Curations from the Human Jungle
[My respect for Bruce Springsteen has only grown with age. He's proof that you can be both a rock 'n roller and an adult. I also appreciate how effectively he gets under the skin of the current resident at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. SB SM] https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/05/24/opinion/bruce-springsteen-new-tour Some fans are surprised by this version of Bruce Springsteen.... Continue Reading →
[This might be the most important post ever in Silverback Digest. Memorize it! BTW, the best taste in the world is banana! SB SM] https://www.sparrowdove.com/2018/02/the-periodic-table-of-tastes-and-how-to-cook-with-them/?ref=thebrowser.com The periodic table of tastes, and how to cook with them Posted on 21 February 2018 by Spuggy One of the more confusing bits of childhood science education is learning that there are... Continue Reading →
The Outside Story Tiny Predators, Big Impact: Northeastern Crayfish By Tiffany Soukup Crayfish fill my childhood memories. I spent summers playing in streams, flipping over rocks, and, if I was lucky, catching glimpses of these mysterious little creatures. Most crayfish are nocturnal and dart backwards to escape danger. An early summer morning last year at... Continue Reading →
[Believe it or not, I actually do all this stuff. If it's good enough for Martha Stewart, it's good enough for this Silverback! Thanks to Silverbelle Sandy for suggesting this. SB SM] How to Use Cardboard in the Garden to Prevent Weeds and Enrich Soil Repurpose your cardboard instead of throwing it away. By Samantha... Continue Reading →
[I am fascinated by Man's attempts to recreate Paradise, i.e. invent a place where things are idyllic or perfect. There are zillions of them ... Biosphere, Gaviotas, Oneida, Intervale, Findhorn, Jonestown, Fruitland ... none of them really succeed. And it always seems that if you peel away enough layers of the onion, you find a... Continue Reading →
[How many times have I been stopped by people saying "What you should do in Silverback Digest is to publish more pictures of giraffes!" OK ... so, I am lying. The only giraffes I've ever seen is in zoos, or on television, or in magazines. To me, they are the most magnificent animals on earth,... Continue Reading →
[Back when I was more of a full-time writer, I asked Dave Barry to write a blurb, or endorsement, for my book on beer. A burb has no commercial value, but is more like a professional courtesy, extended colleague-to-colleague. Dave was prompt, generous, and eloquent when he responded with a postcard with a single word,... Continue Reading →
[STORY OF MY LIFE!! I will leave this vale of tears fully confident that some day, somewhere, someone in the world will recognize my significance. Won't they? Won't they? SB SM] https://graboyes.substack.com/p/when-fame-comes-very-very-late When Fame Comes Very, Very Late Musicians who caught their tailwinds late in their lives or after their lives Robert F. Graboyes May... Continue Reading →
[A few years ago I read a book called "Beaverland" by Leila Philip that opened my eyes to the complex world of these interesting rodents. At the time we had an industrious beaver constructing a dam on nearby Gilead Brook, so we were able to witness the engineering tour de forces of which they are... Continue Reading →
[In April, 1968 golfer Roberto De Vincenzo, lost The Master's golf tournament when he signed an incorrect scorecard. When informed of his mistake, De Vincenzo coined the classic phrase that I have invoked many times in my life. SB SM] Today's encore selection -- from Brilliant Blunders by Mario Livio. A blunder by the world’s greatest chemist,... Continue Reading →