<![CDATA[SILVER CORD STORIES]]>https://www.silvercordstories.comhttps://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!vKTk!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff5424c3e-4cb7-4b2c-a44a-af0f68c8627d_1280x1280.pngSILVER CORD STORIEShttps://www.silvercordstories.comSubstackSun, 01 Nov 2026 23:56:56 GMT<![CDATA[Episode #111: “A Message from the Guy Who Invented Those Giant Halloween Skeletons” with Clint Culp]]>https://www.silvercordstories.com/p/episode-111-a-message-from-the-guyhttps://www.silvercordstories.com/p/episode-111-a-message-from-the-guySat, 31 Oct 2026 15:24:43 GMTThe Silver Cord Stories Podcast is back with a special Halloween story performed by Hollywood actor and friend Clint Culp.

Clint has too many TV credits to list them all, but most recently appeared in the Netflix series The Hawk with Will Ferrell and with Larry David in HBO’s Life, Larry, and the Pursuit of Unhappiness. And now he’s slumming it with us!

Grateful for Clint’s time and talent and bringing this absurd character to life for Halloween. Enjoy!

DEAD MEAT, Bobby’s new book, lands November 17th!

DEAD MEAT!

Thanks for listening to the SILVER CORD STORIES Podcast. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

]]><![CDATA[A Message from the Guy Who Invented Those Giant Halloween Skeletons]]>https://www.silvercordstories.com/p/a-message-from-the-guy-who-inventedhttps://www.silvercordstories.com/p/a-message-from-the-guy-who-inventedWed, 28 Oct 2026 22:56:25 GMTFour years ago, while decorating my front yard with my regular Halloween decorations—pumpkins, hay bale, a ghost made from an old handkerchief—I turned to my special lady friend Nickie and said, “You know what’s missing? The biggest damn skeleton you’ve ever seen.”

So Nickie started tapping away with her acrylics on her Android and said the largest skeleton available for public purchase in the United States was only six feet tall.

Six.

It was an injustice, frankly.

And then before I could even think, a voice spoke from deep within my being. Like it wasn’t even me speaking. And I said, “The skeleton needs to be twelve feet tall and we’re gonna mass produce them.”

Now of course, despite the fact what I’d said was clearly a divinely appointed idea, Nickie immediately started shooting holes in it:

How you gonna ship it?

Where are people gonna store it??

Won’t it cost a fortune????

But I wasn’t scared. Like before, the answers were already on my tongue:

One, it’ll come in the biggest cardboard box you’ve ever seen.

Two, where people store it is not my problem.

And three, no one will consider how much it costs because it’s the biggest damn skeleton they’ve ever seen!

Course I needed a manufacturer to make the blessed thing. Nickie and I are big Shark Tankers so I quickly put together a list of potential candidates. The first outfit said anything bigger than nine feet was “physically impossible.” The second guy said they could go twelve but it would blow over in the wind and kill people. The third dude said, “Can we add creepy green eyes that light up at night and give children nightmares?”

He was hired on the spot.

Then we got to work. Making giant pelvis molds. Piling up plastic femurs. Arguing about whether it should have teeth and if it could spit blood. And by the following September, we had 20,000 units sitting in Home Depots from San Diego to Bar Harbor.

I love this country.

How’d we do that first Halloween? Let’s just say Nickie was driving a Range Rover by Christmas.

So as we approach another October 31st, I just wanted to say THANK YOU, AMERICA. I had faith in you.

Which is why I also want you to let you know we’re in the final design stage of our new product. Something extra special. And it’ll be ready to ship by Easter.

The biggest darn Jesus you’ve ever seen.

Thank you to my friend Clint Culp for lending his voice to the audio version of this story. Clint has been in too many TV shows and commercials to count but most recently appeared in the Netflix series The Hawk with Will Ferrell and on HBO’s Life, Larry, and the Pursuit of Unhappiness with Larry David.

My new book DEAD MEAT lands November 17th!

DEAD MEAT

Thanks for reading SILVER CORD STORIES. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

]]><![CDATA[Bobby Has a New Book! ]]>https://www.silvercordstories.com/p/bob-has-a-new-bookhttps://www.silvercordstories.com/p/bob-has-a-new-bookThu, 22 Oct 2026 21:55:57 GMTGuess what? Your Christmas shopping is done!

DEAD MEAT: Right-Side-Up Stories for an Upside-Down World will be available for purchase November 17th through Amazon, B&N.com, or your favorite indie bookstore.

That’s right, award-winning writer Bobby Smiley is back with comedic vengeance, bringing a new collection of hilariously flawed characters to twelve new tales that will stir your soul and knock you upside-down. Or are they knocking you right-side-up?

AND… for a limited time Bobby is giving away a batch of ADVANCED FREE COPIES. Just comment “Dead Meat” on this post and he will send the e-book straight to your inbox with a personal note!

Trust me, you’ve never seen a book launch like this one. Stay tuned for all the fun and absurdity.

(cover art by Jiro Tamase)

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]]><![CDATA[Back When I was Famous]]>https://www.silvercordstories.com/p/back-when-i-was-famoushttps://www.silvercordstories.com/p/back-when-i-was-famousTue, 29 Sep 2026 15:58:53 GMT

In 1998 I spent my summer as a Hollywood extra.

Every day brought a different ridiculous assignment.

On Monday I danced in my swim trunks for the movie She’s All That. On Tuesday I enjoyed a romantic …

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]]><![CDATA[A Short Piece About the Beauty of Spontaneity]]>https://www.silvercordstories.com/p/a-short-piece-about-the-beauty-ofhttps://www.silvercordstories.com/p/a-short-piece-about-the-beauty-ofSat, 26 Sep 2026 15:44:57 GMTI flew across the country this week to surprise my son in college. I hadn’t seen him since June and missed him. I had low expectations for how much time I would actually get with him. He is a junior …

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]]><![CDATA[The Letter I Wrote My Son on Back-to-School Night]]>https://www.silvercordstories.com/p/the-letter-i-wrote-my-son-on-backhttps://www.silvercordstories.com/p/the-letter-i-wrote-my-son-on-backThu, 17 Sep 2026 14:01:44 GMTDear William,

Your teacher gave me this blank piece of paper and encouraged us to write our children a note on Back-to-School Night. So I figured this was as good a time as any to tell you that you’r…

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]]><![CDATA[The 9/11 Movie I’d Like To Write]]>https://www.silvercordstories.com/p/the-911-movie-id-like-to-writehttps://www.silvercordstories.com/p/the-911-movie-id-like-to-writeFri, 11 Sep 2026 11:47:43 GMTI have many special stories I’m trying to turn into movies. On the 25th anniversary of September 11th, it feels appropriate to share this one.

Named in memory of a New York City fire captain who die…

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]]><![CDATA[Meet the Bristles]]>https://www.silvercordstories.com/p/we-need-to-talk-about-the-bristlehttps://www.silvercordstories.com/p/we-need-to-talk-about-the-bristleWed, 26 Aug 2026 21:57:01 GMTThe Bristles had been manufacturing America’s most trusted line of toothbrushes since 1964. According to family lore, when company founder Mike “Moose” Bristle was just 22, a splinter from the handle…

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]]><![CDATA[Welcome Back, Sweet Families... Now Give Us All Your Money]]>https://www.silvercordstories.com/p/welcome-back-sweet-families-now-givehttps://www.silvercordstories.com/p/welcome-back-sweet-families-now-giveWed, 05 Aug 2026 16:21:32 GMT Read more

]]><![CDATA[Bob Smiley Performs "Darryl the Magnificent"]]>https://www.silvercordstories.com/p/audio-darryl-the-magnificenthttps://www.silvercordstories.com/p/audio-darryl-the-magnificentThu, 30 Jul 2026 12:04:17 GMTWhat do you if you’re living in a house without wonder? You try and pull off the biggest magic trick of all time.

Sit back and enjoy “Darryl the Magnificent,” Episode #10 of The Silver Cord Stories Podcast.

To catch all of Bob’s stories and podcasts, become a subscriber here.

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]]><![CDATA[A Message From Your Stubborn Belly Fat]]>https://www.silvercordstories.com/p/a-message-from-your-stubborn-bellyhttps://www.silvercordstories.com/p/a-message-from-your-stubborn-bellyMon, 27 Jul 2026 23:38:02 GMT

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]]><![CDATA[Darryl the Magnificent]]>https://www.silvercordstories.com/p/darryl-the-magnificenthttps://www.silvercordstories.com/p/darryl-the-magnificentThu, 23 Jul 2026 12:15:02 GMT Read more

]]><![CDATA[Audio: "Now I Know Where Babies Come From"]]>https://www.silvercordstories.com/p/audio-now-i-know-where-babies-comehttps://www.silvercordstories.com/p/audio-now-i-know-where-babies-comeTue, 23 Jun 2026 12:02:43 GMTEpisode #9 of The Silver Cord Stories Podcast brings you my honest, humbling, and hopefully hilarious account of what it was like to watch my wife give birth to our firstborn.

If you enjoy this, the best way you can say thank you is to share with others and become a subscriber! Paid subscribers to SILVER CORD STORIES receive a signed copy of my new book—FOR FREE!

SHOW NOTES:

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]]><![CDATA[The Perfect Fold]]>https://www.silvercordstories.com/p/fathers-dayhttps://www.silvercordstories.com/p/fathers-daySun, 21 Jun 2026 13:31:04 GMT

My dad never liked the idea of Take Your Kid to Work Day.

It wasn’t that he didn’t like me, it was the blending of his two spheres of influence that bothered him. He would never think to invite a mech…

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]]><![CDATA[A Note from Taylor Swift's Panicked Wedding Planner ]]>https://www.silvercordstories.com/p/you-just-got-invited-to-taylor-swiftshttps://www.silvercordstories.com/p/you-just-got-invited-to-taylor-swiftsTue, 16 Jun 2026 13:42:30 GMT

If you’re receiving this letter, it’s because you have made the list of potential guests to Taylor Swift’s secret summer wedding. CONGRATULATIONS!

In order to make the FINAL guest list, please read A…

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]]><![CDATA[Audio: "Dead Meat"]]>https://www.silvercordstories.com/p/audio-dead-meathttps://www.silvercordstories.com/p/audio-dead-meatThu, 11 Jun 2026 13:01:15 GMTThis would make one heck of a short film.

Actor Eric Nenninger (Mad Men and 100 other things) channels his inner trucker to bring this moody tale to life in a way only a true talent can.

Listen. Share. Or click the link below and read along.

Thanks for listening to SILVER CORD STORIES. To support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

]]><![CDATA[Audio: "Why I Invited My Co-Worker to Church for Easter... and Why It Was a Mistake"]]>https://www.silvercordstories.com/p/audio-why-i-invited-my-co-workerhttps://www.silvercordstories.com/p/audio-why-i-invited-my-co-workerThu, 04 Jun 2026 12:35:28 GMTObliviousness is my favorite quality in a character. The narrator of this tale is just that. Actor Eric Nenninger (Malcolm in the Middle) is back in Episode #7 to perform one of the most popular Silver Cord Stories to date.

Enjoy.

SILVER CORD STORIES is a reader-supported publication and podcast. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

]]><![CDATA[Audio: "Cruel Summer"]]>https://www.silvercordstories.com/p/cruel-summer-d88https://www.silvercordstories.com/p/cruel-summer-d88Thu, 28 May 2026 12:31:10 GMTEpisode #6 of the Silver Cord Podcast brings an audio recording of “Cruel Summer,” a story that started as a viral reel on Instagram.

Last May I posted a photo of teenagers crawling through the desert and said I was taking a lucky group of high schoolers to Death Valley without water in order to give them something good to write about in their Common App college essay.

Pretty soon the reel had over a million views and my inbox had a flurry of requests from teens who genuinely wanted to be included.

Unfortunately for them, this is satire. But just barely.

Enjoy!

SHOW NOTES:

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Buy Bob's Book

]]><![CDATA[The Incredible Miles]]>https://www.silvercordstories.com/p/how-a-grungy-pool-cleaner-gave-thehttps://www.silvercordstories.com/p/how-a-grungy-pool-cleaner-gave-theTue, 26 May 2026 15:32:27 GMTEvery week for the last twenty years, Miles Derwin serviced two hundred pools across Santa Barbara County. Everything from deep lap pools to 8,000-gallon grottos. A famous rock star had even built on…

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]]><![CDATA[Hollywood Actor Eric Nenninger Performs "Softie" ]]>https://www.silvercordstories.com/p/hollywood-actor-eric-nenninger-performshttps://www.silvercordstories.com/p/hollywood-actor-eric-nenninger-performsTue, 19 May 2026 13:19:50 GMTTen years ago I wrote and produced a TV pilot that—at $2+ million dollars—was the most expensive pilot Disney Channel had ever made.

It was a musical about a vampire boy band. Don’t laugh. It was actually awesome and if you come to my house I will screen you the only copy in existence.

The boy band had already been cast but what we needed was an actor to play their manager. We saw a lot of famous faces but only one stood out: Eric Nenninger.

If you’ve watched any TV in the last 20 years, the odds of you missing Eric are statistically impossible.

Eric’s credits include Malcolm in the Middle, Mad Men, The Rookie, Big Bang Theory, Wet Hot American Summer, The Politician, The Flash… and that’s just scratching the surface.

Eric is funny and smart and a total pro. I’ll never forget during rehearsals on the pilot where our director Adam Stein gave the cast an acting exercise. He pulled a random line of dialogue from the script and asked everyone to deliver it in as many different ways as possible. Long after everyone else had run out of line readings, Eric just kept going. And going. And going. It was like a magic trick.

So when Eric agreed to come on the podcast and perform a Silver Cord Story, I shouldn’t have been surprised when he said, “Can I do two stories?” (He has since told me he’s doing a third whether I like it or not.)

You’ll have to wait for the others, but for now, sit back and enjoy Eric Nenninger… performing “Softie.”

SHOW NOTES:

EricNenninger.com

Eric Nenninger on IMDB

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