Articles written by Mark Dykeman

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About me - Mark Dykeman

I live in New Brunswick, Canada. I'm a husband and father of two. I work in an information services department. I've traveled a bit with my job to places like England, Australia, France, and different parts of Canada and the US.

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Entertainment > Movie Analysis Movie analysis: Why movies like "Passion" and "Da Vinci Code" get people riled up: 1 of 42
In the past couple of years, moviegoers have been caught in a phenomenon that I like to refer to as "The Passion of the Code". In this discussion of the emotional impact of two recent movies that rely on key Christian concepts in their plots, the two key words that we'll want to examine are "passion" and "code". These are two... More..
Entertainment > TV Genres & Trends The best TV cartoons for kids: 1 of 30
What are the best TV cartoons for kids? Excellent question. There are certainly a lot of cartoons on television these days and there are several television channels which are devoted to cartoons and children's programming. Shows like The Simpsons and South Park are not intended for kids and definitely don't make this list, al... More..
Politics, News & Issues > News (Other) The importance of seeking a balance in positive news to combat the negative: 5 of 113
Watching or reading the mainstream news media is like watching dozens of disaster movies at the same time! This "news negativity", factual or otherwise, is driving people away. A 2007 Harvard University study indicated that 60% of US citizens ranging from 18 to 30 years old pay very limited attention, if any, to the mainstrea... More..
Entertainment > Entertainment (Other) Most powerful superheroes: 6 of 107
Imagine you could destroy a mountain with your thoughts, fly in space without a spacesuit, or go toe-to-toe in mortal combat with the gods themselves... now that's power! But which hero is the most powerful of all? Who can mop the floor with Superman's cape (after ripping it off his body)? But, more importantly, what person t... More..
Society & Lifestyle > Personal Morals & Values When idle hands make mischief: Deciding if boredom causes evil: 1 of 17
I don't believe that boredom causes evil. I think that boredom can have some impact on making a person do stupid, questionable, or malicious things, but I don't think the boredom itself causes evil. There's that old saying about idle hands doing the devil's work, but I think that's a simplistic statement that doesn't adequate... More..
Society & Lifestyle > Personal Morals & Values Why people struggle with honesty: 2 of 33
Why do some people feel they need to lie? In a word: fear. Fear is a major motivator in encouraging people to lie. People lie because they are afraid of the consequences of telling the truth. People will invent and spread falsehoods in order to make their audience look at them in a positive light, or to make some other person... More..
Arts & Humanities > Awareness & Reality Creative inspiration: Where do our ideas come from?: 3 of 47
Successful writers are often asked where they get their ideas. Writers like Stephen King and Harlan Ellison have written imaginative and humorous anecdotes which explain how they use their creative talents to come up with brilliant story ideas. Most of these stories are just attempts to make light of the creative process and ... More..
Arts & Humanities > Helium Dos & Don'ts Should a picture and bio be required on the writer's Helium home page?: 2 of 31
I don't think that Helium writers should be forced to post both a picture and bio statement on their Helium homepage. There are a lot of benefits to allowing your audience to get to know you better, but I really think it depends on what a writer hopes to achieve by posting their work on Helium. I think we have to allow for ... More..
Jobs & Careers > Professionalism Never being late for work: Tips: 2 of 25
Never being late for work seems impossible to many people! Some of us find it very hard to get there on time. After all, a number of small events have to happen on schedule in order for you to be on time. There are days that you'll fail: car accidents, travel problems, family sickness, weather problems, forgotten medical appo... More..
Computers & Technology > Internet Issues The effect of the Internet on reading habits: 1 of 12
Some experts say that people are reading less than ever. In one sense that's true, at least for certain forms of writing. However, you might be reading a lot more than you think. There are more and more pieces of writing to read than ever before. However, the medium that we use to read is evolving. Reading is a task that we'v... More..