Daily Loaf

The aroma of yeast fills the house. It is Friday afternoon. The children drop their backpacks near the door, heaven forbid that they put them away, and quickly make their way to the kitchen. “Is it time yet?” they ask in unison. They want to make sure that they haven’t missed braiding the challah. Sometimes they get home early enough for the second kneading; but usually they get home just in time to shape the bread into the fanciest braids possible, sometimes even creating braids with six strands. In Jewish tradition, challah is served for Shabbat. The smell of the challah baking not only makes my home smell wonderful, it also heralds the Sabbath, the day of rest, a time of peace and tranquility.

The very act of creating a challah is one of transition. Read the rest of this entry »

You may know some of the more “traditional” forms of fetishes like bondage, toe sucking, and dress up, but there are as many fetishes as there are personality types. While some are more public with their desires, deep down I think we all have our own little fetishes. Below is a list of some of the fetishes you may not be so familiar with.

(Pics below NSFW)

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the Meridians, photo healingfabrics.com

An acupuncture study conducted in Seattle, released this month by the Archives of Internal Medicine, that substituted acupuncture needles with toothpicks to stimulate the meridian points, has acupuncture physicians and other Natural Health practitioners scratching their heads. The study used pointed toothpicks to stimulate the body’s meridian or acupuncture points and the results in pain relief were nearly identical to the cases where acupuncture needles were used.

“This study missed the point, ” said Acupuncture Physician Dr. Christy Giallourakis of  the Center for Oriental Medicine in Tarpon Springs, Florida. ”The problem with Western studies of traditional Chinese medicine is that the person conducting the study has to use experts on the placement of the meridian stimulus so that any results will be accurate.  There are 26 meridians but there are many, many, extraordinary points and these points can be inadvertently stimulated by someone who does not understand the system.”  What is used to stimulate the points has little effect on the outcome of the stimulation. “If you put any kind of stimulation to the point you will have a reaction.”

Acupuncture is based on the energy meridians of the body: these meridians are pathways of subtle energy that connect and compliment every organ and function in the body. Along these pathways is an interconnected system of subtle energy that can interrupt pain or enhance sensation depending upon the combinations of stimulated points. The interruption of pain is an important factor in healing. Read the rest of this entry »