Articles written by Spike Wyatt

What is Helium

About me - Spike Wyatt

It's always rather difficult to describe oneself, but I'll have a go. I'm male, human (or close) and nearly 40 years old. I'm English by birth and now live and work on the south coast of the UK. I recently moved back here from Paris, where I worked for a huge

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Hobbies & Games > Video Game Culture & Community How video games affect our lives: 2 of 27
You know you're addicted to video games when you're stopped by the police and the only thing you can think to say is "You can't give me a ticket - I'm a level seventy druid!" Well, OK, so it's unlikely that would happen, but you get the idea. After decades of worrying about public obsession with the Beatles, alcohol, drugs, w... More..
Creative Writing > Memoirs Memoirs: Living in France: 1 of 11
I still remember being about ten years old and telling my father that I never wanted to go abroad. We'd been discussing holidays. The family had always holidayed in the UK, mostly because I'm one of five children and we weren't rich, so I was explaining that I didn't mind: there was nothing special outside our country. Just a... More..
Hobbies & Games > Video Game Culture & Community MMORPGs: What your character's name says about you: 1 of 9
I've been a gamer in MMORPGs for many years. Too many, I suppose! I started in the early days of EverQuest, where I was also a Guide and helped with their customer service, went through Asheron's Call and Dark Age of Camelot, took a short side turning into Anarchy Online before moving on to World of Warcraft and, finally, arr... More..
Parenting & Pregnancy > Teen Challenges Teens: Peer pressure to drink at holiday parties: 2 of 14
Peer pressure has always been a significant problem in adolescence, of course - we're all aware of it from the moment our mother asks, "And if they all jumped off a cliff, I suppose you'd jump, too?" When it comes to alcohol, the pressure is much harder to deal with, both for the parents and the kids.The most difficult aspect... More..
Pets & Animals > Animal Rights & Issues Is it morally wrong to use mice or dogs in medical research?: 7 of 48
We live in a world where few moral questions have a clear-cut answer, even questions of life and death. What is right in one situation may be wrong in another. Medical research is one of the more difficult areas to consider. Humans have affected the world enormously: over-population, tampering with nature, industrialisation ... More..
Travel > Vacations Things to do on vacation in Paris France: 4 of 19
There's so much to see in Paris that it's very difficult to come up with a short-list for tourists. Having lived there for a few years in the past, I thought I'd put together a dozen suggestions. Some are obvious, but others are less well-known.1. The LouvreOriginally a fortress, then a palace and now one of the biggest museu... More..
Health & Fitness > Anxiety & Panic Disorders Can anxiety disorders be treated?: 2 of 9
Anxiety disorders can be anything from panic attacks to a specific or generalised anxiety. They range greatly in severity and can include obsessive-compulsive behaviour and phobias. Anyone can suffer from them, and they're not only very unpleasant but debilitating. The good news is that they can definitely be treated.One of t... More..
Pets & Animals > Animal Rights & Issues Exploring why we need to protect animals: 2 of 9
Imagine a machine. A machine so utterly complex that it is impossible for one person to completely understand it. A machine so vast, with such intricate workings that tiny little changes over on one side can have ramifications miles away. Now tweak a setting, unclip a wire, replace a mechanical part. How can you know whether ... More..
Creative Writing > Reflections Reflections: The secret keys to happiness: 29 of 114
In a world full of trouble, pain and stress, we are surrounded by fear and anger, buffetted by media hype, international catastrophes and personal tribulations. Huge money-mad enterprises exhort us to purchase their products and promise to help us realise our dreams. Our neighbours and peers compete with us in ways we hardly ... More..
Hobbies & Games > Video Game Tips & Tricks Hints and cheats for The Sims 2: 3 of 9
The Sims is a gold mine. The series is one of the biggest-selling of all time and, with all the extras and addons available for the original and The Sims 2 taken into account, one of the longest running as well. Only the online version of the game failed to live up to expectations, but given that it was much more commercial t... More..