Coupons save money

Have you ever gotten up one day and just wanted to buy something you've always wanted? I have. I remember one time I wanted to purchase a printer for my computer but I got hung up on whether or not to get just a printer or a printer/fax/copier/scanner. I've always wanted one of those and my fax machine is a little old. Hard to find supplies for it now. The biggest stumbling block was that I wanted a good deal on it but nothing was on sale--I mean really on sale. My friend is always bragging about how she bought stuff on sale and had a Coupon to go with it. I never seemed to have that luck until I went to NCNatural's Adventure Resources
Your Guide to North Carolina Nature, Entertainment & Culture.
There I found a Joann Fabrics site where I could finaly get a coupon and shop for fabric to make that ankle-length dress I've been wanting and a Kohl's site where I can save money with coupons this holiday shopping season.
I'm still going to get a coupon for my printer combo but there are sites there that may carry my old fax machine's brand--and I get to use a coupon for it.

Local police conducting stings of alleged online prostitution

Police say they are conducting stings on alleged online prostitutes offering "exotic services" on Craigslist.
An unidentified source within a south suburban police station in Illinois, said investigators arrange for a meeting with the suspects at local hotels and when certain information is exchanged, police make an arrest.
Police say that offering "exotic services" on the Internet is dangerous and illegal.
An officer familiar with the case said in one instance, a female suspect took what she considered to be vital information such as a social security number and work information--which included addresses and phone numbers--and then arranged for a trade of sex for money.
He said taking that information would not have stopped the suspect from being murdered, however she was arrested.
He also said many of the "exotic services" are being offered for $400 or more. He said he was told that "extras" would add cost to the selected service.
An officer connected to this case asked not to be identified by name in this story.

Family and Relationships

The significance of the traditional roles of men and women is only significant if the couple plans to behave traditionally.
Tradition states that the Dad works outside of the home and the Mom stays inside the home and work. That is the American tradition of male and female roles in the 20th century.
What say ye? This is not common of most homes? Really?
Lessee...Mom has children to care for and a husband (tradition) to look after. That usually means she is the maid and cook and household manager. These are paid positions in a wealthy household and these people who work these positions are paid well.
It takes a tremendous amount of dedication for a woman to take on this task alone. It is insane to take on these three jobs (excluding wet nurse) and to work outside of the home.
Most folks these days just modify Mom's role by allowing her time off-usually six months-to get acquainted with her baby and find a sitter. Some Moms are allowed up to three years. By that time the baby is ready for preschool.
That is tradition in America.
All Dad has to do is work and possibly be nice to his live-in maid also known as Mom. She will spend most of her time with children. Hopefully the pair will have sex sometime through the week.
When Dad gets home each evening he will want to unwind and get some dinner. It should be hot and waiting on the table when he gets through the door. Mom shouldn't complain and hover during this wind down time or she could find herself dining with the children and Dad at the local tap downing a few or somewhere other than in the vicinity of her big, ungrateful mouth.
Tradition, the cornerstone of America.
Of course I am being sarcastic but unfortunately this scenario is played out in many households to one degree or another.
The solution is to develop a set of values and find a mate who mirrors those values. That way, whatever the arrangement the pair will be happy and find that they can work out most issues of contention. And maybe not get divorced.

Abuse victims can find help

Abuse survivors should find the nearest women's shelter and get a referral from a counselor there. If you are a survivor and decide to get help, how can the resources at a women's shelter be avoided?
These are resources easily accessible in every community in America. Spousal/partner abuse is extremely common and women are the usual victims-for various reasons.
Reasons. Hmmm, let's think about the reasons you were abused in the first place. People who have been abused need to think about the abuse-remember the scenarios and talk to themselves about what happened. This will make you more comfortable and get you in the mindset of talking about the abuse with someone else. Therapists can choose to heal the scars inflicted or can choose to dig further (painful) to get at a root cause for letting another human being walk all over you.
Most abuse occurs in secret and can make the victim feel as if she is insane. It can cause you to walk out of your home half clothed, shoeless, penniless, crying-things one would not normally do in civilized company in a civilized neighborhood.
However, this is the sado masochistic arena in which most abuse is played out.
When you get to the therapist discuss whether you want to heal or dig. Dig may help you gain insight into your role in the abuse situation. Healing focuses past the abuse situation in that it helps you come to terms that it has happened and ways to prevent it in the future.
Healing helps you feel better quicker.
As long as the victim is aware of the different types of therapy available and the various outcomes, it should be a righteous experience.

Homemade Sausage anyone?

Okay, I just made some homemade sausage in my new sausage grinder. My Granny gave it to me. Right now it's boiling because I don't know another way to cure raw meat. Okay, I just checked the sausage and I overfilled one of them and the casing has burst. It smelled like a Vienna beef hot dog but it didn't taste like one.
I bought some cheap cuts of beef and pork and ground them in the grinder. Then I mixed it all together with spices and tried to re-grind it but that didn't work well so I disassembled the tube on the grinder and pushed it through into the casing by hand--literally. My hands have been covered in raw seasoned meat for about an hour. I used bleach to wash them and bleached all of the utensils before putting them into the dishwasher. Also I added tofu. I wanted an all soy sausage but I didn't know how to process that for the correct texture.
If anyone has any suggestions on how to make sausage better, leave a comment.
Oh and Jamie Foxx was particularly delightful singing with Rascal Flatts on the 41st Annual Country Music Awards Wednesday. He looked really good too. I guess country music is in his blood seeing how he's from Texas and all--I reckon.

Paying the Bills

Well, I have to pay the bills. That is why I have chosen to sign up on several to pay-to-blog companies. I'm happy about my decision. I hope those who read my blog agree. I have found out about some really neat stuff that I would probably had never learned about if it were not for my pay-to-blog opportunities. Also, if any of you want to get in on the action, feel free to click on the review my post links that I post in the paid blog posts.
In the meanwhile, I'm learning to write ad copy--which is very exciting to me. I have always wanted to make commercials.
Also, don't forget to click on the lulu.com link to your right and buy my new books. Or maybe you can donate. Click on the paypal donate link and I will continue to delight you with my take on life.

The Women's Suffrage Movement will not be forgotten...

I want to re-introduce this subject to you because I think our society is forgetting all what women have been through to even have what is allowed us now.

...(Our) society severely challenged women's efforts to enter public

life. Through the 1890s, "scientific" reports were being

released which showed that too much education could seriously

hurt the female reproductive system. In 1905 former president

Grover Cleveland wrote in the Ladies' Home Journal that female

voting would upset "a natural equilibrium so nicely adjusted to

the attributes and limitations of both [men and women] that it

cannot be disturbed without social confusion and peril." In

retaliation, women set out to show that rather than disrupt the

social order, woman suffrage would instead maintain it.

Bringing their "natural" roles as mothers and nurturers into

the public arena, women would be able to impose a kind of

"civic housekeeping" upon the competitive and corrupt (male)

state.
Go read the rest of this document.

Children and Gardening

You want to know what happened when I tried to include my

family in my gardening project? Nothing, that is what happened.

They would not have anything to do with it. It was Mommy's

stupid thing to do alone. Of course, the few cherry tomatoes we

had from it were fought over but essentially, it was Mommy's

stupid thing and it's that way because it doesn't look good.

The garden looks abandoned.
Last summer, however, it was different.
People were stopping their cars to take a look. A watermelon

was stolen. I felt good about myself. I didn't feel guilty,

like now.
Following in the footsteps of my parents, I planted fruits and

veggies. I failed to realize how much space vining fruits and

veggies like Pumpkin and Watermelon, would take up. I had such

a small plot of land. It really didn't qualify as plot or land

because it was just a bare patch in the grass where it was too

shady to grow. I turned it into a garden.
The garden was a spectacle-that's why people were stopping and

staring.
The vines of a Pumpkin are very thick. The leaves are

huge-bigger than you hand. Neighbors would stop to chat to see

if they could get me to give them some of my sweet winter

collard greens. They figured I, an African-American female,

would grow something like that. (You know we all know how to

cook soul food and yes, these were other Black folk I was

talking to) They would advise me that the space was too small

for something like Pumpkin or Watermelon and we would stand and

stare at the garden in silence.
Looks of worry and disappointment would criss-cross their face

as we stood in the hot sun discussing the properties of

Pumpkin.
"They use it in spa treatments. I saw it once at a spa in the

North Loop," I would say.
Only a minute or so would go by before I set them straight.

They walked away knowing that they weren't getting any pumpkin

pie out of me.
It is sad that I, a decedent of Sharecroppers, would have such

a blue thumb.
That is why I thought if Mother can do it then so can I-but I

can't-not well anyway.
My 9-year-old boy helped me pick tomatoes for a salad once or

twice. Once he went out there alone to do it.
My autistic daughter,16, would have no part of the mini

harvests.
Maybe next year.

Ultimate Paintball

THIS IS A PAYPERPOST SPONSORED AD
I have always wanted to try paintball and I know a couple of

people who play regularly. The only thing standing in my way

was lack of gear. I stumbled across a website called Ultimate

Paintball. On the site, they had
paintball guns for sale

and even a paintball gun package where everything you would need, would be included.
Everything on the site is easy to find. However, they had one

particular
paint ball gun for sale that seemed easy to use and was in my

budget. I've seen what paint ball can do to clothes, coats etc.

so I want to be prepared!
The Ultimate Paintball site had all of the top-of-the line

names like Tippmann, Spyder, Smart Parts, Dye, Empire and

Draxxus.
So stop using the wrong equipment and getting paint on things

you may want to wear later. Go to Ultimate Paintball.