Articles written by Alex Samson

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About me - Alex Samson

I'm a thirty-one year old technical author with more to offer the written word than technical specs and 'how 2s'.

I love writing - fiction mainly, but also comment pieces and general debate. Helium gives me a life outside the boundaries of my everyday work

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Creative Writing > Reflections Reflections: Fear: 5 of 50

I have a fear. A fear of moving on. I suppose there are lots of reasons why, but primarily it's because of the unknown. I've been offered this great job that, while enticing, is quite daunting because it's something of a departure from what I do right now and, like most humans, I'm not sure I want to leave my very well appor...
Politics, News & Issues > US Leaders Assessing Barack Obama's political future: 8 of 57

America, you might wonder what on Earth the US presidential race has to do with me, a 30-year-old Brit whose only involvement in events in America is biased BBC reporting and Sky News - that and the occasional paper, but believe me, if you read the drivel that comes out of our press on a daily basis you too wouldn't put much...
Hobbies & Games > Video Game Culture & Community Growing older and still playing video games: 9 of 40

Is there some unwritten rule that says you have to stop playing video games when you get passed a certain age? I hope not! I'm in my early thirties and I enjoy a good blast on a console as much now as I did in my teenage years. In fact, if anything, video gaming is less of an IQ dampener now than it was when I was kid back w...
Arts & Humanities > Writing Tips Getting over writer's block: 28 of 113

I hate being blocked. It is, unfortunately, a fact of being a writer that some days you simply can't face the blank page or the blinking cursor. Even in this state, if you are anything like me you still feel compelled to bash out/scrawl something, anything out. As annoying as this state of mind is, it is in fact a good thing...
Entertainment > Musicians & Bands Band reviews: Bon Jovi: 5 of 14

Bon Jovi. The soundtrack to a life. what more can I say? To my mind these guys are the ultimate rock act. They've done it all and more importantly they've lived to tell the tale - unlike a lot of other bands who have tried to keep pace but sadly fallen by the way, either due to band disputes, drink and drugs, or simply not b...
Creative Writing > Memoirs Memoirs: Humorous stories of job loss & unemployment: 28 of 63

When you are fired from a publishing house because you allegedly know nothing about their specialist subject and do not have a flare for the written word what do you do? Get back at them by way of their specialist subject and the written word of course - oh, and make a little money along the way too, that helps soothe the bu...
Creative Writing > Memoirs Memoirs: My great, true, personal garden story: 174 of 381

I was never a keen gardener. Not until my baby girl was born. I still remember the fear in those early days. Fear brought about by a myriad magazine articles, news stories, radio broadcasts, and web blogs. 'Don't feed her this', 'make sure she gets these nutrients', 'fresh not frozen'. Being a relatively parent is overwhelmi...
Computers & Technology > Phone Technologies & Issues Should cell phone use be banned while driving?: 83 of 180

According to the vast majority of studies taken around the world, talking on a mobile phone while driving a car or other type of vehicle is dangerous and can have serious, life threatening consequences Irrespective of whether hands free devices are employed (sure, they make it legal, but legal isn't safe, is it?). Unfortunat...
Politics, News & Issues > Politics in the UK New road pricing in Britain squashes the economy and imperils democracy in England: 2 of 4

Road pricing. Seems to be the phrase that's on every British driver's mind recently. There's a prevailing fear that the government are hell bent on driving the little man off the street and locking him in his house. For a political party crafted out of the rock of anti-elitism, Tony Blair's Labour are doing a good job of squ...
Computers & Technology > Internet Issues Should video websites offer freedom to broadcast regardless of taste?: 1 of 2

Sadly I won't be the first or the last to utter the following statement: I saw something quite distressing on You Tube yesterday. The video in question made me feel so uncomfortable that I am almost afraid to mention it here for fear that it will inspire a glut of viewings that will boost the ratings. But that's the modern I...