I sometimes feel that I need to look in a mirror to see if I have a target printed on my back. This morning when I was looking at the posts of blogs I follow, I typed a comment into a box on one of those sites and then a notification box popped up. “To … Continue reading WordPres … | Continue reading
When Alexa A.I. becomes self-aware… I can relate… | Continue reading
On some posts yesterday I remarked that we were concerned about Ollie. He had a couple of not so good days last week, and then on Sunday he refused to eat. That really worried us, especially as we were going out that night for Julie’s birthday dinner. However, when we got home an … | Continue reading
This is the eleventh part of a fiction serial, in 796 words. The close was dark and quiet as Luke reversed his car onto the driveway. The only house showing a light was next door, Veronica’s place. She was always a night-owl, but then that was necessary in her profession. Opening … | Continue reading
Over the last decade, the UK has been losing its traditional pubs by the thousands. High running costs, increased rents, and numerous other reasons mean that many much-loved pubs and ancient inns are having to close down for good. Some are redeveloped into different uses, while o … | Continue reading
It is Julie’s birthday today, so there will be no episode of my current serial, ‘Acacia Close’. Back to normal tomorrow, all being well. | Continue reading
Today is Julie’s birthday. She has never been fond of having a birthday so soon after Christmas, and at a time of year when the weather is usually bad. So yesterday her twin daughters prepared a Birthday Tea for her at one of their houses. Home made food and cakes, cards and gift … | Continue reading
Before the modern advances in medicine, social care, and sympathy for the disabled and unfortunate, people born with deformities had no way to make a living other than to display themselves in the various freak shows, circuses, and carnivals that were popular all over the world. … | Continue reading
This is the tenth part of a fiction serial, in 830 words. In the bungalow next door to Sam and Grace, Stanley Pomeroy was staring at the television. He hadn’t changed the channel for years, as he never actually watched the programme. He just left it on for the noise, because he f … | Continue reading
A selection of genuine old advertisements that would be considered either offensive or inappropriate in the modern age. Men wrestling in specialist underwear? I bet there’s a website for that now. I’m guessing nobody ever took one to an actual party. She is hiding her ball and ch … | Continue reading
Stevie Turner has a special offer on one of her books until the 31st of this month. Please follow the link for more details | Continue reading
This is the ninth part of a fiction serial, in 800 words. The first neighbourly social occasion for Alan and Jenny was unplanned. A knock on the door late on Saturday afternoon revealed two smiling people standing there, looking like thay had both just stepped out of a spray tan … | Continue reading
I received an email from WordPress yesterday about my blog’s stats for December 2023. This was a first for me, I don’t recall them ever doing this before. WordPress.com Dec 1 – Dec 31, 2023 Monthly report. Here’s how beetleypete.com performed last month. Visitors 2,086 Views 6,78 … | Continue reading
This is the eighth part of a fiction serial, in 798 words. Grace Verney was standing in the small front garden of her bungalow watching the new man fixing something to Veronica’s front door. She plucked at a few weeds to make it look as if she had a reason to be there, but anythi … | Continue reading
An unusual collection I found online. A holiday photo from Oregon, 1914. We all know a small child like that. She is advertising her soft shoulders. Well, she said it… A very early version of website dating. An ambiguous service announcement. They could at least have looked happy … | Continue reading
Gavin lives in New Zealand and acts as a Justice of the Peace there. He has some thoughts about the current generation. Generation Z = those now at high school till early 20s. I saw an article on Stuff, which I have quoted from, and it answered a few questions for me. Over the la … | Continue reading
This is the seventh part of a fiction serial, in 764 words. The estimates had been worth going out to. Two confirmed the job, including one large house that needed complete re-wiring and would take a good few weeks. That would be a good earner, so Alan was very pleased. The secon … | Continue reading
This tiny residence is perched on Lower Gate State which overlooks a stunning harbour called Conwy Quay. Traditionally, the houses in the area were occupied by local fishermen who would live and work on the water. You will find it nestled in amongst a pretty row of terraced cotta … | Continue reading
Rumour has it that they are still sitting near The Forth Bridge in Scotland, waiting to be discovered. How long did it take to do her hair? Gustav might be spinning in his grave if he knew about this travesty. Just too creepy! Scary ventriloquist dummy also chasing women on the c … | Continue reading
This is the sixth part of a fiction serial, in 794 words. Colin’s daughter Jacqueline took after her father. Pushy at work, snobbish in the extreme, and completely convinced of her own superiority. She couldn’t wait to get away from the small provincial town and live in London, e … | Continue reading
When you have had enough of the horrors of this modern world, it is good to take a break and watch something that makes you happy. A retired postman and keen photographer who lives in Wales noticed that every night things were moving around on his workbench. So he set up a hidden … | Continue reading
Continuing the series into the new year. When you can’t afford a horse-box. I think Auntie has had too much to drink! Dad has just realised that his best friend has ginger hair. So proud of his culinary skills. The Poodles’ birthday party. Marta will go to any lengths for a free … | Continue reading
Yesterday I posted about our concern for our American blogging friend, Don Ostertag. Luckily, GP had an email address for him, so I contacted Don to ask how he was. Last night, I received this short reply. ‘Bad Covid and an accident has left me in bad shape, Pete.’ So, poor Don i … | Continue reading
This is the fifth part of a fiction serial, in 766 words. Colin was worn out and dirty. There was no time to wash the car this morning, as he still had lots to do. Digging out the large raised beds in the greenhouse had taken longer than expected. He had to carefully remove all … … | Continue reading
There has not been much happening lately, so this will be shorter than usual. Our Christmas tree and decorations were taken down and put away, so the Christmas season is officially over in our house. Some local houses still have exterior Christmas lights on at night though. ————— … | Continue reading
Some of us are concerned about our blogging friend, Don Ostertag. BELAFONTE (29) The last post on Don’s blog was in November 2023, and in one of the comments his son Erik expresses concern about his health. I do not have any personal contact details for Don, so I am asking everyo … | Continue reading
For many years now, consumers in this country have been obsessed by ‘expiry’ dates on everything in the shops. This has resulted in a monumental amount of food waste. Research tells me that the two main items discarded by people are milk and bread. This is followed by vegetables, … | Continue reading
This is the fourth part of a fiction serial, in 737 words. Alan answered the doorbell on Sunday morning. It was the young bloke from down the street, the one who had been fiddling with a motorbike. He was holding a new headlight bulb, and grinning. “I got the new bulb this mornin … | Continue reading
The river burst its banks yesterday. This area would normally be the riverside footpath where I walk every day with Ollie. We had twelve more hours of torrential rain, lasting until this morning. I anticipate an exceptionally muddy walk with Ollie soon. And there are ‘showers’ fo … | Continue reading
This is the third part of a fiction serial, in 736 words. Alan got some plastic sheeting from the back of his van and secured it over the shattered windscreen as best as he could. There was no more they could do that night, but he slept restlessly, angry and confused about why it … | Continue reading
As suspected, WordPress is now using A.I. for customer support. The Happiness Engineers have now become Happiness Bots. For confirmation, here is part of an email reply I received. Happy Bot (Automattic) Jan 3, 2024, 18:40 UTC Hello there! As an AI support for WordPress.com, I’m … | Continue reading
I had never seen a baby squirrel, then I found this photo of one online. | Continue reading
Here is the first batch of strange record covers for 2024. Just what you need in the mornings! When teenagers still looked the same as their parents. Peas and Honey is not a well-balanced diet! I’m betting those two women used the same hairdresser! His own hair? I’m guessing ‘wig … | Continue reading
This is the second part of a fiction serial, in 751 words. Dennis had been surprised when the SOLD sign had gone up outside old Maggie’s house. It had been on the market for well over a year, as her money-grabbing daughter had been asking for too much. That house needed so much w … | Continue reading
This is the first part of a fiction serial, in 781 words. They had found the house online. It looked like a nice place to live, just twelve houses in a residential close, so no through traffic. Six modest detached three-beds on either side of the street, two bungalows at the end, … | Continue reading
Something not so old, but still 37 years ago. So I am claiming ‘Retro’ for that. The Scottish pop band with the strange name (Wet Wet Wet) was never taken very seriously by the British music scene, despite having a string of hits with songs best described as ‘lightweight’. I boug … | Continue reading
I managed to survive another year without being forced onto the hated Block Editor, but I suspect WordPress has more changes and annoying glitches up its sleeve to welcome in the new year. Did anyone else notice that 2023 was a quiet blogging year? (Or was it just me?) Many of th … | Continue reading
My first retro music post for 2024 features one of my favourite recording artists of all time, David Bowie. When I first heard his album ‘Hunky Dory’ in 1971, (yes, 53 years ago!) I realised that he was so much more than someone who sung about space travel. That album remains one … | Continue reading
A week dominated by food consumption over Christmas, (and after) with so much more left to eat that I suspect will end up in the freezer soon. ————————————————————————————— Tonight we have been invited in by our neighbours and will be ordering a delivery of Chinese food so nobody … | Continue reading
I would like to wish everyone a happy new year. With an election in America to come, and probably one in the UK too, ongoing wars in Ukraine and Israel/Gaza, there is not that much to be happy about, I know. On the domestic front in Beetley, Julie is expecting to undergo major kn … | Continue reading
I was 20 years old in 1972, and firmly entrenched in Soul music and Tamla-Motown. Then this single came along, by a band I wouldn’t normally listen to. It was a very short song, but it got itself into my head, and it’s still there now. Marc Bolan was killed in a car crash in … Co … | Continue reading
It is quite rare for me to enjoy a ‘rock’ song, and even rarer to post one on here. But this is a bona-fide classic from 1973. Incredible to realise it was 50 years ago! Rod Argent, Russ Ballard, and the band on top form with a live performance on TV. The song was co-written … Co … | Continue reading
I was surprised that WordPress is once again sending out blog stats emails like they used to. The format is not as pleasing, nor as easy to share, but this is more or less what they sent me yesterday, copied and pasted. 2023 Your site In Review Page views. 85,510 A crowd of viewe … | Continue reading
Today is one of those very quiet days between the busy time of Christmas, and the celebration tomorrow night. A day to do as little as possible, eat up some of the remaining leftovers, and watch something mindless on TV. I popped out yesterday to get a few essential things from t … | Continue reading
A ‘House Centipede’ seen in Japan. I would be moving out! The goat that walks on two legs. The skeleton of a Caribou that fell into a crevasse. A large spider lurking in the door handle of a car. A hairless breed of cat. Someone actually made this as a doll for children! A bees … … | Continue reading
Would you like to have cocktails with Mats? Toilet music? Are you biting? Was their hair real? You decide. A.I. is nothing new, it would seem. Inspired by space travel, and incredibly authentic. Reminds me of a soiree in the kitchen at home. Those teens really knew how to have a … | Continue reading
A Chicago mail man at Christmas. 1929. A bear cub eating a bowl of honey in a diner. A teenage girl being tossed in a blanket. Her name was Norma Baker, and she would later be famous as Marilyn Monroe. This small girl is washing her toys. The Ice Bucket Challenge is not new. This … | Continue reading
Cross-Dressing Supergirl. Yes, he actually commissioned this portrait! Middle-aged swingers wait for the photographer to join them on the bed. They couldn’t have kids, so had monkeys instead. Those poor kids look terrified of granny. Is that girl scary, or is it just me? They met … | Continue reading