Articles written by Gerard Coulombe

What is Helium

About me - Gerard Coulombe

I'm a "senior" who never stopped writing. Writing has been a lifetime avocation. Nowadays, I write to exercise my brain. I see it as a way to forestall a natural process called adult senility.

My occupational training has been and continues to be "education."

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Education > Adult Education Is a college education still cost effective?: 1 of 11

Here is a way to figure out if the cost of a college education is cost effective. The formula is $=+/-{[college]+[education]}. Or the total, all-inclusive cost of a college education is equal to the value of the college's reputation plus the student's academic output over time in college. Go figure it out. It might not be ... More..
Arts & Humanities > Who & What is Helium Basics of Helium: 1 of 9
Basics of Helium: Helium is a website for all categories of writers. It is open to all genres: fiction, non-fiction, poetry, memoir, etc. To become a Helium writer, one need only apply. That's easy enough. Google "Helium.com," and Helium's page comes up on the screen. It features an attractive display of art, graphics, an... More..
Celebrations & Holidays > Engagements & Proposals Should you give an answer to a marriage proposal immediately?: 1 of 7

Should you give an answer to a marriage proposal immediately? Even though you have long waited for just this moment when he would weaken and make his move, there is always the probability that he knows something you don't. As much as it might be tempting, very tempting, indeed, to jump into marriage by saying, teary eyed w... More..
Parenting & Pregnancy > Grandparenting Grandparents raising grandchildren: 4 of 24

Second Time Around I just returned from dropping off one of the triplets at a classmate's home for a birthday party. They will be going to the Down Town Cabaret for an afternoon performance. My daughter left earlier with the boy triplet and the twelve year old. My grandson and his friends are celebrating his ninth birthda... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Justice System Should the U.S. Senate confirm Sonia Sotomayor as President Obama's nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court?: 2 of 12

Should the Senate confirm Sonia Sotomayor? The very question suggests a possibility other than the expected confirmation. Just by asking if the Senate should confirm the nominee to be a Supreme Court Justice, one might suspect that there is something wrong with the nominee or with the question. But why parse this particular ... More..
Parenting & Pregnancy > Child Behavior & Discipline (Other) Can children be taught the value of sportsmanship in an era of steroid abuse and ever more aggressive parents in the stands at Little League games?: 3 of 17
"Can children be taught the value of sportsmanship in an era of steroid abuse among professional athletes and ever more aggressive parents in the stands at little league games?" In this debate, sponsored by the "Responsibility Project," there is a hopeful position on the affirmative side. Yes. Children can be taught to value... More..
Education > Homework & Testing How to develop good study habits in children: 10 of 55

How to develop good study habits in children Students with good study habits are the pride of their parents and the envy of their friends. Are there parents who do not wish for the children in their families that they be good students and good children? If for one reason or another, the children are not or cannot be go... More..
Creative Writing > Poetry Poetry: Smiles: 15 of 81
A smile is not a gift to be placed in a box. It is an expression, artistically spoken without uttering a sound. More..
Personal Finance > Smart Spending How to make your teens change their spending habits: 4 of 19
How to make your teens change their spending habits is a challenge nowadays. My grandson, for whom I am stand-in father in lieu of his dad, whom mom divorced over his narcissistic abuse, just asked if I would give him some money to go to the beach. He is going with a friend with whom he just had an overnight, and his friend's... More..
Education > Reading & Writing Skills Helping children develop a love of reading: 9 of 40

A wise teacher once shared with me a piece of wisdom on the art of reading with this analogy. Reading is like driving a car. After you learn the fundamentals, how fast and how well you read depends on the road. If the road is straight without too many distractions here and there, you can read as fast as you care ... More..