ABOUT THE BOOK: The complete reprinting of Superman's adventures in chronological order continues with this new, sixth volume, featuring tales from the early 1940s. Among the menaces facing The Man of Steel in this new volume are the mysterious gang leader known as the Unknown X, a petty thief turned radioactive, and Lex Luthor, who has gained the ability to turn invisible. Plus, Clark Kent becomes Police Commissioner after a criminal gang scares the other candidates out of taking the job.
A man's fainting spells and collapsing blood pressure sent doctors searching for signs of a stroke or heart attack before they found a far more ordinary culprit.
The patient: A 61-year-old man in India
The symptoms: The man went to an emergency department after fainting. He had felt nauseous just before the episode, which lasted about three minutes and was followed by a second fainting episode lasting about two minutes. He also had swelling around one eye.
His family told doctors that he hadn't shown any jerking movements, loss of bladder control or subsequent grogginess, which would have been telltale signs of a seizure.
What happened next: Because the man had fainted twice and had a history of heart disease, doctors first looked for problems affecting his brain and heart. An MRI of his brain, used to look for structural abnormalities that could explain the fainting, and an electroencephalogram (EEG), which records the brain's electrical activity, did not reveal a cause.
The man had persistently low blood pressure, the doctors observed, and this led them to move him to the intensive care unit. There, doctors carried out tests for infections and heart attack, but all came back negative.Meanwhile, the swelling around one of his eyes spread to both eyes and then across his face, while his blood pressure continued to fall despite treatment with intravenous fluids.
The doctors probed further into the man's medical history and activities before the fainting episodes. They learned that he had applied an artificial hair dye two days before he became ill. Soon afterward, he developed itching on his scalp, neck and face. He self-treated with the allergy medicine cetirizine, an antihistamine, for two days. He also reported spending two to three hours outdoors in the sun each day after he'd applied the hair dye.
The diagnosis: Based on the man's recent use of hair dye, the itching that followed, his rapidly worsening facial swelling and his persistently low blood pressure, doctors concluded that he was experiencing anaphylaxis, a severe allergic reaction that can affect the whole body. The reaction can be life-threatening if left untreated.
The treatment: Doctors treated the man with epinephrine (also called adrenaline), a hormonal medication that rapidly reverses the effects of anaphylaxis. They also gave him antihistamines and steroids to help bring the allergic reaction under control, along with intravenous fluids to raise his blood pressure.
However, the patient's blood pressure remained dangerously low, so doctors continued giving him epinephrine through an intravenous drip for about 16 hours. Over the next three days of treatment, his blood pressure stabilized and the swelling in his face gradually subsided.
What makes the case unique: Most allergic reactions to hair dye remain limited to the skin, causing itching, redness and swelling where the dye has touched it. Severe reactions affecting the whole body are uncommon, the man's doctors wrote in a report of the case.
The itching the man noticed shortly after applying the dye was likely an early, mild allergic reaction, his doctors wrote. That reaction later progressed to a much more severe one, they suggested, raising the possibility of a "biphasic" allergic reaction, an uncommon pattern seen in about 5% of patients with anaphylaxis. However, this remains only a possible explanation.
The doctors also noted that the man's prolonged sun exposure after he applied the dye may have intensified the reaction; they cited previous research that ultraviolet light can enhance the allergy-triggering effects of para-phenylenediamine, a common ingredient in hair dyes. In the report, the doctors did not identify the exact hair dye ingredient that triggered the reaction in this instance.
The case highlights the importance of asking about recent use of products such as hair dye when doctors evaluate patients with otherwise unexplained fainting, facial swelling or shock, the medical team concluded.
WHAT IS IT? - Domestic abuse is a pattern of behavior in any relationship used to gain or maintain power and control over an intimate partner or family member. Forms of Domestic Abuse include:
WHOM TO CALL- 1-800-799-SAFE- the Domestic Abuse hotline in the U.S.
ON-LINE HELP - National Domestic Violence Hotline https://www.thehotline.org
SOME U.S. STATES ALSO HAVE RESOURCES SET UP
Woman alleges ex-partner threatened her life over toddler son’s pink tracksuit
The Irish Times, Mary Carolan, Sun Sept 27 2026
A woman who said her ex-partner threatened to “slaughter” her and “end her life” when objecting to their son being dressed in a pink tracksuit has secured a protection order against the man.
The woman told the emergency domestic violence court at Dolphin House in Dublin that she is “very afraid” of the man.“There have been times when I thought he was going to kill me,” she said.
The man subjected her to physical and verbal abuse and coercive control throughout their relationship, the woman told Judge Gerard Furlong, adding that she suffered black eyes, a swollen lip and lost “chunks of hair”.
She said he assaulted her “a lot”, including strangling her once when she was pregnant, and that “there would be times he would attack me and his family would have to pull him off me”.
Their relationship ended some months ago but when the man had their child recently, he phoned the woman asking what was she doing putting a pink tracksuit on his son. She said the man told her the toddler “is a boy, not a girl”.
He told her the tracksuit “is in the bin” and he would send a video showing what he had done to it, she said. He warned her that if anyone came to get the child, there would be “no talking”. She said he called her a prostitute and threatened to “split” her throat and her mother’s. He said he would “slaughter” her and end her life, adding: “Don’t think I won’t.”
During their relationship, she said, he would not let her work, controlled her money and refused to allow her to have a phone apart from a Nokia, which he later smashed. He would smash things if she did not have his dinner ready and required her to iron his clothes “and do anything he asked”.
The judge said the evidence showed a “clear history” of coercive control and that he would grant a protection order. The woman thanked him, became distressed and her hands shook as she wiped away tears.
If you've ever visited northern Greece, there was an amazing discovery there of a school where Aristotle taught Alexander the Great. If you've visited the modern village of Lefkadia, near the town of Naousa (or Náousa) in the Imathia regional unit of Central Macedonia, Greece, that's where the Ancient Mieza was located and where this archaeological find happened!
(Image: This aerial image shows part of the ancient school where Alexander was taught. Image credit: Copyright Hellenic Ministry of Culture)
Nearly 2,400-year-old school where Aristotle taught Alexander the Great discovered in GreeceBy Owen Jarus Edited by Laura Geggel, Kristina Killgrove
The school where Alexander the Great was educated by Aristotle more than 2,300 years ago has been uncovered in the ancient Macedonian city of Mieza, now in northern Greece, the Hellenic Ministry of Culture said in a translated statement.
Archaeologists unearthed a building complex containing two banquet halls, a sporting arena, a stadium, a roofed porch and a lecture hall with stone desks, according to the statement. Mosaic floors and columns decorated the complex. The banquet halls had raised pedestals where nearly a dozen couches would originally have been placed.
The decoration and architecture of the school is similar to that of the Macedonian royal palace at Aigai (modern Vergina in northern Greece), where Philip II and his son Alexander the Great lived, the statement noted.
Among the building ruins, which date to the fourth century B.C., archaeologists discovered coins, ceramics and four styluses that ancient pupils used for writing, providing clues to who might have been educated there.
(Photo: Mieza, aka Shrine of the Nymphs was a town in ancient Macedonia, where Aristotle taught young AlexanderTheGreat 343 - 340 B.C. Mieza was also the home of Alexander's companion, Peucestas. Credit: Hellenic History)
Alexander the Great and Aristotle Alexander the Great was educated at a school in Mieza where Aristotle taught, the ancient writer Plutarch (who lived circa A.D. 50 to 120) wrote in his biography "Life of Alexander." Because of this, Angeliki Kottaridi, an archaeologist and director emerita of antiquities with the Hellenic Ministry of Culture who is leading excavations at the site, believes that the building complex is the very school where Alexander the Great studied.
According to Plutarch, Philip II, had this school built "for the education of his son Alexander and the children of the noble Macedonians," Kottaridi told Live Science in an email. Schools in the ancient Greek world, called "gymnasia," taught students a variety of subjects and also trained them physically.
The discovery of the school was a bit indirect, Kottaridi said. "A few years ago, I identified the ancient remains next to the ancient theater of Mieza," she said, and her team began excavating the building complex in 2024. But some excavation of the complex had been done more than 20 years earlier, she explained, when a monument dedicated to the nymphs was found nearby.
As an author I attend paranormal conferences to speak about my books and sell them. I recently attended one in that was a total financial disaster, but there were three highlights. That's today's blog.
The paranormal conference was held in August in southern New Hampshire. There are always fees to save a table (Usually its between $75 and $150) and this one was $230.00. There was also a promise it was going to have large attendance, up to 1,000 people. It did not.
ADDITIONAL EXPENSE - Because it's a good distance from where I live, and I packed my vehicle the night before, and on the morning of the conference drove from 7 am to arrive and set up. Because It ended at 5pm, I knew it would be a long day and driving back at night would not be safe, so I booked a hotel for another $120.
WHO CAME? Only about 30 people that showed up. That's all. I sold 6 books, including two to a fellow vendor (for a profit of only $30 (leaving $320 in the red). The vendor next to me sold one item of jewelry and they are also retired, so the financial hit was tough on them, too.
MY 2:15pm PETS AND THE AFTERLIFE LECTURE - One lone woman sat to hear my talk, and it wound up being a one-on-one. It worked out well for her because she was able to acknowledge some signs she had already been receiving, but dismissed. So, fortunately, it was healing for her.
HIGHLIGHT #1 - I met a cool guy who may develop his psychic gift, and since there was no one attending the event, he sat with me and we talked for about 90 minutes.
HIGHLIGHT #2 AND SIGN FROM MY TYLER -
The second highlight was meeting little 12 year old Freddy, a long-haired black and tan Dachshund that his mom brought into the conference in a carry bag.I spoke with Freddy's mom for about 30 minutes. Again, no one else was there.
Immediately he reminded me of our Tyler who passed almost 1 year to the day (July 29, 2025). Freddy was the only dog anyone brought into the event. Now I know that I was supposed to be there at the event, so Tyler would send me a sign around the anniversary of his passing.
HIGHLIGHT #3 - Old friends are always a highlight, and no matter how grim a situation may be, they always brighten it. That's what Candace and Derick Fedders did. We talked with each other for about an hour (because no one was there). They are known as the "Paraclauses" because they dress as Santa and Mrs. Claus on paranormal investigations wherever there are children. She's a medium, and he's a tech expert.
WHAT HAPPENED? After promises of a big crowd, it came down to promotions and advertising. There was virtually none except for the vendors promoting it on their own pages- and that only goes so far. I told a couple of people about it, and they came. I posted it all over my social media book pages, but few people that follow me live in the area. **There was one 12 inch by 8 inch sign at the hotel driveway (easy to miss), which was off the main road. Nothing on the Main road. Nothing on the highway exit. No ad in a local newspaper. Nothing on the local Patch.com Events page. Zero.
MEETING 2 MORE OLD FRIENDS - I met 2 friends for dinner at a haunted building. My friend Jim, a fellow scientist, whom I've known for 30 years, and my friend Amy, who manages the Nashua "Hunt Memorial Library" of which I co-authored the book "Haunting of Hunt Memorial Library" with Monique Toosoon, after we had a crazy paranormal investigation there.
We decided to have dinner at Fody's in the haunted Tavern Building, located across the street from the Hunt Memorial Library. The Hunt Library sits atop the original spot of the Tavern Building. The Tavern building was moved to its present spot in 1901 so the library could be built. Learn MORE in "Haunting of Hunt Memorial Library" by Rob Gutro and Monique Toosoon.
Former candidate for Maine governor Ben Midgley penalized by Kalshi for betting on his campaign after 2 others
Ben Midgley, who finished second in the Republican gubernatorial primary, has been banned from the online prediction market platform for three years
WMTW-TV, Aug 31, 2026, Russ Reed
PORTLAND, Maine — Kalshi has banned Ben Midgley, a former candidate for Maine governor, from the online prediction platform for three years after he bet on himself.
Midgley, who finished second in the Republican gubernatorial primary after a ranked choice voting tabulation, bet less than $1,000 on his campaign.
In a statement shared with The Associated Press, Midgley said that he was not aware candidates could not support themselves on Kalshi when he used the platform he viewed as "a novelty and entertainment source."
"The moment I became aware the site preferred not to have candidates supporting themselves, I suspended any involvement," Midgley said in his statement to the AP. "I mean it is hard to take a site seriously which allows bets on virtually anything. Obviously, the novelty has worn off. I had no winnings and made a donation to charity in accordance with Kalshi’s policies."
Midgley was once the president of Planet Fitness before he became a founding partner of Crunch Franchising, LLC.
News of Midgley's three-year ban from Kalshi came on the same day the platform announced that former U.S. Rep. George Santos was permanently banned after its Compliance Department found reasonable cause to believe the former Republican congressman engaged in insider trading, contributing to speculation over whether he would attend the State of the Union address before turning a $17,839 profit on his trading activity when he did not.
Kalshi also levied a three-year ban and a $2,589 fine against North Carolina congressional candidate Laurie Buckhout after the Republican admitted placing bets of less than $1,000 on her campaign.
Stephen Cloobeck, a timeshare mogul who briefly ran for California governor, describing himself as a "Libertarian Republican," was banned for three years after Kalshi said he bought $10,000 worth of contracts on his candidacy.
This week's heroes are two young guys who were driving by an auto repair shop and noticed the outside cigarette receptacle on fire next to the building. If they hadn't stopped to put it out, the building likely would have caught fire. Here's to these two conscientious guys who thought enough to help and make the world a better place.
(Photo: Preston Horton, left, and Blake Carter of Somersworth, seen Monday, Aug. 25, 2026, worked together using a frying pan to put out a fire at Central Park Garage Aug. 20. Credit: Foster's Daily Democrat)
Young men use frying pan to stop Somersworth garage fire: 'Right thing to do'Karen Dandurant, Foster's Daily Democrat .Aug. 27, 2026,
SOMERSWORTH — Two young men acted quickly last week, extinguishing a fire at Central Park Garage, potentially preventing a much worse outcome.
Preston Horton and Blake Carter, both 21 and Somersworth residents, were driving around 7 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 20, when they noticed the fire at the auto repair business at 470 High St.
They decided to turn around and go back to help. The garage is open weekdays and closes at 5:30 p.m., according to its listed hours.
"We were leaving Market Basket after getting subs for dinner," Carter said. "We were heading towards Walmart when I saw smoke in the air. Then I saw flames at a garage."
"We did a U-turn," Carter said. "We saw the receptacle for cigarettes beside the building was on fire."
"At first I didn't really believe Blake, but we turned around anyway," Horton said. "It just seemed like the right thing to do. There was no one else around when we got there."
Horton said he runs a local junk removal business, while Carter works in landscaping, and both feel connected to the community.
"We try to do one thing good a day," Carter said. "Like if we see an older man at the dump, we will unload his truck for him."
A mini fire brigade with a frying pan
The fire was not large, but it was burning strongly, they said. They called the city Fire Department and then tried to figure out what they could do themselves.
"We tried to find water," Carter said. "Preston found a water bottle. We ran around the building trying to find a spigot, and Preston noticed one on a nearby building. I went into the trunk of Preston's car, saw a frying pan, and grabbed that."
Central Park Garage at 470 High St. in Somersworth, seen Aug. 25, 2026, was the site of a smoking receptacle fire Aug. 20. The fire was prevented from spreading by two young men who put it out before it spread to the building.
The two men ran back and forth between the garage and the spigot until the fire was out.
"I got that pan off the side of road," said Horton. "I was planning on going camping this weekend and it would be useful. I refilled the water bottle for about 15 trips. Luckily the building did not catch on fire. I am not sure how long it had been going by the time we noticed it. The ashtray thing was melted."
The Fire Department responded in about five minutes.
Deputy Fire Chief James Drakopoulos said the department appreciates the quick action taken by the young men.
"They probably did help keep the fire from spreading to other parts of the building," Drakopoulos said. "We want to thank them for doing what they could to protect our citizens."
Because the fire seems to have started in the cigarette receptacle, Drakopoulos said, it's a good reminder to keep smoking containers 25 feet away from buildings.
"We would also remind everyone not to put themselves in danger from a fire," he said. "We appreciate what they did, but do not want to see anyone in harm's way."
A woman who identified herself as a manager at Central Park Garage said the business plans to offer Horton and Carter free oil changes to thank them. She said the owner, who is listed as William (Bill) Stowell, declined to comment for this story.
I recently enjoyed a gay fiction novel called "Past his Defenses" by Andrew Grey. It's about two men who were in the Marines in Afghanistan and fell for each other, then went their own ways for seven years. When one contacted the other to visit for a vacation, he never expected the other to have adopted a child. It's a great story with no explicit scenes, just a nice romantic novel with a little attempted industrial espionage. 4.5 out of 5 stars!
What I liked about the book: The characters were great, Robert, a former marine turned Detroit police detective was interesting and my favorite character. Dixie (a man), the other former marine working in cyber security adopted a somewhat disabled and smart son named Henri and lived in Paris. Henri was also a great character. The only one I didn't warm up to was Dixie. But there was intrigue as Dixie and Henri were threatened by a rival company who wanted to steal his work. The Cover was HOT.
What could have been better- wasn't the story- it was the formatting! The font was in 10 point type which got hard to read. It was also single spaced, and the chapters didn't start on the right-facing page. I LOVED the STORY... but the formatting and font size was somewhat off-putting.
ABOUT THE BOOK: When a case reopens old wounds from the kidnapping of his younger sister, police officer Robert Fenner is told in no uncertain terms that he needs a break. And maybe his superiors are right. He books a flight to visit an old friend, who happens to be the one who got away, and hopes for the best.
Electronic security consultant Dixie Halewood works from his home in Paris, where he lives with his adopted son, Henri. Dixie doesn't expect a message from an old flame asking for a place to stay, but he agrees. Their past is just that--the past.
Things between them aren't as settled as they thought--Henri, Paris, and proximity work their magic. The two men are drawn closer and old flames burst back to life, but Dixie's work brings a new threat to their safety and the budding family they missed out on the first time around.
In mid-September I flew from Maine to Maryland on Southwest Airlines, and it was the first time since they changed their boarding policy. It was AWFUL and although I paid for seat, I got text messages saying I was on "standby" which caused anxiety. Today's blog is about that experience.
MASSIVE PRICE INCREASES - Flying roundtrip from New England to Baltimore used to be about $249 in 2023. Now, that same flight is minimally $555. On top of that, they encourage you to BUY a seat starting from an additional $24 up to about $60. Then, you have to pay a BAG fee, which is also New. (That means your flight would be about $100 more)
PUTTING ME IN THE LAST BOARDING GROUP UNLIKE OTHERS IN MY ROW - I Paid for seat 6E, and my boarding pass put me in Boarding group 8, the last group, so I realized there would likely be No Bin space for my carryon bag. Here's what Irritated me: The other 2 people sitting next to me in Row 6 said they were in BOARDING GROUP 2 and they had to get out of their seats for me to get in. WTH?
SEAT FIASCO AND PUT ON SURPRISE STAND BY- Southwest gives you the "option" of not picking a seat and letting them assign you one if you don't want to pay extra. Well, that didn't work. Although I paid for a seat going to Baltimore, I opted not to buy one for the return.
ANXIETY TEXTS! My flight was at 2:10pm.
TEXT#1 - At 12:06 pm when I was at the airport, "Overhead bin space may fill up before groups 6,7,8 board. Lighten your load and check your carryon for free with a Customer Service Agent." OF Course, since I didn't have an assigned seat, I knew I was likely going to be in Boarding Group 8 AGAIN... and I was. I was in the last 5 people to board.
TEXT #2 - At 12:19pm when I was at the airport, I received the following text: "Standby alert: You have been cleared for flight 294 from BWI to PWM, departing at 2:10 pm. Get your boarding pass(es) here: XXX ***WHAT??!? - So I was put on Standby because I didn't pay EXTRA for a seat? What if I wasn't cleared and got stranded? I had NO idea. That's pretty awful to do to someone who bought a ticket.***
The gate agent explained that people who don't pay for seats are always going to get a "standby" notice.
BOTTOM LINE - For a flight that I paid over $500 for, to take a 1 hour flight, and get stuck in the last boarding group with no room for 1 small carryon, and face the anxiety of being "On Standby" - I consider myself DONE with Southwest Airlines. It's a shame. I've flown with them for 20 years. They have LOST their way.
Usually, it's easier to recognize an Angel number when the number repeats. Like 11,111,1111. It can be seen on anything (time, street signs, price tags, gas station signs...). Every day one or more of my 7 dogs in spirit send me an Angel number, which means I just happen to look at something with a number (and I don't wait for the time or temperature to change, or stare for license plates!) and it's in front of me. Although they are known to be associated with different meanings, they can use a specific number or any repeating number to indicate they are around us, like 1111, 555, 222, etc.
OUR DOGS' ANGEL NUMBERS
Our Weimaraner Dolly's number is 1, because she is an old soul and my heart dog. My spirit dog Buzz's number is 222 because he passed on February 22. Franklin's number is 3 because he was born in March. My spirit dog Sprite's number is 4 or 444 because he was the fourth dog we adopted. Tyler is 5, Dash is 6, and Cody is 7.
SPRITE'S SIGN! While going to the Maine paranormal and horror convention today, I saw Sprite's Angel number 4 repeating in the gas prices, so I know he is with me today as I talk about how pets communicate from the afterlife (based on my "Pets and the Afterlife" series of books, which features his butterfly sign and many more
Buzz passed on February 22, 2005, so I realized that his Angel number is 222 (as in Feb 22nd).
On May 17th, after talking with visitors to my tent and vendor table, I happened to pick up my phone, and it was 2:22 p.m. ET. That was a sign from Buzz that everything would be okay, and that he was working from spirit to make the talk happen. He did.
Watch for your signs, and read the "Pets and the Afterlife" series of books by Rob Gutro to recognize more signs from your spirit pets!
Ancient Romans knew how important dogs and cats are, and recently in Turkey a mosaic was unearthed depicting both!
(Image: One panel of the mosaic depicts a light-colored cat named Emerald resting on a blue-green cushion. Image credit: H. M. Özgen/Adramytteion Research Archive)
Stunning Roman-era mosaic discovered in Turkey features 'Emerald' the cat and 'Ocean' the dog
LiveScience, By Kristina Killgrove Edited by Laura Geggel, Laura Mondragón, SAept 6, 2026
Nearly two millennia ago, a wealthy Roman commissioned an intricate, multicolored floor mosaic that depicted two beloved household animals: a cat named Emerald and a dog named Ocean. The mosaic was a key feature of a villa, which archaeologists recently unearthed from beneath the ancient city of Adramytteion on Turkey's Aegean coast.
Within the Roman villa, which has been dated to the late second to third centuries A.D., archaeologists discovered three halls surrounding a central atrium. In one room, which likely functioned as the villa's main reception hall, archaeologists found a colorful mosaic with 15 separate panels depicting living and mythological creatures.
In a study forthcoming in the Journal of Mosaic Research, archaeologist Hüseyin Özgen, head of the Adramytteion research team at Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, wrote that the 15 panels are centered around what appears to be a depiction of Medusa, while the named cat and dog may preserve the memory of household creatures.
(IMAGE: Another panel of the mosaic depicts a dog named Ocean. Image credit: H. M. Özgen/Adramytteion Research Archive)
Özgen began excavating at Adramytteion in 2012, but he and his team discovered the Roman villa only recently and excavated it in 2025 and early 2026. In the Roman period, Adramytteion was a provincial capital within Asia Minor and a prime trading spot due to its location at the head of a gulf on the Aegean Sea. The impressive villa included three mosaic-paved halls, a number of secondary rooms, and a network of pipes and drains that may have connected to a latrine.
Visitors approaching from the courtyard of the villa would have been greeted by the largest, most elaborate mosaic in the residence, according to Özgen. Located in the middle of the room, the mosaic measures about 16.4 by 11.8 feet (5 by 3.6 meters) and contains 15 panels arranged in three rows. Most of the panels depict birds, fish and felines, but two mythologically inspired panels include a gorgon (possibly Medusa) and a winged horse (possibly Pegasus). Ancient artists used white, black, red, orange, yellow, pink, burgundy, blue, turquoise and green tiles to create the intricate design.
Only two of the animals depicted in the mosaic are named. As someone entered the room, the first mosaic panel they would have seen to their left was a pale cat seated on a blue-green cushion, Özgen wrote in the study. Above the cat are the Greek letters ΖΜΑΡΑΓΔΙΝ (Zmaragdin), meaning emerald. The relaxed cat sitting on a cushion suggests that Emerald may have been a pet rather than a stray.
On the right side as someone entered the room was a mosaic panel depicting a running or leaping dog. This animal is labeled with the Greek letters ΩΚΕΑΝΟΣ (Okeanos), meaning ocean. Adramytteion was a harbor city, so Ocean's name may have been bestowed due to his surroundings, according to Özgen.
Emerald and Ocean were likely familiar to the villa's residents, even if they weren't specifically pets, Özgen wrote, and their depictions in the mosaic may have functioned as familiar signs of ownership and household identity.
Research at Adramytteion by Özgen and the project team is ongoing.
Earlier this month, I attended a beautiful memorial service for our friend Chris. He passed on July 31st of this year, and it was devastating loss. The service and the setting were beautiful. I also had a chance to speak about our friend, and today's blog will include my speech and reflections of Chris.
(Photo left: Our friend Chris doing what he loved- biking cross country.)
THE MEMORIAL - The setting was at an outdoor venue next to a beautiful greenhouse and garden complex in Maryland. There was an outside trellis with a podium and folding chairs were set in front of it. The memorial featured wonderful and emotional eulogies by Chris' two daughters, a reading of a Psalm from his friend and neighbor, Rocky and a garden ritual. It was beautifully narrated by a friend of one of Chris' daughters.
(Photo left: The tent for food and mingling)
CELEBRATING CHRIS- There was a large tent with round tables for friends and family to enjoy some food, and share stories. Several family members, friends and work colleagues told funny stories that really highlighted Chris' great sense of humor.
I told how we met in Dunkin' Donuts while standing in line, and I think we both commented on a customer who had an attitude, and wound up laughing over it. We decided to meet for coffee another time, and that's how our friendship began. 
Tom and I joined Chris at Dunkin' many times for coffee or lunch, and we introduced him to what became his favorite Mexican restaurant, "Mucho Gusto" (although it was a different name when we first went there). 
