Recently, I was contemplating what to make for breakfast for myself and my son with what I had in my fridge. It was one of those weeks that comes along every now and then where a trip to the grocery store just seems like a chore too trying to deal with. Of course, you never regret your shortsightedness until it's too late. So here we were, two hungry people at seven in the morning with very few choices.

So I got to thinking about what I could make and came up with a totally wonderful solution.

Coffee bread.

It's not on any menu in any restaurant in the country. It certainly wouldn't be recommended by any medical association in the world, and is probably one of the reasons that teachers end up with ulcers.

Essentially, coffee bread is a slice of bread, soaked in coffee and covered with sugar. That's it, that's all. Simple. Loaded with calories. Will probably rot your teeth without any effort at all. It was one of my mother's solutions to breakfast when I was growing up, and I turned out fine...in a manner of speaking.

Then I got to thinking about all the other things my mother subjected us to at the dinner table when I was a kid, and realized that it's a wonder I made it to adulthood.

My mother was never a great cook. I'm sure that in some circles what she cooked was considered "good". Most of us, however simply suffered through it.

My mother was a firm believer in cooking till the meat was well done. There would be no pink in the meat when she was finished with it. No nasty viruses or bacteria to hurt her family. In Mom's world, however, "well done" was another word for "charcoal briquette". The hamburgers were nearly if not completely burned. Steaks were small tasteless blobs that no amount of chewing would render swallowable. Then there was the shoe leather liver and the totally uncuttable cubed steaks. A ginsu knife wouldn't have gone through these things, and we were expected to eat them.

Meat was one thing. Then there were the vegetables that she systematically killed. Carrots that fell apart and were like lumps of orange (or almost orange) chew toys. Spinach was soaked in gallons of vinegar and simmered until it looked like dead kelp on a beach. Peas that disintigrated into green mush when touched. It was more than my brother and I could handle on most days.

The kicker, however, was the fact that neither of us were allowed from the table until this inedible mass had disappeared from our plates. Most kids would have had a dog to sneak the food to. Not us. We didn't have animals in the house, and I sincerely doubt that any self respecting dog would have choked this stuff down either.

So thinking about all this, I brewed the coffee, set out the sugar, and handed my son a plate. With all the other things that my mother had forced on us as children, I was not about to deny my own son the chance to try one of the only things that my mother had ever made with any competance.

Just like momma used to make.

To anyone who has actually owned cats, this video will be hilarious. Trust me, I've been woken up at all hours by my cat lying on my chest. I've been woken up at all hours by the cat's "mad dash" through the bedroom that somehow always manages to catch my arm with claws. I've never been hit in the face with a ball bat, though, but hey...cat's are cunning. Maybe soon....

Most people like digital cameras for two reasons...a)there is an instant gratification of seeing your picture immediately. It saves time and money to know what you have before wasting all that with processing on film that isn't worth anything. And b) the cameras are easy to use and require no more than a computer or a place for you to get those all important prints. Hundreds of stores now have the kiosks that will allow you to simply print out your pics from the memory card of your camera. Simple. Easy. Quick.

Some of us, however, like digital cameras for another reason. The professional photographer is especially aided by this little piece of technology. Again, it saves time and money, and brings in more business as the customer can view their photos almost instantaneously. It's a valuable tool for those of us who are professionals.

I own a Kodak Easy Share Z700 4.1 MP with 5x zoom lens. It's not the best on the market, but I happen to love it. My pictures are crystal clear, can be printed beautifully and edited to whatever ends I choose, and sharing them is as easy as touching a button. I love it! I also do photo shoots for people when I have time in my schedule. Anything from sports pictures to portraits, artsy to candid. It works well for all of them.



As much as I love my camera though, there is one that I've got my eyes open for. I want a professional grade digital SLR of at least 10 MP. Now those aren't cheap. Not by a long shot, but I want one anyway. Now how to find one? That shouldn't be too hard. I found a site that has every digital camera imaginable at good prices. I actually bookmarked the site. Canon camera carries not only cameras for the amateur, but for those of us who are professionals too. Christmas is coming up, and with it, you'll have family events you'll want to capture so you can laugh or cry about them later. Get the digital camera you want today on Canon camera I know I'm going here when I'm ready to get my SLR, that's for certain.

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I recently acquired the "Heroin Diaries Soundtrack" from the band Sixx:AM. The band, put together by the bass guitarist from Motley Crue, Nikki Sixx, is a collection of songs that were written to correspond to his new book "The Heroin Diaries".

Much of the content from the book is taken from diaries, scraps of paper, and notes that were written by Sixx during the years 1986 and '87 while fighting his worst battle with drugs. It also contains candid views of those who were close to him at the time. The book is a tribute to the survival of the human spirit as it gives an indepth look into the world of addiction and the road back from the brink.

The soundtrack is no more haunting than the book, written in Sixx's customary hard style, it is a trip into madness and back again. Containing hard hitting guitar riffs and melodies that will set your hair on end, along with vocals and lyrics that bring out the worst...then the best in the human psyche, this album is a must have for anyone who loves rock. It is reminiscent of classic Motley Crue, but with a hard edge that is purely contemporary, fresh, and new. It is a must for anyone who needs encouragement to continue with life as the words are a powerful testament to the life of Sixx and how he returned from addiction.

If anyone is like me, you like to find ways to save money even with your hobbies. And if you're like me, then you want to find ways to make money with your hobbies as well. Soap making has become one of the world's top businesses to have, but the competition is harsh. Saving money on your supplies can become nerve wracking.

That's where this site can come in.

Saving money on bath and body packaging has never been easier with this wholesale company. Elements Bath and Body.com is a family owned business with customer service at the forefront of their minds. They offer everything you might need to make your own soap, lip balm, lotions, or specialty items at wholesale prices. Shipping is fast, the prices extremely reasonable, and customer service is beyond excellent. Check them out by clicking the link and see what they have to offer you.

bath and body packaging

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Many people associate Halloween with evil. With death. With spooky happenings that cannot be explained by conventional scientific means. What most people don't realize is that Halloween is the "Christianized" version of a much older feast day.

Halloween didn't come into being until Christianity came to the British Isles. Up until that time, October 31 was known as Samhain (pronounced sow-in or sah-vin). In a Celtic year, everything is cyclical. Birth inevitably leads to death and in turn leads again to rebirth. A sacred circle so to speak. Samhain is the beginning and end of the year. A day when the harvest is finished, the leaves are turning to golds and reds preparing the trees for their "death". It is a sacred day where the spirits of ancestors are remembered and honored.

Ancestors were very important to ancient Celtic people. They believed that the spirits of their ancestors watched over them from the Otherworld, and aided them in times of need. So Samhain was a day set aside not only to celebrate a good harvest, but to honor the spirits of their ancestors for their help during the year.

Bonfires were lit across the countryside, and nuts and berries were burned in the fire as offerings to the gods. This was also a perfect time to consult with the local seers as this is also a time when the veil between this world and the next is thin. A time when the honored ancestors can in effect walk among the living. This is what probably gave rise to the folk tales of ghosts walking most actively on Halloween.

Another traditional Samhain ritual was to leave either a place setting at the dinner table, or to leave offerings outside the door for these spirits. Anyone who did not, would anger the spirits by not showing the proper respect for their ancestors, bringing bad luck to them for the coming year. Likely this is where the "trick-or-treat" tradition came into being. Early Christian priests from other lands would not have understood this tradition and would believe they were leaving food outside for pranksters or children.

Christians were the first to call this feast day "Halloween" or All Hallow's Eve. Wanting to convert the pagans of the land to their religion, it was easier to acclimate their feast days into the Christian religion rather than alienate them altogether by forbidding them.

So the next time you're told that Halloween is an "evil" holiday, or that it goes against the Christian tradition, tell them that it was Christians who set the holiday up in the first place.

Going to college is one of the best things you can do for your future. I've talked about getting financial aid for school before, but I know I haven't talked about the most important step in that process.

Filing a FAFSA.

If you're going to get financial aid for college, whether you're going to a state run, private, or technical school, you must fill out the FAFSA, or the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Actually filling out the form though can seem daunting at first. There is a lot of information that is needed to determine a student's needs. That's where fafsa online can help.

This site can help take the worry out of filling out and filing the FAFSA. They offer helpful tips and assistance when needed in this crucial step of the college experience. There are pages and pages of secrets in helping you get more financial aid. Explanations of student loans and grants, and a step by step guide to filling out the FAFSA form, along with links to the FAFSA website.

Feel more comfortable with someone to help? Then there are video tutorials that can help you with filling out your FAFSA. The site also helps you find those all important student loans...Federal, State, Institutional...whatever may be best for you.

If filling out a FAFSA seems a daunting task, then check out fafsa online, and let them help you achieve your educational goals.

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Got into a conversation today about the various Dating sites on the web and what each of them have to offer. I think its important they offer great profiling options and Live Chat. I find it easier to get to know someone a little better after you Chat with them online rather than just looking at profiles.

I'm curious to see what others have to say and what sites they are using or have used. Please post a response to this in the comments section.

Jesus said, "Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."

In any interperetation, this Bible verse states that children are precious and should be protected in any way, shape and form. So my question is this: Why would a Christian based school allow a man to teach children when he's already admitted to fondling one?

According to Teacher Quits School Again By Jill Riepenhoff and Jennifer Smith Richards, a teacher in Worthington Christian High School near Columbus was accused of fondling a female middle school student. He admitted as much and resigned. He attended Christian counseling and was forgiven by the school and the church before being rehired. He resigned his post again on Oct. 19.

What is most disturbing about this entire scenario, is the fact that very few parents knew about this. Not until he resigned the second time. No criminal charges were ever filed. And the man was given a job...again...working with children.

It is true that forgiveness is the better part of valor, but let's face it, when a man like this does what he's done, there is no alternative but to keep him from working in the same field that brought him to this pass. Not only for his own well being, but for the children that are under his care. They are too young to defend themselves. Too young to know that what he's doing is wrong. It is up to everyone...parents, administrators, other teachers, to see that this does not happen. It matters little how much counselling a man like this gets, he'll do it again.

Forgiveness may be a watchword in the Christian faith, but first and foremost, children need to be protected.

The physical disasters that follow the continued use of intoxicating beverages are sad enough, and terrible enough; but the surely attendant mental, moral and spiritual disasters are sadder and more terrible still. If you disturb the healthy condition of the brain, which is the physical organ through which the mind acts, you disturb the mind. It will not have the same clearness of perception as before; nor have the same rational control over the impulses and passions.

Heavenly order in the body.

In order to understand a subject clearly, certain general laws, or principles, must be seen and admitted. And here we assume, as a general truth, that health in the human body is normal heavenly order on the physical plane of life, and that any disturbance of that order exposes the man to destructive influences, which are evil and infernal in their character. Above the natural and physical plane, and resting upon it, while man lives in this world, is the mental and spiritual plane, or degree of life. This degree is in heavenly order when the reason is clear, and the appetites and passions under its wise control. But, if, through any cause, this fine equipoise is disturbed, or lost, then a way is opened for the influx of more subtle evil influences than such as invade the body, because they have power to act upon the reason and the passions, obscuring the one and inflaming the others.

We know how surely the loss of bodily health results in mental disturbance. If the seat of disease be remote from the brain, the disturbance is usually slight; but it increases as the trouble comes nearer and nearer to that organ, and shows itself in multiform ways according to character, temperament or inherited disposition; but almost always in a predominance of what is evil instead of good. There will be fretfulness, or ill-nature, or selfish exactions, or mental obscurity, or unreasoning demands, or, it may be, vicious and cruel propensities, where, when the brain was undisturbed by disease, reason held rule with patience and loving kindness. If the disease which has attacked the brain goes on increasing, the mental disease which follows as a consequence of organic disturbance or deterioration, will have increased also, until insanity may be established in some one or more of its many sad and varied forms.

Insanity.

It is, therefore, a very serious thing for a man to take into his body any substance which, on reaching that wonderfully delicate organ the brain, sets up therein a diseased action; for, diseased mental action is sure to follow. A fever is a fever, whether it be light or intensely burning; and so any disturbance of the mind's rational equipoise is insanity, whether it be in the simplest form of temporary obscurity, or in the midnight of a totally darkened intellect.

We are not writing in the interest of any special theory, nor in the spirit of partisanship; but with an earnest desire to make the truth appear. You must not accept anything simply because we say it, but because he sees it to be true. Now, as to this matter of insanity, let him think calmly. The word is one that gives us a shock; and, as we hear it, we almost involuntarily thank God for the good gift of a well-balanced mind. What, if from any cause this beautiful equipoise should be disturbed and the mind lose its power to think clearly, or to hold the lower passions in due control? Shall we exceed the truth if we say that the man in whom this takes place is insane just in the degree that he has lost his rational self-control; and that he is restored when he regains that control?

In this view, the question as to the hurtfulness of alcoholic drinks assumes a new and graver aspect. Do they disturb the brain when they come in contact with its substance; and deteriorate it if the contact be long continued? Fact, observation, experience and scientific investigation all emphatically say yes; and we know that if the brain be disordered the mind, will be disordered, likewise; and a disordered mind is an insane mind. Clearly, then, in the degree that a man impairs or hurts his brain temporarily or continuously in that degree his mind is unbalanced; in that degree he is not a truly rational and sane man.

We are holding your thought just here that you may have time to think, and to look at the question in the light of reason and common sense. So far as he does this, will he be able to feel the force of such evidence as we shall educe in what follows, and to comprehend its true meaning.

Other substances besides alcohol act injuriously on the brain; but there is none that compares with this in the extent, variety and diabolical aspect of the mental aberrations which follow its use. We are not speaking thoughtlessly or wildly; but simply uttering a truth well-known to every man of observation, and which every man, and especially those who take this substance in any form, should, lay deeply to heart. Why it is that such awful and destructive forms of insanity should follow, as they do, the use of alcohol it is not for us to say. That they do follow it, we know, and we hold, up the fact in solemn warning.

Another consideration, which should have weight with every one, is this, that no man can tell what may be the character of the legacy he has received from his ancestors. He may have an inheritance of latent evil forces, transmitted through many generations, which only await some favoring opportunity to spring into life and action. So long as he maintains a rational self-control, and the healthy order of his life be not disturbed, they may continue quiescent; but if his brain loses its equipoise, or is hurt or impaired, then a diseased psychical condition may be induced and the latent evil forces be quickened into life.