The cold doesn’t bother me. I have the notion that you can always warm up when it cold, it is much more difficult to cool down when it’s hot because then you ultimately get cold. With that said, so many people are experiencing the Winter Blues. This time of year, is NOT always as celebratory for many people. Why? There are those who are dealing with grief, the loss of parents, siblings, friends loved ones that used to be pivotal elements in their lives.

The holidays are NOT always the greatest time of year for all Americans. Some seriously struggle with loneliness, not that they don’t want to be around others, they just don’t want to have people pity them or make them feel less than because they don’t have a significant other or the family that so many others are used to being surrounded by.

We have to be willing to give people grace. If someone doesn’t want to spend time with another person’s family and friends, that is ok, but please DO NOT forget to let those people know that you are there for them if they need something. Sometimes take a moment and actually visit those people when they least expect it. It’s going to put a smile or a pep in their step that can make a ton of difference if you ask me.

We sometimes have to allow people to come to us when they’re ready, not the other way around. Grief is something that is difficult for many people to understand, if they have never encountered it. Losing a loved way, especially a parent or sibling or your best friend is not something you get over in a day, a week, a month, a year, a decade, several decades. Pain and grief come in waves, sometimes waves that you least imagine to say the least. You are fine one minute; the next minute it strikes you like a ton of bricks that you never imagined.

I know both my parents have difficult times with both of my grandparents on both sides being gone. Probably a lot more difficult for my mom because she lost both of them in her 30s. I’d like to say I remember my mother’s grandmother, but I don’t remember as much as I would like to because I was so young. I have memories, but they are fleeting.

My mother’s father died when I was a teen in high school, while my father’s parents died when I was much much older. In my 30s, but again I lost grandparents, they lost their actual parents so imagine not having grandma’s food on Thanksgiving and Christmas ever again? Not the easiest thing to do, but you will of course do your best to try to recreate those memories, but they are not the same.

This is NOT just about losing loved ones, there are those who are just lonely and we have to do more, now than ever to ensure people are not in this headspace where they think they don’t have anyone because that is not necessarily the case. Sometimes you give a push, sometimes they give a push; if you see it you just have to be willing to acknowledge it and not ignore it.

The Winter months can sometimes be the most depressing time of year for some Americans; however, we can always change that with a simple conversation. It can be a text, it can be an email, it can be a letter or wait for it: it can be a phone call. Just checking in on the people that matter in your life doesn’t cost anything, you just have to have the heart to do it.

The post The Winter Blues appeared first on Canyon News.

You didn’t get a specific food item you wanted, you got stuck in traffic, I can keep listing things of nonimportance, but what’s the point? The matter I am trying to get across is there are people out there who have it so much worse. There are people out there with NO ROOF OVER THEIR HEAD or a PLACE TO SLEEP.

There are kids or families without a meal for dinner, while you might have an abundance of options. Some people don’t have heat, electricity or running water in their home. They can’t afford all of them, so they pick the one that matters most, and that’s a hard thing to imagine. There are those people moving around with one leg, no legs, one arm, no arms, those who are deaf, those who are blind, those who have no mobility.

Life can be so much rougher for many of us who complain about the senseless, stupid things day in and day out. What’s the point of this column? Gratitude. As Americans, we truly need to take a moment and reflect on how cherished some of us have it in life. We don’t have to worry about where our next meal is coming from. We have food in the fridge or cabinet, we can sleep comfortable at night without worrying about the cold weather potentially leading to our demise, I could keep listing if you would like?

Sometimes it just takes us locking eyes or hearing the story of someone in a worse position than us for the lightbulb to click. I could be doing so much more in life. For the first time ever, I donated to a local food bank. It has been something I’ve wanted to do for years. I always said I would do it, but I never did it until now.

I don’t know if it was me hearing about how urgent the food crisis was this year in America with SNAP benefits being halted and the price of groceries being so damn high, but I felt compelled in 2025 to do something. That tends to be the problem: too many of us are so selfish, if we just took a moment to think about others gosh, we could make this world a better place. If those of us who could give, just gave a little bit, the amount of change we could inflict would be of epic proportions.

So, before you start complaining today, tomorrow, next week, this month, a year from now, take a moment, think, reflect, and be grateful for what you have. There is that saying, “There is always someone out there who has it way worse than you.”

The post Are You Thankful? Helping Those In Need appeared first on Canyon News.

If there is one thing that I never expected from any of my siblings, it is to be physically assaulted. Yes, you get into intense arguments with your siblings, but we’ve never come to blows until now. Well, if I’m being honest it would have to be my youngest brother who is the worst, and I always knew that in the back of my mind. Look, I will just say it, he’s an addict. He has serious substance abuse issues and refuses to acknowledge it.

A decade ago, it was bad, but nothing to the degree that it has become now in 2025. He can’t keep a job, or he refuses to keep one. His primary focus is to be able to drink and party. Don’t ask because I cannot give you an explanation that makes actual sense. With that said, he has gotten a bit irrational when he is on a bender. Getting in my face and screaming won’t do much, but when you start to put hands on me that is another story.

Recently, that happened and it has changed the dynamics and not in the best of ways. I’m the type of person if you don’t bother me, I won’t bother you. I don’t like drama; I already have enough stress in my life between dealing with family, work, school and so much more. Adding onto my plate of stress is not good for me mentally. It forces me to have to take a break and decompress and evaluate my relationships.

The moment you place your hands on me, I will indeed defend myself, especially if I feel my life is at risk. My brother tested me and discovered, I’m no pushover like he thinks. I might remain calm in most situations, but we all have a dark side, mine saw rage recently and I didn’t like it one bit. So how can I best say this? My relationship with that sibling is now dunzo for the time being. I love him, but it is going to have to be from a distance at this point, because the turmoil and chaos that he has brought to my life; I can no longer tolerate it.

You can indeed love family from a distance because these are the people who will do some of the most wicked and cruelest things to you. The reality is you’re expected to turn over a new leaf as if nothing ever transpired and all is ok. No, no, no, you can’t just do wicked things and not expect there to be any consequences as a result. I had people in my family in uproar over the incident, explaining you have to forgive him. No, no I really don’t. You don’t pull a gun on me and expect me not to react.

Listen, I have trauma from being robbed at gunpoint 15 years ago. Worst time of my life, because with every fiber in my body, when they say you see your life flash before your eyes when you think you’re going to die, I experienced that. I wish I could explain it in words where people could understand, but I can’t. I already had one sibling pull a weapon on me in a drunken rage that changed our relationship, now I have another brother do the same thing. How can I best say this? If you’re going to pull a weapon out on me, you better use it, otherwise I’m not going to be responsible for what happens next.

I’m tired of being the person who has to sweep things under the rug and act as if things are all ok, when they’re not. Family can be very toxic, and sometimes you have to pull yourself away from the toxicity to have peace and to know what you will tolerate and what you will not. I’m not going to tolerate violence and stress in my life. I’m taking control of the energy in my life and eliminating the bad aura, hell, I have even spoken to a therapist. Perhaps, the first time since I was robbed to process things.

The common theme that comes up over and over again is anxiety and I know I have it. I hate it, but at least I can acknowledge I have it and I am doing my best to deal with and address it. So many Americans ignore our mental health and that is not a good thing. We can’t just ignore it as if it doesn’t matter, especially when it is impacted by family, sometimes the ones closest to you. I will always love my family, but I’ve discovered as of late that love can be from a distance.

I don’t always have to have you in my inner orbit. Blood is blood, you will always have love for them, but that doesn’t mean you can always tolerate them. If its impacting your mental health and emotions that you cannot control, that is a problem, and you have to be willing to acknowledge it and deal with it. Don’t ignore it, family is important, but so are you.

The post Loving Family From A Distance appeared first on Canyon News.

With that said, Veteran’s Day I have paid much more attention to after my grandfather passed away several years ago. My grandfather never fully shared his story about serving his time overseas as a World War II veteran. Yes, my grandfather at 99 (the age of his passing), was one of the few survivors of WWII. I always knew he never flew after returning to America because he was tossed out of a plane into a literal battlefield. He never got on a plane after that, nearly 75 plus years if I’m being honest.

If you want me to give you a slice of the mayhem and this is just a slice of the mayhem he endured, watch the opening scene of Steven Spielberg’s war classic, “Saving Private Ryan.” Yes, my grandfather was on that beach fighting for freedoms before my dad and I was even thought of. The fact that he survived that bloodbath, which was far worse from the stories he shared that I could gleam were disturbing to say the least.

My grandfather never wanted to talk about his time during WWII and when he did, you’d be lucky if he chatted about it for 2-3 minutes at best. He was haunted by the horrors of what happened to him during World War II. That is the one thing I regret; I wish I spent more time with my grandfather while he was alive to get as many details as possible about his story. What it was like to be a Black soldier fighting for America during a time where Blacks didn’t have many rights and didn’t get the respect they deserved.

I would have loved to ask him how he survived; what were some of the things he encountered and what motivated him to fight to get back to America, when not so many soldiers returned to their families. I believe and I’m almost certain my grandmother was a big motivator for my grandfather because he left for service before they got married. He made a promise to her that he would return to her and get married and he did just that.

This was just an opportunity for me to share my grandfather’s story, but to place a spotlight on all the veterans across this country, who tend to be overlooked and forgotten. I hate and I mean this with a passion, hate hearing about veterans who are grappling with homelessness. There is absolutely NO REASON IN THE WORLD, someone who has fought for this country has difficulty obtaining housing. It should be a mandate that anyone who fights for this country has a roof over their head. They should not want or need for anything. It should be a mission of ours as Americans to ensure that.

Yes, I love the notion of many of the restaurants in our country providing meals free of charge to vets, but we should be doing so much more. Yes, giving veterans things are great and all, but I think most veterans that I know, and I have plenty, and I mean plenty on my dad’s side who served this country from the Navy to the Army, to the Coast Guard to the Air Force, they just want the acknowledge that they exist. They want to know the American people haven’t forgotten them and they are not ignored.

Too many Americans don’t understand the sacrifice that it takes to risk your life for complete strangers. Some do not see, many don’t understand it, and some just don’t care, which is an absolute shame. Without veterans a lot of the freedoms so many of us take for advantage would NOT even exist. Think about that this Veterans Day because not many of us actually do.

The post Veterans Deserve More Than One Day Of Gratitude appeared first on Canyon News.

However, the chat this week is about local politics. They don’t seem to receive the same attention as state and federal elections, and it begs this poignant question: WHY? Why don’t voters care about local issues? The ones that are most likely to impact their everyday lives. I’ll tell you: they’re not properly educated about it. The local news stations sometimes chat about such elections, but a lot of the time it’s an afterthought, when it comes to publicly letting it be known an election is coming up.

You would think it’s something that would be talked about for weeks on TV or in the newspaper. Let’s rewind on the newspaper because I don’t think many people read the paper anymore, especially not the younger generation. I used to read the paper religiously, but then prices kept going up and up and up, and the size of the paper got smaller and smaller and smaller. I mean I remember my local newspaper having like 6 to 7 sections, with different fold outs. Today the paper is still a broadsheet, but a very demure one (when I say that I mean its small in size).

It would take you more than 20 to 30 minutes to read everything, whereas in the past, you could be reading the newspaper for hours. Why does that matter? Things like local politics are not being highlighted as much because they don’t sell papers unless a scandal is involved with it. I went to my polling location this week and I was the sixth person to vote at my precinct. Granted, I was at the polls at like 7:30 a.m., that was around 30 minutes after they opened, but I just cannot pull myself not to vote.

Do not ask me why, but I feel guilty if I don’t vote and that’s probably a good thing. I shouldn’t take the opportunity to cast a ballot as a something minimal. Why? There were people who couldn’t vote for years, decades, centuries, so if I have this privilege, I’m going to take it. I always say the only reason you should not vote is if you’re dead or just beyond incapacitated to the point that it’s not possible. Even then you can claim an absentee ballot and have someone mail it for you.

There were people I talked to who looked at me crazy, when I asked them if they voted. It just made me put my head down. Your local election has the ability to put people into office or keep them out of office that will ultimately determine the taxes you pay, if the minimum wage in the city you work in goes up or down, laws or ordinances that are passed that can directly impact you and your children’s future, the list goes on and on. You’re voting for judges who are put into place who have significant power when it comes to ensuring criminals stay behind or get out on bail. Property taxes, mileages on community programs and public transit and the list goes on and on and on.

By not voting, you’re sometimes allowing the people you don’t want in office, the opportunity to get in office because their supporters are gonna vote, but his/her opponents supporters may not because they mistakenly believe their vote doesn’t count. You couldn’t be more wrong with that assertion. Never assume anything when it comes to politics, the moment you do, is the moment you’ve made the mistake which could come back and bite you directly in the butt.

Why does it hurt? Once some people are in office they get the opportunity for 1 year, 2 years, 4 years or 6 years to cause all sorts of damage, and by the time you realize it, it’s already too late. Take a moment to realize that local government should be your top priority when it comes to elections. It holds a lot more power than you could ever imagine.

The post Voting In Local Elections Matter People appeared first on Canyon News.

Why? It’s simple: with no debt any money I have I can spend as I choose because I don’t have to use that money to place it on debt that I have accumulated. This might sound crazy, but I know people who 100x over will always choose to have a ton of debt and a bunch of money. The problem is they use that money they have to purchase everything except pay off their debt. In doing so, you keep accumulating debt to the point that it becomes a problem that you cannot get rid of.

Can you make that make sense America because I am having trouble explaining it. Debt is something that will always linger and if it lingers that means it can create stress in your life. Wouldn’t life be so much easier without that unnecessary stress? I would like to think so, but I think for many Americans, the thought of NOT having money is something that haunts plenty.

The moment you get your hands on money you didn’t expect or extra money that rarely comes your way, you’d rather let it sit in your account or your pocket. That is a problem. You need to take that money and start to go after debt that you have. Alleviate some of your stress, which tends to be financial stress for most Americans. Pay off a credit card that is drawing interest that is costing you more money than you wish to have.

So much of our psyche and decisions in life revolve around money. We allow it to control us, manipulate us and emotionally control our day-to-day operations. We have to look at money as precisely what it is: a tradeable commodity. I want something, I have to use money to get it, however, at the end of the day, money wields power.

We see the more money we have as the ability to wield more power, even if it means having a ton of debt in the process, what we can control, whether we spend that money or not, not the other way around. You don’t have a ton of control with a massive amount of debt, remember that. In the end we all want to be able to do as we please without bills, it all starts with a plan. You just have to be willing to do the work.

The post Paying Bills Or Having Money: A Tough Choice?! appeared first on Canyon News.

My brother is a drunk and he refuses to see it and acknowledge it. He constantly asks the question, why I don’t tolerate his antics. It is a simple one: I don’t have time for it. I do not want to be around a person who is always drunk, unaware they are drunk or acts a complete jerk when they are drunk.

You can’t ask me the question of what is worse marijuana or alcohol? I think they’re both bad, but if we’re being honest, I think alcohol is the Devil incarnate because it leads to other bad habits in my opinion. I always tell people there are three types of drunks: goofy, sleepy or angry. Do you want to know which is the worst? I think you know the angry drunk because they tend to lash out, and everything that is eating them up on the inside starts to spill out.

I’ve seen this happen so many times, the excuses after the fact fall on deaf ears. Your behavior was atrocious and you voiced how you felt. In addition, you showed yourself as a complete jerk. There is nothing else for us to talk about. Leave me alone and let me be in peace.

Do NOT call me when you’ve sobered up. I want nothing to do with you and your antics because its a repeated cycle that happens over and over again. It gets to the point where I’m asking you to look in the mirror at your behavior and figure it out. They take a look in the mirror, and they go back to doing the exact same thing the next day, the next week, or the next month.

It is a repeat cycle and rinse format that if you’ve ever dealt with anyone who suffers from alcoholism and refuses to acknowledge they have a problem, and then downplays it, you understand it. The downplaying the issue is what annoys me the most. If you can’t hold a job, you’re functioning every single freakin’ day with alcohol because you can’t cope with life, and the stressors: THEN YOU HAVE A PROBLEM and you need to SEEK HELP.

No one can stop you from spiraling, no one else can help you help you except yourself. There are those who know they have a problem and take action to fix it, and there are those who simply refuse to do anything at all. The decisions you make when it comes to alcohol and your dependency can be life and death. You can get behind the wheel and drive drunk and kill someone. You are literally cooking your liver the more you drink especially if you’re excessively drinking daily. Or worse of all, you can say the wrong thing to the wrong person and it becomes a done deal.

People might not like when I say this, but alcohol is a terrible drug, its an addiction that destroys people and families. If you’ve dealt with alcoholism, it is a headache and stressor that not many can imagine.

The post The Drunk Who Never Gets It appeared first on Canyon News.

Why aren’t we already doing that in America? Why the hell are we late to the race? Oh, it is so simple America, it is all about business. This world is run by money and the businesses that operate around it. It is probably much cheaper to produce mass numbers of these heavily processed foods utilizing these artificial dyes versus removing them.

It all comes to the government actually putting regulations into place against these businesses, not expect the American consumer to fall in place because they feel the need to be in control of things. If that’s the case, guess what, stop allowing the creation of processed foods and prevent them from being sold.

That would be a very smart thing to do, but then it would put a ton of businesses out of business because those products cannot be sold to the public anymore. Yes, the price of food is constantly on the rise, and my biggest concern is that the healthy foods that we need to be eating, is out of the price range for most Americans.

Organic fruits and veggies should not be double the price of regular fruits and veggies. It’s just ridiculous that it is and has always been that way. Stop already with the talk about it takes more work to handle those crops; it doesn’t, it really doesn’t. Regular produce you have to worry more about pesticides compared to organic produce. So, what gives?

The price of whole wheat grains, pastas and other items should be adequately priced so the American public can consume them with great costs. People say you should shop at Whole Foods all the time, WELL MAKE IT AFFORDABLE THEN! There is no way $100 at Whole Foods leaves you with barely any groceries, but if you go to a regular supermarket, $100 looks like you actually purchased something of value.

The American consumer’s budget is already tight, the fact they have to choose between paying a bill or putting food on the table is sickening. If the American government truly cares about the American consumer as it says it does it will find ways to cut costs for the everyday norms, make the healthy foods cheaper NOT more expensive and utilize a bit of reverse psychology, where you pay more for the bad stuff, not the good stuff.

The post If You Want People To Eat Healthier, MAKE IT MORE AFFORDABLE! appeared first on Canyon News.

With that said, the goal of this column is to chat about the jury system, not the case. Why? I have a bit of experience serving on juries. In fact, I have been summoned for jury duty more times than I can count on two hands, and I have actually served on a jury at least four times. Twice on the federal level and twice on the state level. Yeah, most people in their lifetime, only serve on one jury.

Serving on a federal jury is no joke because you can find yourself as a juror for one to two weeks or six to nine months. Yes, there are federal cases that can go that long, it all depends on the number of witnesses for the prosecution and defense. Luckily for me, each time I served on a jury on a federal case, I was in the courtroom no longer than two to three weeks each time. One case involved the Fourth Amendment, a prisoner and a prison guard. It was the first time I served on a jury, and it was indeed an experience.

I had always thought people who served on a jury were respectable, but that totally changed for me after my first time on a jury. Why? What you see on TV and the movies is not how it actually transpires in real life. Talk about the whirlwind of emotions I felt after discovering the Voir Dire process where the prosecution and defense gets the opportunity to question and eliminate potential jurors who they feel could be bias or wouldn’t be beneficial to their case.

I mean the amount of lying that people did through their teeth to get out of jury duty was baffling. People would lie about having a trip planned that they didn’t or saying they took care of a loved one, when there was no truth to that argument at all. How do I know? This is what people were saying before we actually got pulled into the bullpen, and the jury selection process actually begins.

Seemed no matter how much I told myself, “Please God don’t let me be chosen for jury duty,” I was one of the ‘lucky’ ones. So, I’m picked for a jury, and it soon became the harsh reality that federal court is a lot different from local or state. I mean when you enter a federal building the rules are a lot stricter.

We couldn’t have a cellphone in any capacity, no metal devices, keys, anything that could potentially be deemed a weapon was off the table. Then you had the issue of parking and then you had some jurors who had to travel a distance, and I’m not talking 20-30 minutes, I am talking about people who had to travel like 60 minutes plus to arrive to the federal courthouse. Yes, the government would cover your lodging and travel costs, but what about all the money you lose when it comes to your actual day job?

You don’t make any money when you have to serve jury duty, it’s like less than the minimum wage. I think I made like $40 a day. Yes, can you imagine being paid a measly $40 a day, that is like $5/hour. Who the hell can survive off of that? No one can, but the biggest issue I have is that the jury duty system needs to be tweaked.

The vast majority of those summoned for jury duty do not want to be there; they do not want to serve and that is something that has to be taken into consideration when you have people determining the fate of other people.

I’ve been on at least two juries where more than half of the jurors didn’t care about the verdict. They simply said, “Whatever you choose, we’d go along with it.” Baffling, shocked, stunned, those are just some of the words that immediately struck me at the core.

The icing on the cake was I was just summoned for jury duty yet again, after I just served last year. Like WTF! It is like the system constantly calls me two to three times a year and I cannot fathom it for the life of me, especially after having served not ONCE, not TWICE, not THREE TIMES, NOT FOUR, but like six to seven times already. Four actual juries, and being called at least 10 times, where I had to sit in a room all day and be lucky to not serve. It is indeed an inconvenience, and I hate to say that, but for someone who has served countless times I think I can make that claim.

How about we call people who don’t work, those on government assistance who are just spending the days doing nothing, not constantly calling the same people who have already performed their civic duty several times over. The funny thing about the American jury system is once you serve it is an eye-opening experience. You learn a lot about people, and you learn a lot about the government, the good, the bad and the real ugly.

The post The American Jury System Is Finnicky appeared first on Canyon News.

My father is sick, he is getting ready to move and that is all sorts of stress to handle with the notion, I won’t just be able to get in a car and see him within 15-30 minutes. I’m worried about my mom and all the stress she has on her plate and trying to help and deliver a hand whenever possible. I have a job that is demanding, and it feels like the notion of not worrying about something is impossible.

I have my other job that is physically demanding and when I get home, I just want to take a deep sigh, and if that wasn’t enough, you have family drama it seems always and then I’m trying to complete my doctoral degree in English and Film Studies.

Yes, life is life, and my plate is not just beyond full it is spilling over. I would not call myself a people pleaser, but I’ve come aware I don’t always say the words, “No” when I should. You cannot do it all and if you try it is going to catch up with in the worst ways possible. How so? You simply crash and burn in a way that you don’t recover. It takes you a moment to really regenerate and recover from what has unfolded in your life. Where you’re taking all the trauma and stress you have, and you literally break.

That did happen to me once as an undergraduate because my parents could understand what I didn’t have more free time. I just sort of snapped and started balling. I felt embarrassed but relieved at the first time because I think my parents finally realized all the pressure that was on me. I literally was working around the clock, so I had enough money to pay my tuition, bills and keep my head above water. They didn’t know that, but once they realized it, it made perfect sense to them.

Sometimes you just must turn it off in life and it’s not about locking people out, you have to have a moment of clarity for yourself. We sometimes push ourselves too much thinking we can do it all and the reality is that we cannot do it all. You have to pick and choose what you do daily and realize when you’ve bitten off more than you can chew.

I always have people pulling at me and I don’t want to disappoint someone by saying I can’t do it, but I’ve come to the realization I have to at times. I just cannot be there for everyone all the time whenever they want me to be because then I’m the one you are exhausted or angry or snappy. I don’t like to be that person, but I’m realizing that when I’m exhausted I may not always be the nicest guy, and I don’t want to take that out on family, friends or work.

Yeah, you must catch yourself and realize when you’re doing too much or you just need a moment for a breather. When you’re exhausted, you’re not going to be able to give your best and who does that help? No one. Life is full of challenges, and you have to pick and choose what you can do, what you can’t do and what you can manage on a consistent basis. The burnout notion is very realistic, and people don’t seem to think they can be a victim of it, but I can guarantee you it does, and when it strikes it takes an extremely long time to recover.

Written By Jason Jones

The post Just Overwhelmed To The Point Of Exhaustion appeared first on Canyon News.

There has been all this talk about the brothers potentially being released from prison, and my first reaction is WHAT? I can see if there were holes in the case and there are some, but the notion of self-defense because of sexual abuse I have trouble with. Why? It was not a murder that happened in the heat of the moment, that would give some credence to that claim. The brothers had premeditation with the murder of their parents; it was planned.

Yes, you can make the argument that they just snapped one day, but even then, they still committed murder and that is where I have a struggle with. There has been this push from previous Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon hoping to release the brothers, but then you have new DA Nathan Hochman who is against the release of the brothers, and I have to agree with Hochman. Why? They committed a vicious crime: murder.

It’s not like it was self-defense and the parents were trying to kill the brothers. It wasn’t an accident; they wanted to kill their parents and they succeeded. They weren’t framed for a murder they didn’t commit. Yes, TMZ and others have reported the changes that brothers have made amazing changes in their lives since being in prison and think those changes will happen as they transition back into the real world if they are released from prison.

I have no doubt people make changes while in prison because unfortunately you have nothing but time to reflect on things you wish you did differently in your life. My biggest concern about the brothers being released, especially if California Governor Gavin Newsom decides to commute their sentence is what that says for others in jail for murder.

Should we just let them out also because they are reformed, or they have made significant strides in changing their lives and trying to help others? That is a very dangerous slope if you ask me, and you’re opening the floodgates for some serious issues to permeate throughout the country and that scares the hell out of me.

Murder is a very heinous crime. You’re talking about someone away from their family and friends and that person will not exist in the flesh ever again. There is a reason most people get life in prison for committing murder because how else to you punish someone for such a heinous and brutal crime? People would have to justify it in a way that you can’t even justify it. If Newsom makes that move, guess what, I think that is a dealbreaker for his run as President of the United States in 2028. He has stayed mum on whether he will run, but let’s face it; he is, and the Republicans are going to eat up on that.

The crazy thing is people in this country are split on the issue. Some want to see the brothers released and others are totally against it. I’m one who is against it. They committed a heinous crime and there must be a punishment for it.

Written By Jason Jones

The post The Menendez Brothers Dilemma appeared first on Canyon News.

Trust me, it happens like clockwork all the freaking time. With that said, there are just too many streaming options out there. I mean MAX, Peacock, Starz, Showtime, MGM+, Apple TV, Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Amazon Prime, AMC+, BET+, every single network seems to have its own freaking streamer, and I hate it. Before the pandemic or right around the start of it, the costs of streaming were beyond affordable. You weren’t spending more than $10 for a vast majority of the streamers, hell some were between $3 to $4 per month if not less.

Now, I don’t even want to get into it, it is so ridiculous that the costs are just as high as having Cable, which is why I still have it, and I recently re-negotiated my plan, and I have lowered it, and I’m happy with the price. It is NOT great, but it is cheaper than what I was previously paying so that pleases me. However, with many Cable providers, you’re paying more for those premium channels or certain networks versus if you were to just purchase the streamer or premium channel directly with that company.

Yes, it totally makes you reassess things. In addition, are you truly watching all those streaming services that you have. Guess what? You are not, and as a result you are throwing money in the trash, and you don’t even know it. You pay monthly for a service that you may watch, one, maybe two to three times a month, guess what it’s not worth it. That is money you can be using for property taxes, the gas or light bill, cellphone, car expenses and so much more that are part of your daily life.

Corporations are just being greedy in 2025, every single time I turn around one of these streaming services is raising the price. My response, why? Am I getting more? In most cases you are not and this entire focus on ads or no ads, give me a break. We’ve been watching commercials all our lives. Guess what, if you’re watching live TV on broadcast television you’re going to see ads, and your life will be just fine. You will survive, it’s two-three minutes at best that gives you the opportunity to use the restroom, check and email, grab a bite to eat or to do something else.

I wish I would pay for no ads for a streaming service, I will slap my own self in the face because it’s just wasteful spending. However, I guess if you have the money to waste and spend then go ahead and do it. However, more Americans are realizing they must save money any way they can and getting rid of some streaming services over ones you actually watch is important.

The post Too Many Streaming Options For Americans appeared first on Canyon News.

The more movements, the opening and closing, the prodding caused more irritation. While my jaw was locking and forcing it to pop to unlock it, there was still pain. I couldn’t bite a burger that large in size. I still have to cut it into smaller pieces to properly eat. I can’t bite a whole apple at all, I haven’t had anything crunchy or chewy because I’m afraid of aggravating the jaw more.

The dentist said you have some wisdom teeth that have to be removed. They haven’t yet because they don’t suspect that those wisdom teeth are causing the pain in the jaw. I was referred to the oral surgeon. They prodded and looked at the mouth, couldn’t give me a diagnosis either. Placed on a strict soft diet and then had a follow-up in a few weeks. Came back and realized the mouth is misaligned and this discussion of TMJ comes front and center. It’s a disorder involving the jaw where it can be overused, arthritis or something more serious that might result in surgery.

I’m referred for an MRI scan. I hate any type of testing that requires you scheduling an appointment with certain equipment because it can take weeks or months to actually have that appointment. I recall when I had to have an echocardiogram because of my excessive heart rate, and it took almost six months before I had the actual appointment. The MRI was almost a month in advance scheduled. Your stress level just raises as you wait for potential answers.

I don’t know if anyone has ever had an MRI, but they’re not comfortable. You are in this contraption where you’re explicitly told NOT to move. You have this contraption over your head and in my case I was having images taken of my jaw so imagine, trying to remain calm, holding your breathe, trying not to wiggle, while you have to place an item in your mouth without moving your head so that they can get accurate pictures of your jaw to see what could be an issue.

As I am writing this column, I am waiting on those results which I was informed would be found in about a week. I guess my goal of this column is when you are facing a medical issue you want answers, much sooner than later because for me I haven’t been sleeping at all for almost two months. I recently got my first night of good sleep where I slept 12 hours, and I think it is the direct result of just being burnt out from all the doctor appointments, follow-ups, procedures and not having any definitive answers at this point.

In the midst of this process, I have started doing something I’ve never done before, eating all my food on the right side of my mouth out of fear of aggravating the left side of my jaw that I feel pain in when I try to open my mouth wide, or at its worst during the nighttime hours when I yawn excessively. Every single time I yawn that pain is triggered on the left side, and I feel it instantly and it still hasn’t ceased. Is it as elevated as it was in the first week in February?

No, but it’s there, and now I have to arrange another follow-up with the oral surgeon to examine the results of the MRI, then a follow-up with my PCP, and then another possible follow-up with a dentist regarding a potential bite guard because they suspect I’m grinding my teeth at night. I even forgot to mention I had to have lab work done before the MRI and after the MRI. So it just feels never ending. Not saying doctors just order test to order them, but it feels like it at times.

I hope that not to be the truth, but I know some probably do, but I just want an answer. What is wrong with my jaw and what can be done to fix it because anyone who knows me, is well aware I have a low pain tolerance. If I’m suffering significant pain where I can’t get out of the bed or move without difficulty; it is a problem and I want a solution.

The post Getting Actual Answers For Medical Ailments appeared first on Canyon News.

Yes, you can listen to music, watch a TV show, write, exercise, cook, watch a movie, do yoga, meditate, take deep breathes, but all it takes is a moment of distraction and whatever nagging thought you had in your brain comes back to you. This might sound bad, but I sometimes wish you could rid your brain of memories especially troubling ones because you wouldn’t have them replay over and over again with no positive result in the process.

You might not even be thinking about it, but the moment something in society triggers that memory it comes flooding back in a way that you can never explain. I think as Americans we just worry too much and it is so easy to tell a person to just stop worrying. However, the brain doesn’t operate like that. The brain is always operating and hate to say it, you want it to because the moment it stops, you’re in trouble.

Even when you’re asleep your brain is operating because that’s why you dream. I have always been fascinated by dreams because I know the difference between REM sleep and NON-REM sleep, but I prefer not to sleep at all. Why? I sleep best when I am not dreaming or thinking about anything. Why? I’m at peace, I’m completely relaxed and there is that clarity in the head. I’m not thinking about family, work, personal or life in general. Life can be hectic; it can be crazy and there is always, and I mean always something going on and the moment you’re able to push the NOISE out the window it makes things easier.

When it comes to work, try to do what you can and let the rest go to the wayside. You will not be able to do everything all the time and that can create a bit of anxiety as you worry about what could go wrong. I guess the best advice I can give is to try to worry about what can go right. Yes, that is not the easiest and so many people tell me to just think positively, relax, but my brain is always wanting to do the opposite.

If I can get into the zone of doing something that requires my brain to fully focus on what I’m doing at the time, it makes such a difference America. I see that occur quite often if I’m gaming, but that is a rarity for me because my schedule is so busy I barely have time. Movie watching is the best, but it tends to have to be in a dark theater, where there are no distractions because I have no choice but to focus on the big screen and the story that is unfolding in front of me.

I guess it is hitting me more and more that if I can fully occupy my brain with a task that I focus my energy on, the other noise that can be a distraction or pesky disappears. I just wish sometimes it was much easier to do than what it feels a lot of the time.

The post Clarity In The Brain appeared first on Canyon News.

I tell this to people all the time, I can function on minimal amounts of sleep, but I will be cranky as hell in the beginning. It might take me an hour or two to get into my groove and fully wake up and get my fuel running on all cylinders. Something I learned while in college as an undergraduate is that I have periods where I am super sleepy. I’ve pulled all-nighters plenty of times. Yes, I was literally up for 24 hours. I think the longest I’ve ever gone without any sleep is 40 hours. Don’t even ask me how I made it happen, but it happened on my birthday of all days. I worked 12 hours, then I had some studying to do, and then I celebrated.

The crazy thing is the moment I hit the pillow I crashed in a way that I never imagined that I would sleep almost 12 hours. Oh, if I sleep for 12 hours you should be concerned because that means I’m exhausted and I have been burnt out. Yes, it is recommended that we should get eight hours of sleep but imagine you’re working 12-to-16-hour workdays, that is not always feasible. Yes, I would make that argument that eight hours is hard to obtain on a nightly basis with a hectic work schedule.

For me between midnight and 2 a.m. is a dangerous zone. That is when I am at my peak tired. If I manage to stay up after that two-hour time frame, the night is over for me. I cannot sleep and no matter how hard I try, I might not actually fall to literal sleep until 4:30 or 5 in the morning, only to be back awake by 6:30 a.m. or 7 a.m. at the latest.

Well, considering I don’t sleep well to begin with, I’ve started to listen to my body a lot more. When I feel my eyes are trying to close and I’m yawning excessively, that means it is time for me to checkout. I used to fight that all the time, I no longer do that. Just the other day, after getting home from work, I grabbed something to eat, turned on the TV and within 90 minutes I was out cold. Normally I would have tried to stay awake, but I have stopped doing that.

When my body tells me to go to sleep, I literally go to sleep and I think my body greatly appreciates it as a result. Why? I am not fighting what my body is telling me to do which is good for recovery. Your body needs to regenerate because if it doesn’t you will burn out. You might think it won’t happen, but trust me it does and a crash and burn is the worst. I sometimes feel jealous of kids because they seem to get the most sleep out of all humans. Could you imagine sleeping for ten hours?

Ten hours of sleep sounds glorious and some children get it, depending on their age range, and no I’m not talking about babies’ people because we already know they sleep close to 18 hours in a given day, if not longer. I will admit a well-rested night of sleep is glorious because you wake up ready to tackle the day and you don’t feel exhausted.

Whenever you’re sleep deprived it takes a little longer to get moving and find your groove, that is not always good when it comes to work habits especially if you have a schedule that bounces all over the place, mornings, afternoons, evenings and midnights. If you know your sleep schedule try to stick to it, because not only will your body appreciate it, but your mind will as well.

The post Don’t Fight Your Sleep appeared first on Canyon News.

I went to my Farmer’s Market this past week, and I really wanted to stock up on fruits and veggies. I hadn’t been there in about a month, so I might have overindulged a bit on produce. However, I don’t like to overdo it, because produce doesn’t have a long shelf-life, it just doesn’t. Nothing annoys me more than having to throw food away. I don’t like wasting food at all. I try to do my best to cook to the point that there are some leftovers, but not so much to the point that I’m tired of eating it or I have to throw items away.

I had two brown paper bags of groceries and yes, they were packed to the top, I spent over $60. Then the realization hit me, I spent about $30 of that on meat. Some fresh ground chuck, some bacon, and lunchmeat and cheese. The other $30 was literally on fruits and veggies and some a bit pricier than others. I was being lazy that day because my gut instinct told me to go to another supermarket as my budget would stretch just a bit more and I kind of wish I had done that.

This might sound crazy, but anyone who knows me, is fully aware that I am a list guy. I write my grocery list down all the time because I kind of like to know exactly what I am purchasing to a ‘T.’ Of course, I tend to purchase things not on the list, that happens when you see a food item and you’re actually hungry while shopping!

I have gotten a bit better with not wanting to purchase something to eat after going grocery shopping. It is work, which I think so many people forget when you go to the grocery store. It can sometimes be exhausting to complete. However, the big question that lingers is whether it is okay to shop at multiple grocers? Yes. There are too many Americans who don’t do it simply because they don’t want to deal with this battle of going to this place and that place to save a few bucks.

Look, I totally understand that. You might be on a limited schedule where you just don’t have a ton of time to do a ton of things. For me, I look at the circulars for those grocers who actually release them each week. It not about not wanting to spend money, it is the fact that I want my money to stretch, and that’s not possible if I’m just spending willy nilly without considering the ability to save when I can do so.

I’m sure there are many Americans who would LOVE TO JUST GO INTO A STORE and purchase whatever they choose without looking at the price. The reality is a vast majority of Americans cannot do that, so if you can get a package of chicken breast at this retailer for $12, but the other is charging $20, what are you going to do? I’m choosing the $12 retailer because that is $8 I’m saving that I can use for milk, bread, produce or some other cabinet items.

People are going to get mad, but I don’t care, Whole Foods costs too damn much. If the goal is for us to eat organic, whole foods, it shouldn’t be overly pricey to do so. Make whole grains, organic and all those healthy food items just as affordable for the everyday American. You might spend $50 at Whole Foods and only have three items, whereas you go to another grocer and that $50 turns into 30 to 40 items.

It makes a massive difference whether you believe it or not. Quantity matters at times over quality when you have to stretch the budget. I say it all the time, grocers will always be in style because people have to eat, food is a must for our bodies to operate. There are ways to save money at the grocery store. Look at the ads, look at coupons and USE THEM. The more you save the more you can purchase. Also when you save money that is money that can be used later on other things you need in your life.

The post The Grocery Store Battle To Save appeared first on Canyon News.

As Americans, we just are not good at managing our time. We sometimes commit to things that we shouldn’t, and as a result it stresses us out. Can you imagine working 16-hour shifts like some people do on a consistent basis? That likely means you’re not getting eight hours of sleep each night, you might be getting between four and five and the rest is spent on your commute to and from work and eating. That is not fun if you truly think about it.

We have to spend more of our time managing our workload. When you work, you work, when you’re off of work you just have to stop yourself from working. It may be tempting to do it, and I think it’s ok to stay over for work every now and then to get things accomplished. It is so much better to know something is complete than to be wondering in your brain ‘what has to be done.’ You just can’t do it all the time because if you’re always working you might be missing out on other things in life.

I cannot tell you how much I hear from family members with kids who talk about working so much right after the child was born to miss out on pivotal moments. The child’s first walk, them crawling, turning over, speaking their first words, the teeth growing in, going to school, school plays and so much more. I’m learning with age you have to make time even if you feel like at times you don’t have it.

That doesn’t mean you toss away something of super importance for something not as important, but if it is something important to you; you know what to do to ensure you don’t put that to the backburner. Procrastination is something I have always struggled with, and I have admitted it countless times, so much to the point that the realization hit, “Just do it, so you can be done with it already.” Once you do it, guess what, it’s done.

The big issue is that so many Americans allow time to control them versus controlling the time that you have. You sit there thinking in your head should I or shouldn’t I. Guess what? I have the answer, just do it, all that time thinking about whether to do something or not is the reason time starts to pass you by. Utilize the time you have and make the decision already. Don’t be so indecisive when it comes to your time because it is the one thing in life that you absolutely cannot get back once it is gone.

Written By Jason Jones

The post Time Is Of The Essence appeared first on Canyon News.

It feels like companies will do whatever they can to force the consumers to come out more money in their pockets. Yeah, eggs were slightly bad in 2021 and 2022, but 2025 yeah, they are far worse than what I have ever seen America. I mean I was just at the grocery store two weeks ago at my local grocer and I couldn’t find any eggs. The store was completely out of eggs. I returned a week later and it wasn’t any better.

The only difference this time around is that eggs were available, but there wasn’t a lot of them. A dozen of eggs were around $8.35. That is crazy for 12 eggs. I was commiserating with some other patrons at the store and we just couldn’t believe it. So much to the point, that people started grabbing a ½ dozen of eggs because they didn’t want to spend so much for a dozen. However, a ½ dozen wasn’t that great either costing around $3.50 to $4.00, that is beyond nuts.

You are literally paying like $0.50 per egg and that’s only for six eggs. The question I want to know is when the prices for eggs are expected to go down because prices have been high since like November 2024, they have gotten higher in the last few weeks, and I feel like they are only going to climb even more. If you shop at the club warehouses, not many of them have a ton of eggs and when they do get them you have people purchasing them like crazy.

Like people, come on already, I know I’m not the only person who has seen that video with that guy and his cart filled with eggs. Like what is he planning to do with those. Re-sell them to the consumers for like $20 bucks? And I’m almost certain that club warehouse didn’t allow that guy to purchase all those eggs. Even if you own a restaurant, it still feels like those eggs are not going to have a massive shelf life.

I’d like to think eggs last about a month, you can perhaps get away with another week at best, but then those eggs are going to expire, just like milk. Nothing that you place into your body lasts forever, this is not toilet paper or paper towels, you’re talking about purchasing perishable items.

The retailers in some ways are going to have to curb the costs for the consumers. It feels like we are constantly getting the short end of the stick because the prices on all items are constantly on the rise and not just food, cleaning products, clothing, everything is going up in price, but you know what is not going up, the amount of our paychecks. The consumer can only afford to stretch the wallet so much and then you’re having to start to pick and choose.

I know a lot of people who haven’t purchased eggs and they are NOT purchasing eggs because they rather spend whatever extra money they have on something else instead of paying double or triple the price they would normally pay for an everyday item. Do you need eggs for a lot of dishes? Yes, but there are always alternatives that can help you open your horizon to more creative meals.

The post The Egg Crisis Continues appeared first on Canyon News.

Yes, we can tackle the health insurance industry in another column because that is another argument that will take more than a column or two, heck maybe three to really tackle. I do believe most Americans are aware when something is amiss when it comes to their body. If something looks really off or feels unusual, you tend to know it.

Why am I bringing this up? I’ve had a bit of an issue involving my mouth for the last two-three weeks. In particular my jaw. I noticed my jaw locking, which was something that has never transpired. It bothered me when I started yawning and my jaw was literally locking and I would hear it clicking and popping when I tried to unlock it. Not something I could describe as pain free, and then I realized it was happening more than I realized out of the blue.  I hadn’t suffered any significant trauma to the face, so what was going on?

In the last week, it was not locking as much, but the pain has still lingered, especially if I yawn, or try to open my mouth to its fullest potential, and more to the point when I ate. I couldn’t eat anything that required excessive chewing or things overly crunchy because the jaw would start to hurt.

I ended up scheduling an appointment with my PCP because I felt it was the best approach to try to get some answers. Some exams were conducted and then I was referred to a dentist/oral surgeon to have a look. Yeah, trying to get into a dentist/oral surgeon for me has not been easy. It has been a little over a week in a half since the referral and I have been moving around the clock to try to get an appointment to be examined.

To be honest it was like my ordeal when I had to schedule an appointment to see a cardiologist because of my excessive heart rate which ultimately led to my Tachycardia diagnosis. There are some doctors that are just not easy to schedule appointments for. I finally have an appointment with the dentist/oral surgeon this week where I am hoping after a few x-rays and exams we can get an official diagnosis of what the issue is.

I actually caught myself grinding my teeth while sleeping recently. That is something I have never done or even had the notion that I did it, so that did concern me. My biggest issue is the yawning, each time I do it, I feel it in my jaw and now the chewing of food is starting to hurt even more. I cannot chew excessively. It is not my teeth that hurt, it is the jaw so I know there is an issue and internet sleuthing can take you down a rabbit hole where you start to wonder what it could be, what could be a resolution and what you might have to endure to solve the problem. Yeah, I feel the pain directly in my jaw on the left side of my face right under the tip near my left ear. No pain on the right side, but that left side nothing has subsided.

Right now my ultimate goal is to find out what is the problem and how can I assure it is resolved. The internet at times can give you a hint as to what the issue might be, but you don’t truly know until you know, and as scary as things can feel or be at times, you start the realization it is better to know definitively than to simply make a guess.

The post The Internet Cannot Diagnose A Health Issue appeared first on Canyon News.

I wish I could explain his behavior, but it is an enigma that I cannot understand. He rages, acts a complete fool and then turns around and acts as if he hasn’t done anything wrong. I don’t think he realizes the words he uses at times, his inability to just say “I messed up” and sincerely apologize without any pre-requisites makes it worse. There is a reason people don’t want to be bothered because they truly don’t know who they’re going to get, Dr. Jekyl or Mr. Hyde. No one wants that, but the problem is he doesn’t see it.

Each time you give him another chance; he turns around and proves you wrong by resorting back to that same behavior that just irritates the blood. I just can’t stand it or do it anymore, I can’t. Forgive on Monday, and then by Wednesday you’re back to square one. At this point, I truly don’t know what to do. I cannot help him anymore, he truly has to help himself and that is the scary thing. I don’t think he wants or even cares to change. This is who he is and he likes being this way.

It is something he is proud of and loves to wear it as a badge of honor. However, I am learning that when someone acts like a jerk you just ignore them. You can’t engage with them because the more you engage with them the more idiotic they behave. Their goal is to get a reaction out of you and the moment you react, it gives them the fuel to continue to behave the way they choose.

At times, I just have to take a deep breath and collect my thoughts, it is sometimes easy to react when you are frustrated and that is just being a human being, we react without thinking before we react. Your goal should NEVER be to react with emotion because you might say and do things that you ultimately regret later.

I don’t always but that forgiveness is simply for you, I think it does benefit the person who you forgive because it lifts a weight off their shoulders. They might have that lingering feeling that they can’t escape and as soon as you forgive them, they feel a levity and as a result they are back to bad behavior because they see they got away with it before, so why not again. I do believe there are things that people can do that are so horrific that forgiveness is just not on the playing ground anytime soon. It may take extensive soul searching and some deep digging for someone to forgive someone that has done something that has lingering effects on their life to the point it is no hard pill to swallow.

As Americans we all have to practice the notion of forgiveness, but for those just saying to get over it and move on, that is easy for you to say if you have endured the trauma that some of us have had to deal with and it is not a one-time occasion it is something that happens repeatedly.

Written By Jason Jones

The post Forgiveness Is Not Always Easy appeared first on Canyon News.