Articles written by David Chaproniere

What is Helium

About me - David Chaproniere

I was born in 1966 in Bromley, Kent, UK. I was the first in my family to attend college, which raised the question: "Who did he get his brains from?" The answer settled upon was my great grandmother who, as a poor London child of Irish background, won a scholarship

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Religion & Spirituality > Self-Healing When life hits you hard: 2 of 139
There were times when I felt I had hit the bottom of the barrel. Then something would happen and I'd realise I still had a few feet of thick sludge and sediment to push through. Slowly drowning in sludge, unable to see a way out, however hard I tried. I stopped talking to friends and family. It wasn't that I did not want to t... More..
Creative Writing > Reflections Reflections: Family stories and memories: 3 of 205
I come from a large extended family, the eldest of around 30 grandchildren on my Dad's side and second eldest of a similar number of grandchildren and step-grandchildren on my Mum's side. Dad is the eldest of nine, Mum the second eldest of five, plus four step siblings. No wonder with such a large family, and with many of us ... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Pulitzer Center Is the accidental killing of civilians by US forces, in places like Somalia, an unavoidable part of the war on terrorism?: 2 of 115
Are civilian casualties an unacceptable price of war, or a necessary cost towards peace? When are civilian casualties an acceptable circumstance of war, and when not?Perception is key to understanding the acceptability or otherwise of killing non-military innocents, and particularly where an influential power such as the US i... More..
Entertainment > TV Genres & Trends Best sitcoms of all time: 3 of 52
What defines a great sitcom? Whether your tastes are sassy, slapstick, highbrow, smutty or downright weird, there are sitcoms to cater to your type of humour, but whether widely popular or niche, a good sitcom is incredibly difficult to achieve, with writers ever looking for the perfect formula.Of course, here in Britain we h... More..
Entertainment > TV Genres & Trends Is there too much sex on TV?: 2 of 21
There seems to be a never-ending criticism about sex on TV; in the UK, it all started with an avid housewife campaigner, Mary Whitehouse, becoming the nation's main watchdog regarding such matters. She launched her Clean Up TV Campaign in 1964, preaching her public moral code, telling us what we could or should watch and what... More..
Entertainment > TV Show Reviews TV show reviews: Big Brother UK: 1 of 10
Summer 2008: the warm weather has finally arrived; the smouldering fug of barbecue fumes hangs in the air over our towns and cities; Wimbledon will be upon us, albeit competing for air space with Euro 2008; and Brits up and down the country will at some point be complaining about either how hot it is or how wet it is.Above al... More..
Computers & Technology > Phone Technologies & Issues The down-side of cell phones: 2 of 16
Once upon a time, not so long ago, a person (say, Dad) would telephone another person (say, me), and if there was no reply would leave a message or simply try again another time.Fast forward to the present day."I was worried about you," said Dad during a recent telephone conversation. "I couldn't contact you." This was after ... More..
Parenting & Pregnancy > Parenting Methods Should you let children sip your beer, wine or other alcoholic drinks?: 1 of 8
There is one thing that children love to do, and that is to go against anything that their parents stop them from doing. The banned item or substance can become a magnet to them, something fascinating that should be pursued.Naturally there are some things we really do not want our children to try, such as hard drugs. However,... More..
Politics, News & Issues > International News European countries boycotting the China Olympics: 1 of 8
It is very easy to forget, in our politically charged modern times, the reasons and the nature of the original Greek Olympic Games. Tribal disagreements and politics were set aside, wars halted, and a flame of peace lit for the duration of the Games. Vying for attention and facing death on the battle fields was replaced with ... More..
Parenting & Pregnancy > Parenthood Fathers: Tips for talking to your kids about drugs: 2 of 14
How often as teenagers did we go against what our parents told us not to do, even if Father put his foot down and said "don't" - which, of course, was the worse word he could use?Kids (and especially teenagers) generally like nothing more than to test boundaries, so being told, for example, "Don't do drugs", even by a strict ... More..