anecdotes
Salt on Hands
Sunday night, my hard drive died. I wasn’t overly concerned—I have an external drive and something called “Time Machine” that supposedly backs up my data. And cost wasn’t an issue; after much effort (including zooming in on an upside-down photo of the bottom of my computer to read the serial number) I learned that my [...]
MLB Fan Cave 1, Silbert 0
I have warm feelings for the southeast corner of 4th Street and Broadway in Manhattan. Tower Records held the spot for years, and I was sad when they went under in 2006. So I’ve kept an eye on the intersection ever since. There was some sort of art project there, and a satellite Toys R [...]
Adventures in Catsitting
When my good friend Leila emailed me, asking if I’d take care of her cat for a few days, two thoughts immediately sprung to mind: 1) Hey, that might be a fun, change-of-pace sort of thing. 2) Gee, I hope I don’t end up in the emergency room again. You see, cats and I have [...]
3 Minutes on the 3rd Floor
My friend Carli forwarded a Facebook post to me: Hmmm, I’m single; I’m a guy; I’m almost exactly halfway between 30 and 55. And cool is in the eye of the beholder. Plus I had no plans for Friday night (OK, I guess I lose a few coolness points there), I am fond of women, [...]
Tartans and Violets Clash
Maybe the college you attended was an athletic powerhouse. You still follow them today, via March Madness, bowl games, national TV, perhaps the occasional recruiting scandal. This has not been the case for me. However, I found myself at the “Tear It Up” women’s/men’s Division III basketball doubleheader on Friday, January 27, 2012, at the [...]
Daniel Johnston Day
Yesterday I wore my Daniel Johnston t-shirt. No special reason; it was near the top of my t-shirt drawer. (T-shirt drawer #1, anyway. I have a lot of t-shirts.) I first learned of Daniel Johnston when I was a college DJ at Pittsburgh’s WRCT. The station had a recording of Daniel doing an impromptu over-the-phone [...]
Jack Silbert, Amateur Electrician
Soon after arriving home last night, I headed to the corner of my bedroom where my computer is. (If the I.R.S. is reading this, the square footage in question is my “home office.”) The green light at the base of my landline—which I maintain solely for robo-calls and my parents—was out. Hmm, must’ve not properly [...]
A Monday Mitzvah
Teaneck would have to wait. First there was some minor auto repair to resolve. Last night, I’d noticed a burnt-out marker-lamp on my ’91 Corolla. So this morning, armed with a replacement bulb, a Phillips screwdriver, and a little old-fashioned elbow grease, I popped the hood outside a nearby strip mall and got down to [...]
I Needed to Deliver a Package
After a day marked by anxiety which I couldn’t quite pinpoint as job-related or should-I-or-shouldn’t-I-make-a-mix-CD-for-a-girl-related, I was just happy to be home. Alas, my work was not yet done. I picked up a small package inside the vestibule of my apartment building. It was not for me or, for that matter, for any of the [...]
Jack Silbert, curator