Stories Short and Strange
17 short stories for general audiences ranging from the unusual to the unbelievable to the just plain strange.
An Insight Into Otherwise Irrational Behavior: Running From Cops
You’ve heard of the saying “Don’t judge anyone until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes”? I grew up in a mostly rural area with no minorities. When I was in high school, the black sections of communities in our area were like a parallel universe. As an adult, I’ve always tried to be empathetic,
The Patriotic Path To Justice
Today I’ve been reading about the NFL players and owners meeting discussing proper procedures for the national anthem. I don’t want to get into that specific subject, but as a military veteran, I do have definite thoughts about patriotism. Realizing that this nation has its problems, I believe patriotism includes calling attention to those problems
Happy Birthday — The Pledge of Allegiance
In view of all the discussions of patriotism these days, I thought this subject was apropos. Contrary to what some people believe, the Founding Fathers had nothing to do with the Pledge. According to The Writer’s Almanac, it was first recited en mass on October 12, 1892. It had been written in August 1892 by
The Creator of Mad Magazine
Harvey Kurtzman , the creator of Mad magazine, was born in Brooklyn on October 3, 1924. As a youngster Kurtzman began drawing comics. He even sent some “very bad” drawings to Walt Disney. It wasn’t until he saw college humor magazines that he realized that was the style that best suited his talents. Kurtzman started
Have You Heard About Menstrual Equity?
I’m going to introduce this topic with a teaching story. Several years ago I had a one-day high school job as an intervention specialist. Normally I would help other teachers, but this day I had a dedicated classroom where students could come for help as a kind of supervised study hall. When it was lunch
A Novel Way To Help The Environment– Edible Spoons
Somehow, I’ve ended up with a whole drawer of plastic cutlery. I’m not sure how, they’ve just accumulated over the years. What a waste of plastic! Fortunately for the environment, I’m not the only one who feels that way. Bakey’s, a company in India, is mass-producing edible, biodegradable spoons. In a country that reportedly discards
Who Was the Most-Feared Pirate?
Despite what you’ve read — or seen in the movies — many think the most-feared pirate was actually a Chinese woman. Her name was Ching Shih (widow of Cheng), nicknamed Madame Ching, and she lived from 1775 until 1844. Her territory was the China Sea in the early 19th century. She began as a Cantonese
Original Poem — WWMPD?
Today a quick unpublished poem — WWMPD? I survey the bedroom as I stare in dismay. Each place that I look, things are in disarray. Toys scattered about, all over the floor. I can’t even walk around anymore. The beds are unmade, pillows scattered around. There’s no sense of order at all to be found.
Why Do Airplanes Still Have Ashtrays?
Since about 2000, smoking has been banned on virtually all airline flights. Yet if you’ve flown recently, you’ll notice there are still illuminated “No Smoking” signs, there is a sign on the bathroom door, and below that sign is an ashtray. Why? Have you every heard the saying “There’s always someone who doesn’t get the
The Secrets To A Happy Marriage?
If I were smart, I wouldn’t touch this topic. I’ve never even been married myself, but I can’t resist. So, as a public service, I’m going to share some recent information on having a happy marriage. Here goes — The title is “Underrated Qualities To Look For In A Spouse, According To Experts” by Kelsey