Curations from the Human Jungle
[Silverback Bill shares some thoughts on Christmas excess.. SB SM by SB Bill (Hinesburg SBs). Published originally on Schubart.com The observance of December religious holidays can be a source of spiritual, family, and community enrichment or, as it is for many, a descent into anxiety and consumerist hell. But we have other choices. All life... Continue Reading →
[Ok ... enough, already. Admit it ... you're going to scream if you have to listen to "Jingle Bell Rock" or "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" one more time. Before we leave the season, however, here are a couple of songs that are mainstays in the UK, but that have not worn out their... Continue Reading →
[Yes, I am using the excuse of the Holi-daze to be a little fat, dumb, and happy. I hope you are, as well. SB SM] A lot of good stuff in this one: https://silverbackdigest.com/2021/12/26/boxing-day/ https://silverbackdigest.com/2021/12/25/a-perfect-christmas/
[Thanks to Silverbelle Mary Bernadette and the BBC for this one. How about it, Russia and the Ukraine? SB SM] During the bleak winter of 1914, amid the mud, blood and chaos of World War One, an extraordinary series of ceasefires spontaneously occurred along the Western Front. In the 1960s the BBC spoke to some... Continue Reading →
[You do realize, I hope, that 2026 will be the 200th birthday of The Parsonage (not to mention Silverbelle Sandy's 80th). SB SM] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vjz6zoCbdw
What Amuses Us (Whitney Campbell Morris) There is no shortage of cheesy holiday rom-coms to choose from, from the cadre of unexceptional Hallmark Channel procedurals to classics like Holiday Inn. For me, the best of the bunch is the mega-ensemble British take, Love Actually. It never fails to make me both laugh and cry. The... Continue Reading →
[These posts are reprinted from the very first year of Silverback Digest. It's a good reminder that the more things change, the more they stay the same. The "Holiday Chatter" post includes a video-- that I swear I've never seen, although I obviously have-- of someone who has accomplished the remarkable feat of playing "Carol... Continue Reading →
Today's encore selection -- from Irving Berlin by James Kaplan. The classic song “White Christmas”:"The [Irving] Berlin song that would have the greatest impact on America and Americans as the United States entered [World War II] was one that, on the face of it, had nothing whatever to do with war: the great and strange holiday song he'd... Continue Reading →
[I couldn't resist another chance to post this video. Happy Solstice to all my fellow apes in The Jungle. It gets brighter from this point on! (video on Clava appears at the end of the post.) SB SM] Midwinter solstice at the Clava Cairns, Scotland. Photograph © Julian Paren https://books.substack.com/p/diary-val-mcdermid-deep-winter Walking through the trees, you come... Continue Reading →
[The holidays are upon us, and one of the traditions is the exchange of gifts, but what do you give a Silverback who lives his life naked, eats leaves and bananas, sleeps in a hand-made nest, and already has a harem? A Rolex? Here are some suggestions for the Silverback, Silverbelle, Silverbabe, Silverbuck, or Silverpup... Continue Reading →