Articles written by Alex Samson

What is Helium

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

+ more bio information

RSS Feed

Politics, News & Issues > Democratic Leaders Assessing Barack Obama's political future: 7 of 77
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 ... More..
Computers & Technology > Phone Technologies & Issues Should cell phone use be banned while driving?: 54 of 270
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?). Unfortunate... More..
Creative Writing > Essays Essays: Teachers: 2 of 8
I had a teacher at school who thought he was a real big shot when he handed out 1000-word punishment essays with titles like 'The Inside of a Ping Pong Ball', or 'The Sex Life of a Carrot', and other banal subjects. Poor old Mr Groome! He really thought he was giving me a hard time when he handed those out just because I dare... More..
Celebrations & Holidays > Valentine's Day Valentine's Day errors of judgment: 3 of 11
Valentine's Day. If you ask me the whole day is one big error of judgment. It's yet more evidence of a Hallmark Holiday world gone nuts. Why do we believe that showering the one we love in pink paraphernalia is a romantic gesture?Maybe I'm a grumpy Englishman who just doesn't get it in the States I understand they now put up ... More..
Computers & Technology > Business & Office Software Open Office versus Microsoft Office: 1 of 3
Well, I honestly never thought I would see the day that a Mac user openly and publicly advocated a Microsoft product in favour of an open source or non-proprietary software package. It's true. I was sifting through the site this morning, slurping my morning coffee and dropping crumbs from my morning Danish, when I came across... More..
Education > Education (Other) Why does attention to detail in the written language take such a backseat in education today: 1 of 3
I wasn't sure where to put this article and it may be something that is completely irrelevant to the largely American audience that views this site, but I feel this issue is significant and needs addressing.Click onto any website around the world today, from highbrow journals and newspapers such as the Times (in the UK) to so... More..
Arts & Humanities > Writing Tips Getting over writer's block: 47 of 137
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.... More..
Hobbies & Games > Video Game Culture & Community Growing older and still playing video games: 17 of 49
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 wh... More..
Jobs & Careers > Resumes & Cover Letters How to write an effective resume: 7 of 19
It's a sad but depressing fact that everyday hundreds, if not thousands, of well-qualified, ideally suited professionals slip through the recruitment net because of poorly constructed resumes that fail to sell their skills in what is an increasingly competitive market place. They've worked hard to earn qualifications, experie... More..
Creative Writing > Memoirs Memoirs: My great, true, personal garden story: 170 of 393
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 overwhelming... More..