For many New Jerseyans, this is the time of the year they’ve waited for. The work schedule finally slows, family and friends gather to enjoy some holiday cheer and the promise of falling snow opens up a world of outdoor possibilities.

But at Sunrise Detox, a “luxury” detoxification center based in Stirling, this is the time of the year we brace for. We find the holidays, as fun and glorious as they can be, somehow trigger deep and dark emotions in many – which is why we are once again seeing a spike in admissions. 

Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, people tend to have more interaction with family and friends. They think back to better times, and mourn the loss of loved ones, from death, separation or divorce. They become disgusted with their addiction to drugs and alcohol and vow to finally make a change. But the symptoms run much deeper than they often think, as our patients are also coping with loneliness, anxiety and depression – a strong cocktail that makes the detox process even more challenging.

AARP has done just about everything it can to mislead seniors into believing S. 2664 would have perilous consequences, when in fact, that message couldn't be further from the truth. The legislation if enacted would allow telephone and cable companies to compete for customers on a level playing field rather than under rules that hinder competition. It would give New Jersey residents, no matter their age, more choices when selecting products and services at affordable prices.

Where there's competition, consumers have the ultimate say about what happens in the market because they can choose to take their business elsewhere if they are unhappy. Any smart company knows that to retain existing customers and attract new ones, they must meet their customers' demands through superior service and competitive pricing.

Telephone companies in New Jersey are heavily regulated and government oversight of these companies has not kept pace with the communications revolution. In order to ensure telephone and cable companies continue making the infrastructure investments the state needs, red tape needs to be cut and regulations must be brought into the modern era.

The Oct. 5 death of Apple Computer co-founder Steve Jobs, 56, had an effect on a West Orange woman's visit to a local Apple store and a Montclair woman's home research.

"My 14-year-old son wanted to go to the Apple Store in the Short Hills Mall after Steve Jobs died," said Janet Dorfman, of West Orange. "He and his generation grew up on Mac computers, phones and pads. He was reading everything on Jobs since his death."

Dorfman, a librarian, arranged to have a memorial display by the Bloomfield Public Library's reference section. The standalone display included Jobs' portrait, one of his quotes and several books on Apple computers.

Dorfman added that the Millburn Short Hills Mall Apple store, unlike others around the world did not have a makeshift memorial. A woman answering the store's telephone 5 p.m. Oct. 12 said that the store received "several Post-It notes and flowers."

Every so often, I go up to Eagle Rock Park to look at the Memorial Wall, and read the names of those who were killed in the September 11, 2001 attack on the World Trade Center. As I read the list, I try to think back on what I was doing that morning. It was 9:15 AM or there about; I was teaching a class in Christian Ethics at a college in Massachusetts. In the midst of the class a student who usually came to class late rushed in and said, “Dr. Kennedy you can mark me late if you want, I don’t care. I am late because two planes have just struck the Twin Towers in New York. Everything seems to be in confusion. Turn on the Television, if you don’t believe me.” I quickly took out the video I was about to show the class and turned on the TV and there it was, fires burning. After catching a breath, one student reported that his mother works in one of the Towers. Another said her cousin was there. I quickly dismissed the class and ran across the Campus to the president’s office to give my advice that he was to prepare for a special chapel and do so urgently. He immediately stopped what he was doing and as talked a little about the tragedy, students began to bring reports that their parents, relatives and friends were supposed to be at work in the Towers. The rest of the day was as it was in many places; shock, ambivalence, despair, vulnerability, helplessness, anger, and rage, all of those feelings that come with tragedy.