Articles written by B. B. James - Page 5

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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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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 r... 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, i... 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 prom... 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/... More..
Sports & Recreation > Sports Celebrities The biggest goats in sports history: 1 of 6
A few other great baseball goats. 1. Fred Merkle. In 1908, he didn't touch second base on a teammate's game-winning hit. The run was disallowed, and the game was called a tie due to darkness. The game had to be replayed at the end of the season when Merkle's team (NY Giants) was tied with another for first place. Merkle's te... More..
Personal Finance > Mutual Funds Mutual funds: What is expense ratio: 1 of 6
The expense ratio represents some of the direct costs that will be assessed by your mutual fund manager each year. These are expressed on a percentage basis of every dollar that you have invested in the fund. Usually, they are assessed each quarter of the year (at one-fourth of the annual amount), and you will see them in yo... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Baseball Are baseball players paid too much?: 7 of 40
Clearly baseball players are far overpaid, as are other athletes and entertainers. These people provide something of value to society, but their contributions pale in comparison with people who do work of real value - like teachers. But baseball players earn what they do because our economic system generates unusual economic... More..
Sports & Recreation > Golf Reasons why most golfers can't break 90: 3 of 17
"They say that golf is like life, but don't believe them. Golf is more complicated than that." Gardner Dickinson's quote sums up why most golfers cannot break 90 (that is, take fewer than 90 strokes to complete a round of 18 holes). Quite simply, golf is difficult. It requires a variety of skills, from the power of a drive t... More..
Home & Garden > Home Repair (Other) Is it worth the expense to hire a professional painter?: 2 of 11
Of all the home improvement projects that a person can consider, painting a room probably ranks near the top of those that the average person feels that he or she can do pretty well. After all, it's basically a matter of cleaning the walls, covering up the furniture, and painting. It's not complicated, and it's not physicall... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Terrorism Has America has gone too far with anti-terrorism?: 13 of 71
The U.S. has installed numerous unnecessary, expensive, and harmful restrictions on civil liberties under the guise of fighting terrorism. We have wasted billions of dollars on protective measures that make no sense. And we have neglected real and growing problems in this country (crime, unequal incomes, health care) in orde... More..