A summons for jury duty is always a surprise and usually unwelcome. In my lifetime, I have been called three previous times. In the first instance, I didn’t have to report. In the second, a settlement was announced just before jury selection began, and in the third, a civil lawsuit, I was not selected. But
One of my short stories published on the Bewildering Stories website, in Issue 864, turned out so well I just kept writing. Forty-two thousand words later, I have With a Little Help From My Friend: A Mystery Story from Solstice Publishing. You may order from Solstice Publishing at https://solsticeempire.com/products.aspx?categoryid=538 The book is also available from Amazon.com (https://www.amazon.com/Little-Help-My-Friend-Mystery/dp/B09FS2VXWQ/ref=sr_1_1?)
Today, May 3rd, is Teacher Appreciation Day in the U.S. This comes as I’m nearing the end of my 17th year as a substitute teacher after failing to get a permanent position in Social Studies. Well, I was 57 years old at the time and had a master’s degree, so I was too well qualified
This is one of my favorite short stories. It was originally published at BewilderingStories.com in Issue 612, and was an Editors’ Choice in the 2015 First Quarterly Review. It’s also included in my book Stories Short and Strange, available on this website and Amazon.com in both paperback and Kindle versions (https://www.amazon.com/s?k=%22stories+short+and+strange%22&i=stripbooks&crid=3NM0S4R47KU87&sprefix=stories+short+and+strange+%2Cstripbooks%2C145&ref=nb_sb_noss). By the way, one of these segments actually
World travel can be life-changing. I’ve visited Hiroshima, Japan; China’s Great Wall; and Kenya’s savanna with its abundant wildlife. All have made a huge impression om me in their own special way. Now I’ve seen Antarctica and its unique and fragile ecosystem, and again, I’ve come away impressed. To a one-time tourist like me, all
For the past two weeks, I’ve been testing a neighbor’s theory about me — he thinks I’m crazy. And after this last adventure, I will concede he has a point. We all need goals, and a major objective in the sport of running is to complete a marathon on all seven continents. But isn’t Antarctica
An idea from the If-I-Ruled-The-World Department — If you believe the news reports, a Russian invasion of Ukraine is imminent. Formerly a part of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Ukraine became independent following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. But President of Russia Vladimir Putin, in an apparent bid to put Humpty
When I was about ten years old, my grandfather showed me how to wiggle my ears. It took some time to figure out how to control that muscle (it actually goes from the eyebrows back), and they don’t wiggle very much, but they do move. This always seemed like a good life example — if
This Saturday, December 18, 2021, I will be appearing at Antiques Village, 651 Lyons Rd, Washington Township in Montgomery County, Ohio (Centerville) with all my books (https://www.antiquesvillage.net/). I plan to stay from the 10 am opening until at least 5 pm. This really is a fun place with some unique antiques, plus lots of second-hand
If you are looking for a Christmas book for a child, I would like to offer The Cactus Who Wanted to Be a Christmas Tree, available on this website (https://www.bobwelbaum-author.com/the-cactus-who-wanted-to-be-a-christmas-tree/) and Amazon.com in paperback and downloadable forms. Its Amazon rating is 4.4 out of 5 (https://www.amazon.com/Cactus-Who-Wanted-Christmas-Tree/dp/1938768507/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Bob+Welbaum&qid=1638648358&sr=8-1).