Stories Short and Strange
17 short stories for general audiences ranging from the unusual to the unbelievable to the just plain strange.
Perspective — A Poem For Winter
Since its the first of November, I thought it’s time to revisit my poem about winter. This is from my book Poems About Life, available on this website. Perspective The son stood in the doorway, Behold a beautiful sight! As far as he could see, nothing but fluffy white! Today would be a time
How Not to Watch a Movie (Be a Substitute Teacher)
It’s true. The academic staple of substitute teaching is showing a video. And after being a substitute for over thirteen years, I can’t tell you how many movies I’ve had to watch. The absent teacher can pick any type of movie, but some subjects are more predictable than others. For science classes, Bill Nye the
Xenophobia (Continued)
I wrote about this topic on June 6, 2017, after I’d traveled to Boston and learned the meaning of NINA — “No Irish Need Apply”. That referred the immigration caravan of the 1840s — the inflow of Irish to escape the Potato Famine. (By the way, the Irish picked Boston because that was the closest
A Flaw in the Justice System
I’ve always felt what makes us civilized is respect for the law. And when the law doesn’t work well, it undermines our civilization. That’s why I support the Ohio Innocence Project at the University of Cincinnati’s College of Law (https://law.uc.edu/real-world-learning/centers/ohio-innocence-project-at-cincinnati-law.html), which has the simple goal of freeing innocent people who have been convicted of a
When Should You Eat Your Halloween Candy? (Continued)
If you’re like my mom, our Halloween candy was strictly rationed. So it may surprise you to learn some dentists recommend eating the haul all at once. I first wrote about this on November 1, 2017, and not surprisingly, the same article is back in the news feed. So I’m revisiting this as a public
How To Be Immortal
It’s a natural instinct to live as long as possible. But to become immortal? Technology may be giving us a way. Suppose your great grandson wanted your advice ten years after your death. He wouldn’t be able to talk to you directly, of course, but what if you had a digital avatar programmed with all
Your Friendly Neighborhood Nazi
Today Nazism is poison. But one of history’s little secrets is Adolf Hitler and his political movement had a significant following in this country. The truth is in the days before Pearl Harbor, the country was deeply divided, torn by the trauma of the Great Depression and the beginning of another major war in Europe.
The Sordid History of Restaurant Tipping
Today we take tipping at restaurants for granted. But it wasn’t always this way. Where did the practice come from? You may have heard the word “tip” is an acronym for “To Insure Promptness,” but that is a myth. Some think it either came from Europeans visiting this country, or U.S. travelers returning from Europe,
Gulliver’s Travels
Continuing with my investigation of classic stories I’ve heard about all of my life and have become curious about the originals, I’ve recently finished reading Gulliver’s Travels. Every pop-culture version of this work I have ever seen describes Gulliver among the Lulliputians. But this adventure is only one part of four. Gulliver also travels to
The Educational Equivalent of the Lottery
There is a teaching job that appears periodically called an “Extra Certified Position.” The job can have several purposes, like giving teachers time to write educational plans for special-needs students or helping out with testing. But since I don’t know for sure what the job is until I arrive at school, it feels like playing