Stories Short and Strange
17 short stories for general audiences ranging from the unusual to the unbelievable to the just plain strange.
Why is Tomato Ketchup Two Words?
I’ll admit I’d never thought of this before. but the “Verbal Energy” column in the Feb. 9, 2015 issue of the Christian Science Monitor takes this on. It seems the word “ketchup” comes from Chinese, or more specifically Hokkien, which is the language of southern Fujian and Taiwan. Ke means “preserved fish” and tschup means
Word of the Day: Oobleck
When I started teaching, I told the kids they had the hard part — I expected them to make me feel young(er). I got a good example today which serving as an aide in 8th grade science class. Have you ever heard of an Oobleck? It’s a non-Newtonian fluid that was the creation of Dr.
How Good Is Your Memory?
When I worked at Tomart Publications as a book and magazine editor, one of our specialties was radio-premium collectibles — those prizes people sent in for during the Golden Age of radio. For awhile, the Illustrated Radio Premium Catalog and Price Guide was one of our best-selling books. Many collectors fondly remembered special treasurers they had as
The History of Marriage
Last night I saw the play Pride and Prejudice at Wright State University. That got me to thinking about marriage. As part of my training to become a teacher, I read the book Marriage, a History for a Sociology course. It was a real eye-opener and one of the more interesting books I’ve ever read.
Drawing A Short Straw
For the past two days I’ve been working with special-needs students. This reminded me of a poem I wrote about them for my book Some Poems About Life. Drawing A Short Straw Sam sits at his school desk on a typical winter day. He’s working at his lesson, the first lesson of today, as
English Kings Who Did Not Speak English
As a history nerd and aspiring writer, I can occasionally combine the two interests. One fascinating tidbit (at least to me) is the number of English kings who did not speak English. If this surprises you, recall what happened in 1066 — William of Normandy earned his nickname William the Conqueror by defeating Harold II at the
The Origin of Serendipity
One of my favorite subjects is finding useful words and learning how they evolve. That’s one reason I subscribe to “The Writer’s Almanac with Garrison Keillor” from American Public Media. The “Almanac” sends me literary news with a poem every day. This is how I learned that the first use of the word “serendipity” was
Privacy? What Privacy?
Last year when I turned 65 I was amazed to be inundated with junk mail from insurance companies about Medicare supplemental insurance. Which got me to wondering, how did half the world know my age? Something similar is happening this year. I decided to set up my writing career as a business and registered with
The Earring
When an object disappears from a toddler, what’s the most logical explanation? The Earring — An Original Story An earring was missing. The young mother had frantically searched her daughter. Then she searched the bed. Then her daughter again, her hair, the folds in her pajamas, her slippers. Next under the bed, then the entire
How Football Has Changed
In honor of the Super Bowl — I have been a football fan all my life, especially the pros. Credit/blame can go to Jim Brown, the Cleveland Browns’ great running back; I grew up watching him run and have been hooked ever since. I still think he’s the greatest running back ever to play the