Sunday Social
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Posted on January 8, 2012 by

funny pictures - How about now?
see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!

Today I am thinking about weirdness. OK, maybe not weird. Quirks, habits, compulsions. I’ve got ‘em. Towels have to be folded a certain way. If someone else folds the laundry differently (ha!) I have to go behind them and fix the towels so they look right on the shelf. Hanging clothes all have to be facing the same way. If something is backwards, I have to fix it. Otherwise it just looks strange! I tend to do the same things, in the same order, day in and day out. I prefer to think of these habits of mine as a sign of orderliness, rather than the onset of OCD. But who am I to say? I’m not to the point of organizing the big kid’s LEGO’s, though I will admit the sight of all those pieces jumbled up in a giant pile makes me just a bit twitchy. I figure as long as I don’t spend half an hour locking and re-locking the front door before I can leave the house, I am probably OK. Or maybe it’s just a lack of sleep making me think I am a bit nuttier than I really am. All of us are nutty in our own special ways, I think. Sometimes I think most of us are just barely holding on to what is commonly thought of as reality. Perhaps it is just the current environment where so many people are fully embracing completely batshit insane ideas and policies as though they make perfect sense. I don’t know.

What do y’all think?

Posted in Sunday Social | 95 Comments

High Tech Animals
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Posted on January 5, 2012 by

I’ve been using skype for years, and I think we had a webcam as early as 2003 so that my son could see and talk to his grandparents. More recently, I’ve been using Google+’s video conference feature to interact with friends and for a Friday morning Torah study group I attend. My son’s laptop has facetime, but I am not sure if he uses it often. I once used facetime to talk to Peanut Butter, and she could hear my voice and read my lips at the same time. Awesome.

These are all great for people to communicate with those who are far away. But what about animals? Why should they be left out of the fun? Turns out they’re not!

FaceTime for Apes: Orangutans Use iPads to Video Chat With Friends In Other Zoos

Orangutan iPad An orangutan named Mahal plays with an iPad at the Milwaukee Zoo. Orangutan Outreach

Orangutans living in captivity will soon start using iPads for primate play-dates, using Skype or FaceTime to interact with their brethren in other zoos, according to zookeepers. The great apes have been playing with iPads for about six months at the Milwaukee County Zoo, and they’ve been such a hit that other zoos plan to introduce them, too.

The “Apps for Apes” program started after a zookeeper commented online about getting some iPads for her gorilla charges. Someone donated a used iPad, and it turned out the gorillas didn’t care for it. But the orangutans loved it, as the LA Times says.

What about safety? Would you trust your tablet, phone or laptop to an ape?  Or even to your loved ones?

Continue reading →

Posted in Humor, Lifestyle, Relaxed Politics | 49 Comments

Sunday Social
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Posted on January 1, 2012 by

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

It’s the first post of the first day of 2012. Of course if you’re like me, it’s going to take a while to get used to. I’ll be writing 2011 on checks until at least the end of February.

I don’t have any resolutions this year. I gave them up a few years ago-I never follow through, and why make myself feel bad? Mostly I am just hoping to get through the year without any major catastrophes, on a personal level as well as a national one. It’s going to be a long year of screeching, poo-flinging, and generally bad behavior so we might as well buckle down and get ready.

What about y’all? Big plans for the new year? Resolutions?

Posted in Relaxed Politics | 77 Comments

SO glad I was off the intertoobz today!
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Posted on December 29, 2011 by

image via http://www.examiner.com

Not sure if y’all have noticed, but I’m often online, on twitter, reading news, etc. as much as 14-16 hours of any day.  Today was different.  Today I had a doc appt in the morning, then got my nails done, then spent the afternoon with a friend.

Texteen is up in Delaware, visiting my folks at their new condo.  (They finally sold the house in NJ about a month ago.)  Anyway, you know Texteen and TTGF are up there visiting right?  So today was NYC day, when the kids took the bus all the way to New York by themselves to do some sightseeing and let my parents nap.  We had a long skype call last night about keeping money safe, keeping phones in front pockets, the young lady keeping her purse under her arm and zipped, with the zipper opening in front, etc.  She has traveled in Europe and he’s been to both Paris and Israel, so this was mainly a review lesson, but neither has ever been in NY without actual adults, so I reviewed last night.

So …. why am I glad I stayed off the intertoobz?

Cause THIS is not the news story you want to read when you’re kid is in New York and your parents are in Delaware!!!!

U.S. transportation officials have ordered Double Happyness Travel Inc. to immediately cease operations, deeming the company’s bus service “an imminent hazard.” Investigators said they found numerous violations of rules on vehicle maintenance and driver safety, including drug and alcohol testing and records on how long drivers were working.

Double Happyness runs buses from Albany, N.Y., Baltimore, Md., and Wilmington, Del., to midtown and Chinatown in New York City. Authorities did not cite any accidents involving the company in its press release.

Good kids, though.  They didn’t tell me anything about it until they arrived safely home to my parents’ condo.

Which means that I don’t need to go to the hairdresser tomorrow to get the brand new gray hairs covered up.

Posted in Courts and Justice, Lifestyle | 36 Comments

3rd Annual Beach House Candle Race
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Posted on December 26, 2011 by

Presenting ….. The Third Annual Chanukah Candle Race and Fundraiser!!

It’s here! It’s candle-lighting time at the Beach House, and time for the third annual Chanukah Menorah Candle Race Gambling Game & Fundraiser™!

Here’s how it works:

1) Choose a candle.  Declare your intentions in the comments.  Choose your favorite number from 1-7.  Or stubbornly choose blue, which I no longer have, and send $100 donation. I suggest you not choose the shamash, since it’s virtually guaranteed to go out first as it’s used to light all the other candles.

VOTE FOR THE CANDLE THAT WILL BURN THE LONGEST.

2) Root!  Yell at your candle, encourage your candle, offer it 70 virgin oil candles when it gets to heaven, whatever it takes.  Just please do NOT open the front door and let the wind blow out everyone else’s candle.  Electronic and hand-held fans are also banned, and throwing your latkes at other people’s candles WILL result in a life-long ban.  AND the assignment of washing the latke pan!

3) Pay up!  $10 if your candle lasts to the bitter end.  $20 if it goes out sooner than that.  OR you may volunteer for a posting slot in the schedule if you can’t cover your gambling debts.

A quick reminder that this race/fundraiser is necessary not just because I like to torture you with losing gambling endeavors, but because it actually costs $120/year plus chocolate-covered strawberries to maintain the lease on the this gorgeous house and the property/domain surrounding it.

I’ll post photos all evening.

It all goes for a good cause, especially this year.

Posted in Relaxed Politics | 63 Comments

Sunday Social
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Posted on December 25, 2011 by

I love this song, and I love this movie. yeah, the original with Cary Grant is pretty good. But the music in this is just so great, and Denzel is quite easy on the eyes! Whitney’s voice was made to sing with a choir, and this version of Joy to the World just makes me happy. I am not church-y, but there is just something about it that works for me.

By the time this post pops the madkiddies will have already torn through all their presents, and probably already gone through a dozen batteries. I hope that all the Beach Bumz have a lovely day doing whatever makes you happy. And if you’re dealing with obnoxious relatives, remember that this too shall pass.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Posted in Relaxed Politics, Sunday Social | 23 Comments

Put the Who Back in What?
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Posted on December 21, 2011 by

If Obama does it, it’s socialism and evil. If St. Ronnie of Reagan did it, they just never notice.

Happy Holidays.

Republicans Are Furious About Obama’s Christmas Card… Wait Till They See Reagan’s.
Some conservative outlets are making a fuss over the White House’s Christmas Card, saying there is no Christmas in it.

Fox News Radio ran a report that read this way, 

The official White House holiday card makes no mention of the word ‘Christmas’ and instead focused on Bo the First Dog based on the wishes of the First Family.

“From our family to yours, may your holidays shine with the light of the season,” read the inside of the card, featuring the presidential seal.

The front of the card features Bo the First Dog lounging by a fireplace. Holiday greenery is draped over the fireplace mantle. Holiday presents are placed on a table underneath a poinsettia – instead of a Christmas tree.

Besides the presents wrapped in red and gold bows, the garland, and the traditional Christmas poinsettias, there is no Christmas in it. 

Sarah Palin even opined on the issue on Fox.

“It’s odd,” Palin said, wondering why the president’s Christmas card highlights his dog instead of traditions like “family, faith and freedom.”

If she’s upset about that, wait till she sees the ones from George W. Bush and Ronald Reagan.

And what’s behind that link? Lots of cards!  Including a pinko card with no crucifix or baby in a manger!  1983.  Hmmm …. who was president in 1983?

This nontroversy brought to you by the for-profit corporate media.

 

Posted in Lifestyle, Relaxed Politics | Tagged | 87 Comments

Sunday Social
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Posted on December 18, 2011 by

Today’s song!As anyone who is in my FaceBook feed knows, I am putting up a different Christmas song every day in December until Christmas day. Several blogs are doing anti-Christmas music threads, the most detailed being the bracket playoff on Jezebel. Two of the Final Four have been chosen: All I Want For Christmas is My Two Front Teeth and The Christmas Shoes. The other two should be posted on Monday. I am going to predict that the winners of that round will be Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer and Wonderful Christmastime. Personally I don’t have an argument with any of these, they all suck. The Christmas Shoes is far and away the worst IMHO. If I hear even the first few bars of the intro music I cannot turn the channel fast enough. What do y’all think? What are your favorites? The ones that make you want to pierce your eardrums with a rusty icepick rather than listen to another note?

Posted in Sunday Social | 102 Comments

The Education of Girls
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Posted on December 14, 2011 by

The education of girls should be more of a priority.

Posted in Education News, Global News, News, Relaxed Politics | 64 Comments

Sunday Social
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Posted on December 11, 2011 by

Today’s Christmas song :) . Feeling like a crap sandwich, but today is baking day. Gotta make enough pumpkin bread for 8 teachers, assistants and instructors. Plus enough for us to have some too!

Posted in Relaxed Politics, Sunday Social | 85 Comments

Either Light or Very Odd Posting Ahead
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Posted on December 7, 2011 by

Remember how I used to have spinal injections every three months or so, back before I had “The Big Surgery” in May?  Yeah, me too!  Well, the surgery repaired several levels of my spine with fantastic results.  I still use canes, especially when I know there are stairs in my day, and when I am carrying a laptop to and fro. But I am also feeling much better most of the time, and I’m up to 12 minutes at a time on the exercise bike.  I passed 90% of my six month goals and my last set of x-rays was good.

But …..

There are still issues in the discs just south of where the surgery took place.  In the last three months, I’ve done excruciating physical therapy, changed my medication regimen twice in order to successfully jump start healing to my right leg, and have done everything according to doctor’s orders.  So, now that I have a forced vacation while the ESL school is on winter break, I’m having the spine injected/neurotomized in the hopes of having the whole spine feeling good at the same time.  Right side tomorrow at four different discs, left side in a few weeks.

The long and short of it is that I am not yet well enough to apply for full time teaching jobs, yet I’m not on disability and I’m not able to find a professional job I can do professionally and can also do physically.

What does this mean for you, dear  beach bumz?  I’m glad you asked!  If past is any indication, either it means I’m largely absent for a few days without actually earning money, or it means you get to enjoy my medication-induced perceptions about news stories and my slightly drugged photoshop efforts.  Really there’s no telling.

Procedure’s scheduled for 9:30AM Texas Time (oh so much bigger than the regular kind of time), and I should be home and sleeping it off by noon.  I can no longer blog here from my phone, but I’ll tweet and do a facebook update and maybe email some of you when I can.

A friend and former colleague is driving me down to the surgery center, and back home again.  Texteen and his girlfriend have taken charge of my meals, ice packs, etc. after school and all evening.    Have I mentioned the buckets of maturity my son has displayed since last March when we got the MRI scans showing just how bad off my spine really way? The kid has stepped up the the plate in a big way.  Drives.  Does errands.  Helps around the house as long as there’s no folding involved.

So the takeaway here is that I am allowed to insult anyone at any time with no filter and no common sense whatsoever for two days, and it’s all forgiven. And then I’ll be better than new by Saturday.

If it’s within your conmfort level, please send healing energy any time tomorrow, and maybe some guidance for the doc in the early morning.  Prayers are also welcome.

–TexBetsy

Posted in Lifestyle, Relaxed Politics | 55 Comments

The Borrowers Have Returned
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Posted on December 6, 2011 by

Y’all remember the children’s book “The Borrowers“? It’s the most commonly known of the “tiny people” books, though my favorite of this genre as a child was “The Littles“. Same basic idea. Tiny people a few inches tall who live in our midst and “borrow” our belongings for their own use. And nearly get caught. And have tiny adventures. Etc, etc.

I’ve always had “littles” in my house. They used to steal my library books right before they were due back at the library, took assorted homework assignment, and of course the requisite socks.

Well, either I’m getting old, or they’re baaaa-aaack! Oops. Wrong movie.  On Saturday, they stole my glasses from my nightstand and held onto them for four days.  After wearing my old blue glasses and squinting at things for a few days, I finally found them again.  On the floor next to my bed and under the night stand.  The same spot I’ve checked at least four times.  Maybe I would’ve found them if I’d been wearing the right glasses to begin with.

I’ve also misplaced my son’s camera and haven’t told him yet.  But I haven’t given up on that one yet!

Then this evening I was watching Netflix on my Roku in the living room.  Then, while I was sitting in the same chair as I was using at the beginning of the show, the phone rang and I couldn’t find the remote.  I still can’t find it.  It’s not on the couch, under the couch cushions, under the couch, in, under or around the recliner, on or under the coffee table, on top of the TV, or in a box with a fox eating lox.

Blame the Borrowers!

Posted in Humor, Lifestyle, Relaxed Politics | 41 Comments