20Dec 2016 by CJ

Social media I think it’s time we break up once and for all

Life & Living
“Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice.” ­­­– Steve Jobs The world of social media. I lived through its advent, yet know very little of its history. After some research, I learned that one of the first social media sites was called Six Degrees created back in 1997. It allowed users to upload a profile and ultimately make new friends right from the comfort of their personal computer. Soon others came to market offering similar connection opportunities – MySpace and LinkedIn in the early 2000s; Facebook and Twitter in 2006. I believe social media has evolved into nothing more than a platform for perpetual propaganda and opinions aimed at instigating a negative response. Social media gone wrong Case in point. Famed entertainer Bette Midler…
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27Nov 2016 by CJ

Lately, the internet seems to feed negativity

Life & Living
Over the last few weeks, I’ve been re-examining my reliance on the internet and the importance I place on it in my everyday life. In many instances, there’s no denying it’s benefits from online purchases and banking, to streaming services and DIY information. But there’s something else readily available at our finger tips – something that’s not always easily detected as we bounce around from one site to another. It was during my re-examination that it became evidently clear how many websites, which I visit with some regularity, had become nothing more than a sea of negative information and sensational headlines. Even sites with no political agenda had begun spewing and supporting hateful propaganda in order to sway an impressionable society one way or the other. The internet feeds negativity…
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03Nov 2016 by CJ

Alzheimer’s Awareness happens in November

Life & Living
Nothing inspires me more than well-crafted lyrics paired perfectly with a haunting melody. When She Loved Me is one of those songs. It was beautifully sung by Sarah McLachlan back in 1999, as part of the soundtrack for the movie Toy Story 2. When I first heard the song, it was clear by the circumstances of the film that a lonely “toy” was singing the song to the little girl she used to be inseparable with – only now she’s all grown up.  When taken in the context of the movie, you rarely assign the song any other possible meaning beyond what the film intended. But the other day the song popped up on my play list (somewhat randomly) and now 17 years later the song has come to mean…
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25Oct 2016 by CJ

Money obsessions won’t lead to happiness

Life & Living
“People go on postponing everything that is meaningful. Tomorrow they will laugh; today, money has to be gathered... more money, more power, more things, more gadgets. Tomorrow they will love - today there is no time. But tomorrow never comes, and one day they find themselves burdened with all kinds of gadgets, burdened with money. They have come to the top of the ladder - and there is nowhere to go except to jump in a lake.” - Osho I’m often the first one to lecture others regarding materialism and society’s insatiable appetite for more money. Yet I’m embarrassed to admit that I haven’t fully practiced what I’ve preached. It was a reality recently brought to my attention by my wife, after she grew tired and frustrated of me judging my…
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23Oct 2016 by CJ

Election fraud – the tale of two ballots

Life & Living
“A vote is like a rifle: its usefulness depends upon the character of the user.”  - Theodore Roosevelt First, please save your hate mail. This post is in no way taking political sides in what I consider to be one of the most pathetic elections in American history. A subject making headlines of late is how the American election system is flawed. Many find such an accusation insulting and impossible in our technological advanced society. Truthfully, I never gave the subject much thought. That was until the other day. My coworker grew up in the state of Washington, and it was there where she first became a registered voter. About two years ago she moved to the state of Colorado, and went through the proper process of becoming a registered…
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