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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31Aug 2011 by CJ

The elderly deserve our attention and a sense of dignity

Love & Relationships
What do people have against the elderly? In many cultures, the more senior members of the group, the elderly, are revered and treated with the utmost respect and dignity. But not here in America. Once you hit a certain age and you're perceived to be a burden, people just forget about you all together. People whom without their existence we ourselves would not exist and yet we cast them aside like a snotty old tissue.There's an elderly woman on my block who has many grandchildren, and yet in the nine years that we've been neighbors, I can count on my hands how many times they've been around to visit her. A gentleman I'm acquainted with has his adult grandson living just a few towns away from him and yet it's…
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31Jul 2011 by CJ

Alzheimer’s is a sad reality many of us will unfortunately witness

Generosity & Kindness, Life & Living, Love & Relationships
“Alzheimer’s is brutal. I mean, it’s associated with losing your memory, but you don’t just forget who people are; you also forget how to talk, how to eat, how to do everything. That’s hard to wrap your head around until you actually see it.” - Seth Rogen Not so long ago, I used to refer to myself as a teenager – living life with abandonment, passion and a sense of naivety. But while a trip down memory lane might seem like only yesterday, the reality is that twenty years have passed since pubescence transformed me from a boy into a man. It’s amazing how time truly does escape us. I suppose John Lennon was right when he sang, “Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans.” But…
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24May 2011 by CJ

Not every man in society in a oversexed, cheating horn ball

Life & Living, Love & Relationships
It was a bad week for the reputation of men, with actor and former California Governor Arnold Schwarsenegger and International Monetary Fund chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn, both caught with their pants down, so to speak. Cheating on their spouses. Every time such infidelities appear on the news I always think to myself, “great – more ammunition for humanity to think every man walking this earth is a pig.” The conversationalists at the office (all woman) were having a field day bashing the male species for what they called “typical behavior”. They claimed women were the victims, caught up in men’s captivating charisma and overactive sex drives which leads to cheating. With all due respect, women have spent years fighting for equality and credibility, therefore I highly doubt they’re being charmed into…
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27Apr 2011 by CJ

Husbands, listen to your wives as they sometimes have the answers you don’t

Life & Living, Love & Relationships
It’s funny how one household project usually opens a HUGE can of worms. It's also a time to reiterate to husbands, listen to your wives. A few months ago we gave our kitchen a minor face lift - paint, lighting, furniture, decorations, you know the drill. And once we were done the room was all nice and sparkly – however the rest of the house wasn’t. And so began the process of repainting, removing and redecorating pretty much every room in our house. Nine years had passed, so I guess it was time. This past weekend it was the bathroom upstairs. How hard could a tiny room like that be right? Patching up a few divots and cracks in the sheet rock was a no brainer, painting the walls and…
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