Stories Short and Strange
17 short stories for general audiences ranging from the unusual to the unbelievable to the just plain strange.
Happy Birthday, Mickey Mouse!
I don’t know what I was thinking. I forgot my favorite animated character’s birthday! Mickey Mouse’s birthday is November 18, because that was the day in 1928 when he made his first appearance, in a cartoon short entitled Steamboat Willie at the Colony Theater in New York. Steamboat Willie was actually the third film made, but it was
The Rapper and the Supreme Court Justice
You may have heard of the rapper Notorious B.I.G. Biggie or Biggie Smalls. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Notorious_B.I.G.) Despite having died in 1997 at the age of 24, a victim of a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles, he’s still considered one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all time. This was quite an accomplishment for someone with
Happy Birthday, Ellis Island
I’ve been catching up on my reading, and I realized we’ve just passed another interesting anniversary. Ellis Island formally closed on November 12, 1954. I visited the island while chaperoning a middle-school educational trip to New York City about 15 years ago and got to see the museum. More than 12 million immigrants passed through its gates in
Revisiting Terrorism and the Potential of Tomorrow
This is a piece I first posted on July 10, 2015. It was originally published in the Dayton Daily News at a time when a wave of terrorism was sweeping Europe. Sadly, it seems even more appropriate today, so I’m reposting it. My brother came home safely. I think about this every time there is another
Could Your Computer Ever Be Hijacked?
I’ll get right to the point on this one. I’ve just listened to a podcast about a woman whose computer files (over 5000 of them) were locked and she had to pay $500 to ransom them. Yes, there are cybercriminals who can remotely take over your computer, lock your files, and demand payment before you
“Distant Replay”
The nice folks at Bewildering Stories have published another story of mine in issue #643. It’s entitled “Distant Replay” and is based on my wargaming hobby. This issue’s link is — http://www.bewilderingstories.com/
Some Thoughts on Reunions
I haven’t posted anything recently because I’ve just returned from my 45th college reunion. I don’t publicly announce my travel, so I hope everyone understands the lapse. If you’ve ever looked on my Facebook page, you know I graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1970 and retired in 1990. I haven’t returned to the
A Poem For What Is Coming — Collateral Damage
Yes, it’s a bit early to think about winter. But then again, it will be here before you know it. Collateral Damage Once they were strong, solid, dependable, upright. Now they are angled in different crazy directions. Some can barely stand. Here’s one almost on the ground. They are mailboxes
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
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