Life is full of contradictions, something we usually try to avoid. And yet, have you ever read a statement or problem that either appears to produce two completely contradictory (but possible) outcomes, or seems to prove something we can’t expect? This is a paradox. They can be mind-blowing, yet also fun to contemplate. For example,
Christmas is fast approaching, so it’s time to repost my Christmas story. This was inspired by a friend who works as a department store Santa. He once described meeting a little girl with a special wish, and I took it from there. This is included in my book, Stories: Short and Strange, available on this website, and
It’s that time of the year again. Dictionary.com has announced demure as 2024’s Word of the Year. Dictionary.com defines demure as “characterized by shyness and modesty; reserved,” but the word took on new life on the Internet. More specifically, it was popularized on TikTok by Jools Lebron, whose phrase “very demure, very mindful” was featured in a
An Ohio farm boy climbs Kilimanjaro at age 69, finishes a 199-mile relay with Air Force Academy classmates at age 70, receives the coveted Abbott Medal for finishing all six “World Marathon Majors” at age 73, earns the Seven Continents Medal for finishing marathons on all seven continents at age 74. “I’m just grateful to
Never underestimate the adaptability of nature. I was reminded of this again by a Smithsonian Magazine article entitled “Five Shocking Animal Hybrids That Truly Exist in Nature, From Narlugas to Grolar Bears to Coywolves” by Carlyn Kranking (https://getpocket.com/explore/item/five-shocking-animal-hybrids-that-truly-exist-in-nature-from-narlugas-to-grolar-bears-to-coywolves?) Some of these are pretty predictable, like the liger, the result of a male lion and female tiger,
Do you remember being forced to read Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales in high school? Do you remember how weird the English of that period sounded? The English language is constantly changing; Google has become a verb. I was reminded of this again when I ran across the article “20 Delightful Slang Terms From the 1930s”
There hasn’t been much good news on the climate front lately. We’ve just survived a record hot summer, and the very expensive natural disasters continue. Yet here is something positive — painting roofs white can significantly lower urban temperatures. This revelation came from London, which is expecting a changing climate to bring hotter and drier summers,
Seventeen short stories for general audiences ranging from the unusual to the unbelievable to the just plain strange. Now at Aamazon.com https://www.amazon.com/Stories-Short-Strange-Bob-Welbaum-ebook/dp/B0D3S444J3/ref=sr_1_1? Paperback $15.99 Kindle Unlimited $0.00 or $3.99 to buy
I read a very disturbing article recently in The New York Times — “The Troubling Trend in Teenage Sex” by Peggy Orenstein. The trend is a disturbing increase in “rough sex” among college students, especially sexual strangulation, more commonly known as choking. Not only it is dangerous, it’s more dangerous than you might even imagine.
For the next seven days — until August 6 — This book is 99 cents on Kindle Countdown https://www.amazon.com/Stories-Short-Strange-Bob-Welbaum-ebook/dp/B0D3S444J3/ref=sr_1_1? Look for Kindle $0.99 to buy 17 short stories for general audiences ranging from the unusual to the unbelievable to the just plain strange.