Anyone living in Abilene, or Texas for that matter knows you can't rely on the weather to tell you when spring has arrived. Instead, I learned early on to find alternative methods. In elementary school I always knew spring was here when we would fly kites. Once a year at Taylor Elementary School we had kite day. As I recall, it wasn't an event ... [Read More…]

I sometimes forget just how amazing life can be. When I awoke from my slumbers earlier today it was one of those chilly spring mornings, where the wind nips at you but could hardly be considered biting. But I didn't know that - I was tucked warmly away in my bed in a climate-controlled setting. I recognized the chill in the air only when I rolled ... [Read More…]

It began with a link titled "How to tell if he's your soulmate." From there it was, "8 Dating Mistakes Women Make," and then "25 Things to Keep Him Happy." Since the day I made Yahoo my homepage, I've been bombarded with these "helpful" articles: some of them announcing the top 10 unhealthiest drinks in America, others providing statistics about ... [Read More…]

My conviction arrived in a dirty, white envelope last Thursday. I hesitantly opened it and saw four images of my little white car speeding through a red light. I promise it was yellow when I went through, but the images proved otherwise. It happened Easter Sunday, of all days, and I was driving back to Abilene after a relaxing weekend of America's ... [Read More…]

It's hot outside, and I have the taste of dirt in my mouth because of the torrential winds and the extensive amount of construction on campus. I need something to quench my thirst, cleanse my palate, give me a little boost to finish the day strong. I need frozen yogurt. Alas, my newest taste addiction is nowhere to be found in this town. No ... [Read More…]

I really thought it wouldn't happen again. I thought it couldn't happen again - I believe in a God who I believed with all my heart and soul wouldn't let it happen again. My faith has been rattled, my nostrils burned and my personal scent? Pungent. A couple of months ago, a skunk sprayed my home twice in one week. My three roommates and I thought ... [Read More…]

Tolerance is the word of the day. Our 21st-century society has mandated that we be tolerant, but does society even know what tolerance means? Tolerance as a concept has changed, but so has its very definition. In Merriam-Webster's original 1828 dictionary, tolerate meant "to suffer to be or to be done without prohibition or hinderance; to allow or ... [Read More…]

You all remember Al Gore. After losing a vicious battle for the presidency, the former vice president became one of the most ardent supporters of the green movement. His constant presence on television and Capitol Hill, along with his provocative documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, helped change the way we think about conservation and helped spur a ... [Read More…]