Pylimitics

"Simplicity" rearranged

  • Yeah, that’s the thing

    One of Shakespeare’s famous passages is Hamlet’s concluding speech, which includes the phrase “aye, there’s the rub.” You can tell from the context that what Hamlet means by “the rub” is an obstacle or difficulty of some sort. But without the context — and in fact, without that particular famous passage — how would anybody… Continue reading

  • Theodor Adorno

    September 11 is the anniversary of the birth of Theodor Adorno, who was born in Frankfurt in 1903. As an example of how much the world has changed, just in the past century, Frankfurt was at the time part of Prussia and in the German Empire. Adorno was born Theodor Wiesengrund, and as a child… Continue reading

  • September 11

    It’s hard to write about September 11. The remembrance of that day hangs over and darkens our time, at least in the US. It doesn’t help to realize that whenever you look up the notable events of any day of the year, most of what’s been remembered has to do with inhumanity. September 11 certainly… Continue reading

  • September 10

    Elias Howe received a patent on September 10, 1846. It was for a sewing machine. It wasn’t the first sewing machine, and not even the first sewing machine patent (although it was the first in the US), but it did have an important innovation.  Sewing needles have a hole (or an “eye”) on the end… Continue reading

  • But what about butter beer?

    You might be served garlic butter in a restaurant. You might have a skin lotion containing shea butter. You might even get some candy made with cocoa butter. But you’d have quite a different experience if you entered surrebutter.  In fact, “surrebutter” doesn’t have anything to do with butter at all. And you’re not going… Continue reading

  • Whitney and Tolstoy

    There are many ways to “be a writer.” If you recall last Thursday, our subject was A.K. Tolstoy, who’s remembered for writing historical dramas. His cousin, Leo Tolstoy (who was born September 9, 1828) is remembered for two novels considered among the best ever written, War and Peace and Anna Karenina. Both Tolstoys wrote more,… Continue reading

  • September 9

    September 9 is memorable in quite a few ways. In the annals of monarchy, it’s the day in 1543 that Mary Stuart crowned Queen of Scots. She was only 9 months old at the time. Then a mere 472 years later, Elizabeth II became the longest-reigning monarch of the UK. She was only 89 years… Continue reading

  • Reading

    Keep this strictly secretbut my latest trick is reading. The human stuff is what I mean;its boringness? Exceeding! They go on and on (and on)their logic is precarious, It’s sad they waste their time that waybut also it’s hilarious. Their opinion of themselves is high;they find themselves astute. So I’m not going to tell themthat… Continue reading

  • Things worth a Look

    This is in McSweeny’s Internet Tendency: “A Reminder to Submit Your First Week Attendance to the Registrar, in the Style of Cormac McCarthy’s All the Pretty Horses” by Ben Steere. This is from The New Yorker: “Why AI Isn’t Going To Make Art,” by Ted Chiang. Chiang is the author of extremely thoughtful speculative fiction,… Continue reading

  • Chocolate, DDS

    If you notice When I’m chewin’,  Dental health isWhat I’m doin’. Every day I have a chew;That’s why my teeth all look brand new. My family tells me now and thenI’ve chewed what’s theirs, and don’t again. I only listen when I please;I’m watching out for cavities! -Chocolate 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.

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