Articles written by B. B. James - Page 4

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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, economics,

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Personal Finance > Financial Planning How an emergency fund can help take the sting out of financial surprises: 1 of 7
When something bad and unexpected happens in your life, not having money makes the problem worse. That's an obvious statement, but few people stop to think about its implications. So when financial experts say that every person or family should have at least 6 months of expenses in an emergency fund, few people actually heed ... More..
Personal Finance > Mortgages & Home Loans Views on the 40-year mortgage: 1 of 7
Forty-year mortgages have a bit of a bad reputation in America, but taking a global perspective, they are not as unusual as one might think. Mortgages of 100 years are very common in Japan and China, for example.I think that significant arguments can be made in favor of 40-year mortgages. To wit,1. Houses in the US are becomi... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Sports Archives What are the most exciting NBA playoff matchups in 2008?: 1 of 7
This year, in contrast to most, it's hard to find a bad matchup in the first round of the NBA playoffs. There are numerous contests of up-and-coming teams vs. poised veterans, and other contests of teams with contrasting styles, and other matchups of teams that just don't like each other. Here are the three most exciting matc... More..
Creative Writing > Memoirs Testimonies: Overcoming a drinking problem: 12 of 78
I was sitting in jail, wondering whether I had ruined my life...or if I would get another chance. The impact of more than a dozen beers that evening was slowing my thought process, but I could see one thing clearly: I was ready to get control over my drinking problem.It's now nearly four years later, and I can't say that it h... More..
Hobbies & Games > Video Game Culture & Community Gamer girls: Why female gamers are forming guilds and communities based on gender: 3 of 18
Women's and girls' interest in gaming is on the rise, and it's going to increase even more rapidly as the current generation of pre-teen girls gets accustomed to the social networking sites that are especially attractive to them. Sites like Club Penguin and Webkins are bringing elementary school and middle school girls to the... More..
Arts & Humanities > Literary Themes & Ideas Alienation: The theme of the 20th-century novel: 2 of 12
The 20th century marked the period when the novel really became self-reverential - ie., when writers wrote novels for the purpose of exploring themselves and their world. This is both a great strength and a great weakness. The strength lies in the depth and breadth of themes that literature can effectively address, and how no... More..
Sports & Recreation > Baseball Players Biography: Jackie Robinson: 1 of 6
Jackie Robinson's enduring legacy is his breaking of the "color barrier" that prohibited African-Americans from playing major league baseball for more than a half-century. With his highly chronicled participation in what was truly America's Pastime of that era, Robinson opened another avenue for African-Americans to play a ro... More..
Business > Entrepreneurship (Other) How to benefit from a long-term relationship with a business mentor: 1 of 6
Many of the great leaders in business say that they would not have achieved their successes without the guidance and support of a mentor or mentors. Indeed, mentors are crucial for helping almost anybody move forward in his or her chosen career. For Bill Gates, it was a professor at Stanford University; for Warren Buffett, it... More..
Relationships & Family > Family Life Inheritance without argument: 1 of 6
When the patriarch or matriarch of the family dies, inheritance situations can get very ugly, very quickly. Siblings fight over who gets the dining room set. One sister wants to sell the car, and the other sister wants to keep it (but doesn't want to pay half of its market value). Three grandchildren each remember being promi... More..
Home & Garden > Architecture Deciding if your new house can benefit from a radiant heating system: 1 of 6
Radiant heating is a fantastic way to heat and cool your house that is environmentally sound and energy efficient. Basically, radiant heat uses water (or water enhanced with chemicals) to move heat or cooling influences through your home. Instead of pumping dry, hot air through vents, or blasting you with cold air from an A/C... More..