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Just an Expression
Hare was carefully checking a garden near the edge of the forest to see if any vegetables had been left when winter came. “Hello, Hare,” came a greeting from high above. “Oh, good day, Magpie,” said Hare. “I was just…” “I know, I know,” said Magpie importantly. “You were just checking for winter fish.” “Um…well… Continue reading
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Thrift
The word “thrift” is a good example of how English meaning shifts over time. “Thrift” comes from the word “thrive” with the addition of the suffix “-t.” Adding the “t” was a way in Germanic languages (such as Old English) to form a noun from a verb. It’s the same addition that produced “gift” from… Continue reading
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September 2
The day after September 2, 1752 — it was a Wednesday — was September 14. At least it was in Great Britain and all the British colonies. That was the day of the big switch from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar. The two calendars were off by 11 days at the time (it varied),… Continue reading
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Born Today: Guy Laliberté
Sometimes running away to join the circus can provide a pretty good foundation. Guy Laliberté was born September 2 in Quebec, in 1959. When he was a boy, his parents took him to the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, which turned out to be a big event for him. He liked it so… Continue reading
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Filbert
Hare softly knocked his forehead against the wall in his kitchen. Gritting his teeth, he took the plate of tea cakes and went back into the living room. Filbert was still talking. “So I told the dude, ‘you’re one cool cat,’ I said, ‘so just hang loose.’” Filbert leaned his chair back so he almost… Continue reading
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Panjandrum
Copyright claims in the early 21st Century are absurd enough that they really don’t hold up to any reasonable analysis. You — yes, you personally — can easily have removed virtually any video or posting that’s been uploaded to a centralized service like YouTube or Instagram. All you have to do is file a claim… Continue reading
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Quidam
In 1624, William Bedell published a book with the riveting title “Copies Certaine Letters.” In it he posed a question, which has echoed down the centuries since, “Who were these quidams that laid hands on Scory?” A couple of hundred years later, in 1832, the London Times pointed out that “If the doctrine of our English quidams be right,… Continue reading
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Born Today: Edgar Rice Burroughs
If you live in California, or visit, you might at some point find yourself in Tarzana. It’s part of Los Angeles, and it’s named after a fictional character: Tarzan of the Apes. In the early 20th century, Tarzan was incredibly popular, and the author Edgar Rice Burroughs, who created the character, lived in that part… Continue reading
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September 1
In New Zealand, September 1 is Random Acts of Kindness day. Official suggestions about what you might do (randomly of course) includes washing someone else’s car or paying for the person behind you in a drive-through line. Out of 13 ideas for suggested activities, six of them have to do with transportation (it would be… Continue reading
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Who’s Trick Is It
(That this is just a cute generic illustration. A trick, of a sort. Hare does not really dress this way) “Beaver,” said Hare, “I need some help.” “I’d be glad to help,” said Beaver, “what do you need?” “I need you to help me play a trick on Dog,” said Hare. “You and your tricks,”… 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
- Pendulums go nowhere
- It would be much more efficient…
- Step back to add perspective
- They’ll just say anything at all
- Educational Trip
Categories
Artificial Intelligence
Chocolatiana
Essays
History, sort of
Immorality
Incompetence
Quotations
Resistance
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Tales from the Forest
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Tragedy
Unanticipated Consequences
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Contact
peterharbeson@me.com