While the pretend ghosts and goblins walked the streets of Chicagoland Wednesday night.. recent news stories may have area residents really scared. In just a matter of about 72 hours, two women went missing, a local family marked 6 months since THEIR loved one went suspiciously missing, and an Aurora mom was stabbed to death in front of her two babies. While we in the News business usually hear about crime and disappearances more than the average person, the days events left all of us wondering "what is going on"?

That is a question left up to police. But it does make you wonder if we, as individuals, do enough to keep ourselves safe on daily basis. One of the cases under investigation this week is Alma Mendez. The Chicago Heights woman was found beaten and stabbed to death in a Cook Co. Forest Preserve Tuesday night. She was reported missing while out on her normal daily jog on Sunday. She was on the same route she took almost every day, in broad daylight.

As a runner it makes me think.. what do I do to stay safe during my daily jogs? Pretty much nothing. I do have a 'dog-tag' like attachment for my shoe, with my name and contact information on it, but I doubt that's going to do me much good if I meet up with someone intending harm. When I was a kid my dad always taught me if I came upon a stray dog while running, I should pull a 3 Stooges and poke it in the eyes to scare it off. Unfortunately that means it has to get close enough to me. So I did a little digging.. and here are a few helpful tips you may want to think about next time you head out, courtesy of Running4women.com.

1. Don't run the same route all the time at the same time vary it up.
2. Road running? Try to face oncoming traffic, it allows traffic to see you and you to react to the traffic.
3. Train with a friend. Or stick to areas with a lot of people.
4. Wear light clothing.
5. Lose the headphones, not being able to hear what's going on around you can be dangerous from a traffic standpoint as well as personal safety.
6. Avoid poorly lit areas.
7. Tell at least one other person when and where your route will take you.
8. Leave your watch or jewelry at home, this makes you less of a target for muggers.
9. Keep a cell phone handy in case of emergencies.
10. Carry a noisemaker, like a whistle, to alert others around you if you're in danger.

I admit, doing all of these all the time for me, likely won't happen. But they are definitely good tips to keep in mind to help take control of our own personal safety. Of course there is one I didn't put on that list which some of my colleagues believe would work better.
Stay home on the couch.
Maybe next week.

How much is too much? A recent poll conducted by Prince Market Research shows Chicagoans are the most caffeinated urbanites of any other city dwellers in the U.S. We eat more chocolate and drink more cola than anyone else and rank among the top consumers of energy drinks and coffee. Adding foam to the latte, according to the poll, we're also the most likely to say caffeine is good for you.

Frankly until this survey came out I didn't think I was a culprit in that number 1 status. But how much is too much? I'm one of those people who get up every morning with my cup of coffee.. but I usually stop at one. Okay if I have extra time, occasionally it's two. After that it's off to my workout. Which usually, but not always, is accompanied by an energy drink, depending on how late I get to bed. At least 3 or 4 hours pass before I get to work and then.. gulp.. have another cup of coffee or a soda.

I'd like to blame it on the fast paced life we lead, living in a major metropolis. But the problems is according to the survey.. residents in San Francisco, Philadelphia, New York, Detroit, and Baltimore consumed the least caffeine.

In terms of chocolate, I don't eat a ton of chocolate on a daily basis. But I will defend Chicagoans in that arena by citing a Chicago Tribune Article by Mark Jacob from Halloween..

"The Chicago area has been at the center of the U.S. candy industry, producing such treats as Tootsie Rolls, Atomic Fireballs, Lemonheads, Baby Ruths, Butterfingers, Milk Duds, Milky Ways, 3 Musketeers, Snickers, Oh Henry! bars, Frango Mints, Cracker Jacks, Turtles, Doves, Jelly Bellies and Pixies. Candy historian Tim Richardson credits Chicago candy makers with popularizing the tradition of giving sweets to Halloween trick-or-treaters, calling it "a simple marketing ploy that emanated from the city's confectioners."

So it's in our historical makeup to consume chocolate. It's pumping through the city's heart! And speaking of your heart, according to the American Heart Association the jury is still out on whether high caffeine intake increases the risk of coronary heart disease. But it can raise your blood pressure and heart rate.
Food or drink for thought.. the next time you reach for your coffee or your energy drink. I know I will continue to reach for them.. but I'll try to pay more attention to how often.

Piggybacking on my colleague Tonya's blog on the Jennifer Love Hewitt pictures, I agree too much emphasis is placed on young girls these days based on appearances in Hollywood.
However, with that said, I did cock my head this morning in question as I watched the Today show discussion on the topic. Natalie Morales was talking to Jessica Weiner, author of “Do I look fat in this?”. The discussion centered around women accepting their bodies and appearances and not allowing Hollywood to dictate how their size makes them feel. The topic is one I first must say I completely agree with and one, which is crucial for young women to grab a hold of early. But I was a little surprised to see a large woman; I would say obese, telling women to love their bodies.
The obesity rate in the US is astonishing and we all know the health problems associated with obesity. So is it okay to love your body if you’re obese? Or instead of loving your body people should be taught to love their LIVES, and take responsibility to make them healthier?
Which is more important; living with an unhealthy goal of perfection or loving an obese body with potential health concerns.
Both are big problems, the question is which problem is bigger?

I sat down on Monday and found I had five delivered boxes sitting at my feet staring up at me. The result of a late weekend night buying spree initiated by stress over getting all of my holiday gifts in time. And as I threw on my coat ready to deliver the soon to be gifts to my car.. I blushed. Have I made the holidays too impersonal?

I am not a shopper. I don't like it, never have. Give me the quickest and easiest way to get the job done and I'm happy. Which is fine if I'm buying for myself, but I have to admit.. using it to pick up presents for my nieces and nephew who I adore, made me feel like a fraud. I say that with a caveat, that I only bought some things online. I have forced myself to stores this year in search of other gifts I wasn't so sure of. But given the thought they might need to return something, and I have to hand over an online receipt, made me feel slightly embarrassed.

What are your feelings using the Internet to spread holiday cheer? Are gift cards a lazy way out, or a thoughtful way to allow friends and family to spoil themselves? And are we all too focused on gift giving, instead of giving cheer?
Lets hear your shopping etiquette.

Drew Peterson's face has been all across TV and newspaper headlines in Chicago for months and now he's diving into the Internet business. Peterson, or someone from his camp, has set up a website DefendDrew.com hoping to raise donations for his legal defense. It crashed Tuesday, according to his attorney, after receiving more than a million hits.

If you've been following the case, in a nutshell, Drew Peterson is the former Bolingbrook Police Sergeant now considered a suspect in the disappearance of his wife Stacy. Stacy went missing in October. Drew has denied any involvement in her disappearance. Family members and some law enforcement believe she is likely dead. Drew has not been charged with any wrongdoing.

Prior to being named a suspect in this case, Peterson submitted his resignation to the Bolingbrook Police Department and is now drawing a pension, which could be as high as $6,000 a month. Now he wants the public to help pay for his legal fees?

Peterson's attorney, Joel Brodsky, says DefendDrew.com is being moved to a more powerful server to accommodate the traffic. He also believes the number of Web site hits shows his client has many supporters. The money generated is supposed to go into a trust used for legal fees, and to hire a private investigator to look for Stacy.

Are those really supporters logging on, or just people interested in a very bizarre case? I looked; I'm not donating money. I'm curious to see the reasoning behind the 'private investigator'. Can't Peterson work with the Illinois State Police in the search for Stacy? If he helped them wouldn’t it help cut down on costs to him, or his adoring supporters?

Okay..
Forbes.com just released its list of Hollywood's most Influential Infants. Which almost seems like it should be an oxymoron to me, but whatever.. here goes.

5. Pax Jolie-Pitt
4. Sean Preston Federline
3. Zahara Jolie-Pitt
2. Suri Cruise
1. Shiloh Jolie-Pitt

The countdown is based on A-list babies with the most effect on pop culture, and was whittled down by the number of press clippings and consumer appeal. Oh.. and of course they had to be under the age of 5 which is why Forbes says Maddox Jolie-Pitt didn't make the list.
A fascinating or freakish study.. You decide.

My last internet gift should arrive Christmas Eve.. whew!
That said.. a lot of stores are staying open late, or around the clock to accommodate us last minute shoppers.
Who are the real last minute shopping scrappers? Post your down to the wire stories! We want to hear how close you cut that Christmas deadline.

As we ring in the 1st day of 2008 some are already making and breaking resolutions,
I have never been a fan of resolutions. I don't trust myself to keep one for an entire year so instead of setting myself up for failures, I like to set up "guidelines" at the beginning of every year. They are simply little mini-goals I would like to catch in the days ahead; things like getting more involved in the community, finishing a half marathon in an hour 50 minutes, maybe dropping a few pounds. I admit even my mini-goals sometimes fall a bit short. So I am tasking you readers to come up with real solutions to help people reach the difficult resolutions many often fail to meet. Resolutions including things like weight loss, smoking.. you know the toughies, and often most crucial.
The good news for all of you who have already broken, or have yet to make your New Year's Resolution, the New Year doesn't begin on January 1st everywhere only in cultures which use the 365-day solar calendar. So if you've already fallen off the horse.. another will gallop into another culture soon!

There has been a lot in the media in the past 24 hours over Hillary Clinton's emotional display during a campaign event in Portsmouth New Hampshire on Monday. Mrs. Clinton's eyes welled up and her voice broke as she answered a question about how she copes with the daily demands of campaigning. People have since questioned whether the tears were genuine or if she conjured them up as a way to look more human or likeable.

First of all, I can only imagine the rigors these candidates are put through on a daily basis. They’re up campaigning until the very early morning hours only to awake just a few hours later to do it all again. You really couldn't pay me enough to do it. I do not want to judge Clinton's intention, reaction, or her politics in this blog, but what I do wonder is would it have been received much different if she were a man? Would it be socially acceptable to see John McCain welling up talking about how tired his 70+-year-old bones are? For that matter, is Hillary's reaction being accepted?

In some fashion I image her reaction will change some peoples views of her and highlight the fact she is a woman. Being a woman myself it does not change my opinion on Hillary Clinton the candidate. Do you men out there feel differently? Is she human or weak?

I guess the voters will answer that question.

Well he may not be too happy with it, but it appears Governor Blagojevich is poised to sign the bail out plan for Chicago's mass transit. It's going to raise sales and real estate taxes in the area, but it will keep Chicagoland’s transit moving.
Now there is finally some positive movement to get this long drawn out transit saga under control. What is wrong with this state? I say that more as a rhetorical question. I'm from Chicago but being in news I have moved around to a half dozen states in the last 12 years reporting on state government and I am dumbfounded at how money in the state of Illinois is handled. We live in one of the largest city's in the U.S. our sales tax is already enormous and still our local and state leaders cannot find money to keep public transportation, which I'd argue isn't that great to begin with, a float. It seems crazy to me; transit problems, the state budget, the county budget, the city budget, and just about anything else where money is involved take so long for our politicians to agree on. Given the number of people who live here and the amount of money in taxes we all pay, shouldn't there be enough? There seems to be enough money in other cities, with less people and arguably better public transportation.
Why can't Chicago model its Public transportation after Washington D.C., New York, or London? In London you pay for public transportation by zones. Why would that be so hard for Chicago? It only makes sense for someone traveling from Rosemont getting off at Clark on the Blue line, to pay a little more than someone getting on at Grand. And what about O'hare? Why not leave everything the same and jack up prices to O'hare? Make it a $5.00 ride every time, with a special pass for O’hare employees to pay normal fare routes. Five bucks is still cheaper than a 30-dollar cab ride or paying to park.
I agree special concessions should likely be made in those cases of the elderly, disabled, and for students. But I venture to guess many CTA riders wouldn't mind paying a little more if it meant things showed up on time, and were occasionally clean.
At least with the new legislation things will still keep showing up. And we’d like to think it couldn’t run the way it is forever, right?

This is one of those stories you hear and hope as the days go forward conclusions being reached by some of the entertainment programs don't prove to be true. I was admittedly shocked to hear actor Heath Ledger died on Tuesday. In recent years he made the spotlight with the controversial film Brokeback Mountain and through all the press he seemed to remain a low profile celebrity. Not extremely involved in the 'happening' scene, Ledger and then girlfriend/fiancé Michelle Williams seem to care more about career and family than landing on the front pages of magazines.
In his death, that is squarely where Heath Ledger is landing.
On Tuesday authorities revealed 6 different types of prescription drugs were found in his apartment, including anti-anxiety medications, sleeping pills and an antihistamine. The autopsy results are so far inconclusive, and the medical examiner is waiting further testing before releasing a cause of death, likely in several days. Police also said Wednesday a rolled up $20 bill was found near Ledger's body. Lab tests show no traces of drugs on the bill and police say no illegal drugs were found in the apartment.
Was it an accident or a suicide?
Relatives are adamantly calling the death "tragic, untimely and accidental." Close friends have come forward saying Ledger was recently going out more, and very upset about his break up with Williams and spending less time with their daughter 2 year old Matilda.
In a recent interview Ledger told the New York Times he had been exhausted and was taking Ambien to get to sleep. Today fellow actors are describing him as a perfect gentleman, who touched many lives. While I realized he may not have changed the world, solved our hunger problems, or made any major life altering discoveries, he was a man with many young fans... fans who will hopefully be able to continue to look up to him and his work and not simply look at another actor who lost their life too early, to drugs.

As this week gets started and people begin to get back to a normal routine, I wanted to take a moment and share my condolences with all the family and friends of the NIU shooting victims. The first of 5 funerals was held today. Hundreds paid tributes to Catalina Garcia as she was laid to rest in a pink coffin inside a Cicero church. The soft color such a shocking reminder of the very young life cut way to short. You can find details on services for Gayle Dubowski, Julianna Gehant, Ryanne Mace, and Dan Parmenter at www.chicagotribune.com.

For weeks, months, and likely even years to come many will be asking what led Steven Kazmierczak to this senseless shooting. Was it a mental health issue? Could stronger gun control legislation have changed the outcome? Did he slip through the cracks? I realize his family has lost and are in pain as well, but in this time and place he had some 'choice' in what happened on Thursday February 14th, the five victims did not. So for the time being, lets concentrate on remembering the victims, and what was taken away so tragically.

Please feel free to leave your thoughts about the victims here, whether you knew them or not.

I come from an incredibly happy family. Holidays, Birthday parties, BBQ's.. all our family gatherings are loud and very social events. So I was interested to see this new study by British and Australian researchers that shows it appears you can inherit your happiness. A researcher at the University of Edinburgh studied nearly 1,000 pairs of identical and non identical twins and found genes control half the personality traits that make people happy. Factors like relationships, health and careers are responsible for the other half.
Researchers say, "It appears people with positive inherited personality traits may, in effect, also have a reserve of happiness to draw on in stressful times."

Especially in a career like this one, I've often noticed in times of higher stress people metabolize their anxiety very differently. While some are able to plow forward and work harder, others allow their stress to bubble up and over.

Take a look at how you handle stressful situations and how happy you are. Are your family members behind it, or do you think every person writes their own path to happiness?

Spring training is over.. Home openers are starting.

For the last three months the cavern to which many people have hid themselves amongst the harsh Chicago winter... is melting away and people are peeking their heads out just as the flowers begin to.
It's arguably the best time of year in Chicago. While yes, we are still dealing with a nasty winter hangover and some snowy days (I’m looking out the window at snow right now), the occasional warmer one tends to put people in a jolly mood for the more habitually warm days to come.
We are now beginning to see the neighbors you forgot you had (whether good or bad) on a regular basis, more people are converging on Chicago neighborhoods for outdoor dining, shopping or simply spending time with friends.
You start to see announcements for outdoor events, markets and such.. and.. as mentioned Baseball is about to start.
For me.. It’s Shuffle time.. Chicago's Shamrock Shuffle on Sunday marks the start of the outdoor running season in Chicago. It's my favorite time of the year. I like to think of the Shuffle as a pseudo ground hog day. Every year the weather is different. Last year it was warm, years past it's been really really cold, and this year seems just about right.. (high 30’s, maybe low 40’s – hopefully the rain holds off because cloud cover is great) which if you look at races past, means we're going to have a relatively mild summer. (I know I'm no meteorologist, just hopeful!)
I love race morning when you see the die hards in their singlet’s, running shorts and gloves. The rest of us casual racers bundled up thinking their crazy, but hoping one day we could be so bold.
There's an excitement and energy in the air. (Maybe it's from 30,000 people trying to keep warm!) And it's like Chicagoans are saying *** winter.. we're here to play outside.. no matter what you throw at us next.

Hope to see some of you out there. For everyone else.. as Cubs fans always say, “there's always next year”!