Moments in time

Jeanne Bonner is a writer, editor and literary translator. Her writing has been published by The New York Times, NPR, Delta Sky Magazine and CNN. She teaches writing in Connecticut. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely her own. View more opinion articles on CNN. (CNN) I have a question for my father so I jot it down on a postcard. I figured it would be a new way to communicate. When I visit my parents, who are in their 80s, two weeks later at their home in New Jersey last fall, I say excitedly to dad, "Did you get my postcard? What is your favorite piece of music?" My father listened to music when I was growing up like some fathers watch the game, or consult the box scores in the newspaper. The stereo was always on. He didn't play any instruments but had an encyclopedic knowledge of classical music and jazz. He turned me onto WKCR, Columbia University's radio station so I could hear Phil Schaap conducting marathon birthday shows about the great Jazz … [Read more...] about I don’t know my dad as much as I thought I did. I’m racing against time to find out more

NEW DELHI: India's home affairs minister on Tuesday (Aug 6) hailed "historic" legislation to bring Kashmir under its direct control, as New Delhi stepped up its clampdown on dissent in the restive Muslim-majority region. Three high-profile political leaders in Kashmir were detained for being a threat to peace hours after Home Affairs Minister Amit Shah announced on Monday that the president had scrapped Kashmir's special autonomous status. Shah also moved legislation for splitting the disputed territory into two and bringing Kashmir under Delhi's direct control. The bill was passed by the upper house late Monday and was set to sail through the lower house where the government holds a sizeable majority. Shah, a powerful aide of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, compared the move to other "historic moments" in the nation, adding that the law should be "written with golden words in Indian history". "The great parliament which has expressed its views on unity and integrity of India … [Read more...] about Kashmir clampdown tightened as India hails ‘historic moment’

The most violent day in Toronto’s recent history started on a decidedly cheerful note. “Hello sunshine!” Breakfast Television host Kevin Frankish sang as he introduced the morning’s weather segment. Sunny and 15 C, Monday felt like the first day of spring to Henry Yang, who, like many Torontonians, was relishing the sun after such a long, dreary winter. “Such a beautiful day,” Yang said to his wife, Michelle, after delivering green onions and tomatoes to Artisan Noodle, his Yonge St. restaurant, after 1 p.m. The restaurant was busier than it had been in months, while the sidewalks were alive with office workers on their lunch breaks and people running errands. So Yang was feeling good as he got back in his car and headed toward Hwy. 401. That’s when he heard a crash of crunching metal. He thought it was his muffler. Then he saw the van. A few minutes later Yonge St. looked like a war zone — a two-kilometre crime scene of scattered bodies, bloodied sidewalks … [Read more...] about The day Yonge St. became a war zone: How the van rampage unfolded moment by moment

Source: Lighthunter/Shutterstock We've all had the awful experience of feeling awkward in social situations. Most of us have had such experiences over and over again. What's that about? Do you know what happens in social interactions that can make you feel awkward and uncomfortable? Think about that, and then read on to see what research psychologist Joshua Clegg discovered in his research. Happily, he also uncovered a few things people can do to escape the awkwardness—without actually walking away. Social awkwardness seems especially likely to occur among strangers, so in Clegg's research, most participants did not know each other. (Also, most were college students.) When they showed up for the study, they were led into a room where some of the other participants may have already arrived, and instructed to take one of the seats around the table. On the table were cups, a pitcher of water, and a plate of cookies. After the last participant arrived, the door was closed and … [Read more...] about 10 Awkward Moments, and 6 Ways to Escape Them

Growing up, I think I was constantly in motion. This drove my parents nuts, of course. What mother enjoys having a hyperactive child running around her or the small apartment they live in all the time? So, more often than not, she’d let me out of the house the way you’d let a cat out or a dog loose in your backyard. The thing is, we didn’t live in a suburb with a backyard. We lived in New York City, one of the craziest and most crowded cities in the world. Parenting in the 1970s and parenting today are very different. Back then, my mother’s basic rule was pretty much, “Don’t get killed.” She let me loose on the streets of Manhattan at the same age my son is now. Which is pretty amazing, when you think about it. Today, we over-protect our kids. Singapore is a million times safer than Manhattan was in what the New York Times actually called “some of the darkest, bleakest years in New York’s history”. From the same article, the late 1970s in New York was an “era when the city was edgy … [Read more...] about On the timetable for the day: Scheduled physical activity time for the kids