The Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee (LAOOC) was nothing if not prompt. The meeting began precisely at 7:00 with a slap of a palm to the podium. The first of six speakers welcomed us. I quickly lost track of who was what. It takes a big bureaucracy to put on an Olympics. First, we were
I was living in Anaheim, CA in 1984 when the Summer Olympics came to Los Angeles. I wrote up my experiences at the time and they have never been published. With the Summer Olympics about to start again in Rio, I’ve dug out the old files and decided to start posting them here. (Please be
I am back from a week in Southern California and the Disneyana Fan Club’s annual convention. (I never announce when I’m traveling for security reasons.) I’m still unpacking and trying to resume my usual routine, but I do have time to tell you a quick story. One of the club’s fundraising strategies is to have
It seems like there is so much negativity and uncertainty in the world right now. In times like these, where do you turn for solace? I’ve been going to YouTube. Granted, you can find anything there (including more negativity), but I’ve been concentrating on the positive. Let me give you two quick examples. Combating racism
The Cactus Who Wanted to Be a Christmas Tree is now available on Kindle! The Kindle price is $2.99, or absolutely nothing if you subscribe to Kindleunlimited! The link is https://www.amazon.com/Cactus-Who-Wanted-Christmas-Tree-ebook/dp/B01GSG9PJQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1466477119&sr=1-1&keywords=bob+welbaum Of course, the paperback edition is still available for $8.99 on both Amazon.com and this website.
Are you about ready for a positive story? The background — I got an iPod several years ago to listen to when I run. I do have a modest music library, but mostly I listen to podcasts. One of my favorites is NPR’s “Radiolab”, which produces shows “about curiosity. Where sound illuminates ideas, and the
I hope everyone had a happy Memorial Day. Yesterday I mentioned how each generation seems to be associated with a war. History repeats, but not in the same way. The War on Terror and its related actions have been unique in that we have a peacetime home front despite vicious fighting in multiple locations. The
It seems every generation has a war. My father’s was World War II, as part of the “Greatest Generation”. Mine was Vietnam, not nearly as satisfying. Today it’s the war on terror. We have never been militaristic. We’ve always preferred to be isolationist with a small peacetime armed force. We prefer our wars short and
I have always tried to avoid discussing politics on the Internet (although sometimes it’s difficult). But in an unusual (not to mention critical) year, I might as well try to make a contribution. To begin with, I am a history nerd and over the decades I have developed an interest in the political landscape. Plus
This is an original short story. A version was published as “Days with Rob… and Sherri” in Bewildering Stories #591, http://www.bewilderingstories.com/issue591/index.html My Best Friend “Morning, Sherri! What do you want to do today?” Sherri looked up from the skillet. “My Rob, you’re up early!” Rob grinned, walked over, and kissed her on