diff --git a/js/jquery.cuteTime.js b/js/jquery.cuteTime.js
index dbd514e..3c76426 100644
--- a/js/jquery.cuteTime.js
+++ b/js/jquery.cuteTime.js
@@ -74,6 +74,9 @@
 		If neither cutetime attibute nor valid object text exist then the timestamp is assumed 
 		to by 'now'.
 
+		However, CuteTime can operate without using the data-timestamp attribute (and by instead
+		using jQuery().data()).
+
 		stop_cuteness()
 			stops all automatic updates of refresh enabled timestamps
 
@@ -94,6 +97,8 @@
 		e.g. $('.ts2').cuteTime({ refresh: 60000 });
 		
 		refresh:		time in milliseconds before next refresh of page data; -1 == no refresh
+		use_html_attribute:	Whether the data-cutetime HTML attribute should be used. Defaults to true.
+					Set to false to disable this behavior and use jQuery().data() instead.
 		time_ranges:	array of bound_structures definining the cute descriptions associated with
 						time ranges
 
@@ -277,6 +282,7 @@
 	**********************************************************************************/
 	$.fn.cuteTime.settings = {
 		refresh: -1,					// time in milliseconds before next refresh of page data; -1 == no refresh
+		use_html_attribute: true,			// Whether or not to set/access the data-cutetime attribute.
 		time_ranges: [
 			{bound: NEG_INF,			// IMPORANT: bounds MUST be in ascending order, from negative infinity to positive infinity
 					cuteness: 'the future!',		unit_size: 0},
@@ -604,9 +610,10 @@
 			get_time_value
 
 		DESCRIPTION
-			get the time value specified either in the text or the cuteime attribute 
+			get the time value specified either in the text or the cutetime attribute 
 			of the object and update the cutetime attribute whether initially present
-			or not
+			or not. Or, if options.use_html_attribute is set to false, use jQuery().data()
+			to store/access the value.
 
 			If the cutetime attribute already exists within the provided object, 
 				then the text within the object is ignored in the cutification 
@@ -658,7 +665,13 @@
 
 	**********************************************************************************/
 	function get_cutetime_attr(obj) {
-		var return_value = obj.attr(TS_ATTR);
+		var use_html_attribute = $.fn.cuteTime.c_settings.use_html_attribute;
+		var return_value = null;
+
+		if (use_html_attribute)
+			return_value = obj.attr(TS_ATTR);
+		else
+			return_value = obj.data('cutetime');
 
 		if (return_value != undefined) {
 			return return_value;
@@ -681,8 +694,12 @@
 
 	**********************************************************************************/
 	function set_cutetime_attr(attr, obj) {
-		// assume valid attr(ibute) value
-		obj.attr(TS_ATTR, attr);
+		var use_html_attribute = $.fn.cuteTime.c_settings.use_html_attribute;
+		if (use_html_attribute)
+			// assume valid attr(ibute) value
+			obj.attr(TS_ATTR, attr);
+		else
+			obj.data('cutetime', attr);
 	}
 
 
diff --git a/js/jquery.cuteTime.min.js b/js/jquery.cuteTime.min.js
index facc1e2..afc41ac 100644
--- a/js/jquery.cuteTime.min.js
+++ b/js/jquery.cuteTime.min.js
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
-/* jQuery.CuteTime v 1.1.3 (4/6/2010) http://tpgblog.com/cutetime/
-compiled by http://yui.2clics.net/ */
-(function(f){var b=Number.NEGATIVE_INFINITY;var d=Number.POSITIVE_INFINITY;var a="data-timestamp";f.fn.cuteTime=function(n){var m=new Date().getTime();var o;var p;if((typeof n=="object")||(n==undefined)){f.fn.cuteTime.c_settings=f.extend({},f.fn.cuteTime.settings,n);f.fn.cuteTime.the_selected=this;this.each(function(){p=f(this);o=j(p);p.html(c(m-o))});f.fn.cuteTime.start_cuteness()}return this};f.cuteTime=function(n,q){var m=new Date().getTime();var p;var r;var o=null;if(typeof n=="object"){f.fn.cuteTime.c_settings=f.extend({},f.fn.cuteTime.settings,n)}if(typeof n=="string"){o=n}else{if(typeof q=="string"){o=q}}if(o!=null){p=l(o);if(!isNaN(p)){return c(m-p)}else{return"INVALID_DATETIME_FORMAT"}}return this};f.fn.cuteTime.settings={refresh:-1,time_ranges:[{bound:b,cuteness:"the future!",unit_size:0},{bound:0,cuteness:"just now",unit_size:0},{bound:20*1000,cuteness:"a few seconds ago",unit_size:0},{bound:60*1000,cuteness:"a minute ago",unit_size:0},{bound:60*1000*2,cuteness:" minutes ago",unit_size:60*1000},{bound:60*1000*60,cuteness:"an hour ago",unit_size:0},{bound:60*1000*60*2,cuteness:" hours ago",unit_size:60*1000*60},{bound:60*1000*60*24,cuteness:"yesterday",unit_size:0},{bound:60*1000*60*24*2,cuteness:" days ago",unit_size:60*1000*60*24},{bound:60*1000*60*24*30,cuteness:"last month",unit_size:0},{bound:60*1000*60*24*30*2,cuteness:" months ago",unit_size:60*1000*60*24*30},{bound:60*1000*60*24*30*12,cuteness:"last year",unit_size:0},{bound:60*1000*60*24*30*12*2,cuteness:" years ago",unit_size:60*1000*60*24*30*12},{bound:d,cuteness:"a blinkle ago",unit_size:0}]};f.fn.cuteTime.start_cuteness=function(){var m=f.fn.cuteTime.c_settings.refresh;if(f.fn.cuteTime.process_tracker==null){if(m>0){f.fn.cuteTime.process_tracker=setInterval("$.fn.cuteTime.update_cuteness()",m)}}else{}return this};f.fn.cuteTime.update_cuteness=function(){var m=new Date().getTime();var o;var n;f.fn.cuteTime.the_selected.each(function(){o=f(this);n=j(o);o.html(c(m-n))})};f.fn.cuteTime.stop_cuteness=function(){if(f.fn.cuteTime.process_tracker!=null){clearInterval(f.fn.cuteTime.process_tracker);f.fn.cuteTime.process_tracker=null}else{}return this};function c(q){var o=f.fn.cuteTime.c_settings.time_ranges;var n,p;var m="";jQuery.each(o,function(r,s){if(r<o.length-1){if((q>=s.bound)&&(q<o[r+1]["bound"])){if(s.unit_size>0){p=Math.floor(q/s.unit_size)}else{p=""}n=s.cuteness.replace(/%CT%/,p);if(n==s.cuteness){m=p+s.cuteness}else{m=n}return false}}else{return false}});if(m==""){m="2 pookies ago"}return m}function l(n){var m;if((new_date=g(n))!=null){m=new_date.valueOf()}else{m=(new Date(n)).valueOf();if(isNaN(m)){m=new Date(n.replace(/-/g," "))}}return m}function g(q){var m=q.match(/^(\d{4})((-(\d{2})(-(\d{2})(T(\d{2}):(\d{2})(:(\d{2})(.(\d+))?)?(Z|(([+-])((\d{2}):(\d{2})))))?)?)?)$/);if(m!=null){var n=new Date();var p=0;var o=0;n.setUTCFullYear(m[1]);if(!e(m[4])){n.setUTCMonth(m[4]-1);if(!e(m[6])){n.setUTCDate(m[6]);if(!e(m[16])){p=m[18];o=m[19];if(m[16]=="-"){p*=-1;o*=-1}}if(!e(m[8])){n.setUTCHours(m[8]-p);n.setUTCMinutes(m[9]-o);if(!e(m[11])){n.setUTCSeconds(m[11]);if(!e(m[13])){n.setUTCMilliseconds(m[13]*1000)}}}}}return n}else{return null}}function e(m){if(null==m||""==m){return true}return false}function j(o){var n=Number.NaN;var m=h(o);if(m!=null){n=l(m)}if(isNaN(n)){m=i(o);if(m!=null){n=l(m)}}if(isNaN(n)){m=new Date().toString();n=l(m)}k(m,o);return n}function h(n){var m=n.attr(a);if(m!=undefined){return m}else{return null}}function k(m,n){n.attr(a,m)}function i(m){return m.text()}})(jQuery);
\ No newline at end of file
+/* jQuery.CuteTime v 1.1.3 (4/6/2010) http://tpgblog.com/cutetime/ 
+compiled by http://yui.2clics.net/ */
+(function(f){var b=Number.NEGATIVE_INFINITY;var d=Number.POSITIVE_INFINITY;var a="data-timestamp";f.fn.cuteTime=function(n){var m=new Date().getTime();var o;var p;if((typeof n=="object")||(n==undefined)){f.fn.cuteTime.c_settings=f.extend({},f.fn.cuteTime.settings,n);f.fn.cuteTime.the_selected=this;this.each(function(){p=f(this);o=j(p);p.html(c(m-o))});f.fn.cuteTime.start_cuteness()}return this};f.cuteTime=function(n,q){var m=new Date().getTime();var p;var r;var o=null;if(typeof n=="object"){f.fn.cuteTime.c_settings=f.extend({},f.fn.cuteTime.settings,n)}if(typeof n=="string"){o=n}else{if(typeof q=="string"){o=q}}if(o!=null){p=l(o);if(!isNaN(p)){return c(m-p)}else{return"INVALID_DATETIME_FORMAT"}}return this};f.fn.cuteTime.settings={refresh:-1,use_html_attribute:true,time_ranges:[{bound:b,cuteness:"the future!",unit_size:0},{bound:0,cuteness:"just now",unit_size:0},{bound:20*1000,cuteness:"a few seconds ago",unit_size:0},{bound:60*1000,cuteness:"a minute ago",unit_size:0},{bound:60*1000*2,cuteness:" minutes ago",unit_size:60*1000},{bound:60*1000*60,cuteness:"an hour ago",unit_size:0},{bound:60*1000*60*2,cuteness:" hours ago",unit_size:60*1000*60},{bound:60*1000*60*24,cuteness:"yesterday",unit_size:0},{bound:60*1000*60*24*2,cuteness:" days ago",unit_size:60*1000*60*24},{bound:60*1000*60*24*30,cuteness:"last month",unit_size:0},{bound:60*1000*60*24*30*2,cuteness:" months ago",unit_size:60*1000*60*24*30},{bound:60*1000*60*24*30*12,cuteness:"last year",unit_size:0},{bound:60*1000*60*24*30*12*2,cuteness:" years ago",unit_size:60*1000*60*24*30*12},{bound:d,cuteness:"a blinkle ago",unit_size:0}]};f.fn.cuteTime.start_cuteness=function(){var m=f.fn.cuteTime.c_settings.refresh;if(f.fn.cuteTime.process_tracker==null){if(m>0){f.fn.cuteTime.process_tracker=setInterval("$.fn.cuteTime.update_cuteness()",m)}}else{}return this};f.fn.cuteTime.update_cuteness=function(){var m=new Date().getTime();var o;var n;f.fn.cuteTime.the_selected.each(function(){o=f(this);n=j(o);o.html(c(m-n))})};f.fn.cuteTime.stop_cuteness=function(){if(f.fn.cuteTime.process_tracker!=null){clearInterval(f.fn.cuteTime.process_tracker);f.fn.cuteTime.process_tracker=null}else{}return this};function c(q){var o=f.fn.cuteTime.c_settings.time_ranges;var n,p;var m="";jQuery.each(o,function(r,s){if(r<o.length-1){if((q>=s.bound)&&(q<o[r+1]["bound"])){if(s.unit_size>0){p=Math.floor(q/s.unit_size)}else{p=""}n=s.cuteness.replace(/%CT%/,p);if(n==s.cuteness){m=p+s.cuteness}else{m=n}return false}}else{return false}});if(m==""){m="2 pookies ago"}return m}function l(n){var m;if((new_date=g(n))!=null){m=new_date.valueOf()}else{m=(new Date(n)).valueOf();if(isNaN(m)){m=new Date(n.replace(/-/g," "))}}return m}function g(q){var m=q.match(/^(\d{4})((-(\d{2})(-(\d{2})(T(\d{2}):(\d{2})(:(\d{2})(.(\d+))?)?(Z|(([+-])((\d{2}):(\d{2})))))?)?)?)$/);if(m!=null){var n=new Date();var p=0;var o=0;n.setUTCFullYear(m[1]);if(!e(m[4])){n.setUTCMonth(m[4]-1);if(!e(m[6])){n.setUTCDate(m[6]);if(!e(m[16])){p=m[18];o=m[19];if(m[16]=="-"){p*=-1;o*=-1}}if(!e(m[8])){n.setUTCHours(m[8]-p);n.setUTCMinutes(m[9]-o);if(!e(m[11])){n.setUTCSeconds(m[11]);if(!e(m[13])){n.setUTCMilliseconds(m[13]*1000)}}}}}return n}else{return null}}function e(m){if(null==m||""==m){return true}return false}function j(o){var n=Number.NaN;var m=h(o);if(m!=null){n=l(m)}if(isNaN(n)){m=i(o);if(m!=null){n=l(m)}}if(isNaN(n)){m=new Date().toString();n=l(m)}k(m,o);return n}function h(o){var m=f.fn.cuteTime.c_settings.use_html_attribute;var n=null;if(m){n=o.attr(a)}else{n=o.data("cutetime")}if(n!=undefined){return n}else{return null}}function k(n,o){var m=f.fn.cuteTime.c_settings.use_html_attribute;if(m){o.attr(a,n)}else{o.data("cutetime",n)}}function i(m){return m.text()}})(jQuery);