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Things are not as they were
Family is a word that’s often invoked in service of things like tradition and stability. At least in recent years. But it’s not as old a word as you might think, and it hasn’t always meant what it means now. “Family” showed up in English in the 1400s, adopted from French. What it meant at… Continue reading
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The dog network
On my walks,the news I getcomes fromcanine internet. My pals and Ihave virtual talkswith a sniffymessage box. Humans thinkwe sniff and pee’cause that is allthey ever see I, though, knowexact locationsto learn a tonof information. That’s why I stopand go no further.It’s not a hydrant;It’s a server. -Chocolate Continue reading
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October 24
In 1929, October 24 was Black Thursday, the day the New York Stock Exchange crashed by 11 percent. Then on October 24, 2008, it was Black Friday, the day most of the stock exchanges around the world crashed by 10 percent or more. You might say the value of stocks those days dropped like a… Continue reading
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Psst! You’ll never guess…
Whether you’ve heard Heard it Through the Grapevine or not, you’ve probably heard of hearing through the grapevine, and you’ve probably heard things through the grapevine. But have you ever heard why you’d hear things through a grapevine in the first place? The grapevine, as a metaphor for people passing information individually, one-by-one, dates back… Continue reading
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October 23
If the weather is accommodating wherever you happen to be today, it’s a good day to venture outside, find a patch of grass or forest, lean down, and say loudly, directly into the ground, “CONGRATULATIONS!” The sound will carry through the earth and with luck, will be appreciated by some tiny, burrowing mammals. Because today… Continue reading
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A very Nobel day
October 22 should win the Nobel Prize for Coincidences, because not two, not three, not four, but five Nobel Prize winners share today as a birthday. To take them in chronological order: Ivan Bunin was born in 1870 in Voronezh in the Russian Empire. He became a writer and was called the “heir to the… Continue reading
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October 22
We only have one day before the anniversary of the Great Disappointment. Although to everyone except the one group that at least claimed to be disappointed, the rest of the population generally continues to be not disappointed at all over how things turned out. It all goes back to October 22, 1844, in Low Hampton,… Continue reading
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October 21
In the early days of exploring and settling North America, several European nations claimed territories or colonies or areas as “property” of a sort. The territories were generally consolidated into independent countries: Canada, the US, and Mexico. But France still has a North American territory. Not everyone knows about the Overseas Collectivity of Saint Pierre… Continue reading
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A good listener. When I want.
On my walks I meet my palsand usually we say “hi.”A sniff or two to seal the dealand then it’s just “goodbye.” But sometimes (not with everyone)We both just want to play.And so we do, and humans?We don’t care what they say. -Chocolate Continue reading
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Grid your lions
Back in the British Isles of more than a thousand years ago, sloping off in a group to pummel the crew from the next town or county was common enough that everybody knew the first steps were to “kilt” your skirt or robe so your legs would be free (possibly to run the other way… 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
- “I’m from the government, and…”
- Lest we forget
- Freedomism
- Business Idiots
- Originalism is always fabrication
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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