Articles written by Dan Mason

What is Helium

About me - Dan Mason

I write because it is the best way I can think of to say what I need to say. I am a newly graduated Tax Accountant in Rochester, NY. I work for a great company with great benefits, but accounting just doesn't excite me. I am planning to go back to school to

+ more bio information

RSS Feed

Religion & Spirituality > Atheism & Agnosticism Why the 'man of reason' should be celebrated more than the 'man of faith': 1 of 26
The man of reason should not be celebrated more than the man of faith. Likewise, the man of faith holds no victory over the man of reason. To be frank, to even consider this question to be of great importance is to prove one's own ignorance. Indeed, I even question myself for choosing to add to the discussion, but the topic w... More..
Health & Fitness > Gym & Health Club Health club etiquette: Most annoying behaviors seen at gyms: 5 of 30
Having been going to the gym since high school, I have witnessed several interesting, odd, and downright rude behaviors. Although every gym is different, and has its own rules, there is a set of behaviors that are generally accepted as "to be avoided" at most any gym. A few of the most important, and unfortunately, most widel... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Atheism & Agnosticism If God created everything, who created God: 12 of 60
The question of who created God is to me, another unfortunate stumbling block preventing many people from ever coming to know God. Just like all the other token arguments, like 'If God is so good, why does he let bad things happen?', this question holds a tremendous amount of power to cause harm.Too often, people allow these ... More..
Sports & Recreation > Hiking & Backpacking Ten essential items for backpacking trips: 6 of 18
Backpacking is an activity that can be enjoyed by anyone. I can not imagine anyone not being awed by the serene beauty of the back country. Perhaps my favorite part about backpacking is the absolute silence I can find deep in the wilderness. After a long day of hiking, there is nothing quite so renewing for my spirit than lyi... More..
Business > Business News & Issues How to protect your business from fraud: 2 of 4
Fraud occurs when one knowingly makes significant misrepresentations of fact with the intent to cause harm to some other party. Generally speaking, fraud can fall into one of two categories: Embezzlement or Misappropriation. Embezzlement occurs when an employee takes money or property that has been entrusted to their care. Mi... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Baseball Case for the MLB cheaters: 1 of 2
When the Mitchell Report was released back in December, nearly 90 current and former MLB players found themselves being accused of using performance enhancing drugs at some point during their careers. Of course there were the usual suspects, like Barry Bonds, Jason Giambi, and Miguel Tejada. But there was also some guy named ... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Hunger, Disease & Poverty How to lend to entrepreneurs in developing countries: 4 of 7
For the past few months, I have become fascinated with the idea of microfinance, sometimes referred to as micro-loans, or micro-credit. The idea is simple, and painfully obvious (to me anyway):Loan money to aspiring entrepreneurs in developing nations, thus helping them to grow their business, and move towards escaping povert... More..
Creative Writing > Songs Songs: Falling in love: 69 of 92
The challenge is in keeping this alive Feelings felt by moonlight on that warm July night The feel of her heartbeat matching crashing of the waves Echoing along the beach, the feeling you hope remains The challenge is in keeping this alive Feelings shared in sunlight as the embers still ignite The sound of her laught... More..
Sports & Recreation > Olympics (Other) Using the Olympics to make political statements: 3 of 4
I must admit, I probably will not watch a lot of the Summer Olympics this August. I enjoy the games, and will usually stop to watch an event if I pass by it on the dial, but I am not interested enough to schedule it into my day the way I am with an NFL or MLB game, or even a PGA event (well, as long as its one of the majors).... More..
Personal Finance > Financial Planning Surviving the economic crunch: What can you do?: 31 of 35
Watch the news and it becomes quickly apparent that the U.S. economy is making it difficult for many people to get by. But there are ways to pull yourself through this time. First, recognize that this is only temporary, and the economy will eventually pull out of its downturn, and start improving (some experts argue that the ... More..