Articles written by Jim Bessey - Page 4

What is Helium

About me - Jim Bessey

Helium is home, plain and simple. I've lived here now for more than two years, and cannot imagine a day without Helium. Over the months I've met a large and diverse group of talented writers. I'm proud to call many of them friends, and all them peers.

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Home & Garden > Landscaping How to build a wooden planter: 2 of 4
There are two secrets to building a great wooden planter. Secret one: start with a square plastic patio urn, and build your planter around it. Secret number two is for parents only: let your child help. This is just the right kind of project to share with a kid.With all the choices available at home and garden stores, why sho... More..
Home & Garden > Landscaping How to build a cinder block retaining wall: 1 of 2
There was a time when cinder block retaining walls were all the rage. That was during post-war American building boom fifty years ago. Times have changed, and now these utilitarian walls more typically adorn commercial sites. Somewhere in between, the use of once-popular cinder block lost ground to the more contemporary "conc... More..
Health & Fitness > Healthy Living & Wellness Tips and tricks for improving your memory: 1 of 2
Try these mental "tricks" for improving your short-term memoryWhere did I leave my car keys? Memory is a fickle friend, and seems to leave us farther behind every year. Remember when you could learn new things and spit back "important dates in history" effortlessly? You probably knew the names of at least half the kids in you... More..
Home & Garden > Home Interior How to install ceramic floor tiles next to wood flooring: 1 of 2
Ceramic tile floors form a natural complement to hardwood floors. The trick lies in how you transition from tile to wood. Since the two materials are so dissimilar, they expand and contract at very different rates. You should never simply butt new tile to an existing wood floor, or vice-versa. Let's look at the two most comm... More..
Creative Writing > Memoirs Memoirs: How my cat adopted me: 1 of 2
Her name was Princess, and that cat earned her title every day. Princess owned our home and everything in it. She expected her needs to be met first, not later. She was picky about who could touch her, but demanding when she wanted attention. She was a first class example for all other cats to follow. She also liked to puke o... More..
Arts & Humanities > Horror, Mystery & Suspense Book reviews: The Hard Way, by Lee Child: 1 of 2
There's a line in Lee Child's tenth Jack Reacher novel, "The Hard Way," that sums things up perfectly: "Reacher, alone in the dark. Armed and dangerous. Invincible" [page 420] Former US Army MP Major Jack Reacher has been wandering among us for eleven years now, since "The Killing Floor" from 1997. Lee Child's debut novel... More..
Sciences > Microbiology Fun facts about bacteria: 1 of 2
Bacteria rule the world. No matter where you go or what you're doing, you cannot escape them. Nor would you want to. They're inside you, on every surface you touch, in the air you breath, and an integral part of every living thing around you. Without bacteria, life as we know it would cease to exist.We live in a germ-phobic s... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Conservation Should consumers have the option of reusable glass bottles?: 1 of 2
How would you propose we enforce a consumer "option" for reusable glass bottles? We, as consumers, have the greatest of all options: we have the right to choose to buy, or not to buy. When we want a cold drink, we can select from literally hundreds of offerings from dozens of vendors. Plastic, aluminum, glass, boxed, foil - c... More..
Autos > Trucks How to build a removable ladder rack for your truck: 1 of 1
We've all seen a pick-up truck tooling down the road with a giant extension ladder piercing the sky. Or we've followed one with six feet of ladder poking past the tailgate, marked with an old red T-shirt for a flag. Sometimes you just have to transport a ladder by improvising. In addition to the dangers such practices present... More..
Sports & Recreation > Camping Travel trailer towing tips: Safety checklist: 1 of 1
Towing safety begins in your driveway. Other than driving in a blizzard or hurricane, pulling a camper trailer down the highway is one of the most dangerous things you can do with your tow vehicle. On the other hand, what's better than being on the open road, with your living quarters on wheels? With sound attention to detai... More..