Stories Short and Strange
17 short stories for general audiences ranging from the unusual to the unbelievable to the just plain strange.
Addition by Subtraction
When you are asked to improve something, how often do you think about additions? For home renovation, isn’t it always what you can add? Or for business brainstorming sessions, which new projects to take on? But there is a case to be made for taking away. Sometimes we can do better by removing, streamlining and
The Town That Lego Built
Denmark is not a nation that resists youth participation — think of Greta Thunberg. But Billund, a town of 27,000 in the middle of the country, has taken this concept much further. Here it’s the kids who frequently initiate and have a say about projects that impact their community. In 2020, Billund became the first Danish city
Fun Facts About Fireworks
I hope you had a happy Fourth of July (or as I like to say, Disloyalty to Royalty Day). Did you watch any fireworks displays? I’ve been hearing news reports about communities having to cancel their programs due to a shortage of trained explosives technicians. But assuming you were able to see some fireworks somewhere,
Books Lost and To Be Found
It’s easy to get published these days. More books are published each year than the average bookstore can hold. Websites like Lulu.com make self-publishing easy. And there is always Amazon Kindle. Yet a recent article in The Guardian caught my eye. It suggests the key to understanding our literature may not be how many books
The Best Fossil Collectors
Harvester ants are very industrious. They build mounds that last for decades, protecting them with a half-inch-thick layer of small rocks about the size of beads, then clear the surrounding area of vegetation by as much as 30 feet. But in gathering up all those rocks, they also collect tiny fossils and archaeological artifacts. Don’t
Explaining the “WOW” Signal
On the night of Aug. 15, 1977, during a SETI search, the Ohio State University’s Big Ear telescope picked up an unknown signal that was incredibly strong but very brief, lasting a mere 1 minute and 12 seconds. It was so unexpected that its discoverer, astronomer Jerry Ehman, wrote “Wow” on the printout, thus giving this
Where Are You Going This Summer?
I’m sure most people have their summer vacations planned. If not, might you consider a place to stay that’s a little… creepy? If so, I’d like to suggest a Nevada road trip. There are a couple of places in this state than can really get your attention. For example — The Little A’Le’Inn — “Earthlings
Top 10 Things You Hear in a Food Court That Sound Dirty (But Aren’t)
Stolen from a birthday greeting card — Things you might hear at a food court that sound dirty, but really aren’t (just use your imagination for the pictures): 10. Toast my buns, please. 9. I didn’t think it would be so big. 8. Ewww, it’s all limp and soggy! 7. Don’t you use condiments? 6.
The Key to Upright Walking
Homo Sapiens have always had the ability to walk upright. The key to this biological ability is our foot’s remarkable design. For example, short toes give us the ability to run long distances. Surprisingly, another critical design feature appears to be the transverse tarsal arch — the horizontal curve that runs across the top of
Happy Best Friends Day!
The calendar says this is June 8, 2022, but did you know it is Best Friends Day? It’s also Name Your Poison Day and Upsy Daisy Day. The truth is every day on the calendar has a designation for something to celebrate. June 9 will be Donald Duck Day, Earl Day, and Strawberry Rhubarb Pie