Articles written by Peter Degen-Portnoy

What is Helium

About me - Peter Degen-Portnoy

I am the daddy of five great kids and the lucky husband of a wonderful wife. I have been a ballet dancer (when I say that I picked up girls, I mean it literally), choreographer, lighting designer, software engineer (the arts are a great hobby), project and

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Parenting & Pregnancy > After School Should parents raise their children without television?: 2 of 122
My wife and I have been raising our five children without broadcast or cable television, but do allow viewing of recorded material, and can clearly see the effect that watching television has on the children.It is obvious that after even a small amount of television - twenty or thirty minutes - the children are reluctant to t... More..
Health & Fitness > General Health (Other) Tips for buying toilet paper: 1 of 5
As the father of five young children and the parent responsible for most grocery store purchases, this light-hearted title bears more pertinence than one might initially think! After all, there is a highly intimate nature to toilet paper. Intimate to the point of embarrassment. Consider please, have you heard someone refer to... More..
Health & Fitness > Cancer Living with colon cancer: 2 of 5
Cancer is a scary word. After all, we have all grown up seeing the effect of cancer on people around us and have heard stories, read books and seen movies centered onhow cancer ravages a person. And on top of all that, what could be scarier than cancer of the colon? But be at ease for we live in wondrous times and our underst... More..
Home & Garden > Buying & Selling Homes As retail sales improve, is this a good time to invest in retail?: 4 of 9
Retail, or the sale of goods or commodities directly to the consumer, has been a cornerstone of humanity. Even in uncertain times and these are uncertain times consumers still need basic items such as food, clothing and shelter. With all types of companies shedding workers and shutting down, investing in anything at this time... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Sports News & Opinion (Other) Competing in your first triathlon: 4 of 8
Sure you've heard about triathlons. Swim in the ocean or a lake (or maybe a pool) for while. Then ride a bike for a while. Then, when you're all done with that, put on your sneakers and go for a run. Maybe you've had some of these thoughts about triathlons: "Why would I ever want to do that?""How do they do that?""I wonder if... More..
Travel > Air Travel & Airlines How a bird strike can crash a jet airplane: 1 of 2
So just how does a bird weighing 12 lbs (5.4 kg) bring down a 160,000 lbs (72,575 kg) airliner and cause it to crash? What kind of match-up is this anyway?Ladies and Gentlemen; may I have your attention please?! In the near corner we have the champion of modern mass transportation - the jet engine powered Airbus A320-200, wei... More..
Sports & Recreation > Biking How a triathlon bike differs from a regular bike: 1 of 2
Tri-bikes - we rarely say the full "triathlon bike" and never, never say "triathlon bicycle" (why, just the idea of taking all that time is antithetical to triathlons) - differ from a regular, road bike in one key manner: they are designed to go fast.It's easy to see that a tri-bike is different from the first glance. They lo... More..
Health & Fitness > Therapy & Counseling Sex therapy: What is it? What issues/problems can be helped?: 4 of 6
When we have specialized problems, we seek out specialized experts to help us. Experts, whether they rebuild automotive transmission, repair antique furniture or help us with estate documents posses unique training, skills and experiences. They can provide a perspective on problems that is not available through other sources.... More..
Health & Fitness > Exercise (Other) Becoming a triathlete: Not as hard as it sounds: 10 of 13
Perhaps you know someone who is a triathlete. Perhaps you have a favorite sport and want to try something else. Perhaps you have seen the sport on television and thought it would be cool to be able to do all those things. Perhaps you have your own reason for considering participating in a triathlon.What ever the reason: You c... More..
Politics, News & Issues > US News Humor: Daily news (11/20/07): 5 of 6
Polygamous sect leader faces sentencing. Polygamous sect leader Warren Jeffs faces the possibility of life behind bars. Jeffs has long claimed a religious freedom exception from the laws of monogamy saying that his Mormon faith permitted his various acts, which include proclaiming himself a prophet, having multiple wives, and... More..