Dictionary Com Reveals: Why did Z get removed from the alphabet?

The letter Z is fascinating when you think about it. How many words can you name the begin with "Z" off the top of your head, other Zipper, Zebra, Zone, Zeta, Zigzag, Zoo, Zoology, and Zowie (sound effect from Batman 1966 TV show). Did you know Z was removed and much later restored to our alphabet? Dictionary dot com has the story.

(I grew up with the word "Zowie" thanks to Batman!) 

Why Was Z Once Removed From The Alphabet? 

Dictionary. Com , May 16, 2024

Poor lonely Z finishes up the alphabet at number 26. But, that’s not the only insult this lonely letter suffers! Z’s history includes a time when it was so infrequently used that it was removed from the alphabet altogether.

Where did Z come from? The Greek zeta is the origin of the humble Z. The Phoenician glyph zayin, meaning “weapon,” had a long vertical line capped at both ends with shorter horizontal lines and looked very much like a modern capital I.

By the time it evolved into the Greek zeta, the top and bottom lines had become elongated, and the vertical line slanted, connecting to the horizontal lines at the top right and the bottom left.

It finally looked like what we call Z today.

Why did Z get removed from the alphabet?

Around 300 BC, the Roman Censor Appius Claudius Caecus removed Z from the alphabet. His justification was that Z had become archaic: the pronunciation of /z/ had become /r/ by a process called rhotacism, rendering the letter Z useless.

At the same time, S was also removed, and G was added … but that’s another story.

How did Z get added back? Clearly there’s good news for all the zebras and zither lovers out there, though. Z made its way back to the alphabet so kids could learn an alphabet that stretched all the way from A to Z.

Two hundred years after Appius Claudius Caecus was giving the letter the boot, Z was reintroduced to the Latin alphabet. At the time, it was used only in words taken from Greek. Because of its absence and reintroduction, zeta is one of the only two letters to enter the Latin alphabet directly from Greek and not Etruscan.

(In meteorology, there's Zonal Flow. That's large-scale atmospheric flow in which the east-west component (i.e., latitudinal) is dominant. The accompanying meridional (north-south) component often is weaker than normal.

What about the 27th letter? Z was not always the final letter of the modern English alphabet, although it has always been in the 26th position. For years the & symbol (now known as the ampersand) was the final, pronounced “and” but recited with the Latin “per se,” meaning “by itself.” The position and pronunciation eventually ran together: “X, Y, Z, and per se and” became “X, Y, Z, ampersand.”

These days Z is the most rarely used letter in the alphabet; however, American English uses it more often than British English.

Early English—it should be noted—did not have a Z but used S for both voiced and unvoiced sibilants. Words in English that originated as loanwords from French and Latin are more likely to be spelled with a Z than an S, such as blazon or buzzard. Also, American standardization modified /z/ suffixes to more accurately reflect their pronunciation, changing –ise and –isation to –ize and –ization.

New Podcast! 13th Destiny talks w/Rob about Ghosts, Pets, Haunted houses...

NEW PODCAST! James and Danielle, hosts of THE 13th Destiny with Magnum Podcast chatted w/ Rob Gutro about Ghosts, a Haunted House and Pet Spirits! Today's blog shares the link!

 

Listen on Spotify - under James-magnum-cook OR go to: https://lnkd.in/eaRbWG_z (or listen below)  

Great Gay Romance Novel: The Curious Thing about the Apartment Vent by R.D. Noland

   R.D. Noland is a gay author who is a fantastic storyteller. I have read the books in his Tales Of A Gay Witch series and enjoyed them. His latest book, "The Curious Thing About the Apartment Vent" is truly one of the BEST gay novels I've ever read (I read a lot of books). 

   The characters are so realistic you really feel as if you get to know them. They come from two different backgrounds and the situation of their different lives brings them together - which is hinted at in the title. I loved these characters and want to read more about them in future books (hopefully he will write more about them). The supporting characters - the parents, female friends, male friends, and others really helped bring this to life, too. I really felt as if I were hearing these conversations between the characters and wanting good outcomes. This was truly a 5 out of 5-star book for me.

 

ABOUT THE BOOK: Lucas, the closeted son of a preacher who just graduated from Florida Atlantic University, returns home and is forced to make a life-changing decision--can he live a lie and marry his lifelong BFF, who his overbearing parents have been plotting to matchmake him with for years? Or, will he stay in Florida and start a new, more open life that he knows they will never approve of?

Tyler, a talented artist on the edge of seventeen, is about to finish high school, and is looking forward to becoming a proper adult and fully exploring his sexuality. However, he soon discovers there's a kink in his plans--his father has decided to rent out the studio apartment he's been living in, putting an end to the independence he's enjoyed until now.

>Lucas answers an advertisement for the apartment, and sparks fly from the very first moment the boys meet--though both are reluctant to explore things further, since it wasn't what either of them had planned for their futures. But sometimes life isn't that simple, and doesn't always go exactly as planned...

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: R.D. Noland was born in the suburbs of Dayton, Ohio. During his last two years of high school, he attended M.C.J.S. studying art, photography, and printing. He took some classes at the Sinclair Community College to continue his education.

He was raised by his mother, grandmother and aunt, all of whom shaped the way he viewed the world.

Mr. Noland moved to Florida in1989 with his significant other and their two cats. They closed the chapter on that relationship after many years and sadly the cats went with his ex. Later he adopted two dogs that he fell in love with; they became his baby girls.

He was accepted by some major art schools but could not afford to attend, so enrolled in a local college to study art. He has worked as a custom picture framer and a freelance artist in some several galleries and frame shops.

Mr. Noland feels at his best when he is creating, so please join him on this new creative adventure and see where his imagination takes us.

Discovered! Hoard of Hidden 17th-century coins Found in Wall of a UK House

When you buy an old house, you never know what you'll find. Perhaps old books, clothing a resident ghost, or a big bag of ancient coins. The latter is what a family discovered in their home in England! Today's blog is about that discovery as told by livescience. 

(Photo: Location of the 17th-century hoard of coins found under the kitchen floor of a cottage in South Poorton Farm, Dorset, UK)

Hoard of 17th-century coins hidden during English Civil War unearthed during kitchen renovation 

News By Hannah Kate Simon, LIVESCIENCE, May 9, 2024

During a kitchen renovation, a family in England unexpectedly discovered a hoard of coins that was likely buried for safekeeping during the first English Civil War.

A family in England discovered nearly 400-year-old buried treasure during a recent home renovation project. The find includes more than 1,000 gold and silver coins that were likely hidden during the first English Civil War.

Betty and Robert Fooks unexpectedly unearthed the 17th-century hoard at their cottage in South Poorton Farm, Dorset, in 2019. Now, these coins have hit the auction block and sold for upward of $75,900 (60,740 British pounds), according to the hammer prices listed by Duke's, an auction house in Dorchester that handled the sales.

Robert Fooks made the discovery while pickaxing the kitchen floor to remove about 2 feet (0.6 meter) of flooring material, including modern concrete, old flagstone and bare earth. Then, he saw a broken glazed-ceramic vessel brimming with coins in the layer of soil dating back about 400 years. It's unclear if the bowl was broken before or during the recent discovery, according to Duke's.

(Photo: The coins were found with a glazed pottery bowl which was unfortunately smashed either during the digging or before.)

The couple contacted a local finds liaison officer, who arranged for the coins to be sent to the British Museum, where they were cleaned and identified, according to The Guardian. The British Museum noted that the coins were likely deposited on a single occasion between about 1642 and 1644, dates likely based on the coins' mint dates.

The coins in the collection, named the Poorton Coin Hoard, range from modest sixpences, which were worth six pennies, to a coveted gold "unite" coin that was worth 20 shillings, or 1 pound, and depict the visages of English monarchs Edward VI; Mary and her husband Philip; Elizabeth I; James I; and Charles I, who ruled successively from 1547 to 1649.

Many of the coins sold individually or in groups at auction on April 23. A single gold coin of Charles I brought in the highest price, at 5,000 British pounds ($6,260), while some lots went for far more than their estimated value.

Memorial Day Weekend: New and Old Friends Visit

 Memorial Day weekend brought perfect weather with high temperatures in the 70s and visits from new and old friends. 

On Thursday, May 23rd, we talked with our new friends and neighbors Marissa and Aaron and decided to have a burger night the next evening. It was a last minute thing, but sometimes those are the best!  

  We had burgers on the grill and treated them to an episode of Mr. Monk (the OCD detective) because they had never seen the show before. Dessert was Maine's Wild Blueberry pie and my homemade brownies. 

On Sunday, May 26th, our old friends Dana, Amy and Diane visited us!  They drove up from Maryland (where we moved from)  where we were all in the same paranormal team. 

They were visiting Salem, Massachusetts (home of the 1692 witch trials), the Witch Museum, House of the 7 Gables, and many other attractions in Massachusetts.

It was so great to see them as we haven't seen them in almost a year!  

Of course, we had to have our traditional Mexican restaurant dinner (that was where we all went before we moved north). They came back to the house to meet the dogs and walk the backyard forest trail. 

There's nothing more special than a weekend with old and new friends.

(Photo: front: Rob/back: Tom, Diane, Amy and Dana)

Idiot of the Week: Teen Taken To ER After Shooting Himself While Cleaning Gun

This week's idiot is a teenager who was cleaning a gun and shot himself through the hand. First, why in the world does a teenager have a gun? Second, why didn't he check the chambers and empty the bullets? Third, why was a teen allowed to clean a gun without an adult? All good questions. Here's the story about this week's idiot.

(Photo: Not the actual victim's hand)

Teen Taken To Concord ER After Shooting Himself While Cleaning Gun

  Tony Schinella, Patch Apr 6, 2024 at 7:05 pm ET

CONCORD, NH — Police are investigating an accidental shooting involving a teenager who was reportedly cleaning his gun when he shot himself in the hand on Saturday, April 13, 2024.

Around 12:45 p.m., officers and fire and rescue teams were sent to the River Hill Market on Carter Hill Road in Concord for a report of a man, 19, who shot himself in the hand while cleaning a firearm. The man and a woman were reportedly inside a gray SUV outside the store.

Police arrived first and ran checks on two people while a tourniquet was wrapped around the man’s hand. When firefighters and EMTs arrived, they requested a trauma alert at Concord Hospital and took the teen to the emergency room.

An officer met with the victim at the hospital later. One officer requested another to get pictures of the wound. The woman who was with the teen lived in Penacook and police decided to drive by a home on Washington Street to see if there were any blood trails or any other evidence there.

The officer spoke to four juveniles playing outside a nearby school, and they reported not hearing any gunshots in the area during the prior 30 minutes.

Officers learned a family member would be meeting the teen at the hospital and requested to check the home to make sure “there’s nothing else crazy going on in there.” Later, the officer in Penacook reported finding blood and tracks in the snow outside of the home on Washington Street and took a picture of the evidence. They said they would be securing the area, too. More officers were then sent to Penacook to investigate.

During this process, they received consent from the owner of the building to search the premises. Later, an officer reported finding a bullet hole at the home and requested officers at the hospital to get the full story about what happened. An officer at the hospital replied the man was being given medications and did not know when he would be able to talk, according to scanner chatter.

Another officer ran a check on the handgun. Police also requested firefighters to hose down the parking lot at River Hill Market to clean up the blood. This is the second time in less than a week a man has shot himself accidentally in Concord, New Hampshire.

Heroes of the Week: Neighbors Rescue Dog from Burning Home and Firefighters Extinguish Blaze Twice!

Quick-thinking and observant neighbors in a small lakefront neighborhood in south central Maine noticed a nearby home on fire and rescued a dog from the empty home. The heroic neighbors were not named in the story, but they are true heroes! 

Of course, the firefighters from MANY TOWNS who battled this multi-home fire are also heroes.   

(Photo:   Crews are on the scene of a fire on the shore of Little Sebago Lake in Raymond, Maine on May 22, 2024. (credit: Julie Derice))

Neighbors Rescue Dog from Burning Home

(WGME) -- Two homes were destroyed and two more were damaged during a fire in Raymond, Maine on Wednesday, May 22nd. Crews responded to a report of a porch fire on Evergreen Road around 7 p.m. ET.

They arrived to find two homes on fire and say shortly after, two more caught fire.

At the same time as fire crews were extinguishing the first fire, Raymond Fire & Rescue says propane tanks began to ignite and vent-off gas. Flames went upwards of 30 feet in the air.

A dog was found in one of the homes encroached by fire and was let out by neighbors. The dog was reported to be fine by the owners of the dog.

The Raymond Fire Department statement reads: "As the fires began to build, power lines got involved and dropped to the ground prohibiting fire attack on some of the buildings until power was shut off in the area. Several area departments responded initially due to the fire’s location. It was nearly 2 miles off of Route 85 down narrow camp roads. The homes were along the shore of Little Sebago. A water supply was established at a local boat launch and provided water for apparatus, to refill and continue to extinguish the fire."

Two firefighters were also taken to the hospital with heat-related injuries.

A total of four buildings were damaged, two of which are a total loss. The fire caused an estimated $500,000 in damages. The State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause.

On May 23. 2024 at approximately 5am in the morning the fire rekindled! TV crews reported a rekindle of fire amongst the heavy debris at the fire scene. Raymond Fire & Rescue responded to extinguish this fire. Rekindles and flare ups are common when Firefighters can not move or get through large amounts of debris. In this case there were heavy amounts of duff on the ground and reminiscent of structure that allowed the rekindling.

Heroic Firefighters from several towns responded to the scene and many others provided station coverages. Raymond, Gray, New Gloucester,Poland, Windham, Casco, Standish, Bridgton, Naples, Westbrook, and North Yarmouth and other agencies helped with the incident.

NEW PODCAST Interview on Everything Imaginable

Today, I'm sharing my latest  NEW PODCAST Interview on Everything Imaginable 

APRIL 2024 

 NEW PODCAST! I recently had the pleasure of talking with Gary, host of Everything Imaginable on topics that ranged from  spirit  pets to  haunted houses. 

Gary wrote me afterward: "Thank you for being a guest on my podcast. I loved talking to you. It was a fascinating interview, and I am sure my listeners will love it. You are welcome back anytime.

Below are links to the episode. I hope you share them on your social media pages and any groups you belong to related to the topics we discussed. Thank you again, and have a fantastic day!

Click to listen to the interview!   
https://everything-imaginable.simplecast.com/episodes/rob-gutro-pet-spirits-and-haunted-locations 

A Fun Cozy Mystery series: Haunted Haven Mystery: Be My Ghost

 Author Carol J. Perry writes the "Witch City Mysteries" which are one of my favorites. I discovered that she also has a second series, called "Haunted Haven Mysteries," is about a haunted hotel in Florida. The first in the series, "Be My Ghost" was a fun read. 

ENJOYABLE!  GREAT CHARACTERS AND MYSTERY - The main character is a woman named Maureen who loses her clothing based job in NYC and inherits a still active hotel in Florida. She doesn't know who the former owner is, though, which is a mystery that runs through the series. But she and her dog, Finn, a Golden Retriever, encounter some of the strange goings on and meet a cast of interesting characters. 

The characters are interesting and the book makes you want to read until you can't keep your eyes open! Many nights I was so into the book, physical exhaustion overcame my ability to stay awake to read more. I'm looking forward to the next in the series (there are 2 more already).

ABOUT THE BOOK: Maureen Doherty and her golden retriever Finn have taken possession of a charming old inn—only to discover that it’s already possessed by tenants whose lease on life already ran out . . .

Maureen's career as a sportswear buyer hits a snag just before Halloween, when the department store declares bankruptcy. Meanwhile, Finn's lost his way as a guide dog after flunking his test for being too friendly and easily distracted. Sadly, only one of them can earn unemployment, so Maureen's facing a winter of discontent in Boston--when she realizes she can't afford her apartment.

Salvation comes when she receives a mysterious inheritance: an inn in Haven, Florida. A quaint, scenic town on the Gulf of Mexico hidden away from the theme parks, Maureen believes it's a good place to make a fresh start with a new business venture. But she gets more than she bargained for when she finds a dead body on her property--and meets some of the inn's everlasting tenants in the form of ghosts who offer their otherworldly talents in order to help her solve the mystery...

DISCOVERY! 1,900-year-old Roman legionary fortress unearthed next to UK cathedral

 Archaeology is such a fascinating science and today's blog is about the discovery of a 1,900 year old Roman fortress discovered near Exeter Cathedral in the United Kingdom.

(Photo:; An aerial view of the excavation work currently taking place at Exeter Cathedral’s Cloister Garden. (Image credit: Exeter Cathedral)

1,900-year-old Roman legionary fortress unearthed next to UK cathedral

By Jennifer Nalewicki, LIVE SCIENCE, May 7, 2024

Ongoing excavations have revealed Roman ruins that were once part of a legionary fortress.

Archaeologists in England have discovered several Roman ruins buried next to a cathedral in Exeter.

The structures, which were built between A.D. 50 and 75, include a street and wooden buildings that were once part of a Roman legionary fortress, according to a statement.

The construction itself was likely part of a "long barrack building," John Allan, a cathedral archaeologist with the University of Exeter, said in the statement.

Romans built the fortress around the same time as a bathhouse, which was discovered near the cathedral in 1971. The bathhouse was "the second stone building in the whole of Britain at the time it was built," according to a Devon County Council Facebook post.

Roman troops — whose legions boasted 5,000 Roman citizen soldiers apiece — were a common sight in Roman Britain, Historic England, an organization that oversees historic sites in England, wrote in a 2018 report. Britain was one of the most heavily militarized regions in the Roman Empire, the report noted.

Archaeologists at the cathedral also unearthed what was left of a stone wall that once belonged to a Roman townhouse built sometime in the third and fourth centuries A.D., according to the statement.

The archeological excavation work is part of a much larger project that involves building a new cloister gallery at the cathedral, which replaces the cathedral's medieval cloisters that were demolished in 1656. The new construction will be built on the original cloisters' foundations, according to the statement.

Exeter Cathedral is located in a region of Devon County that was conquered by the Roman Empire in A.D. 50. The empire continued controlling the area until A.D. 410, when the Roman period ended in Britain.

Remembering Greg Guidry: 80s Pop Singer "Goin' Down"

Recently I came across a social media posting of a Billboard music chart from 1982, and one song that stood out was "Goin' Down" by Greg Guidry. I was trying to remember the sound of it, and I recognized the singer (I bought the album in 1982 as I recall).  I had no idea that he died by suicide at age 49. How tragic. His great voice and music lives on though. Today's blog is to bring him back to the forefront of your mind.  

ABOUT:  Gregory Mark Guidry (January 23, 1954 – July 28, 2003)  

Born in St. Louis, Missouri, he played piano and sang gospel as a child, and sang in a band with future Doobie Brother Michael McDonald as a teenager. With help from Rich Lang, a friend and fellow musician, they wrote and recorded several demos, drove to New York City from St. Louis, and signed a publishing contract with CBS Records in 1977 and wrote songs for Climax Blues Band, Robbie Dupree, Exile, Johnnie Taylor, Sawyer Brown, and Reba McEntire.

In 1981, he sang as a backing vocalist for the Allman Brothers Band on their 1981 album Brothers of the Road.  He signed with Columbia in 1982 and released an album, Over the Line, which produced two hit singles, "Goin' Down" (US No. 17, US AC No. 11) and a duet with his sister Sandy, "Into My Love" (US No. 92). While he continued to do songwriting work later in the 1980s, he did not issue a follow-up album until 2000, when Soul'd Out and Private Session were released, and his debut album was re-released. On July 28, 2003, Guidry died in a fire at age 49.  His charred body was found in a car parked in his garage in Fairview, Tennessee.  (Source: wikipedia)

 

Article about Greg's passing:

Williamson County, Tennessee: Burned body identified as songwriter 

Associated Press , August 1, 2003

FAIRVIEW, Tenn. (AP) -- A charred body found Monday in a car parked inside a home's garage has been identified as that of singer-songwriter Greg Guidry. He was 53.

Guidry, who sang with Michael McDonald and the Allman Brothers Band, had a hit single in 1982 with "Goin' Down." The song reached No. 17 on the pop charts.

He and his five siblings sang in a gospel group known as the Guidry Family and as teenagers were signed as an R&B act to Curtom Records by Curtis Mayfield.

Police are investigating the incident and have not ruled out foul play. The body was identified by dental records.

"We did a full investigation on Monday and Tuesday and have some ideas but will wait for the autopsy report," said Keith Crowell, Fairview's fire chief.

Guidry had been living at the home where his body was found since April. Fairview is a small town just outside Nashville. He is survived by a son, daughter and grandson.

Rob's Local Work Event at Pease Air Base, Portsmouth, NH

 On Saturday, May 18th, I represented both NASA and NOAA at the Science, Technology, Education and Math or STEM event at Pease Air base in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Today's blog shares info and photos from it.

(Photo: Rob at a table representing NASA and NOAA at the STEM Event. Credit: R.G.)

Pease Air National Guard Base hosted  a STEM Open House May 18, 2024 

ABOUT PEASE: Pease Air National Guard Base is a New Hampshire Air National Guard base located at Portsmouth International Airport at Pease in New Hampshire.

ABOUT THE EVENT: The event featured dozens of local, regional and national leaders in science, technology, engineering and math through displays, interactive activities, exhibitor booths and PeaseX, short-form informational talks on featured subjects.  Half of the exhibitors were housed in an airplane hangar (including me), like the Portsmouth Naval Yard. The others were outside the hangar, under cloudy (and fortunately rain-free) skies. 

ABOUT THE PORTSMOUTH NAVAL SHIPYARD: The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, often called the Portsmouth Navy Yard, is a United States Navy shipyard on Seavey's Island in Kittery, Maine, bordering Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The naval yard lies along the southern boundary of Maine on the Piscataqua River. Founded in 1800, PNS is U.S. Navy's oldest continuously operating shipyard. Today, most of its work concerns the overhaul, repair, and modernization of submarines 

There were also several aircraft brought in so people could board and tour them. 

There were also several robotics companies and groups that were present. One of them had what worked like a robotic dog and the other had a robot that impressed me as one that could be used to defuse bombs. At one point the two robots interacted, and I captured a short video. 

VIDEO OF ROBOT INTERACTIONS:   https://youtu.be/K0vPCDDOYfU?si=koOaoUoYUxaaBjW5

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Other vendors highlighted their expertise in biotechnology, too. 

Idiot of the Week: Man pleads guilty to hate crime after hitting man with his car

I have zero tolerance for bigots, and this 78 year old guy should get jail for 10 years AND needs to be fined $250000 after hitting a Vietnamese man with his car, TWICE. This old bigot is today's idiot.

 (Photo: Idiot  John Sullivan (in the Wheelchair) of Quincy at his dangerousness hearing in 2022. The district court charges were eventually dropped. Photo by Pat Greenhouse/Globe Staff) 

Quincy man pleads guilty to hate crime after hitting man with his car 

78-year-old John Sullivan threatened to kill a Vietnamese family outside a Quincy post office and told them to "go back to China."

Boston Com,   By Molly Farrar , April 3, 2024 

A 78-year-old Quincy man pleaded guilty to committing a hate crime after hitting a man twice with his car and yelling anti-Asian threats, federal prosecutors announced Wednesday.

John Sullivan pleaded guilty to one count of violating the Shepard-Byrd Hate Crimes Prevention Act. He was accused of shouting “go back to China” at a Vietnamese family — including three children under the age of 12 — and hitting a man from the family with his car outside a Quincy post office in December of 2022.

A federal grand jury indicted Sullivan on the hate crime charge in February 2023.

Sullivan initially pleaded not guilty to civil rights, assault, and reckless driving charges in Quincy District Court in 2022. He was released on conditions after the incident, including home confinement and no driving, The Boston Globe reported. According to court documents, the district court charges against Sullivan were dropped in March of 2023.

What happened in 2022?

George Ngo from Quincy after a racist altercation in front of Quincy’s Main Post Office where he was allegedly hit a car driven by John Sullivan in 2022. Photos are courtesy of Desiree Thien Desiree Thien told the Globe that she, her three children and her brother, George Ngo, were outside of a post office on Washington Street in Quincy one morning in late 2022.

Prosecutors said Sullivan threatened to kill the family and told them to “go back to China.”

After a verbal altercation, Sullivan hit Ngo with his car. Ngo clung to the hood while Sullivan drove about 200 yards. Ngo fell off the car, and Sullivan hit him again, prosecutors said. Ngo then fell into a nearby construction ditch.

Sullivan then allegedly fled the scene, the DA’s office said at the time. Ngo suffered a broken shoulder, a concussion, and an injury to his leg.

“The actions of John Sullivan are appalling and a sad reflection of intolerance and hate that is far too prevalent in our society,” Acting United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts Joshua S. Levy said. “This behavior will never be tolerated and we will continue to aggressively prosecute hate crimes.”

Sullivan will be sentenced this summer to a maximum of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.

Heroes of the week: 2 Connecticut horses rescued by 40 people from mud

It took 40 emergency workers 5 hours to free 2 horses who were deep in mud. The Lebanon Volunteer Fire Department (LVFD) were called in to help them, and it was a big operation. The LVFD were also assisted by others from   North Windham Fire Department Rescue,  Kukucka/Snow Deuce and a Half Stirrup Fun Stables Rescue, Inc.,  Durham Animal Response Team - DART,  Fenton River Veterinary Hospital Montville, and the Salvation Army Canteen. Here's the story of this week's heroes.

  Caption: Emergency workers rescue a horse that was stuck in mud in a Connecticut forest on Sunday. Photograph: Lebanon Volunteer Fire Department

 2 Connecticut horses rescued from mud after emergency workers built bridge

  REPORT FROM THE Lebanon Volunteer Fire Department Inc.

Up to 40 first responders toiled for hours in a Connecticut forest to successfully rescue two horses who had become stuck in a muddy swamp on a local farm.

At approximately 2pm today a call was made to the LVFD reporting 2 horses stuck in the mud well behind the farm. LVFD personnel responded to the scene to assess the situation and quickly determined that this was going to require a Fire Dept response.

2 Horses were stuck ¾ of the mile into the woods in a swampy area. They had wandered into the area and became stuck up to their undersides. The Farm and FD units discussed activating the Durham Animal Response Team (DART) who had experience with large animals being stuck in the mud.

LVFD Units set up a staging area on North Street and requested the assistance of Dave Kukucka and Chris Snow to utilize their Deuce and Half vehicle to shuttle equipment and personnel into the scene. 'The access road was complete mud and there was a river to cross ½ way in.

The LVFD UTV, Car 6’s Vehicle, a farm truck, and the Deuce and a Half shuttled in close to 40 personnel and the necessary ropes, wood, saws, plywood, rescue equipment, Vet Supplies, Food and Water.

LVFD Units cleared a roadway and constructed a make shift bridge utilizing logs, cribbing, plywood and signs. The area was not accessible for equipment and would require manpower to extricate them from the woods.

DART arrived and went to work setting up their Sled equipment. The goal was to roll the horses out of the mud, which was waist deep for rescuers, onto their sled device. Once on the sled all personnel would work together to pull them over the make shift bridge and up onto flat ground approx. 30 yards from the swamp.

North Windham Rescue 102 was requested to the scene to assist with setting up dual rope systems, as the 2nd horse was considerably more stuck in the mud than the first. Those systems were ultimately not needed in the end but the significant manpower was necessary.

The first extrication started at 1625 and was complete at 1656. The 2nd extrication started at 1715 and was complete at 1748.

A vet from Fenton River Vets arrived and assessed both horses on scene. Both were in mild distress and one had been stuck in the mud and water for over 7 hours. At 1821 both horses had been warmed up enough to stand and we are happy to report both got up without issue and were happily eating some fresh hay. 

 1852 All Rescue Personnel out of the woods – No injuries reported. The DART team were great to work with and are an incredible asset to have here in the state. Total Rescue Time: 5 Hours Units who operated on scene. 

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RESCUERS:  Command – Car 6 - Chief Operations – Car 1006 Staging – Car 506 Rescue 106 Service 106 UTV 106 Forestry 106 Ambulance 506 North Windham Fire Department Rescue 102 Kukucka/Snow Deuce and a Half Stirrup Fun Stables Rescue, Inc. Frank Himmelstein Durham Animal Response Team - DART Fenton River Veterinary Hospital Montville/Salvation Army Canteen

Fun Book About Maine by a local: Down the Road a Piece: A Storyteller's Guide to Maine by John McDonald

 Having moved to Maine, I wanted to read a book that would give me a good introduction to the state. John McDonald is a famous local figure, storyteller, radio personality and humorist in Maine who authored several books. "Down the Road a Piece: A Storyteller's Guide to Maine " was a fun read. The author has a great sense of humor and sarcasm. Loved this book!

The author has chapters on Maine basics, speaking the language (and local words, like "dite."), places to shop, and more. His short chapter on "nightlife" is hysterical. He also repeats a running joke that the southernmost Maine county is an extension of Massachusetts. :)  I love the Maine glossary and food lists he included, too. You'll find out what words like "cunning," "dicker," and "jeezly" mean, and local food like  a "Whoopie pie," "lobsta" (lobster) and 'cawn chowda' (corn chowder);.  His light-hearted writing really makes the book enjoyable. Sadly, the author passed in 2022.  

ABOUT THE BOOK: Maine Storyteller John McDonald offers tips to tourists and tries to help them better understand the state of Maine-from its history, to its weather, to its unique vocabulary. The book is also great for natives looking to brush up on their home state or just looking to laugh. In Down the Road a Piece, McDonald provides a colorful version of Maine history, gives his take on Maine destinations that should not be missed, helps interpret Maine-speak, and offers tips on where to shop, what authentic Maine food to eat, and much more.

SCIENCE and NAMES: Arabica Coffee a Plant Combo, and Origin of "Java"

As a major coffee drinker, I've wondered how the Arabica Coffee plant came to be, and why coffee is sometimes called "Java." In today's blog you'll learn the answers to both questions!

(Photo:   Coffea arabica (Arabian Coffee) is an upright tropical evergreen shrub or small tree that grows up to 15 feet (4.5 m) tall. Credit:  World of Flowering Plants) 

 SCIENCE and NAMES: Arabica Coffee a Plant Combo, and Origin of "Java"

Livescience reported that the plants that provide most of the world's coffee supply emerged around 600,000 to 1 million years ago when two other species of coffee cross-pollinated in the forests of Ethiopia, scientists have discovered.

About 60% of the world's coffee supply is sourced from Coffea arabica plants, which now grow in tropical regions across the world New research, published April 15 in the journal Nature Genetics, has revealed when and where the original C. arabica plants likely developed.

ORIGINS:  TECHNICALLY AND BOTANICALLY SPEAKING 

Using population genomic modeling methods, researchers determined that C. arabica evolved as a result of natural hybridization between two other species of coffee: C. eugenioides and C. canephora. So now you know it was a hybrid of two plant species.

The C. Arabica coffee plant flourished as it was cultivated across the world. It was originally believed to have been grown by humans in Ethiopia and then traded to the Middle East, where it was a well-known beverage by the 15th century. According to one legend, an Indian Sufi Muslim pilgrim smuggled seven seeds out of Yemen and established coffee farms in Karnataka, India around 1670.

Dutch traders began cultivating the plant in other regions — they first planted C. arabica on the island of Java in 1699 and one was sent to a botanical garden in Amsterdam in 1706.

(Image: Island of Java. Java  is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. Credit: Wikipedia)

WHY IS COFFEE SOMETIMES CALLED "JAVA"? 

 “Java” Comes from the Island of Java. According to the website Driftaway Coffee, that's because during the 1600s, the Dutch introduced coffee to Southeast Asia. They brought coffee trees to places like Bali and Sumatra, where it’s still grown today. Another island they began planting coffee on was Java, and it’s from this island that the name “java” arose.

It’s not known specifically known how the term was first used. The Dutch were likely the first to use the name, and they may have used it to refer to single-origin coffee from Java. As the coffee trade grew, though, the term was adopted by more and more people throughout the world, and any specificity was lost. Today, “java” has become a generic term for coffee and no longer refers only to coffee from the Island of Java.

A Tedious Read: Jimmy Olsen Trades "Adventures by Jack Kirby" 1 &2

 I'm a huge Superman fan and love the Jimmy Olsen, cub reporter/adventurer character. I've been collecting issues of the old 1960s and 1970s Jimmy Olsen comic book series. At one point in the run for about 10 issues, comic book artist and writer Jack Kirby took over the series. His run was made into 2 trade paperbacks (so it was easier for me to get the stories instead of paying for individual copies -which I'm SO glad I didn't). In short, don't read them. Today's blog explains why.

Jack Kirby has been around a long time (he's since passed). He and Stan Lee helped create Marvel Comics and he illustrated the Fantastic Four and Captain America. He came to DC Comics and they assigned him Jimmy Olsen. That's when Jimmy Olsen became, well, weird. Full disclosure- I've never been a big fan of his blocky-style art. I'm more of a Neal Adams type-realist art fan. I've also not been much of a fan of Kirby's stories. 

He also created the one DC Comics villain that has been way over used, and I cannot stand reading about: Darkseid. WAY over-used, and this other dimensional villain made his first appearance in Jimmy Olsen of all places. Nonsensical. So were the introduction of Darkseid's "Apokolips" world in this series, weird alien villains; and a hidden technologically advanced peoples call the "Hairies." Kirby also brought back the 1940s "Newsboy Legion" - actually the children of the originals, and it was campy and well, goofy. I skimmed through most of these stories and couldn't wait for them to end. 

The only upside was that he found a way to reintroduce the 1940s hero, "The Guardian" but that wasn't enough to hold my interest. Between the weird characters. Darkseid (which is an Immediate YUCK for me) and wacky stories, I was over it. 

The only thing I liked that Kirby did for DC Comics was the character of Kamandi, the only surviving human in a post-apocalyptic world, where animals became the masters of the Earth. But this was no Kamandi. I would recommend skipping these unless your a Kirby fan. 

ARCHAEOLOGY- Centuries-old bottles of cherries unearthed at George Washington’s home!

Many people have heard a story about the first U.S. President, George Washington cutting down a cherry tree in his youth. Although that story has been disproven, there is a true association with Washington and cherries as there were two bottles full of them unearthed at his Mt. Vernon home in northern Virginia. BTW, the cherry tree tale came from Mason Locke Weems’ biography, The Life of Washington, first published in 1800 and was an instant bestseller. The cherry tree myth did not appear until the book’s fifth edition, published in 1806 for some reason. Regardless, this new finding at Mount Vernon was pretty cool. Here's the story from the Washington Post.

(Photo:  The two bottles contained cherries, pits, stems and liquid. (Image credit: Mount Vernon)

Centuries-old bottles of cherries unearthed at George Washington’s home 

  By Michael E. Ruane, Washington Post, April 22, 2024

Archaeologist Nick Beard was gently pushing aside the hardened dirt in the basement of George Washington’s home at Mount Vernon, Va., last fall when he spotted the mouth of a glass bottle.

Beard worked his trowel a little more and the neck of the bottle emerged. Not that unusual, he thought. Archaeologists find lots of bottle fragments. But as he dug, more of the object appeared. “It kept [getting] larger and larger,” he said.

He stuck his finger in the mouth to see if he might wiggle the piece loose. “And my finger came back wet,” he said. “I thought about it for a half-second longer and said, ‘Oh my God, my finger is wet,’” he recalled. “I got my flashlight out and shined it in there, and the thing is completely full of liquid,” he said.

He summoned colleagues. They were stunned. Here was “an out-of-the-box, next level, spectacular find,” said Jason Boroughs, Mount Vernon’s principal archaeologist.

Experts at Mount Vernon said last week (April 16, 2024) that Beard and other archaeologists have now discovered two intact bottles that still had, along with liquid, some of the cherries they contained when they were buried about 250 years ago. The area of the discovery was believed to have once been a storeroom, Beard said.

(Photo: George Washington's Mount Vernon, Virginia. Credit: https://www.facebook.com/HistoricMountVernon/

Much of the liquid could be ground water that seeped in after the cork seals deteriorated, but pits, stems, sodden cherries, and gooey residue were also present, the experts said.

“There are whole, recognizable cherries,” said Boroughs. “It actually smelled like cherry blossoms when we got to the bottom.”

Boroughs noted two other finds in Virginia of historic intact bottles containing cherries, and other fruits: one in 1966 in Williamsburg, and the other in 1981 at Thomas Jefferson’s estate, Monticello, outside Charlottesville.

“We don’t find complete objects or artifacts often ever in archaeology,” said Lily Carhart, Mount Vernon’s curator of preservation collections. “Usually we’re dealing with very tiny fragments. Where we find even the beginning of something that looks like it might be complete, that is a truly exceptional day for us.”

(Photo: Cherry and peach trees in bloom at Mt. Vernon. Credit: Mt. Vernon) 

WHERE DID THEY COME FROM? - The cherries were probably picked at Mount Vernon in the 1770s, perhaps before the Revolutionary War, and stored for the future. The bottles, imported from England, dated to the mid-1700s and were likely buried between 1758 and 1776, Boroughs said. “So it’s a time capsule,” he said.

(Photo: Nick Beard, Project Archaeologist at George Washington's Mount Vernon./ Photo: LinkedIn) 

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE CHERRIES AFTER DISCOVERY? - Most of the contents were siphoned from the bottles, to help preserve the glass, and stored in fifteen small containers. The liquid and the cherries will be analyzed later, said Carhart.

ABOUT MT. VERNON - Mount Vernon, George Washington’s famous mansion overlooking the Potomac River, is about 20 miles south of Washington. The original house was a modest structure built for his father in 1734. Washington inherited it in 1761, and expanded it dramatically over the decades – most of the work being done by those enslaved at Mount Vernon, officials said. By the time of Washington’s death in 1799 more than 300 people were enslaved on the plantation there.