Curations from the Human Jungle
[You've met Silverback Jim before. He publishes books, offers all kinds of writers' services, and now produces a podcast that he also posts as a YouTube video. (I'm not sure what the right term for this is.) Here's a recent episode/edition/issue featuring yet another legendary Silverback, Tom Rush. Tom's primary claim to fame is that... Continue Reading →
The Outside Story By Maggie Weng Like any good animal, we sense the change of seasons through a hundred subtle clues. Leaves change and shed, becoming crispy piles underfoot. Geese cross the bright sky. Other signs of winter are harder to define: the morning chill deepens its bite, the afternoon light becomes pale. Although we... Continue Reading →
[Silverbelle Mary ('Belles of Bethel) brought this to our attention. The English language can be very complicated, especially compared the language of gorillas which consists of but a single word (oo-oo) that can be used to communicate anything. SB SM] The Most Complicated Word in English Is Only Three Letters Long By Brandon Specktor Updated on Aug.... Continue Reading →
[In yet another display of professional incompetence, this morning's post (since deleted) about Grace and Henry appeared to be random notes to myself for a yet-to-be-written, never-to-be-read novel, which is exactly what it was. Desperate for a replacement, Silverbelle Mary ('Belles of Bethel) has come to my rescue with short video that tells you more... Continue Reading →
[So many of our comic contributions have come from north of the border. This one come from Silverbelle Mary Bernadette, who we first met while south of the border in San Miguel d'Allende. She contacted us recently to send some warm wishes despite the cold shoulder that our President has given to our Canadian neighbors.... Continue Reading →
[If you are someone who enjoys music, but finds it impossible to keep up with new artists--like just about everyone I know-- NPR's Tiny Desk Concerts, available on YouTube, are a miracle. You probably know that Bad Bunny is the halftime entertainment at this year's Super Bowl, but like much of the English-speaking world, you're... Continue Reading →
[The trucks have taken off to deliver equipment for spring training. The Bad Bunny Super Bowl is tomorrow, so today you can amuse yourself by looking at the greatest flops in the NBA, where flopping is a finely-honed skill. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll cringe as you witness giant, grown-ass men feign pain from imaginary... Continue Reading →
[I couldn't resist writing an introduction to this nice interview with our resident poet, Silverback Larry. SB SM] Silverback Larry is a haiku-writing fool. That's all he can do. At night his wife says "Won't you please come to our bed?" yet on he haikus. Poetry passion, a slave to five-seven-five Haikus cure the blues.... Continue Reading →
The Outside Story By Colby Galliher While many of our region’s colorful birds fly south for the cold months, resident woodpeckers offer a reliable contrast to this season’s monochrome palette. A pileated woodpecker’s blazing crest and the miniature red cap of a hairy woodpecker brighten the gray-and-white doldrums. But few avian winter wardrobes match the... Continue Reading →
See How Alex Honnold Climbed a Dizzying 1,667-Foot-Tall Skyscraper Without Ropes He became famous after scaling El Capitan without protective equipment in 2017. Now the 40-year-old athlete has completed the first free solo of Taipei 101 in Taiwan Sarah Kuta - Daily Correspondent, January 26, 2026 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkVZm5UuXIs https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-how-alex-honnold-climbed-a-dizzying-1667-foot-tall-skyscraper-without-ropes-180988071/?utm_source=smithsoniandaily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=editorial&lctg=93171674 American rock climber Alex Honnold climbed to the top... Continue Reading →