One Man’s Trash Is Another Man’s Home

One Man’s Trash Is Another Man’s Home

by | Sep 30, 2016 | Justice    ~ Approx. 1min

I nearly always stump people in “Two Truths and a Lie” when I say that I used to work at a landfill. People are convinced that must be the lie. But sure enough, I worked at my local landfill one summer in high school. While I knew in theory that trash doesn’t...
Five Life Lessons from College Football

Five Life Lessons from College Football

by | Sep 29, 2016 | Sports    ~ Approx. 4 mins

Football is back. I know, I know, depending on where you stand those three words can make your heart race – or your eyes roll. It can seem like a waste of time, a whole lot to do about nothing, entertainment for the masses… I get it. But watch this and tell me...
And Then There Were Three

And Then There Were Three

by | Sep 28, 2016 | Blogs, Faith & Family, Spirituality    ~ Approx. 3 mins

“Table for two,” we said in unison after a sidewalk bear hug and the jingle of the coffee shop door opening. We slid into our wire and wooden chairs beside the window on National Avenue and didn’t know where to begin. Good friends can pick up where they left off, but...
The Stranger Things of Friendship

The Stranger Things of Friendship

by | Sep 23, 2016 | Pop Culture    ~ Approx. 3 mins

I recently sat down and watched Stranger Things, a new show on Netflix.  I had heard a lot of clamor about the series and it came recommended by a good friend.  The series takes place in 1983 and is a thriller with science-fiction elements scattered throughout the...
The Boy Who (Still) Lives! A Review of Rowling’s Latest

The Boy Who (Still) Lives! A Review of Rowling’s Latest

by | Sep 21, 2016 | Pop Culture    ~ Approx. 4 mins

While some consider me “obsessed” with Harry Potter, I prefer the term “expert.” In last month’s Daily Prophet, Rita Skeeter even wrote an exposé on me, copied below… COLTEN BIRO, SJ; Order of Merlin, Second Class With the ravenous wit of a Ravenclaw at heart,...
I, Jumbotron

I, Jumbotron

by | Sep 20, 2016 | Blogs, Spirituality    ~ Approx. 3 mins

The final score was a dismally boring 14-2. Our hometown Oakland A’s were creamed by the storied Boston Red Sox in a sparsely attended game, in their ugly, concrete stadium. The game – late in the season for our non-playoff team – didn’t count for much....
On Patriotism, Protest, and Prayer

On Patriotism, Protest, and Prayer

by | Sep 19, 2016 | Justice, Pop Culture, Sports    ~ Approx. 4 mins

Embed from Getty Images Colin Kaepernick sat, then took a knee. Megan Rapinoe and dozens of other athletes joined the protest, sparking a national conversation about appropriate behavior during the national anthem. But the athletes’ protests have also raised this...
What We Know — But Don’t Know That We Know

What We Know — But Don’t Know That We Know

by | Sep 15, 2016 | In the News    ~ Approx. 2min

Grammar is about the last topic I would expect to trend on Twitter. And yet, when Matthew Anderson, a BBC editor, tweeted a picture from Mark Forsyth’s book The Elements of Eloquence: How to Turn the Perfect English Phrase, it received tens of thousands of likes and...
Embracing Our “Boring” VP Nominees

Embracing Our “Boring” VP Nominees

by | Sep 14, 2016 | Faith & Politics, In the News    ~ Approx. 4 mins

Embed from Getty Images Another day, another set of discouraging “presidential” headlines. Hillary is in the pocket of Wall Street! Trump is provoking gun owners against Hillary! Safe to say, this is an unconventional election year.  For the first time in our...