Articles written by Caroline Kaiser

What is Helium

About me - Caroline Kaiser

Where shall I begin? I'm an editor/writer and something of a word geek. I confess that I enjoy consulting editing bibles like the Chicago Manual of Style and looking up funny words in the dictionary. Recently I've begun working on a somewhat comic novel inspired

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Pets & Animals > Birds Getting started with birdwatching: 1 of 22
If you live in the downtown core of a large city, the only birds you see blend in with the concrete. Confronted by the daily drabness of pigeons, house sparrows and starlings, I confess to sometimes watching nature documentaries just so I can drink in the eye-popping hues of tropical birds like parrots. I'm sure I'm not alone... More..
Arts & Humanities > Writing & Rating at Helium Raising Helium to the next level: Helium's Writing Standards: 2 of 22
From highly polished, brilliant writing to mind-numbing sludge, it's all here on Helium. And if the sludge continues to exist, Helium will never be the "go-to" encyclopedic information source its creators apparently would like it to be.Yes, it's true that many Helium writers have something of value to say and they say it exce... More..
Hobbies & Games > Yarn & Needle Crafts A look at the resurgence of knitting in the 21st century: 1 of 10
When I was young and silly back in the 80s, it was decidedly uncool to knit. The only acceptable excuse for knitting during that decade was that you were "old" (meaning over forty). If you were a girl who knit, you were automatically deemed a social misfit. You had no friends who were not absolute dorks, and it was set in sto... More..
Health & Fitness > Herbal & Natural Remedies Assessing the value of green tea: 1 of 5
In 1872, Anglo-Irish writer Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu published "Green Tea," an eerie short story in which a reverend is continually terrorized by a monkey that no one else can see. The reverend's doctor concludes that the arrival of his patient's simian companion resulted from drinking too much green tea.We've come a long way ... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Astrology & Prophecy Chinese astrology: Year of the rat: 1 of 4
"Come out and take it, you dirty, yellow-bellied rat, or I'll give it to you through the door," said movie actor James Cagney in 1932. Though Cagney was threatening a human "rat," the quote captures the hostility most of us feel towards the actual creature. When you consider the diseases they carry - bubonic plague, typhus, r... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Astrology & Prophecy Signs of the Zodiac: Cancer: 3 of 9
Contrary to what you might expect of crabs, Cancerians are lovely people. But let me state my bias up front: because my ascendant is Cancer, I bond with crustaceans. I'm sure that being part crab has contributed to the simpatico relationships I have with the bona fide crabs in my life. My bias aside, there is plenty to love a... More..
Arts & Humanities > Writing Tips How to write more a day: 8 of 23
After I quit a job I'd held for nearly 14 years, I wondered how to get started as a writer. "Get your bum in the chair and just write," said one friend. What could be easier? All writers know that the obstacles to writing aren't so much physical as they are psychological. Getting yourself in the chair and turning on the compu... More..
Health & Fitness > Medical Issues (Other) Common misunderstandings of chronic fatigue syndrome: 3 of 7
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) has become a familiar term since diagnostic criteria for the illness were first established in 1988, but the illness is still woefully misunderstood by many. Myths and misconceptions about CFS are harmful to those who live with it. Isn't it time to clear up the confusion surrounding this conditi... More..
Food & Drink > Poultry Recipes Recipes: Chicken chili: 3 of 7
This robust chicken chili recipe will have your dinner guests lining up for seconds. And imagine how enthralled they'll be when you tell them that the very chili they're savouring is from a recipe devised by the legendary Countess Lapinski, a Polish aristocrat who emigrated to Texas in 1882. The graceful, delicate countess wo... More..
Hobbies & Games > Antiques & Collecting (Other) Do people go overboard with big collections: 3 of 6
Some people are possessed by the urgent need to possess. And few know more about collectors' obsessive-compulsive tendencies than antiques dealers and appraisers. When you're in a profession where you meet collectors on a daily basis, you realize the extent to which collecting can spiral out of control. A healthy desire to ha... More..