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Egalitarianism
Hayley and I,We like things to be fairLike the number of treatsAnd whose turn for the chair. When our family brings usNew toys from the store We check to be sureThat neither gets more But one thing they miss, (Though it’s only their fate):Some toys smell okayWhile others smell great! So that is one spotOf an overlap,… Continue reading
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Sorry, not sorry
I like my gamesto be the same.I always returnthe way I came. This frees my mindto contemplatephilosophiesin aggregate. Annoyance whenthings deviatecan turn my actionsreprobate. I do not meanto be the bearerof bad dogness;it’s just my terror coming outwhen things surprise —so in advance:I apologize. -Chocolate Continue reading
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September 15
September 15 features a wide range of holidays and observances, some of them fairly unusual. First of all, of course, it’s global Free Money Day. The idea is simple; you just give away money (generally two bills or two coins) to strangers, or leave it someplace it will be found. You can share physically or… Continue reading
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My morning routine
A stretch and a shakeis a move that I makefirst thing in the morningas soon as I wake. Then out for a runand some other quick fun,a drink and some breakfast —my day’s well begun. -Chocolate Continue reading
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This title is a placeholder
The names “John Doe” and “Jane Doe” are placeholders used in legal documents to represent people whose names are either unknown or can’t be revealed. There’s a word for placeholders like that: “kadigan.” And there are other kadigans besides Jane and John. Blackacre is a kadigan for a piece of property, like an acre of… Continue reading
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September 14
September 14, 1914, marked the birth of Clayton Moore — The Lone Ranger. His real name was Jack — not short for anything; just Jack Moore. He started using the stage name Clayton around 1940 when he was working as a stuntman and extra in movies as well as doing modeling work. Moore enlisted in… Continue reading
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September 13
It’s September 13, and as everybody in Great Missenden knows, September 13 has Rules. There are 8 of them. JUST ADD CHOCOLATE is the first rule. This is something that Milton Hershey took to heart in 1900 when he started manufacturing chocolate bars. He had already sold his first company — which made caramel —… Continue reading
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For your trouble, here’s a gowpen
At various times and places throughout history, it’s been difficult to get your hands on whatever passed for “official” money. It could have been because there just wasn’t any such thing at the time, or because there just wasn’t a means for manufacturing whatever it was supposed to be — often, but not always, metal… Continue reading
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Some of my favorite things
Scratching of earsis a very good practiceby humans who learn it —and also the fact isthat me and my dog palslove things that are smelly,and crunchies, and playtime, andrubs on our bellies.And another good thingthat we all think is funnyIs chasing a fluff-headedtrespassing bunny. -Chocolate Continue reading
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Walter B. Gibson
Not many people are aware of the link between magic — I mean, the kind of illusions a stage magician performs — and writing, particularly fiction. The link is made explicit by the writers who find Henning Nelms’ book Magic and Showmanship: A Handbook for Conjurers to be full of good advice for storytelling as… Continue reading
About Me
I’m Pete Harbeson, a writer (among other things) located near Boston, Massachusetts. In addition to writing my own content, I’ve learned to translate for my loquacious and opinionated pup Chocolate Bossypaws. No surprise, she mostly speaks in doggerel. You can find her contributions tagged with Chocolatiana.
Check out my newsletter, Artisanal Scribbles, where I’m grappling with writing, authentic human authorship, integrity, and the craft of beauty in the AI age. You can also find some of my old software projects at GitHub. Nothing very impressive. I mostly wrote tiny utilities in Python and shell scripts. I’m mostly retired from coding nowadays.
I find myself suddenly de-corporatized (their choice, not mine). To help keep the lights on, buy me a coffee!
Recent Posts
- The Cycles within the Arc
- I’d rather have a taco
- 20-something Hubris
- You can’t be a leader without followers
- Candy Trees and Handkerchiefs
Categories
Artificial Intelligence
Chocolatiana
Essays
History, sort of
Immorality
Incompetence
Quotations
Resistance
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Tales from the Forest
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Tragedy
Unanticipated Consequences
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Contact
peterharbeson@me.com