Articles written by Stephen Alexander

What is Helium

About me - Stephen Alexander

I am a cerebral-vascular stroke survivor. I enjoyed writing before this untimely accident but enjoy it even more now that I can no longer verbally communicate effectively. After my episode, which was nearly two years ago, I collected state disability insurance

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Society & Lifestyle > Social Values & Norms Homeless shelters are not the answer to the homelessness issue: 4 of 62
Homeless ChroniclesBoy, that was some kind of nightmare! The stories are true! The homeless are invisible. Simply arranging for a place to sleep was a major project. SF has adopted a new policy in recent years inappropriately titled "Care Not Cash". When the pretty boy mayor was elected 6 years ago, he ceased the former polic... More..
Creative Writing > Memoirs Testimonies: Fire and my experiences: 5 of 44
Courage=MadnessWhen I was coming up, my family lived in a large three story with a barn-like roof. By this, I mean the roof covered the top two stories and sported second and third-story windows, which poked through the overhanging roof. We boys, all seven of us, occupied the third floor while my sole sister and my parents ha... More..
Travel > Vacations Destination recommendations for great familiy vacation in the US: 2 of 17
Sea, Seacoast & SeashoreFor millennia, the sea has held a profound allure. An attraction inherited perhaps from ancient ancestors who gazed out on these same sea-green horizons, sensing their own ties to single-celled evolutionary forebears; progenitors that evolved out of a murky primordial soup left long simmering in the st... More..
Creative Writing > Essays Essays: Storms: 3 of 24
Stormy WeatherSpring on the eastern seaboard can be a tumultuous season. The wind roars; the rain falls in torrents. There is also the potential for storms of impressive magnitude. Here in the southeastern United States there have already been destructive tornadoes. Moreover, raucous thunderstorms rumble through the night rat... More..
Creative Writing > Reflections Reflections: Emotions: 6 of 42
Alex on Mt TamAlex emerged from the coolness of the wooded trail and stepped out into the blinding glare of the noonday sun. The yellow, desiccated grass of the mountain meadow shone in a brilliant similitude of the sun's own luminance. The warmth soothed him despite his over-heated state brought on by his energetic hike on t... More..
Food & Drink > Coffee Coffee tasting 101: 1 of 7
Coffee BluesI have never particularly liked coffee. I know this is a contrary opinion. Coffee has ascended to near nectar-of-the-gods status in certain quarters, its cost reflecting that reputation not to mention the enormous diversity of choice currently available. Somehow, the eminence of this delicacy escapes me. Coffee fo... More..
Creative Writing > Essays Essays: Spring: 6 of 29
Vernal AwakeningThe burgeoning trees serve to fatten the lazy bees that drift dreamily around the newly warmed back porch. Spring has arrived in all its vernal glory. Redbuds bloom about the encircling woods as do the forsythia. The sleepy dogwoods have only just begun but soon they too will join the rush to burgeon. I eagerl... More..
Travel > Vacations Vacation guide to California: 3 of 14
Along the coast of Northern California in Marin County, north of San Francisco and just south of Point Reyes National Seashore, lies a trio of towns that boast some of the most pragmatic and pristine utilization of seascape in the San Francisco Bay Area. From the south, the first two towns are Muir Beach and Stinson Beach, re... More..
Creative Writing > Memoirs Testimonies: Emotionality as an effect of illness and treatment: 1 of 4
Tears On My PillowCrying jags have plagued me ever since I had a stroke. These circumstances usually arise whenever I experience strong emotion of any kind. In my prior life (the one before the stroke), I was always one to wear my emotions just under my skin, "on my sleeve" as it were. This was never something that concerned ... More..
Travel > Mexico Travel destinations: Oaxaca, Mexico: 2 of 6
OaxacaOaxaca State, located in south-central Mexico, encompasses spectacular mountain terrain as well as equally dramatic coastal regions. The mountains encircling Oaxaca City are home to a variety of indigenous peoples that ply equally varied folk-crafts, such as rug weaving, pottery throwing and jewelry making. Within in ci... More..