LightGrams (Page 3)

The Only Passenger On Board

LightGramsJune 29, 2023Volume 27, Number 18 Phil Stringer was no different than the other passengers waiting to board a plane. The flight from Oklahoma City to Charlotte earlier this week was delayed, an announcement that no passenger wants to hear. By the time the flight was ready to board – 18 hours later! – all…

Time Is Running Out

LightGramsJune 22, 2023Volume 27, Number 17 As I write this, the search for the Ocean Gate submersible is at a critical stage. The story has dominated the news this week since the last communication on Sunday. The submersible is a sort of mini submarine designed for a maximum of five people, two of whom are…

The Reports Of Her Death …

LightGramsJune 15, 2023Volume 27, Number 16 Bella Montoya, age 76, was unconscious when taken to a hospital in Babahoyo, Ecuador last Friday. It appeared she had suffered a stroke, and there were no signs of life. A doctor came out to tell the family that attempts to resuscitate her had not been successful and handed…

The Most Valuable Book

LightGramsJune 8, 2023Volume 27, Number 15 An auction took place last month in New York at Sotheby’s, an agency famed for auctioning rare and valuable objects. When the closing gavel fell only six minutes into the bidding, the Codex Sassoon had sold for $33.5 million. That put this codex among the highest-selling objects of all…

A Little Bird Told Me

LightGramsMay 25, 2023Volume 27, Number 14 Szu Ta Wu was approached by agents at Miami International Airport in March. He was traveling from Nicaragua to his home in Taiwan, and a faint chirping sound was coming from his carry-on bag. When asked to open his bag to be inspected, Wu pulled out a small egg.…

500 Days Alone

LightGramsMay 11, 2023Volume 27, Number 13 Beatriz Flamini was 48 when she descended into the cave in Granada, Spain on November 21, 2021. She was 50 years old when she emerged, having spent 500 days in near-total isolation. Did it take that long for rescuers to find her? No, it was a voluntary seclusion in…

Walk A Mile In My Cleats

LightGramsApril 27, 2023Volume 27, Number 12 Little League Baseball officials in Deptford Township, New Jersey have come up with a creative solution to a problem they faced. The problem was that some of the volunteers who were umpiring games were resigning. The reason for these resignations? Hostile parents were being quite vocal with their displeasure…

A Problem With Rats

LightGramsApril 13, 2023Volume 27, Number 11 New York City has seen just about everything, but yesterday saw a “first”. On Wednesday Mayor Eric Adams introduced Kathleen Corradi as the city’s first “director of rodent mitigation”. Most will likely refer to her as the Rat Czar. The former schoolteacher was hired to address a growing problem…

The Losers Were Winners

LightGramsApril 6, 2023Volume 27, Number 10 In sports, it’s all about winning, right? As a famous coach from the past once said, “Winning isn’t everything – it’s the only thing.” But is that really true? Or is the ultimate purpose of sports the formation of character and values? A few days ago a women’s softball…

Faulty Alarms

LightGramsMarch 2, 2023Volume 27, Number 7 To say that the security system in our church building has been annoying would be an understatement. Since they were installed about 15 years ago, we’ve had to deal with a fire system that has multiple sensors throughout the building. That system is monitored by an agency, and when…