Idiot of the Week: NH Woman Arrested After Driving 112 Mph With Unbuckled Children In Vehicle

This week's idiot is a 23 year old mother of 2 kids who thought it was okay to speed excessively with 2 unbuckled kids. Fortunately, the NH State Police caught her and saved the children. What possesses someone to do that? Here's the story.

NH Woman Arrested After Driving 112 Mph With Unbuckled Children In Vehicle 

 New Hampshire State Police News Release: May 7, 2024

RAYMOND, N.H. – A Manchester woman is facing multiple charges after driving an SUV more than 100 mph with unbuckled children inside.

On Friday, May 3, 2024, at 9:17 p.m., a State Trooper with the Troop A barracks observed a Chevrolet Tahoe SUV on Route 101 westbound, traveling at a high rate of speed and weaving in and out of traffic. At one point, the SUV was observed at 112 mph. 

After stopping the driver, the Trooper found two children, ages 1 and 4, inside the SUV. The children were not buckled or secured with any type of child restraint system.

(Photo: Shirley Stanley, 23,  New Hampshire State Police) 

The operator is identified as Shirley Stanley, 23, of Manchester. She is the mother of the two children. Stanley was arrested and charged with reckless operation, two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, two counts of violating required child passenger restraints, failure to yield to an emergency vehicle, unsafe lane change, following too closely, and speeding.

She was processed and released on personal recognizance bail and is scheduled to appear at 8 a.m. June 10 in Candia District Court.

Heroes of the Week: MBTA (Boston Subway) Employees Rescue a Nest of Baby Bunnies from Tracks

 This week's heroes are employees of Boston's subway lines, known as the MBTA (or T), or the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority. They recently rescued a nest of baby bunnies from one of the subway lines. Here's the story.

(Photo: A rabbit that was rescued near Blue Line tracks earlier this week. (Courtesy photo MBTA))

Baby bunnies rescued from Boston Blue Line Subway tracks 

MBTA workers pulled the baby bunnies from harm’s way on Tuesday. 

By Morgan Rousseau, Boston Com , June 8, 2024

MBTA workers rescued a family of baby bunnies that was found in a nest near Blue Line tracks.

The T employees discovered a rabbit nest near a Blue Line rail yard on Tuesday and pulled about eight baby bunnies to safety, according to a WBUR report.

The bunnies were relocated to a safer area away from the stretch of T tracks. The agency shared a photo of one of the bunnies nestled in the hands of a T worker.

“Every life is precious, and we’re glad they were able to act quickly,” the T told WBUR.

The rabbit rescue comes a week after T workers relocated a turtle found on the Green Line D branch tracks at Chestnut Hill.

In March, T workers helped a baby duck that was seen on the Green Line tracks between North Station and Science Park. The turtle and duck rescues both caused minor delays of between 10 and 15 minutes, the T said.

SHORT VIDEO REPORT: https://whdh.com/news/mbta-staffers-rescue-bunnies-from-blue-line-tracks/

Missed the Debate? Here's the Associated Press (Non Partisan) Review

We watched the first hour of the debate and were really disappointed. First, it was a national platform for Trump to continue to spew his lies, and he was relentless. Second, President Biden, although battling a cold, appeared exhausted and sometimes lost his train of thought. People forget he has a stutter and that also didn't help with his debate. Here's how the non-partisan Associated Press reported on it, and disproved Trump's countless lies, and Biden's sometimes exaggerations.

Highlights: First Biden-Trump debate of the 2024 presidential election

BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS June 28, 2024

Biden arrived with a raspy voice and spoke softly, the result, his campaign said, of a cold. Biden sometimes mumbled, got tongue-tied or lost his train of thought, a performance unlikely to calm anxiety among Democrats and many Americans about the 81-year-old president.

The 78-year-old Trump, as he often does, spoke with force but with plentiful falsehoods.

Takeaways: 

1) The debate covered a wide range of topics and included a former president — 

2) Trump — not backing down from his vows to prosecute members of Congress and even the man he was debating.

 FACT FOCUS: Here’s a look at some of the false claims made during Biden and Trump’s first debate

President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump traded barbs and a variety of false and misleading information as they faced off in their first debate of the 2024 election.

Trump falsely represented the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol as a relatively small number of people who were ushered in by police and misstated the strength of the economy during his administration.

Biden, who tends to lean more on exaggerations and embellishments rather than outright lies, misrepresented the cost of insulin and overstated what Trump said about using disinfectant to address COVID. Here’s a look at the false and misleading claims on Thursday night by the two candidates.

___

JAN. 6 

TRUMP: “They talk about a relatively small number of people that went to the Capitol and in many cases were ushered in by the police.”

THE FACTS: That’s false. The attack on the U.S. Capitol was the deadliest assault on the seat of American power in over 200 years. As thoroughly documented by video, photographs and people who were there, thousands of people descended on Capitol Hill in what became a brutal scene of hand-to-hand combat with police.

In an internal memo on March 7, 2023, U.S. Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger said that the allegation that “our officers helped the rioters and acted as ‘tour guides’” is “outrageous and false.” A Capitol Police spokesperson confirmed the memo’s authenticity to The Associated Press. More than 1,400 people have been charged with federal crimes stemming from the riot. More than 850 people have pleaded guilty to crimes, and 200 others have been convicted at trial.

TRUMP, on then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s actions on Jan. 6: “Because I offered her 10,000 soldiers or National Guard and she turned them down.”

THE FACTS: Pelosi did not direct the National Guard. Further, as the Capitol came under attack, she and then-Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell called for military assistance, including from the National Guard.

The Capitol Police Board makes the decision on whether to call National Guard troops to the Capitol. It is made up of the House Sergeant at Arms, the Senate Sergeant at Arms and the Architect of the Capitol. The board decided not to call the guard ahead of the insurrection but did eventually request assistance after the rioting had already begun, and the troops arrived several hours later.

The House Sergeant at Arms reported to Pelosi and the Senate Sergeant at Arms reported to McConnell. There is no evidence that either Pelosi or McConnell directed the security officials not to call the guard beforehand. Drew Hammill, a then-spokesperson for Pelosi, said after the insurrection that Pelosi was never informed of such a request.

TAXES AND REGULATIONS TRUMP, on Biden: “He wants to raise your taxes by four times.”

THE FACTS: That’s not accurate.

Trump has used that line at rallies, but it has no basis in fact. Biden actually wants to prevent tax increases on anyone making less than $400,000, which is the vast majority of taxpayers.

More importantly, Biden’s budget proposal does not increase taxes as much as Trump claims, though the increases are focused on corporations and the wealthy. Trump’s 2017 tax cuts for individuals are set to expire after 2025, because they were not fully funded when they became law.

___ TRUMP, referring to Jan. 6, 2021, the day a mob of his supporters stormed the Capitol in an effort to stop the certification of Biden’s victory: “On January 6th we had the lowest taxes ever. We had the lowest regulations ever on January 6th.”

THE FACTS: The current federal income tax was only instituted in 1913, and tax rates have fluctuated significantly in the decades since. Rates were lower in the 1920s, just prior to the Great Depression. Trump did cut taxes during his time in the White House, but the rates weren’t the lowest in history.

Government regulations have also ebbed and flowed in the country’s history, but there’s been an overall increase in regulations as the country modernized and its population grew. There are now many more regulations covering the environment, employment, financial transactions and other aspects of daily life. While Trump slashed some regulations, he didn’t take the country back to the less regulated days of its past.

INSULIN 

BIDEN: “It’s $15 for an insulin shot, as opposed to $400.”

THE FACTS: No, that’s not exactly right. Out-of-pocket insulin costs for older Americans on Medicare were capped at $35 in the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act that President Joe Biden signed into law. The cap took effect last year, when many drugmakers announced they would lower the price of the drug to $35 for most users on private insurance. But Biden regularly overstates that many people used to pay up to $400 monthly. People with diabetes who have Medicare or private insurance paid about $450 yearly prior to the law, a Department of Health and Human Services study released in December 2022 found.

___ CLIMATE CHANGE 

TRUMP, touting his environmental record, said that “during my four years, I had the best environmental numbers ever” and that he supports “immaculate” air and water. 

THE FACTS: That’s far from the whole story. During his presidency, Trump rolled back some provisions of the Clean Water Act, eased regulations on coal, oil and gas companies and pulled the U.S. out of the Paris climate accord. When wildfires struck California in 2020, Trump dismissed the scientific consensus that climate change had played a role. Trump also dismissed scientists’ warnings about climate change and routinely proposed deep cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency. Those reductions were blocked by Democratic and Republican lawmakers. ___

ABORTION 

TRUMP: “The problem they have is they’re radical because they will take the life of a child in the eighth month, the ninth month, and even after birth, after birth.”

THE FACTS: Trump inaccurately referred to abortions after birth. Infanticide is criminalized in every state, and no state has passed a law that allows killing a baby after birth.

Abortion rights advocates say terms like this and “late-term abortions” attempt to stigmatize abortions later in pregnancy. Abortions later in pregnancy are exceedingly rare. In 2020, less than 1% of abortions in the United States were performed at or after 21 weeks, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Abortions later in pregnancy also are usually the result of serious complications, such as fetal anomalies, that put the life of the woman or fetus at risk, medical experts say. In most cases, these are also wanted pregnancies, experts say.

___ RUSSIA 

TRUMP on Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who was detained in Russia: “He should have had him out a long time ago, but Putin’s probably asking for billions and billions of dollars because this guy pays it every time.”

THE FACTS: Trump is wrong to say that Biden pays any sort of fee “every time” to secure the release of hostages and wrongfully detained Americans. There’s also zero evidence that Putin is asking for any money in order to free Gershkovich. Just like in the Trump administration, the deals during the Biden administration that have brought home hostages and detainees involved prisoner swaps -- not money transfers.

Trump’s reference to money appeared to be about the 2023 deal in which the U.S. secured the release of five detained Americans in Iran after billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets were transferred from banks in South Korea to Qatar. The U.S. has said that that the money would be held in restricted accounts and will only be able to be used for humanitarian goods, such as medicine and food.

___ COVID-19 

BIDEN: Trump told Americans to “inject bleach” into their arms to treat COVID-19.

THE FACTS: That’s overstating it. Rather, Trump asked whether it would be possible to inject disinfectant into the lungs.

“And then I see the disinfectant, where it knocks it out in one minute,” he said at an April 2020 press conference. “And is there a way we can do something like that, by injection inside or almost a cleaning, because you see it gets in the lungs and it does a tremendous number on the lungs, so it’d be interesting to check that, so that you’re going to have to use medical doctors with, but it sounds interesting to me. So, we’ll see, but the whole concept of the light, the way it kills it in one minute. That’s pretty powerful.” ___

SUPER PREDATORS 

TRUMP: “What he’s done to the Black population is horrible, including the fact that for 10 years he called them ‘super predators.’ … We can’t forget that - super predators … And they’ve taken great offense at it.”

THE FACTS: This oft-repeated claim by Trump dating back to the 2020 campaign is untrue. It was Hillary Clinton, then the first lady, who used the term “super predator” to advocate for the 1994 crime bill that Biden co-authored more than thirty years ago. Biden did warn of “predators” in a floor speech in support of his bill.

___ MIGRANTS 

TRUMP, referring to Biden: “He’s the one that killed people with a bad border and flooding hundreds of thousands of people dying and also killing our citizens when they come in.”

THE FACTS: A mass influx of migrants coming into the U.S. illegally across the southern border has led to a number of false and misleading claims by Trump. For example, he regularly claims other countries are emptying their prisons and mental institutions to send to the U.S. There is no evidence to support that.

Trump has also argued the influx of immigrants is causing a crime surge in the U.S., although statistics actually show violent crime is on the way down.

There have been recent high-profile and heinous crimes allegedly committed by people in the country illegally. But FBI statistics do not separate out crimes by the immigration status of the assailant, nor is there any evidence of a spike in crime perpetrated by migrants, either along the U.S.-Mexico border or in cities seeing the greatest influx of migrants, like New York. Studies have found that people living in the country illegally are less likely than native-born Americans to have been arrested for violent, drug and property crimes. For more than a century, critics of immigration have sought to link new arrivals to crime. In 1931, the Wickersham Commission did not find any evidence supporting a connection between immigration and increased crime, and many studies since then have reached similar conclusions.

Texas is the only state that tracks crimes by immigration status. A 2020 study published by the National Academy of Sciences found “considerably lower felony arrest rates” among people in the United States illegally than legal immigrants or native-born.

Some crime is expected given the large population of immigrants. There were an estimated 10.5 million people in the country illegally in 2021, according to the latest estimate by Pew Research Center, a figure that has almost certainly risen with large influxes at the border. In 2022, the Census Bureau estimated the foreign-born population at 46.2 million, or nearly 14% of the total, with most states seeing double-digit percentage increases in the last dozen years. ___

CHARLOTTESVILLE 

BIDEN, referring to Trump after the deadly white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017: “The one who said I think they’re fine people on both sides.”

THE FACTS: Trump did use those words to describe attendees of the deadly rally, which was planned by white nationalists. But as Trump supporters have pointed out, he also said that day that he wasn’t talking about the neo-Nazis and white nationalists in attendance.

“You had some very bad people in that group,” Trump said during a news conference a few days after the rally, “But you also had people that were very fine people, on both sides.”

He then added that he wasn’t talking about “the neo-Nazis and the white nationalists, because they should be condemned totally.” Instead, he said, the press had been unfair in its treatment of protesters who were there to innocently and legally protest the removal of a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee.

The gathering planned by white nationalists shocked the nation when it exploded into chaos: violent brawling in the streets, racist and antisemitic chants, smoke bombs, and finally, a car speeding into a crowd of counter-protesters, killing one and injuring dozens more. ___

ECONOMY What to know about the 2024 Election

Democracy: American democracy has overcome big stress tests since 2020. More challenges lie ahead in 2024. AP’s Role: The Associated Press is the most trusted source of information on election night, with a history of accuracy dating to 1848. Learn more. Read the latest: Follow AP’s complete coverage of this year’s election.

TRUMP: We had the greatest economy in history.”

THE FACTS: That’s not accurate. First of all, the pandemic triggered a massive recession during his presidency. The government borrowed $3.1 trillion in 2020 to stabilize the economy. Trump had the ignominy of leaving the White House with fewer jobs than when he entered.

But even if you take out issues caused by the pandemic, economic growth averaged 2.67% during Trump’s first three years. That’s pretty solid. But it’s nowhere near the 4% averaged during Bill Clinton’s two terms from 1993 to 2001, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. In fact, growth has been stronger so far under Biden than under Trump.

Trump did have the unemployment rate get as low as 3.5% before the pandemic. But again, the labor force participation rate for people 25 to 54 — the core of the U.S. working population — was higher under Clinton. The participation rate has also been higher under Biden than Trump.

Trump also likes to talk about how low inflation was under him. Gasoline fell as low as $1.77 a gallon. But, of course, that price dip happened during pandemic lockdowns when few people were driving. The low prices were due to a global health crisis, not Trump’s policies.

Similarly, average 30-year mortgage rates dipped to 2.65% during the pandemic. Those low rates were a byproduct of Federal Reserve efforts to prop up a weak economy, rather than the sign of strength that Trump now suggests it was. ___

MILITARY DEATHS 

BIDEN: “The truth is, I’m the only president this century that doesn’t have any — this decade — any troops dying anywhere in the world like he did.”

THE FACTS: At least 16 service members have been killed in hostile action since Biden took office in January 2021. On Aug. 26, 2021, 13 died during a suicide bombing at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, as U.S. troops withdrew from the country. An enemy drone killed three U.S. service members at a desert base in Jordan on Jan. 28 of this year. ___

PRESIDENTIAL RECORD 

BIDEN: “159, or 58, don’t know an exact number, presidential historians, they’ve had meetings and they voted, who is the worst president in American history … They said he was the worst in all American history. That’s a fact. That’s not conjecture.”

THE FACTS: That’s almost right, but not quite. The survey in question, a project from professors at the University of Houston and Coastal Carolina University, included 154 usable responses, from 525 respondents invited to participate.

___ GEORGE FLOYD PROTESTS 

TRUMP, on Minneapolis protests after the killing of George Floyd: “If I didn’t bring in the National Guard, that city would have been destroyed.”

THE FACTS: Trump didn’t call the National Guard into Minneapolis during the unrest following the death of George Floyd. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz deployed the National Guard to the city.

___ Associated Press writers Josh Boak, Elliot Spagat, Eric Tucker, Ali Swenson, Christina Cassidy, Amanda Seitz, Stephen Groves, David Klepper, Melissa Goldin and Hope Yen contributed to this report.

Somersworth, NH Mayor Matt Gerding speaks out against hate, the 'dark side' of LGBTQ Pride Month

In nearby Somersworth, New Hampshire, there's a gay mayor and he's apparently the only one in the state. He's taking good care of his city, but because he's open about who he is, he has to contend with bigots and hateful people, sadly. Since it's still Pride Month, today's blog is an article about his experiences from a local newspaper.

(Photo: Somersworth, NH Mayor Matt Gerding. Credit: Fosters Daily Democrat)

Mayor Matt Gerding speaks out against hate, the 'dark side' of LGBTQ Pride Month

Karen Dandurant, Foster's Daily Democrat, June 4, 2024

SOMERSWORTH — Mayor Matt Gerding offers a mayor's report as part every regular City Council meeting. On Monday, his topic was Pride Month and an assessment of how far New Hampshire has — or hasn't — progressed.

City councilors rose to support him, offering their own thoughts on the way people of the LGBTQ+ community are treated.

"My philosophy is that hatred and bigotry have no place," said Councilor Don Austin. "We should accept people for who they are, for where they are. Let people be people."

Somersworth Mayor Matt Gerding is speaking out against hate directed at the LGBTQ+ community. June is Pride Month in New Hampshire and across the nation. Somersworth is considered to be open and supportive of people's rights and sexual orientation, but Gerding suggested New Hampshire has not come as far as people might believe.

"I believe that right now I am the only openly gay mayor in the state," Gerding said. "I recently posted a pic of my family (on social media), and some of the comments were nice. Some were horrifying. I rarely pay attention to this type of thing, but when I do, I can't help but get sick to my stomach. The comments were devastating and terrifying to us, and I cannot stress enough that these messages hurt."

Gerding read a few of the comments into the record, warning the councilors and the public they were "vile, and awful to read aloud. As fun as Pride month is — there is still a dark side."

Some examples he shared: "Why are you such a disgusting pervert? You are not a couple. Thank you for not dressing up in dildoes and leather. Get mental health care. You have a serious psychiatric disorder."

"But they (the comments) are the tip of the iceberg," Gerding said. "Suicide is responsible for many deaths of children ages 10-14. For LGBTQ+ kids, the rate is four times higher. As an educator, this scares the hell out of me."

Gerding is a teacher is Somersworth schools. He urged Somersworth to come together as a city and stand against such bigotry. He also shared suicide hotline numbers for people who need help (1-833-710-6477, and 988.)

Following Gerding's mayor's report, council members rallied in support. "Thank you," said councilor Kenneth Vincent. "You and your family are good people."Deputy Mayor David Witham said he was "appalled" by the comments he had heard."Such hate and bigotry," Witham said. "I am proud to call you mayor, friend, and educator.

"You love who you love," said Councilor Nancie Cameron. "I have known all of you for a long time and I love you all."

Councilors Paul Goodwin and Crystal Paradis-Katanzaro are both openly part of the LGBTQ+ community.

"Happy Pride Month; I am a proud member," said Goodwin. "Thank you for sharing so bravely. We all have similar stories — I do. This is an uncomfortable reminder that there are people regularly under threat. Somersworth is a welcoming community and there are a large number of gay people here. My friends in Portsmouth ask me 'what's in the water.' We have a gay mayor, gay councilors, a gay congressman, a transgender state representative. We are proud of what we have accomplished, and we know we have more to do."

Paradis-Katanzaro agreed there is more to do.

"My wife and I both have the same, long last name," she said. "It offers some protection, given through the Supreme Court. Without this right, if my wife got ill, I might not be able to go visit her. We need to protect our rights, and I thank the council for standing up for this."

Enjoying the DVD of the 1968 The Adventures of Batman cartoon

 If your a Batman and Robin fan, and you like cartoons (especially classics), I've got a suggestion for you from the archives! It's called "The Adventures of Batman: The Complete Collection." That's what today's blog is about. 

I've been enjoying watching the 1968 Filmation The Adventures of Batman cartoon. Although I'm sure I saw this when I was 5 or 6, I couldn't remember it. I happened to see it on Amazon as a DVD collection, and my brother Doug treated me to it. If you're a Batman fan, especially from the 60s and 70s, even the 80s, you'll enjoy this.

ABOUT THE SERIES: Premiering on September 14, 1968, The Adventures of Batman also featured Batman’s primary rogues’ gallery at the time — Penguin, Mr. Freeze, Catwoman, Riddler, Scarecrow, Dollman, Mad Hatter and Simon the Pieman — as well as some notable team-ups of those villains.  Warner Bros. Home Entertainment released the series on Blu-ray on February 28, 2023 as a two-disc set featuring all 34 episodes of the classic series for $29.98.

THE DYNAMIC DUO HAD A DUEL PURPOSE- The Adventures of Batman is an animated television series produced by Lou Scheimer's Filmation studios. It showcased the 12-minute Batman segments from The Batman/Superman Hour, sometimes broken up by and surrounding another cartoon from Filmation's fast-growing stream of superhero stars. THE SECOND LIFE: A re-branded 30-minute version premiered on CBS on September 14, 1968, as Batman with Robin the Boy Wonder. This version was repackaged without the Superman and Superboy segments.

ACTORS WHO VOICED CHARACTERS:

 Filmation veteran Olan Soule (Super Friends, The Towering Inferno) provided the voice of Batman, while American Top 40 co-founder & host Casey Kasem (Scooby-Doo franchise) played Robin. 

The supporting cast featured two-time Emmy Award winner Ted Knight (The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Caddyshack) as Commissioner Gordon, Larry Storch (F Troop) as Joker and Jane Webb (Sabrina the Teenage Witch, The Archie Show) as Barbara Gordon/Batgirl.

Karma in Action: Bus loaded with hate-products crashes

If you live a life where you hate others for who they are or discriminate against others, karma will catch up to you. That was the case with this couple who drive a bus to support convicted felon, Trump.  Their bus displays a huge banner of profanity against Biden, which is totally unnecessary.   Here's a kicker- the banner on the front of their bus says "Trust Jesus."  Here's the story of the karma in action.

(Credit: Steven White/Staten Island Advance)

Trump fans’ bus loaded with MAGA merchandise crashes in New York City

ASSOCIATED PRESS June 3, 2024

NEW YORK (AP) — A man and woman who sold pro-Donald Trump merchandise out of a bus covered with pro-Trump flags and posters are homeless after the vehicle crashed into several street signs and utility poles in New York City.

The crash happened around noon on Sunday on Staten Island, the Fire Department said.

Donna Eiden, who had been living in the bus with her husband, Rocky Granata, and their cat, Missy, told the Staten Island Advance that she was sleeping inside the parked vehicle when when it began to roll along Hylan Boulevard, crashing into signs and poles in its path.

Photos of the crash’s aftermath show the side of the bus ripped to shreds and Trump signs scattered about.

(Photo: The bus at a Trump rally with hateful, disrespectful signs about Pres. Biden.  Credit: Steven White/Staten Island Advance)

“That’s our life, we live in it; we travel in it. I have my daughter’s ashes in it,” Eiden told the Advance. “It’s our business. It’s our life.”

Eiden had to be extracted from the wrecked vehicle, firefighters said. She did not require medical treatment.

The bus had been a frequent presence at Trump rallies around the country before it crashed.

Discovery: Ramesses II's sarcophagus finally identified thanks to overlooked hieroglyphics

Sometimes we don't know what we have until we look again. That's what happened with archaeologists who discovered they had the answer to Ancient Egyptian ruler, Ramesses II's sarcophagus. It was all there in hieroglyphics! A sarcophagus fragment discovered beneath the floor of a religious center belongs  to Ramesses II, one of the best-known ancient Egyptian pharaohs, according to a new study. Archaeologists unearthed the granite artifact in 2009 inside a Coptic building in Abydos, an ancient city in east-central Egypt.Here's the story from LiveScience.

Ramesses II's sarcophagus finally identified thanks to overlooked hieroglyphics 

  By Jennifer Nalewicki, LIVEscience, May 29, 2024

Archaeologists determined that a fragment of a sarcophagus hidden beneath a Coptic building's floor once belonged to Ramesses II.

A slab of granite etched with hieroglyphics The sarcophagus fragment was found under the floor of a Coptic building in Egypt. (Image credit: Kevin Cahail) A sarcophagus fragment discovered beneath the floor of a religious center belongs to Ramesses II, one of the best-known ancient Egyptian pharaohs, according to a new study.

Archaeologists unearthed the granite artifact in 2009 inside a Coptic building in Abydos, an ancient city in east-central Egypt. The team, led by archaeologists Ayman Damrani and Kevin Cahail, had determined that the sarcophagus had carried two individuals at different times. However, they could identify only the latter — Menkheperre, a "high priest of the 21st dynasty," who lived in roughly 1000 B.C., according to a translated statement from France's National Center for Scientific Research.

The initial owner of the sarcophagus — a container that is covered in carved decorations and texts — had remained a mystery. But archaeologists knew it had belonged to a "very high-ranking figure of the Egyptian New Kingdom," according to the statement.

(Image: The Younger Memnon (c. 1250 BC), a statue depicting Ramesses II, from the Ramesseum in Thebes. Currently on display at the British Museum in London.) 

Further sleuthing enabled Egyptologist Frédéric Payraudeau, a teacher and researcher at Sorbonne University in France, to connect Ramesses II (also spelled Ramses II) to the sarcophagus. To do so, they deciphered an overlooked cartouche, an oval-shaped engraving that represents the name of a pharaoh, "of Ramses II himself," according to the statement.

Ramesses II was the third ruler of ancient Egypt's 19th dynasty and ruled from 1279 to 1213 B.C. He's known for expanding Egypt's empire to what is now modern-day Syria and for his building projects, including the expansion of Karnak Temple.

In 1881, Ramesses II's mummy and coffin were found in a "secret" hiding place in Deir el-Bahari, a temple complex outside Luxor, that contained the remains of 50 other members of nobility, including his father, according to the Egypt Museum. His highly ornate coffin is considered "one of the most striking coffins from ancient Egypt," according to the American Research Center in Egypt.

Quick Visit to See the Nubble Lighthouse, York, Maine

In mid-May, we visited the famous Nubble Lighthouse on Cape Neddick, York, Maine. Today's blog will provide some pictures and 2 short videos I took while we were there.

(Caption: we visited the park surrounding the lighthouse on May 19, 2024. Credit: R.G.)

GETTING THERE: The lighthouse is located in York, Maine, and it's at the end of very densely settled neighborhoods. Residences are very closely built near each other, and the road is likely to get very, very crowded during the summertime. Fortunately, we went in mid-May when it was 59 F, overcast and breezy, so there wasn't a huge crowd, but there were a lot of people. The parking lot is small, so you may not get a space.

MY VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phN-18EA2jE (CAPTION: May 19, 2024 at Nubble Lighthouse, York, Maine. 59F and breezy, overcast. Credit: R.G.)

ABOUT THE LIGHTHOUSE: The Cape Neddick Lighthouse, also known as the Nubble Lighthouse, is one of Maine's most popular tourist attractions. This 41-foot lighthouse sits on the summit of Cape Neddick Nubble, a small offshore rocky islet overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. While the lighthouse and grounds aren't open to the public, you can view and snap a photo of it from Sohier Park on the m It's also inaccessible from the mainland, as it sits atop an island!

SOHIER PARK AROUND THE LIGHTHOUSE:  The park itself offers unobstructed views of the lighthouse and is a popular spot for taking photographs. The well-maintained walkways provide various angles for your shots.

HISTORY: In 1874 Congress appropriated $15,000 to build a light station at the "Nubble" and in 1879 construction began. Cape Neddick Light Station was dedicated by the U.S. Lighthouse Service and put into use in 1879. It is still in use today.

ADDRESS: NUBBLE LIGHT / SOHIER PARK, Sohier Park Rd, York, ME 03909

SECOND VIDEO: Panning from the North to the northeast, I captured the Atlantic coast and ended at the lighthouse.

VIDEO2: https://youtu.be/rXRlhnZC0Ro?si=DPWEqgaWu1ZY1C-J

Idiot of the Week: Ex-Trump Finance Chief Weisselberg Jailed For Perjury

This week's idiot is yet another in the circle of Trump. On April 10th, there was BREAKING NEWS : Ex-Trump Finance Chief Weisselberg Jailed For Perjury. So how is it that insurrectionists who followed his orders, his finance chief, former lawyers, advisors and more have ALL gone to jail for criminal behavior, and Trump still has not? It makes NO Sense. He should be in prison, like today's idiot.

(Photo: Allen Weisselberg being led to jail, April 10, 2024. Credit: NY Times.) 

Ex-Trump Finance Chief Weisselberg Jailed For Perjury

A New York State judge on Wednesday sentenced former Trump Organization Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg to five months in jail for lying under oath in the attorney general's civil fraud case against Donald Trump and his business associates, imprisoning a close ally of the former president on the eve of his hush-money trial.

April 10, 2024, MSNBC, By Adam Reiss, Dareh Gregorian and Summer Concepcion

Allen Weisselberg, the former chief financial officer of the Trump Organization, was sentenced Wednesday to five months in jail after pleading guilty to two counts of perjury last month in his testimony during former President Donald Trump’s civil fraud trial.

The sentencing matched Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's recommendation.

After Weisselberg's sentence was agreed upon by prosecutors and the defense, Judge Laurie Peterson asked him whether there was anything he would like to say.

Weisselberg replied, "No, your honor," and the judge handed down the sentence.

The hearing lasted only about two minutes.

Weisselberg was accused of committing perjury in a deposition and during testimony in Trump’s trial, including allegedly lying when he said in July 2020 that he learned Trump’s triplex apartment had been overvalued from a Forbes report, but really knew about it well beforehand, Bragg’s office said.

Heroes of the Week: Old Orchard Beach Surf Rescue Saved Many swimmers

Atlantic Ocean waters off the Maine coast were still quite cold in mid-June, and people didn't heed the warnings. On June 17, 2024, the warmest ocean temperature in Maine on June 17 was 59.2°F (in Kennebunkport), and the coldest sea temperature is 47.5°F (Cutler). (For Current Maine Ocean temperatures, visit/click SeaTemperatureInfo). Here's the story about this week's Heroes. 

(Photo: Old Orchard beach rescue SOURCE: Old Orchard Beach Surf Rescue)

Many swimmers rescued from Maine waters Weekend of June 15-16, 2024

Officials are reminding people that the water, especially in the ocean, is still very cold

WMTW- TV Jun 17, 2024, Adam Bartow

OLD ORCHARD BEACH, Maine — Temperatures are expected to soar to dangerous levels this week with a heat wave expected across many communities in Maine. That will send many people running for the beaches, but you need to remember that the water is still cold. Ocean water at Maine beaches is only about 60 degrees.

On Sunday, June 16, nearly a dozen people had to be rescued from or helped out of the water at Old Orchard Beach.

(Photo Credit: Old Orchard Beach Surf Rescue) 

Old Orchard Beach Surf Rescue said they had five separate rescue calls with a total of 11 people saved. There were so many calls that crews from neighboring towns had to help.

Surf Rescue said people need to know that, this early in the season, they have very few lifeguards on duty and no towers yet on the beaches. They said people need to use caution and know their limits when going into the water.

DISCOVERY! Kids discover extremely rare teen T. rex fossils

I used to collect small fossils as a kid and am still fascinated with dinosaurs. The Smithsonian Natural History Museum in Washington, DC has one of my favorite dinosaur exhibits, and I continue to search for new books on dinosaurs and prehistoric mammals. Three kids apparently got a thrill bigger than going to a museum- they FOUND a T. Rex Fossil! Here's the story.

(Photo: Liam Fisher lying next to his discovery — the femur and tibia of a juvenile T. rex. (Image credit: Sam Fisher)

Kids discover extremely rare teen T. rex fossils sticking out of the ground during North Dakota Badlands hike

 LIVESCIENCE NewsBy Patrick Pester June 4, 2024

'Teen Rex' is about to go on display for the first time and appear in a new T. rex documentary, thanks to a discovery made by three young boys.

  Three kids hiking in North Dakota made a larger-than-life discovery: a rare teenage Tyrannosaurus rex. The fossil specimen, now nicknamed "Teen Rex," could shed light on how the mighty Cretaceous dinosaur matured.

The three children, ages 7 to 10, came across the young-T. rex fossils while walking in the Hell Creek Formation in the Badlands of North Dakota in 2022, and they helped excavate a series of its bones in 2023.

The partial skeleton, one of only a handful of juvenile T. rex specimens ever discovered, will go on display at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science later this month, coinciding with the cinematic release of a new documentary featuring the discovery, titled: "T. rex."

"Juvenile [T.] rex specimens are extremely rare," Tyler Lyson, a vertebrate paleontologist at the museum who led the "Teen Rex" excavation, said in a statement released by "T. rex" producer Giant Screen Films. "This find is significant to researchers because the 'Teen Rex' specimen may help answer questions about how the king of dinosaurs grew up."

"Teen Rex" was 25 feet (7.6 meters) long and weighed about 3,500 pounds (1,600 kilograms) when it died more than 66 million years ago, according to Catalyst, the museum's online magazine. For comparison, a full-grown T. rex reached about 40 feet (12 m) in length and weighed around 8,000 pounds (3,600 kg).

Brothers Liam and Jessin Fisher, 7 and 10 years old, were with their father, Sam Fisher, as well as their 9-year-old cousin Kaiden Madsen, when they noticed a large fossil sticking out of a rock formation. Sam Fisher was a former classmate of Lyson, so he alerted the paleontologist to their discovery of the then-unidentified dinosaur.

Lyson began excavating the fossil site 11 months later with a team that included the three boys and Liam and Jessin's sister, 14-year-old Emalynn Fisher, according to the statement. The team unearthed a series of fossils, including a tooth that Lyson quickly identified as belonging to a T. rex.

(IMAGE:  67 million years ago Tyrannosaurus rex would have preyed upon Denversaurus and other animals that lived during this time.  Image credit: Andrey Atuchin (artist) and Denver Museum of Nature & Science)

Lyson and his colleagues estimated the size of the adolescent T. rex based on its tibia (lower leg), which was 32.3 inches (82 centimeters) long. An adult T. rex tibia was about 44 inches (112 cm) long, suggesting the dinosaur was a teenager, according to "Teen Rex" documents released by the museum.

Researchers will analyze the bones in greater detail to confirm the dinosaur's age and learn more about T. rex growth patterns and bone development. This work will be done in public at the museum as part of a new temporary exhibit called "Discovering Teen Rex," which opens June 21.

Celebrating Dash's 16th (adjusted) Birthday with Special Cake, Treat Trip

Dash turned 16 on June 19th this year, so he got a special cake and birthday trip to a pet store. But this year was a twist, because it was around his actual birthday, that we were unaware of before (he's a rescue). Today's blog has the story and pictures from his birthday this year.

(Photo: Dash makes his way down the aisles at Pet Supplies Plus searching for Birthday treats! Credit: R.G.) 

DISCOVERING DASH'S TRUER BIRTHDAY

We used to celebrate Dash's birthday in August because we began fostering him that month in 2018 (when he was 10 years old). However, late last year I discovered one piece of paper from the shelter where we fostered him from, that indicated a mid-June birthdate (but now specific day). So, although there was no exact birthdate, we gave him JUNE 19th, because it's my (Rob) mom's birthdate, and my parent's wedding anniversary date. 

BIRTHDAY CAKE! 

Dash's uncle Jeff is a pastry chef and brought over specially baked treats and a  doggy-cake made with pumpkin. It was a 2-tier cake and Dash, Tyler, Cody and Jeff's dog, (Cousin) Myrtle all enjoyed a piece of cake. 

PET STORE TRIP!!  

It is a tradition in our house that whenever one of the kids is celebrating a birthday we take them to the pet store to pick out toys and treats. So, we drove to nearby Pet Supplies Plus and Dash got to walk around the massive store, sniffing out favorites. He settled on chicken jerky treats (which he loves, but it takes him a while to eat because he only has 8 teeth left), and softer chicken treats. 

(Photo: Above, Dash and  treat picks, and below, Dash is "dashing" down the aisle to find the best treats! Credit: R.G.) 

New VODCAST interview: Ghost and Glitter Hostess Monique Toosoon Talks Spirit Pets w/Rob

A NEW VIDEO INTERVIEW!

"Ghost and Glitter" – the ultimate podcast where the paranormal meets drag and pop culture! (and good timing for Pride month)  🎙️ Hosted by Monique Toosoon who brings the art of drag into the paranormal! 🌈Episode 3 features Monique's chat with Rob Gutro Author/Pet Medium about how pets communiicate from the afterlife and they dip into paranormal investigations in this one-hour video interview. WATCH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myFLRY47NNc&t=1131s

 

A 5 Star Review: Ghosts of Ireland on a Medium's Vacation

A Top review from Bob Heske, host of the Afraid of Nothing Podcast Gives 5.0 out of 5 stars for Ghosts of Ireland on a Medium's Vacation by Rob Gutro

Paranormal Pleasure - Grab a Pint and Read This Gem of a Ghost Guide!

By George, Gutro did it again!

Pet psychic, medium and world traveler Rob Gutro - a best-selling Amazon author - has penned another paranormal travel gem. "Ghosts of Ireland on a Medium's Vacation", the 3rd in Rob's "Medium on a Vacation" series (he really needs to take more vacations for his readers!), is the penultimate guide for those craving ghosts, history and psychic experiences. Packed with valuable information, tips, paranormal insights, photos, sketches and personal video clips, this book really has it all.

More than a good read, this book is a valued travel companion that takes you across the counties of the Emerald Isle to explore castles, cemeteries, libraries, jails, witch rocks, poison gardens, ruins and more. Rob skillfully documents intelligent and residual haunts (read the book for the difference between them), and backs it with history and his own research. The books even captures a ghost on camera, includes a visit from one of Rob's deceased pets, and a past life regression experienced by his husband, Tom.

Available on Amazon in Paperback, Kindle, and Audiobook! Click here

LISTEN TO PARANORMAL PODCASTS on the Afraid of Nothing Podcast page: https://www.afraidofnothingpodcast.com/