During a pregame show on ESPN, the Hall of Fame point guard was giving his stance on the New York Knicks and their struggles. In those remarks, he would say something to the effect of: "If they keep playing like this, they should have to move to Newark." What?!

Now, why in the world would Magic Johnson - a respected African-American in the community - have to say something so asinine? You don't hear people from Newark cracking insults about Lansing, Michigan do you? You also don't hear people from Newark complaining about how bad "The Magic Hour" was, right? (Maybe the reason that people don't complain about it is because nobody bothered to watch that abstruse program.)

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.