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Who’s in charge here?
Don’t bother asking who’s the bossI’ll tell you right now: it’s me. When everybody does what I say to doThings will be great. You’ll see! -Chocolate Continue reading
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A net gain
What we know as “tennis” is not the original game of tennis. The original tennis is probably derived from the French word “tenez,” which means “look out!” — probably because it’s a game in which somebody uses a racquet to hit a ball at you as hard as they can. Tennis was played as early… Continue reading
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All Wet
Humans never shake themselves!They never even try. What I can’t figure out is this:How do they get dry? -Chocolate Continue reading
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August 30
Now that the pandemic is over and world travel is again a reasonable activity, you might decide to visit as exotic a location as you could find. Even one that might be pretty hard to find, like, for example, East Timor. Timor is an island at the southern end of the island chains in southeast… Continue reading
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Non-fawning fawns
It’s not a good look to be fawning over somebody. Fawning is “courting favor by an abject demeanor.” It can also mean to cringe, as if you’re sure you’re about to be beaten, or insulted, or otherwise ill-used by somebody that you can’t or won’t fight back against. In fiction, it’s usually the bad guy’s… Continue reading
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Charles Kettering
We often hear about the “big name” inventors who are credited with this or that major innovation, but not about the many others whose work refines “big ideas” into things that are actually usable. One of the people you may not have heard of is Charles Kettering, who was born August 29, 1876 in Ohio… Continue reading
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They Try
Although my friends will argueI say humans can be taught.It’s taken time and patiencebut mine do what they ought. They try their best(most of the time)to do their latest task.And since they’re not as smart as usThat’s all that we can ask. They can’t, of course,sniff anything; They never win a race.But I don’t mind their… Continue reading
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August 29
Today is the anniversary of the opening of the Mount Washington Cog Railway. It was the first “rack railroad” in the world that used gears to make it possible to climb such a steep grade. The whole thing was a tourist attraction right from the start; there’s really no reason to visit the top of… Continue reading
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Satoshi Tajiri
If a boy enjoys insect collecting and wants to become an entomologist, but the town where he grew up gets engulfed by an expanding city, much of it is paved, and the habitats where he hunted bugs disappear, what can he do? In the case of Satoshi Tajiri, who was born August 28, 1965 near… Continue reading
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Air Jordans?!?
Have you ever noticed that people who lack compassion are called “ruthless,” but the most caring, empathetic person in the world isn’t called “ruthful” or “ruth”? That’s a relatively recent development; up until the 1800s, “ruth” was a relatively common word, and sure enough, it meant the opposite of “ruthless.” “Ruth” entered English long ago,… 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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