Stories beginning with, "In my day - " or "When I was just a little twerp - " are always good for a chuckle; but often, I give them the poorer half of my divided attention. When I turned on the TV Sunday afternoon, I choked at the sight of Brett Favre throwing against the Green Bay Packers. In my day, my younger brother threw on his new No. 4 ... [Read More…]

The cities of Europe are littered with cathedrals. They are impressive, imposing, centuries old and most days, close to empty. These stone-carved buildings, with their ornately carved gargoyles and striking stone towers and buttresses, are a monument to Europe's deeply religious history. It is a history filled with inquisitions, reformations, ... [Read More…]

As a rule, I prefer chick flicks to all other movies, with the exception of some historical films. I want happy endings. I don't want to pay $8 to watch reality. All I have to do is look outside, go to class or turn on the news for that. Unsatisfying endings occur every day. When I pay money for an escape, I want happily-ever-afters. But some ... [Read More…]

Every September, when stores begin setting up Halloween aisles and seasonal costume shops start popping up all over town, I get excited. Halloween is by far my favorite holiday. Most people assume it's because it is also my birthday, but there's a lot more to it. I think I love Halloween because of the memories and traditions I associate with it. ... [Read More…]

It's not just me. Arizona and Hawaii act like they've never heard of it. Farmers hate it, and for good reason. If you have ever spent 30 seconds with a cow, you know the glazed-over, my-mind-is-numb-and-I-like-it-that-way look they can give humans when we waste our time speaking to them. Imagine: you have milked your cows at 7 a.m. for the past ... [Read More…]

When I was little, I believed clouds represented those in heaven. After all, they are above us, where we believe Heaven to be, and they are watching over us like they promised - or like we're sure they would have promised if our pets could talk. You may dismiss this idea as the foolish thoughts of a child, but first, think of how many times you've ... [Read More…]

After watching an episode of the cheesy TV show Ghost Adventures with a group of friends last weekend, I drove home late at night to a dark, quiet house. I tiptoed to my room as my housemates slept, and I climbed under the safety of my covers, with scenes from the ghost-hunting show still running through my mind. I'm usually skeptical when it ... [Read More…]

My mother never liked Halloween. It wasn't the candy or the costumes or even the dirty looks "real" Christians give you whenever you forget to call the Halloween party a "Fall Festival." She always just steered us away from what most people considered to be in the spirit of the holiday - ghouls, witches, ax murderers - and focused on the lighter ... [Read More…]

It's 4 a.m., and somewhere, someone is rocking out to Metallica, Blink 182 or Queen. Unless you've been living under a pile of typewriters and floppy discs for the past few years, you've at least heard about Guitar Hero by now. But how many of us have stopped to think how it's changed the very fabric of our lives? What's that? It hasn't? Au ... [Read More…]

When young children play, they seem lost in their own perfect worlds, where good always triumphs, the prince always saves the princess and Matchbox cars resurface from pileups unscathed. Nothing can disturb this utopia, except perhaps occasional potty breaks or Mom's call for a snack. Kids don't care which country may or may not develop nuclear ... [Read More…]