I'm occasionally confronted with the conflict of when it is okay to lie. Some suggest it is never okay. In general, I don't believe it's okay, but there are, on rare occasions when I think it's acceptable. Here are some rare, but somewhat realistic examples that meet that criteria for me:You've just lost a loved one to an accident. You have to call siblings, children, or parents to tell them. Some children are more capable of dealing with such things than others in the immediate shock. … [Read more...] about Good Reasons to Lie
Vows
I went to a wedding last weekend. I'm a stereotypical man. I don't like weddings and I only go to make my wife happy. This time something happened that made me reflect on my own marriage. Instead of zoning out during the ceremony, I actually listened. When they got to the vows, which included the standard "in sickness and in health," it reminded me of the depth of those vows. I'll share why by relaying a personal anecdote.About six or seven years ago, I decided to undergo a rather … [Read more...] about Vows
The Suitcase
The following is a thought experiment wrapped in a story. While the idea seems unlikely, if it were to happen, most of us would not find it unbelievable. Nevertheless, you have to admit you'd like to know what would happen if someone actually did this. Despite the title, this is a story about economics. Not just local economics, but an the entire body of macro-economics as it exists in our country today. But please don't let that boring subject scare you away. I promise there are no charts, … [Read more...] about The Suitcase
Collaborative, Quasi-Curated Fiction
My good friend and fellow noob author, Jim Goodman, came up with this idea to write a collaborative story, but done in an odd sort of way. I liked the idea so much, that not only did I agree to participate, but I offered to help promote it, document it, and share it. Here's how it works. Jim began by writing a single paragraph, presumably as the first in a story. Without offering any other direction with regard to content, he asked me to continue the story with my own short contribution, … [Read more...] about Collaborative, Quasi-Curated Fiction
How Not to Stay in Vegas (Project Content)
NOTE TO CONTRIBUTORS: Below is the story in full as it has developed so far. It includes the name of the contributors and the state in which they live. We recommend you read it before you contribute.CHAPTER ONEMy sister was always the oddball of our family. Although we were quintuplets, the other four were all boys and I killed her thinking that I could get away with it because there would be so much matching DNA. I made my three brothers think that there was someone else after all … [Read more...] about How Not to Stay in Vegas (Project Content)