Stories Short and Strange
17 short stories for general audiences ranging from the unusual to the unbelievable to the just plain strange.
The Cost of Meeting Davy Crockett
I’m a Disney collector, and I’ll be first to admit we sometimes do strange things. Not that they seem strange then, but looking back in hindsight, they can seem, well, just kind of weird. For example, I attended the Official Disneyana Convention at Walt Disney World, September 6-10, 1995. If you never attended any of these conventions
An Introduction to Book Collecting
Book collecting long predates the printing press. Egyptian papyri and ancient Greek and Roman manuscripts were prized by medieval collectors. Thomas Jefferson amassed a large library in the formative years of this country. If you find yourself being drawn to collecting books for the first time, here are some basic facts that can serve as
A Poem About Friendship
Friendship “Hello,” said she. “Who are you?” “I’m a pilot,” said he. “I fly big airplanes with lots of people on them all over the world.” “Where do you live?” said she. “I really don’t have a home,” said he. “Would you like to come live with me?” “Yes, thank you, I
Birth of the Ferris Wheel
Paris had the Eiffel Tower, the U.S. had… Well, there were some outlandish proposals, like a tower with cars attached to thick rubber bands, a forerunner of bungee jumping. Gustave Eiffel himself proposed an even bigger tower. The World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago was being planned without a central landmark. The architect in charge, Daniel
Update — Dihydrogen Monoxide
Earlier I had written about the dangerous chemical dihydrogen monoxide, which is actually a hoax to embarrass people about their ignorance of science — dihydrogen monoxide is the chemical name for water. (Do you remember from high school chemistry that di is two and mono is one? Thus two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom
Pitfalls of Contemporary Collectibles
I used to work for a publishing company, Tomart Corporation (www.tomart.com), that specialized in books and magazines on “contemporary collectibles” — items from the past 50 or so years. If that sounds different to you, you’re not alone. When most people think of collectibles, they think of antiques, coins, stamps, and other traditional categories. But
Do You Want a Telescope?
I have always been fascinated by astronomy. I had a modest telescope in high school, but all I could find in it was the Moon. As an adult, I tried again, buying a simple instrument for about $100. I think I saw Venus this time. I’ve investigated the more expensive telescopes that find celestial bodies
Back in Time — Why Was There a Battle of Gettysburg?
Today we’re going back in time to this period in 1863 — In mid-May, 1863, the American Civil War was taking an ominous turn against the Confederacy. Despite a brilliant victory by General Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia against General Joseph Hooker’s Army of the Potomac at the Battle of Chancellorsville during May
To Wave or Not to Wave? A Runner’s Dilemma
How complicated can the sport of running get? For diehards, pretty darn complicated! I’ve seen magazine articles on how to train, what to eat, what to wear, even how to tie shoelaces (a subject that can be surprisingly detailed if one is seeking just the right amount of pressure on one’s metatarsal bones). But one
A Poem — Ode to a Modern Warrior
Ode to a Modern Warrior He came at me mercilessly with anger in his eyes. His body language made it clear it was I that he despised. He swung a club right at my head, I barely ducked the blow. The next time I wasn’t quite as quick, he really laid me low. My brain