Jack the Ripper

Jack the Ripper, a name given to the murderer of five or six women in the East End of London in 1888, has remained a mystery and has also continued to fascinate and horrify many people till this day. Between August and November 1888 five or six women were murdered in the Whitechapel are of London. All the women were prostitutes and all, except for one (Elizabeth Stride), were horribly mutilated. 

The first murder took place on 31 August where Mary Ann Nichols was murdered. Annie Chapman was killed on 8 September. Catherine Eddowes and Elizabeth Stride were murdered on the 30th of September and Mary Jane Kelly on the 9th of November. These five are known as the 'canonical five' Ripper murders. The sixth person thought by many to be a Ripper victim is Martha Tabram who was stabbed to death on 6 August 1888, making her the first victim. 

There has been much speculation as to the identity of the killer. Many believe that he or she was a butcher or a doctor. This was based on the evidence of weapons and the mutilations that occurred, which showed an excellent knowledge of human anatomy. Many theories have been put forward but all had insubstantial evidence. One theory links the murders with Prince Albert Victor, Queen Victoria's grandson, who was also known as the Duke of Clarence. 

At that time violence to prostitutes was not uncommon. Many women were being brutalised, but in the case of the ripper murders it is strongly suggested that they were committed by a single perpetrator.

Near the murder scene of Catherine Eddowes' murder, the words 'The Juwes are not the men to be blamed for nothing,' were found written on a wall and it was believed that it was the killer's words. A police officer ordered the words to be removed, fearing an anti-Semetic backlash due to the fact that the area had a large Jewish population. It is also thought that the murderer had contacted public figures via letters, but these and the writing on the wall have never been proved to be authentic. 

Jack the Ripper was never caught and he is not thought to have killed again after November 1888.  

SGALGG: Lesbian Oscars Edition

God, did you make it through all 127 hours of the Oscars telecast? Did anyone find James Franco’s personality? Or, better yet, could he have just shared whatever he was smoking with all of us. That way it would have been a much more enjoyable experience for all parties involved. Though, despite the show falling in its desperate attempt to be young and breaking its hipness, there were still some quality Straight Gals Acting Like Gay Gals moments. I mean, the show’s one conscious host Anne Hathaway herself called it “a great year for lesbians.”

Michelle Willliams & Busy PhillipsBusy was Michele’s date for the Oscars, and they even arrived holding hands. Someone needs to give them a portmanteau tout de suite.

Gwyneth Paltrow & Cameron DiazI can’t tell if I’m more excited by the SGALGGy hug or the arm porn. Probably both.

Sandra Bullock & Halle BerryI will pay good money to whoever has the next photo in this sequence. Kiss her you fool!

Marisa Tomei & Melissa LeoMarisa looks like she’s about to jump into Melissa’s arms. And then, in my head, they do the dramatic lift from “Dirty Dancing.”

Selena Gomez & Taylor SwiftWhile the Bieber kid looks more lesbian, Selena and Taylor make a cuter couple.

Leslie Mann, Emma Stone & Jennifer WestfeldtThe best thing about this picture is how badly Judd Apatow wants to make this a foursome and how defiantly the ladies are keeping it a threesome.

Rosario Dawson & Jennifer HudsonWhat I would not give to hear a “Take Me or Leave Me” duet between those two.

Reese Witherspoon & Elizabeth BanksI’m assuming Reese just said something absolutely filthy about what she was going to do with that finger and Elizabeth approves.

Anne HathawayIf only Anne had hosted with herself and her tuxedoed self, instead of James Franco. It would have been so much more entertaining, and hot.

Lea Michele & Dianna AgronI particularly love how they both look like they’ve been caught in the act. Busted, Achele, busted.

GGALGG Bonus: Lora Hirschberg & her wife LauraOut lesbian sound mixer Lora Hirschberg won for Inception and got a smooch on her way to the stage.

OK, Anne Hathaway, you were right. It was a great year for lesbians, or at least lesbian behavior.

p.s. Check out my full Oscar recap over at AfterEllen.

The 83rd academy awards

Yesterday was held the Oscars ceremony in Hollywood. And as you can see in the pictures below, all the stars were shining!

How many calories do we burn just by using our brains

Generally our brain burns 20% of the total energy needed on a daily basis in order to function normally. This means that it requires 400-500 calories a day, which varies according to how hard-working someone is. When we are awake we use a major part of our brain in order to function, use our muscles and our senses.

Experiments have shown that this is also relative to ones IQ. According to how clever someone is he burns more calories. This is because a clever person has to use his brain more and harder to solve a difficult problem. 

At least now when I am going to be reading I will have in mind that I'm burning calories...!

Favorite looks of February