Stories Short and Strange
17 short stories for general audiences ranging from the unusual to the unbelievable to the just plain strange.
Are Dogs Smarter Than Cats?
Here is a good way to start an argument (not that we need any more reasons) — which is smarter, dogs or cats? I don’t own any pets; I take responsibility to animals pretty seriously, so I don’t have any strong opinions. But there is a new study claiming that dogs have the edge in
Book Review — Homo Deus (with spoilers)
If you’ve ever wondered what Bill Gates reads, he has been publishing annual reading lists (for example, https://www.gatesnotes.com/About-Bill-Gates/Best-Books-2017 ). Earlier this year, I saw his summer reading list (https://qz.com/988136/bill-gates-book-list-2017-recommended-books-for-summer-reading/) and picked out Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow by Yuval Noah Harari. This is definitely an intellectual book that puts a unique spin on human
Just For Fun — Santa the Criminal
A headline in the December 25, 2017 “The Daily Dose” from Ozy.com brought me up short — “How Many Crimes Would Santa Be Guilty Of If He Were Real?” (This piece reminded me of the Pixar animated feature The Incredibles, where superheroes had to go undercover due to the collateral damage their good deeds were
How To Live To Be 100?
Everyone wants a nice long life — I’m planning on 80 myself — but the way technology is advancing, perhaps I’m setting my sights too low. Is living to be 100 a realistic goal? A recent study published in International Psychogeriatrics has explored what it takes to make it to the century mark. Researchers visited
Some Things to Look Forward to in 2018
In addition to recapping the passing year, a favorite media pastime is looking ahead to what the new year might bring. Although some changes we already know, like we’re getting a new head of the Federal Reserve in February, much is pure speculation, especially when it comes to technology. Here are some technological items I’ve
Be Thankful Christmas Is Legal
One hot topic in the culture wars has been the proper holiday greeting — “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Holidays”? Not that I want to get involved in this contemporary debate, but as a history nerd I couldn’t help notice the following item on the December 23rd Ozy Presidential Daily News Brief email — It’s enough
Original Poem — Perspective
It’s snowing today, which made me think of one of my poems. I’ve posted it before, but it’s particularly appropriate today. By the way, “Perspective” is in my book Some Poems About Life, available on this website. Perspective The son stood in the doorway, Behold a beautiful sight! As far as he could see,
Would Your Dog Eat You If You Died?
This sounds more like a Halloween story, but I couldn’t resist. A recent email from National Geographic about the “Best in 2017” contained this little gem — “Would Your Dog Eat You If You Died?” by Erika Engelhaupt (publication date June 23, 2017). At the risk of killing the suspense (pardon the pun), the answer
An Explanation For Picky Eating?
My mom was one of those parents who was always asking us to try new foods. And the items I won’t eat today can be counted on my fingers. But many of us are “very selective” eaters, especially when we are children. Why? “Picky Eating: Is it Nature or Nurture?” by Renee Morad addresses this
A Realistic Alien Tale
We’ve had a visitor from outside our solar system (https://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/small-asteroid-or-comet-visits-from-beyond-the-solar-system). Okay, so it was just an asteroid. A lot of people with overactive imaginations are probably disappointed, but such is life in the real world. Speaking of aliens, there is evidence that alien microbes have attached themselves to the International Space Station (ISS). In a