11Sep 2012 by CJ

Brooms aren’t just for witches to get around

Life & Living
Call me crazy, but I think the broom’s longevity for this world has reached its end – at least outdoors. Though I suppose the Halloween witch community is still using them as their transportation of choice. Just looking around my own neighborhood there are two, more popular choices for sweeping decks, driveways and sidewalks: hosing them down with water or using one of those obnoxious leave blower machines. In either case, they only increase just how lazy Americans have gotten. In fact as I write this post my neighbor is outside using the garden hose to clean up a pile of dead grass rather than simply using a broom to dispose of it. Can you say waste of water? And as for those leaf blowing machines, all they really do…
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09Sep 2012 by CJ

Police officers should practice the law they uphold first

Life & Living
The role of police officers is to protect and serve as law-abiding role models for citizens. But I'm not sure the right message is getting through. I’ve longed wondered why Americans have little fear of the repercussions of their actions. Poor decisions are frivolously and carelessly made with little thought to the overall outcome or the possible consequences. But I believe Americans are simply reacting to what is part of the reason why this nation struggles with accountability and credibility. In short, we see little reason to follow the rules when there doesn’t seem to be anyone in positions of power really applying or enforcing them. Don’t worry, I have a good example. More and more I keep seeing police officers driving on highways or down local streets in town…
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04Sep 2012 by CJ

Good teachers often leave a lasting impact on your life

Information & Education, Life & Living, Youth
“Good” Teachers by Charles Saydah is an editorial which surprised me. I suspected it would be much of the same – lumping a sea of respectable teachers in a pool of underachievers. But I’m happy to admit I was wrong. Saydah speaks of his English teacher back in the New York Public School System, Jacob Solovay, as “A supremely controlled man, his knowledge, kindness, generosity, supportiveness and patience appealed to his students. Our school had created a sophomore English class to develop writers and editors for the school paper. It must have been the ideal class for a teacher: motivated, smart kids engaged in a creative, mercantile task. As an adolescent, I sensed that it would be impossible to be a bad teacher under such conditions.” He and a few…
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03Sep 2012 by CJ

Watching less television will give you more time to do the things you put off

Information & Education, Life & Living
Did you ever think about how your life could change if you watched less television? Henry David Thoreau once said, “I cannot make my days longer so I strive to make them better.” To the chagrin of children around the country, a new school year is taking shape. The peaceful relaxation of summer months filled with abandonment have all but disappeared, and in its wake replaced with chaotic schedules that do nothing more than cause parents, students and teachers continual anxiety. But as Thoreau points out above, we cannot increase the length of our days – a desire which is simply beyond our control. However, we can impact the quality of our days and in turn the quality of our lives. And I truly believe that in order to impact…
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27Aug 2012 by CJ

The porch light used to be an interesting form of communicating

Life & Living
The porch light. Today the porch light has a single purpose - to illuminate seasonal wreaths hanging on front doors or aiding homeowners while fumbling for a keyhole in the darkness. But when I was growing up the porch light had another purpose, one that is rarely if ever used today. If you look around your neighbors, isn’t it strange that you never really see kids outside playing anymore? The birth rate in American hasn’t declined any so where are they all? Growing up we were always outside playing or exploring with our imagination in hand – even when it was raining or snowing sometimes. And when darkness fell and I saw the illumination of our porch light from wherever I was on the block, I knew it was time…
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