a monster, allegedly using hot utensils to burn the children but also claims that the kind of discipline she used was necessarily to keep the children under control. The 15 year old boy who ran away suffered from multiple afflictions bestowed by his abusive, adoptive parents and has deformed hands from having them crushed multiple times.

Apparently, the children were originally adopted in Wisconsin. The couple has 3 adult biological children, one of whom still knowingly resides in Wisconsin. He claims that his parents were being investigated in the state of Wisconsin and that’s why he believes they fled to Oklahoma. He seemingly shows no sympathy for his parents, saying “They’re going to get what they deserve.”

The Kluth’s were reportedly getting $1500 per child from the state of Wisconsin and have likely used some of that money to post their bond. They are now free until arraignment.

"

Personal Blog:: The pain I wish I received 2/24/11

I'm finally adding to my last blog posting.  Sorry I didn't make it longer, but my heart was in my throat, and I had to recover my stance.

My dog Henry and I were the best of friends.  I'm sure most of you all know "Calvin & Hobbes".  Well, we were very much that.  We played Monopoly, and he always would win.  We would play outside and pretend we were blasting off into far off worlds.  We would watch TV and pretend we were where the characters were.  And we would hold each other when my dad would yell.  He never cried, and he liked my tears off my face.  We at times would try to make a game out of being quiet.

One night my dad came home from one of his drunken nights out.  And my mom and me were eating dinner.  He came in and we held our breath. (my mom, me and henry) Waiting to see what type of mood he was in.  Well, he came in a saw us at the dinner table and shut the door. My mom and I looked at each other and prayed within that millisecond of a glance.  He just stared at up and laughed a joking laugh.  We smiled at him and tried to get on his good side right off the bat.  My mom hopped up and said let me get you a plate.  And I ran over to give him a hug.  The hug please, please, please, don't be angry at us for no reason at all" hug.  But to our surprise our efforts were useless.  He stopped me before I could make the hug and said to me in a low clear voice...

"Do I look like an Idiot?"  I said "No".  "Do you think that I wouldn't know what you did?" his voiced raised.  I then gulped and summoned the courage to ask what my crime was.  "I know you have been talking to other men!!" scared and shocked at his answer I said, "I haven't dad, I don't know what it would be about, I was just a school" He then put his hand on my shoulder and with a hardy shove, thew me down on the ground.  "NOT YOU... YOU'RE MOTHER!!! YOUR WHORE OF A MOTHER. SHE HAS BEEN TALKING TO OTHER GUYS WHEN I'M NOT AROUND!!!  I GUESS SHE THOUGHT I WOULD NEVER KNOW... well I know now!  And I'm going to have to teach her a lesson."  His voice lowered with a strong sense of joy for what he was going to do.  What he was going to take pleasure in doing to my mother.  When I was shoved, I landed with a thud and found myself looking to my mother.  She was just as surprised to hear this answer as I was.  He walked towards her pushing chairs aside and anything else that was in the way.  I leapt to my feet and tried to grab my dad's angry fists.  He told me to stay out of it, or I was going to be next.  I didn't want to be next I want to be first.

He got a hold of my mother standing against the sink as she wept and begged for understanding.  All the while he yanked her arm into the bedroom.  Where I wasn't allowed to see.  My mother begging and begging for compassion.  Which he would never relay.  I sat next to the door not being able to do anything for her.  Not being able to cover her with my body and take the beating for her.  I always did my best to take most of the beating for her.  I love my mother with such love, that the pain to me was nothing. the pain she would feel for days beyond today, excruciating.  She wept and begged like he liked her to do, like the sick way he got back at her.  He grabbed her neck and started to squeeze her.  Squeeze her like she was just a type of trash that needed to be thrown out.  I started to hit him from behind.  I hit with the strength of a 7-year-old.  He's thinking this was amusing quickly turned to annoyance.  He once again threw me to the ground and said I will deal with you next.

At this time, the neighbor heard the yelling and commotion.  The doorbell ring, I yelled, "HELP! HELP!" which only came out as a soft voice less cry. My voice was almost gone from yelling.  I tried again, "HELP! HELP!" yet again it was a voiceless squeak. Tears came, they came down my face as if the water line broke.  Feeling my one chance for help fading away.  My father let my mom go and she pulled the air from room into her lungs with a loud gasp.  Her face was bluish, and her neck was red.  My father went to answer the door and I pulled myself up yet once again.  I rushed to my mom side to see if she was alive.  I hugged her and wept, thinking this had to end.  Asking heavenly father to take me and my mom... NOW.  I heard the door shut and the footsteps coming towards us.

But he didn't come into the bedroom he went to the bathroom.  My mom whispered "don't worry".  I still cried.  At this point my mind turned to Henry.  Where was he? He needs to be here, he is part of the family.  I could hear my father washing his hands, so I snuk into my room and got him from under the sheets.  When I returned my dad was in the room standing over my mom.  I feared the worst. I ran in and jumped next to my mother, henry in hand.  "BITCH, you're lucky" he stated.  I have no clue how she was lucky.  He was still drunk and staggering, but he found a way to the front door and walked out.  My voice returned again and I asked my mom if she was alright.  Her voice on the other hand was soft and meek.  She looked at me and saw the pain I had in my face, and she hugged me.  Oh to feel her holding me, knowing that her arms can still hold me was the best feeling in the world.  Even though she was hurt, I felt like nothing would pull us apart.  We fell asleep in this position, the position that I felt safe in.

A Frugal Lifestyle Brings Joy 2/24/11

Very few things can bring more strife and stress into a family household than issues around money and not having enough of it to cover expenses and bills If money issues or lack of it are taking away the joy in your life and you want to take steps to do something about it, start by banning the ‘if only’ mindset

Very few things can bring more strife and stress into a family household than issues around money and not having enough of it to cover expenses and bills. If money issues or lack of it are taking away the joy in your life and you want to take steps to do something about it, start by banning the ‘if only’ mindset.

‘If only we could go out to dinner, I'd feel more energetic about the house cleaning that I have to do later tonight.’

‘If only we had a new TV, then we’d have a more pleasant evening with the family.’

‘If only I could purchase this nice expensive cut of meat, then I could make the family a really good meal.’

The ‘if only’ mindset leads you to feeling unsatisfied with what you have and that is a dangerous place to be. Before you know it you’ll be spending what you don’t have which will only lead to debt.

The frugal lifestyle looks at making the best, most efficient use of the food, materials and resources that we have and is the counterculture response to the mass consumerism that is making so many of us crazy!

You don’t have to be an instant frugal living expert overnight. There are many resources available to help you to find your way to the frugal lifestyle.

Let me give you an example. Cutting the grocery bill is one of the easiest ways to make an impact on your budget. The website (www.hillbillyhousewife.com) is a great resource for helping with food budgets. On that site you’ll a find a free guide called ‘Best Bets for Your Budget’ and in this guide are tips for building your family menu around healthy food items that are always good buys at your local grocery or super store.

For instance, you might like sirloin steak, but let’s face it, sirloin is an expensive meat that is rarely ever affordable. So don’t collect recipes or make meal plans that include sirloin steak. Save sirloin for special occasions. Instead focus on recipes and meal planning that includes fresh items and other goods that are healthy and affordable where you shop.

One of the great features of the ‘Best Bets for Your Budget Guide’ is that it includes a suggested list of items that can be purchased affordably in many stores. For example instead of the sirloin steak mentioned above you might focus on preparing tasty dishes using other more affordable meets like those suggested which include ground turkey, fresh chicken leg quarters and frozen trout and catfish fillets. Sometimes you just need some ideas to help to get you going on developing your own list of ‘best buy’ foods where you live.

The Hillbilly Housewife website also offers hundreds of recipes specifically designed for the frugal cook.

Approach the purchase of materials in your home in the same way. Do you need that new flat screen TV or can you wait until you can afford it and make do with your old flickering TV mixed with some good family time together, playing cards, or sitting out on the back porch or backyard tent telling stories and enjoying the company of the people who mean the most to you.

Nurturing a strong appreciation for what we have both in our pocketbooks and in our homes and families is more than a frugal mindset, it’s a smart way of living that can lead us out of debt and on the road to finding real joy in our lives.

Susanne Myers is the owner of Hillbilly Housewife a haven on the Internet for those looking for simple but proven frugal cooking and living advice and recipes for ‘low cost, home cooking from scratch.’

About Today:: The 20 Funniest Celebs on Twitter 2/23/11

From Jen Hubley, your About Today Editor Twitter has many uses. You can follow friends and family from far away, to see what they're doing. You can complain about how your neck sort of hurts and you'd like a nap (one of my favorites). Or, and perhaps best of all, you can use it to distract you from things you should be doing.

The 20 Funniest Celebs on Twitter  Famous people who tweet are very helpful for the last purpose. There are two kinds of awesome celebrity twitter accounts: The first is genuinely funny people (see above). The 20 Funniest Web Comics Funny Photo Sites See More About:  twitter  stephen colbert  russell brand

The Hottest Celebrities on Twitter  And the second is just plain old famous people, some humorous on purpose, some accidentally so. (I'll let you choose which is which.) How to Use Twitter 10 Great Uses for Twitter See More About:  twitter  britney spears  john mayer

The Funniest Blogs on the Web  My favorite in this list: Awful Library Books. This site includes such classics as 'Fake Families' and 'Fun With Crime.' Awesome List Alert: 20 Retro Movie Posters 8 Funniest Online Communities See More About:  blogs  funny blogs  lolcats

Where to Find Funny Video Clips  Sometimes, though, there's just no substitute for watching people fall down. The Top 20 Viral Video Clips of All Time The Top 20 Viral Videos for Kids See More About:  fun websites  top websites  web humor

Strange News:: Swimming with the Dead 2/23/11

Well sort of anyways.

A local authority in England has given the go ahead for a swimming pool to use energy created by the next-door crematorium to heat its water.
The plan, the first of its kind in Britain, will see waste heat from the incinerator chimney used to warm up the neighbouring leisure centre and its new pool.
“The cremation process is a sensitive matter and we wanted to be sure our proposals had widespread support,” said Councillor Carole Gandy, the leader of Redditch Borough Council in central England.
Eighty to 90 percent of people who contacted the council had backed the scheme, she said.
“Throughout we have been careful to explain how the technology would work, that it is tried and trusted, and that the practice is quite common in parts of Europe and especially in Sweden,” she said.
“We already support our residents to insulate their homes and be energy-efficient, so it seemed only right for us to explore this re-use of energy.”
However, local trade union officials are less than impressed with the plan, saying it was a reflection of the massive public spending cuts being implemented by the government.
“These proposals … are sick and an insult to local residents,” said Roger McKenzie, regional secretary for Unison, Britain’s biggest public sector labour union.
I find this kinda gross and maybe even a tad offensive.


by Crazy Admin Guy

About Today:: 7 Houseplants You Can't Kill 2/22/11

From Jen Hubley, your About Today Editor I've done it again: I've murdered a houseplant. Although I suppose the most I'm really guilty of is neglect. (I forgot that most varieties need water.)

7 Houseplants You Can't Kill  I think the thing is to pick plants that are harder to kill. I tend to get ambitious with plants. Probably orchids are not the plant of choice for someone who can never find a pen and often spends hours calling her own cell phone to figure out where it is. (It is under the laundry. It is always under the laundry.) Why Pothos Is Good for You Tales of the Toughest Plants See More About:  foliage plants  flowering plants  orchids

8 Ways to Kill a Houseplant  If there were a competition for killing plants, I would win. I would win even if the other competitors had plant-killing poisons at their disposal. Why You Should Be Cleaning the Leaves of Houseplants Why Are My Leaves Turning Yellow? See More About:  houseplants  container gardening  small space gardening

5 Hard-to-Kill Sun Loving Plants  Along with forgetting to water plants entirely, my other favorite thing to do is to pick plants that need totally different light conditions than the ones I can provide. 10 Common Container Gardening Mistakes Use Almost Anything as a Container Garden See More About:  common mistakes  advantages of container gardening  container photographs

Best Houseplants for Low-Light Conditions  These, for example, would be the best plants to buy for the darkest room in the house. Determining Light for Houseplants The Best Flowering Indoor Plants See More About:  foliage plants  tropical houseplants  flowering houseplants

About Today:: Why Do We Observe Presidents Day? 2/21/11

From Jen Hubley, your About Today Editor Today is Presidents Day here in the US. Presidents Day is one of those holidays you might forget about, if you didn't get the day off.

Presidents Day Trivia  Presidents Day is to honor two presidents in particular: George Washington, who was the first president of the United States, and Abraham Lincoln, who I thought was the second president until I was about eight years old. George Washington Fast Facts Abraham Lincoln Fast Facts See More About:  presidents day  george washington  abraham lincoln

The 10 Most Influential Presidents  Both Washington and Lincoln make this list, but some others might surprise you. Who Do You Think Were the Most Influential Presidents? 8 Worst Presidents Ever See More About:  american presidents  presidential elections

Video: Branches of the Government  My friend Andre is a naturalized citizen of the United States, which, as he says, "means that I'm required to know more about the government than most people who were born here." (Cue the Sad Trombone of Truth.) Article: The Branches of Government Overview of the United States Government

Presidents Day Special: The Invention of Great Writing  Presidents Day is maybe the most annoyingly punctuated holiday ever. This is especially funny when you consider the fact that Lincoln in particular did so much to inspire better writing. The Gettysburg Address Facts and Myths About the Gettysburg Address

About Today: 5 Things You Should Never Post on Facebook 2/18/11

From Jen Hubley, your About Today Editor Just about everyone has a Facebook page these days. This just goes to show that when it comes to choosing between maintaining their own privacy and getting a chance to spy on the neighbors, people will pick the neighbors every time.

5 Things You Should Never Post on Facebook  There are some things, however, that you want to keep away from people's prying eyes. Like your full birth date. Or pictures of your kids. (Also: Three more.) Why Start Facebook? Top 5 Location Check-In Services See More About:  facebook  facebook security  facebook privacy

Social Networking During a Job Search  If you're looking for a job, or ever will be again, you'll also want to hide those pictures of you with the lampshade on your head. (To be honest, if I were hiring? I would want the people with the lampshades. But this is probably why I don't run the world yet.) Your After-Work Behavior Can Harm Your Career Personal Internet Use at Work See More About:  job search blogging  social networking  career networking

The 5 Facebook Dangers for Teens and College Kids  I cannot tell you how glad I am that I went to high school and college in the dark ages. When we were in school, computers were basically typewriters with an attitude. Should Tweens Have Facebook Pages? How to Keep Teens Safe on Social Networking Sites See More About:  teen legal issues  facebook  myspace

10 Ways to Protect Your Child From Cyberbullying  This kept bullying confined to what is now known as "real life." (Back then it was "life.") A Parent's Guide to Cyberbullying Readers Share Stories of Cyberbullying See More About:  cyberbullying  kids online  internet safety

About Today: The Top Jobs and Where to Find Them 2/17/11

From Jen Hubley, your About Today Editor Judging from my pool of friends, the vast majority of people are now either a) unemployed, b) marginally employed, or c) employed in a job that they no longer wish to do. This is a totally statistically relevant way of determining the unemployment rate, BTW, and I fully expect it to be adopted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics soon.

The Top 40 Fastest Growing Jobs  Many of my pals are engaged in similar careers to my own, which might be part of their problem. This will shock you, but there's a limited demand for people who can write funny little stories. Where Are the Green Jobs? Medical Careers Most In Demand See More About:  career choice  high growth career fields  labor statistics

The Top Jobs and Where to Find Them  It's less in demand anyway than say, home health aides. Tips to Help You Land an IT Security Job What Is Dot Jobs? See More About:  top ten jobs  top jobs

How to Find a Job  Whatever sort of job you're looking for, you'll probably find it a bit overwhelming at some point in the process. That's why I love this 10-step process. It's easier than thinking of the whole thing all at once. Top Jobs for 2011 10 Steps to Simplify Your Job Search See More About:  how to find a job  job search help  career building

10 Myths About Choosing a Career  Myth #4 is a good one to look at, while we're discussing top jobs: "I should choose a career from a 'Best Careers' list." How to Choose a Career Vote for the Best Job Sites See More About:  career choice  career counselors  career tests