Articles written by Michael Deqel - Page 3

What is Helium

About me - Michael Deqel

Poet and photographer Michael Deqel holds degrees in psychology, creative writing, and English literature from the University of Minnesota. He studied Torah and Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism) in the US and in Israel; he's also been an anti-racist activist and

+ more bio information

RSS Feed

Arts & Humanities > Photography Portrait photography 101: 5 of 16
Creativity makes a portrait photo stand out. Follow these tips to help your creativity soar.Tell the storyPortrait photos record more than a person's appearance. A good portrait photographer tells a story that has the elements of a good novel: setting, plot, and, most of all, character. The portrait photo is really about the ... More..
Arts & Humanities > The World Wars Holocaust: Why it should never be forgotten: 13 of 41
"Shoah Remembrance Day" Why the holocaust should never be forgotten[note: this is a proem, pros-etry, a prose-poetry essay, an experiment in genres;shoa(h) is the Hebrew / Jewish word for the Holocaust]Genocide continues around the world in our time (Darfur, East Timor);genocide happened in other times,before the holocaust (N... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Bible Study Your favorite verse in the Bible, and what it means to you: 81 of 252
"...the instruction... I enjoin upon you this day is not too baffling for you, nor is it beyond reach. It is not in the heavens, that you should say, Who among us can go up to the heavens and get it for us and impart it to us, that we may observe it?' Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, Who among us can cross t... More..
Education > Education (Other) Should schools or parents be in control of a child's education?: 14 of 43
I believe that parents should participate in their children's education. While this debate is framed in such a way that this puts me on the side of parents, I don't think it is an either / or question. Rather, it is both / and.My daughters went to a school that was "site managed." What that meant, in essence, is that within t... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Politics in the Middle & Near East Iran's aggressive actions in the Middle East: 3 of 9
Iran's recent test firing of several missiles threatens stability in the region, no doubt. And, no doubt, President Amadinejad wants to shift the balance of power in Iran's direction. The missiles and ongoing uranium enrichment will achieve this, no doubt about it. So, the west, led by the U.S., rattles sabers in response. Ho... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Christian Beliefs & Culture Does attending church matter?: 16 of 47
Community is important. Attending church does matter, not in the sense of going to a building, but in the sense of participating in a communal act of worship. It is through sharing prayer and worship together that our own spirit builds. However, joining in worship does not require a church, synagogue, or mosque. The building ... More..
Arts & Humanities > Making Art Digital art: Making the leap from traditional to computer art: 6 of 17
My friend, who still prefers film photography, argues that using computer programs to "manipulate" photos goes against the "art." She calls it "cheating" to make the photo "look better." However, the "tools" of a program such as Adobe PhotoShop in many cases merely replicate the "manipulations" photographers have done in the ... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Astrology & Prophecy Believing in horoscopes: 8 of 19
Douglas Adams, in the last of the five Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Books, suggests that astrology doesn't work per se. What he talks about is the "general mish mosh" of everything-the total randomness of events, probability, the universe. Any pattern placed across this suggests something useful, even helps predict perhap... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Politics in the Middle & Near East Israel's onslaught on Gaza: 3 of 7
Israel launched its largest offensive against Gaza since the Six Day War in 1967, sending in air strikes, then pounding with artillery, then overwhelming with tanks and troops. Images of burning buildings, bloody children, and sheet-wrapped corpses convey the seriousness of the aggression, and repeatedly hammer human hearts a... More..
Education > High School Math & Sciences Why some teens dislike math and science: 21 of 48
Poor teaching contributes the most to teens disliking math and science.A good teacher inspires students, captures their imagination, and gives them tools to figure out solutions on their own. Problem-based teaching, which puts learning into the context of real-world situations that have relevance to children is one approach t... More..