Stories Short and Strange
17 short stories for general audiences ranging from the unusual to the unbelievable to the just plain strange.
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Today a quick unpublished poem — WWMPD?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
Book Review — Nothing To Fear
As a history nerd, my problem with your average history book is it will tell you what happened, but not how it happened. To get the real story, you have to find books like Nothing To Fear: FDR’s Inner Circle and the Hundred Days That Created Modern America by Adam Cohen. We all know the
Happy Birthday to Railroads
According to The Writer’s Almanac, September 27, 1825 was the beginning of the first steam-powered passenger railway service in England — “It brought together the work of George Stephenson, builder of coal mine steam engines, and Edward Pease, who wanted to build a delivery system to bring coal to the market towns of Darlington and
What Is A Dementia Village?
We’re living longer and longer. This is true of the entire Western world, where taking care of the elderly is becoming a major concern. When I was in Japan a few years ago, I noticed all the elevators had places to sit. This care is compounded by the decline in mental function among many. According
The Many Ways We Get Zapped In Our Modern World
Lately I’ve been mentioning books I haven’t read myself, but would like to. This is another: Zapped: From Infrared to X-rays, the Curious History of Invisible Light by Bob Berman. There’s a lot in our universe we just can’t see. I’m sure you’ve heard of dark matter; I’ve never heard of “dark light”, but the