SpongeBob: A hit from square one, and still cleaning up - USATODAY.com

SpongeBob: A hit from square one, and still cleaning up - USATODAY.com: "After Steve Hillenburg's idea for a naifish animated sponge and his undersea friends was given the go-ahead by Nickelodeon, the former marine biologist figured it still might sink to the Bikini Bottom of failed TV cartoons.

'It's a show about a sponge — I thought we'd get one season,' says the SpongeBob SquarePants creator, still a bit shocked as the show marks its 10th anniversary with more than 50 hours of weekend programming, including 11 new episodes, starting Friday night at 8 ET/PT. 'We've been lucky.'"

So what does this have to do with Orthodoxy or social ministries or anything else this blog reports? We have repeatedly written how we can make a difference in the lives of our friends and neighbors. Sponge Bob is making a difference in the lives of hundreds of kids in Columbus at Mor Cassian church in the inner city. The bishop makes grreat Sponge Bob meat loaf. Bet you never heard of it before? And I am certain that the creators of the cartoon never have either?

But Spoonge bob meat loaf is one the the favorite meals Mor Cassian fixes for dinner during the week.

If you are in or near Columbus, Ohio, stop by and see how you can make a difference in the lives of your friends and neighbors. And the bishop might migh be able to use an extra hand washing the dish.

We don't make Sponge Bob meat loaf at the Mor Gregorios Community Center here in Plymouth, Indiana. But there is always Father Theodosious' mother's great and awesome homemade soup and bread. Many times there is much more. The community center is open Sunday through Thursday to help make a difference...employment program, recovery program, information and referral, community deveopment, and much more. Stop by soon!

The Link Between Beauty and Grades | Newsweek Voices - Sharon Begley | Newsweek.com

The Link Between Beauty and Grades | Newsweek Voices - Sharon Begley | Newsweek.com: "If you survived high school, or hope to, you probably made your peace with the fact that life is unfair: looks can compensate for a lack of brains and conscientiousness. Or to put it more bluntly, teachers give good-looking kids higher grades than homely ones, all other factors being equal, as numerous studies have found. The phenomenon is so well documented in science it even has a name: the attractiveness effect."

Stress, Anxiety May Keep Women Smoking : NPR

Stress, Anxiety May Keep Women Smoking : NPR: "Quitting cigarettes is not easy for anyone. But some studies show that women have a harder time keeping their no-smoking vows than men. Researchers don't know exactly why this may be the case, but they speculate that women are more sensitive than men to sudden emotional upset."

Misconception of marriage

These videos are a video discussion of "Misconceptions of Marriage"

Orthodox Poet

Orthodox Poet: "Moses
From the water he was drawn,
By the hand of Pharaoh's daughter;
As the Nile glittered in Egypt's dawn,
He was saved from the Hebrew slaughter.

Later skilled in all the Egyptian arts,
He grew mighty in word and deed;
Acquainted in numbers, letters and charts,
On knowledge his mind did feed."

Here is a great site to visit and read and return many times. Enjoy.

Heroin Has Not Gone Away - Anti-Drug Educational Video

Heroin: The Next Generation. Viewers will learn about the different types of heroin being peddled on the streets of America, how heroin affects the users and hear first person accounts about heroin use from former users. Find out how the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office broke a major heroin trafficking ring that was selling the drug to young people in the affluent suburb of Scottsdale, Arizona. What goes around comes around -- and Heroin is back! But the face of yesterday's junkie is not the face of the junkie of today. More young people than ever before are shooting it, snorting it — even smoking it. And they're getting more bang for their buck when buying their heroin on the streets today. One reason: The purity of this drug is the highest at the street level than it's ever been -- that means users don't have to use needles to inject the drug into their veins. The new ability to snort or smoke heroin is enticing more young people than ever before to give it a try. Back in the 60s and 70s, heroin users primarily injected the drug into their bloodstream. The next generation of heroin users do not have to use needles to get high on heroin. Smoking it or snorting it is more appealing to younger and first-time users by eliminating the fear of needles and syringe-associated diseases such as HIV, AIDS and hepatitis -- not to mention the stigma associated with the stereotypical "junkie" who "shoots up" the drug. Another reason heroin use is on the rise, according to James Hall, an epidemiologist for Up Front Drug Information Center in Miami, Florida is because prescription drug abuse is on the rise. "Young people who try prescription narcotic opiate drugs and like the effects of those drugs are turning to heroin because it packs a similar, yet more powerful punch than prescription narcotic opiates," Hall says. "That's why prescription drug abuse is becoming a stepping stone to first time heroin users." Program Objectives: This program discusses, among other things, the following: Learn about the different types of heroin being peddled on the streets of America. Learn how heroine affects the users. Hear first person accounts about heroin use from a former users. Explore heroin trafficking trends and methods of delivery of the drug into the U.S. Find out how the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office broke a major heroin trafficking ring that was selling the drug to young people in the affluent suburb of Scottsdale, Arizona. Panelists: TBA. Sponsors: This program is sponsored the Multijurisdictional Counterdrug Task Force Training (MCTFT) with the technical support of the Satellite Education Network (SEN) at Ft. Lee, VA. Public domain video.

Drug Addiction

Catholic priest reflects on the dangers of prescription pain killers and street drugs. Tells of the dangers that come from drug induced euphoria and how we have to embrace our regrets and worries to be authentically alive and human.