Articles written by Robin Degner

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About me - Robin Degner

I am an Indiana-based freelance writer. I write for my local newspaper and various online websites.

I have a puppy who I think is adorable and who is very familiar with the word "cute."

I graduated from Grace College in Winona Lake, Indiana with a B.A. in French

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Personal Finance > Credit Cards Should teens have credit cards?: 5 of 62
I definitely think teens should have credit cards. I also think they need to understand how and when to use them. The best way to teach responsibility for money and credit cards is to have set rules and to enforce them.When I was 14, my parents gave me a credit card. While most people would discourage this, they did it to tea... More..
Food & Drink > Coffee Which is the better choice: Coffee or tea?: 4 of 27
Ahh, the great debate: coffee or tea? Frankly, I drink both, and I love both. But there are things about tea that make coffee fall horribly short. And most of the time, when I'm choosing between one and the other, tea wins. Especially if I have chai on hand. What makes tea better in my book?There's the old caffeine argument. ... More..
Entertainment > Celebrity Lifestyles & Trends Do celebrities have a positive or negative effect on society?: 3 of 18
Donate money. Support the troops. Help teachers who can't get supplies for their classrooms. Believe it or not, celebrities around the world do all this and more. They also have the added disadvantage of having their worst moments caught on tape, on TV and in the news and they're constantly in the public eye. They have to dea... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Politics, News & Issues (Other) Assimilating in America requires learning English: 2 of 12
I speak fluent French and conversational Spanish, so I fully support learning a second language, and truly believe that Americans shouldn't be content with only knowing one language, even if English is the most commonly-spoken language in the world. That said, I believe that immigrants to the United States should learn to spe... More..
Relationships & Family > Romance & Sexuality Should the federal government set a national age for sexual consent for teens?: 9 of 39
There should be no national age for sexual consent for teenagers. Why? Parents need to teach their children right from wrong. It is a parent's responsibility to instruct the child, and sex is a subject that parents need to deal with, despite their natural hesitations.I'm not saying that there shouldn't be laws regarding statu... More..
Food & Drink > Cookware & Cutlery How to use a double boiler: 3 of 13
Some of the best recipes use double broilers. Double broilers are helpful for making sauces mix smoothly and evenly. They're the best way to melt chocolate because they don't leave that lingering scent of burnt chocolate in the microwave and they make the chocolate break down slowly and evenly.Making your own double broiler i... More..
Relationships & Family > Couple Communication Should a husband tell his wife about his romantic past?: 5 of 19
"You're well on your way to an excellent marriage," congratulated Hugh Laurie as Dr. Gregory House in the popular prime time television show after he's convinced a woman to lie to her husband about his being her baby's father. Lies create walls. Once you've lied, you need to remember the lie.Likewise, a husband should tell hi... More..
Arts & Humanities > Fantasy & Science Fiction Has the fantasy genre become stagnant?: 8 of 29
Harry Potter. Edward Cullen. King Arthur. Zeus. Cinderella. Hercules. Each name brings a different image, a different story to mind. Philip Pullman. J.K. Rowling. Robin McKinley. J.R.R. Tolkien. Patricia McKillip. C.S. Lewis. Dave Duncan. All these authors of fantasy have managed to create something new and original. New worl... More..
Style & Beauty > Style & Beauty (Other) Is real beauty on the outside or the inside?: 70 of 175
I admit it. When I meet someone for the first time, there is only one way to see that person: by the way he or she looks. I enjoy fashion and makeup, and if someone can't match their clothes (like my sister), it makes we wonder about them as a person. If I think someone, male or female, is unattractive, I judge them based on ... More..
Food & Drink > Dining Etiquette Should cell phones be banned in restaurants?: 106 of 207
Banned? No cell phones shouldn't be banned in restaurants. People should, however, exhibit common courteosy when using them. There is a time to turn off the cell phones, and let yourself not be available, but cell phones shouldn't be banned from anywhere.Is using cell phones in restaurants rude? Of course it is. It's rude to ... More..