29Nov 2011 by CJ

Living in poverty means some spend the holidays living in cars

Generosity & Kindness, Life & Living
It's hard to believe there are people living in poverty when you read the sentence below. Well the news it out - Black Friday Weekend 2011 was a raging success, bringing in some $53 billion dollars. Admittedly, my wife and I contributed to that number - fighting crowds of shoppers who did little to put me in the holiday spirit. Maybe it's me but cursing, pushing and a general feeling of rudeness does little to warm the coddles of my soul. On a positive note, I suppose $53 billion dollars will help the bottom line of most retailers, which will save jobs and keep the recovery effort moving along. But it's hard to see the benefits of this holiday spending after watching a story on "60 Minutes" that same weekend…
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27Nov 2011 by CJ

Teens want smartphones over cars – a move that baffles this car guy

Life & Living
I just came across an article in the New York Times entitled, "Teens desire smartphones over cars." For this car enthusiast all I can say is, THAT'S CRAZY! One of the biggest thrills of my life was getting my driver's license. Finally I didn't have to rely on my parents to drive me all over the world at all hours of the night. YIPPEE! There's no denying the freedom that comes along with finally depending on yourself and being responsible for more than just cleaning your room. It's the start of adulthood and one of the first signs that you're no longer a little kid anymore. So you can imagine how surprising it is that teens want smartphones over cars these days. But then again, I was always into cars,…
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17Nov 2011 by CJ

A high school yearbook reveals where tomorrow’s happiness grows

Generosity & Kindness, Life & Living
On the bottom shelf of a bookcase in my guest room, tightly pressed between a pair of Funk & Wagnalls dictionaries and a large Bible my wife received from her grandfather, is an old, tattered looking book. It’s about the size of a magazine, with a pale blue hard cover and yellowed packing tape holding the torn binding together. It’s my grandmother’s high school yearbook. It was June 13th, 1940. The high school auditorium was filled with eager family and friends, all anticipating the upcoming ceremony scheduled to begin at 8:15 pm. This was the day my grandmother, Agnes Adamo, graduated. According to the program, which was safely tucked between the pages of the yearbook, the songs “God Bless America”, “I Love a Little Cottage” and “A Song of Peace”…
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16Nov 2011 by CJ

Elephant orphan discovers that prosthetics are not just for humans

Information & Education, Life & Living
  [caption id="attachment_642" align="alignleft" width="300"] Truly amazing![/caption] Chhouk is a 5 year old bull elephant orphan who probably wouldn't be alive today if not for the care he received from Nick Marx, the Director of Wildlife Rescue and Care at the Wildlife Alliance. Chhouk was found in the Cambodian jungle back in 2007 - scared, alone and very close to death with his left front foot mangled by a poacher's trap. Elephants are known for being some of the most emotional animals alive. Having been just a baby elephant orphan when he was found, I can only imagine how fearful young Chhouk must have been. "I really thought he would never make it," said Nick Marx, today stroking Chhouk's trunk with a sense of pride and affection. "He was seriously…
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04Nov 2011 by CJ

A picture is worth a thousand words to a orphan who has none

Generosity & Kindness, Life & Living
Did you ever really think a picture is worth a thousand words? Well, they might be if pictures were a luxury you never had around. Television news programs are typically comprised of an endless array of negative story lines, which bring down even the most optimistic of souls. Even the weather report can be cause for anxiety at times. Beloved neighbor Fred Rogers once said that “The media shows the tiniest percentage of what people do. There are millions and millions of people doing wonderful things all over the world, and they’re generally not the ones being touted in the news.” Back in 2006, CBS news featured a story about “people doing wonderful things.” It was titled “Precious Images Give Orphans Hope” – the story of how one man’s compassion…
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