New Technology for Local Schools - Glogster

The local school district is busy as ever, making new ways for students to safely and securely create homework projects on the web.

I tried my hand at a new product, called "Glogster". I suspect that it is meant to be a distant relative to the blog. Once the student has a profile the product walks them through a number of steps to creating a project which suspiciously looks just like a poster board, only online, and sharable with a classroom when registered with the teacher.

I've tried my hand at a "glog", using one of the assignments for the MAMS 7th grade science class. Unlike the student profiles, my projects are public, and not registered and privatized with the school's imprimatur.

Hurricane Donations Welcomed

Letter to Congressman Pallone on Healthcare

Here is the text of a correspondence I sent to my congressman today:  

My daughter will turn 22 years old on February 28th of this year. Blue Cross / Blue Shield of New Jersey has informed me and my husband, a distinguished Federal employee of over 30 years, that she will age out of our family policy. The cost to get her own policy is $1200.00 per month. And they will not cover her costs while she is at college out of state. Something is terribly wrong with this picture. I do not want to to have to choose between educating my daughter and providing health insurance. This is a sad commentary on our society, and an indictment of the intentions of insurance companies unaided by federal healthcare reform legislation. Please help!!!!!

Did anyone else hear the fighter jets fly over?

Yesterday, around 2:30 pm or so, I heard fighter jets fly over Cliffwood Beach. 

I haven't heard anything on the news.  Hmmmm... 

I do know the mosquito commisson was out spraying.  Perhaps our Tiger mosquito problem has gotten out of hand and they've taken to extreme measures?

September 11 2009

• Take some time to remember the events of September 11, 2001 today. Connect with family. Meditate or pray.


• September is Emergency Preparedness Month. Click here for a message from the American Red Cross on how to be set for disasters. With hurricane season upon us, there's no time like right now.

  



• County OEM will be participating with volunteer and professional emergency response groups in drills for the next few weeks. Monmouth County has an upcoming drill scheduled for September 26 with CERT, Medical Response Teams, the Salvation Army, the Red Cross, and many other groups. As a volunteer for both CERT and Red Cross I look forward to practicing the skills necessary for cooperative disaster management.

To a Life Well Lived

Hear, Hear, rejoice

ere a heart is stilled

a life anew begins

while sad we walk amidst our pain

our sorrows crowding in

Well thought a while

our memories past

of joys and warm caress

will walk with us all our days

to bring us happiness

I wrote this for couple of friends, separated by the passing of a loved one on 7 September 2009

Nothing like good Lakeside Property at Cliffwood Beach

Of all the things I love about living in Cliffwood Beach, one of them has to be the easy care requirements of the typical yard.

I keep my yard as natural as possible because it fits in so much better with the Lake, the Beach, and the naturally shady environment. My husband says we are merely lazy groundskeepers, but I object! Our yards love people who love nature, and landscapers at the beach would do well to sculp a trade in plants, yard designs and shrubs that yearn to abide in harmony with the deciduous forest and nearby wetlands. That you can keep a decent yard whether spending a fortune or a pittence is only a credit to the good sense of those that live here.

Here's some photos of my backyard. In some of them you can just see Treasure Lake peeking through. In the winter months the whole world opens up, but early Fall is a haven for critters.

For people that need to be closer to the water, just acquire a home on another section of the lake. Here's a view through the backyards just a few houses away.

My front yard is a resort to birds, not only because I favor them with seed and suet in the winter, but for the natural plants they love to find and eat. Below is a Japanese Lantern hybrid. I cannot find the variety in books as it does not seem to be a classic version. I think it looks a lot more like a 'lantern' than the ones in the books though.

The days spent raising a family in the easy care of a cozy community, shuttered away from the busy streets of the main roads simply cannot be valued. So many residents that buy in the Beach are returning to days fondly remembered growing up here, or spent happily visiting grandparents. Ahhhh! I'd love to thank the original planners who made our byways. Many of the streets are winding discourage fast driving, and our children are much safer, without the need of drastic street bumps or over regulating signage.