Author Archives: Bob Welbaum

European Day of Languages

September 26th was the European Day of Languages, an event this country would never think to have.  But in Europe it’s an annual event which started in 2001. According to The Writer’s Almanac, it s purpose is  “to celebrate human language, encourage language learning, and bring attention to the importance of being multilingual in a

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A Halloween Story

During a recent trip to Los Angeles, I had stayed for three nights at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.  It was an older hotel, but nice, and conveniently located on Hollywood Boulevard.  Everything was fine until the van ride to the airport Sunday night, when the van driver casually asked if I’d seen any ghosts. Excuse

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Some Thoughts About Helen Keller

Every once in a while, something piques your curiosity. I saw the stage play The Miracle Worker at Wright State University in September 2012.  It was billed as the true story of Helen Keller and her teacher Anne Sullivan.  Personally I can’t imagine navigating the world without sight or hearing, and I know certain compromises/adjustments

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The Truth About State Flowers

What is you state flower?  Ours in Ohio is the scarlet carnation.  But maybe the more pertinent question is where did your state flower come from? I just ran across an article entitled “State Flowers’ Dirty Little Secret” in the October 19, 2015 issue of The Christian Science Monitor Weekly.  Most states  choose native species

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For the Advancement of Science

On September 20, 1848, the American Association for the Advancement of Science was founded in Philadelphia.  (http://www.aaas.org/)  Its purpose was to “procure for the labors of scientific men increased facilities and a wider usefulness.” This was actually a new concept, the term “scientist” having been used in England for the first time in 1833.  Of course,

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The Story of Otto Weidt

When we think of the Holocaust, we tend to focus on the number dead.  But there were a surprising number of resisters.  They were brave individuals who normally get forgotten by the history books.  It’s our duty to make sure they’re remembered. I’m sure you’ve heard of Oskar Schlindler and Raoul Wallenberg. Their cases have been

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