Author Archives: Bob Welbaum

Is Being Scared Good For You?

Assuming everyone has survived Halloween, here’s a question — when we get scared, what impact does that have on our bodies? The surprising answer is, depending on the type of person you are, the effects can be more good than bad. Being in or even viewing a scary situation does cause physiological changes, like an

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Happy Halloween — The Joy in Forgotten Objects

This is as close as I can come to a good Halloween story. It was originally published at BewilderingStories.com in Issue 612, and was an Editors’ Choice in the 2015 First Quarterly Review.  It’s also included in my book Stories Short and Strange, available on this website and Amazon.com in both paperback and Kindle versions (https://www.amazon.com/s?k=bob+welbaum&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss). By the

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The Impostors Among Us

When I was a cadet at the Air Force Academy, and a new class entered one year in the fall, there was one 4th classman (freshman) who stood out. He showed up with about two rows of ribbons on his uniform. By comparison, the rest of us normally had two total — the National Defense

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More From Jim Korkis

Recently I mentioned that Disney author/historian Jim Korkis has released two new books —  Vault of Walt Volume 9: Halloween Edition and Hidden Treasures of the Disney Cruise Line. From the Embarrassment of Riches Department — Jim is also releasing  Secret Stories of EXTINCT Walt Disney World. Like so much of our lives today, it was

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Is This the Future of Education?

Day to day, we use methods that seem to meet our needs perfectly well. Then something upsets our routine and we have to find different ways of operating. And sometimes we realize the new ways are better than the old. Ever since I entered the teaching profession, I’ve been hearing how many elements of our

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The Kidnapping Club

I’ve found another unknown chapter in the sordid U.S. history of systemic racism — in the 1830s until the Civil War, neither runaway slaves nor free Blacks were safe in New York City. This story actually begins with the Constitution. Article IV Section 2 contains the (now obsolete) “Fugitive Slave Clause” — “No Person held

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Turning Snowsuits Into Sleeping Bags

Have you ever seen a problem and think “Someone should do something about that”? Dutch fashion designer Bas Timmer was starting a career as a cold weather-gear specialist in 2014 when he saw a homeless man one cold night. He could’ve given the man one of his signature fashion hoodies, but what would’ve that done

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