Articles written by Michelle Burkhardt - Page 3

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About me - Michelle Burkhardt

I am a hopeful writer that is a stay-at-home, homeschooling mother of 4 sons.

I have been writing with Helium since March 2007. My proudest moment was when my my article, "How will Beckam affect American soccer" was featured on the homepage. To be recognized

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Arts & Humanities > Thoughts on Writing Writing your way through a national tragedy: 5 of 15
Writing is a way to voice our opinions. When a tragedy occurs everyone has an opinion and as a writer, I am no different. Sadly, I watched the news unfold on Monday the same way many Americans did. My thoughts, "Another one!" How horrible that we are no longer shocked at such atrocities. During one newscast, the reporter had... More..
Health & Fitness > Diet Programs How to choose the right weight loss program: 4 of 12
Most weight loss programs promise the participant the ability to shed 20, 30, 40 or more pounds, Guaranteed! But what if you only needed to lose 5 to 10 pounds? Now, some of my readers are probably already rolling their eyes at such a minuscule amount. Yet, for me losing those few pounds was extremely difficult. Let me expla... More..
Politics, News & Issues > US Immigration Undocumented and illegal immigrants should have a roadmap to US citizenship: 30 of 84
A road-map to US citizenship makes it sound like a free ride. I do believe that the illegal immigrants that are already here should be able to obtain citizenship. The ones that want to do the right thing will become citizens and contribute positively to this country. The ones that don't will still be hiding out, not paying t... More..
Education > Homework & Testing Do children receive too much homework?: 10 of 28
The number one comment I receive as a homeschooling mom is, "I could never homeschool my kids; how do you do it?" I usually run down my typical list of why we homeschool our 4 boys, but in the back of my mind, I'm thinking, "I could never send my kids to school; how do you do it?" My sons have never been in the school system... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Justice System The state should force the mentally ill into treatment even if they are not an "imminent threat" to themselves or others: 13 of 36
Overall, the state should not force a mentally ill individual to take medication. My fear with government involvement is who and what determines mental need or "imminent threat." Most people, like myself, base our opinions on our experiences. I know three family and friends that fall under the "mentally ill" status. Sadly, b... More..
Travel > Travel Planning & Advice Which is harder: Getting ready for a vacation or returning home afterwards?: 12 of 33
My computer cursor hovered over the "After" side for a few moments, just before sliding over to the "Before" side. Either I am the most wishy-washy person on Earth or most things are not so black and white. To explain, I firmly believe that getting ready for vacation is a bit harder than returning. I say this because I am an... More..
Health & Fitness > Disease Prevention How to prevent and reduce the effects of colds: 4 of 11
When I was a child, I can remember getting one bad cold a year. It seems to me that people are not as healthy as they were 20-30 years ago. Most people have 2 to 3 annoying colds per year. How can there be an increase in colds if we are more medically advanced? In my opinion, the best way to prevent a cold is to have those t... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Christian Holidays & Celebrations How to donate to those in need for the holidays: 12 of 32
Throughout the years, I have donated to various charities during the holidays. I even looked in my paper for local organizations that were in need. I donated toys that were used, but in good condition. I donated clothing, kitchen gadgets, and a small amount of money. Then, I went shopping for family and friends and spent hun... More..
Style & Beauty > Style & Beauty (Other) Understanding the physical competition between women: 3 of 8
Women Do Not Have Birthdays Birthdays are mile stones, especially when you reach the big 20, 30, 40 and; "Ok, let's just stop at 40." From the time we turn "1" our family and friends want to celebrate our birthdays with, of course, chocolate cake, colorful balloons and finely, wrapped presents. Children, teens, and even youn... More..
Creative Writing > Satire Satire: Understanding relationships: 10 of 25
Things were quite peaceful in the Garden of Eden, until.... Adam looked at all the animals that he was to rule over and saw that each one had partner. There were a male and female of each kind, yet, he did not have a mate. This made him sad, therefore, God caused Adam to fall into a deep sleep so that he could take a rib fro... More..