Curations from the Human Jungle
[Lists like this are completely subjective and very much a function of how old you were when particular songs were popular. From what I read, ages 13-15 are the peak time for musical identity formation. By this measure the creator of this list (some nameless Redditor) is roughly my vintage. SB SM] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lo2qQmj0_h4&list=RDLo2qQmj0_h4&start_radio=1 In order:... Continue Reading →
[Getting on to 50 years living in Vermont, and I've only seen this guy once. This particular article is good for your vocabulary. SB SM] The Outside Story By Jack Beaudoin Fishers (Pekania pennanti) have a reputation as the northern forests’ ultimate misanthropes. These mesocarnivores are so territorial that within six to eight months after... Continue Reading →
[How about you, Silverbelles? The tech bros (Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg. and all the rest) already have. Heck, even Jeffrey Epstein had his way with her when she was only 14. Anyway, here she is ... the girl next door, apple pie, and plastic Barbie ... to do your bidding. SB SM] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7V2Biy3omw
[My grandmother on my father's side was a Leary and likely came over during The Famine, making me an official member of the Irish Diaspora. These days my favorite actor (Cillian Murphy), writer (Claire Keegan), musicians (Dropkick Murphys), and podcaster (Blindboy Boathouse) are all Irish, so their contemporary culture is officially hot. Below is a... Continue Reading →
[A typical, lazy Silverback stunt. I stumble onto something--in this case a wonderful Buddy Guy Tiny Desk Concert--cut and paste the link coordinates, write a couple of sentences of introduction, and pat myself on the back for a good day's work. I do have a Buddy Guy story, however. For a few years Ben &... Continue Reading →
[I always thought this guy was going to break through some day. He was handsome, talented, and genuine. Maybe that's not a formula for success these days. Rest in Peace, John Hammond, Jr.-- a true Silverback. SB SM] My college classmate, David Larkin, wrote this story about his personal experience with John Hammond--renamed Bad Bill... Continue Reading →
[Flamenco reaches deep into not the soul, but the gut. Somehow, while embracing the most cultured expressions of civilization in its costuming and presentation, it reaches back to a primitive part of our nature that pre-dates language and agriculture. This particular performance eschews stage lighting and elaborate costuming to the more gritty backdrop of the... Continue Reading →
Before we get to today's post, let's share the video that Silverbelle Mary Bernadette sent after reading yesterday's piece on mechanical bulls. She notes: "I lasted a full minute. I would have been able to hang on longer if they didn’t put that slippery Mexican blanket on his back - very sneaky. Next time I... Continue Reading →
Timeline: 1966: I graduate from high school, where we are admonished to "accept with the left and shake with the right" when receiving our diploma or an award. 1986: Invited back to my high school as a featured presenter on Career Day I invoke the phrase as a tongue-in-cheek example of something I will always... Continue Reading →
[This is a gut punch. Actually, more of a gut pummeling, as things have changed on so many levels ... Aretha, the Obamas, the Kennedy Center, PBS. And in their place. Oh, just watch this and enjoy. SB SM] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efIAM5dzuDs&list=RDanrL_xCLnfo&index=17