Category Archives: Story

October 6, 2016 · 7:00 am

ALIEN ABDUCTS FISH, THROWS FISHERMAN BACK

by Jim Kren

Avid fisherman John Jonelis was enjoying some late night fly-fishing on the Pere Marquette River in Michigan when he had a close encounter with something not swimming upstream.

“I’m casting a fly called a Crystal Bullet with a number 4 hook on a sink tip,” said Jonelis. “This beautiful Chinook Salmon practically bends my number 10 Recon in half but after about an hour, I land it. Al snaps a picture, then all this happens. Me and my salmon get lifted by a glowing ray into some giant saucer-like ship that smells of fish inside.” Continue reading →

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Filed under Biography, Characters, Education, Games, Low Tech, Mystery, Story

Tagged as alien abduction, big fish, bueter, bueters salmon camp, catch and release, chinook, crystal bullet, Fish, fly fishing, king salmon, michigan fishing, pere marquette, salmon, silver bullet, steelhead, trout

September 7, 2016 · 7:00 am

HOW BAD IS IT

by Loop Lonagan

Lotsa people keep tellin’ me good things about Bob’s Bad Poetry so I’m checkin’ it out. Yeah, yeah, I know what yer thinkin’. But there’s no law against an angel investor goin’ in fer high culture. That’s right, I like literature ‘n’ modern art too—’specially the abstract stuff. You got some problem with that, bud? Hey, me fodder and me mudder’s both Irish ‘n’ both poets, so’s I got it in da genes. Maybe you already figured that out from da way I talk. Continue reading →

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Filed under angel, angel investor, Business, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, High Tech, loop lonagan, mobile internet, Startup Companies, Startups, Story, vc, venture capital, wireless, wireless internet, Writing style

Tagged as bad poetry, blank verse, bobs bad poetry, bobs poetry, free verse, good poetry, haiku, hard times promote creativity., limerick, poetry, poetry for a living, the business of poetry

May 19, 2016 · 11:03 pm

THROW THE BUM OUT

by John Jonelis

Mark T Wayne hurls his cigar to the barroom floor and grinds it under his heel. “Lonagan, you’re a consummate ass!”

“Shuttup ‘n’ have anudder whiskey.”

“You sir are heavily inebriated.” Wayne’s voice resonates above the noise of the crowded bar. “I know better than to get tight oftener than once in three months.” He lifts his chin and peers down his nose at Loop Lonagan. “It sets a man back in the esteem of people whose opinions are worth having.” Continue reading →

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Tagged as Bar, Bar room, Barroom, bull terrier, Clamps, Courage, Drunk, Drunkard, Exercise machines, Loop Lonagan, mark T wayne, mark twain, Moocher, Norco, Pain pills, Pavlovian PT, Private deals, Samuel Clemens, Strength Training, swedish massage, Therapy

January 14, 2016 · 8:24 pm

KILLER SHILLER

John Jonelis

At Loop Lonagan’s urging, I’m walking his 85 pound bull terrier Clamps down the hard Chicago winter pavement. I don’t mind because it’s an opportunity to road test my two knee replacements. That’s right; I’m the happy product of the wonders of modern orthopedic carpentry! And I enjoy the best physical therapy known to man because I own the company!

Old Donatas Ludditis flanks my other side to make sure I don’t slip on a stray patch of ice. Despite my upbeat attitude, I hold Clamp’s heavy leather leash with some trepidation. In my condition, I seriously doubt my ability to control such a large and volatile animal. Continue reading →

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Tagged as bob shiller, Donatas Ludditis, economic theory, Economics, economist, economists, eugene fama, fama, Loop Lonagan, perfect market theory, predict, predicting, predicting asset prices, prediction, prediction of asset prices, random walk, robert shiller, shiller

September 21, 2015 · 3:13 am

THE PRICE OF THEIR TOYS

by John Jonelis

The radio crackles, “Cherokee Six, rock yer wings and rock ‘em good.” Jim Kren ignores the command. We’re no Cherokee Six. Is the controller looking at another airplane?

The sky is lousy with traffic converging on one tiny airport Too many planes for back-and-forth radio chatter. Special rules apply. The controller spots incoming with binoculars and radios his instructions—the pilots respond in a kind of airborne sign language. Keying your mike is tantamount to declaring an emergency.

Jim can comply. He can bide his time. Either is dangerous if he’s wrong. Aviation is full of moments like that. The entire air transport system won’t function unless responsible people break the law in just the right way.

Continue reading →

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Filed under Business, Characters, Death, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, High Tech, Jim Kren, loop lonagan, Startup Companies, Startups, Story

Tagged as air traffic control, eaa, eaa airventure, eaa fly-in, experimental aircraft, experimental aircraft association, fly in, homebuilt, homebuilt aircraft, oshkosh, oshkosh fly-in, signals

July 14, 2015 · 5:43 pm

CROSSTOWN CLASSIC

by John Jonelis

Here in Chicago, we’re blessed with two professional baseball teams. I root for them both—yes, for me it’s Chicago against the world. But how many fans do that? Almost nobody, right? Whenever I betray my crosstown allegiance, people look at me cross-eyed. Continue reading →

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Tagged as cubs vs sox, cubs/sox, fans, interdivisional rivalry, long standing rivalry, major league baseball, pro ball, professional baseball, rabid fans, rivalry, sox vs cubs, sox/cubs, team rivalry

July 1, 2015 · 1:20 am

HOW TO TREAT THE OLD MAN

By John Jonelis

Here’s the right way to treat your old man: For Father’s Day, take him where you’ll boat 402 hard-fighting northern pike, the trophy of a lifetime, and as many fat walleye as you want—all in four days. That’s 4 minutes per fish—not counting walleye! Maybe the Old Man’s memory isn’t showing signs of improvement lately, but he’ll remember this trip the rest of his days. It’s a glimpse of paradise. Continue reading →

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Tagged as all the comforts of home, close to heaven, fishing paradise, heaven on earth, north woods, paradise, paradise on earth, wilderness outpost

February 17, 2015 · 2:30 pm

OIL FROM WATER

by John Jonelis

What if you can make oil out of water? What if, you also end up with more water? A discovery like that will benefit our country and the world.

The technology now exists. Commercialization is beginning. Continue reading →

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Tagged as dirty water, drilling, drilling for oil, drinking water, environment, epa, federal regulation, fracking, fracking for oil, hydraulic fracking, hydraulic fracturing, industrial water, nano, nano bubbles, nano gas, nano gas bubbles, oil, oil drilling, oil well, pollution, slurry, state regulation, wasted water, water in industry, water purification, water shortage

January 31, 2015 · 1:36 am

SABBATICAL

By Mark T Wayne

“He’s in Tahiti,” says Loop Lonagan. “Dat’s where Jonelis is. Them guys at Heartland Angels oughta know.”

Speaking strictly for myself, I see no excuse for a man like Lonagan and place no weight on his opinions. I may fire him—I have not yet decided. After all, Jonelis ain’t here. He announced a sabbatical and disappeared. That is correct, sir! I am in charge! That is my hat on the hook. Those are my boots resting on the WWII Air Force desk. I will take this opportunity to exercise my power as I see fit. Any fool that criticizes my splendid white suit or magnificent mustache may face instant dismissal! Continue reading →

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Tagged as britian, brittian, brittish isles, flying across the ocean, iceland, lost, missing, Mystery, sabatical, sabattical, sabbatical, time off, trip, vacation, where's waldo

January 9, 2015 · 10:28 pm

UNDERESTIMATING THE COMPETITION

by Robert Jonelis

Ever face a crisis situation? Raw panic? Of course you have. We’ve all been burned by miscalculation, greed, and shoddy research. People have been making the same mistakes for quite a long time and a young woman from the 10th Century can teach us a pointed lesson about the importance of accurately sizing up the competition. Continue reading →

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Tagged as bankrupsy, belly up, best practices, business lessons, busniess mistakes, case study, consequences, crisis, Greed, miscalculation, Panic, Princess Olga, research, shoddy research

December 22, 2014 · 10:16 pm

A LOOP LONAGAN CHRISTMAS

John Jonelis

This is outrageous. I’m concentrating on my computer screen when a huge mitt grabs me by the back of the belt and plucks me from my chair. Next thing I’m dangled high over the desk, arms and legs flailing till I steady my balance and end up nose-to-nose with Big Bill Blair, our urban Paul Bunyan.

“‘Scuse me, Mr. Jonelis,” he says in a slow polite rumble that carries with it a stale smell of corned beef and cigar.

Big Bill slowly chews gum. Looks disinterested. Acts like nothing’s unusual. Continue reading →

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Tagged as blond, cheer, Christmas, Christmas ornaments, Christmas party, Christmas presents, Christmas tree, Christmastime, dancing, fist fight, good times, hard times, Holiday, Holiday season, prayer, santa claus, street people, stretch humvee, swedish massage

September 22, 2014 · 7:53 am

LIES ABOUT PARADISE

as told by Mark T Wayne

I recognize a sharp character flaw among outdoorsmen of all sorts—an uncontrollable urge to exaggerate—particularly after an excursion to a wilderness such as northern Manitoba. Permit me to treat you to a few horror stories of the Great North Woods. I promise to debunk them all. Continue reading →

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Tagged as artificial lures, bear, canada, canadian fishing lodge, catch and release, cree, eagle, exaggeration, fabrication, Fish, fishing, fly in resort, hooks, Knee Lake, lie, log cabins, Manitoba, mark twain, Northern, northern pike, Northstar Resort, Pike, poker, primal, primitive, shore lunch, untruth, walley, walleyed pike, wild, Wilderness