Articles written by Alex Tours

What is Helium

About me - Alex Tours

Born in Portugal in 1960, my parents brought me to the UK in 1968 and I then spent my formative years in Cardiff.

I graduated with a Physics degree in 1981 and joined the British Antarctic Survey, over-wintering at Halley Bay. I also spent time on South Georgia

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Entertainment > Musicians & Bands What is your favorite band and why?: 3 of 219
My favorite band is Barclay James Harvest (also known as BJH), an English band formed in 1967. Since first hearing their music as a teenager, the most beautiful sounds I'd ever heard wafting from my radio, it's always given me immense pleasure. What gripped my attention was the sweetness of the melody, the beautiful, crystal ... More..
Health & Fitness > Nutrition Basics Nutritional benefits of apricots: 1 of 23
Apricots are amongst the sexiest of fruits. Tactile, its skin soft and velvety, the apricot boasts a sunset-orange color that reminds us of hot, sunny places. The aroma is beautifully perfumed and the taste of the fresh, ripe fruit is sweet, its texture moist and soft on the tongue. Luscious!That such a wonderful food can als... More..
Sports & Recreation > Soccer (Other) Understanding why soccer is so popular around the world: 1 of 14
Many factors contribute to soccer being the most popular sport around the world, both in terms of spectators and participants. The most important in my opinion are its simplicity, the sense of involvement that it engenders in players, its excitement and, in the modern era, its appeal as a television sport.Its simplicity is on... More..
Arts & Humanities > Arts & Humanities (Other) Why you should give opera a chance: 1 of 12
The world of opera is surrounded by many misconceptions - misconceptions that act like a dense fog, preventing people from entering its world and enjoying its pleasures, even when those people are already music lovers. My article discusses four of the most popular misconceptions, seeking to remove some of that "fog"; hopefull... More..
Food & Drink > Restaurant Reviews What makes a great Italian restaurant: 3 of 27
There are three aspects that define a great restaurant: the food, the service and the ambiance. Quality of food and quality of service are the absolute key elements for any restaurant, whether it be high-cuisine or fast-food. However, you can compromise on ambiance if you're just looking for a good restaurant but it becomes a... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Hunger, Disease & Poverty Poverty and inequality in South Africa: 1 of 9
Many people of a "certain age" like myself still have vivid memories of the deep divisions caused by the apartheid regime in South Africa. These divisions, based on race, ran deep, leaving a privileged and prosperous white ruling class and an embittered underclass, the "non-whites", living in poverty and fear.It is to South A... More..
Entertainment > Music Genres, Trends & Scenes Best love songs of all time: 4 of 35
"Best of" lists have always fascinated music lovers and one of the most popular topics is "the best love songs of all time". What a seemingly impossible task! Most popular songs are about love, so this particular list is selecting from virtually the whole world of song!The only way to sensibly tackle this is to choose one's o... More..
Entertainment > Album Reviews Album reviews: Black Holes and Revelations, by Muse: 1 of 7
The first time I heard "Black Holes and Revelations" I thought it was a poorer album than "Absolution", "Origin of Symmetry" and perhaps even "Showbiz" - it seemed to lack the power, rawness and melody that enriched those particular records. As a result I didn't listen to it again for a while, but I was prompted to do so agai... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Hunger, Disease & Poverty Ways to fight poverty in Africa: 1 of 7
We see so many images and hear so much news of people suffering poverty and hunger in Africa, year upon year, that it is almost too easy to fall into complacency: the problem is too great for any single person to resolve; surely it can only be tackled by the goodwill of wealthy governments and international agencies? Nothing ... More..
Politics, News & Issues > International Politics (Other) Should England have granted knighthood to Salman Rushdie, given his troubled reputation in the Muslim world?: 2 of 11
Despite it clearly being their Government's prerogative to do so, I do not think that England should have granted a knighthood to Salmon Rushdie at a time when doing so provided a huge insult to Muslim communities worldwide, just when common sense dictated a conciliatory approach. My reasoning is explained in the remainder of... More..