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Okay, I’ll be social
I never used to like to meetanother dog out on the streetThe reason why I can’t suppose;Now I greet them, nose to nose. -Chocolate Continue reading
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October 8
Ken Warby was born in 1939 — not on October 8; he’s not appearing here because of his birthday. It’s because Warby’s boyhood hero was Donald Campbell. To Donald Campbell, the most important thing was speed records — he set speed records (eight of them) for top speeds in cars and boats. He was following Continue reading
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Don’t get me wet
Rain is a pain;I do not enjoy damp.Drips on my coatget no OK stamp If it’s raining don’t botherwe don’t need to talk;I’ll just go right on napping;Forget the darn walk. -Chocolate Continue reading
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Don’t be shy
Literature set in England in the 1700s and 1800s is a good place to find exclamations like “You hare-hearted, milk-livered poltroon!” (1769). It was both a generalized insult and a specific reference to being cowardly. It’s such an apt thing to shout at someone that you still find it in modern works like Mutiny on the Continue reading
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October 7
Railroads are older than you think. That’s because when we think of railroads, we naturally envision a locomotive (diesel, electric, or steam powered) and railcars, all rolling on steel tracks. But what are the really essential parts of the system? Tracks, certainly, along with some kind of containers being conveyed along them in some way. Continue reading
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Stinky is stinky
Not too long after Izaak Walton wrote a heartfelt guide to fishing in The Compleat Angler in 1653, George Gascoigne penned The Noble Arte of Venerie or Hunting in 1575. Both books were what today we might call how-to guides. Among the handy pointers Gascoigne dispensed was this: “There is difference betweene the fewmet of Continue reading
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Hedgehog and the invasion
Hedgehog was worried. “I’m worried,” he said to Squirrel. “What is it this time?” asked Squirrel, who sometimes found Hedgehog’s constant worrying a bit tedious. “I’m worried about the invasion.” “What did you say?” asked Squirrel, astonished. “The invasion. I think it’s going to happen today, and I’m worried. Sure, I’m small; I can probably Continue reading
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C’mon, man!
My hurry up and go-nessIs annoyed by human slowness They simply lack velocity!This earns my animosity. -Chocolate Continue reading
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Abacot or not?
People who compile reference books like dictionaries have to be on the lookout, not just for mountweazels inserted into other references as copyright bait, but also for simple mistakes. After all, if you’re going to write your own dictionary, some of the best places to start are other dictionaries. But what if one of them 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.
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peterharbeson@me.com