Recently I saw a picture on social media of a friend eating fish in some exotic local. Except it was a complete, whole, entirely intact fish. I had a similar experience in Greece a few years ago. Our tour group was taken to this quaint seaside cafe for lunch, and the plate set before me
In preparing for another major trip overseas this summer, I thought back to November 2012, when I was in Athens, Greece. This was a marathon trip, paying homage to where it all started by running on the Olympic course from the Plains of Marathon to the Olympic Stadium in the heart of Athens. Athens was
The June 2017 issue of Runner’s World magazine has an article that caught my eye. It’s entitled “Not Fading Away” about runners age 50 and older, which is definitely me. Included are “Tips for Running In Your Later Years”, like “Backing Off” and running on soft surfaces. But what really got my attention was that
I’ve been working on this story a long time. I think it has merit, but no one else seems to like it. Any comments? Every Mother Thinks Her Child is Special (But Mine Really Is) By Bob Welbaum March 6, 1989 Dear Diary, Finally, some good news! I’m pregnant!! After all the
I wrote this almost three years ago and put it on Facebook, but I don’t think I’ve ever shared it here. A group of fish is a school. A group of birds is a flock. But what do you call a group of teenage girls? For the past twelve years, I have been substitute
In February, I mentioned the nice folks at Bewildering Stories published another short story of mine in issue #701 (http://bewilderingstories.com/issue701/personality_test.html). If somehow you couldn’t access it then, I’m repeating it here today. The Personality Test “Ah! Mr. Young. I’ve been looking forward to this.” The diminutive man sporting a tasteful suit and huge
From the Tests-Don’t-Always-Measure-What-They’re-Supposed-To-Measure Department — Those nice people at BewilderingStories.com have published another short story of mine. It’s entitled “The Personality Test” and can be accessed here: http://www.bewilderingstories.com/issue701/blurb.html . (That link will take you to the “Issue #701 Readers’ Guide” so you can see what else is in this edition.) This the seventh story of
An email from a college classmate just jogged my memory. I was in an inaugural parade! It was in January 1969, and Richard Nixon was about to take office, being elected by promising to end the Vietnam War. I was in my third year at the US Air Force Academy (USAFA), and mine was one
I think it’s close enough to the holidays to repost my annual Christmas story. Thanks, Santa I guess I shouldn’t complain. I live in a nice house on a street with nice houses. I think our house is the nicest, two stories with a pool in back and a garage with room for three
What makes a good novel? You need a hero, a villain, and a compelling story. And for the story to be really memorable, your hero needs some flaws. That’s why there is kryptonite in the Superman sagas; invincibility makes for a very boring read. Now translate that into the very real world of politics. As