Stories Short and Strange
17 short stories for general audiences ranging from the unusual to the unbelievable to the just plain strange.
“Thanks, Santa” — A Christmas Story
I guess this is as good a time as any to repost my Christmas story — Thanks, Santa I guess I shouldn’t complain. I live in a nice house on a street with nice houses. I think our house is the nicest, two stories with a pool in back and a garage with room
The Historian’s Favorite Question — What If?
What if the Confederate army had moved on Washington, DC after their victory at the first battle of Bull Run? I could give many examples of how history turned on a snap decision, a quirk, a timely death, a misunderstanding, or just dumb luck. One of my favorite history books is appropriately entitled What If?
Some Thoughts on The Hunger Games
Ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. The Hunger Games never sounded like my kind of literature. Yet I couldn’t help noticing the popularity of the books and movies, and the more I thought about it, the more the story’s premise became so repulsive it became intriguing. How to write something like this? Someday I would have to
Tracking Refugees
If you are following the refugee crisis in Europe and are concerned, there is an easy way to help. A man named David Altmayer has designed an online map that shows where the refugee camps are and what is needed at each camp. It also describes the situation at each location and provides contact information.
De-coding Facial Expressions
“If a logger smiles in the forest with no one around to see him, was he actually happy?” — Jerry Adler One of our most effective forms of communication is non-verbal. I have a $1.50 paperback on my shelf from 1970 entitled Body Language. So it should be no surprise to hear that people
Origin of the Drone
Word meanings can have fascinating histories. For example, the heavily armored vehicle was named a “tank” to disguise its true purpose. There are oil tanks, water tanks, etc, so who would expect one that moves and shoots back? Here’s a more contemporary example. Why are unmanned aircraft called drones? I found one explanation in the
Are You Ready for “Giving Tuesday”?
The holidays are a good time to remember worthy charities. So, in addition to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, we have Giving Tuesday, the “day for giving back.” (http://www.givingtuesday.org/) Yes, I do have my favorite charities. If you don’t, allow me to make some suggestions. First, do some homework. Several organizations rate charities; I subscribe
The Northern “Gone With The Wind”
Why do almost all of the historical romance novels seem to be set in the South and West? And usually during the time of the Civil War? This weekend I met a personable young lady named Jeanette Watts who is trying to change that. She has written a historical novel about life among the privileged
The Turkey Shot Out of the Oven”
Happy Thanksgiving! This is from the “I wish I’d written that” department — a Thanksgiving poem by Jack Prelutsky. The Turkey Shot Out Of The Oven The turkey shot out of the ovenand rocketed into the air,it knocked every plate off the tableand partly demolished a chair. It ricocheted into a cornerand burst with
Savage Wars of Peace
A major nation’s use of power is always an interesting topic, and seems especially relevant in this day and age. That’s why I found the book The Savage Wars of Peace: Small Wars and the Rise of American Power fascinating. The book begins with the wars against the Barbary pirates in 1801 and continues