I suppose the normal approach one might take to this topic would be to compile a series of images showcasing both sunrises and sunsets, possibly waxing poetic on the emotions and atmosphere that each generates. Really, though, I do not put much merit on such things, particularly when taken out of context – at the [...]

It seems that I shall now revisit the topic of famous cats, thanks to the interest of one Marc-André Chambers. After some looking around, I found quite a few examples of famous cats, some fictional and some real. Many of them were famous only because they were owned by famous people. Even so, I have compiled a list of 10 interesting famous cats, starting with one who has been in the news recently.

I would not say that I am particularly savvy when it comes to online commerce, but I suppose I have above-average experience in purchasing items online. I do not dabble in auction sites such as eBay, but as a college student in a town with little more than a Walmart and a Kroger, I did turn to online retailers for most of my luxury purchases. It would be silly for me to write a tutorial on shopping online – get a credit card, fill out the forms and, like anything else, try not to be stupid about it – but I can certainly suggest some sites and services that I have found to be useful and reliable. My luxury buying habits tend toward products that could fit into categories such as technology, music and video games, so if you are hoping for some tips on buying, say, a canoe or some exercise equipment, you would do best to look elsewhere.

I’m taking another hiatus this week. Why? It’s my birthday. My gift to myself.

I racked my brain trying to think of something to talk about relating to chess. I have not played chess in years, and while I appreciate the game and the amount of knowledge and strategy it requires, I am not all that interested in becoming a master at it.

I thought about researching the history of the game and writing about that, but it all sounds rather boring to me. Around the 6th or 7yh century, an early form of the game had developed in non-Western countries such as India and Persia. A few centuries later, it made its way to Europe and, by the 19th century, had become altered into a different, Western form that more resembles what in modern times is known as chess.

Like I said, boring, right? This is how it should have gone.

After working as a sports copy editor for a central Ohio newspaper for about a month and a half, looking over stories from Cleveland and Cincinnati as well as any number of other places around the world, I have gathered some knowledge about the typical sports news article. It seems to me that no other section of news is so devoted to statistics. Tidbits of information that seem inconsequential out of context – a pitcher’s ERA versus left-handed batters, for instance, or the at-bat ratings of a particular batter against a particular team – suddenly bear so much importance when applied to an upcoming game or, even more so, the upset of a game that just happened.

I know what you might be thinking. Those who know me may not see me as much of a cook. I did mention in a previous post that I basically cook spaghetti every day. Those who really know me would say that I can also make a mean apple crisp, my chocolate mint banana bread is pretty awesome, and – as I learned today – cheesecake-stuffed strawberries are not beyond my capabilities.

Let the ranting commence!

But first, a disclaimer: I don’t watch much television. I watch TV shows on occasion, but not on a television. I have my reasons, but I don’t intend to get into them in this post.

What I would like to address in this post is why I believe reality shows have been damaging to American culture.

I had intended to post this sooner, but I was messing around with transferring the site to a new host, and technical problems set me back a bit. Apologies to anyone who might have been waiting for it.
After consulting with Jeremy, who took responsibility for submitting this topic, I learned that he had come up [...]

It was something of a running joke with my housemates that I eat huge amounts of spaghetti every day. I don’t eat it every day, just most days. The process of cooking and preparing spaghetti has become something of a ritual for me, so to address this topic, I think I will give some tips that I have learned on THE ART OF SPAGHETTI.