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That word again
My humans use a word sometimesthat bothers me. I’ll tell it:The word is “no.” They like it so;They sometimes even yell it! The word’s supposed to mean to stopOr stay away or quietThey’re never sure;They can’t decide.So usually I don’t buy it. It all goes back to their beliefthat they’re the boss of me.That isn’t soat… Continue reading
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Al-Biruni
Every once in a while you hear about somebody tagged as “the father of this” or “the mother of that.” But there’s a person you may not have heard of who’s credibly called the father of four entire fields: comparative religion, Indology (south Asian studies), anthropology, and geodesy (measurement and representation of Earth). I’m talking… Continue reading
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Thar she blowth
You measure how wide something is by assessing its width. When you check how long it is, you have its length. Then you measure how tall it is, and you get…height. But not “heighth.” The “-th” ending comes from Old English. It’s also used in other Germanic languages as a way to change a verb… Continue reading
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Too tall
I feel sorry for my human friends;poor guys are simply too tall. Noses so highup there in the skyare just no use at all. -Chocolate Continue reading
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September 4
If you’d been around on September 4, 1923 and had one of those newfangled box cameras everybody seemed to be buying, you might have taken a photo of the USS Shenandoah on its first-ever flight. It was the first airship in the US (they’d been in use in Europe for quite some time). It was… Continue reading
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Manifesto
I’m sorry to have to say this to youbut there might have been problemsat some random zoo. The problems with humanshave not been abatedso squirrels and humans?They must be related! You know about squirrels;each one is a dope.And humans, it seems,can’t learn to say “nope.” When they’re given a choicebetween dopey and sillyI’ve seen them… Continue reading
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Tergiversation
“He knew … that flight was impossible; that he was tied fast under the shadow of the axe; and that in spite of his utmost tergiversation and treachery in furtherance of the reigning terror, a word might bring it down upon him.” That’s from A Tale of Two Cities by Dickens, and it’s a rare… Continue reading
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John Humphrey Noyes
In the mid-19th Century there was a social movement, mostly in the US, based on the idea that it was possible to create an ideal, perfect community. Quite a few such communities were founded and many continued for years. Their plan was to demonstrate that if a small community could thrive by following their ideas… Continue reading
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September 3
Welcome to September 3, National Welsh Rarebit Day! It was originally called “Welsh rabbit”, even though it doesn’t contain any rabbit, and the ingredients probably wouldn’t even appeal to rabbits. It’s a pretty simple dish; basically just cheese on toast. The name has morphed into “rarebit” instead of “rabbit” because too many people were confused.… Continue reading
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Don’t you dare try to escape!
We hate to miss outon anything fun,so we bark and wagand jump and run. If you’re going outsidewe’re coming tooJust to keepour eyes on you. If you find a ball,You just might throw itAnd we will chase it;Don’t you know it. And there might be a squirrelor rabbit out there;That’s our job‘cause you don’t care.… 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
- Nonsensical padding
- Dis- or Ab-?
- Thoughtfulness about fake thought
- Drink plenty of liquids
- “Hawkweed?”
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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