Stories Short and Strange
17 short stories for general audiences ranging from the unusual to the unbelievable to the just plain strange.
Six Jobs Everyone Will Want in the Future
I know predicting the future is difficult (even today, our smart phones can do so much more than the fabled Stark Trek Communicators), especially when things are progressing so rapidly (when I was growing up we still had a telephone party line and got two TV channels in black and white). But if you think
Who Do You Run For?
“You can run for me anytime!” In past posts, I’ve written about the sport of running. Of all the sports I’ve played, it fits me best. It’s solitary, but I consider that an advantage — no teammates messing up or referees blowing calls — it’s all up to you. And so far (knock wood) I’ve
Can Money Really Buy Happiness?
You’ve always heard the mantra “money can’t buy happiness.” Well, maybe it can. According to a new paperback from the editors of Time magazine entitled The Science of Happiness: New Discoveries for a More Joyful Life, (and yes, It’s on Amazon.com), “Money can help you find more happiness, so long as you know just what you
Original(?) Writing — The Hook
Don’t you just hate a story that begins, “You’ve probably heard this before.” ? Well, that’s what we’re dealing with here. This is my version of a story we used to tell around the campfire when I was a boy scout. I posted it on a writing website several years ago, and the comments I
The Moral Dilemmas of Self-Driving Vehicles
If you could save five lives for the cost of one person’s life, would you? What about saving five lives by murdering one person? These are thought-provoking moral dilemmas explored in the podcast “Driverless Dilemma” on the National Public Radio show Radiolab, which was originally broadcast on September 26, 2017. Most people say “yes” to
Happy Birthday — Transistor Radio
When I was in high school in the 1960s, I often wondered how that era would be remembered — would it be the Atomic Age or the Space Age? Now it appears the best label would be the Transistor Age. I was reminded of that when I read that October 18, 1954, was the first
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