Articles written by Stan Dyer

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About me - Stan Dyer

I am a freelance writer and photographer out of Colorado. I can write intelligently on just about any subject, but my interests lie with history and subjects of historical significance. What I don't know, I search on the web. Keep your eye on me. People are

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Politics, News & Issues > US Elections (Other) The importance of voting: 1 of 29
In a recent Mayoral election in my city of over 105,455 Americans, only 20,888 took the time to voice their opinions. This was a "Mail-In Ballot" where people did not even have to leave the comfort of their easy chairs to participate in the democratic process, and they still chose not to exercise their individual franchise. T... More..
Personal Finance > Taxes Why tax refunds are bad: 1 of 16
Every year around this time, those familiar words start to pop-up. The words are "tax refund" and "deduction" usually heard in association with other words like "big" or "more". It is as if some marketing agency is trying to convince us that a tax refund is a good thing. In fact, many people do believe the myth that a tax ref... More..
Entertainment > Movie Reviews Movie reviews: 10,000 BC: 1 of 14
Contrary to popular belief, this movie has nothing to do with my senior year in High School. It also has nothing to do with caveman movies starring either Raquel Welch or Ringo Starr. It is an "Apocalyto" story with a "Last of the Mohicans" subplot mixed with a smattering of "Willow". If you are going to enjoy this movie, lea... More..
Autos > Fuel Economy Are high fuel prices necessary?: 1 of 10
It does not matter if high fuel prices are necessary or not. They are here to stay and we brought them on ourselves. When gas prices were relatively low, lower than any other country in the world, did we conserve? No. Did we buy cars with better gas mileage? No. Did we consider the impact on our environment? No. It's not like... More..
Business > Advertising Do ads that use sex to sell their products degrade women?: 5 of 48
Yes, advertisements use sex to sell their products, but they do not degrade women. Instead, they degrade the people who respond to them, both men and women. We grow up in a society that teaches us beautiful women look a certain way. The same society also teaches us that virile men also must have a certain "look" different fro... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Presidential Elections 2008 Which party is better suited for the White House in '09: Democrat or Republican?: 2 of 17
No party is better suited for the White House now, or ever. We do not need political parties in government. What we do need are people. We need good people dedicated to the service of this country, the prosperity of all, and the continuance of the "Great Experiment". When the Founding Fathers began putting together the framew... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Politics, News & Issues (Other) Does history repeat itself: 5 of 40
If you think of history in absolute terms, then "no", it does not repeat. That's ludicrous since time only passes once and the exact circumstances at that exact moment in time can never be repeated exactly. If, however, you think in general terms, then history repeats itself over and over again, and always will. A good exampl... More..
Entertainment > Movie Reviews Movie reviews: You Don't Mess with the Zohan: 3 of 24
In this age of ongoing, endless war, shaky political relations worldwide, and continuing terrorist violence, it seems irreverent to turn all that into a comedy. Is someone supposed to laugh at this, or cry? I was confused at the beginning, but, after a while, I got it and the whole thing began to make sense. This movie is jus... More..
Arts & Humanities > Theater & Drama Commentary: What do critics really do?: 1 of 8
Recently, while reading a local nespaper, I came across an article by a theatre professional concerned with inaccuracies in theatre reviews. The author questioned why critics exist at all. It was a clever article from a different point of view, but, instead of successfully arguing his point, the article served more to support... More..
Food & Drink > Cooking (Other) Tips for making pizza healthy: 4 of 30
Somewhere along the line, pizza got the reputation for being unhealthy, fattening and generally not good. Nothing could be further from the truth. The keys to making healthy pizza are to make it yourself and leave off the meat. When most people think of pizza, they think of restaurant, delivery or frozen pizza from the grocer... More..