Making Money Online with Helium

Pros and cons of cash advance loans

2009-09-30T14:31:00.001-05:00

There are many positives and negatives about taking out a cash advance loan. It is not an option that people often consider, but under the right circumstances, it might be a good idea to help you weather a financial storm.

Pros of cash advance loans:

- If you have a bill that you have to pay, then a cash advance loan might be a good idea. For example, if you are going to get evicted, and your only alternative is to pay it with a cash advance loan, then that might be the smart move. Also, cash advance loans do not require you to get a credit check, so it won't hurt your credit score any, leaving your credit score untouched.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

Debt settlement tips and tricks

2009-05-14T14:03:00.001-05:00

For the majority of the people in the United States today, debt is probably the biggest factor of stress, and money problems in generals are probably the biggest strain on marriages. Simply put, we do not know how to stay out of debt very well, and we especially don't know how to get out of debt once we get caught in its grasp. You probably know of many people that have gotten in over their heads in debt, and it seems like there is no way out.

You might be in this situation yourself. This feeling often leads people to not even try to eliminate the debt, thinking that whatever they do, they will not be able to escape from their debt and live their lives with financial freedom.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

Helium Tip: Write in High Paying Channels

2009-05-05T18:55:00.004-05:00

Logically, if you write articles about topics that generate the most money, you are more likely to make money. If all of your articles are in channels for religion, or storytelling, or something of that nature, you might not be as successful making money. However, it can be a big boost to your earnings if you write to high-paying channels.

So what are the highest paying channels? Courtesy of helium, they are:

Personal Finance > Loans > Loans (Other)
Health & Fitness > Pharmaceuticals > Medicine Development
Style & Beauty > Skin & Body > Cosmetic Procedures
Personal Finance > Managing Credit & Debt > Credit Cards
Personal Finance > Loans > Personal Loans
Health & Fitness > Pharmaceuticals > Pharmaceuticals (Other)
Personal Finance > Managing Credit & Debt
Personal Finance > Loans > Loan Basics
Personal Finance > Loans > Student Loans
Autos > Buying Cars

There you have it! Obviously you still need to write about what you know, but it helps if you are able to get some articles written in these topic areas!

Games kids can play outside in spring weather

2009-05-05T18:52:00.001-05:00

When I was younger, my favorite games to play outside in the spring weather were most of the conventional sports. Playing basketball, baseball, or football outside in the sun are some of the best memories of my childhood.

The games they can play are obviously in some ways dependent on the type of sporting equipment you have and the number of people you have, but you can usually find something to do. My favorite game was always basketball, because all it takes is a hoop and a ball, and you can play it either alone or with a group of people. It was versatile, which was nice.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

Financial Accounting versus Management Accounting

2009-05-05T18:51:00.001-05:00

Many times, when people think of the profession of accounting and what accountants do on a day-to-day basis, they think all accountants do the same thing and have the same goals. This is not always the case. Accounting can be broken down many different ways, but one of the main ways involves looking at the differences between financial accounting and management accounting. Both have different purposes and uses, and as a result they have different rules and emphases.

READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

Day 12 Recap

2007-09-14T02:00:00.000-05:00

Total Earnings: $162.36
Invite Earnings: $0.05
Account Balance: $5.57
Change: $0.39
Articles Written: 352

Day 11 Recap

2007-09-13T01:13:00.000-05:00

I don't think anyone is reading, but if you are, I apologize for how much this site has sucked lately. I've been really busy with school... too busy to do anything other than update! Hopefully that will change soon.

Total Earnings: $161.97
Invite Earnings: $0.05
Account Balance: $5.18
Change: $0.45
Articles Written: 352

Day 10 Recap

2007-09-12T01:24:00.000-05:00

Total Earnings: $161.52
Invite Earnings: $0.05
Account Balance: $4.73
Change: $0.34
Articles Written: 352

Day 9 Recap

2007-09-11T01:48:00.000-05:00

Total Earnings: $161.18
Invite Earnings: $0.05
Account Balance: $4.39
Change: $0.56
Articles Written: 352

Day 8 Recap

2007-09-10T01:08:00.001-05:00

My site has been pretty dull lately... I've been really busy with school, so I haven't had much time to write more tips on this blog, or even write more articles on Helium. So I'll just give another daily update.

Total Earnings: $160.62
Invite Earnings: $0.05
Account Balance: $3.83
Change: $0.30
Articles Written: 352

Comments: I seem to be pretty steady with 30 cents a day right when I don't do anything. Hopefully that can change a little bit when I can be a little more active.

Day 7 Recap

2007-09-09T01:04:00.000-05:00

Total Earnings: $160.32
Invite Earnings: $0.05
Account Balance: $3.53
Change: $0.30
Articles Written: 352

Day 6 Recap

2007-09-08T01:20:00.000-05:00

Another busy day, so just the meat and potatoes here:

Total Earnings: $160.02
Invite Earnings: $0.05
Account Balance: $3.23
Change: $0.23
Articles Written: 352

Day 5 Recap

2007-09-07T00:45:00.000-05:00

Just a quick recap, as I'm pretty busy tonight.

Total Earnings: $159.79
Invite Earnings: $.05
Account Balance: $3.00
Change: $1.01
Articles Written: 352

Comments: A really nice day for me, though I'm not exactly sure why. Part of the reason is my article, Should credit card companies be targeting credit card companies? did pretty well, but that was only part of it. Maybe StumbleUpon is really working well? Either way, I was pleasantly surprised, and that is always a good thing.

Day 4 Recap

2007-09-06T00:21:00.000-05:00

A decent day... I didn't do much in terms of marketing it outside here... but I did get paid!

Total Earnings: $158.78
Invite Earnings: $.05
Account Balance: $1.99
Change: $.40
Articles Written: 352

Proof of Helium Payment

2007-09-05T22:03:00.001-05:00

Not that there was any doubt since I've gotten paid, but I just got my earnings paypal'd to me... I'm almost embarrassed to show the meager amount, but I'll post it just to quell any doubts you might have that you won't get paid.

(the photo gets bigger if you click on it)

Day 3 Recap

2007-09-05T01:00:00.000-05:00

Things picked up a little bit today... let's check the numbers.

Total Earnings: $158.38
Invite Earnings: $.05
Account Balance: $1.59
Change: $.56
Articles Written: 352

Top 5 articles this month:
1. Fantasy Football RB Rankings
2. Comparing Facebook and Myspace
3. Paying for college through work study
4. Pittsburgh Steelers Predictions
5. 401(k) contribution limits

Comments: My earnings were helped by a couple of different things. One, I did a little promoting of articles elsewhere. Second, I started to use StumbleUpon, and that had an immediate effect. I just hope that it continues to have a positive effect on my earnings.

Indianapolis Colts Predictions

2007-09-04T20:16:00.001-05:00

Coming off a Super Bowl victory last season, a lot of things are expected from the Colts, and despite some roster losses, they still have the talent to deliver on these big expectations.

For one thing, they still have Peyton Manning. He is the best QB in the game today and slowly moving up the ranks as one of the best QBs ever. He makes everyone in the offense better. Teamed up with perhaps the best set of receivers in the NFL (with Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne, and rookie Anthony Gonzalez), the passing attack should be as good as any in the game.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

Denver Broncos Predictions

2007-09-04T20:16:00.000-05:00

The 2007 Denver Broncos look to be a very successful team, at least on paper. They have a strong and balanced offense to go along with one of the best defenses in the NFL. With these these ingredients, they will be contenders with San Diego to win the AFC West, and might even be able to compete for the AFC Title.

But everything starts with 2nd year QB Jay Cutler. He is extremely talented, but only played in 5 games in his rookie season. If he matures quickly, the sky is the limit both in terms of his potential, and of the potential of the 2007 Broncos. He has all of the physical tools that you look for in a QB... arm strength, accuracy, athleticism, etc... he just has to put it all together. He has a solid receiving corps, led by Javon Walker, which should help his maturity as an NFL Quarterback.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

Day 2 Recap

2007-09-04T00:11:00.000-05:00

Kind of a slow day over the Labor Day holiday, but here is the recap after Monday.

Total Earnings: $157.82
Invite Earnings: $.05
Account Balance: $1.03
Change: $.29
Articles Written: 350

Top 5 Articles this Month:
1. Paying for college through work study
2. Fantasy Football RB Rankings
3. $150,000 income and struggling to survive?
4. Dallas Cowboys Predictions
5. How to improve your ACT score

Comments: I've been pretty busy lately which has slowed me down from writing more articles, but I am hoping I'll be able to get back to writing more soon. School and other web commitments has just made time a little short lately.

Day 1 Recap

2007-09-02T23:47:00.000-05:00

Every day (hopefully) I will recap my earnings. I use day 1 here not because this is the first day I have used Helium (because it is not), but because it is the first day that I will record these.

Also I want to note that I requested payment a couple of days ago, so that is why my current balance is very low.

Total Earnings: $157.53
Invite Earnings: $0.05
Account Balance: $0.74
Articles Written: 350

Again, I just requested payment a couple of days ago, which is why the account balance is very low.

Top 5 articles so far this month:
1. Fantasy Football RB Rankings
2. How to improve your ACT score
3. Credit card safety: how to tell if a site is secure
4. Paying for college through federal work study
5. $150,000 income and struggling to survive?

Helium Tip: Post in forums

2007-09-02T23:33:00.000-05:00

One tip that I have found that works (especially to help promote your work) is to post in message boards/forums, both on Helium and on other sites. This is helpful for different reasons. Here are helpful tips for whether you're posting on Helium or on other sites:

When posting on other Message Boards:
- Link to Helium in your signature - This helps to get people to click and come visit your writings.

- Find something that fits in with what you have written for Helium - If you find something that is along the same topic areas as what you have written, people are probably going to be more interested. Also, if you are posting about an area you have directly written on, you'll even be able to include a direct link to that without it being spamming, which is the way to do things. Spamming is not good.

- Post quality - The only way that people will want to read other things that you have written is to make quality posts. That way people will see that you are a good writer that has interesting things to say, and they will want to read more.

When posting on Helium forums:
- Do not include a link to your articles - This is not allowed on the Helium boards, which is a VERY GOOD policy.

- Be helpful - People will be more likely to go check out some of your articles if you are helpful on the forums. Try to avoid flaming people or being rude. Being kind and helpful is a good policy.

- Be informative - Like the previous comment, this will make people a lot more likely to check out some of your articles.

Any other forum tips?

Why you should let me refer you

2007-09-02T23:19:00.000-05:00

First off, let me say that if you refer somebody, you get 5% of whatever they earn. Which is why it's nice to refer someone.

Under normal circumstances, you don't get anything for being referred by someone. Meaning it wouldn't matter if I referred you or if you signed up yourself. In most cases.

This is why you should let me refer you... with this blog, I have the opportunity to do more promoting of others work. If you let me refer you, I will help to promote your work (provided it is of good quality), which is very important if you want to earn any money at Helium.

On Helium, you can only refer someone by sending them an email. Meaning I can't just post a link that means I referred you, you'd have to get the link in an email from me.

This is done mainly because Helium wants only higher-quality writers, and the thinking goes that you will only refer people that you think will be good writers. Whether or not you agree or disagree with this (and it's a fine rule), that is the rule and that's how they choose to do it.

So I can't post a link here that would let me refer you. However, if you let me know that you want to be referred (either by leaving a comment here or sending an email to me: uclabruins24 -AT- hotmail.com), I will send you an invitation email quickly. I am on the computer often... many, many times throughout the day, so it won't take me long to get an invite out. And I will help promote your work, as long as it is of good quality.

So if you still want to sign up independently, go ahead, and I hope you are successful in contributing to the quality at Helium. If you want a little boost, especially early on, send me an email and let me know that you want to be referred by me, and I will help to promote your articles and make you more successful.

Helium Tip: Write About What You Know

2007-08-31T00:28:00.000-05:00

If your goal writing at Helium is to produce quality content (and this should be your goal), then one of the best ways to achieve this is by writing about things that you know, especially when you first start out.

One of the secondary goals you'll probably have at Helium is to make a little money, and this is also a helpful tip for that. What are the benefits about writing about things you know? Well, let me see:

- It will help you provide good, quality content. If you are writing about things you know and like, you're articles will probably be better-informed. Also, if you do have to research anything for your writing, you are probably more likely to search better if you are researching something that is interesting to you. Another perk, with good content your article will likely be rated well, and that's rather important.

- You will be able to write more articles. Since one of your goals is probably going to be to make a little bit of money, the more articles you have, generally the better.

- You'll enjoy the site more. If you just write about things that you think might make you money, you'll get really bored writing. And then pretty soon, you won't be writing anymore and you'll forget all about Helium. But if you write about things you like and know, then you'll be more inclined to write, and more likely to enjoy it. Which is nice.

These are just a few of the benefits of writing articles on topics you like and know. This is one of the key things to Helium... if you don't do this, you'll probably create a lot of mediocre content and not enjoy it. Obviously there are exceptions, but this is really important in the grand scheme of things.

Explaining compound interest

2007-08-31T00:26:00.002-05:00

"The most powerful force in the universe is compound interest." - Albert Einstein

Basically, it's the your original money can make interest. If the interest rate is high enough and the money sits for a long enough time, pretty soon the interest you made can make interest. And this is the power of compound interest.

Look at this way... let's say that you save $1000 and put it away right away. Let's say that (to make things simple), that $1000 earns 10% every single year... here is how much you would have after a certain amount of year:

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

How many credit cards is too many?

2007-08-31T00:26:00.001-05:00

The question is, how many can you handle?

If you can handle having multiple cards and you pay them all off at the end of each month, then I'm not sure there is a such thing as "too many" credit cards, aside from having to keep a look at your credit rating.

However, for some people, even one credit card is too many. It all depends on your mindset.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

Best ways to save money

2007-08-31T00:25:00.001-05:00

I've found that one of the best ways to save money is to make things automatic.

What I mean by this is to have a portion of your paycheck automatically taken out and put into a savings account (and part to a 401k!), or even just a set amount taken each month automatically from your bank account and put into a savings account. Why does this work so well?

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

Why can't people save money?

2007-08-31T00:24:00.000-05:00

The reason that some people just can't seem to save is because they simply have the wrong mindset.

They think they "need" to have everything they really want, and then they spend more money than they should. In essence, they try to "keep up with the Joneses," either on a larger scale or a smaller scale.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

Experiences with ING Direct

2007-08-31T00:23:00.000-05:00

I have had only positive experiences with ING Direct in the year or so that I have had money there.

First off, the interest rate, which is a solid 4.5% right now (February 2007). I don't have a lot of extra money to put in there, but the stuff that I do it's nice to get that interest, especially since I had been with brick-and-mortar banks my whole life.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

Turning a little money into a lot

2007-08-28T23:50:00.000-05:00

Turning a little money into a lot is easy... all it takes is a lot of time.

Through the power of compounding interest, you can put a little money in the stock market right now, and in 30-40 years there's a good chance that you'll have a significant amount more than when you started. This is the power compounding interest.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

Road to early retirement

2007-08-28T23:41:00.002-05:00

The road to early retirement starts with having a relatively high income (realistically you will need this) and having the discipline to save a lot of money.

If you're going to retire early, obviously you have to save up for more years where you're not earning any income, which can be challenging. Instead of living for 20-30 years in retirement, retiring early may lead to 40-50 years of retirement.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

Will LeBron James be better than Michael Jordan

2007-08-28T23:41:00.001-05:00

I'm not sure if LeBron will be better than MJ when it's all said and done (certainly WAY too early to tell), however, there certainly are some indications that he could eclipse Jordan. Some reasons:

- LeBron is more athletic than Jordan - LeBron is almost certainly one of, if not the most athletic players ever. Frankly, he's a freak. He's 6'8'', 240 pounds, can touch the top of the backboard jumping, is one of the fastest players in the NBA, and has great stamina (plays 40+ minutes a night). Jordan was certainly no slouch as an athlete, but LeBron is almost in a different stratosphere from everyone else.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

Investing Tips

2007-08-28T23:40:00.000-05:00

The best way to "invest to win" is to go in with the idea that you're here for the long-term, and you want things that will make you money in the long-term.

Let's face it, unless you're real good, if you're stock picking, you don't have a good chance to beat the market. Even most money managers of mutual funds do not beat the market for a single year, and almost none of them beat it over the long-term.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

Disadvantages of an early retirement

2007-08-28T23:39:00.002-05:00

The biggest disadvantage of early retirement is that it's hard to save enough money for it. If you retire at 40 or 50, with life expectancies these days, you have a very good chance of living at least 40 or 50 years longer. Which is great from a living standpoint, tough from a financial standpoint.

So that's why you need to be more aggressive in your saving if you're planning for an early retirement. In reality, you probably need double the retirement money than if you're retiring at a "normal" age, and that's with less earning time. Which means that you better have a pretty nice income to be able to save from.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

How to improve your ACT score

2007-08-28T23:39:00.001-05:00

When you first get the ACT or think about the ACT, it can be extremely intimidating. Not only is it about 4 hours long to take it, but it has a huge impact on your future as far as colleges and scholarships.

For that reason, a lot of people go into the ACT with an extreme case of test anxiety. That, I think, is the biggest reason that a lot of people don't do as well as they otherwise might.

Other things will help improve your ACT test score... you can study your basic English rules. The english section is mostly about knowing where commas go, what colons are, etc. So if you know all of that, you will do well on the English section.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

Best Get-Rich Quick Schemes

2007-08-28T22:54:00.000-05:00

Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a great get-rich quick plan.

If there was, well, everyone would be doing it. If there was one that only I knew, well, I'll give you a hint, I probably wouldn't be writing about it here.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

Can you make money blogging?

2007-08-28T01:46:00.002-05:00

Yes you can. It's a lot of hard work, but I am proof that you can... and if I can, anyone can.

First, you have to write about something you are passionate about and enjoy writing about. If you're doing that, the blog will be a lot better to read, and your readers will be able to tell whether you are interested in what you're writing about or not.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

Playstation 3 vs. Nintendo Wii

2007-08-28T01:46:00.001-05:00

The first obvious difference between the two is the price... the PS3 is currently selling for over $700 in some places (sometimes with game packages) while the Nintendo Wii is selling for a lot less. So that is one of the main differences between the two.

But beyond that, it depends on what style of gamer you are and what you want out of the console.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

2007-08-28T01:45:00.000-05:00

My favorite is the Gettysburg Address, one of the most powerful speeches of all time:

"Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, upon this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that "all men are created equal"

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

Business Ethics

2007-08-28T01:44:00.002-05:00

What is ethics? What is business ethics? According to Noah Webster, ethics is "A set of principles of right conduct." Another definition, according to Wikipedia, "Business ethics is a form of applied ethics that examines ethical rules and principles within a commercial context; the various moral or ethical problems that can arise in a business setting." According to the Institute of Business Ethics (IBE), "Business ethics is the application of ethical values to business behavior."

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

Money-Making Forums

2007-08-28T01:44:00.001-05:00

I have generally had good experience with money-making and personal finance forums.

One thing you have to do is sorta take people's word with a grain of salt... what I mean by that is that not a lot of the people are "experts," so you can't take their word and run with it because you just don't know. However, these types of sites are great for getting new ideas about things or searching for other ideas on something you know just a little about.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

How to get a free credit report

2007-08-28T01:43:00.002-05:00

The first step is to go to annualcreditreport.com.

From there, you can get one free credit report every 12 months from 3 different consumer credit reporting companies: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

How to avoid debt

2007-08-28T01:43:00.001-05:00

Do not try to live beyond your means or feel a sense of entitlement when it comes to possessions. A lot of young people have the attitude that they "deserve" something, and then they buy things that they can't afford. This is not good.

Another thing is to just be smart when it comes to credit cards. A good rule is that if you aren't going to be able to pay it off at the end of the month in full, then don't use the credit card. It's no big secret that credit cards charge enormous interest, so if you fall into that trap, you will get into debt very quickly.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

Why Adsense Sites Don't Make Money

2007-08-28T01:42:00.000-05:00

(1) Not enough visitors. This is the biggest reason that most sites using Adsense do not make that money. You need a lot of visitors if you expect to make a significant amount of money from Adsense.

(2) Bad ad placement. If you stick your ad low on the side of the page where nobody can see it, how do you expect them to click it? A little ad optimization goes a long way.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

Tips for Choosing an Accountant

2007-08-28T01:41:00.001-05:00

Really you're just looking for a couple of things: someone that has good experience/knowledge of accounting and someone that you can trust.

Experience is important because there are lots of confusing things in Accounting, and have a knowledgeable Accountant can save you lots and lots of money depending on what type of business you are running.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

Difference between LIFO and FIFO

2007-08-28T01:40:00.002-05:00

FIFO = First In, First Out
LIFO = Last In, First Out

So let's say you're a paper company, and you receive these shipments:

January 1 - 10 boxes of paper for $200
January 15 - 10 boxes of paper for $100

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

Basics of the Ponzi Scheme

2007-08-28T01:40:00.001-05:00

Assuming that this is a Ponzi Scheme, there are some things that are basic about it and show how it works, and how to know it's fraudulent:

- Offers abnormally high returns in a short period of time. This looks great to new investors, and that's what its supposed to do.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

Things to do in Paris

2007-08-28T01:39:00.001-05:00

#1 thing - GO TO THE TOP OF THE EIFFEL TOWER. Seriously, I can't stress this enough. During the 20 years I've been on this Earth, I consider going to the top of the Eiffel Tower one of the most magnificent and breathtaking things I have ever done.

It'll cost you a little bit of money. Trust me when I say that doesn't matter. It's worth it. Besides, if you're vacationing in Paris you're probably spending a lot of money anyway. The view is incredible... all around you you can see the beauty of Paris, and you're seeing it from the top of the Eiffel Tower. Plus, you can always brag to your friends that you're went to the top of the Eiffel Tower.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

Do Get-Rich-Quick Schemes ever work?

2007-08-28T01:38:00.002-05:00

No.

If there was a such thing as a get rich quick scheme that actually worked really well, wouldn't EVERYBODY be doing it? After all, who wouldn't want to get rich quick.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

Should Barry Bonds be in the Hall of Fame?

2007-08-28T01:38:00.001-05:00

Yes, and there should be no question about it.

Even before any of the steroid allegations came up he was a no doubt Hall of Famer. Bonds was the best player in the 1990s... the best combination of power and speed and the history of baseball. He is the only player in MLB history with over 500 HR and over 500 SBs... heck, he's the only guy in MLB history with at least 400 HR and 400 SBs.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

When to start investing

2007-08-28T01:37:00.001-05:00

There is no such thing as being too young to invest. In fact, the younger the better. Why? Because of compound interest.

"The most powerful force in the universe is compound interest." - Albert Einstein

Basically, the sooner you start, the longer the money that you do invest will have to grow, and the longer the money has to grow, the more compound interest kicks in, and the more money that you will eventually have.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

Baseball's All-Time Team

2007-08-28T01:36:00.000-05:00

It's always difficult to compare different players from different eras, just because of the contexts and surroundings of their game. Still, through statistical analysis and other factors, we can do this and make things reasonably accurate. So here's my crack at, the best players ever from each position:

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE

Tony Kornheiser as Monday Night Football Announcer

2007-08-28T01:35:00.002-05:00

I think the skills and legitimacy of Tony Kornheiser as a Monday Night Football commentator are greatly hampered by the fact that he is in the booth with Joe Theismann. In short, Theismann is one of the worst color men in NFL broadcasting today, and is just not a good fit at all to work with Tony Kornheiser.

Kornheiser obviously is not a guy that is going to give you a lot of analysis and insight into the game... that's just not what he does best and that's not what he's there for. What he is supposed to be doing is keeping the broadcast light and entertaining with humor, as well as using his newspaper and talk show skills to keep things engaging with the other hosts and harbor good discussion (in effect, playing off the role of the Play-by-play man).

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

Peyton Manning in the Super Bowl

2007-08-28T01:35:00.001-05:00

I think Manning will do just fine in the Super Bowl. The Bears certainly have one of the toughest defenses in the League, but I think Manning will be able to exploit some holes.

The thing you have to understand about Manning is that he may be the hardest worker in the NFL. I guarantee you that with the extra week between the conference championship and the Super Bowl the guy will be watching an insane amount of film. He'll watch film until his eyes bleed.

CLICK TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

NFL Draft Predictions

2007-08-28T01:34:00.000-05:00

My first prediction is that I think JaMarcus Russell will go #1 in the Draft to the Oakland Raiders. He has a big arm (which Al Davis loves in QBs) and just has all the physical tools to be a special player... he really is a physical speciment.

Another prediction is that I think Calvin Johnson will be the best player from the Draft. He's the safest WR prospect in the draft in a while... he's fast, he's got great hands, great leaping ability, great anticipation, and (from all accounts), a great work ethic. He's going to be a stud for a long time.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE

How to Write a Cover Letter

2007-08-28T01:33:00.000-05:00

First off, to be obvious, include all of your relevant contact information. It's obvious, but if you forget anything here you're screwed.

Second, don't try to be fancy. Don't use special fonts or special colored paper because you think you'll stand out more... chances are that will not work. Keep it simple. White paper, regular font, margins normal... it's good to stick out, but not like that.

CLICK TO READ THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE

Best ways to pay for college

2007-08-28T00:18:00.000-05:00

There are many ways to finance your college tuition, and if you used a combination of all of these things paying for college doesn't become as big of a burden as it might otherwise be. So, some things to help out are:

- Merit-based scholarships. There's two parts to this... the scholarships you earn from your work in high school and those you earn from your college achievements. In general, if you have a good GPA and a high ACT/SAT score, you'll get some sort of merit-based shcolarship, and may just need to have a certain college GPA to keep it. But after you get to college, if you perform well, there are always scholarships out there for specific majors and such, which are great to take advantage of.

CLICK TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

Best Free Games on the Internet

2007-08-28T00:17:00.000-05:00

I think addictinggames.com probably has the best variety of free games on the internet for some mindless fun. Depending on what style of game you like, how long you want to play, etc. it can provide a lot of good entertainment if you're bored.

One site that I really enjoy is teagames.com. They don't have as wide of a variety of games but they are all really fun to play... for example, one game where you snowboard and do flips with Santa... it sounds terrible, but it's actually rather fun to play and can provide some good entertainment.

CLICK TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

Best Sitcoms Ever

2007-08-28T00:16:00.001-05:00

When looking at sitcomes, there are 3 that jump out to me as being above the rest in my book: Seinfeld, The Office, and Arrested Development.

CLICK TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

Best TV Series

2007-08-28T00:12:00.000-05:00

In my mind there is no better show on television right now than "The Office." Early on there were some complaints that it would just be a bad version of the British "The Office," but I think that anyone that has stuck it out and watched the American version consistently does not think that anymore.

With brilliant writing, great acting, and an engaging storyline not typically seen in sitcoms, The Office is very entertaining, funny, and at times emotional. My favorite parts of the shows are the "talking heads," where they film a shot with just one actor, as the sitcom is shot in documentary style.

CLICK TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

The Advantages of Multiple Sources of Income

2007-08-28T00:09:00.002-05:00

Much like investing, the advantage of having multiple sources of income is diversification.

In investing, diversification is key because if one part of your portfolio goes down, that should be offset by a gain in another part of your portfolio, and you're less averse to risk, which is nice.

CLICK TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

Thoughts on Drew Brees

2007-08-28T00:09:00.001-05:00

Drew Brees has been a great addition for the New Orleans Saints and was one of the top 3 players in the NFL this season.

There were some concerns on how Brees would be able to come back from a shoulder injury, but from the looks of things, he's doing just fine.

CLICK TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

Most Beautiful Cities in the World

2007-08-28T00:06:00.002-05:00

The most beautiful city that I have ever visited was without a doubt Rome, Italy.

The architecture, the landscape, etc... everything about it was just beautiful and makes me wish my vacation never had to end.

Much of the beauty about the architecture is that there are so many things that are very old, but still well-preserved and really quite extraordinary. Just walking around the city you feel as if you are taking in history and reliving all of the things that happened there. Go to the Coliseum and you can almost imagine the gladiator fights that took place there. Go to the old churches and you can imagine the early Christians. Go to Vatican City inside Rome and you can't help but just feeling good and all of the beauty.

CLICK TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

Tips for teaching kids to play basketball

2007-08-28T00:06:00.001-05:00

The first thing to teach them is to have fun. If they're having fun they're going to like playing, be more eager to learn, and just remain in good health because they're getting physical exercise. So that's the most important thing for a young child just starting out.

If you want to teach them to be successful, you have to start out with the fundamentals. Kids want to go right out and just shoot 3-pointers and do a bunch of fancy moves, but they're never going to learn and really be successful if that's all that they're working on.

CLICK TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

Will Brady Quinn be good?

2007-08-28T00:05:00.001-05:00

I don't think there's any question that Brady Quinn can succeed at the next level. Consider:

1) He's been playing in a pro-style offense under Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis for the past 2 years.
2) He'll be a high draft pick so he will absolutely be given every opportunity to succeed.
3) He has a strong and accurate arm.

CLICK TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

The Importance of 401Ks

2007-08-28T00:03:00.002-05:00

401Ks are immensely important if for no other reason than that they provide a real easy way for those with access to them to save for retirement. I mean, there's no easier way than to have something automatically taken out and saved... you don't even notice it!

Another good and important thing about them is that you basically get a tax deduction for putting money in a 401K. For an example, let's say you make $50,000 a year. So taxes (like Social Security, etc) would be taken out of $50,000... however, not let's say you have 10% of your paycheck going to a 401K... then the taxes will be taken out of $45,000 instead of $50,000... a nice little tax break there.

CLICK TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

When to start investing for retirement

2007-08-28T00:03:00.001-05:00

When should you start saving and investing for retirement? Well, right now would be good.

"The most powerful force in the universe is compound interest." - Albert Einstein

Basically, the sooner you start, the longer the money that you do invest will have to grow, and the longer the money has to grow, the more compound interest kicks in, and the more money that you will eventually have.

CLICK TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

Should Pete Rose be in the Hall of Fame?

2007-08-28T00:02:00.001-05:00

No, he should not be in the Hall of Fame.

After 15 years or so of publicly denying he ever bet on baseball, he wrote a book saying that he did. Yes, that's a lot of remorse. He also gave an interview with Jim Gray in 1999, where he clearly showed remorse [sarcasm]:

CLICK TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

Find Paid Work from Home

2007-08-28T00:01:00.005-05:00

One way to eventually get paid to work at home is to become a "pro blogger", or at least an "amateur blogger." It's a lot of hard work, but if you build it up it can be very good and consistent income. Here's some tips:

1) Write about something you like. Whether its sports, money, self-help, or whatever, if you're working on something you have a passion for and interest in, it just stands to reason that you're heart will be in it and you will put out a better product. Plus, readers will notice if you're writing about something you enjoy or if you're just going through the motions.

CLICK TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

Are football players paid too much?

2007-08-28T00:00:00.001-05:00

Absolutely not.

You are worth what the market dictates your worth. Does an NFL player bring more "value" to society than an elementary teacher? No. But am I going to pay to watch a teacher teach a class? No.

CLICK TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

Best NBA Player

2007-08-27T23:59:00.000-05:00

So far this season Dwyane Wade has been the best player in the NBA, slightly edging out Dirk Nowitski. Wade has almost no help in Miami with Shaq out... the rest of the team is aging and don't appear to be trying all that hard at this point. Wade is shooting the ball well, scoring, passing, and doing all he can to keep the Heat in ballgames. Without Wade, Miami is the worst team in the NBA.

CLICK TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

Bill Cowher Leaving the Steelers

2007-08-27T23:58:00.000-05:00

According to reports the Steelers will be hiring former Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Mike Tomlin to be their head coach.

As a Vikings fan, this sucks for me because Tomlin did some great things in his 1 year in Minnesota and is really a bright, young guy. I think he'll fit in well with Pittsburgh because he's young, energetic, very smart, and defensive-minded.

CLICK TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

Steps to Becoming Debt-Free

2007-08-27T23:57:00.000-05:00

Here's the best tip for becoming debt-free... spend less than you earn, and either pay off the debt with the rest (if you have debt), or invest the rest (if you don't have debt).

I mean, there's more complicated aspects to it, but that's what everything boils down to, spending less than you earn. Which means that if you're constantly living beyond your means you need to either increase what you earn (harder) or cut your spending (a little easier).

CLICK TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

Websites that pay you to accept offers

2007-08-27T23:56:00.001-05:00

I don't know that there's any great sites like this, but there are some sites that you can get paid a little to complete offers, but then get bigger payouts for product trials, etc.

One is Treasure Trooper. You get paid somewhere from like 50 cents to $2 to complete offers, sign up for free accounts, etc. It's pretty easy and pretty quick.

CLICK TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

Fantasy Football Quarterback Rankings

2007-08-27T23:55:00.000-05:00

1) Peyton Manning. Still gotta go with Peyton here because of his long-term and consistent success. He'll throw for lots of yards, lots of TDs, and not a lot of INTs. Still the best fantasy QB out there.

2) Drew Brees. With another year like he had this year he can replace Manning as the top QB. He spread the ball around, was very accurate, and got the ball downfield. It didn't take him any time to pick up the Saints offense.

CLICK TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

Cleveland Cavaliers Preview

2007-08-27T23:54:00.000-05:00

The Cavs have all the pieces in place to make a run at the Eastern Conference title, such as...

LeBron James. He's the most talented player in the NBA and has a great all-around game. He can get to the basket at a will, shoot from the midrange, rebound well, and is a great passer. He's the most athletic player in the NBA and can carry a team to victories.

CLICK TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

Why Bert Blyleven Should be in the Hall of Fame

2007-08-27T23:53:00.002-05:00

Just for giggles, I'm going to give you the stats of 2 pitchers... one is in the Hall of Fame and generally regarded by sportswriters as one of the best pitchers of all time. The other is not in the Hall of Fame.

Player A: 324-292 overall record (.524 winning %), 3.19 ERA (3.57 was the League ERA over the same time period), 112 ERA+, 1.25 WHIP, 5714 K in 5386 IP, 2.04 K/BB ratio, 3.07 postseason ERA

Player B: 287-50 overall record (.534 winning %), 3.31 ERA (3.90 was the League ERA over the same time period), 118 ERA+, 1.20 WHIP, 3701 K in 4970 IP, 2.80 K/BB ratio, 2.47 postseason ERA

CLICK TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

Best NBA Players Ever

2007-08-27T23:53:00.001-05:00

I'll give my Top 50 players ever with a short comment for the top 8.

1. Michael Jordan - great offensive player, great defensive player, and always seemed to be in control late in the game.
2. Larry Bird - one of the best shooters ever, unbelievable passer, good rebounder and defender. Great all-around player.
3. Magic Johnson - maybe the best passer of all-time, and just made everyone around him better.

CLICK TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

Fastest Money Making Sites

2007-08-27T23:52:00.002-05:00

First off, if you're expecting to quickly make tons of money online, I'm afraid you're almost certainly going to be sorely disappointed.

But that's not to say it's impossible to make money. The thing you need, I think, is your own site. You have to build a site with your own work, and promote that. That's what I've found is the best way to make money online.

CLICK TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

2007 Super Bowl Predictions

2007-08-27T23:52:00.001-05:00

In the NFC, It's a classic offense vs. defense matchup. The Saints have a potent, well balanced attack that will be countered by a fast, smart Bears defense. But as has been the case with the Bears this year, this game will really come down to Rex Grossman. As long as he's average the Bears have a great shot to just rely on the defense and special teams. However, average has sometimes been a tough task for Rex this year. In over a quarter of the Bears games this year Grossman has posted a QB rating under 40 do that again, and New Orleans will be the team advancing to the Super Bowl. He put together an average performance last week, but can he do it again?

CLICK TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

Fantasy Football RB Rankings

2007-08-27T23:51:00.001-05:00

Here are my rankings for the top fantasy running backs for 2007-2008 knowing what we know now:

1) LaDainian Tomlinson - no way you can't rank him #1. He had a record-breaking season scoring TDs, and is a dual threat running and catching the ball.

CLICK TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

Greatest Baseball Players Ever

2007-08-27T23:50:00.000-05:00

Here I'll give my list of the 10 best players ever to play in the MLB. For the purposes of this list, I'm not including Negro League players. Not because none of them could crack the list (I think it's a safe bet that a guy like Oscar Charleston would crack the top 10), but there's just too much unknown.

First, a few that just missed the cut:

CLICK TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

Can I really make money with Helium?

2007-08-27T23:41:00.001-05:00

This is probably the first question most people are going to ask... "can I really make money with Helium?"

The answer is yes... kind of. You're not going to get rich (or if you find a way to, let me know). But you can make a nice little amount of side money. As of this writing, I have currently made over $150 in about 8 months. Obviously this isn't a lot of money, but when you consider it's for writing articles on topics that I enjoy, it's not so bad.

So no, you're not going to get rich. You probably won't make a lot of money. But you can make some money doing something that [hopefully] you enjoy. And there's nothing better than that, right?

CHECK OUT MY DAILY RECAPS

Why did I create this site?

2007-08-27T23:36:00.000-05:00

If you're reading this, you may be asking to yourself, "why did this guy create this blog? Is he some kind of expert?"

Well, it's probably evident that I'm no expert, and hopefully it's just as obvious why I created this blog. First, I want to track my progress. This should help me see how much money I am making, what type of articles are best at earning money for me, and how many articles I am writing.

Second, to help others who might want to try to make money with Helium. I'll offer some tips, and hopefully some inspiration to writers to jump into the site and hopefully have success.

Third, there's a little bit of shameless self-promotion involved. I'll hopefully eventually have a link to all of my articles, and obviously every time someone clicks on that link to read them it is a good thing for me.

Last, hopefully it will provide me with some motivation and accountability. I hope that eventually some people will be reading this blog, and that would provide me with extra motivation to write more articles and aggressively promote them, to try and earn more money.

So there's a little background on why I created the site.

What is Helium?

2007-08-27T23:29:00.000-05:00

Well, since this site is based on Helium and making money from there, I suppose I should explain what the site is for those who do not know.

As their help page says, it is a place to write, rate, learn, and earn. This is overly simplistic, but it's not that complicated of a site.

First, you write articles. There are thousands of topics to choose from, so whatever your writing interest, you will find something to interest you. Just search around a little bit and you will probably find something that you want to write about.

Next, you can rate articles. This is how the best articles rise to the top. All articles are rated by other writers on the site, so theoretically the good ones will be rated well and the poorly written articles will fall to the bottom. This is the basis of the site.

Finally, you can earn a little extra money. This depends on a lot of factors, but essentially the more people read your articles, the more money you will earn. We will be exploring ways to earn more money throughout the course of this blog, and they will be labeled, appropriately enough, as Helium tips.

That's about all that there is to it. Write good articles, rate articles to make sure that the best articles get rewarded, and [hopefully] watch the money slowly come in.

About Me

2007-08-27T23:22:00.000-05:00

First off, thank you for visiting!

I am a college student who enjoys writing, and thus I have found Helium to be a nice way to make a little extra cash.

I am studying Finance and Accounting, and in my free time I love sports (go Vikings!), watching TV, reading books, or just surfing the internet.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at uclabruins24 -AT- hotmail.com