Curations from the Human Jungle
[Epic Blunder Story #1: 1969. I am enrolled in the NROTC (Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps program at my college). For my required eight weeks of active duty in the summer I am assigned to the USS Kitty Hawk, currently on deployment in the Gulf of Tonkin. Every day, advanced fighter jets, including the F-4... Continue Reading →
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOlO_kN0KiA The Outside Story Loren Merrill If you live near a large meadow, hayfield, or grassland, you may have recently noticed some bubbly robotic noises emanating from those areas. It might sound like an overexcited android, but the real source is a medium-sized songbird, the bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus). One of the few avian grassland specialists... Continue Reading →
['Tis the season. I know today is Memorial Day, and we must honor our soldiers, but let's do so by looking at the young people we are trying to protect. And, by the way all you graduates, don't forget to ACCEPT WITH THE LEFT! SB SM] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPzKUn5MWqQ And now, for the best graduation song ever:... Continue Reading →
[Reminds me of a joke. SB SM] A nun gets into a taxi. The driver glances at her in the rearview and sees a particularly attractive, young woman. After driving for a minute. "Excuse me sister, but may I confess something to you?" "Of course," she says. "It's embarrassing," he says. "No worries," she says.... Continue Reading →
[This guy was an Elon Musk precursor. SB SM] https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/an-eccentric-tycoon-left-a-fortune-to-the-winner-of-a-baby-making-contest-the-great-stork-derby-divided-canadians-during-the-great-depression-180988575/?utm_source=smithsoniandaily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=editorial&lctg=93171674 An Eccentric Tycoon Left a Fortune to the Winner of a Baby-Making Contest. The Great Stork Derby Divided Canadians During the Great Depression In his will, Charles Vance Millar offered roughly 500,000 Canadian dollars to the mother who “has since my death given birth to... Continue Reading →
[How can you not enjoy something written by Wessie du Toit? In this country these people would run for political office. SB SM] https://unherd.com/2026/03/farewell-to-englands-showmen Wessie du Toit Mar 31 2026 “A way of life, I would call it.” John Green is crouching among the colorful figures of a merry-go-round, polishing the seats and conducting his... Continue Reading →
[This would be a good one to take to the predictions market. "Changing the flow of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans ... what's the over/under on mankind screwing it up?" I'd be more confident if beavers were in charge. SB SM] https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/could-building-a-dam-across-the-bering-straight-save-the-planet-from-some-effects-of-climate-change-180988725/?utm_source=smithsoniandaily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=editorial&lctg=93171674 May 14, 2026 The Bering Strait is a narrow waterway between Russia and... Continue Reading →
[This is The Pass. We bought it ... er, Sandy bought it back in 2008 for $10. Mind you, this is for a Lifetime Pass to all the National Parks. "It's a rip-off" I warned her, but she just plunged ahead. he never listens to me, especially in financial matters. Since then we've been to... Continue Reading →
[Another Substack discovery made possible by The Browser. These days I'll read anything with the title of "The Last Incorruptible Thing," because every morning we're hearing about "the most ..." SB SM] https://sarahkendzior.substack.com/p/the-last-incorruptible-thing The Last Incorruptible Thing Life lessons from the morel majority. Sarah Kendzior May 04, 2026 I was five miles in the woods,... Continue Reading →
["Good Times, Bad Times" is the first song on the first song on side 1 of the first album by Led Zeppelin. I was a huge Who fan at the time, and I didn't want there to be any pretenders to the throne of rock 'n roll, but by the time I got through 2:46... Continue Reading →