Charles Belser
Stories (8/0)
The Heart-Shaped Locket
“552 years!” John Poe shouted. Tall, fiftyish, grey hair, John was a rare citizen sporting leathery skin browned from years under artificial suns in the caverns. “Hubert T. Gandy wasn’t always a saint. Embracing the corruption of his time, he became the first multi-trillionaire. Like Noah, God warned Gandy of His wrath at capitalist greed and of the consequential gnashing of teeth that would end the world. Gandy repented and expended his entire fortune to employ scientists and other experts to construct the Complex in secret. All citizens have memorized the inspiring story of Gandy and the words and melodies of the songs honoring his life and teachings. His benevolence blessed us until, at age 98, God took him home. On the first anniversary of his passing, Gandy was granted Sainthood by unanimous vote of the Committee of 52.
By Charles Belser3 years ago in Fiction
Minimum Wage and Unemployment
Lately, certain business owners have been complaining that they are unable to fill open jobs at their businesses because unemployed workers get more money from unemployment compensation than what these would-be employers can pay. What the hell is wrong with these so-called business owners? Have they obviously have no business sense and lack any sense of morality and compassions for their fellow human beings. If they can’t pay more money and offer better benefits to employees than unemployment compensation they should immediately look into the cause. Consider the following, Business Owners:
By Charles Belser3 years ago in The Swamp
Minimum Wage
Lately, certain business owners have been complaining that they are unable to fill open jobs at their businesses because unemployed workers get more money from unemployment compensation than what these would-be employers can pay. What the hell is wrong with these so-called business owners? Not only do they seem to have no business sense at all, they lack any sense of morality and empathy for their fellow Americans. If they really can’t pay more money and offer better benefits to employees than unemployment compensation they should immediately look into the cause. Consider the following, Business Owners:
By Charles Belser3 years ago in The Swamp
Cosmetic and Genetic Surgical Fixes
Let’s say you’re attracted to the most beautiful girl at your school or workplace. She has a cute, delicate nose and perfect teeth. In every way this sweet gal exceeds even the high standards of beauty, brains, and loving personality as that imaginary princess from your dreams. She has been magically transformed into a real, live woman and she is as attracted to you as you are her! You two start dating and eventually marry. Six. Nine, a full year, or five years later, she gives birth to a baby girl, your lovely little daughter, with an enormous hook nose, crooked alligator teeth, and an elbow growing out of her forehead. Trying to comfort you, a friend at work shows you a photo from a medical book he has at home. At first, you thought it was a picture of your new infant daughter, but then realized it was much older than that. It was a photo of your wife taken shortly after she was born. There was another photo of her taken when she was 18 years old and showing how corrective surgery was successful. The surgical procedures to correct her alligator teeth, hook nose, and forehead elbow made medical news worldwide. Now your baby girl will need to undergo the same expensive, painful, and time-consuming surgery and orthodontal work as her mother did two-and-a-half decades ago. Your wife had a secret past she never told you about and now it has come home to roost and feed on your innocent daughter’s sure to be painful and unhappy childhood as well as your bank account.
By Charles Belser3 years ago in FYI
Yay, Team!
What makes a person become a fan of a professional sports team when that person otherwise appears to be a sensible human being? Why would anyone care which team won in a contest where grown, overpaid adults play children’s games? Why would any sane person purchase an expensive ticket to gain admittance to a stadium built with his tax dollars (and without his permission) to fatten the bank accounts of a handful of individuals who own professional sports teams? Professional sports teams even get free newspaper, radio and television advertising! In direct contrast, if you have a business and want to advertise your products or services, you must pay dearly for it. Not so for the team owners because America’s fake “news media” hands out free advertising to all of them. Why is it “news” when the Dodgers play the Yankees, but the sale at Ma & Pa’s Shoe Store next door to Payless Shoes is not? Why is every move of an athlete shown on the “news,” and commented on in detail by well-known “sportscasters,” but your work as the fastest and most accurate cashier at the supermarket is ignored? Why is socialism given to the rich while the rest of us are deprived of freedom, democracy, and happiness by the failures of capitalism and “free enterprise”? What part of "free enterprise" is free? Your hard-earned tax dollars were stolen to build the stadiums, swimming pools, playing fields, and so forth the wealthy can use to siphon even more loot out of your billfold or purse.
By Charles Belser3 years ago in FYI
What's that Awful Smell?
Perfume was invented in Egypt long ago before the discovery of plumbing, soap, bathtubs, and showers. People in those times wanted a way to smother the acrid, stinking, nauseating smell of their unwashed, bacteria-covered bodies. The more they reeked of toe-jam, fungus, sweat, oily skin, feces, urine, bacteria, and other filth, the more they poured on smelly perfume which only intensified their disgusting stench. Gradually, the use of various fragrances to cover up body odor spread to many other nations. While Europeans, for example, struggled to cover up one disgusting stink with another, the Japanese had a breakthrough concept: cleanliness is next to godliness, so they invented and perfected the daily bath. They turned cleanliness into an art while ending each day in the pleasant, relaxing luxury of a long, hot bath. Regardless of social status, everybody could indulge in this wonderful pleasure.
By Charles Belser3 years ago in FYI
Marina Merlot
Even her name was sexy. Marina Merlot. It was reminiscent of Marilyn Monroe, but this beautiful woman was so much more. She was elegant, refined, assured, and sophisticated. The stylish dark maroon dress she wore was a perfect fit with her lithe body, black hair and dark, knowing eyes that seemed to search out your most intimate secrets but hide her own. There was an intriguing sense of mystery about her that lit a fire in me. I had to be with her and learn everything about her.
By Charles Belser3 years ago in Humans
Pet Peeves
Apparently, I am a member of an extremely small minority group. In fact, I long thought I was the only person in the world who finds music irritating and distracting. I can’t stand popular music and find classical music and jazz to be tolerable for only brief periods of time. I did buy one or two 45 RPM records when I was a teenager in the 50’s and a few 33-1/3 jazz albums featuring musicians such as Lambert, Hendricks and Ross, Cannonball Adderley, Ornette Coleman, and Miles Davis when I was in my late teens and early twenties and living in what was then called West Germany. I hung out in Jazzkellers in Frankfurt am Main and Berlin, wearing shades in the dark and looking cool with my small group of friends. Why I bought the records, I’m not sure because I rarely listened to any of them and gave them away after a short period of time; I think it was the same as wearing the sunglasses at night in an underground cellar listening to live jazz: I bought them mostly to fit in with my friends. I have never purchased music since my return to the states in 1962, and I never listen to it at home, in my studio, or in my car.
By Charles Belser3 years ago in Beat