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Cockles
“Sweet Molly Malone” is an Irish song first published in 1876 (in Boston, not Ireland) about a young woman who was a fishmonger in Dublin. She might have been a real person, although nobody really knows. But what she sold was real: “cockles and mussels, alive, alive-o,” as the song goes. Cockles are shellfish, like… Continue reading
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Colin Needham
If you like movies, but you’re daunted by the sheer number of films available to watch, you might consult the Internet Movie Database, better known as IMDb. It has records of over ten million titles — television episodes as well as movies. The odds are pretty good that you’ve visited it at least once; it’s… Continue reading
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January 26
I don’t know very much about Zen Buddhism, but I have heard of the “koan.” It’s a statement or question that doesn’t have an answer, but if you contemplate it — probably in a way I don’t really understand — your contemplation can eventually lead to enlightenment. I think. If I’m completely off base here,… Continue reading
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I’m makin’ waffles!
If you’re not sure what to have for breakfast — waffles with syrup or waffles with whipped cream — and you go back and forth, you might be waffling about waffles. You could also wax lexiphanic about your choice, eloquently and loquaciously holding forth about how it feels to be caught between two options and… Continue reading
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The Maltese Ferret
“It was pretty frightening,” said Raccoon. “He had me believing I’d done something wrong, and that there was something bad happening at the party in the barn.” “Me too,” said Hare. “I even started thinking he was a policeman.” “And that whistle,” said Raccoon with a shudder. “What about the whistle?” asked Squirrel. “It was…”… Continue reading
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January 25
O my Luve’s like a red, red roseThat’s newly sprung in June;O my Luve’s like the melodieThat’s sweetly play’d in tune. As fair art thou, my bonnie lass,Thee left in weather dry.And I will luve thee still, my dear,Tho’ thee take the name of Bly: All ‘round the world thou went, my dear,And the rocks… Continue reading
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Cantrev
If you’re interested in ancient tales set in the British Isles, and you’ve already read Beowulf, you might turn to the Irish Táin Bó Cúailnge or the Welsh Mabinogion. There’s a certain structure pretty common to epic stories from thousands of years ago; you can still find basically the same thing in super hero comics.… Continue reading
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Shiver me timbers!
Since we’re well into winter in the northern hemisphere, what could be more appropriate than diving into the phrase “shiver me timbers”? Well…ok, it’s possible there could be one or two more appropriate things. Anyway, “shiver me timbers” may well be well known today because of movies about pirates, starting with the 1950 Disney film… Continue reading
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A model replica
Popular souvenirs of major cities, like New York or Paris, are handheld versions of famous landmarks like the Eiffel Tower or the Statue of Liberty (both, by the way, the products of Gustave Eiffel). But are these things “models” or “replicas?” “Replica” is a word borrowed from Italian sometime in the 1500s, and its… Continue reading
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Bugs Bunny
Bugs Bunny, who was first seen in the 1930s, has since appeared in more movies than any other cartoon character. If you make a list of all the “movie personalities” in the world, including both cartoons and humans (and, I suppose, animals like Lassie), Bugs is ninth on the list in terms of most-often seen… Continue reading
About Me
I’m Pete Harbeson, a writer (among other things) located near Boston, Massachusetts. In addition to writing my own content, I’ve learned to translate for my loquacious and opinionated pup Chocolate Bossypaws. No surprise, she mostly speaks in doggerel. You can find her contributions tagged with Chocolatiana.
Check out my newsletter, Artisanal Scribbles, where I’m grappling with writing, authentic human authorship, integrity, and the craft of beauty in the AI age. You can also find some of my old software projects at GitHub. Nothing very impressive. I mostly wrote tiny utilities in Python and shell scripts. I’m mostly retired from coding nowadays.
I find myself suddenly de-corporatized (their choice, not mine). To help keep the lights on, buy me a coffee!
Recent Posts
- Hang on, I’m busy
- Sometimes it’s not an improvement
- Do not call your friend…
- Once more, into the breach
- Be Here Now. And Sit.
Categories
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Chocolatiana
Essays
History, sort of
Immorality
Incompetence
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Tales from the Forest
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Tragedy
Unanticipated Consequences
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Contact
peterharbeson@me.com