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Street photography
It all started in…well, it’s pretty difficult to pin down a specific point where it all started. It could have been in 1800, when Thomas Wedgewood was the first to produce an image by exposing paper treated with silver nitrate to light. Or maybe it was George Eastman, who patented the the “roll of film”… Continue reading
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November 27
It all started the morning of November 27, 1809. At five AM sharp, a chimney sweep arrived at 54 Berners Street, the home of Mrs. Tottenham, who was known to be a lady of fortune — that is, she was rich. A maid answered his knock, and informed him that there must be some mistake;… Continue reading
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Loudly voustering about
For an old North American colloquial word that started showing up in the 1800s, “foofaraw” has a surprisingly robust entry in the Oxford English Dictionary. “Foofaraw” originated in the western US, and at first meant fussy, vain, or gaudy. It was carried back to England and appeared in Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine in 1848: “Them white… Continue reading
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Many happy absurdities of the day
It’s November 26, and there have been some interesting events today. I said it’s November 26, and there have been some interesting events today. One of them, all though not the most interesting, is that Tony Verna was born on this date in 1933. For a closer look, that’s this date in 1933. Why am… Continue reading
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November 26
In some years (not this one), today is Thanksgiving in the US. This isn’t going to be about Thanksgiving, though. In fact I wouldn’t be surprised if Thanksgiving isn’t mentioned even once. On a later edit, I guess that should say “I wouldn’t be surprised if Thanksgiving isn’t mentioned more than three times.” Oh, one… Continue reading
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Not my problem
“Patience,” my humans will tell me,But I find that I do not agree.If you ever collect your own humans,Their slowness is what you will see. They insist they must put their big coats on —It’s their fault they have no fur at all.Those humans can’t keep track of their items;They just throw away tennis balls!… Continue reading
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November 25
If you’re reading this in the morning on November 25, the first thing you should do is make sure nothing breakable is near the edge of a shelf or table or counter. Because for some reason, today seems to have a particular affinity to earthquakes. The first one we have any records of was in… Continue reading
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Into the woods
My favorite walks are in the woodsBut I do get so excited;squirrels, chipmunks, birds, and leaves:just some of what I’ve sighted. Trails feel better to my feetthan stupid sidewalks do.They’re one of humans’ worst ideasin my waggy view. The sniffs and soundsare extra good.I love my walksinto the woods. -Chocolate Continue reading
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A cold case
The Antarctic Mystery with Another Antarctic Mystery In 1897 Jules Verne wrote An Antarctic Mystery. It’s a two-volume novel that is a sort of a sequel to The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket. Sequels are pretty common, of course, but in this case Verne’s novel was a sequel to a book written by… Continue reading
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November 24
Every once in a while there’s a day that seems to be tied to an idea. The thing is, it’s not always easy to discover what the idea is. Take today, for example. November 24 is Evolution Day in celebration of the date in 1859 that Charles Darwin published On the Origin of Species. It… Continue reading
About Me
I’m Pete Harbeson, a writer located near Boston, Massachusetts. In addition to writing my own content, I’ve learned to translate for my loquacious and opinionated pup Chocolate. I shouldn’t be surprised, but she mostly speaks in doggerel. You can find her contributions tagged with Chocolatiana.
Recent Posts
- Thoughtfulness about fake thought
- Drink plenty of liquids
- “Hawkweed?”
- Walked to school in the snow uphill both ways
- Circumstance and pomp
Visitation
Research Results
i.webthings.hub
Full Moon Fiber Art
Scripting News
Balloon Juice
Empty Wheel
Kansas Reflector
Bedlam Farm Journal
Krugman Wonks Out
Daring Fireball
[citation needed]
Pluralistic
Cornerstone of Democracy
Whatever
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