Curations from the Human Jungle
[A friend of mine, Silverbelle Janis, once asked "Did you ever stop to think ... that elevators smell different to midgets? It is, indeed, a profound metaphysical question. SB SM] A gorilla's sense of smell is stronger and more evolutionary intact than a human's, though both species share a similar sensory blueprint as primates. While... Continue Reading →
[This proves my point. "Oo-oo" is really all you need. Want a banana? "Oo-oo?" "Give me that banana!" "Oo-oo!!" "Put that banana where the sun don't shine." "Fuk-oo." All the rest is window dressing. This is a clear and simple explanation of how our language evolved. I learned a lot. Above all, the "rule" of... Continue Reading →
[After spending most of my business career convincing people of the importance of recycling, it's hard to say "don't," but these are items that will gum up the works. SB SM] A tangled string of Christmas lights can shut down an entire sorting line. A greasy pizza box won’t jam the machinery, but it can... Continue Reading →
[If you watch a documentary on Silverbacks, or really on any species other than our own, you realize that unwritten rules are what govern life on this planet. In the case of baseball, the known rules are so well-established that it's hard to not be fascinated by the ones in the fuzzy gray zone. I'm... Continue Reading →
[Poor Ireland. The place has been exploited for thousands of years, its resources stripped and robbed. And yet the spirit of both the people and the land seems irrepressibly defiant. Yes, the wolves, eagles, and even the trees may be gone, but given time, they will be back, and they will thrive. Nature always wins... Continue Reading →
[Wendell Berry passed away last week at 92. He was a Silverback among Silverbacks, and a hero to many 'Backs and 'Belles. SB SM] https://www.honest-broker.com/p/wendell-berrys-nine-rules?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=296132&post_id=213726953&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=296zu&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email Back then, Wendell Berry was living on a farm in Kentucky. He did his writing with pen and paper, and his wife Tanya would create typewritten drafts of his manuscripts... Continue Reading →
RIP Wendell Berry. [You don't think you're interested in milkweed tussock moths, but you are. Read on. SB SM] The Outside Story By Ben Applegate The black and orange stripes catch my eye as I swing the scythe through dew-laden grass. My eyes typically follow the tip of the 28-inch blade as I mow, trying... Continue Reading →
[Rowan Jacobsen is a Vermont writer who has figured out an unbeatable formula. 1. He picks a topic, usually something delicious (Oysters, Chocolate, Apples), 2. He gets a book contract from a major publisher, 3. He spends a year traveling, writing, and eating, 4. He write a book on the subject, and ... repeats. It's... Continue Reading →
[First of all, let's establish that Donald Trump is not a true Silverback. His hair's not silver, it's orange, but he's not an orangutang, either. He's just an old gorilla who has been cast out of all tribes except his own cadre of disaffected apes. But the real reason that POTUS is not a true... Continue Reading →
[These are simple enough to work. Give them a try. SB SM]