Photo by MART PRODUCTION on Pexels.com [I'm 78, and I wear hearing aids. And I hate them. They're uncomfortable, and they overlay the world with a veneer of artificiality. It's hard to explain. I wake up in the morning, and the world sounds as it should. It doesn't sound muffled or far away. It sounds... Continue Reading →
The 10 Greatest Failures of Orson Welles
[I'm convinced that a willingness to fail is an essential component of success. If failure is the standard against which greatness is measured, then Orson Welles ranks right at the top of the list. Ted Gioia takes a look at some of the man's greatest shortcomings. The clips are pretty interesting, especially the trailer for... Continue Reading →
Saturday Mailbag
[This is another guy taking a run at becoming "America's Funny Old Guy," a group that includes me, Dave Barry, Silverback Ross, Silverback David, Silverback Jim, and quite a few others. I have to say "nic etry, Silverback Mike, but we all have a long way to go before we catch up to Silverback Dave... Continue Reading →
On the Road with George
[From "Travels with Charley" to "The Great Beer Trek" the tradition of American travelogues continues. Ol' George had one of the first and one of the best. SB SM] https://www.delanceyplace.com Today's selection-- from This Land is Your Land by Beverly Gage. In 1789, George Washington toured America: “In April 1789, George Washington set off to see America. He... Continue Reading →
Thomas Sowell
[Thomas Sowell is an original thinker, and a guy we should listen to. He's on the oppposite side of most of the things I believe in, but he keeps making sense! Instead of telling us what doesn't work about liberalism, I wish he'd tell us more about what does work about conservatism. SB SM] Happy... Continue Reading →
Tuesday List: A History of Canada in 24 Objects
[I've always considered myself part Canadian. I think it's because when the colonists declared independence, my people went North in order to remain loyal subjects. It wasn't until many generations later that they ventured South again to the land of baked beans and sox of red. We share a heritage of codfish. SB SM] A... Continue Reading →
Writing Fiction
[I'm working on an extended piece of fiction. It will debut in Silverback Digest soon. As I'm working on it, I keep asking/saying "Who cares?" This piece answer that. Telling stories is an end in itself. Stay tunesd for "Still Time." SB SM] https://oldster.substack.com/p/when-the-waiting-is-over When the Waiting Is Over Heather Abel on longing, a kind... Continue Reading →
Blackbird
[Thanks to SB Dave for this (Arid Zone SBs). Yean, it's Harvard, but it's still pretty good. But let's not forget how good the original is, too. SB SM] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHUclX7Qn1s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBSu_ltDu1w&list=RDGBSu_ltDu1w&start_radio=1 this guy ain't too shabby, either ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H46yXW4qR_M
Silly Saturday: Jim’s Jibes
[Jim is a college acquaintance, not quite a classmate, but close enough, who is amazingly insightful, witty, and prolific. He is a Silverback who immerses himself in Lake Elmore on a daily basis. SB SM] https://kathilengel.substack.com/p/interweb-socialist-mothership-blues?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8441854e-1d8f-4982-89fa-a77bb225954a_1402x1122.jpeg&open=false Cross-connected evilThrough a Series of tubes:I got the interweb socialist mothership blues. Where is this taking meThis Galactic conspiracyWith... Continue Reading →
Ghosts of la Belle Époque…
[I find something appealing about the confirmed wandering troubadour. they always seem to have a decent perspective on the world. I'd rather be a CWT than a rock star any day (says he, never having been either). Actually, one of my fantasies, lame as it sounds is to be a street musician in a retirement... Continue Reading →