-
It’s complicated
Anything sufficiently complex can suffer a systemic breakdown. Addressing a systemic breakdown usually requires a systematic approach. “Systemic” and “systematic” are an interesting pair; they’re closely related and obviously both come from the same etymological roots, but (possibly because neither one is used all that often) you’ll sometimes see one used where the other was Continue reading
-
Nice farm ya got there. Be a shame if…
In medieval England, specifically in the Norman era, the lords of manors owned all the land around them, including the land where peasants lived and farmed. The lords taxed the peasants, charging them something called “tallage.” “Tallage” was also a tax levied by the king on all the “royal towns,” which were towns located on Continue reading
-
Had enough
A couple of centuries ago if you hosted someone for dinner, you might, just as today, ask if they’d had enough to eat. Rather than the efficient but oafish “yup” we would use, your guest might eloquently reply “I’ve had an elegant sufficiency, thank you.” That phrase was in use pretty widely; there are examples Continue reading
-
19 and 20 and 25 Annotated
The unlinked version is here. The world is ending in death and cactus. Walking to the local hofgarten in broad daylight I can see ghosts clinging to the other people on the sidewalks; third members of each couple. T to the seashore to see tides diminished by blood and hear a screaming soaring across the Continue reading
-
Unintended consequences…but predicted
The Guardian ‘s Damian Carrington on how major capitalist institutions (insurance industry) are seeing the likely outcomes of capitalist-driven climate change. “The economic value of entire regions – coastal, arid, wildfire-prone – will begin to vanish from financial ledgers. Markets will reprice, rapidly and brutally. This is what a climate-driven market failure looks like.” Continue reading
-
Beware the outsiders
Let’s talk about “proper English.” English is not a centrally-managed language; it’s a dynamic set of conventions, and for the most part as long as you can make yourself understood, it works. But there are also social assumptions about how you use English. One that’s drummed into many of us in elementary school is that Continue reading
-
It’s not just the cursed repubs
From Cory Doctorow:“Trump couldn’t have pulled this trick off without the Dem establishment’s total unwillingness to confront the hollowness of their economic policies. From Pelosi’s “We’re capitalists and that’s the way it is” to Hillary Clinton’s catastrophic campaign slogan, “America is already great,” the Dems’ answer to workers’ fear and anger was, “You are wrong, Continue reading
-
At least “annoying” isn’t too hard to spell
One of the more annoying aspects of English is that you can’t depend on a letter — or a letter combination — having the same pronunciation every time. Take, for example, “ch.” It might be pronounced “k,” as in “school.” Or it might have an “sh” sound, as in “brochure.” Then again, it might sound Continue reading
-
19 and 20 and 25
The linked version is here. The world is ending in death and cactus. Walking to the local hofgarten in broad daylight I can see ghosts clinging to the other people on the sidewalks; third members of each couple. T to the seashore to see tides diminished by blood and hear a screaming soaring across the Continue reading
-
Annexing the whole assemblage
If you “glom” something, or “glom onto” it, you’re taking it or occupying it. Although it sounds like a slang term, you can find it published in newspapers, magazines, and even Science Daily: “The nanoparticles ‘glom onto the flies,’ Rand noted while watching a video of flies in the test tubes.” Not only is “glom” 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 Bossypaws. I shouldn’t be surprised, but she mostly speaks in doggerel. You can find her contributions tagged with Chocolatiana.
Check out my other blog, Techlimitics, where I’m grappling with the nature of simplicity.
Privacy policy
No trackers, no ads, no data collected or saved.
Contact
peterharbeson@me.com