Mailbag: Campfire Breaks
Cowboy answers fan mail

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It’s a well known cliché …

That you shouldn’t reinvent the wheel.

Cowboy answers fan mail

But why not? What if a square wheel is better? In this modern day world that everything is turned on its head, there’s really no telling. Same goes with the campfire. Lots of people are going around and saying, “hey, the campfire is fine.” But if that’s the case, why are so many of our “in person” campfire talks not drawing big crowds, or really any people at all? Hint: It has nothing to do with the quality of our talks (in our opinion). That’s where Campfire Park’s very own Cowboy at the Campfire steps in to answer Suzy from Toledo’s letter about that the campfire reboot at Campfire Park is all about. Think “square wheel” only better.

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Factoid: A new analysis of burned antelope bones from caves in Swartkrans, South Africa, confirms that Australopithecus robustus and/or Homo erectus built campfires roughly 1.6 million years ago.

The campfire is always crackling and visitors are always welcome at Campfire Park

— Cowboy at the Campfire

Rudi Talks Trilogy
Looking back on the odyssey

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The thing about writing a book …

It’s never guaranteed.

Rudi riffs on the creative process

Lots of people talk about it, and some even give it an honest start, but finishing? Now that’s pretty rare. Even rarer still is co-writing a book, and here’s the clincher: writing two more to make it a trilogy. Not saying it’s perfect, but what masterpiece is. Most importantly it’s done … with the exception of the abridged version. Stay tuned!

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Rule of the Ninja: “Never doubt, never fear, never overthink.”

I don’t know much, but I’m inclined to spill whatever I do out at the campfire

— Old Miner

Era Before Phones (BP)
An in-depth geologic look

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Granted, it was a bizarre time.

People actually had to talk to each other face to face.

Introducing Dino the phone-eating dinosaur

And there were only three channels on the TV.

As unpleasant as that sounds, somehow it worked (although I have my doubts).

Dino is just trying to understand modern life

But how exactly did people survive (even thrive) before phones?

Here at Before Phones (BP) “Where the Dinosaurs Roam” we explore the latest discoveries about the Pre-Phone era. Our methodologies include interviews with other dinosaurs, the latest archeological finds and a range of other innovative research techniques.

Mysteries We Explore

Nothing to fear, Dino will not harm you (but he may eat your phone)

Here at Before Phones (BP), we are dedicate to trying to understand the cryptic pre-phone era.

Unresolved questions include:

  • How people drove without texting?
  • What is was like to have only 24 photos to a roll?
  • How people (dinosaurs) coped with the boredom?

Our Goal

Dino interviews other dinosaurs

The pre-phone era also had its charm (so they say).

Our goal is to understand how society worked without everyone staring at their phone all day (and night).

  • To inform, inspire and educate about the pre-phone era
  • Feature guests from the Before Phone (BP) era
  • Continuously improve our understanding of phonelessness

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Tidbit: The average smart phone user checks their phone 47 times per day.

Well howdy folks, and I’m completely freaked out. And you know why. The fringe middle. The silent majority. Why are they so quiet?

— Buck Buckner

Puddle Problems?
If so, Call Your Uncle

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Have you or a close friend …

Ever stepped in a puddle?

Uncle & Uncle is in Your Corner

And if so, did it cause your shoes (and possibly socks) to get wet, to the point you’re walking around for the rest of the day with that swishy sound in your shoe. And did that water cause physical damage and psychological harm causing you to slip and possibly damage other apparel? If so, Uncle & Uncle is in your corner where we specialize in petty differences and frivolous disputes. Folks, don’t curse the puddle. Call Your Uncle. 1-UNCLE-UNCLE. And remember folks it’s not just one shoe and sock that got wet. They come as a pair. So keep that in mind and Call Your Uncle.

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Factoid: The term puddle dates to the 14 century related Old English and German expressions, such as PudeIn “to splash water.”

It’s a new dawn with Candidate Burt Silver, but only because he stayed up all night to see it

— Burt Silver

Redemptive Return
A prodigal son returns to get things right

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Restoration is possible …

You just have to believe.

Prodigal son returns with a campfire confession

A little imagination doesn’t hurt either …

Plus a lot of hard work.

The list goes on.

Or is it too late? In this campfire confession, a prodigal son returns to to find a landscape he doesn’t remember and memory he wants to reclaim. Fortunately the Cowboy at the Campfire has a fire waiting and is ready to hear him out.

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Quote: “Redemption is not perfection. The redeemed must realize their imperfections.” — John Piper

Remember the Rule of the Ninja: Never fear, never doubt, and never over think.

— Ranger Rudi

Second Drafts
And why the third settles it

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The secret of the second draft?

Answer: You probably need a third.

First draft (sort of rough)

Second draft (getting better)

Third draft (audio version)

At least that’s the case with lyrics. And the untold story of the first draft is that it may have very well been preceded with an audio dictation. Really, writing is about getting your thoughts down, and refining. You know a draft is really coming to shape when the words on the paper talk back to you and tell you what to change, or what needs to be added, shortened or otherwise rearranged. People often mistake writing as a product. And just to be clear it is most definitely that, but more even more so and most of all it’s a process. Some may even say an art.

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Quotable: “You might not write well every day, but you can always edit a bad page. You can’t edit a blank page.” — Jodi Picoult

Try not to overthink a song. Go with what pops in your head, run with it, and don’t stop until you cross the finish line.

— Bobby Angel

Complete Whiff
A new spin on an old phrase

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Did you know …

That the internet cannot smell.

The nose knows

That’s right: the internet and smart phone conquered everything in its sights — toppling towering institutions great and small and causing previous untouchable traditions to go extinct (e.g. “paper” newspaper reading, the yellow pages, books, handwritten letters, and too many hobbies to count), to the point it has us all scratching our heads on how we managed without the internet and smart phone at all — with the exception of one giant category that to this day the Tech Titans cannot touch: The sense of smell!

And thank God. Smell is doing as good as ever and maybe better than ever before thanks to its inability to be digitally recreated or imitated or faked. Until now: Find out from Nose (above) about his plan to capture his fair share of the internet pie.

“Nobody knows you’re a dog on the internet” – Peter Steiner from The New Yorker, 1993

Side note: Do you remember the old Peter Steiner’s cartoon in the New Yorker, which if you can believe it dates back to 1993. Well, the corollary is this: If dogs actually invented the internet, it would be smell (not sight) based. Just a theory.

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Fact: Dogs have nearly 44 times more scent cells than humans.

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