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Many happy absurdities of the day
It’s November 26, and there have been some interesting events today. I said it’s November 26, and there have been some interesting events today. One of them, all though not the most interesting, is that Tony Verna was born on this date in 1933. For a closer look, that’s this date in 1933. Why am… Continue reading
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November 26
In some years (not this one), today is Thanksgiving in the US. This isn’t going to be about Thanksgiving, though. In fact I wouldn’t be surprised if Thanksgiving isn’t mentioned even once. On a later edit, I guess that should say “I wouldn’t be surprised if Thanksgiving isn’t mentioned more than three times.” Oh, one… Continue reading
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Not my problem
“Patience,” my humans will tell me,But I find that I do not agree.If you ever collect your own humans,Their slowness is what you will see. They insist they must put their big coats on —It’s their fault they have no fur at all.Those humans can’t keep track of their items;They just throw away tennis balls!… Continue reading
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November 25
If you’re reading this in the morning on November 25, the first thing you should do is make sure nothing breakable is near the edge of a shelf or table or counter. Because for some reason, today seems to have a particular affinity to earthquakes. The first one we have any records of was in… Continue reading
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Into the woods
My favorite walks are in the woodsBut I do get so excited;squirrels, chipmunks, birds, and leaves:just some of what I’ve sighted. Trails feel better to my feetthan stupid sidewalks do.They’re one of humans’ worst ideasin my waggy view. The sniffs and soundsare extra good.I love my walksinto the woods. -Chocolate Continue reading
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A cold case
The Antarctic Mystery with Another Antarctic Mystery In 1897 Jules Verne wrote An Antarctic Mystery. It’s a two-volume novel that is a sort of a sequel to The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket. Sequels are pretty common, of course, but in this case Verne’s novel was a sequel to a book written by… Continue reading
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November 24
Every once in a while there’s a day that seems to be tied to an idea. The thing is, it’s not always easy to discover what the idea is. Take today, for example. November 24 is Evolution Day in celebration of the date in 1859 that Charles Darwin published On the Origin of Species. It… Continue reading
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Hit the road, Jack
Old joke: “there are no roads in the City of London”. (The City of London is relatively small, ancient, and not the same as “London” itself). The joke is true; there’s not a single passageway there called a “road” — because by the time “road” entered English, every similar thing in the City of London… Continue reading
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November 23
Have you ever wondered why actors are called “thespians”? It’s because of November 23. Partly, anyway. This is the day in 534 BCE that, according to Aristotle, someone named “Thespis” was the first person to portray a character on stage in a play. We’re talking about well over two thousand years ago, when record keeping… Continue reading
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Stamp out damp
Getting rained on is not my thing;I don’t like getting wet —I don’t enjoy baths much either.I’m told I can swim but I haven’t tried yet. The problem is that once I’m wetI just don’t like my choices.It’s shaking, towels, or those hot air thingswith such annoying voices. On rainy days I mostly stay insideand listen to… 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