Articles written by Jim Bessey

How To Guides |
Community

About me - Jim Bessey

Helium is home, plain and simple. I've lived here now for more than three years, and cannot imagine a day without Helium. Over the months I've met a large and diverse group of talented writers. I'm proud to call many of them friends, and all them peers.

I've

+ more bio information

RSS Feed

Creative Writing > Humor Humor: Coffee: 1 of 34

I'm addicted to coffee. There, I've admitted it right up front. Without my morning coffee, I would collapse to the floor, quivering and mumbling gibberish. Don't think for a minute that just one coffee would suffice, either. It's a two-drink minimum in my world, although the second coffee is always decaffeinated. Unfortunate...
Computers & Technology > Computers & Technology (Other) Assessing the effect of new technologies on our lifestyle: 1 of 24

We spent the afternoon today configuring our new wireless router. Can you think of anything more fun and entertaining than that? It certainly was a learning experience. My wife spent the previous night on hold with a revolving batch of tech-support people (for the cable provider) trying to troubleshoot our old router. None o...
Pets & Animals > Dogs (Other) How did the dog become man's best friend?: 1 of 19

Perhaps it is a cliche to say that dogs are man's best friend. Dogs are just dumb animals, right? Of course dogs are much more than that. They are eyes for the blind, detectives for drug searches, scouts for missing persons, and devoted companions who are willing to sacrifice their lives as protectors. Ask a dog owner about ...
Relationships & Family > Couple Communication Understanding the male mind: 1 of 16

There's a popular myth which claims that the average male thinks about sex every 12.5 seconds, or some similar absurd number. Sounds real on the surface of it; but, like many urban legends and email forwards, it's nonsense. Men suffer at the hand of over-simplification in all areas of rational thought. Do you really believe ...
Home & Garden > Home & Garden (Other) Tips for building your own home: 1 of 13

Build your own home? For most of us, that's the biggest construction project we might tackle in life. I've done it, with pleasant success, and can offer some tips for taking on this major challenge. If you decide to "do it yourself" you'll face a thousand questions, make a few hundred decisions, and spend no less than tens o...
Arts & Humanities > Writing Tips 6 tips to cure writer's block: 1 of 13

There's only one valid excuse for you to let writer's block beat you: "coma." We've all found ourselves staring at that empty paper or monitor screen, waiting in frustration for inspiration to leap into our fingers. You can cure writer's block forever. All you have to do is walk away from that blank paper long enough to open...
Creative Writing > Short Stories Short stories: The dollhouse mystery: 4 of 35

MURDER, OVER A DOLLHOUSE Suspects: Mr. Hanlyn, the husband Kerry Wood, the neighbor A random burglar? The UPS driver, not named "Murder, over a dollhouse? You've got to be kidding me." That was Det. John Cowe, who had at least ten years seniority on me. I smiled. "Yup, husband says it's the only thing missing. Desimore belie...
Home & Garden > Weeds & Pests True gardening stories: The worst pest experience: 6 of 48

Spring has officially arrived here in upstate NY. We had a very dicey April, with some nagging snowfalls and sagging temperatures. Until about one week ago, the trees were bare. However, since we lost nearly two full months from the '06-'07 ski season back around the New Year, we had to expect winter to hang on longer than u...
Creative Writing > Humor Humor: Golf: 2 of 16

Golf is not a sport for the faint of heart. Nor is it a pastime for the weak of wallet, or for the uncoordinated. There's a very good reason why golf is a four-letter word. Still, playing golf is a great opportunity to revel in the great outdoors, see some incredible scenery, and socialize with friends and business associate...
Home & Garden > Home Repair (Other) Basement remodeling tips: 1 of 7

Remodeling your unfinished basement can be a cost-effective way to expand your living space, especially if you can do much of the work yourself. Create a cozy viewing lounge for a large-screen television and sound system. Design your dream office or crafts workspace. Fashion an impressive recreation area around a ping-pong o...