Curations from the Human Jungle
[Silverback Ed (Pond Village SBs) is no more. He was the most famous person any of us knew. He was a beloved Vermonter and a good pal. He was the pioneer who crossed the thresholds of 50, 60, 70, and 80 before us. Alas, he will not be able to do the same with 90.... Continue Reading →
Yesterday was Patriot's Day, a day of significance in the hearts of greater Bostonians. Silverbelle Babs sent a poignant reminder of why this day holds a special place in her own heart. https://babsjeheron.wordpress.com/2023/04/15/walk-with-me-down-memory-lane-boston-marathon-redux/ The bombing was a shocking event with an impact that far exceeded its real world tragedy. We were shaken to our core,... Continue Reading →
[I was there ... Newport 1965, when Dylan came out with his electric guitar. Half the crowd cheered, half booed. As the rhythm guitarist of the fabulous Van Voghs, Rhode Island's own Beatle wannabees, you might think I would be raising my fist in triumph. Nope, I was among the naysayers who thought that Dylan... Continue Reading →
Lapham's Quarterly ROUNDTABLE Presidential Counsel Be not tedious in discourse or in reading. By George Washington MONDAY, MARCH 13, 2023 George Washington, by William Russell Birch, c. 1790. The Cleveland Museum of Art. [When the London newspaper the Athenian Mercury, edited and published by the author and bookseller John Dunton, first answered questions about romance, bodily functions, and the mysteries... Continue Reading →
[True confessions ... I read these things. It doesn't matter who writes them, or what the questions are ... off I go, like a largemouth bass following a shiny spoon. "I love my boyfriend, but everyone tells me he's bad for me. Sure, he beats me occasionally, but isn't that really a sign of love?... Continue Reading →
What Does AI Think of Silverback Digest? The invitation came from Google to be a prototype tester for their pending foray into the world of Artificial Intelligence (AI), called Bard. (Get it?) "AI" doesn't have a lot of relevance here in The Jungle, but curiosity got the better of me, so I signed up. Soon... Continue Reading →
[It was a September Saturday, fall but still summer. The leaves were turning, but the sun was shining brightly. It was a day when you could live forever. It was 1969, or maybe '68 ... doesn't matter. I, and my college classmates and our we, were lolling about on the green of Morse College (one... Continue Reading →
Black Music and Black Muses February 27, 2023 by Harmony Holiday There’s a thrashing quality to Nina Simone’s virtuosity— It extends beyond her sensibility almost violently, in sudden bursts and languid retreats. Her tonal palate is where vulnerability and vengeance meet and stare one another down until either sentiment cracks and unburdens the other. She... Continue Reading →
[Thank you to Silverbelle Babsje (Heron SBs) for turning on to Mary Frances Kennedy Fisher, the First Lady of Food in American food writing. SB SM] One of the most revered food writers shares a memory of a summer road trip and the perfect peach pie BY M. F. K. FISHER Published in the newsletter https://airmail.news/... Continue Reading →
The "Most Annoying Song Ever Made" ... Nominate Your (Least) Favorite!! Red Rubber Ball? ... Sugar, Sugar? ... Yummy, Yummy, Yummy ...? MacArthur Park? ... Little Red, Rented Rowboat? What popular song drove you crazy, in all the wrong ways. Here's your chance for revenge. What's the most annoying song ever to hit the airwaves?... Continue Reading →