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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02Nov 2011 by CJ

An older home was designed to be purposeful not to impress others

Generosity & Kindness, Life & Living
Many years ago I had a conversation with my grandmother regarding the smaller room size and lack of closet space many older homes such as mine share in common. My 1930's side-hall colonial was constructed in the same decade that the Empire State Building was completed, Parker Brothers released the now famous “Monopoly” board game and Amelia Earhart made her historic flight across the Atlantic Ocean. Grams looked at me funny for a moment before saying, “You forget, we didn't have as many things as you kids have today and we were better off for it. In older homes you went to your bedroom to sleep, your kitchen was just for preparing food and with only a handful of dresses, your closet never needed to be that big.” My grandmother…
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28Oct 2011 by CJ

A record player could spin a song that stirs a cherished memory

Life & Living, Love & Relationships
As a youngster I was always fascinated by a record player, remember those? No matter how they were packaged or sized, for some reason I just loved their functionality - even drawing pictures of them in art class when I was in first grade. I might be alone on this one, but truthfully I miss not having one around. Back in the day, it wasn't uncommon for many living rooms to feature a piece of furniture which resembled an enclosed console table. But cleverly housed inside was in fact a record player, speakers and even some storage for 33's and 45's (record sizes for those of you who don't remember). My grandparents were one such household, and as you can imagine I loved going there and listening to a few…
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06Oct 2011 by CJ

Jobs passing teaches us about the fragility of ALL life…not just celebrities

Information & Education, Life & Living
Steve Jobs passing is a story you'll be hearing a lot about over the next few days. I've been doing some reading online regarding Jobs passing and some people, who obviously are obsessed with Apple, are mourning the man as though he were a member of their own family. One young twenty-something even said, "this is a dark day for America." Are you serious? Yes, Jobs was an immense talent, but I'm still not sure that his technological creations have truly added to the quality as much as the convenience of one's life. Still, I feel bad for his family, but I'm not sure this is really a dark day for our country. People forget that deaths are occurring every day and probably every hour if such a study were…
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