Articles written by Currie Jean

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About me - Currie Jean

I've just returned to Helium after a two-year hiatus. Previously, I wrote a lot about atheism and agnosticism. While the subject still interests me, I've grown secure enough in my criticisms of religion to expand my focus beyond those borders - especially

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Celebrations & Holidays > Christmas Christmas 2008: Ways to have a joyful Christmas while in a recession: 1 of 44

While folks like to discuss the meaning of the Holiday Season (Christmas? Hanukkah? Yule? Kwanzaa? Solstice?), it's tough to find anyone who doesn't love it at its basic, personal, family-oriented levels. For most, December is about hot drinks, cold snow, peppermint and pine. It's about twinkly lights and caroling, not polit...
Sciences > Astronomy What to do if you see a UFO: 1 of 25

An unidentified flying object could be anything from a bird to a plastic bag to a bona-fide alien spacecraft. Until we can tell what that weird thing up in the sky is, habit dictates that we excitedly call it a "UFO." Let's not kid ourselves - usually we're pretty good at labeling what we're seeing, so if we can't tell, we a...
Religion & Spirituality > Self-Awareness & Realization Quick tips for inner peace: 4 of 92

Once upon a time, human beings needed to be highly emotional. Our capacity for fear, joy, spurious belief, conclusion-jumping, and rage were integral to our survival: that's why we have these traits. We humans and our cultures evolved in a world very different from the world many of us inhabit now: many of us have access to ...
Religion & Spirituality > Astrology & Prophecy Assessing the possibility of predicting the future: 1 of 21

Somehow, most of us have gotten it into our heads that we have a definite choice: either people can predict the future with psychic revelations, or people can't predict the future at all. The first option is rather negative: it suggests that a game is being played in which some players can't explain the rules to the others. ...
Arts & Humanities > Fantasy & Science Fiction The most famous science fiction authors: 1 of 19

The best way to start your journey into science fiction literature is by perusing what's most famous. While the popularity of its authors doesn't necessary reflect the best a genre has to offer, you can trust a famous author's work, above all, to be intellectually and thematically accessible. Once you start reading the famou...
Religion & Spirituality > Ghosts & Paranormal Phenomena Are crop circles evidence of UFOs?: 1 of 19

Crop circles fascinate the curious. They're weird, they're eye-catching, and they defy immediate explanation. Upon looking more closely, however, it becomes obvious that these huge patterns, usually geometric and appearing in fields without the permission of presiding farmers, are actually less than meets the eye. Crop circl...
Religion & Spirituality > Atheism & Agnosticism Why are athiests so curious about religion: 1 of 17

Curiosity about religion arises from the drive to find out why other people believe what they do. Very often, the atheist wonders, "I can see what's up; I'm sure of the truth. But then, why don't other people see what I see? It doesn't make sense to call them something silly, like 'evil,' so what's actually going on?" This q...
Religion & Spirituality > Comparative Religion Religions with the most peaceful teachings: 1 of 15

While it may come as a surprise to many Westerners, especially those adhering to the 'big three' faiths (Judaism, Christianity and Islam), the most peaceful major religions still practiced today trace their origins eastward. From a global perspective, Buddhism and Jainism originated next door to the major Western religions, ...
Arts & Humanities > Art History Abstract painting explained: 1 of 14

Abstract art is phenomenally difficult to fully understand. This same property is alluring to some, and rejected by others. Several times in recent years, young children under the age of ten have created nice, but unremarkable, abstract paintings - and their parents have marketed them as professional abstract art. The painti...
Hobbies & Games > Video Game Reviews Downloadable game reviews: Dairy Dash: 1 of 14

Expect to emerge from a few rounds of Dairy Dash with a satisfying case of dry eye: while the game is slow and easy to learn at first, it soon picks up, demanding unblinking attention and top rate mouse accuracy. It's the player's job to fill produce orders and tend crops like pumpkins, corn and tomatoes, as well as feed and...