Stories Short and Strange
17 short stories for general audiences ranging from the unusual to the unbelievable to the just plain strange.
Some Thoughts About Writing Science Fiction
If you’re a science-fiction fan, you may have realized most science-fiction novels are either utopian (a state in which everything is perfect ) or dystopian (a state in which everything is dysfunctional). These make good settings for stories, but how realistic are they? Actually in the real world, things seem to be more “topian” than
The Unexpected Side of History — Viking Edition
One of my favorite quotes is “History will be kind to me for I intend to write it” by Winston Churchill. So much of history either is never documented — what self-respecting slave owner would ever admit he’d learned anything from a slave? — or is biased by modern interpretation. Recently I found another example
How Much Diet Soda Should You Drink?
I know a lot of people who drink diet soda. During my Air Force career, I remember an officer who was an avid drinker. He told how he was once stationed at a remote location, and when word came that the BX had received a shipment of Diet Coke, he would take the unit’s pickup
Life on a Moon-less Earth?
What would the Earth be like without its moon? Songwriters and poets would have one less subject, and you probably would never have heard of King Canute since there would be smaller tides (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Canute_and_the_tide). As the website EarthSky points out, most planets have small moons relative to their size, so in most cases it would
Remembering the Dark Side of History
Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. — George Santayana As a history nerd, I’ve always been interested in one of our past’s most scholarly dilemmas — how do you remember the dark side of history without glorifying it? Setting aside the issue of Confederate monuments, I have three examples of
Things You Should Never Order at a Restaurant
When in lived in Southern California (1982-86), I took advantage of an adult-education program at the local community college. One of the courses I took was about restaurant operation. I remember the instructor advising against ordering any chef’s specials. He said many times the chef would find a forgotten item in the back of the
Animals and Their Personalities
Any pet owner can tell you that animals have personalities. Now there’s a book that takes this one step further. Mousy Cats and Sheepish Coyotes: The Science of Animal Personalities is by John Shivik, a wildlife expert in the development, testing, and application of non-lethal techniques for predator management. This project traces back to when
Can Your Dog Help You Live Longer?
We all know there can be a special bond between dog owners and their pets. But can there be health benefits, too? A study from Sweden, published November 7, 2017 in the journal Scientific Reports, suggests a correlation between dog ownership and a lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease and other causes. Research like this
The Language of Songbirds and Us
Remember the song “Let’s All Sing Like the Birdies Sing”? There may be some truth to it. Could there be a link between human speech and music, and birdsongs? Is there a connecting biological process? Recently published research provides evidence that there is a common hardwiring in how songbirds and humans produce and understand sounds.
Original Poetry — Communication
Here’s a quick poem while I try to think of something better to write about. The Art of Communication We don‘t always say what we mean and language is our co-conspirator. “It’s all good” usually isn’t. “Yeah, right” is usually wrong. A double negative is positive. “I’m okay” means you’re not. “Nothing’s wrong” is