Articles written by B. B. James - Page 3

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About me - B. B. James

I'm a male college graduate in my 40's, and I work full-time. I'm married and have two young children. Hobbies and interests are reading, writing, running, travel. My reading (and, thus, my postings on Helium) includes current events, US history, sports,

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Personal Finance > Taxes The tax advantages of owning your own home: 1 of 10
Home ownership is one of the few ways that a typical American can have his or her money "work for you" to achieve significant financial gains. Home ownership receives very favorable tax treatment through three factors: 1. The deduction for mortgage interest. It is simple to take advantage of this tax break, as it basically a... More..
Home & Garden > Architecture The Pritzker Architecture Prize: 1 of 10
The self-declared "World's Most Prestigious Architecture Prize," the Pritzker is the architect's equivalent of the Nobel or Pulitzer. It was first awarded in 1979, and funding is provided by the Hyatt Foundation, as in the Hyatt hotel chain. The winner each year receives recognition, a medal, and a check for $100,000. The aw... More..
Travel > Travel Planning & Advice What to do when you've offended the locals while on vacation: 1 of 10
Since offending the locals often occurs because of language difficulties, it is important to find a person who can translate for you, so that you can make your apology truly understood. Even if you think you are apologizing correctly through your limited grasp of the language, you are probably making another mistake - either... More..
Personal Finance > Smart Spending How to cope with a spouse who spends money like water: 3 of 29
For many married couples, personal finances are a source of major conflict. In fact, numerous studies have shown that conflicts about spending and saving money are the No. 1 problem in relationships. Yes, money conflicts surpass even highly sensitive matters such as sex or the raising of children, and money conflicts then sp... More..
Sports & Recreation > Baseball Players Building baseball's all-time greatest team: 3 of 29
It's astounding to me that, despite the press attention that's been paid to on-base percentage (OBP) in the past few years, there are still people who believe they are knowledgeable about baseball and yet ignore OBP. The list shown by at least one poster on here is so far off the mark that they are comical. To pick Tony Gwyn... More..
Jobs & Careers > Jobs & Careers (Other) How old should children be before they start working: 2 of 19
In the Middle Ages, children were apprenticed by age 8 into the trades that they would be expected to pursue for the rest of their lives. Whether a cobbler, a baker, or a servant, the child was handed adult responsibilities out of economic necessity. Even the children of the nobility were trained at a young age f... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Politics in Asia Why America is worried about China: 5 of 47
America as a whole is not worried about China, but different groups of Americans are worried that China is encroaching on the interests and power of that group. So when you combine those specific complaints, they seem to rise to a general fear of China. But it's more realistic to pull those things apart and consider them as ... More..
Business > Starting a Business What to know when starting a home daycare center: 1 of 9
Starting a home day-care business can be one of the easiest businesses to launch ... and also one of the hardest. It's easy in the sense that the basic requirement is being nice to children and attentive to their needs. You don't have to buy a lot of equipment or earn a fancy degree. Basically, if you like kids and are comfo... More..
Health & Fitness > Gym & Health Club Health Clubs: Things that annoy me: 2 of 16
My Top Five Health Club Pet Peeves. If you’ve ever worked out in health club or gym, you’ve faced numerous frustrations. Except for the clubs at the top end of the scale, most gyms are not exactly pleasant environments. They are designed to be places for people to work and sweat and grunt. ... More..
Jobs & Careers > Jobs & Careers (Other) Do get rich quick schemes ever work?: 2 of 16
Get-rich-quick schemes don't work, of course, but this masks an important truth about American society and the economy. The truth is that many people do rise from very limited circumstances to significant wealth in fairly short periods of time. This has been the American story for nearly two decades, and it's as true today a... More..