Stories Short and Strange
17 short stories for general audiences ranging from the unusual to the unbelievable to the just plain strange.
What Else is Christmas Famous For?
I hope everyone had a joyous Christmas. Of course, life goes on during a holiday season, and I started wondering what else has happened at Christmas throughout history. Here are seven noteworthy events. Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne “emperor of the Romans” during a ceremony at St. Peter’s Basilica (800). This event restored the Western
Is It Christmas?
I can’t resist bring this up again this year. The fun part of the internet is when the creative meets the whimsical. An excellent example is the website “Is it Christmas?” at https://isitchristmas.com/. I’ve known about this site for several years now, and it is still active. Be sure to check it tomorrow (although you
Memorializing the Unthinkable
One of the most profound parts of my visit to Berlin in September, 2015 was seeing the “Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe”. At first glance it seems like a great expanse of concrete blocks. But start walking, and the smaller blocks on the periphery become larger and larger as you find yourself descending
Is Free College a Good Idea?
The idea of free college surfaced during the recent election. Is it a good idea? It’s generally agreed that college graduates make more money over a lifetime, along with other advantages. (I Googled “benefits of a college education” and got 373,000 hits.) But college isn’t for everybody and such programs are very expensive. So, on
This is the Season For Unusual Gifts
Looking for an unusual gift, especially if money is no object? There are plenty of them around. Here are some ideas. The Neiman Marcus department store has always been famous for luxury gifts. Their website has a “Fantasy Gifts” section, http://www.neimanmarcus.com/Gifts/Fantasy-Gifts/cat48140738_cat000672_cat000000/c.cat, which includes — For the fantasy thespian, there’s walk-on role in the Broadway musical Waitress
Book Review — The Vault of Walt, Volume 2
If you’re a Disney fan (like I am), I’d recommend The Vault of Walt book series by my good friend Jim Korkis. I’ve just finished Volume 2, but I’ve discovered Jim is way ahead of me — he’s up to Volume 5! As a history nerd in general, I realized a long time ago that
A Conversation With Spinach
Some people claim to be able to talk to animals (or at least communicate with them), but talking to a plant? There may now be a way to break through the human-plant communication barrier. A team of scientists has embedded living spinach plants with carbon nanotubes designed to detect the kinds of compounds found in
A Peek Inside the Political System — The Ground Game
Since things have (hopefully) cooled down from this election by now, I want to tell you about something I did for the first time in my life — I was a local volunteer for one of the major political parties. Which party I worked for is not important because this is about the process —
Original Poem — Perspective
It’s snowing and the first serious winter weather is rolling in, so I’m reposting my poem on snowfall (which is in my book Some Poems About Life, available on this website). Perspective The son stood in the doorway, Behold a beautiful sight! As far as he could see, nothing but fluffy white! Today would
Racism in the Legal System
Have you ever heard of the legal case Batson vs. Kentucky? Few people have. Yet this was a major legal landmark in the legal system; this case determined that a prosecutor cannot use peremptory challenges to remove a juror from a jury pool based on race. A bit of explanation — potential jurors are examined