'All the Money' can help you come to terms with finance

18.05.12

Vanderkam writes about finding inner peace with your finances, looking at money as a tool to bring joy to your life.

Not so easy. "Money is a powerful thing. It is also complicated," she writes. You bet.

A journalist by trade, she examines the way we earn and spend money, and how we can all do better, at least in terms of how it makes us feel. She started asking people via her e-mail list: "If you had all the money in the world — not literally, but all you wanted — what would you change about your life?"

The answers were a mixed bag . They ranged from "I would never empty the dishwasher again" to "I would work less and travel more" to "I would buy a couple of networks and cable shows and cancel all reality shows."

So what will it be for you? Vanderkam gets your mental money wheels spinning. She comes to the conclusion that people who are "happiest about money operate under three premises of wealth, a word that has less to do with quantity than with outlook:"

Source: USA TODAY

Woman charged with faking cancer for NY wedding

18.05.12

Strangers donated the beautifully embroidered wedding dress, the two rings, the honeymoon time-share in Aruba. They acted quickly, too, because the bride was dying of cancer. Or so she said.

The state attorney general's office announced Tuesday that Jessica Vega, 25, has been indicted on charges of fraud and grand larceny for getting her "dream wedding" by falsely claiming she was dying of leukemia.

"By pretending to have a terminal illness, Vega inexcusably took advantage of the community's hearts and minds, and profited off of their generosity," said Attorney General Eric Schneiderman. "Our office will hold this individual accountable for fleecing the public through lies and deception."

Vega, formerly of Montgomery, N.Y., was arrested in Virginia on April 3, extradited to New York and arraigned Friday in Orange County Court in Goshen. She pleaded not guilty. A call to the Legal Aid firm that represented her was not immediately returned.

Source: The Seattle Times

Traditional Muslim weddings with a twist

18.05.12

Although the couple were raised in secularized households, they celebrated their wedding in Islamic style, because they consider it is fashionable and a way to please their parents.

Shortly after a friend gave them contact information for a Muslim wedding planning company in Beijing, they quickly called to make arrangements. They paid 8,000 yuan ($1,265) to book the wedding and 700 yuan to rent Muslim wedding dresses.

The wedding took place on a Saturday morning in March in a dining hall at Hongbinlou, a famous restaurant that has served halal food since 1853. Most of the guests sitting around the tables were Muslims.

When the couple entered the room, followed by two ring bearers, a 6-year-old boy and 4-year-old girl, their festive red and full Islamic design attire received warm praise and admiration, especially the elegant bridal gown and hijab.

"I seldom wear a cap. It is for very special occasions only," Zhe said. Having the ring bearers was the couple's own initiative, to bring some romance and Westernized modernity.

Source: China Daily