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Strong, stoic men with dirty faces
“Coal” in US politics is not a fossil fuel; it’s an ideology. Coal used to be a very important fuel that powered the engines of expansion in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Mining coal back then was difficult, dangerous, and poorly paid, and the people who did it took pride in their barely-compensated… Continue reading
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December 1
Everybody in the US has heard about Rosa Parks from Montgomery, Alabama, who refused to give up her bus seat just so a white-skinned person could sit in it. It was a seminal moment in the civil rights movement, and it happened on this date, December 1, in 1955. Parks probably didn’t choose the date,… Continue reading
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AI strictly as a business
This is a really interesting analysis of the business of AI models. It’s a pretty convincing argument that it’s a pretty bad business, for some very thoughtful reasons. Continue reading
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A great disturbance in the force
There’s something out of kilter about the way we use the word “kilter.” The word’s first appearance in print (in modern form) was around 1600. For about a century before that it was “kelter.” Both kilter and its immediate predecessor “kelter” mean “in good order or good condition.” But various dialects of English have had… Continue reading
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November 30
It’s November 30, which is not the day the gigantic Louisiana Purchase took place — that was the time in 1803 that the US purchased over 800,000 square miles of land from France, just about doubling the size of the country. But November 30, 1802 had something to do with the purchase, because it was… Continue reading
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Grade inflation
I’ve been noticing something for years, after (in order): What I’ve been noticing is that US education has been in decline for a long, long time. I managed to do well in school, but I’m not sure I could have been as successful in earlier decades because the material back then was more difficult and… Continue reading
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Book ’em, Dan-O
Back in the 1800s, the name “Maria” was roughly as common as it is today, but it was pronounced “mah-RYE-ah” instead of what’s common today, “mah-REE-ah.” We still use the old pronunciation, but only when the name is spelled with an “h:” “Mariah.” But if you were in New York City around the 1830s, and… Continue reading
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Thanksgiving
Holidays are really keen;Whole family’s home! I got whipped cream!Extra walks! It’s great! I mean,Today is cool but I’m no fool —There could still be sorrow…But there’s leftovers tomorrow! -Chocolate Continue reading
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Humans
Their rules are pedantic,Their feet are gigantic.Among their many epic fails,They’ve somehow gone and lost their tails. For all their talk of giant brainsIt’s hard to teach them woofs or yelpsIt’s a wonder how they still remain;That’s why they really need my help. In spite of what I once intendedI found some I’ve close-befriended;We like… Continue reading
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November 29
Today is the anniversary of the day that Enos, the only chimpanzee to orbit the earth, was launched aboard Mercury-Atlas 5 in 1961. It was the final rehearsal of the Mercury program before John Glenn’s orbital flight. Enos completed two orbits, then his capsule reentered the atmosphere and splashed down in the Atlantic. Enos was… 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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Now Read This
This list includes only “artisanal” sites, by which I mean they’re all authored by individuals. While there are some worthwhile sites created by organizations, this is the kind I prefer to support.
[citation needed] by Molly White
Bedlam Farm Journal by Jon Katz
Full Moon Fiber Art by Maria Wulf
Daring Fireball by John Gruber
Garbagetown by Catherynne M. Valente