The Harf Project

Jim Davis, an unwitting pawn of the Harf Project...

Intro to Harf

What is harf, what does it mean, and what in hell is this web page for? All these questions and more will be answered on this web page. Keep checking back here for all of the exciting happenings of the Harf Project.

Using Harf in Conversation

If you've ever seen the cartoon "The Smurfs", then you may recall that they often substituted the word "smurf" for other words in their sentences. For example they might say "I'm going smurfing" to mean "I'm going fishing", or use "You're looking smurfy today" to mean "You're looking pretty today". Harf works similarly. I can say "Let's go harfing", "Harf off, buddy!", "I'm feeling rather harfy", etc. It is a multi-purpose word, as you can see. What does it actually MEAN? That is another story entirely. As such, I will answer that question in the following paragraph.

The Meaning of Harf

The meaning of harf is a much debated issue. Before I go too deeply into it, I will give a brief history of harf. The creator or discoverer of harf (depending on how you look at it) is my brother Matt. I don't know what age he was precisely, but he was under 6 years old, I believe, when he first began to use the word. We never really talked about it (as best I can recollect), we just both somehow knew how it was supposed to be used. We both continue to use it even now. Many of our friends have also taken up the cause of harf and use it freely. We encourage this.

Now, back to the meaning of harf. Most people ask me what harf means, because I inevitably use it in their presence. I originally claimed that it had no meaning, it was just a good word to use in any situation. Matt disagreed and claimed that it has a meaning known only to him. Being that he is the originator of harf, it is hard to argue with him. But there are those that think he is bluffing. Your guess is as good as any.

The Purpose of the Harf Project

So why does the Harf Project exist? So far it just seems like something a handful of people use...why would anyone care to hear about this? Good question. At some point it became my goal to introduce the word harf into the English language (or any other language, for that matter). And (apart from a complete media blitz funded by a wealthy supporter) what better way to promote a cause then to set up a site for it on the web?

This page will be dedicated to that cause. Additionally I will put links to any harf-related material on the internet. Feel free to contact me with any questions, comments, requests, etc. You may also find it useful to read my brother Matt's page about the Harf Project.

How Can You Help?

How can you help out the Harf Project? In many ways! Use harf in conversation and in e-mail. If you routinely have access to chalkboards, write harf on them. Send me e-mail if you find any references to harf on the internet that I don't have listed on here. And visit this site often. Anything you can do to give harf more exposure will help the cause.

Now you can join the Harf Project mailing list. It will mainly be dedicated to discussion of harf, notification of updates to the Harf Project page, and discussion of newly discovered harf sitings. Click here to subscribe!

Harf Links

• About the Harf Project -- A page describing the Harf Project, created by my brother Matt.
• Harf Project Mailing List -- A mailing list for the Harf Project. Subscribe now!
• Saudia Arabia in the Springtime -- A nice poem on the subject of Harf.
• Ackanomic -- A great play by e-mail game. But also a game into which I successfully introduced harf. There is even an officer in the game called the Harfmeister. This has been one of the major successes of the Harf Project.
• Houston Area Rottweiler Fanciers -- For a long time people thought harf was an acronym, and a number of people thought this is what it stood for. Apparently this is a real organization. I had no idea.
• Hoosier Auto Racing Fans -- Another group for whom harf is nothing but an acronym.
• Mait HARF, PhD -- This individual works for the Institute of Cybernetics in Estonia. Mait is now the official Cyberneticist for the Harf Project (although I haven't told them that).
• Real Life with Susan Harf -- Susan Harf is a family therapist that hosts a radio show in Rochester, NY. Although she doesn't know it, she is the official family therapist for the Harf Project.
• Commission’s move came as a surprise -- Jane Harf is the executive director of the Ohio Low-Level Radioactive Waste Facility, and this is an article about her.
• Rootsweb -- This is a service to research your ancestors. One individual is researching a man by the name of Harve Harf Holland.
• Katherina Harf -- I don't know who she is, but here's her e-mail.
• Use of the word harf -- It is used to mean "error" in this case.
• Spike Lives! -- This page is the handywork of Spike Blake, although it is not Spike's page. It is short and to the point. Classic. Spike did not create it, I believe she merely was the inspiration for it. I'm not "in the know" on this one, so I can't provide any more details.
• Jason Millis' Resume -- Apparently he's always been a "harf worker".
• Levi's Customer Testimonials -- One salesperson always "works harf for her clients".
• Definition of Harf -- Yet another supposed definition of harf.
• Chords For "Did Ya" -- Contains the lyric "harf hearted plans".
• Origin of the Name "Harf" -- Where the name originated from.
• ...my poetry page... -- "I will decide WHAT will be posted on this page (harf)."
• WWW.HARF.COM -- Harf Information Technology, apparently. I think a hostile takeover is in order.
• Harf Means Vomit? -- This newsgroup message was found by Kim Scarborough. When you read the message, pay special attention to #157.

Harf Graphics

• Odie saying harf -- This is the cartoon featured at the top of this page.
• Computer problems -- The computer is saying harf. I found this cartoon at this web site.
• No harfing! -- No harfing allowed, apparently. I also found this cartoon at this web site.
• HARF Driver of the Year -- An award given by the Hoosier Auto Racing Fans. I found this at this web page.
• Universe Man -- Universe Man, from the Tiny Toons video of Particle Man by They Might Be Giants, saying "Harf!". Joel Thomas modified the original image in order to create this.
• Harf Background -- The ideal background for Windows or any web page! Made by Joel Thomas.
• Harf Cover Art -- The cover art from the album "Harf" by the Iranian artist Googoosh. Found at this web page.
• Harf Button -- A delightful graphic sporting the phrase "Blah is nothing. Obey your harf." The name of the file "harfbutton3.gif" leads me to wonder if there are two previous incarnations of which I am unaware. Made by Spike Blake.
• Another Harf Button -- Still more wonderful harf artwork created by Spike Blake.
• Harf Banner -- This banner advertises Spike Blake's web page and sports the word harf.
• Yet Another Harf Button -- Another great creation of Spike Blake.
• Ditto -- A larger harf button, again made by the amazing and wonderful Spike Blake.
• Ditto -- A colorful harf button created by Spike Blake.
• Ditto -- A button that says "Here's the harfin' story", made by Spike Blake.
• Larger Harf Graphic -- The bold "Blah is nothing. Obey your harf." in larger text. Created by the incomparable Spike Blake.
• Five Harfs -- An animated GIF! The word harf written in 5 different colors in a nice font. They kind of blink and bounce around slightly. Very nice to look at. Created by the inventive Marita Johnson.
• Multicolored Harf Button -- Yet another great harf button, made by Spike Blake.
• Harf Beer -- This doctored photograph was created and submitted by Matt Harding.
• Harf Autograph -- This is a scanned picture of the cover of the album "Apple Venus, Volume 1" by the great band XTC. It is autographed and harfed by Andy Partridge (one of the members of XTC). Obtained and scanned by the undeniable Matthew Harding.

Mysterious Harf Links

• Unknown 1 -- This page is entitled "New Harf Show Time" and features a number of pictures of people, buildings, etc. How is harf related? The world may never know.
• Unknown 3 -- Entitled "HARF KODLARI" this page is quite mysterious.
• Unknown 4 -- Anyone speak Turkish? Check out an e-mail about the Turkish word harf.
• Unknown 5 -- This is a personal homepage located in Sweden. On this page the author comments "Nice dudette, aey? *harf, harf*". I have no idea what he means, but I like his style.
• Unknown 6 -- This displays a poem in a foreign language and gives the English translation. In the foreign version the word harf appears many times. If anyone knows what it means in this context, please let me know.
• Harf Means...? -- This newsgroup message was found by Kim Scarborough. It makes use of the word harf, presumably a word in some other language. I have no idea what language, or what harf means in that language.

Unconfirmed Harf Links

• Harf Tazeh -- A Real-Audio song called "Harf Tazeh."
• Rocky Warner Picture Show -- A script for RHPS, except with Animaniacs characters. Features Wakko "harfing" into a bag or some such.

Supporters of the Harf Project

If you think your name should be proudly listed below, send me e-mail in order to rectify the situation.

• Matthew Harding -- The creator/discoverer of harf! Likes to lick mad goats.
• Joel Thomas -- One of the oldest supporters of the Harf Project, Joel is best known for his uncanny ability to give his exact longitude and latitude at any given time.
• Curtis Klager -- The tallest supporter of the Harf project, and the most likely to commit armed robbery.
• Sean Crystal -- The most crystalline supporter, and the only one who doesn't (or didn't last I checked) know how to swim.
• Spike Blake -- The only supporter of the Harf Project who is also an officer on a starship.
• Tom Walmsley -- A player in Ackanomic (whose Acka name is The Gingham Wearer). He makes use of the Harf Background for one of the Acka web pages, and is a staunch supporter of the Harf Project. Why is this description longer than all of the preceding ones? Because I don't know him as well as the above people, so of course I must compensate for that by writing a lot about him. Any supporter of the Harf Project is a friend of mine.
• Brian Handley -- Another long-time supporter of the Harf Project. In 10th grade, Brian's hair exhibited many of the best qualities of harf.
• Matt "The Mystical One" -- I don't know this guy, nor his last name, but he did create a page dedicated to harf. He is using the Harf Project in an attempt to reach his unrealistic goal of 100,000,000 hits on his web page, but little does he know that the Harf Project is always 57 steps ahead of everyone else. Spike Blake was responsible for his conversion to the ways of harf.
• Marita Joy Johnson -- This is another supporter of the Harf Projected whom I do not know. She left a message in my guestbook saying that "i just put the word harf on my page for no apparant reason and a link to your page underneath it." I checked her page and found this claim to be false -- however, upon confronting her about this duplicity she explained that while she did once have such a link, that it had since been erased in a subsequent revision of her page. She agreed to replace the link (which is still there, when last I checked on 7/14/98) and so became a supporter of the unstoppable Harf Project. Plus, from what I've gathered from her page, she's an interesting person even apart from her support of the Harf Project. So there. New flash! I just noticed (9/24/98) that she has redesigned her page and made a nice harf graphic.
• Mysterio Gal -- This lady also signed my guestbook and declared "I also feel the harf project is a great idea, and shall support it in the appropriate ways of supporting Harf." Needless to say I was overjoyed -- the more supporters the better! I investigated her page and discovered that she used the word harf on her page, and put a link back to my home page. What more could I ask for? Well, I could ask for a link directly to this page, but I'm not a difficult man -- I take what I can get!
• Lora Handley -- Lora hopes one day to give birth to giraffes. In addition, she also is a supporter of the Harf Project. She shows her support by vowing to educate all of her baby giraffes in the ways of harf. When her giraffe progeny conquer the world, she has promised that they will bleat harf loudly and often. This is the sign of a true supporter of the Harf Project.
• Phil Ackley -- Phil is both exceptionally harfy and an exceptional supporter of the Harf Project. I have no idea why it took me so long to add him to this page. He has made Dave Barry laugh, so let's all tip our hats to the irrefutable Phil Ackley.
• Kim Scarborough -- Another conspicuous absence on this page, again with no good reason for the omission. I've never met him in person, but that is true of many of the supporters of the Harf Project. I will tell you just one thing about him: he is inscrutable.
• Laura -- Not Laura Koehn, whom I know in person. This Laura's last name is unknown to me, but she did agree to be a supporter of the Harf Project. She provided one of the mysterious harf links above. As well, she appears to be of a philosophical bent, which is always a good thing. Finally, she is able to tame brook trout with the power of her mind alone.