My twin often complains that I never tell anyone that I have an identical twin sister. I don't do it intentionally, but I'm used to everyone knowing that I have a twin. We went to the same schools until college, and everyone knew who we were. I was used to complete strangers coming up to us at school and saying, "Hi, Begle." To me, being a twin isn't that unusual. It's just the way it's always been. Our older half brother, Bob, lived with his mom so we don't have any experience with other si...

My mom always writes a letter to send out with her Christmas cards that sums up the year, and I've been doing it for the last two years as well. This year, I thought that I'd also post it here so that the Internet-savvy users of my family can check it out here, too. For those of who you who don't know, Chrissy is my identical twin sister. Dear friends and family, It’s my second Christmas in my little house! This year Chrissy and I put up the Christmas lights without help from Dad. Dad ...

Some of my friends and I were watching Pixar's movie "Finding Nemo". It was the first time that I'd seen it since it was in the theatres, and at the end, I very innocently remarked that I liked it better than when I had watched it the first time. In this case, when I say "very innocently", I mean that I really was making an innocuous remark, as opposed to making mischief while trying to appear innocent. One of my friends asked me why I didn't like it as much the first time. Now, at this poin...

Sometime after my friends and I were all in college, we realized that Christmas is expensive. It wasn't as much of an issue when we were living with our parents and not having to worry about buying text books, paying rent, etc. We decided that, instead of having to buy each other all presents, it would be better to just do something as a group that we didn't normally do. So we started an annual tradition of all of us going to a restaurant in Royal Oak, MI called La Fondue. It was great. I...

My two favorite radio stations, 100.3 WNIC and 105.1 WMGC, which both play soft rocks and have great morning shows, have already started their Christmas music marathons. They started playing Christmas songs occasionally almost immediately (if not immediately) after Halloween. I changed my radio station to 96.3, and will probably stick with that and CDs until after Christmas. Don't get me wrong. I love Christmas music, and I have no problem that we're already practicing Advent and Christmas...

I first heard this song by Evanescence in the movie Daredevil, and it just stuck with me. I usually listen to soft rock stations, but I've started listening to a different station lately, in protest of my usual stations already playing Christmas carols. So I've been hearing this song more often, and the more often that I hear it, the more I like it. The music is a juxtaposition of a delicate piano arpeggio and a driving beat from the guitar, completed with passionate lyrics. I went o...

As I left the movie theater today after seeing the Matrix, I felt much the same as I do leaving church on Good Friday. It's rather like leaving after a funeral. Except that you have the added guilt of knowing that it's your fault, and the fault of countless generations before you that Christ had to die on the cross. (Catholics really get into the guilt factor on Good Friday). On Good Friday, I know that Easter is coming just a few days away. But I always ask myself, was it worth it? I...

I've always been against first person shooters for two reasons: 1) It's a game devoted to violence. There is no other purpose to play a FPS other than to wreak havoc. 2) The few times I tried playing the original Castle Wolfenstein at my cousins' house, I sucked. Not surprising, since I hadn't had any practice. The guys here at work all like to play FPSs, and they started playing them at lunch or after hours on the LAN. They asked if I wanted to play, but I wasn't really interested. Bu...