Articles written by Joe DeShon - Page 2

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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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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 children ... More..
Personal Finance > Retirement Views on the AARP: 1 of 3
This year, I celebrated one of those dreaded birthdays with a "zero" in it. Turning over a new decade is kinda like walking down a hallway in an office building and then rounding a corner. Everything is familiar, but suddenly different at the same time. What do I get for my half-century of life on this planet? I am deluged w... More..
Creative Writing > Essays Essays: Parenting: 15 of 44
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 in... More..
Sciences > Astronomy US spy satellite heading toward earth: Did the Navy "hit vehicle" stop it?: 3 of 7
What goes up must come down. When the thing going up is a man-made satellite, it usually comes down in a blaze of glory, burning up in the Earth's atmosphere miles above the surface while traveling at Mach 25. But if it's a US spy satellite, things get a little trickier. And that's exactly the case of USA 193, the spy satell... More..
Society & Lifestyle > Cultural Relations The civil rights war can never be won: 5 of 11
I was prepared today to write an article congratulating liberals on their victory. I was going to say that they had won the civil rights war; there was no longer any reason to continue fighting it. As evidence that they had won, I was going to point to the federally-mandated observance of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday. ... More..
Creative Writing > Humor Humor: Parenting: 67 of 137
Answering "That" Question Any parent who has a young child full of questions spends a great deal of time waiting for "that" question. The exact definition of what "that" question is varies from one parent to another. It really doesn't matter. You know what I mean. You're not really sure if you want your child to ask "that" q... More..
Business > Business News & Issues Effects of outsourcing the workforce to low-cost countries: 2 of 4
If I had been in the labor force fifty years ago, I couldn't do the job that I do now - mainly because my job didn't exist fifty years ago. Heck, it didn't exist ten years ago. I work in a very high-tech industry. Most of the people that I work with have jobs that didn't exist even five years ago. And it's true the other way... More..
Jobs & Careers > Getting Ahead Why some people have to work hard while others seem to have it made: 2 of 4
One of the great lies that people want to believe is that "life is fair". In fact, the exact opposite is true. Even though we have the same inherent opportunities, the truth is that blessings are not always distributed equitably. And why would we want it to be any other way? Excitement in life comes from the challenges that ... More..
Sciences > Astronomy Exploring Mercury: 1 of 2
Even though Mercury is one of our closest celestial neighbors, we know less about it than most other planets. It has inspired legends and mysteries through the ages and is only recently beginning to yield its secrets. Let's look at this strange little world. The ancients actually thought there were two "Mercuries". They saw ... More..
Sciences > Astronomy Richard Garriott: Space tourist: 1 of 2
Some over-achievers have all the luck. Consider, for example, the case of Richard Garriott. At a time when most people his age are entering mid-life crises, he's getting ready for the adventure of his life. And I am extremely jealous. Growing up, Richard had a dad with the coolest of jobs. His father is Owen Garriott, astron... More..