stephenschrum

A Positive Prescription

I heard an interview with the outgoing Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy during which he spoke about his parting prescription for Americans. When faced with a choice between “the status quo, marked by pain, disconnection, and division” and “a different path—one of joy, health, and fulfillment, where we turn toward each other instead of awayContinue reading “A Positive Prescription”

A Story Idea (Fiction?)

Three years after the implementation of Project 2025, the states of America were united no longer. The country lay in shambles. The National government had been dismantled. Infrastructure crumbled, leading bridges and buildings to fall in ruin. After the dissolving government stopped all Medicare/Medicaid and Social Security payments, people could no longer afford healthcare, food,Continue reading “A Story Idea (Fiction?)”

Raiders of the Lost App

Years ago, I found an online web-based chat site called BananaChat. This was one of the first of its kind. You would sign in, create a username, and chat on The Balcony. If you wanted a private chat you could “go to another room”—but as I recall, everyone on The Balcony could read your interactions,Continue reading “Raiders of the Lost App”

Wrong Number (2)

And this one went on too long. I thought at first that it might be a real person pretending to be this persona but the answers do seem a bit reactive and formulaic. And at that point I just hit the block button to wait for the next one.

Wrong Number (1)

I’ve written a lot about the wrong number texts—someone sends a message to a friend but has entered the number incorrectly. Oh, no, sorry, but can we be friends? I used to have fun improvising with them, but lately they’ve been taking a darker turn. And so have I. This week I’ve gotten about 12Continue reading “Wrong Number (1)”

I Hereby Resolve…

A few years back I read an interesting article on New Year’s resolutions. The author suggested that, instead of resolving to do more in the coming year, one should do less. It’s like the scene in the movie Birdcage when they are turning the apartment into a straight-looking residence, and Val says, “Don’t add; subtract.”Continue reading “I Hereby Resolve…”

Trippin’ in the Board Room

First, sing the title of this post to the tune of “Smokin’ in the Boys Room.” Now: some years ago I came up with the theory that advertising agencies were administering hallucinogenics to their employees; to me, this could explain conclusively the bizarre imagery and surreal Dali-esque logic that permeates modern ads. Finding a noteContinue reading “Trippin’ in the Board Room”

A Secret About Eggs

Here’s a secret absolutely no one knows about me: I don’t like the taste of eggs. I’ve never revealed this to anyone, from childhood to retirement. Until now. As a child I would only eat the white part. Eventually I started eating the yolk. But I never liked eggs. Many people have seen me eatContinue reading “A Secret About Eggs”

Disrupt (v.) Disrupt!

Among the words that recently I’ve come to detest from overuse are “unprecedented” and “broken.” And now it’s time to add “disrupt” to the list. I understand the desire to shake things up. I’ve never been a fan of the static status quo. And I know you have to stir the pot in order toContinue reading “Disrupt (v.) Disrupt!”

Whistling Backstage, Dark or Not

There’s an old tradition that one does not whistle backstage in a theatre. Like most theatrical traditions, you don’t question it, but nevertheless I often wondered about it. And for years I taught the reason for this in my Intro to Theatre course; I don’t know if I read this, or just made it up,Continue reading “Whistling Backstage, Dark or Not”