beta.

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2025 marks the start of generation beta

The reign of Generation Alpha is over — now introducing: Gen Beta. While we have yet to see this new era take shape, we know that many of these children will be the offspring of millennials and older Gen Zers, living until the 22nd century.

Gen Beta kids, who are expected to become 16% of the global population by 2035, will grow up in a world infused with technology and AI, which could impact everything from their schools to doctor’s offices. They’ll walk the tightrope of forming their identities and developing relationships both online and IRL, but their parents will be well-equipped to help them.

“We predict Generation Beta will embody the balance between hyper-connectivity and personal expression,” wrote author and social researcher Mark McCrindle, who coined the name Gen Beta. “They’ll redefine what it means to belong, blending in-person relationships with global digital communities.”

But tech isn’t the only factor that will impact these quarter-century babies. Click here to learn more in Nice News’ guide to the different generations — from Alpha to Z.

 

‘take the platapus – that is not a finished product.

it is clearly still in beta.’

-stephen colbert

 

 

image credit pinterest 

source credit: julia diddy, nice news

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

reading instruction.

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the cat tower building instructions had me wondering

why do the people in the examples look like friendly ghosts and what are they doing?

i think these pictures meant:

‘warning!

when you open the box of parts

do not throw this instruction manual into the trash

because you will need it

or else you,

(the other ghost, not the throw-away-er,)

might get hurt while building the tower.’

if i interpreted it right

i really needed instructions for the instructions. 

luckily, i did not throw the instructions away

 my daughter built the tower without incident or injury. 

close call.

‘everything in this world, said my father, is big with jest,

and has wit in it, and instruction too, if we can but find it.’

-laurence sterne, irish-born english novelist and humorist

 

goodbye, jimmy.

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‘i will never lie to you.’

-jimmy carter, 39th president of the united states,

nobel prize winner, volunteer, father, husband

champion of the less fortunate and supporter of global humanity

one of my favorite humans

passed away on december 29, 2024 at 100 years old

today, he will be remembered and celebrated

in his beloved hometown of plains, georgia, usa

be like jimmy.

photo credit: bettman archive, novermber 09, 2009

 

it is this cold today.

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 this sign just may stay up for a while.

 

‘one day it was so cold, i almost got married.’

-shelley winters, american actress

 

 

 

 

image credit: pinterest

shanty.

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this is amazing

i had no idea this was a thing

that’s cool that this young musician

knows the old music of the sea

carrying on the traditions

i’m hoping that

voyageurs, sailors, sea captains, pirates, oarsman, and explorers show up. 

 maybe a parrot.

‘just because i can’t sing, doesn’t mean i won’t sing.’

-word porn

learn to fly.

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may this be the year you learn to fly. 

Photographer Hannie Heere was photographing barn owls when she captured an unusual shot of a baby barn owl running across grass. Barn owlets start flapping their wings at seven weeks, making short flights around the nest at eight weeks.

‘we learn to fly not by being fearless, but by the daily practice of courage.’

-sam keen, american author, professor, and philosopher

 

dj.

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luckily my new record player came with its own DJ
pete the cat is in the house.
 
 
 
 
‘i still DJ the same way, but I’m not a scratch-scratch-scratch battle DJ.
no, I’ll rock the house. I’m old school.’
-dj yella

 

a going on.

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years come and go

with friends by the fire

mystery game

comfort food

charades

music 

talk.

‘year’s end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on,

with the wisdom that experience can instill in us.’

-hal borland

 

piecing it together.

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as a person who loves puzzles

since i learned

team puzzle competitions were a thing

i’ve wanted to compete in one

 finally the opportunity arose

the night of the event arrived

people in teams of four

would compete to finish the same unknown puzzle

in the shortest period of time

my team’s name was 

‘the last piece is under the table’

there were 12 competing teams

beverages and snacks and rules

a little friendly trash-talking

  giant timer on a screen counting the seconds, minutes, hours

each team had their own strategies, methods, plans

part of the challenge is working in a team itself

each person has their own way of solving puzzles

 with different levels of competitive spirit and ingenuity

but i consider that part of the puzzle too

trying to solve how to work together as one

to complete the puzzle on the table  

the judge started the clock

the buzzer went off

when we opened the wrapping

it was a circular, colorful, 500 piece

we threw everything on the floor 

dumped the pieces on the table

and were off

as expected, we all had different strengths and strategies

adapting as we went, changing spots, some stood, some sat

communication was key

‘who has the pink dots, is that a bird’s beak, what does that word say, look for purple…’

personalities were revealed

in an ebb and flow of emotions

we worked as fast as we could

 suddenly 

the team behind us

who all stayed seated and worked silently 

announced they were finished just 40 minutes in

mind blown

only motivated us more

i was literally sweating 

quite a workout

we kept working as fast as we could

while one team after another

completed their puzzles 

we did not stop

at one point it was clear we would be the last team

we had a good laugh

exhausted

but refused to give up

i asked how late they would be open

finally

at 1 hour and 50 minutes

we did it!

and it was fun!

i was just happy to finish 

i’ll be back to try again

when talking to the judge after 

he said the silent sitting team that won so quickly

go to the world championships each year

(what?! world championships?!)

they have not yet won at that level

but enter these competitions

to stay sharp and practice

makes good sense

now i feel

it’s may be only a matter of time 

 i’ll be writing about a puzzle competition from italy one day

but in the meantime

i had a blast

 we had no pieces under the table

and that’s something.

‘a group is a bunch of people in an elevator.

a team is a bunch of people in an elevator, but the elevator is broken.’ 

-bonnie edelstein, parade magazine

the four crows.

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we were a formidable team

my two sisters

one friend

and i

 an ad-hoc agency

fashioning ourselves

the finest of sleuths

solving crimes

righting wrongs

all around

our neighborhood

it was our job

our destiny

the four crows

walked the streets

the fields

the woods

went in old abandoned houses

from another time

looking for clues

to

crack puzzles

solve problems

imagined

and

created

as we

dreamed up

our cases

reading bits of discarded notes and lists

finding an empty pill bottle

 asking a neighbor

where his wife was

as we hadn’t seen her recently

 left a note

for a woman

who yelled at her adopted children

telling her she was too mean

we clearly

way overstepped our bounds

as detectives

sometimes

tend to do

all

in the pursuit of justice

 in an attempt

to right wrongs

to restore balance

to keep peace

protect people

in a community

that didn’t know

they needed us

or that we were on the case

always looking out for them

in the most secret of ways

plainclothes

and

undercover

as a

murder of four crows

all under the age of 8

“the case called for plain, old-fashioned police leg work!”
― donald j. sobol, encyclopedia brown, boy detective