Articles written by Joe DeShon

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About me - Joe DeShon

I'm a former music teacher who discovered that music is best as my avocation, not my vocation. So now I work in the marketing department for a very large telecommunications company. The only thing keeping me from writing all the time is finding enough people

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Entertainment > Celebrity Commentary Rating Paris Hilton: 2 of 28
Paris Hilton is a phenomenon that defies explanation. I've heard of a "death" spiral. But she seems to be - in spite of her best intentions - spiraling upwards. Go figure. Originally, she was famous just because she was rich. Now she seems to be getting richer just because she's famous. Knock-down good looks helps, of cour... More..
Entertainment > Movie Characters & Performances A fight between Batman and Superman: 2 of 26
The only way that a Superman/Batman fight would make sense would be if Superman were to lose his powers and fight as a mortal. Otherwise, Superman could reduce Batman to the size of a peanut in one fist - not withstanding all the tools in Batman's utility belt. So let's assume a fight on a red sun planet of approximately ... More..
Relationships & Family > Cheating Spouses & Affairs What should you do if you find out that your significant other has been cheating?: 2 of 25
Nobody can predict how you will act when you have caught a loved one in an act of indiscretion. It is an immensely private and personal event. You don't know what you're going to do. So there is no one good answer. You have to look inside of yourself and make your best decision. Be wary of anybody who gives you advice ... More..
Politics, News & Issues > US Elections (Other) Why you should vote in the next election and why it's worth it: 10 of 82
During the American Revolutionary war, a common battle cry was "No taxation without representation." That was a relatively new concept at the time. The idea that the common man should have any right to self-governance was not yet universally accepted. It was generally accepted that the crown was the defender of the land an... More..
Creative Writing > Essays Essays: Parenting: 7 of 43
My Upside-down Son When my son was a toddler, he thought the world revolved around him, which is SOP for kids of that age. So when he wasn't getting enough attention, he would do whatever it took to draw attention to himself. This caused some problems when I needed to stay late after church to talk to anybody. With my son ... More..
Entertainment > Music Education Effective musical practice techniques: 1 of 5
Practicing music doesn't come naturally for most - it certainly didn't for me. It's too easy to confuse "playing through" a song with actually "practicing" it. That was my problem. If I sat at the piano and played songs for an hour, I could easily claim that I had "practiced" for an hour. In fact, I was just reinforcing t... More..
Home & Garden > Home Interior Changing Christmas tree decorations inexpensively, year to year: 1 of 5
To get different (and free!) decorations every year, organize a Christmas decoration swap party. You're probably already going to host a Christmas party at your house this year anyway. Mention in the invitations to your party that you are going to swap Christmas decorations this year. Each person is to bring some pre-d... More..
Hobbies & Games > Antiques & Collecting (Other) Why I collect postcards: 2 of 7
Guys collect things. There's just something about seeing a bunch of disorganized stuff out there that demands that some order be enforced. It's human nature. It's what makes us different. It's what makes the "chaos theory" apply to geology, but not to the human soul. Several years ago, I collected baseball cards. What... More..
Health & Fitness > Alternative Therapies The health benefits of massage therapy: 9 of 29
Massage is the oldest, most intuitive form of therapy known to man. When you bump your arm, what's the first thing you do? You rub it. When you're under stress, you instinctively rub your temples. When your eyes hurt, you rub them. When your head hurts, you cradle it in your hands. And why do such actions offer immedi... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Presidential Elections 2008 US elections 2008: Why Obama is correct in saying that our children should learn Spanish: 1 of 3
Barack Obama recently sent the conservative blogosphere into a tizzy by suggesting that our children should learn how to speak Spanish. It was touted as another nail in the coffin of our Anglo/Christian heritage that so many Americans hold dearly. Actually, I'm going to give him a little bit of a break. I think our childre... More..