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Best of science still yet to come

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As long as men like Carl Sagan and Neil Armstrong lead the way, the best scientific accomplishments are yet to be had. Wait, what? It seems that both Sagan and Armstrong died without bothering to tell me. The future of space exploration is now a bit more dubious. The era of popular interest in interstellar space travel was during the Cold War, ... [Read More…]

Snow, rain nor heat… except on Saturdays

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Last week, the United States Postal Service announced it will stop delivering first-class mail on Saturday. The new plan will go into effect Aug. 5. In 2012, the postal service reported a $16 billion loss. The postal service is expects the change to save about $2 billion a year, the effect might not last long. After Aug. 5, Saturday mail ... [Read More…]

The tale of a tongue-tied traveler

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My Spanish teacher told me I had one of the worst Spanish accents she'd ever heard. She said this to me in front of the whole class after I had answered a question. Strangely enough, my eagerness to speak in a foreign language just hasn't quite been the same ever since. Part of the problem is I can't roll my tongue. This is a pretty quintessential ... [Read More…]

Make the most out of CORE

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I wish I could go back and take CORE over again. Not because I enjoyed it, but because I didn't. The Cornerstone course for incoming freshmen is not a popular one; it especially wasn't in the fall of 2010. Students' complaints ranged from the abstract foundation of the material to the sometimes uncomfortable subject matter. Different instructors ... [Read More…]

There are no winners on Valentine’s Day

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Valentine's Day is tomorrow. This holiday is no good for anyone. Couples are forced to awkwardly exchange gifts and profess affection. In case you were wondering, chumps who are in love should probably acknowledge it more than once a year. Being mandated to do so by a traditional Anglican and Lutheran holiday also wrecks any pretense of being ... [Read More…]

Lent provides second chance

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If New Year's resolutions seem to be withering, fear not, Lent has come to pass. I always had deemed Lent the strike-two event for resolutioners, the non-Catholics bandwagon jump for those who postponed January 1st goals. The pre-Easter preparation is a traditional Catholic ritual held 40 days prior to Holy Week, a time set to give up pleasures ... [Read More…]

Travel more fun than vacationing

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Texas is a big state and the United States is a big country, but it's surprising how many people can say they've never left the U.S., or even Texas. Oh, and that vacation to Cancun where you sat by the pool and drinks came with little umbrellas doesn't count. That's not a different country, it's a tourist trap. Travel can seem like an ominous ... [Read More…]

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