Stories Short and Strange
17 short stories for general audiences ranging from the unusual to the unbelievable to the just plain strange.
The Miracle of the Brain, Again
There is so much we don’t understand about our own brains. I was reminded of this again as I read about a teenager in Georgia who awoke from a coma speaking fluent Spanish. He is Rueben Nsemoh, 16, and was playing soccer when he was kicked in the head diving for a loose ball. He
Why Are Some People Creeped By Dolls?
Something to think about for Halloween — Why do some people find dolls creepy? For example, in San Clemente, California in 2014, dolls began mysteriously appearing on the steps of houses. Even more unusual, each bore a resemblance to a young girl living in that house. The police traced the dolls to a local woman
Spirit Week
This was Spirit Week at the local high school. I had a substitute teaching job on Friday, and I got the full impact up close. Why this week? Friday night was a football game with a neighboring suburb, their arch rivals. Over the years, this rivalry has evolved into a higher purpose — it includes
The Most Unusual Mammal
I have always considered the duckbill platypus to be the most unusual mammal. It’s semi-aquatic, the only mammal to lay eggs, and resembles an animal designed by committee. With a duck’s bill, a beaver’s tail, and an otter’s foot, some thought the early specimens were a hoax. But now I have read of an even
No One Should Be Left Behind
The saddest outcome when we depart a country after a conflict is the people we leave behind. It happened in Vietnam. I know personally because I had a graduate-school classmate who was Vietnamese. Somehow in the chaos of those final days the nuclear family got out (thanks largely to individual initiatives by some of my
Original Poem — Halloween Fun
This is a poem I wrote based on many years as a trick-or-treat host. Halloween Fun by Bob Welbaum Halloween can be fun for adults, too. I like to hold out a bowl of candy — a nice assortment — and simply say “You may take one of your choice.” and watch the little
Do Animals Get Drunk?
I come from a non-drinking family, so I don’t know what it’s like to be drunk. But apparently humans aren’t the only ones who come under the influence of behavior-altering drugs. There is a column in the October 24, 2016 issue of Time magazine (page 8) that gives four examples of under-the-influence animals. — Recently
Do You Have a Second Brain?
There are some interesting ideas in this world (and a lot we still don’t know about ourselves), but this idea is so radical I’m almost afraid to write about it. There is a short video on YouTube entitled “You Have a Second Brain” that claims your digestive system acts as another brain and it has
How Smart Is Your Dog?
Do you have a dog? Then you might be interested in a Yale University study that has shown that dogs are so smart, they will ignore your bad directions. In the study, a treat was placed inside a puzzle. Solving the puzzle involved one step — lifting the lid — but the researchers added one
Short Story — One Last Chance
It’s been awhile since I’ve posted an original short story. This was published on the Bewildering Stories website in issue #635 (http://www.bewilderingstories.com/issue635/last_chance.html) It does contain a bit of adult language. One Last Chance Jake had been in nicer hospitals than this. His mother had passed away in a new facility, big and