Author Archives: beth

Unknown's avatar

About beth

Ann Arbor-ite writes about enjoying life with all of its ironies and surprises.
Sep4

shhh…i’m solving a crime in my head.

Posted on by
Standard

I’ve always been a fan of crime (not as a criminal), was part of The Four Crows, my childhood neighborhood detective club, looked forward to each new Nancy Drew book, read Agatha Christie as I got older, then moved on to the true crime writers, listened to crime podcasters, watched documentaries and films, and took a community class with my county sheriffs. 

Tomorrow, I’m off to the world’s largest true crime conference, CrimeCon, in Denver, Colorado  and it’s sure to be a crazy mash up of presenters and attendees. I have no desire to be part of an actual crime or work in law enforcement, but as a person who loves puzzles, I’m always trying to seek the solutions, and figure our how and why the criminals chose to commit these crimes, thinking they can get away with them. I’m especially fascinated by heists for some reason, because they are usually quite brazen and bold and they really take some detailed planning. It’s sure to be interesting…

—

‘he who does not prevent a crime when he can, encourages it.’

-seneca

*Lucius Annaeus Seneca the Younger, usually known as Seneca, was a Stoic philosopher of Ancient Rome, a statesman, a dramatist, and in one work, a satirist, from the post-Augustan age of Latin literature.

art credit: Gary Larson, The Far Side

Sep3

nothing to lose.

Posted on by
Standard

Milana Skoriic, Disheveled Flower Painting, watercolor on paper

—

September 

then the flowers became very wild

because it was early september

and they had nothing to lose

they tossed their colors every

which way over the garden wall

splattering the lawn shoving their

wild orange red rain-disheveled faces

into my window without shame. 

~ grace paley

Sep2

union.

Posted on by
Standard

 

 

Detroit Labor Day Parade 2025

yesterday, we, and many others

came together from all over, spoke out, and marched

in solidarity with the unions.

“And finally, I am here because I know we share a deep-seated belief in free collective bargaining, and in the growth and development of free and responsible unions – and unlike our opponents, we do not believe in this only on Labor Day.

I welcome the support of the working men and women of this country. I am proud of the fact that I was endorsed by the AFL-CIO. For I know that the American Labor movement wants for America what I want for America: the elimination of poverty and unemployment, the reestablishment of America’s world leadership, the guarantee of full civil rights for all our citizens. I know the American labor movement opposes what I oppose: complacency, unemployment, economic stagnation, racial discrimination, and national insecurity.

Our labor unions are not narrow, self-seeking groups. They have raised wages, shortened hours, and provided supplemental benefits. Through collective bargaining and grievance procedures, they have brought justice and democracy to the shop floor. But their work goes beyond their own jobs, and even beyond our borders.

Our unions have fought for aid to education, for better housing, for development of our natural resources, and for saving the family-sized farms. They have contributed funds and talent to improve our oversea relations. They have spoken, not for narrow self-interest, but for the public interest and for the people.

For the labor movement is people. Our unions have brought millions of men and women together, made them members one of another, and given them common tools for common goals.

Their goals are goals for all America – and their enemies are the enemies of all progress.

The two cannot be separated. The man who opposes a decent increase in the minimum wage is not likely to be more generous toward a badly underpaid schoolteacher. The man who opposes proper medical care for the aged has no more compassion for the small farmer or the small businessman or the hungry families in this Nation and around the world. He likes things the way they are. He sees no need to change – no need to grow. His theme song is: “You never had it so good.”

– From John F. Kennedy speech

in Cadillac Square, Detroit, MI, Labor Day Parade 1960

 

Sep1

llamas not in pajamas.

Posted on by
Standard

Minnesota State Fair Llama Costume Contest

whoever said llamas don’t like a little drama?

—

llamku

llama. fur is nice

it feels like a soft taco

my day is brightened.

-imgur

Aug31

one sure way to tell that fall is almost here.

Posted on by
Standard

yes, DUDE Wipes offers a seasonal Dumpkin Spice scent for the fall, featuring notes of nutmeg and clove to capture the fall pumpkin spice essence. These extra-large, flushable wipes are available from DUDE Wipes and can be found at all of your favorite stores. They’re here for your rear. (yes, these are real)

a bit of fall poetry to engage your senses:

—

‘i can smell autumn dancing in the breeze,

the sweet smell of pumpkin, the crisp sunburnt leaves.’

-ann drake

Aug30

hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia.

Posted on by
Standard

In an interview with The Guardianin 2019, English stand-up comic Chris McCausland claimed the funniest English word is “hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia.” Not only is this a silly word to say, but it also has a humorously ironic meaning, as it refers to a fear of long words.

—

‘

“don’t gobblefunk around with words.”
― Roald Dahl, The BFG

—

source credits: the guardian, wordsmarts, google images

Aug29

no cart and buggy.

Posted on by
Standard

During the Great Depression in the 1930s, most Americans were just trying to get by, and few had the luxury of coming home from the grocery store with extra items. But that didn’t stop an Oklahoma grocer from coming up with the idea of a shopping cart, an invention that started out almost as disdained as it was practical.

The man behind the idea was Sylvan N. Goldman, owner of the Humpty Dumpty grocery chain. Interested in increasing his sales, he often paid close attention to how people shopped. One thing stood out: Customers would stop shopping once their handheld baskets got too heavy. Goldman started thinking: What if there were a way for shoppers to carry more with less effort? As an experiment, he took a folding chair, added wheels to the legs, and placed a basket on the seat. He then attached a platform between the chair’s supports to hold a second basket, creating a two-tiered cart that shoppers could push.

When he rolled out these new grocery carts in 1937, he expected a runaway hit, but the reaction wasn’t exactly enthusiastic. Women, already used to pushing strollers, weren’t eager to push another one at the store. Men, on the other hand, preferred not to push something stroller-like at all, they felt it was too feminine. To get people on board, Goldman got creative. He hired store greeters to hand shoppers a cart, and even paid female and male actors/models to walk around shopping with them. Slowly, the idea caught on, and once it did, there was no going back.

—

‘why do I always choose the shopping cart with the squeaky wheel?

it is my bad luck, or are all the carts dysfunctional?’

-rachel nichols

—

source credits: history facts, npr, mallory yu

Aug28

kids. every time.

Posted on by
Standard

two of my grandchidren in 2017 march with our community


‘Children are the world’s most valuable resource and the best hope for the future.’

-John F. Kennedy, 35th President of the United States

Aug27

they’re back…

Posted on by
Standard

Fire Department Responds To Burning Mattress, 

Unsafe Concerts, As UM Students Return

 (Ann Arbor News headline – college move-in week)

—

‘the unfortunate, yet truly exciting thing about your life,

is that there is no core curriculum.

the entire place is an elective.’

-jon stewart

 

 

—

source credits: click detroit wdiv, mlive, ann arbor news

Aug26

fighting words.

Posted on by
Standard

our founding fathers irked england by inventing american english

thomas jefferson is credited with coining over 100 words — more than any other president. among the words the third president introduced are “indecipherable,” “belittle,” and “pedicure,” the latter of which means to care for the feet and toenails. “Pedicure” was one of several words that Jefferson borrowed from the French after spending many years in Paris.

next time you get your pedicure,

you’ll have TJ to thank for bringing this word to us,

otherwise you wouldn’t have known what service to ask for

when you booked your appointment. 

—

‘where can i find a man who has forgotten words so i can have a word with him?’

-zhuangzi

 

 

—

source credits: VOA, Saturday Evening Post