Articles written by Alistair Reid

What is Helium

About me - Alistair Reid

I was born and bred in Cape Town, South Africa.

My family was never well to do, however I am still alot luckier than many other people and I now realise my parents did the best they could.

I moved out of home soon after leaving school and have moved to the UK

+ more bio information

RSS Feed

Hobbies & Games > Video Game Culture & Community Assessing sexism in gaming: Is it still a boy's world?: 3 of 18
Sexism is one of many forms of stereotypes' that exists with the greater gaming community. I believe that sexism is still rife, although, we are starting to see signs of change within the industry. Below I will examine the good and bad within this sector of entertainment.Many of the big title game releases have in the past be... More..
Computers & Technology > Internet Issues Overcoming Internet blues: 2 of 6
The Internet blues can be broken up into two types: The first being in a situation where you find yourself spending too much time on-line. The second is more of a rage than the blues, when you find yourself not spending enough time on the web.1) NEED A TIME-OUTSometimes you might find yourself in a situation where you are for... More..
Food & Drink > Beer (Other) Great beers to drink with barbecue ribs: 5 of 11
A good rack of BBQ ribs will always be rich experience full of clashing flavours and sticky fingers. Beers that compliment these are not as one would think; beer with strong overwhelming flavour, but instead a beer with subtle overtones of hops developed by years of fine tuning the brewing process. A good rough gauge for beer... More..
Food & Drink > Cookware & Cutlery Tips for cleaning your barbecue grates: 7 of 12
Growing up in South Africa, BBQ's were in my blood. We cooked 3 or 4 nights a week on the braai' (BBQ). Its part of our tradition and heritage.The one thing that I was always taught and to this day strongly believe myself is: When it comes to cleaning a BBQ grid, the concept of less is more rings true. This does not mean that... More..
Entertainment > Movie Genres Best chick flicks for guys: 15 of 23
Let us firstly define a chick flick. This is broadly any movie that has a romantic theme to the core of the characters.Due to the complex nature of the human mind men are far more direct and practical in life. They differentiate between emotions extremely well, mostly by pushing all emotion deep inside and pretending to not c... More..
Entertainment > TV Genres & Trends Auditioning for a reality TV show: 3 of 4
When Pop-Idols first came to South Africa, where I grew up, a few of us decided that it would be a great opportunity to have a bit of fun. Being only 18 years old at the time and having few scruples in life, we all sat down and mutually agreed on the rules and format of our new adventure.It was decided that only one of us wou... More..
Entertainment > TV News & Commentary Assessing the decline of quality family-oriented television series: 18 of 23
What happened to the likes of MacGyver, Airwolf or Knightrider and even shows from before my time? Remember the days of sitting on the floor in front of the TV on a Friday or Saturday night watching the family favorite for the week? If our household missed MacGyver there would have been a riot.The death of family TV is a comb... More..
Hobbies & Games > Video Game Reviews The best movie tie-in video games: 7 of 8
Traditionally movie tie-in games have been relatively weak compared to unique and original stand alone games, but there are some exceptions.Most games based on movies have merely been a marketing ploy with sales figures being directly proportional to the success of the movie. The game is normally release slightly earlier than... More..
Food & Drink > Cooking Meats Tips for barbecuing baby back ribs: 8 of 9
There are two main characteristics of a good rack of BBQ ribs; flavor and texture.The main flavor of the ribs comes from a combination of the flavor of the meat itself and the added sauces used as it cooks.The texture of the meat must be soft and tender and must pull away form the bone without much effort. In your mouth it mu... More..
Entertainment > Movie Genres Anime films everyone should see: 8 of 9
We love anime! The creativity and imagination of its Japanese creators is amazing. Sometimes you have to wonder what kind of mental instability these guys have, but it is brilliant stuff nonetheless.The main reason anime is not widely available to the public is because of its extreme displays of scenes strictly meant for adul... More..