Paul Pence
Bio
A true renaissance man in the traditional sense of the term, Paul leads a life too full to summarize in a bio. Arts, sciences, philosophy, politics, humor, history, languages... just about everything catches his attention.
Travel and Tourism
Stories (32/0)
Fortune Favors the Bold
š I don't have a motto, but this one might suffice. "Fortune Favors the Bold". Of course, the bold may very well fail spectacularly, but at the very least we can get a good story out of it. They can tell it at my funeral. Presuming they ever find my body. "Can you believe that he actually TRIED that?"
By Paul Pence10 months ago in Humor
Finally Memorize that Social Security Number
A long series of numbers, whether your social security number, your credit card number that you have to enter repeatedly when you shop online, or that critical piece of data you need to hold in your brain to impress your boss, can be difficult for most of us to hold onto. Here is a memory method you can use to finally memorize that number and be able to recall it perfectly over and over again.
By Paul Pence10 months ago in Lifehack
She's Not From Texas
One from the archives I hope you'll enjoy.... I brought my Yankee fiancĆ©e home to Texas to meet the family. Austinās airport had relocated since I moved to Rhode Island. No more Robert Mueller Airport. I canāt show her where my family and I waited for my dad to step off the airplane from Vietnam, all six of us kids fighting over who gets to hold the cardboard sign we made in case he didnāt recognize us. I wished I could have shown her, because that was part of what made meā¦ wellā¦ me.
By Paul Pence10 months ago in Wander
Eight Essential German Phrases Every Tourist Needs to Know
While the English language is dominating the world of business, knowing at least a little of the German language will make you seem gracious and approachable. Of course, speak English if your new friends want to practice their language skills, but often a little basic knowledge of the local language goes a long way. Here are eight essential phrases to learn with rough pronunciations that will get you at least in the ball park of communicating your meaning.
By Paul Pence10 months ago in Wander
Hex
The old barn held more than memories Grandma had insisted for years that we don't tear down the old barn, but after it finally collapsed in the storm, there was nothing to do but salvage the fallen lumber. Dark lines of grain, emphasized by age, told the story of the oak beams and planks hardened by season after season of sun and cold and ice and rain, and my contacts in the city paid good money for it, enough to pay for a modern steel barn.
By Paul Pence10 months ago in Fiction
Big Al's Cake
Sometimes a gift isn't a good thing āHavenāt I already done enough for you people?ā Sethās hand shook as he held the coffee close to his lips, spilling a little over the brim of the mug, but wincing a little as the hot fluid splashed on his thumb. He took a slip, but kept the mug in front of his face to hide that he was talking to the two men sitting behind him in the next booth.
By Paul Pence10 months ago in Fiction
How to Write Travel Articles - Part 1
Travel articles don't have to be difficult. If you're gifted, perhaps the words will just flow from your fingertips. But sometimes they don't, and trying to start with a blank page and writing an article in final form may seem too daunting. Here's how to make write your travel articles in simple steps, one step at a time, until you have an article you are proud of.
By Paul Pence10 months ago in Writers
He's so smart that..... Top Story - August 2023.
We are at the perfect time in history to plant the seeds for our individual immortality through AI mythology. The AI equivalent of human folklore handed down from human generation to human generation will happen so fast that we will wake up one day and suddenly everything will be changed. But we have a window of opportunity to recognize the potential and seize it before it happens.
By Paul Pence10 months ago in Humor
Language Confusion
š The problem with being smart is that people eventually expect you to prove it. "So, I hear you speak 17 languages." Of course I don't speak 17 languages fluently. Or even modestly competently. I can manage English and... well... nod my head at the right times when presented with a few other languages.
By Paul Pence10 months ago in Humor