
On the Wisdom of Tree Injections
Financial Consequence of Tree Injections: The background noise of a thousand other cafeteria voices diminishes—The Director and suits sitting at a nearby table talk about

Mail Robot Lost at the Academy
We step off the elevator; I bump into a mail robot. A random envelope falls from its top tray, a symptom of overload, a sign

Cheap, Automated Words from Misguided Electrons
For Mia’s benefit, I make the call. A ghost voice that’s not electric or alive answers; monotone but cheerful, it sounds somewhat stilted, possibly amoral.

Every Member of the Team is a Winner
Stand Tall and Talk About Teamwork I’ve read that tall men are more likely to get hired. I shaved to make myself look less bug-eyed.

What’s the Use When People Don’t Know Jack
People who don’t know jack. “. . . bill payments were overdue; charge card people called weekly. I’d tell them I was hurt, that I

Workers Comp
“A hand specialist repairing my index finger referred me, not that that was his intention. He pretended to concentrate on the x ray of the
An Awkward Invitation to Lunch
Out-of-Tune Ostrich In a zone, trying to understand my strange surroundings, I have trouble thinking and speaking at the same time. Afraid my words might

Pigeon Feed
Nutrition “I don’t know much about pigeons. Complaints about money wasted on pigeon feed must come down from the Director. How much can someone who
Why Name a Pigeon Penguin Four? Part 2
You saw it here, first: CoPilot’s shallow insight. . . A quirky legacy. Ping pong playing, rope-jumping pigeon, descended from WW II experiments by B.F.
Why Name a Pigeon Penguin Four?
A Few Good Reasons from the Academy of Reality: Why name a pigeon, “Penguin Four?” It turns out the name’s no joke. The book’s anonymous

Is the EggRoom for Real? Part 1
Is the Academy’s Egg Room for real? Inspiration What kind of realities inspired the idea of calling a space at the Academy of Reality the

Is the Academy’s EggRoom for real?
Attention Deficit Or Surplus A routine maintenance ritual, copier techs would spread a couple of sheets of newspaper on a copier glass to collect