Articles written by Mary W. Matthews - Page 4

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About me - Mary W. Matthews

I've been a writer and editor for my entire professional life. As an editor, I have won awards for excellence from several national educational nonprofits.

I've also been deeply interested in the philosophy of religion all my life: IS there a God? What has

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Health & Fitness > Diet & Weight Loss Are there easy ways to lose weight?: 30 of 61
Yes, there are easy ways to lose weight. I'm living proof! However, there are no easy ways to lose weight QUICKLY. If you cut more than 200 calories a day out of your diet, your body thinks there's a famine in the land, and goes into "protect-what-you've-got" mode, slowing your metabolism and hanging onto every fat cell for ... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Speculations & Criticisms The key problems facing religions and their followers: 1 of 2
Religions and their followers face many problems in the 21st century. From the outside come the problems of trying to adapt ancient beliefs to the knowledge provided by modern science and technology. From the inside come the problems caused by ignorance, self-righteousness, and hypocrisy. From the time we first became human ... More..
Entertainment > TV Show Reviews TV show reviews: Star Trek Enterprise: 1 of 2
I became a Trekker on September 8, 1966. I was a young girl, and I fell in love with Mr. Spock almost from the moment I first saw him. I have watched every episode of the original "Star Trek" dozens of times, even the stinkeroos. (Lava monster meets Abraham Lincoln, anyone?) As a teenager, I wrote dozens of stories about Mr.... More..
Style & Beauty > Jewelry Is expensive diamond jewelry a smart investment?: 1 of 2
Diamonds are beautiful, yes. But so are emeralds, rubies, sapphires, and other gemstones. Until a few decades ago, diamonds were just one gem among many. But then in 1934, the DeBeers cartel set up the Diamond Trading Corporation and began what may be history's most brilliant advertising campaign. Before 1934, men gave women... More..
Relationships & Family > Newlyweds Should married women keep their last name or switch to their husband's?: 29 of 49
When a woman is considering whether to change her name on marriage or keep the name she's got, she must consider several issues. A name is a very personal thing, and a good deal of one's identity is tied up in one's name. * Does she LIKE her own name? She might be tired of explaining 27 times a day that "Featherstonehaugh" i... More..
Creative Writing > Humor Humor: Religion: 31 of 49
. . . . . . . . . . . . . * * The Swiftboating of Jesus * * . . . . . . . . . . . . . What if Republicans had been around in first-century Judea? One news interview might have gone like this: REPORTER: I'm here today with Judas ish Kerioth, who represents Swiftark Disciples for Truth. JUDAS: I was a disciple of John the Bapt... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Atheism & Agnosticism Cold reading explained: 2 of 3
"Cold reading" is a term used by mentalists and phony psychics and fortune-tellers. It describes the way they quickly assess a "mark" so they can appear to know a lot more than they actually do. (If the phony already knows facts about the mark, it's a "hot reading.") Suppose you hear about a gifted psychic, someone like the ... More..
Home & Garden > Home Interior Are kitchen islands a necessity or a convenience?: 15 of 21
When were kitchen islands invented? Some time in the 20th century, right? Here are the absolute necessities for a room to be called a kitchen: Fire. Water. At least one work surface. Storage. Notice what term is missing from this list? Here is what I consider absolutely necessary for a room to be called a kitchen: — A ... More..
Society & Lifestyle > Social Values & Norms Does adding money for schools justify gambling?: 5 of 7
On the one hand, gambling is legal. If there were anything wrong with gambling in and of itself, churches wouldn't sponsor bingo games or raffles. On the other hand, gambling can be addictive, leading to financial stress and ruined relationships and lives. The societal costs of compulsive and pathological gambling include in... More..
Creative Writing > Humor Humor: Learning a foreign language: 8 of 11
My mother was the daughter of missionaries who spread the gospel in Mexico; Mom didn't even learn English until she was eight years old. All her life, she was so completely fluent in both languages that native Spaniards assumed she was Castillian. This turned out to be great for ME, because Mom spoke Spanish around me from t... More..