VIDEO: Boy Lived with Dead Mom For 10 Days

An 8-year old boy in Michigan lived with his mother’s dead body for 10 days. He survived by eating dried rice, butter and flour. A vigilant shopkeeper, concerned that the boy has been coming to the store by himself, quizzed him about his mom. The boy said his mom was “in a better place.”

May this video remind us parent that our children must be taught what to do in case of emergencies.

My “Walk Away The Pounds” Experience

I am on the hunt for a good fitness DVD  to do at home.  A year or so ago I tried going to aerobics classes at the Y but felt awkward around those that already know the moves.  It didn’t take long before I gave up on that.

With money so tight these days I didn’t want to just buy a DVD and end up not liking it.  I read reviews of various fitness DVD’s out there and the Walk Away the Pounds series of DVD’s got me interested.

The Leslie Sansone – Walk Away the Pounds – 30 Minute Walk DVD was $13.49, and I was hesitant to even shell out that much without knowing if I would really stick with it or not.

I decided to “rent” Leslie Sansone: Walk Away The Pounds: 30 Minute Walk for seven days through Amazon.com’s Digital Downloads.  For $2,99 I could try before I buy.  It was money well-spent.

The warm-up, exercises and cool-down in this video are great for someone like me who has a hard time getting steps down.  I didn’t get overwhelmed by the steps and was able to keep up with them.  What a refreshing change!  I even sweated quite a lot at the end of the 30-minute walk, which they said was about two miles.

This would have been something I’d buy if not for Leslie Sansone’s annoying prattle and giggling in the video.  It was distracting to me and I just couldn’t get myself to go through it one more time.  What may be annoying for me might not be annoying for you, however.  If you are curious, do what I did:  rent it to try before you buy.

Got any fitness videos to recommend?  Let me know via the Comments section!

Cable and Satellite TV Alternative: Xbox 360

In a previous post I talked about how we have set up our computer as an alternative to cable and satellite TV.  It has allowed us to record our favorite TV shows like TIVO does, and with no monthly fee for the service.

The next step is to be able to watch live or recorded shows on the TV instead of the computer screen.  This was crucial, as there are four of us and we could hardly gather around the computer to watch the same show at the same time.  About two years ago, my son had gotten an Xbox 360 in lieu of having a birthday party.  Windows Media Center can stream any digital content to the Xbox 360 via your home network.  I decided to give it a try and it has worked really well for us.

You do not need to have computer or networking knowledge to do this.  All you will need are:

• Windows Media Center
• Xbox 360
• Network connection

You may view instructions on how to connect your Xbox 360 as a Windows Media Center Extender here.

Once everything is set up, you will now be able to stream any digital content (videos, recorded shows, photos, MP3′s) from your computer to your TV.

Fun hint:  If you have guests, your Xbox 360 and your TV can play selected songs while displaying your photo slide shows!

More posts to come on cable and Satellite TV alternatives.  Please check back soon, or subscribe to my RSS feed!