19Sep 2012 by CJ

The mysterious power of the fall is something most people understand

Information & Education, Life & Living
“The days may not be so bright and balmy—yet the quiet and melancholy that linger around them is fraught with glory. Over everything connected with autumn there lingers some golden spell—some unseen influence that penetrates the soul with its mysterious power.” Northern Advocate I love this time of year - the fall. The temperatures are finally tolerable enough to no longer require the assistance of air conditioners to feel comfortable. The outside air is becoming cool and crisp – forcing us to wrap ourselves tightly under sheets and blankets like moths inside a cocoon. While I love the summer months for walking along the beach or gardening out in the backyard, the fall is truly comforting to me. From the smells to the colors to the gatherings this time of…
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16Sep 2012 by CJ

Gossiping – a wise man knows better than to engage in it

Life & Living, Youth
Today, while listening to the sermon at my wife’s church, I was struck by some profound words the pastor himself had learned from his father many years ago about gossiping. A wise man talks about ideas… An average man talks about events… A simple man talks about other people. Which category do you fall into? Sadly, so many of us spend much of our viable time talking about the lives of others as though we’ve been given the authority to do so. If only we could harness that power and use it for the greater good of humanity and ultimately for ourselves, image the kind of world we’d be living in. Believe me, I’m just as guilty as the next. But there comes a point in your life when you…
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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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