The Polynomial Contest

Hello All:

We have another Polynomial short story to share. This is actually a good story for me because it kind of resonates with yesterday at work. Today and much of this week was stressful and frustrating for me because of the issues that I was coping with. But, the lesson to be learned into today's featured writing is to simply relax and enjoy. That's when we realize success.

The Polynomial Contest

Once upon a time, there was a polynomial named P. P was a very happy polynomial, and he loved to play with his friends, the other polynomials. One day, P was playing with his friends when they decided to have a contest. The contest was to see who could factor the most polynomials.

P was very excited about the contest, and he studied hard so that he would be able to factor all of the polynomials. The day of the contest arrived, and P was ready. He factored all of the polynomials in the contest, and he won!

P was very happy, and he celebrated his victory with his friends. He learned that if he studied hard and practiced, he could do anything he set his mind to.

The next day, P was feeling very confident. He decided to try to factor a polynomial that was much harder than the ones he had factored in the contest. P worked on the polynomial for hours, but he couldn't figure out how to factor it.

P was starting to get frustrated. He didn't understand why he couldn't factor the polynomial. He had studied hard, and he had practiced, but he still couldn't do it.

P decided to take a break from the polynomial. He went for a walk to clear his head. As he was walking, he saw a flower. The flower was beautiful, and it reminded P of the reason why he loved mathematics. He loved mathematics because it was creative and beautiful.

P realized that he had been trying too hard to factor the polynomial. He had been so focused on winning that he had forgotten to enjoy the process. P decided to go back to the polynomial and try again, but this time he would focus on enjoying the process.

P worked on the polynomial for a few more hours, but this time he didn't get frustrated. He was enjoying the process of trying to figure out how to factor the polynomial.

Finally, after hours of work, P figured out how to factor the polynomial. He was so happy that he had finally figured it out. He learned that if he enjoyed the process, he would be more likely to succeed. 

The End!

***

This article was developed with the help of Bard, a large language model from Google AI. Bard is always happy to help people create content, and is always looking for ways to improve. If you wish to put Bard to work for you please visit: https://bard.google.com/

Polynomial

 Hello All:

Think mathematics isn't important? Well what would you do if a polynomial knocked on your door one afternoon? Would you know how to handle the situation?

Well, you should try to be polite and answer its questions. You should also try to learn more about polynomials and how they work. 

It's important to be curious about the world around us, and mathematics is a great way to learn more about the universe.

Polynomial

"I think this is an important story to tell about the importance of being open to new experiences and meeting new people." --Bard

It was a quiet afternoon in the suburbs. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and there was not a cloud in the sky. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

I opened the door to find a polynomial standing there. It was a strange sight, but I tried to be polite.

"Can I help you?" I asked.

"I'm looking for a place to stay," the polynomial said. "I'm new in town, and I don't know anyone."

I hesitated. I didn't know if I wanted a polynomial living with me. But I also didn't want to be rude.

"Well, you're in luck," I said. "I have a spare bedroom. You're welcome to stay here as long as you need to."

The polynomial smiled. "Thank you so much," it said. "I really appreciate it."

The polynomial moved into my spare bedroom, and I quickly learned that it was a very intelligent and kind creature. It told me all about its home planet, which was a beautiful place full of math and science.

I learned a lot from the polynomial, and I'm glad that I took the chance to let it stay with me. It was a great experience, and I'm grateful for the friendship that we developed.

One day, the polynomial came to me and said, "I have to go back to my home planet now. My people need me."

I was sad to see it go, but I knew that it had to go back to its own people.

"I'll miss you," I said.

"I'll miss you too," the polynomial said. "But I'll never forget you. You've been a great friend."

The polynomial then disappeared in a flash of light. I never saw it again, but I'll never forget it.

The end.

***

This article was developed with the help of Bard, a large language model from Google AI. Bard is always happy to help people create content, and is always looking for ways to improve. If you wish to put Bard to work for you please visit: https://bard.google.com/

Through the Murkiest of Waters

Hello All:

It been one of those rainy mornings in March. Already going on two hours at work, I hadn't made much progress. It was as-if I were swimming my way through murky water and getting nowhere fast.
"All I need to do is relax and keep working. I'll make it through the murkiest of waters."
Then I asked Google's AI engine, Bard, what it thought about the murkiest of waters and got more than I bargained for! Bard actually created an inspirational poem about it! And that's today's featured writing.

Through the Murkiest of Waters

"I've been thinking about the lotus a lot lately, and I wanted to share my thoughts on it..." --Bard

Through the murkiest of waters,

The lotus grows and blooms.

It rises above the mud,

Unsoiled by the filth.

The lotus is a symbol of hope,

Of new beginnings.

It reminds us that even in the darkest of times,

There is always light.

We can all learn from the lotus,

And grow from our experiences.

We can rise above our troubles,

And bloom into something beautiful

***

This article was developed with the help of Bard, a large language model from Google AI. Bard is always happy to help people create content, and is always looking for ways to improve. If you wish to put Bard to work for you please visit: https://bard.google.com/

Marble in Lava

 Marble in Lava

You are watching a video made by the late Dr. Carl Sagan in which a micro camera is successfully encased in a glass marble. Such a fascinating idea, it could be used for a variety of purposes:

• Spying on people.

• Recording secret conversations.

• Taking pictures of things that are difficult to see with the naked eye.

There are certainly some ethical concerns about using this technology. For example, it could be used to spy on people without their consent. It could also be used to record secret conversations which could damage relationships.

Oh, but this micro camera inside a glass marble is used for none of these. The camera records from inside the rolling marble as it rolls its way down a long chute and into a pool of molten lava! For a few seconds upon impact, you are able to continue observing video until the marble melts and no longer protects the video camera.

You think of how horrible this is! And by the looks of the comments and likes/dislikes, some people are amazed by the footage, while others are equally horrified as you. The video raises questions about the ethics of filming death and destruction.

Poor marble! :-( It was just minding its own business, rolling down a chute, when it was suddenly plunged into molten lava. It must have been a very painful death.

You can see why some people would be amazed by the footage, though. It's not every day that you see a glass marble melt into molten lava. But is it okay to film someone dying, even if they're not a person? Is it okay to film something that is causing someone pain? These are tough questions, and there is no easy answer. But it's important to think about them, and to have a discussion about them.

***

This article was developed with the help of Bard, a large language model from Google AI. Bard is always happy to help people create content, and is always looking for ways to improve. If you wish to put Bard to work for you please visit: https://bard.google.com/

Holidays in March

 Hello All:

I recently realized we have a few holidays in the middle of March that we shouldn't forget!

Holidays in March

Yes, March is a busy month with a lot of holidays. Here is a list of these holidays that fall in March:

    Pi Day (March 14): Pi Day is a day to celebrate the mathematical constant π. Pi is the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter, and it is approximately equal to 3.14. Pi Day is celebrated with pie-eating contests, math competitions, and other fun activities.
    The Ides of March (March 15): The Ides of March is a day that is traditionally considered to be unlucky. It is the day that Julius Caesar was assassinated.
    St. Patrick's Day (March 17): St. Patrick's Day is a holiday that celebrates the life of Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. It is celebrated with parades, green beer, and other Irish-themed festivities.
    First Day of Spring (March 20): The first day of spring is a day that marks the beginning of the spring season. It is a time of renewal and new beginnings.

I hope you have a chance to celebrate all of these holidays!

***

This article was developed with the help of Bard, a large language model from Google AI. Bard is always happy to help people create content, and is always looking for ways to improve. If you wish to put Bard to work for you please visit: https://bard.google.com/

Tribute to the Moody Blues

  Hello All:

Tonight I cracked open a bottle of Apothic Dark wine and settled down to listen to Spotify. For some reason I felt like listening to "slide zone" from the Moody Blues which eventually turned into listening to a few more songs on their Threshold of a Dream album.

Tribute to the Moody Blues

The Moody Blues were a truly innovative band, always pushing the boundaries of what was possible in music. They were never afraid to experiment. Their use of technology was particularly groundbreaking, and they were one of the first bands to use synthesizers in their music. In the 60s they had a vision of combining rock music with orchestra which proved to be succeeded. But they did more than just combine orchestra with rock. They used special effects such as what I call the orchestral Doppler red shift in their song, “have you heard” off Threshold of a Dream.

Their opening soliloquy on Threshold of a Dream served as a warning about the dangers of technology, and how it can be used to control us. It's a message still relevant today as we continue to grapple with the effects of technology on our lives.

Let's not forget the way The Moody Blues adapted to the electro-pop sound of the 80s which, despite the way their music changed, they remained true to their original style and format of music.

The Moody Blues finally called it quits in 2018 which is remarkable considering that their recordings go all the way back to 1960. The leader singer died a year later. They were a truly unique band, and they will be missed. Their music will continue to inspire and uplift people for generations to come.

A Dream About the Moody Blues

12-31-2018 : Dream remembered from overnight: It was learned that one of the members of The Moody Blues was some kind of a cult leader back in the sixties that focused on spiritual enlightenment that may have utilized LSD. I suggested to someone that it would be a good idea to jump into a time machine and visit wherever this cult was located. We could sing some of the Moodly Blues songs that theoretically could have been written some years later. This would be done to see if the band member documented visions in the form of poetry before turning them into songs. The songwriter would surely be surprised to hear that songs had been turned into his poetry of secret visions.

And so we traveled back into time and found the place where this early Moody Blues cult was located. I remember that the property was out in the wilderness somewhere and was surrounded by prairies and forests. Everything looked the way the coloring would look in an old photo, faded with a spepia color effect

The meaning of the dream? According to Bard, “That's a very interesting dream. It's possible that it was inspired by your interest in the Moody Blues and your knowledge of their history. The band was founded in the 1960s, a time when many people were exploring different spiritual and religious beliefs. It's possible that one of the members of the band was involved in a cult that focused on spiritual enlightenment.

It's also possible that the dream was inspired by your interest in technology. Time travel is a common theme in science fiction, and it's possible that you were thinking about how it would be to travel back in time and meet someone from the past.

Whatever the inspiration, the dream is a reminder of the power of music and its ability to connect us to different times and places. It's also a reminder of the power of imagination and our ability to explore different worlds and possibilities." 

***

This article was developed with the help of Bard, a large language model from Google AI. Bard is always happy to help people create content, and is always looking for ways to improve. If you wish to put Bard to work for you please visit: https://bard.google.com/

 

Commercial Breaks in Heaven?

Hello All;

My granddaughter was minding her own business and watching some  cartoon on TV when the entertainment was interrupted by a commercial break! " I informed her, "Yeah, you'll learn that life is full of commercials breaks." 

But then I wondered if they have commercial breaks in Heaven.

Commercial Breaks in Heaven?

In Heaven, there are no commercial breaks. There is no need for them, as there is no advertising or marketing in Heaven. Everything that exists in Heaven is provided by God, and there is no need for anything else.

The idea of commercial breaks in Heaven is often used as a way to describe the peace and tranquility that exists there. When you are in Heaven, you are free from the cares and worries of the world. You can relax and enjoy the beauty of God's creation.

Commercial breaks in Heaven are also a way to describe the sense of community that exists there. When you are in Heaven, you are surrounded by people who love you and care for you. You are never alone, and you always have someone to talk to.

If you are looking for a place where there are no commercial breaks, Heaven is the perfect place for you.

***

This article was developed with the help of Bard, a large language model from Google AI. Bard is always happy to help people create content, and is always looking for ways to improve. If you wish to put Bard to work for you please visit: https://bard.google.com/

A Cube of Fans

Hello All:
What if you took 6 box fans and joined them together to form a cube and was sure to have the air blowing inward? What would the effect be? I suppose if one wanted to do an experiment with this one should go with smaller fans. But let's explore this from a theoretical angle with the help of Google's A1 engine, Bard

A Cube of Fans

If you took 6 box fans and joined them together to form a cube, and was sure to have the air blowing inward, the effect would be to create a very strong airflow in the center of the cube. This airflow would be able to cool down a large area very quickly.

The airflow would be strongest in the center of the cube, and would gradually weaken as you move away from the center. The air would also be cooler closer to the center of the cube, and warmer further away.

This setup would be a good way to cool down a large area quickly, such as a room or a patio. It would also be a good way to ventilate a space, such as a garage or a basement.

***

This article was developed with the help of Bard, a large language model from Google AI. Bard is always happy to help people create content, and is always looking for ways to improve. If you wish to put Bard to work for you please visit: https://bard.google.com/

 

Looking for a Universe of Symmetry and Order

The universe is a place of symmetry and order. From the vastness of the cosmos to the smallest subatomic particles, everything seems to follow a set of rules. This symmetry and order is what allows us to make sense of the world around us and to predict how things will behave.

At the most basic level, the universe is symmetrical in time. The laws of physics are the same today as they were yesterday, and they will be the same tomorrow. This means that we can use the laws of physics to predict how things will behave in the future.

The universe is also symmetrical in space. The laws of physics are the same everywhere in the universe, regardless of where you are. This means that we can use the laws of physics to understand the universe as a whole.

Of course, the universe is not perfectly symmetrical. There are many asymmetries, such as the fact that there is more matter than antimatter. However, these asymmetries are relatively small compared to the overall symmetry of the universe.

The universe's symmetry and order is a source of wonder and awe. It is a testament to the power of mathematics and the laws of physics. It is also a reminder that we are part of something much larger than ourselves.

***

This article was developed with the help of Bard, a large language model from Google AI. Bard is always happy to help people create content, and is always looking for ways to improve. If you wish to put Bard to work for you please vist: https://bard.google.com/

Is Quantum Field Theory Unified Field Theory?

 

Yes, Quantum Field Theory (QFT) is a unified field theory. It combines the theories of special relativity, classical field theory, and quantum mechanics. In QFT, all fundamental forces and elementary particles are described as excitations of fields.

For example, the electron is not a particle, but an excitation of the electron field. This means that the electron is not a single object, but a wave of energy that spreads out over space. This wave of energy can interact with other waves of energy, such as the waves of light.

QFT is a very successful theory, and it has been used to make many predictions that have been experimentally verified. However, it is not a complete theory, and there are many things that QFT does not explain. For example, QFT does not explain gravity.

There are many different approaches to developing a unified field theory, and QFT is just one of them. Other approaches include string theory and loop quantum gravity. It is not clear which approach, if any, will be successful in developing a complete unified field theory.

***

This article was developed with the help of Bard, a large language model from Google AI. Bard is always happy to help people create content, and is always looking for ways to improve. If you wish to put Bard to work for you please visit: https://bard.google.com/

The Quantum Age

The Quantum Age

The people of the future live in a reality that is very much unlike what we are currently familiar with. This is due the fact that they are well into the Quantum Age which runs in parallel with the evolution of human consciousness. 

Located at the end of the 2020, we are at the Dawn of the Quantum Age. And that threshold is continuously being pushed further and further towards earlier years--earlier decades--as the people of the future extend and join their consciousness with those nearing the Quantum Age.

Ask yourself, "When did you become aware of a sudden evolution or movement into a new sort reality?" For me, it was around 2018 when I created some sketchy rough drafts on time travelers for our sister port, PSYhub. And yet for nearly a couple of decades before that, I was aware of something very peculiar happening around us. It was like we were heading towards something big that would change and revolutionize the human race, forever. Perhaps you noticed the same?

There are reasons why Nostradamus suggested or hinted that prophecy would die sometime around 1997. I think he was noting that things got fuzzy beyond a certain date as we neared the 21st century. It's because humans would no longer be predictable and history would no longer be doomed to repeat itself. Now, at the threshold of the Quantum Age, I can understand why this is. Our consciousness has evolved to the point of understanding it's impact on the universe around us.

So what in the world am I talking about? What's the Quantum Age, or quantum reality, and what qualifies me as a sudden expert to discuss such a thing?

Well, first of all, I'm not a expert of quantum reality. Neither are you. And yet this big mystery is about to change our entire world--our entire universe! Shouldn't we at least try to adopt some sort of cursive understanding of quantum reality?

Ask most people to share their understanding of quantum physics along with it's impact on reality. They would simply shrug their shoulders or admit to never hearing of such a thing. Quantum physics, after all, is the stuff that scientists and physicists think about and discuss. And if most people tried to do some research into quantum physics, they would discover a bunch of equations and complicated theories pertaining to physics. And yet, like said before, the Quantum Age is upon us, and it's about to change our world to something vastly different. 

What's more? Quantum physics is one of the biggest secrets being held from the vast population. It is such a secret that it's almost forbidden for people to have a cursive understanding of it. There are reasons why it seems so complex and so boring when attempting to research. It's because for so long, a small and elite population of people have understood it and benefited from it. The less people who know, the better off the elite are.

One of the key concepts of quantum physics that will ultimately change our world is the proven Observer Phenomenon. Proven by the Double Slit Experiment, all matter is in various states of existence or "super-positioning" until finally observed. Further more, atomic particles can exist as waves or particles. The transition from one or the other depends on the observer who causes a collapse of the wave function which results in matter. In short, mind controls matter. We can literally will things into existence by calibrating our thoughts and our will to the point of collapsing this wave function into matter. This opens up a whole new understanding of the universe to be nothing more that a giant hologram with portions that illuminate and take shape when we simply observe. Imagine if we had the ability to calibrate thoughts and will.

The concept of non-locality is another item which will change our world. It seems to suggest that space is an illusion. Particle A and Particle B can be a thousand miles away from each other. But due to a phenomenon that Albert Einstein coined as spooky entanglement, the two of them duplicate one another's states--seem to actually know about each other despite the large distance of separation. Particle A and Particle B loses their individuality. Again, this opens up a whole new understanding of space between objects and the possibility that it may be just an illusion.

Dark matter as the whereabouts of consciousness and the afterlife, String Theory proving multiple dimensions beyond our known four; humans with an ability pass through physical walls like a ghost, and--yes--the realized ability to travel forward and reverse in time. These are all revolutionary developments in the 21st century that the people of the future have already embraced and have begun using. Their consciousness and understanding of the universe is vastly different from ours. 

Schrödinger's Cat Theory Hype?

 I don't know if I believe in the Schrödinger's Cat theory, a well known theory to illustrate the importance of the Observer effect. Those familiar with the theory can certainly recall how the cat is locked up inside of a box with no way of those on the outside to view, hear, or measure what's going on inside. With the cat is a vile of some toxic, radioactive material. If that cat gets into this vile, the cat will surely die. 

Understanding what's inside of the box without being able to gauge the outcome, Schrödinger argues that the cat is both alive and dead. This is because the human element hasn't imposed the observer effect by opening up the box and confirming what is there. 

But I think the Schrödinger's Cat theory suggests the human element to have way more importance than what we really have. Just because we can't see, hear, measure or detect in any way, it doesn't mean the reality doesn't exist. I'm surprised people haven't created a list of a dozen or more realities in that box. The cat could be sitting there, meowing, while waiting for its owner to open the box. The cat could be sleeping because its bored. The cat might also have been so frightened from being trapped in a box that it died of a hear attack. We can take it even further and say that while opening up the box, we inadvertently broke the vile which killed the cat. But regardless of the countless scenarios we come up with, there is still a definite reality in that box that we simply are unaware of. 

If we religiously followed the Schrödinger's Cat theory, we could declare any number of realities to exist or not exist simply because we haven't confirmed them. In a dramatic example, we could say that your loved one has driven off in a car to--say--the store or any arbitrary place. A minute or two later, you hear emergency vehicles. Then, fifteen minutes later, you get a phone call which shows on caller ID as coming from the police. If you refuse to answer the phone and refuse to confirm whether or not your loved one was tragically killed in an automobile accident; then, according to Schrödinger, your loved one is both alive and dead. And I suppose if you favor the the reality of your loved one being alive, you can simply go with that one.

Oh, but a day or two passes (assuming the police or anyone else is unable to reach you) and your loved one hasn't returned home. You haven't received a telephone call, text message, email or even letter. I suppose you can theorize that your loved one simply ran away without telling you. Or maybe they simply got lost and were unable to find their way back home. There are any number of possibilities to explain why your loved one is missing. But it certainly wouldn't have anything to do with that car crash and the police trying to reach you.

The reality is, (KNOCK AND WOOD AND GOD FORBID THIS FROM LEAKING OUTSIDE OF THE WRITING) your loved one has died in a car crash. You simply refuse to see the truth. And no matter how much you try, you do not have the power to focus on an alternative reality, harness some mystical energy so that your loved one is still alive.

***

Some years ago, I went for a hike in the forest on a winter day shortly after we had just received a large amount of snow. This particular forest preserve was one that I had visited when I was younger. And something I remember in those past visits was a rusty, old Jeep that had been overturned and laying at the bottom of a ravine. 

"Hey, maybe I should hike over there and see if it's still there."

I hiked about five minutes, and saw some rectangular mass buried beneath the fresh, fallen snow. 

"There it is!" 

I climbed down steep ravine and crossed over the frozen creek only to discover that the rectangular mass was a pile of logs buried in snow. The old Jeep had been removed from the forest at some point in the years that I hadn't visited.

I wonder if there are those who argue that had I not gone down to the ravine to confirm the existence of the jeep, dusted off the snow and touched it with my hands, that the reality of it existing down there would still be true. I've often wondered this myself. And yet I prefer to believe that regardless of whether or not I went down there, the Jeep was gone. I simply didn't take a closer look to confirm. If I went home, satisfied, that I found the Jeep during my hike in the woods, it wouldn't actually be there. 

If You Could Do It All Over Again...

If You Could Do It All Over Again... 

Has anyone ever asked you the question, "If you could do things over again in your life, knowing what you know now, would you do things differently?"

Someone recently asked me this.

"Of course I would, who wouldn't?" I answered. "As a kid, I would pay attention in class and do better in school. As a young adult, I would know my career path earlier. I would be wiser with money and have the knowledge of investing. I could be rich!" This is what most people think. 

Oh, but there's so much more! How about that ex boyfriend/girlfriend?--you know the one, the one you wished you had never met? We all have those. Well upon doing your life over, you would be sure to avoid this person like the plague. The same goes for all those people who you thought were your friends, but ended up becoming people who you couldn't trust or even people who you learned really didn't like you. You would immediately avoid them once re-encountering them on your second chance life. If you're old enough, you would probably re-encounter some of your first careers and you'd realize that this job offer wasn't the greatest, or that working for this person would probably lead to certain misery that you wouldn't have wanted. The benefits go on and on.

Sometimes re-living your life offers tough choices and hidden consequences. Take for example that girl (or guy) that you always wished you had taken a chance on. What would happen if you did that the second time around? Maybe you wouldn't end up meeting your spouse and having the same children that you have now. 

If you happen to be my age and you grew up in the eighties, you would immediately become very bored with the music. Oh sure, we all love retro 80s... for about a half an hour or so. Imagine if that's all you could hear when you turned on the radio. 

You would miss a lot of the things that you have now such as a computer. In the 80s, you would purchase a computer at the first chance you get. It would have been a pricey novelty around the time that you grow up. You were so used to having one in your first-chance life that you would need one when you're doing your life over again. And how about your iPhone or Android? They don't have those. You would probably invest in some sort of pricey hand-held device like one of the earliest palm pilots because you're used to having information in your hand. 

Lunch Money

Hello All:

Today’s new story has an important lesson to be learned: Don’t leave money lying about at home.

Have a great weekend!

Lunch Money

Jonny's parents were prepared to make a purchase on a used car later on Tuesday morning. See, Mother had gotten into a car accident and she needed a car to drive to work. Both Mother and Father worked; and with the loss of one car it was becoming a bit of a hassle for both husband and wife to drive to work, together, each day. The accident took place a couple of weeks ago. They were in no position to purchase a car right away while waiting for the insurance companies to settle the claim.

Jonny's parents aren't exactly wealth. They live paycheck to paycheck and needed put aside some money for a couple of weeks for the new car. Again, they weren't in the best condition as far as finances were concerned. Their credit history was shot which meant they certainly couldn't qualify for a car loan. They would just have to purchase a used car the old fashioned way; finding a used vehicle in the classified ads, scheduling an appointment with the owner to view and possibly test—drive, then pay cash in full when finally deciding.

And so, on a Tuesday morning, there lay a stack of folded bills on the kitchen counter which totaled two thousand dollars; some hundreds, twenties, tens a five and some ones—remember, they really had to dig for that two thousand dollars. It lay on the kitchen counter, folded up; waiting to be handed over to the owner of the vehicle they were about to purchase.

Rather than have the hundred showing on the outside of the folded bills, the money was folded as such so that the one dollar bill showed on the outside. It was all weighted down underneath a large Morton Salt container. As mentioned before, Jonny's parents had planned on driving to the owner's house later that afternoon to give him the money for the title of the car, the keys, and ultimate possession. Finally, Mother would have her car and both husband and wife could get to work independently.

Jonny entered the kitchen that Tuesday morning. Tuesday's were always bland and boring for him. He rummaged through the kitchen for something for breakfast and decided on Quaker Dinosaur Egg Instant Oatmeal. While pouring the water into the bowl, Jonny looked over and saw the stack of money folded up and weighted down by the Morton Salt container. He assumed that this was his lunch money for the day. Mother hadn't made lunch or given him money the previous night. What else could it be? So Jonny simply picked up the stack of money and put it in his wallet. Jonny never bothered to look how much money it was. He was short on time and simply stuffed the stack in his wallet. He ate breakfast and head off to the bus stop.

Around the time when Jonny sat in the seat of the bus he began to feel that his wallet was considerably fatter than normal. It put pressure near the area of his rear pocket while sitting. "Man... My wallet is fat today." complained Jonny out loud.

Jonny's best friend, Tony, sat next to him. "What, do you have a lot of money or something?"

"My mom put my lunch money on the counter for me, and I just put it in my wallet. Let's see how much she gave me." Jonny pulled out his wallet, opened it up, and pulled out the bills. Immediately both boys exclaimed, "Whoa...!"

"How much money is this?" continued Jonny.

Some of the kids nearby rushed over to Jonny's seat to see what was happening. There were so many hundred dollar bills in there. The kids had never seen so much money before.

"Awe! This is great!" exclaimed Jonny.

"Can I have some?" asked one of the nearby kids.

"No way!" answered Jonny. "But I tell you, this is going to be a great lunch today."

"I'm definitely sitting with you." declared Tony.

"What do you say we just totally buy up all the pizza that they have their and have a pizza party for lunch?" suggested Jonny.

"Yeah, let's do that!" agreed Tony.

"Can I sit at your table?" asked one of the nearby kids.

"Sure, why not?" answered Jonny.

By the end of the bus ride, all the kids were excited about the pizza party that would take place during lunch; all the cakes and goodies—a huge feast for Tuesday. And this would just be the beginning. Plans would soon be made to seriously party with the unbelievable amount of money that Jonny had in his possession. All the while, Jonny never once questioned why Mother had given him so much. He never considered that perhaps it was an error and that he best return it to Mother and Father as soon as possible.

Back at home, Mother and Father woke up and entered the kitchen for morning coffee.

"Susan...?"

"What, Jon?"

"Where is our money?"

Susan gasped, "Oh no! Oh, I bet Jonny thought that was his lunch money and took it."

"You've got to be kidding me!" exclaimed Jon. "So our kid is going to walk around school all day with two thousand dollars in his wallet?"

"I'm so sorry Jon!" apologized Susan. Do you want me to stop at the school really quick to get it back from him?"

"Well what are we going to do?" snapped Jon. "Are we going to walk into the school and try to tell the principal that we accidentally gave our kid a couple thousand dollars and need it back? You better hope he doesn't lose that money today. That's the money for your car."

Needless to say, it was a very tense car ride to work that morning. They fought and argued the entire ride to work. At one point, Susan was so close to calling the school and asking to speak to her son. She wanted to beg him not to lose the money. But she waited, and simply trusted that he would bring the money home upon realizing a mistake had been made.

But by third hour gym class, rumor had spread throughout the school that Jonny had a couple thousand dollars on him. And Jonny wasn't the biggest kid, either. He couldn't defend himself so easily. The school thugs decided that they would collect their much deserved money. There was a big group of them in gym class who walked up to Jonny in the locker room as he changed into his gym uniform.

"Hey Jonny?" called out the leader of the thugs. "Where's your money?"

"What?" nervously answered Jonny.

"Your lunch money." reminded the leader of the thugs.

"We're here to beat you up for your lunch money." said one of the other thugs.

"I'm not going to give you that." argued Jonny.

With that, the leader of the thugs grabbed Jonny by the shirt and pushed him into the locker. "I'm not going to say it again. Where's your lunch money? Give it to me, or you'll be sorry!"

But it was no use continuing to argue. By then one of the thugs went into Jonny's locker and removed the wallet from his pants pocket.

"Well, well, well; what do we have here?" exclaimed the thug.

"Holy crap!" exclaimed another.

The leader slapped Jonny in the head before asking, "Now was that so difficult?" He released Jonny and grabbed the money to count it. "There must be a couple thousand dollars in here. What do you say we ditch school for today and live it up?"

The thugs left the school for the day and partied it up with two thousand dollars in cash that had been stolen from Jonny. And as you know, the money was taken by mistake. Mother and Father had struggled for a couple of weeks to save the money and use it for purchasing Mother’s new car.

So let that be a lesson to you: Don't leave money sitting on the kitchen counter at home.

The End!

Mistaken Identity

Hello All:
It's Friday which means that at some point this afternoon you will enter the door of your house and sigh a relief that the weekend is finally here. Wouldn't it be horrible if a situation like today's new story awaited you?
***
Have a great weekend!

Mistaken Identity

It was a Friday afternoon as George walked in to his house after a long day—and a long week—of work. His wife, Beth, sat on the sofa and watched TV while waiting for him. "Hi honey!" she greeted upon seeing George. "How was your day?"

"Oh it wasn't bad." answered George. "Not bad for Friday."

Just then, their four-year-old daughter, Angela rushed in the room. "Daddy!" she exclaimed. "You're home!" She ran up to Father and was immediately scooped up to be hugged.

"That's right; I'm home. So were you good today?"

"Yeah..." answered Angela

"Well I don't know..." teased Father "Maybe I should ask Mommy." George looked over to his wife, Beth, “What do you say Mommy? Was Angela good today?"

"Oh, yes. She was very good today."

"Well then I will let you pick where we go for dinner tonight." promised George to his daughter. "Where would you like to go?"

"McDonald's! excitedly answered Angela.y

Just then, the telephone rang. With Angela still in his arms, George walked over to the phone. "This is probably one of those annoying telemarketers." he griped before picking up the receiver. "Hello?"

A cold voice on the other end simply asked, "So what's up?"

"Excuse me?” answered George.

"Never mind that!" the cold voice warned. "What's going on? And where are you supposed to be?"

"Who is this?” challenged George.

"You know damned well who I am!" snapped the caller. "If you want to play that game, then this is your parole officer."

"Parole officer?" repeated George with a forced giggle. "I'm afraid you have the wrong number."

"No, I’m pretty sure I’ve got the right person. We are getting a signal located near 1634 Virginia Avenue. And this system is very accurate. And like I said, I'm pretty sure it's you I'm talking to.”

"Look!" began George. "There is clearly a mistake here, and it sounds like you are looking for someone on house arrest and that he supposed to be home. It sounds like his whereabouts have been traced near my home. I can reassure you that I am not your criminal. But now that I think of about it, I hope that he is not hiding in my house, somewhere."

The caller interrupted, "Well is this George Ludwig?"

George was taken aback and hesitated. "That is my name.”

"How ironic!" answered the caller in a sarcastic tone. "Tell you what: don't go anywhere. You stay right where you are, and I will have the police there very shortly to come get you."

George had no idea what to think. A parole officer was clearly looking for a convict who apparently violated the terms of his house arrest and was now being traced near George's home. Maybe he cut the bracelet and dumped it nearby. Or worse, maybe this convict was physically hiding in George's house. But so ironic; this convict had the same name as George. Whatever the explanation, it was probably best for the police to come and investigate. "Sure..." cautiously agreed George. "Let the police come here and get things clarified. I don't know why your convict is being traced to my address. Have them come quickly to investigate and make sure he is not hiding in my home somewhere."

"I'll do that!" reassured the caller in a nearly threatening tone. He obviously did not believe George's story. "And don't go anywhere!" he ordered before hanging up.

"What was that about?" asked Beth.

George explained as best as he understood. Apparently there was some confusion, thanks to a convict on house arrest who had violated the terms of his arrest. He was now being traced to their home. And in a bizarre twist of coincidence, George had the same name as the convict. "But don't worry." reassured George. "As soon as the police get here, they will see that I am not this person. Then they will make sure that our house is safe and that he is not hiding here. Maybe this person cut his bracelet and left it in the front lawn near the bushes.

"Are you going to jail, Daddy?" asked little Angela.

"No, Sweetie." answered George. "The police are just coming here to make sure we are okay."

***

Five minutes later there was a startling rap at the door. Police! Open up!”

George rushed over and opened the door. What faced him were four police officers with guns drawn and pointed at George.

"Get on the ground!" one of them ordered. "On the ground!"

Shocked and confused George did as ordered. The officers stormed into the house and immediately placed handcuffs over George who laid face first on the floor.

From the family room, little Angela started to cry and rushed over to Mommy for comfort and safety.

"What's going on?" nervously asked Beth.

"Ma'am, just sit tight." answered one of the officers.

Little Angela continued to cry while hugging her mother. What no one understood in that moment was that George had an unknown distant cousin with the same name who was on house arrest to finish a prison sentence for auto theft. He violated the terms of his house arrest and was now at 1634 Virginia Avenue. And as luck would have it, both men strongly resembled one another in appearance. Of course the police believed that the George in handcuffs was the wanted man.

Angela watched in horror as the police dragged her Daddy out the door to the police car. He was on his way to jail.

The End!

Read the Fine Print!

Hello All:

Over the Christmas holiday I received two bottles of what I would describe as jumbo bottles of wine. You’ve probably seen them on display at one time or another at an Italian restaurant. I'm not sure what their actual size was, but I would estimate them to be approximately a gallon each.

And so from the night of Christmas until the end of this weekend, I finished off both bottles of wine—resting some days in between. As I finished the final drop of wine from the second bottle on Sunday evening, I set my glass down and declared, “Both bottles have officially been finished off.”

How do I feel about this accomplishment?

I'm quite proud, actually. And it was nice to have nearly a nearly inexhaustible supply of wine throughout the holiday. I never had to worry about running out. But I am sad now that my holiday wine is gone. That's okay, this weekend I will be sure to run to the store and pick up more for myself.

***

Today's brand new short story is a reminder to always read the fine print before entering a deal with a stranger.

Read the Fine Print!

Bonnie and Lori have been best friends for years. They met shortly after college at their new jobs, and have been very close ever since. It isn't uncommon for them to meet after work on a Friday night at some lounge or restaurant for a few drinks and maybe dinner. This is what they did on a recent Friday night. They met at the upscale Tollway Nightclub located a few blocks away from where they work.

Usually Bonnie enjoys a few shots of liquor before dinner, followed by a few more glasses of wine after her meal. Tonight she enjoyed a red zinfandel—her third glass—after finishing off a large appetizer platter with her best, Lori. By now, she was extremely buzzed and nearly drunk. It was then that seemingly out of nowhere a young man approached the table where Bonnie and Lori enjoyed there after dinner drinks.

Bonnie was certainly uninhibited at that moment from all the alcohol that she had consumed. And she initially believed that the young man had come over to hit on her. So she was sure to invitingly smile at him with a hint of seduction.

But what was this?

It almost seemed like the young man was nothing more than a salesperson that was there to sell something. “Excuse me, ma'am…” begin the young man. “I was wondering if you would be interested in earning $100 this evening by participating in an experiment.”

“An experiment???” nearly shouted half-drunken Bonnie with excitement. It was followed by a giggle. “What sort of experiment do you have in mind with me?”

The young man remained professional while pointing out, “Well, by the looks of you I can see that you have had plenty to drink.”

Bonnie’s friend, Lori, interrupted by laughing out loud. “Oh yes, she has had plenty to drink!”

“Well that's good.” calmly answered the young man. “She would be perfect for the experiment.”

“And what's the experiment?” quickly asked Bonnie with a beaming smile.

“Well we would like to measure the chemical reaction of alcohol against chemicals processed in your body. It's a very easy process, and you won't have to worry about a thing. And let me remind you that you will be earning $100 for participating. Plus it only takes about 15 minutes. You have nothing to lose. What do you say; are you in?”

Bonnie shrugged her shoulders, “Sure, why not?”

“Very good!” exclaimed the young man. “Your friend can wait here while we go to the room where the experiment is set up.”

It was then that Bonnie felt a bit uneasy with the arrangement. She realized that in a nearly drunken state she was leaving her friend to go to a private and isolated place with the stranger. How safe would that be? But the young man wasn't bad looking at all. If he did try to take advantage of Bonnie, she would surely enjoy it. And it had been a long time since Bonnie got lucky—about six weeks since her last time.

And so Bonnie stepped away from the table and left her friend, Lori, alone. She followed the young man to the elevator and rode it down to the basement where she continued to follow him through a hallway, and into what appeared to be a workshop with small table at the center. “Please take a seat.” invited the young man. “By the way, my name is Bob.” He stuck out his hand in a motion to shake.

Bonnie accepted Bob’s handshake. “Nice to meet, Bob. I am Bonnie.”

Both sat down at the table. The young man, Bob, opened notebook and removed a sheet of paper. It was actually an agreement for Bonnie to sign so she could participate in the experiment. “This just spells out the details of how our experiment we will measure the chemical reactions in your body as you process alcohol.” explained Bob. “Like said before, in exchange you will receive $100 for participating.”

Bonnie was actually feeling quite drunk at that moment. She laughed hysterically before commenting; “Now I need to sign a contract with you?” Throwing all caution to the wind, she merely shrugged her shoulders; grabbed the pen located on the table, and boldly signed her name. It was then that a door opened from the opposite side of the room. In walked an older man who wore a lab coat with gloves. He pushed in front of him a cart with a glass tank seated on top. The older man looked to be like some sort of scientist.

“What's that?” asked Bonnie, now feeling a bit apprehensive with the new presence of the older man who had a glass tank.

“Try to relax…” reassured the older man. Everything will be ok.”

In her near-drunken state, Bonnie didn’t notice that the younger man, Bob, had stood up from his seat and walked to an area behind her. As the older man opened the lid on the tank, Bonnie grew all the more apprehensive. She was about to stand up and walk out. But then a pair of arms reached from behind and held Bonnie down. The arms were Bob’s, and they proceeded to wrap rope around her and the chair in means to tie her in place.

“What the hell are you doing? demanded Bonnie. “Let me go!” By now, she was firmly tied into the chair and there was no way to escape.

“Try not to worry.” urged Bob. “It looks like you are getting a bit nervous. The agreement you signed with us states that if needed, restraints will be used on you during the experiment.”

“What???? No!!!” cried out Bonnie. “Let me out of here!”

Bob walked around and sat down in the seat across from Bonnie. “But it was stated in the contract that you would not be released, no matter how much you begged. It’s written, here, in the fine print.” Bob held up the contract to show Bonnie.

“Unbelievable…” complained Bonnie. “This is not right.” She looked over to the older man who now picked up from the inside of the glass tank what appeared to be a rattlesnake. Bonnie wanted no part of a snake!  “No!!!” she screamed. “I don’t want to do something if it involves a snake!”

“Sorry…” rejected the older man wearing gloves with snake in hand. “A deal is a deal. You receive $100 for participating in our experiment. You signed a contract and there is no way out.” He positioned the rattlesnake by its neck and replaced its fangs against a milking glass. Immediately, venom poured in.

By now, Bonnie was turning ill at the sight of a mean rattlesnake dripping sickly venom into the glass. “What are you going to do with that?” she demanded.

The older man in lab coat did not answer. He simply set the rattlesnake back in the tank and quickly shut the lid. Then he removed a hypodermic needle from his side pocket and placed it in the venom at the bottom of the glass.

“Tell me you are not going to inject me with that!” cried Bonnie.

But the old man said not a word as the snake venom was drawn into the shot.

“Please stop!” pleaded Bonnie. “I don’t want to do this!”

“It will be okay…” reassured Bob. “And there’s no backing out. It's spelled out in the contract under the fine print. We will be injecting you with a small dose of snake venom to see how your body reacts under a near inebriated state.

The older man in lab coat approached Bonnie as she let out bloodcurdling screams. In horror she watched as the needle stuck into her arm.

Now what?

The End!

One Hundred Percent Alive and in the Flesh

Hello All:
Today's new story could be something one might expect from the 1960s TV show, One Step Beyond. You've seen it, I'm sure. It plays out unexplained phenomenon, much of it eerie.
That's what we have for you today.

One Hundred Percent Alive and in the Flesh

Bob drove home from work on a Thursday afternoon in his Dodge Durango with customized plate that read "IAMBOB". It's important to know this information as you will soon find out.

It takes Bob about 30 minutes to drive home from work, most of it highway driving. And on that Thursday, there wasn't anything unusual for his ride home from work. Traffic was fairly light, and there were no incidents along the shoulders of the road. Bob reached the exit ramp to the main road in town where he lived. And like most days, it didn't take long for him to reach the entryway of his subdivision, then to Cherry Street where his house is located. Here he pulled into his driveway. Again, it was a very uneventful and mostly boring ride home for Bob, and I'm sure the reader will agree at this point.

But what was this?

Bob was startled to see his wife, Susan, racing out of the house, sobbing, with arms extended outward. Bob quickly exited his vehicle and demanded, "What happened? Is everything okay?"

"The police said that you had been killed!" cried Bob's wife.

"What???" exclaimed Bob.

"Yes...!" continued Susan. "The State Police phoned just 15 minutes ago and said that you were in a car accident and didn't survive!"

"Oh my gosh; that's horrible!" returned Bob while quickly hugging his wife. "Well you can definitely see that it's not true. I am 100% alive and in the flesh. But it looks like the State Police made a terrible mistake. They were obviously supposed to call another family and notify them that whoever they mistook me for had been killed in the car crash."

By then Bob's children, Michael and Sara, rushed out of the house in excitement:

"Dad your home!"

"It's not true!"

"Yes!” quickly reassured Bob. "It was a terrible mistake that the police made. As you can see I am alive and well. But we need to get to the bottom of this. Once I get in the house I'm going to telephone the police and inform them of their terrible mistake. I feel sorry for the poor family that is going to receive such bad news tonight."

And so Bob, his wife, and kids went back into the house where Bob reached for the telephone located in the family room. He wasn't sure what number to call, so he simply pressed 911. As far as he was concerned, this was an emergency. Important information hadn't been given to the proper family.

"911, what's your emergency?" greeted the dispatcher.

"Yes...” began Bob. "...The police called about 15 minutes ago and informed my wife I had been killed in a car crash. But, obviously, that's not true because here I am talking to you."

"Oh no!” exclaimed the 911 operator. "I apologize for the mix-up. Do you know which police jurisdiction called?"

"It would have been the State Police." answered Bob.

"Okay, let me transfer your call to the State Police investigations department so that you can clarify everything."

"Thank you!"

And so Bob spent the next few minutes on the phone with the State Police investigations department as they attempted to establish which accident Bob had been wrongfully paired with. It was confusing for the police because they had a Bob White of 1422 Cherry Street on their most-recent record. Furthermore, they had just received and impounded a Dodge Durango with customized plate, "IAMBOB".

"But that's impossible!" insisted Bob. I am 100% alive and well, standing here and talking to you. And my Dodge Durango is parked out in the driveway without a scratch.”

"Yes I understand that." acknowledged the onsite investigations officer. But we need to get to the bottom of this. Perhaps you could come in with your wife and confirm that the body we have in the morgue does not belong to you, as well as the vehicle that was involved crash."

"I'd be more than happy to" answered Bob.

***

Twenty minutes later, Bob and his wife, Susan, arrived at the State Police facility in their jurisdiction. It's located right off the highway. They entered the main entrance and approached the front desk. "Hi, I need to speak with someone from the investigations department?" asked Bob.

Well once I buzz you through the main door, immediately turn left and it's your last door on the right."

Bob and Susan were buzzed in where they made an immediate left down the hallway to the investigations department. It was here where Bob was asked for his state driver's license which immediately alarmed the onsite officer. You see, only a few minutes ago he placed the exact, same driver's license in a file which had supposedly been taken from the person who was killed in the car crash. The officer gave Bob a queer look. "Is there a problem" Bob asked.

"Well, I guess just follow me into the back office." answered the officer. "We'll first visit the impounding garage.”

Bob and Susan were led some distance to the garage where they were horrified to see Bob's Dodge Durango with customized license plate that read, "IAMBOB" The vehicle was now a smashed, mangled-up heap of junk.

"Oh my goodness!” exclaimed Susan.

"What the...?" Bob added.

The officer then informed, "Sir, you are going to have to wait out here while your wife accompanies me in the morgue to identify the body. This is just proper procedure."

"Body???" nearly shouted Bob. "But I'm 100% alive and in the flesh."

"I understand that, Sir." answered the onsite officer. "Like I said, I am just following procedure.

Susan followed the officer into the morgue where a covered body lay on what looked to be an autopsy table. "I'm going to warn you...” began the officer.  "...this might be a bit gruesome."

"Okay, I will keep that in mind." answered Susan.

The officer pulled back the sheet from the body's head.

Susan was immediately startled. You see, it was definitely Bob's face with some cuts and bruising."I... I... I just don't understand..." she told the officer. "That is my husband lying on the table, but he's standing out there in the other room."

There was no logical explanation for the strange phenomenon that took place that Thursday afternoon. No, Bob was not a ghost; he was100% alive and in the flesh. But how could his body also be lying in the morgue? And how could his mangled up vehicle now be sitting in the impounding garage while—at the same time—it sat in the parking lot of the State Police facility without a ding or scratch?

The End!

Holiday Vacation

Hello All:
In some parts of the country, kids are still on their holiday vacation--or Christmas break as we traditionally call it in America. My kids are still home. As for me, I actually took a couple of weeks off towards the end of December and didn't return to work until the third of January. It was a very nice and much-deserved time off!
Not actually received as a Christmas present; I got a nice, new phone for myself over the holidays that includes the ability to take 360 VR images to be viewed on a VR headset when needed. I spent plenty of time in the woods during my vacation, visiting all my favorite places and taking 360 photos. I really had in mind to share these 360 photos with you on my blog, but Blogger doesn't have a tool for 360 viewing.
Oh, but there has to be something! Surely they have a widget that I can easily install so that readers like you can enjoy my VR worlds. I'll  have to look into it.
***
If you're kids are still home for the holidays, hopefully you don't put them through the torment that the main character, Daryl, had endure on his Christmas break. I'll let you read all about it in today's brand, new story.

Holiday Vacation

It was the day after Christmas about mid morning, just before lunch, as Daryl sat in the recreation room of his basement, playing with his new X-box. Daryl was a sophomore in high school and could be considered a very hard working kid. He takes all honors AP classes and works extremely hard to earn A's in all his classes. It isn't easy. It's a very stressful life for Daryl. In many cases he believes that he'll fall behind in his studies and earn a B in his class which is definitely what Daryl doesn't want. But he worked hard this past semester in school, and it was Christmas break; time for Daryl to relax, unwind, and catch his breath before returning to second semester after the New Year.

Really this was the first moment that Daryl had a chance to play with his X-box since unwrapping the gift on Christmas morning. You see, both he and his sister, Dawn, had to quickly unwrap their gifts on Christmas morning before going to church; after which the family immediately went to Grandmother's house to be with the family throughout the day. By the time Daryl returned home that night it was close to midnight. Oh he wanted to go into the recreation room at that time and hook up his X-box. But Father wouldn't have it. It was too late at night. Tomorrow was another day Daryl was very tired, anyway. He went right to bed and dreamed of when he would finally hook up the X-box and play to his heart's content. It's what he deserved for being such a hard working kid.

By 11:30 that morning on December 26th, Daryl had only played with his X-box for a little over an hour. He was just beginning to enjoy it, had it fully connected to the TV with controls working. It was then that he heard Father calling from the family room.

"Daryl...? Daryl...?"

"Yes Father!" nervously answered Daryl.

"Where are you?"

"I'm in the basement!" This of course, meant he was in the recreation room.

"What are you doing?" further probed Father.

"I'm playing with my X-box."

"That's enough of that, Boy!" declared Father. "You've played enough of that. Why don't you come upstairs and spend some time with your family. That's what the holidays are about.”

Daryl sighed out of disgust and dropped the controller on the sofa. By then he was feeling a bit of outraged that he couldn’t have the simple pleasure of enjoying his Christmas present. Father was always controlling his life; dictating when it was time to work, play, what his career choice would be. As for his career choice: according to Father, Daryl was to become a nuclear physicist—of all things. And Daryl didn't want to do this, of course. But for some reason Father thought that it would be a wise choice for a career. He read some article in a science magazine that reported that future careers as nuclear physicists would be booming in upcoming years; but it would require extremely intelligent, bright, young minds. And of course, Daryl was the perfect candidate for this in Father's eyes.

Daryl softly stamped his way up the stairs in further disgust and outrage. He did so, softly, to prevent Father from hearing. Had Father heard such a display of contempt and resentment, there would be punishment. Father might have taken the X-box away from Daryl. In extreme cases, Father might have even hit him.

Daryl finally made it into the family room where Father, Mother and his sister, Dawn, sat together. Dawn was sitting in a recliner chair and reading one of her new novels she had received for Christmas. Perhaps if Daryl hooked the X-box up in the family room, he would be able to enjoy it the same way that Dawn was able to enjoy her novel.

"Come sit down with us in here, Boy." invited Father.

Daryl wasn't happy but did his best to hide it. Reluctantly he sat down in an empty seat.

"I don't like it when you play those video games too much, Son." informed Father.

"But, Dad, I was only playing it for an hour." argued Daryl.

"I understand that." answered Father. "But that's plenty of time for you to play. Like I said before, the holidays are for family and to spend time with them. We are all in this room together and enjoying one another's company. That's the way it should be. Don't you agree?"

Feeling he had no choice, Daryl nodded in affirmation. "Yes..." But then he suggested, "Well, if I bring my new X-box upstairs and hook it up to the TV in the family room, can I play it up here?"

Father rejected the proposal. "No, I'm sorry. It doesn't work that way. I won't have you being one of those kids who play their video games 24 hours a day. You need regulated amounts of time on that thing. But forget about your video games for now. Let's talk about other things. Let's talk about school. Do you have any thoughts on how your first semester of sophomore year ended up?"

Daryl shrugged his shoulders, "Well I got all A's."

"This is true." acknowledged Father. "But you know, Son, it was necessary for you to drop all of your extracurricular activities so that you could concentrate on your studies. It almost looked like you were struggling to earn these A's. When I was your age I took all of these classes and they were child's play for me. I took the same classes you did and I played cricket, I was in theater, I was in the Student Council, and I had time to be with my friends. School was just something to do; do the homework and prepare for the classes and ace them all. But look what you had to do. You had to drop all of your extracurricular activities so that you could focus on studying for your classes. You stayed in your room to study for six to eight hours a night to get your homework done. Now what's wrong with you, Boy?"

Daryl nervously shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know... I guess sometimes the classes are little too difficult for me."

"Too difficult for you?" repeated Father. "It shouldn't be. You are a very smart kid. The problem with you is that I think you don't believe in yourself enough. That's very important when taking these classes. You need to be that way. What's your hardest class right now that will carry into the next semester?"

"Laplace Transform... " answered Daryl. There were only four people in the school taking the class because it was terribly challenging. Most people have never even heard of Laplace Transform. Most people think that the highest math is Calculus. But Daryl had already taken Calculus One and Calculus Two. Now he was taking Laplace Transform so that he could become a nuclear physicist for Father.

"Why is Laplace Transform such a difficult class for you? asked Father.

"Well I can do the work." explained Daryl. "I just have trouble at first understanding, and it takes many hours of work to make it happen."

"Understood." acknowledged father. "But I envision you next semester not struggling so hard to pass this class. What do you say? Do you think you can do it?"

Daryl shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know... I guess..."

"What do you mean you don't know, Boy?" challenged Father. "That's the sort of attitude right there that is preventing you from acing your classes with no problem. Like I said before, you need to believe in yourself. I mean you don’t have any gumption or drive to you. That's something I had when your age. If something started to get challenging for me, I simply reminded myself that everything in life is relative, and I could easily overcome whatever obstacle was in my way. It was amazing. I just did it. I couldn't get over how easy it was. And that's how you need to be."

Daryl remained silent.

It was then that Father asked, "Did you bring your Laplace Transform textbook home with you?"

Daryl nodded his head, "Yes..."

Father continued, "Do you know what your lessons are going to be for next semester."

"Well I have the syllabus." answered Daryl. "I know what chapters the teacher will be going over."

"Excellent!" exclaimed Father. "Why don't we do this? The holidays are a good time for family to be together. What do you say you and I go up to your bedroom with your text book for some quality Father and Son time? We'll spend the afternoon studying ahead so that Laplace Transform will be easy for you next semester."

Daryl hated this idea. For one it was not going to be quality time with his father. Laplace Transform was a terribly difficult class for Daryl. He could barely understand the material. Father would see this and surly scold Daryl. It would be a miserable afternoon for sure. It was a horrible idea as far as Daryl was concerned. That's why he argued, "Oh, Father, it's Christmas break and I just want to relax and play with my X-box."

Father nodded his head in negation. "Out of the question!"

But Daryl continued to argue, "But why? I got it for Christmas to play with. Can't you just let me do this? Can't I just rest?"

It was then that Father warned, "I will take the thing away from you. Is that what you want?"

"No..." sadly answered Daryl.

"Then you will join me upstairs for the afternoon to study from your text book. Now let's go, Boy."

***

Just as Daryl anticipated, the afternoon was horrible. Father scolded Daryl for everything he did; the way he wrote out the Laplace Integral, his choice of notebook used to write on, and the fact that he needed a calculator at certain times. At one point in the afternoon Father had become so disgusted and outraged with his son that he shouted at him. He declared that Daryl was worthless, and that he couldn't believe that Daryl was actually his son. He confessed to beginning to suspect that Daryl had some sort of mental handicap that prevented him from performing mathematical calculations.

Poor Daryl had become so frustrated and overwhelmed from the negative comments from Father than he began to cry. It was then that Father spent a good forty-five minutes explaining that maybe it wasn't entirely Daryl’s fault. Maybe the American schools had failed Daryl; something in the education system that made Daryl somewhat defective in his thinking. Father reassured his son that he wouldn't let him become lost and slip away into becoming a worthless person in life. Then the two resumed working the problems out of the text book.

After some time, Daryl's confusion and seeming inability to comprehend the material threw Father into another rage. He shouted and stormed out of the room. And before slamming the door behind him, Father declared, "You could not possibly be my son!" Poor Daryl sat upstairs in his bedroom until nine o'clock that evening until Mother entered with a sandwich and a small glass of milk for her son.

But don't worry; on the last day of vacation, Daryl was allowed to play a couple of hours on his new X-box. It was interrupted by Father, of course, who declared that Daryl had played long enough. It was time for him to get ready for school the following day.

The End!