Stories

Six Words: Environmental, Poem, Animal, Dramatic, Reluctance, Serious

What kind of poem would an animal write
If an animal could write poems?
What kind of animal would write a poem about the environment?
Is there any animal that would not write about the environment?
Perhaps a fish in the ocean would be reluctant to write about the environment,
After all, the ocean is growing and warming.
For some fish warmer waters and more of it would be a blessing.
But for others, warmer waters mean they have to migrate to find the cold waters they require.
Forced migration is always dramatic.
Whether it is whales – yes, I know that whales are not fish, they just pretend to be,
Whether it is whales migrating hoping to find cold water,
Or people migrating to survive,
Migration is a serious endeavor,
And migrants never know when they’ll encounter ICE.

Six Words: Dinner, Parameter, Decrease, Composer, Deficit, Category

The Director of Dining is in the same category as a composer, creating a unique dinner menu for each evening. Given his budget parameters, he increases or decreases the cost per meal, insuring that he never runs at a deficit. We could have more steak if some people drank less wine, not naming names though.

Six Words: Other, Experience, Predator, Calendar, Orientation, Outfit

We’d been marking off the days for weeks. Our outfits had been carefully selected and packed. Finally the calendar had told us that it was time to get to the airport and fly off to our safari adventure. This was going to be an experience like no other we’d ever had.

After 36 hours of travel time, and settled in to our rondavel, we were ready for our first game drive. It began with our driver giving us an orientation. We were told to stay seated and not to wave our arms beyond the sides of the vehicle – especially if we saw predators. He explained that the animals seemed to view the vehicles as another animal, with four feet on the ground, eyes in front, and that could move very fast. But arms flapping around could indicate an animal in distress and we could become fair game ourselves.

Six Words: Compete, Marble, Realize, Judicial, Product, Issue

When I was in elementary school, one of my after school activities was occasionally playing marbles. There were a couple of ways to compete, but you were usually trying win marbles that belonged to your opponents. Some of those products were more colorful than others. Cats-eyes were especially nice to look at. There were over-sized marbles, known as boulders, and it could be an issue as to whether they were allowed. Usually the competitors could easily decide who won, but in one form of the game, sometimes an observer was called upon to judge whether a marble was over a line or not.

Writing this, I realize that I have no idea what happened to my marble collection.

Six Words: Area, Ready, Asset, Coincide, Practice, Mastermind

A lot of people are thinking of Artificial Intelligence systems as “masterminds”. The development of those AI systems is possible with tremendous advances in the speed of computers coinciding with tremendous reductions in the cost of computers and storage. A lot of people are talking and writing about AI, even though it is outside the area of their professional practice. Often they advise us to get ready for humans to become obsolete. They overlook the wonderful asset that these AI systems are today and how they’re going to get better and better.

And think of all the wonderful things that people can do that AI systems will never be able to do. Things like enjoy a hot fudge sundae, appreciate bluebonnets growing by the roadside, or make a baby. Can AI systems experience jealousy?

Six Words: Scenario, Immune, Surface, Thesis, Result, Outside

Imagine this scenario. You’re standing outside a glass cube that contains a boxing ring. You are so close to it that your hands are pressed up against the surface of the cube as you watch the action inside. You can see a crowd inside, watching the battle going on in the ring, but you’re somewhat immune to the excitement because the glass mutes the sounds of the crowd.

Each time a boxer throws a punch, instead of hearing the results of the punch, a word bubble pops-up saying things like oof, thump, wham, bam or ouch. Even though you know this is absurd, and your thesis is that you must be dreaming, it seems so real. Then the bell sounds to end the round. You realize that it is the alarm in your cellphone telling you to get real.

Six Words: Ideology, Violation, Advantage, Curriculum, Pigeon, Resident

Cher Ami is probably the most famous pigeon that ever lived. The battle of Meuse-Argonne in northeastern France in Fall 1918 lasted for over a month near the end of World War 1. In October of that year, a group of 500 Americans, now known as the Lost Battalion, were surrounded by Germans. As the American forces tried to shell the Germans, they were shelling the Lost Battalion as well. Cher Ami, despite being wounded three times, carried a message to the American side about the location of the Lost Battalion so that they would stop shelling them. In the curriculum of American school children of the 1920’s and 30’s, Cher Ami was well known as an American hero.

The battle of Meuse-Argonne was part of the battle against the German ideology of the time – that Germany was superior to other countries and that it had the need and the right to violate other countries’ rights and to control their residents. The German government, to maintain their advantage among their own population, used propaganda to foster national unity and support for their actions, emphasizing the perceived threats from other nations and portraying Germany as a victim.

Do we need a Cher Ami today?

Six Words: Misplace, Reliable, Selection, Critical, Hesitate, Detail

The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 required the phase-out of incandescent light bulbs by August 1, 2023. A friend of mine was very critical of the law. He didn’t understand the details and was hesitant to comply. Hesitant isn’t actually accurate. He was adamant that he would not comply, even though his criticisms were misplaced. He claimed that the new bulbs don’t give off enough light, that he doesn’t like the color of the light, that not much electricity would be saved anyway. It’s true that in the beginning there were limited choices of sizes and colors to select from, but today you can get bulbs in many sizes, shapes and colors. You can even change the color of some light bulbs from your phone! He ignored the fact that the newer bulbs are much more reliable, and that after switching to newer bulbs, at his age, he’ll probably never need to change a light bulb again. Which is a good thing, because his wife has forbidden him from climbing on a ladder.

Six Words: Crackle, Sap, Imaginary, Strange, Amazing, Breakfast

I opened the box of cereal the way I open every new box of cereal. I slide my finger under the top flap to separate it from the one under it, lift up both flaps, and then the short side flaps. Lately I’ve been using a scissors to cut open the top of the plastic bag inside the box. The paper crackles as the cereal shifts within the bag. There should be nothing strange or amazing about that. No imaginary creatures should leap out of the box or out of the bag. This should be a boring story, not worth retelling. But not this morning.

This bag wouldn’t cut! The scissors couldn’t even get near it. I held the bag in my left hand and the scissors in my right. As I moved the scissors toward the bag, the bag twisted! It squirmed! The crackling grew louder. I gripped the bag tighter. It fought back harder. The scissors couldn’t get near it. This was absurd. Even at Gaines Ranch, the residents wouldn’t believe me if I told them about this. So the bag and the scissors and I wrestled on, and on, and on. Eventually my strength was sapped. I had to give up for the day. I shouldn’t have been surprised though. Have any of you tried to unscrew the top on a milk carton lately?

Six Words: Corn, Ajar, Addicted, Tumble, String, Flower

The flower child’s friends left the pathway ajar and she tumbled deeper and deeper into addiction, until all she could manage to do was to string popcorn into her hair.