Stories Short and Strange
17 short stories for general audiences ranging from the unusual to the unbelievable to the just plain strange.
Original Poem — Happy Birthday, Chris
Happy Birthday, Chris Luck — The accidental way things happen without being planned. The cake said “Happy Birthday, Chris.” I said “Who is Chris?” My wife mumbled, “Someone at the office.” Opportunity — An appropriate or favorable time or occasion. Then the truth came out. She had ordered two cakes by mistake, and didn’t know
If You’ve Ever Been Interrupted…
This is for the ladies — Have you ever been interrupted while talking? Anecdotally, I would think most women have at one time or another. But what if you had a really prestigious job, like being a justice on the Supreme Court. Would that give you enough respect to be able to finish a sentence?
What Are The Best Jobs?
If you’re fortunate enough to be young and just starting out, or are looking for a new career, you may want to read “The 50 Best Jobs in America — And How Much They Pay” by Paul Schrodt. Schrodt’s source is the job site Glassdoor’s fourth annual report on this country’s best jobs. Glassdoor used
A Reminder About Race
During my lifetime I’ve seen a lot of progress on race relations in this country. I can still remember my first television commercial featuring African-Americans. It was for Crest toothpaste, and it featured middle-class suburbia, except the family was black. It was unusual enough to interrupt our family dinner. No big deal today. We’ve come
For Anyone Who Likes to Eat — What’s Coming in 2018
Trying to predict the future is always difficult, but I’ve run across an interesting article entitled ” Foods of the Future: 7 Trends to Watch in 2018″ by Elyssa Goodman. Like everything else, food trends tend to be faddish, so it’ll be interesting to see which of these go mainstream. For what it’s worth, Goodman’s
Our Forgotten Link With Haiti
You don’t study history for long without developing a certain sense of irony. Recently our president was accused of talking disparagingly about Haiti (among other countries). That’s why I was intrigued when I found an article entitled “How Haitians Helped Win The American Revolution” by Pooja Bhatia. Here’s the situation: In 1779, colonial rebels laid
The Charitable Side of Collecting
My friends know I’m a Disney collector. For almost thirty years, I’ve belonged to the Disneyana Fan Club (DFC, originally the NFFC, http://www.disneyanafanclub.org/), and it’s been a very rewarding experience on many levels. I know most people have their outside interests and passions, but I also realize occasionally these passions can get a bit… extreme.
Benjamin Franklin and Virtue
With all the virtue-challenged public figures these days, perhaps it’s time to go back to basics. Founding fathers basics. One of the most fascinating founding fathers was Ben Franklin. He had a remarkable life as a successful businessman, humorist, scientist, and public servant. Did he have a secret? He may have. I’ve been reading about
Original Poem — My Very Best Friend
This was written with the help of an elementary student whom I’ve since lost track of. My Very Best Friend by Bob Welbaum with Grayson Knight I have a friend who’s the very best. He’s there whenever I need him. He’s always cheerful and kind to me And never needs a reason.
The Right Way To Do Youth Sports?
I’ve been athletic all my life, but sometimes with very little success, so I’ve seen both sides, particularly in youth sports. I was in Little League, where the competition for a team hat (never mind a uniform) was so fierce I rarely got one. People in my hometown were such rabid fans other local communities