Love Letters From The Persain Gulf

It's something Hollywood couldn't even produce. According to "The Pueblo Chieftain," Persian Gulf veteran Captain Steve Belgum of Irvine California "wasn't expecting much" when he began receiving letters from Lynda Severson of Minnesota back in 1991. It was the beginning of Operation Desert Storm when Lynda picked a name off a list, after a friend had urged her to "write to a Marine," that would ultimately end up being Steve. Long story short, the two exchanged letters and began to fall in love. Nearly three years later the two would marry on Memorial Day weekend in Lynda's hometown of Hutchinson, Minnesota. The story of the couples courtship is told in a new book titled "Grace Under Fire: Letters of Faith in Times of War."

How to Shower: Women vs. Men

Watch with your spouse and point fingers. Woo. Woo.

Subprime Rates Hurt Minorities

Black and Hispanic borrowers helped fuel a multiyear housing boom, accounting for 49% of the increase in homeowners from 1995 to 2005, according to this USA Today article. But Hispanics and African-Americans were far more likely to use subprime loans--higher-cost products for buyers with impaired credit--that are now going bad at an alarming rate. In fact, we just wrote about this (click here) because we're, well, awesome! Our expert Brian Brogan explores if now is a good time to take advantage of this sluggish market. The answer is yes in some areas, but we're going to make you read the article to find out where.

From Terrorism To Marriage

A recent trip to Ohio had President George W. Bush talking about marriage rather than his objective--terrorism. Maybe he had nothing good to say, but we'll let the political types rustle with that one. Anyway, back to what we do best... marriage. Bush said, "A good marriage is really good after serving together in Washington, D.C." and that "the best thing about my family is my wife. She is a great first lady. I know that sounds not very objective, but that's how I feel. And she's also patient. Putting up with me requires a lot of patience." Careful Mr. President, you're treading on thin ice with that "objective" call, but I'm sure she'll give you a pardon.

More Marriage Resources

Francine Kizner wrote a very helpful piece on what to look out for when searching for a marriage counselor (click here). We came across this site (click here), which includes quite a few resources websites. We're here to help, remember. The only problem with their resource page is that we're not on it. Oh well, maybe someday.

So You Wanna Go Green

This article from USA Today says that the majority now believe we need to be more conservative in our energy because our current habits are contributing to global warming. If that's the way we feel, then why don't we all use energy efficient light bulbs? This article talks about that and more, plus it give tips and terminology so you can be on your way to living a green life. It's never been cooler to be green. Don't forget April 23rd is Earth Day.

Husband & Wife Lose Over 200 Lbs.

Martin Lilienthal Jr., 38, and Elizabeth Cullen, 37, of Wallingford, Conn. met in college, got married and ate their way to obesity. Martin was on two blood pressure medications while Elizabeth hit a dose of reality when she had to buy that largest-sized pants in the store. The couple decided to make a change. To get the weight off they started dieting and exercising--who knew that really worked? They also adapted what ingredients they would cook with. It's a nice story, click here to read the whole thing.

Pinkett Will Ditch Career For Marriage

It's not uncommon in today's society for a marriage to have dual careers. But, how far would you go if you had to choose between what you loved and who you loved? For film actress Jada Pinkett-Smith, she would rather salvage her marriage saying, "I'm aware how busy careers can quickly lead to divorce, but I'm not going to let that happen to us. I made it clear to Will [Smith] that I'd throw it away completely, which is what I'm doing to a certain extent." Now, this is nice but, again, they could both give up their careers and still be OK. Nonetheless, is this something you would do? Could you still survive financially if you or your spouse gave up their career? We would love to know.

Caffeine Exposed

We all love that quick pick-me-up in the morning. We also love the pick-me-up in the late morning and again during lunch and again after lunch and especially at around 3:30 when the day begins to drag and again...you get the point. File it away in the "no duh" folder, but an article from CBS News says that caffeine is addicting. It also goes on to say that it messes with our hormone levels leading to such symptoms as excess nervousness, irritability, insomnia, dizziness, extreme fatigue, headaches, heartburn, anxiety, hypertension, palpitations. It's enough, frankly, to make you dizzy. It doesn't stop there either; it also boosts tannic acid messing with your belly. The list of bad things that can happen to you from over caffeinating goes on and on, but I'm too tired to write anymore. Click here if you want more info. I'm going to grab a cappuccino and sweeten it with some Red Bull. Ciao!

Study Finds Brits Marry For All The Wrong Reasons

We all know that marriage isn't always a bed of roses. Hey, that's why we're here. But, according to OnePoll.com almost a quarter of Britons say they regret getting married. In the 4,000 people surveyed, 15 percent of newlyweds-to-be will take the next step with misgivings. So, why are they getting married? A third of couples say they wanted to have children or had bought a house together, while four percent say they wanted wedding presents and a party. Wow, that's being pretty honest Britan. Remember, we're here to help 24 hours a day.

Dreamed Up Phone Number Leads to Marriage

You know when you meet new people and they ask how you and your spouse met? Well, imagine the reaction this British fellow gets when he tells his story. David Brown, 24, says he woke up one morning after a night out with friends with a telephone number constantly running through his head. He decided to contact it, sending a message saying "Did I meet you last night?," according to this Yahoo! News article. Long story short, the two exchanged text messages, met eachother, courted for a while, fell in love and married. All from numbers floating in his head.

How crazy would it be if they were the numbers from Lost??? 4, 8, 15, 16, 23 42
(click here to go to the wiki page on these magic numbers)

More Spring Cleaning Tips

After we ran the Spring Cleaning story (click here) we received even more tips from 1-800-Got-Junk.

1. Begin the Cleaning Process in the Space You Use Most Frequently

Living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens and dens are the most commonly used rooms in the home. These high traffic spaces also happen to be the areas that collect the most clutter and junk. First, identify which space you are using the most and then make it your top priority for spring cleaning.

2. Translate the Goal of Spring Cleaning Into Weekly Action Items

Instead of baring the burden of cleaning the whole house from top to bottom in one fell swoop, create a list of major cleaning goals and break them into prioritized weekly tasks. Also don’t be afraid to delegate smaller organizing or cleaning tasks to other people in your household.

3. Make a Deadline and Hold Yourself Accountable

Once you have committed to spring cleaning give yourself a date of completion. To be held accountable, try to create visual reminders like a note on the fridge or a reminder in your email calendar to keep you on task. Also consider booking a pickup date with a removal service so you have a firm completion date for when you must have your mess sorted.

4. Divide and Conquer.

Many of us don’t realized how much junk we really have until we start cleaning. By grouping similar items in a pile, it is easy to see where we have duplicates or outdated items. As an example, If you have 20 board games in your closet, cut them down to just four or five of the games you play the most.

5. Leave Donation and Recycling to the Professionals.

According to the spring cleaning experts at 1-800-GOT-JUNK? the number one reason their customers procrastinate tossing old items is that they want them donated to a good place, but don’t have the time or resources to take them there. So, if you are hanging on to an old sofa or piece of furniture that is collecting dust, just remember that many services like 1-800-GOT-JUNK? pick up items for a fee and donate and recycle whenever possible.

Run an Audit on Your Marriage

Author Michael French said when his marriage hit a bad patch a few years ago he realized that he was not alone, with many men waking up one morning to find they are no longer in love with their partner but don't know where to turn for help. French told Reuters "You need a relationship audit each year." French said he got the idea for his book when a friend was having trouble with his marriage several years ago. What do you think? Should we all run our marriages through an audit? Click here to read the whole article.

So You Think You're Funny

Comedy Central, the channel that brought us South Park and other funny, funny shows has just launched a free 10-lesson course on how to be a stand-up comedian. Each week, they're rolling out a new video on the various aspects of being a funnyman. If your spouse thinks they're the funniest person in the room, maybe you should forward this link to help them sharpen their skills. Click here to go to this new series called Crash Course in Comedy. Does anyone have Michael Richards e-mail? We'd like to forward this link to him too.

See what we did there? That little gem is free--your welcome.

The Great One's Wife Fires Back

Remember about one year ago when the possibility of the greatest player to ever play a team sport was involved in something called "Operation Slap Shot?" (The internal investigation of a New Jersey State Trooper involved in a gambling ring that eventually found its way back to Wayne Gretzky, his wife Janet and assistant coach, Rick Tocchet.) Well, now that the media is less involved, Janet Jones (Gretzky's wife) is speaking out and saying in the May issue of "Globe and Mail" that it was, "Unfair that Wayne and I have had a great marriage for 20 years and a nice family, and the people in the media could care less if they are trying to cause friction in your marriage, trouble in your family, and make your kids feel a certain way." Hey, Janet? You could always read hitchedmag.com for advice on how to handle husband and family issues. Click here for the full article.

Play In the Dirt

Scientists in the UK say exposure to dirt may be a way to lift mood as well as boost the immune system. The science behind their findings suggest that a bacteria found in common soil will boost the "happy" chemical in the brain called serotonin. Scientists still don't have enough evidence to rule on the full implications of boosted serotonin, but one thing seems clear: changes in serotonin have an effect on people. Time to put on your play clothes. Read the full article here.