Articles written by Charles Ray

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About me - Charles Ray

Charles A. Ray

US Embassy

Harare, Zimbabwe

(263) (4) 250-593

rayca7@yahoo.com

Areas of Expertise:

I have extensive experience in political-military affairs, and have worked in east and southeast Asia for several years. For the past fifteen years I have devoted

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Creative Writing > Poetry Poetry: When I think of you: 1 of 53
My breath come in shallow gasps And my heart pounds like a drum. My palms are sweating and sticky, And, I can't control my tongue. I stumble like an idiot Not knowing what to do. My world turns upside down Whenever I think of you. More..
Arts & Humanities > Philosophical Concepts Is the concept of freedom overrated?: 1 of 40
Before stating that the concept of freedom is overrated, one must first establish a clear understanding of what is meant by 'freedom.' Freedom, over the centuries, has had different meanings, and how it is viewed varies from culture to culture and is dependent upon the circumstances that exist. Francois Guizot, in his treat... More..
Style & Beauty > Hair Color & Coloring Should you go gray naturally or dye your hair as you age?: 2 of 73
To dye or not to dye, that is the question. Whether it's nobler in the mind to let the gray strands shine, or to dodge the slings of outrageous fortune and reach for the Grecian Formula, is a problem that men and women have had to deal with for many, many decades.I once had a friend, an otherwise intelligent man, who in his m... More..
Arts & Humanities > Writing & Rating at Helium Should you begin Helium articles by repeating the article's title?: 2 of 58
The opening sentence of a significant number of Helium articles is a repeat of the title of the article. In some cases, particularly when the title asks a provocative question, this is an appropriate way to begin the article. In far too many of these articles, however, use of the title as the opening sentence is not only un... More..
Other Have you ever fallen in front of a person and what was your reaction?: 5 of 135
I have fallen down, not in front of just one person, but a large group of people. Once, I was guiding a group of CEOs of some major U.S. corporations and senior university officials on a tour of the Phnom Bakaeng Temple in Cambodia. This is an old Khmer temple built during the reign of the Angkor kings and it sits atop a hill... More..
Society & Lifestyle > Lifestyles Is it better to live in the city or the country?: 2 of 41
There are some questions that really cannot be answered. One of them is this: "which is better, to live in the country or the city?" Ask me that question when I'm stuck in traffic on the Washington Beltway, and I'll answer, the country. Ask me again, when I'm a three or four hour drive from a play at Kennedy Center, and I... More..
Creative Writing > Novel Excerpts Novel excerpts: Fantasy: 20 of 387
ANGEL ON HIS SHOULDER1. Winston Nesbitt's grandmother died when he was twenty-four. On his fortieth birthday, she came back. Having your grandmother come back from the beyond could be a traumatic experience for the hardiest of souls, which Winston definitely was not. Having her come back the way she did was devastating. Winst... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Politics, News & Issues (Other) Why politicians lie: 3 of 58
Why do politicians lie? For many of the same reasons that the average person lies. We lie because the truth is inconvenient or uncomfortable. No one really wants to hear that taxes will have to be raised in order to fund our favorite programs. We want to hear that our pet project will be funded by cutting a program we care li... More..
Personal Finance > Personal Finance (Other) Preventing identity theft: 1 of 19
Tips for preventing identity theftAccording to the Federal Bureau of Investigation an estimated 500,000 to 700,000 Americans are victims of identity theft each year. Identity theft; using an individual's personal information such as Social Security Numbers, bank account numbers, etc., for unlawful purposes is growing at an en... More..
Education > Colleges & Universities (Other) Are parents justified in pressuring their teenage children to get a college education?: 2 of 34

Are parents justified in pressuring their kids to go to college? Rugged individualists would argue not, firmly believing in the individual's right to make such decisions. After all, some maintain the economy has only so many jobs for college graduates, so why endure the financial burden of a college education if you don't fee... More..