Urban Legends in the USA

Urban Legends in The US – 3 Stories That Still Flourish

Urban legends proliferate pop culture in a lot of different ways, and in modernity, you will find that it still continues. Even those that have been disproven seem to get into new forms, popularized through social media and the likes. That being said, you may want to look into these 3 stories that could very well keep you up at night. They proliferate culture and are still talked about in a lot of areas.

Patterson Road Ghosts (Texas)

Everything is bigger in Texas, so the claim to fame goes, and rightfully so. Some of the most infamous legends come from the Lone Star State, and one of the most prominent includes the Patterson Road ghosts. Going back the Civil War in the United States, soldiers crossed an area in Houston where the Langham Creek Bridge moves across Patterson road. On cold nights and early morning misty moments, footsteps and silhouettes of the soldiers can be seen and heard.

Green Man (Pennsylvania)

In the city of Koppel, legend has it that a horrifying monster walks the streets at night. Many stories have been told in regards to this tale, and many associate it with “Green Man”. At night, a horrible sight can be seen, a man without a face, horribly disfigured, and some say zombie like can be seen at night. While many find this to be a boogeyman tale, others will testify to the fact that it has been proven true. There was a man with a horribly disfigured face that walked the streets, and no, he wasn’t a zombie or a monster. Just a man that didn’t want to be seen. However, the story goes that he still walks the areas, and his ghost comes through in vivid detail if you’re out late. Many stories are given to this man’s life, and most consider his origins to be that closely resembling something out of a comic book. However, real or not, the legend continues as “Green Man” stalks his victims late at night.

The Ghosts of Gravity Hill (Washington)

In Prosser, Washington there is a hill that seems to be taking the world of urban legends by storm. It’s the only place that has the opposite gravitational pull. When at the bottom of the hill known as “Gravity Hill” a driver can put their vehicle in neutral and mysteriously get pulled uphill. Insane, right? But what is even more illuminating is the trick of putting baby powder on the bumper and seeing handprints, specifically those of little children that seems to push the car uphill. What could it be? Not even science knows in this case.

The aforementioned are just 3 options that come through in regards to urban legends in the United States, but there are so many more to explore as stories proliferate through social media, and beyond

Is it a Ghost or Demon that is Haunting You?

Is It a Ghost or Demon That Is Stalking You?

People often mistake all paranormal activities for being demonic in essence.

 This comes to fruition for the religious specifically, as many religious people assume that anything but the “Holy Spirit” is from the devil. For those that aren’t religious, but still believe in ghosts or demons, there is a point that you will have to determine whether or not one of them could stalk you. All it takes is a quick search online to see what options are out there that could cause you a great deal of turmoil overall. That being said, you will find that the following differences can help you determine what is going awry, if you feel that you’re being stalked by something from the paranormal world.

Ghosts

Ghosts do not stalk with a specific negative light. They do not usually manifest into something that is meant to harm. In most instances, spirits have unfinished issues, and motivations that are beyond the scope of your personal wellbeing. They seek attention, they seek order in regards to something that has happened in the past. If you look at horror movies, some of those ideas are passed through, and while they are for entertainment purposes, they can help you identify whether or not you are dealing with a spirit or something a bit more offensive. Ghosts want resolve issues and either leave, or just have a presence hovering over specific areas. Buy an old house in the South, and you may get this issue floating around as there may be people buried nearby, or something happened in the home that you’re not aware of. These things don’t cause serious harm, but there is another side to the proverbial coin.

Demons

Demons are not the same as ghosts, and while you may not be able to see them outright, and you may not immediately consider them harmful, they can be. They have the mindset of something bad, and they will try to cause you a great deal of anxiety, and perhaps even cause hatred to grow. Furthermore, demons have been noted to have red eyes, and a dark manifestation in appearance and forceful speech, or growling. Whether religious or not, these spirits will follow and cause a disruption of morality, and will instill a sense of fear and disjointed thought patterns.

Getting rid of these things is rough, as you may not have the power to do so. Some will recommend going to a priest of highly spiritual person, and others will recommend hiring a paranormal detective. Whatever the case is, there’s a difference between the two, and one is definitely more “evil” in scope and will cause you harm whether physical, spiritual, or in the mind.

Are You Being Haunted?

Are you hearing footsteps at night? You may be asking yourself; "Is my house haunted?" There is a wide array of signs that a house may be haunted. You see something in the corner of your eye! As you turn to look directly at it; it vanishes! That might just be a ghost. You leave for work, when you come back; you find objects moved around. That might just be a ghostly presence.

Do you ever get the feeling of being watched when you know you're alone? What if a ghost is watching you while you're showering? You're getting ready in the morning, and you leave your light on, you leave the room and come back and your light is now off. Ghosts love to play mind games with humans. Do these situations happen to you? Often or not, these are indicative of a haunting.

Do you ever enter a room and suddenly feel as though it's much colder than the rest of your home? Chances are that's not a draft. Who's that whispering in your closet? Or even just whispering things in your ear. When you turn to look, you don't see a thing. But something is there.

Ever sat on the couch only to notice the cushion next to you sink in? But no one is sitting there or is there something else sitting there? Once while visiting a friend of mine in New England, while sitting on the couch the radio that was behind me changed the channel. Well, I didn't touch it, and the radio was one of the dial ones that had to be changed by turning the dial. I turned and put the station back to the one we were listening to and turned to my friend and as I turned the radio again changed. I whipped around to catch a glimpse of it moving on its own. The room went quiet; you could have heard a pin drop, as we stared at the radio. Afraid to touch it, I got up and moved to a different area of the room.

We have a pretty unique sensory system where we can feel, touch, hear, smell, and taste things around us well those with a 6th sense can see things on the other side. For some people who are haunted they can feel it when a ghost touches them. When one touches you, the hair may raise on your arm and goose bumps will appear. Sometimes it can feel hot or cold and once I was stepped on, and all I could feel was pressure.

So have you felt like something touched you as you turned out the light and went to go to bed? Or have you smelled smoke or another scent that reminds you of someone who has passed? Recently, I woke up at night from the stench of smoke that filled my nose and even affected my breathing. It took months before I figured it out and acknowledged the being and now don't smell the smoke anymore.

Have you heard whispering or conversations that you are not part of? When I was in my twenties, I had a man and woman arguing, and I thought I was hearing voices and going nuts. I still fought the idea for years that I could hear these ghosts arguing. Most would think I was schizoid or something, but in reality not so much. Once I moved out of the apartment I lived in, the voices went away. If you do hear these, it does not always mean there is something wrong with you mentally.

Ever found items in places you have never put it? Or can't find something that you put in one place but now it's gone? This happens all the time with hauntings. When I was 12, the ghost that lived in my house would throw things off my dresser. I would find them on the floor, and when I placed them back on the dresser, again they would go flying off onto the floor. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed it either.

Do you have a ghost story to share? Leave a comment

 

 

 

Lasagna Reimagined

I love comfort foods especially in the fall when the weather gets cooler. I have been craving lasagna lately and been wanting to make it, but I have also been trying to lose weight. Since I have had my first child, I have had difficulties with losing weight. Over the years, I have tried diet after diet only to lose some weight but not all of it. My biggest weakness is sweets. I love to bake and then indulge in sweet mouthfuls of yumminess. I enjoy cooking, and this makes it difficult for me to lose weight.

What I have realized is that I need to reinvent my recipes so that I can continue to indulge. But I didn't want to take away all the yummy flavor just to make it have fewer calories or fat. I needed to find a balance between eating the foods I love and feeding my family at the same time. My husband hates it when I diet, because I cook differently for me and him and our boys. Instead, this time I realized I needed to find a way to cook food for my family that still tasted good but that I wouldn't gain a bunch of weight from eating it.

This lasagna recipe I made for my pressure cooker, which cooks it in about 20 minutes, but you can cook it in the oven. I hope you all enjoy.

Lasagna Reimagined

I box whole wheat lasagna noodles or any other oven-ready noodles (no-bake ones)

I large can of diced tomatoes

I can of tomato sauce 12 oz.

32 oz. container of fat-free cottage cheese

1 pound lean ground beef

One large onion

I clove garlic

One pack of mushrooms

1 egg

I cup parmesan cheese

Garlic powder season to taste

Italian seasoning or dried oregano and parsley and Basil

2 ½ cups low fat cheese. I used weight watchers white and cheddar mix

If cooking in the oven turn on to 350. Cook ground beef and add onion and fresh garlic. Add Italian seasoning and garlic powder and cook meat until done. Add tomatoes and sauce stir and mix well. In a large bowl add cottage cheese and egg and mix well. Add parsley and basil mix well and add almost all parmesan and a handful of mixed cheese. Add a cup of sauce mixture to the bottom of pressure cooker or pan. Spread it around and cover bottom then take two lasagna noodles and break in half to place in the bottom of the pressure cooker or leave whole for baking dish. Add some of the mixture of cottage cheese and spread over noodles and add a spoonful of sauce and spread over it and sprinkle with cheese. Continue to make layers until you get to the top then add sauce and cheese all over the top. Now place the pressure cooker lid on and cook for 20 minutes. If in a baking dish construct it and cover with tinfoil and put in the oven and cook for 45 minutes or until noodles are tender.

Once done let pressure cooker release steam and let the lasagna rest for 15 minutes. If in the pan take out of the oven and take off tinfoil and let rest for 15 minutes.

Then cut and serve.

Here is the breakdown of calories I get this on http://www.fitwatch.com

Calories: 397

Fat 14 g

Carbohydrate: 19 g

Protein: 47 g

Cholesterol: 117 mg

Fiber: 1 g

 

 

 

 

Low Fat Zucchini Muffins

Hey A'll, 

It's finally October, which, by the way, is my most favorite month of the year, not just because I love to bake, but because I had my second son this month. And I love Halloween. As the days become shorter and the cool air surrounds me, I get my basket and get to shopping for all my fall baking needs. I love the smell in the air of sweet apples, pumpkins, and leaves that are falling to the ground.

So, each year I jump into baking, I can't help it something in the air just triggers for me to get into the kitchen and begin baking. Well for one it's because I grew up around these amazing cooks who showed me what baking was all about. In the fall I love to bake with apples, pumpkin, and zucchini. I have been busily baking pies and testing out new recipes.  

Today I decided to make Chocolate Chunk Zucchini Muffins that are low in fat and made without oil. These taste just like the regular muffins I normally make. I can indulge every day in one or two of these and keep to my weight loss goals.

I am trying to lose weight and so have been taking my regular recipes and changing them to be lower in fat and calories but without skimping on taste and the yumminess of each muffin.

Here is the recipe and let me tell you that you don't have to share that these are low fat with your better half who won't touch anything that is fat free or healthy for you like my own husband. They taste just like they would normally or so that is what my family said so good luck. If you are trying to eat healthier or just take some weight off you can definitely eat one of these for a sweet treat.

Chocolate Chunk Zucchini Muffins

2 1/2 cups regular flour

1 cup nonfat milk

2/3 cup unsweetened apple sauce

1/4 cup cocoa

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups shredded zucchini

1 bag of chocolate chunks or chocolate chips

1 tablespoon cinnamon

One tablespoon nutmeg

Add sugar, milk, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg and mix with mixer and add applesauce and cocoa. Add flour mix well and then add zucchini and chocolate.  

Preheat oven to 350. Spray pam in 12 muffin pan and then spoon in zucchini mixture and fill cups all the way. Pop into the oven and cook for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

 

Here is the breakdown of calories for each muffin which is one serving

Calories 195.2

Fat: 4.46

Carbohydrates: 37

Protein: 2.75

Fiber: 1.41

Cholesterol: 3.5 mg 

Enjoy!! Happy Fall and enjoy the cooler temps and warm up those ovens.

 

 

Should We Drug Test All Welfare Recipients?

Should We Drug Test All Welfare Recipients? Would it be Cost Effective to Spend the Possible Thousands of Dollars on Drug Testing for all Welfare Recipients? Do More People on Welfare Use Drugs?

Does the Welfare Reform Act work? Did it really impact the amount of people or families on assistance?

Since the launching of the 1996 Welfare Reform Act many people have been debating over whether drug testing would show that more welfare recipients engage in illicit drug use or if our government should spend the possible thousands of dollars on drug testing all welfare recipients.

To begin this discussion, it's important to touch base on where this idea came from about people on welfare using illicit drugs. Many people believe that there is a bias about drug use being connected to welfare recipients and that all recipients are users. Data from the National Household Survey of Drug Abuse found that 21% of welfare recipients also indicated using an illicit drug within the last 12-months while receiving aid from the government (http://www.fordschool.umich.edu/research/poverty/pdf/jcpr_pollack.pdf).

The data was taken in surveys given out to recipients in the years of 1994-1995. Although this data showed a small percent of people who receive assistance, these percentages tend to cause a bias about drug use and welfare being connected. These numbers come from self-reports which can be under reported and not an accurate number or people who may be using drugs. Many people believe that if a welfare recipient can afford to buy drugs than they can afford to work and not receive government payments.

Why was the Welfare Reform Act enacted?

Before one could answer such a question, one needs to understand what the Welfare Reform Act is and why it was enacted. The idea behind the reform was to change how the welfare system had been run since the Great Depression. It would become the needed catalyst to make the changes in the United States to how people would not only view welfare, but also how people would be able to acquire assistance. The act was enacted with several objectives:

·         To reduce the number of families or members that are on welfare.

·         To assist people to become self-efficient and become part of the work force.

·         Recipients are required to find jobs within two years of first receiving welfare payments.

·         Recipients are allowed to receive welfare payments for a total five years.

·         The states are allowed to establish "family caps" that prevent mothers of babies born while the mother is already on welfare from receiving additional benefits.

One of the major reforms under this act is the Welfare-to-Work initiative, this would require for the recipient to work for 20 hours per week in order to receive any benefits. "According to reports, within 3 years of the reform's enactment, millions of Americans had moved from being dependent on welfare to being self-sufficient. In addition, agencies reported a reduction in the number of social welfare cases," (http://www.welfareinfo.org/reform/).

So, instead of offering assistance to become stuck and at home making barely enough to survive on welfare, the government took a supportive stance in helping these people to achieve financial independence by limiting the recipient's ability to stay on government assistance and truly become a productive independent person by pushing them towards going to work each day.

The Act would allow individual states to become the sole responsibility of welfare assistance. It is now up to states to establish and administer welfare programs that will best serve the poor within that state. There are broad guidelines offered by the government for states to follow but funding for welfare programs are now given to the states in the form of block grants, and the states have the responsibility to funding amounts for certain welfare programs. States could then make changes including drug testing for recipients. If a person failed the test then they would be kicked off welfare or in some states be required to engage in a substance abuse program.

Utah took a different stance, instead of kicking recipients off welfare the state offered for them to continue receiving services as long as the recipients engaged in an addiction program. In order for recipients to continue to receive assistance they would need to complete the addiction program (http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765637435/Utah-officials-say-welfare-drug-tests-save-money.html).

There are a total of 29 states that have proposed drug testing as a requirement to receiving aid. Some of these other states kick off those recipients who test positive for illicit drug use or refuse to complete drug testing or delay it. Other states require a substance abuse treatment program and if recipients complete these requirements the person may keep obtaining government aid. If recipients drop out of the substance abuse program and refuse to complete the requirements the person will be dropped off welfare (http://www.ncsl.org/research/human-services/drug-testing-and-public-assistance.aspx).

There are many barriers that hold recipients back from either being employable or being able to deal with daily life leading them to drug use possibly leaving these people without future help. The Welfare Reform Act has led some states to requiring drug testing as a means of possibly saving money from those recipients that don't want to engage in receiving help and to give others a shove in the direction of working to make a living.

Caseworkers in each state are now tasked with making decisions involving the qualifications to receive benefits. One of the major fall backs of such delegation of decision making to the states is the fact that people who don't want to work are more likely to migrate toward states that of less restrictive.

Although there are differences between states regarding who can or cannot get assistance it seems that the act did just as it purposed and did reduce the number or families or individuals on welfare. According to an article written by Rebecca M. Blank called, "Was Welfare Reform Successful?" she stated that after the reform was in effect welfare caseloads began to decline. By 2001 these numbers were at the lowest in 30 years (http://www.usi.edu/business/cashel/331/welfare%20reform.pdf).

In addition, more people entered the work force after this act became active, more so than any government official expected.

However, most states do not drug test all welfare recipients leaving percentages to be skewed and not truly an accurate and reliable account of illicit drug use among welfare recipients. After a federal judge in Florida made a decision that testing all recipients would be considered an unreasonable search by the government and considered unconstitutional according to the 4th amendment caused states to come up with another way to continue drug testing. States would choose only some recipients to test including those that come up with a red flag on an addiction survey (http://newsok.com/oklahomas-drug-screening-of-welfare-applicants-proves-costly/article/3877828).

Should we drug test welfare recipients?

The majority of people in the work force would agree that everyone receiving government assistance should have to commit to drug testing and to follow the guidelines set out to receive assistance. Many people looking for work will be required to engage in drug testing to get the job so why would it be any different for those wanting to receive benefits? For some this is unconstitutional and for others it just seems fair and some truly believe that the government would save thousands of dollars on welfare in general. If welfare recipients fail a drug test they will then receive assistance to get help to get them off the drugs and back out into the work force or will be dropped off of welfare.

Utah is one state that sticks out as having saved up to $350,000 in the first year that the state implemented a drug testing requirement for welfare recipients. Although that may seem like a lot of savings the state actually spent around $30,000 to drug screen welfare recipients and only found that 12 people actually failed the test. The real savings came from the recipients that either refused to complete requirements of drug testing or engaging in a substance abuse program for those people that tested positive. The state saved a large amount of money on these 250 people who did not follow the requirements set forth to continue receiving aid (http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765637435/Utah-officials-say-welfare-drug-tests-save-money.html).

In Oklahoma, the state spent $82,700 in the first seven months of conducting required drug testing on recipients. In that time only 83 people either came up positive or did not comply with the testing requirements and thus were not allowed to continue to receive government assistance. Yet, again this state chose not to require testing on all welfare recipients leaving out people that may have come up positive on a drug test (http://newsok.com/oklahomas-drug-screening-of-welfare-applicants-proves-costly/article/3877828).

Other states followed spending upward into the millions of dollars on screening and drug testing participants and only coming up with a small insignificant number of individuals that came up positive on drug testing. Although numbers are not a true reflection due to the process of selection for testing may pass over those who would test positive on a test. The only way to know the true quantity of welfare recipients engaging in illicit drug use would be to test every person on welfare. However, this would cost thousands if not a few million dollars depending on how many recipients in each state would require testing. Is it worth it? Some say that it is and overall there has been a decline in the amounts spent out in welfare benefits each year.

Since the reform was enacted in 1996 and states have made some drug testing mandatory and have implement the work initiative there has been a stealthy decline in the amount of monies spent out to recipients each year. The Welfare-to-work initiative seems to be the most effective change in the welfare system today. In 1996 there 12,320,970 people receiving welfare payments. As of 2010 there were only 4,375,022 people receiving benefits. That is a drop of 7,945,948 people no longer receiving benefits from welfare (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temporary_Assistance_for_Needy_Families).

More people are off welfare and working thanks to programs like the Welfare-to-work imitative. Even while poverty levels and unemployment rates have risen over the years there is still a decline in people receiving welfare benefits. It would prove to be beneficial to continue drug testing recipients and get those people who test positive in substance abuse treatment and help them get back out into the working force. It may cost more money to send these people to drug treatment, however, in the long run money will be well spent when these people are able to return to work and live a productive life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2nd Annual Online Eating Psychology Conference
July 21 – 26, 2014.

I’m excited to announce that I’m a featured expert in the 2nd Annual Online Eating Psychology Conference. Join me, along with Marc David, Founder of the Institute for the Psychology of Eating, as he interviews over 45 experts in eating psychology, embodiment, weight, health, and nutrition. Get ready to hear some great insights and information that will advance your understanding of eating psychology and personal transformation in this one-of-a-kind virtual conference!




Sign up for the 2nd Annual Online Eating Psychology Conference for FREE here:https://ipe.infusionsoft.com/go/2ndepoc/jerriaubry  

It’s time for a whole new understanding of our relationship with food. Obesity, overeating, body image concerns, emotional challenges with food, and diet-related health issues are with us more than ever. People have abundant access to nutrition facts and information, but need to search long and hard for true healing wisdom. It’s time for an approach that honors all of who we are as eaters – body, mind, heart and soul. Join us for an exciting time together as we explore leading edge thinking in the fields of eating psychology and nutrition. Get inspired by speakers from a variety of disciplines who have something unique and innovative to share.
Speakers include Dr Mark Hyman, Dr David Perlmutter, Paul Chek, Dr Hyla Cass, Amy Pershing, Dr Srini Pillay, Dr Frank Lipman, John Robbins, JJ Virgin, Tom Malterre, Dave Aprey, Dr Tom O’Bryan, Jon Gabriel, Dr Susan Albers, Sayer Ji, Donna Gates, Dr Alan Christianson, Jessica Ortner, Daniel Vitalis, Emily Rosen, Meghan Telpner, and many more!

Dates: July 21 – 26, 2014
Price: FREE
Where: Sign up online: https://ipe.infusionsoft.com/go/2ndepoc/jerriaubry 

I look forward to seeing you in the conference!
Best regards,
Jerri Aubry, M.S.