Halloween Week: Difference Between Graveyard and Cemetery

Since this is Halloween week, today's blog is about the difference between a graveyard and a cemetery. It makes sense when you read about it!

Here's The Difference Between A Cemetery And A Graveyard

People use these words interchangeably, but they aren't entirely the same.

By Caroline Bologna, Huff Post, Oct 12, 2025

During Halloween season, it’s not uncommon to see your neighbors’ front yards adorned with fake tombstones and ghosts. While some might refer to this as graveyard decor, others go with cemetery.

Indeed, people tend to use use the words “graveyard” and “cemetery” interchangeably. But is there any difference between the two terms? Below, we break it down.

(Photo: Last year's Halloween picture (L to R): Tyler, Cody and Dash) 

What is a graveyard?

To understand the difference between a graveyard and a cemetery, start by taking a look at the definitions of each term. A graveyard is an area of land, often next to a church, where people are buried.

During the Middle Ages, wealthy or otherwise influential Christians were generally interred inside a church after they died, often in a crypt beneath the floor. Less wealthy congregants were buried outside in the churchyard, and that section came to be known as the graveyard. This practice continued for many centuries.

(Photo: Cemetery in South Berwick, Maine)

The compound word graveyard stems from the proto-Germanic “graban,” which means “to dig,” and “gardan,” which refers to an enclosed area of land.

What is a cemetery? Like a graveyard, a cemetery is also defined as a place where the dead are buried, but it’s a relatively newer concept.

By the early 19th century, population growth was rapid. Church graveyards filled up, and there was a need for new burial grounds. Thus, independent sites called “cemeteries” became more common as designated final resting places.

Cemeteries are typically not affiliated with a specific church, so you don’t have to be a congregant to be buried there. They’re also often located away from a town or city center to allow for more space.

As for the etymology, the word “cemetery” stems from the Greek “koimeterion,” which means “dormitory” or “resting place.” Early Christians came to use the term to refer to a person’s final resting place (rather than in the literal sleep context).

(Photo: Cemetery in South Berwick, Maine)

What’s the difference?   To be clear, using graveyard and cemetery interchangeably is acceptable by today’s standards, but graveyard still primarily refers to the area of a churchyard used for burial.

So if linguistic precision is your jam, then you’ll want to say “graveyard” when referring to a resting place on church grounds and “cemetery” in reference to more modern, separate burial grounds. Some cemeteries have religious affiliations, but they’re generally not tied to a specific place of worship.

Two Weekends of Fun in One: Helping Pack and ComicCon

 Today's blog is about things that we did on 2 different weekends that are combined into this one blog- because Monday's are local fun blogs. One was a comic con that Rob attended, and the other was helping Rob's brother pack his house - because he's moving to a new one.

(Pic: Rob, Tom and Doug working to box things up!) 

HELPING PACK AND STACK A MOVING POD -  Since we live about 2 plus hours away from my brother Doug, we drove down to his house with our dogs Cody and Dash.

DOG SUPERVISION -  Dash, who is 17 was pretty quiet and stayed in the kitchen laying on a little pad, while Cody insisted on following Tom everywhere to supervise his efforts or else he would bark!

Doug used PODS, the same thing we used in 2023. That makes packing things easier. Someone helped him pack some furniture in the days before we arrived, and we were grateful. We're too old to do that heavy lifting! - But we had to get his bed from the 2nd floor and fit it into the pod. We did a lot of boxing, clearing and stacking. Since I've packed them before, I arranged everything inside and bungeed it together. We managed to get everything in and leave enough room for several boxes he needs until moving day. 

END RESULT- We were there about 6 hours, all working together, and the POD was tightly packed so that nothing would shift (much) when it's transported.  

PACKING TIP FROM ROB -  If you pack a pod, stand mattress and box springs up on the side, and the same with big framed pictures. Also, put mirrors between the mattress and box spring. :) 

We returned home with the dogs and Tom needed a margarita while I needed coffee and dessert. :)

     

A DIFFERENT WEEKEND - AT COMIC CON - I (Rob) had a chance to attend a nearby comic con for several hours, so I made a quick trip out of it. I love going through the bargain bins, because I know what I'm looking for (and I have 3 long lists of DC Comics from the 70s and 80s), and sometimes I find things that I know will sell well on Ebay, so yes, I get some of those, too. - I particularly love the Coverless comic books from the 70s and 80s and if I keep them I go on-line and find the cover art, size it, print it, and staple it to the coverless comic and add it to my collection. :) 

 At the convention there were several cosplayers- in costume as superheroes and other characters. I was not this year. So, I took a few pictures. One woman had an awesome costume as Elphaba, The Wicked Witch of the West in Wicked. There was also a Wolverine, Captain America and a Spiderman.   

   

 

Idiot of the Week: Georgia Escaped inmate found naked, flagging down cars

Here's something you don't see every day. An inmate who escaped and decided to ditch all of his clothes... then look for a ride. This week's idiot decided stripping naked wouldn't bring any attention to him... Wrong! 

Escaped inmate from Harris County found naked, flagging down cars, officials say 

By A. Smith, Oct 13, 2025, Georgia Gazette

HARRIS COUNTY, Ga. – An escaped inmate was arrested Monday after walking away from a worksite and later being found naked attempting to stop cars in southwest Georgia, according to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.

The inmate, who was assigned to the Harris County Prison, walked away from a work detail near the Idle Hour Boat Ramp in Fortson around 2:26 p.m., deputies said.

The Harris County Sheriff’s Office and Georgia State Patrol troopers immediately responded to the area. Officials alerted nearby schools and the Harris County 911 Center issued a Code Red alert for residents near the worksite.

(Image: Not the guy, but you can find anything on the internet to tell a story!) 

Law enforcement quickly established a perimeter along Mountain Drive and Lick Skillet Road as they searched for the escaped inmate.

About 20 minutes later, at approximately 2:47 p.m., a citizen flagged down a deputy to report a naked man attempting to flag down cars on Lick Skillet Road. The deputy located the man and confirmed he was the escaped inmate from the work detail, officials said.

The inmate was taken into custody without further incident and returned to the prison camp.

The name of the inmate has not been released by authorities.

Hero of the Week: Dog Leads Rescuers to Injured Grandmother

This week's hero is a dog whose grandmotherinjured herself during a dog walk making her incapable of walking.The dog led a rescuer to find her!

Dog Finds Missing 86-Year-Old 

A Florida deputy said a dog named Eeyore “practically dragged” him to the spot where a missing 86-year-old woman had fallen while walking him.

The woman’s husband reported her missing the night of Sept. 25 after she didn’t return after walking Eeyore around her Destin neighborhood. Their walks usually take 10 or 15 minutes, but they had been gone for more than an hour, the woman’s husband told Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Deputy Devon Miller.

Miller drove around the neighborhood until she spotted Eeyore, his leash still attached and the woman nowhere in sight. In body camera footage, Miller is seen taking Eeyore’s leash and asking, “Where’s your mommy?”

“He seemed like he was on a mission,” Miller said in an interview the sheriff’s department shared on social media. “He practically dragged me to her.”

Eeyore lay by the woman’s side, clearly protecting her, Miller said, adding, “He deserves lots of belly rubs and a steak dinner. That dog did everything.”

VIDEO:

@brutamerica A dog named Eeyore helped lead a Florida deputy to an injured 86-year-old woman who had fallen while out on a walk. After the video went viral, the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office posted an update about the responding deputy, Devon Miller, who had recently rescued a kitten as well.   

The woman was alert and later taken to a medical facility to be checked out.

The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office commended Eeyore’s extraordinary actions.

Book of the Week: Western "Death Ground" by Edward Gorman

 As a fan of western novels, I think I've read one other book by Edward Gorman so I picked up this one published in 1988. "Death Ground"  is an "Evans Novel of the West." - I enjoyed the book, and the characters, although he really got descriptive (and even gory) in some areas!

There are twists in the book, that feature a bad guy, who has a soft heart, two brothers, one of whom is "not right in the head" to the point of cruelty, and the other brother who is subserviant to the cruel one... and then the lead character, who is a bounty hunter who has to deal with all of them!

5 of 5 stars (not counting the gore, which was a bit squirmy!)

ABOUT THE BOOK: Death Ground is a Western novel by Edward Gorman, the second in his Leo Guild series. The plot follows bounty hunter Leo Guild as he investigates a murder that leads him to a fearful town controlled by the outlaw Kriker. The book is known for its gritty, non-traditional Western themes, focusing on corruption and guilt rather than simple heroism. 

Plot summary

• The setup: 

  Leo Guild, an aging bounty hunter, is hired as a bodyguard for a man named Merle Rig on his birthday. 
• The crime: 

  While Guild is visiting a brothel, Rig and his assistant, Kenny Tolliver, are murdered. 
• The investigation: 

  Guild investigates the murders, discovering a conspiracy that leads him into a dangerous, fear-controlled town run by the outlaw Kriker. 

Divers Find $1M In Lost Spanish Coins At Aptly Named Location

Finding sunken treasure has always been a dream of many, and off the coast of Florida, Queen Jewels company's diver had that dream come true. That's today's blog.

     (In this undated photo provided by shipwreck salvage company 1715 Fleet - Queens Jewels, LLC, diver Levin Shavers shows coins uncovered from a Spanish shipwreck off the Atlantic coast of Florida, 2025. (1715 Fleet - Queens Jewels LLC via AP)

 Divers Find $1M In Lost Spanish Coins At Aptly Named Location 

 Beth Dalbey, Patch.com  Oct 9, 2025 

The turquoise waters off a stretch of southeastern Florida known as “Treasure Coast” has given up another of its namesakes, a long-lost Spanish treasure estimated at $1 million.

A team of divers from the crew of the Motor Vessel Just Right, under the permit of 1715 Fleet - Queens Jewels, LLC (a shipwreck salvage company) discovered the long-lost treasure of 1,051 silver and 5 gold coins in the remains of the 1715 Treasure Fleet, which foundered during a hurricane in the 18th century. The coins are thought to have been minted in the Spanish colonies of Bolivia, Mexico and Peru.

The history of Treasure Coast dates back more than 300 years ago, when 11 Spanish vessels shipwrecked between Cape Canaveral and the St. Lucie River. The purpose of the fleet was to transport “American possessions of the Spanish Empire” and return them to Spain, but when hurricane winds hit, the treasure aboard the ships dispersed onto the Atlantic Ocean floor.

The coins were at home in the seabed until recently.

(Photo: 1041 silver pieces discovered. Credit: Queens Jewels, LLC) 

“This discovery is not only about the treasure itself, but the stories it tells,” Sal Guttuso, director of operations, said in a news release. “Each coin is a piece of history, a tangible link to the people who lived, worked and sailed during the Golden Age of the Spanish Empire. Finding 1,000 of them in a single recovery is both rare and extraordinary.”

SO WHAT HAPPENS TO THEM? 

1) Legal and Conservation Process: Queens Jewels LLC has the exclusive rights to salvage the wrecks, but must follow strict Florida laws and state oversight. Under the agreement, 20% of the find is turned over to the state, while the remaining 80% is split between the company and its subcontractors. The artifacts are first conserved and cataloged before a federal admiralty court determines ownership. 

2) Public Display: Select pieces are slated for public exhibition at local museums to allow the public to view the historical artifacts.

Rob's Latest PODCAST interview: Cosmic KC talks about Linville Manor book & Moon conspiracy theories

 Here's the latest podcast where I guested: Cosmic KC's podcast talked with me about many things. "Beyond the Veil: Ghosts, Ghost Cats, and NASA Conspiracy Theories!" and the book "Ghosts of Linville Manor - Investigating Maryland's Most Haunted House."

Get ready for an episode that's truly out of this world as the incredible Rob Gutro beams back down to Cosmic KC!

Rob, the beloved Pet Medium and former NASA Scientist, is back to give us the spooky scoop on his brand-new book! We're diving headfirst into the haunting history of Linville Manor, where the residents aren't just flesh and blood. You won't believe the chilling tales, including a ghost who was not happy with the new renovations, and the mind-boggling story of a 200-year-old cat chilling with a ghostly little girl in the window! 👻🐈

But wait, there's more!

Rob used to field calls about one of the biggest mysteries of the 20th century, and today he's weighing in on the famous moon landing conspiracy theories! Did we really go? Rob is sharing his expert, insider perspective from his time at NASA. 🚀

Don't miss the fascinating intersection of the supernatural and space science! Tune in for an episode filled with chilling history, ancient felines, and cosmic conspiracies!

LISTEN:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cosmic-kc-episode-33-with-rob-gutro-and-his-new-book/id1799237310?i=1000731149028

****************************

Cosmic KC Says: If you have questions, or you've had an experience with any kind of high strangeness, including ghosts, UFOs, etc. , please reach out! I'd love to hear from you! 

Big thanks to Ant for our awesome theme song! Check out his family's adventures on YouTube: New World Travel Monkeys.

 And to my friend Chris Love for being the voice of our intro/outro! 

You can listen to KC O'Day weekday mornings from 5-10 on Waly 100!

Middays on WUZZ, and afternoons on Key 96.5

Email KC at kcoday@7mountainsmedia.com 

Forgotten Comics Character: Diamond Jack

I recently learned of a magic-ring wearing comic book character called "Diamond Jack," who debuted in comics the same year as another magic ring wearing superhero, the original Green Lantern, Alan Scott. Both appeared in 1940. I've been reading comics for decades, so I was surprised to learn of "Diamond Jack" who had a limited run in comics. Today's blog focuses on Diamond Jack. 

(Image: Fawcett's Slam-Bang comics #1 cover from March 1940. Character was created by Gus Ricca)  

The Green Lantern first appeared in All-American Comics #16 in 1940. That character was created by writer Bill Finger (who worked on Batman, too) and artist Martin Nodell. Alan Scott was a magical hero whose powers came from a mystical green lantern and ring.

Diamond Jack is the heroic alias of Jack Lansing, a 1940s comic book character from Fawcett Comics who gained superpowers, such as super strength and the ability to create constructs, from a magical black diamond. He was created by Gus Ricca and first appeared in Slam-Bang Comics #1 in March 1940 and appeared in Slam-Bang Comics #1-7, and Wow Comics #1 before disappearing. 

 When DC Comics bought Fawcett Comics, they apparently acquired the rights to the character, so they created a database entry for him.  This is the entry:

History  Source: https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Jack_Lansing_(Earth-S)

Some time in or before 1940, "Diamond Jack" Lansing was given a magic gem, by an old magician, and thus became mentally and physically strong beyond mortal limits. With this gem in hand, Lansing could turn flying bullets into harmless bouquets of flowers, and guns into candy canes, and he could heal a bullet wound, instantly and completely. He could conjure a sword into existence by shouting "KZAT!" or produce a parachute by shouting "KZAR!" He could transform his own shape, or the shape of anything else.^[1] Lansing's Gem can transform one life form into another, for example a rampaging Vulture-man into a saguaro cactus. The gem can cast mirages, flash blinding light, or conjure a flaming sword out of mid-air.^[2]

Lansing seemingly had unlimited free time and amused himself by busting violent criminals, and he didn't mind killing some of them either. He once drowned several dozen formerly-human Vulture-men, along with their creator.^[2]

Origin and Powers Magical Diamond: Jack Lansing received the diamond from an old magician, which granted him superhuman strength and mental acuity.

Construct Creation: The diamond also allowed him to create objects and constructs from nothing, similar to DC Comics' Green Lantern, limited only by his imagination.

Other Abilities: He could also heal, fly, and possessed enhanced senses and invulnerability, though his powers were dependent on his concentration and force of will.

Early Abilities: In his initial adventures, Lansing could also cast spells by shouting magic words.

Fights and Villains - Diamond Jack faced a variety of foes, including ordinary criminals, witches, vampires, the ancient evil god Khor, and other magical entities.

Legacy -Diamond Jack was a significant early Fawcett Comics hero who predated the first appearance of Green Lantern.

FOR A MORE IN-DEPTH LOOK AT THE CHARACTER, Check this blog: https://gone-and-forgotten.blogspot.com/2021/09/truly-gone-forgotten-diamond-jack.html 

Apple Picking Locally - and Meeting Cows and Goats!

 One of the great benefits of living in New England in the fall is experiencing Apple picking in nearby orchards, as well as pick your own pumpkins, corn, blueberries, strawberries, etc. In early October we ventured to a nearby orchard and got apples and met some animal friends!

Spiller Farms has been around for generations in Wells, Maine. Anne and Bill Spiller run the farm, and the U-pick dates run from June through late October. 

(Photo: Some of the goats that Tom got to know) 

FARM HISTORY AND INFO: The Spiller Family has been farming in Wells, Maine since 1894. Our farm is located on both sides of Rte 9A (Branch Road) and covers about 110 acres with: • 30 acres in row crops • 4 acres in strawberries • 4 acres in apples • 1 acre of raspberries • Hay fields • Pasture/woods

CONTACT Telephone: (207) 985-2575, Email: spillerfarm@maine.rr.com

LIVESTOCK- There are also cows and goats on the farm. I'm sure there are other animals but those were the animals located near the orchard. 

 -

LAZY COW - We noticed that one cow made his way into the center of the metal barred hay feeder, and sat on the hay, eating to his heart's content. 

(Tom and Rob enjoying the apple picking adventure!) 

GENERAL STORE ON SITE - That carries Apple Cider Donuts fresh everyday and Cider from Spiller Farm Apples.  Spillers' Farm Store also has beef, pork,chicken and eggs, pizza, sandwiches, drinks, Spiller Farm produce in season, pet food, and a lot more.

    You can contact Spillers' Farm Store at 207-985-3383 and they are OPEN everyday store hours (NOT U PICK hours) 7 am - 6 pm.

   Jim & Jeannine Spiller own and run Spillers' Farm Store at 1054 Branch Road, Wells, Maine.

FARM TRUCK - We love old vehicles, and on the farm, outside of the store was an old truck filled with squash and pumpkins 

 

APPLE ORCHARDS GO ON AND ON - The orchards were large and we went on a day during the week at about 1pm when there were less people. In fact, I managed to get this photo of the entire row of apple trees with no one in sight (just the way Tom likes it). :)  

 

Idiot of the Week: Longtime head of Megachurch indicted on federal sex trafficking charges

This week's winner is a story we've heard many times before. It's another church leader involved in sex trafficking or sexual abuse. This one led a Mexican megachurch based in Guadalajara, Mexico, and there are church locations throughout the United States (including Milwaukee, WI, as pictured). Here's the story.

(Photo: On July 11, 2019 Residents were upset that a banner featuring megachurch leader Naasón Joaquín Garcia, charged in California with child rape and human trafficking, among other crimes, still hung from the La Luz Del Mundo’s Milwaukee church on South Cesar E. Chavez Drive. (Photo by Edgar Mendez, Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service)

Head of Mexican megachurch is indicted in New York on federal sex trafficking charges

By LARRY NEUMEISTER, Assoc. Press, September 11, 2025

NEW YORK (AP) — The longtime head of a Mexican megachurch who is serving more than 16 years in a California prison for sexually abusing young followers has been charged with racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking for allegedly victimizing members of the church for decades, federal authorities said Wednesday.

A New York grand jury returned the indictment alleging that Naasón Joaquín García, 56, and five others, including his 79-year-old mother, exploited the church for decades, enabling the systemic sexual abuse of children and women for the sexual gratification of García and his father, who died in 2014.

García is the head of La Luz del Mundo (The Light of the World), which claims to have 5 million followers in more than 50 countries. Believers consider him to be the “apostle” of Jesus Christ.

The newly unsealed indictment said the criminal activity included the creation of photos and videos of child sexual abuse and had begun after the church was founded a century ago by Garcia’s grandfather, who died in 1964. Garcia’s father, Samuel Joaquin Flores, led the church from then until his death.

Sexual abuse alleged to have occurred for over 50 years

The indictment said the sexual abuse went on for so many decades that many of the grandfather’s victims were mothers of girls and women abused by García’s father and many of the father’s victims were the mothers of girls and women abused by García.

The indictment listed 13 female victims anonymously and specifically, describing when they were allegedly attacked while they were under the age of consent. Some victims, it said, were as young as 13.

The church is based in Guadalajara, Mexico, and there are church locations throughout the United States, including in California, New York, Nevada, Texas, Georgia, Indiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, New Jersey and Washington, D.C., according to the indictment.

In a court document seeking detention of all indicted without bail, prosecutors said sex trafficking of women and children occurred as a result of the case in the U.S., Mexico, Europe, Asia, Africa and elsewhere.

García was taken into federal custody early Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025, in Chino, California, where he is serving a sentence after pleading guilty in 2022 to two state counts.

Hero of the week: Good Samaritan saves 98-year-old woman from house fire

 This week's hero comes from Hawaii where he rescued a senior citizen from a house fire. Here's the story. 

(Photo: James Jeff Bruce rescued a 98 year old woman when her home caught fire in Maui. Credit:Hawaii News Now)

Good Samaritan saves 98-year-old woman from house fire

By Chelsea Davis, Hawaii News Now,: Sep. 6, 2025

KAHULUI (HawaiiNewsNow) - A house fire on Maui has left a kupuna homeless.

Though her house is destroyed, the 98-year-old Kahului resident is lucky to be alive. A 71-year-old stranger ran into her burning home and carried her out.

“There was hollering outside, but I couldn’t make out what it was. I thought it was school kids,” said Hana resident Marilyn Bruce.

She and her husband, James “Jeff” Bruce, were visiting her sister in Kahului last Monday when the home in front of the property went up in flames.

The fire broke out around 10:45 a.m. on Holua Drive in Kahului, and two people in their 90s were inside.

VIDEO: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1041438541236999 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Chelsea Davis (@chelseadavishnn)

“(I) saw the smoke first and then I looked over and saw the flames when I got it further over and Betty, there was Betty, the older lady, 95-year-old lady, Betty, was the one hollering fire, fire!” Jeff Bruce said.

The 98-year-old woman was still trapped inside, and Bruce picked her up and carried her out of the burning home.

“I ran in there, and Mama Sue was trying to get out on her walker. She was coming out of the room with the walker, and I was trying to get her out, and then as I noticed the flames on the couch was getting higher,” he said. “So I grabbed her and just told her, and she said, ‘Who are you?’ She kept asking me, ‘Who are you? Who are you?’ I said, ‘Don’t worry about who I am. We just got to get out of here real quick.’”

As they were leaving, Bruce said there was a small explosion. “We were going to pass it, and then the fire zipped to the back,” Bruce said. “So then I just kept on going out of there. It was as hot as anything, but I got her out of there in time.” He added that he hovered over her so that she wouldn’t get burned.

The two women in their 90s were unharmed.

Bruce was taken to the hospital with burns to his face.

“I would give up the burns anytime if it was to save someone. That doesn’t bother me,” he said.

He added that he was just doing what came naturally to him, helping others.

Books of the Week: Superman 78 and Superman 78: The Metal Curtain

 Today's Book(s) of the week are two of my favorites (because it's my birthday, I chose SUPERMAN, one of my favorite superheroes. These two books are based on on the Superman movie from 1978, "Superman 78" Hardcover and the "Superman 78 - The Metal Curtain" trade paperback. Both were illustrated to resemble Christopher Reeve's version of Superman and Clark Kent; and Margot Kidder's version of Lois Lane. They also depicted Jackie Cooper's version of Perry White, Gene Hackman's version of Lex Luthor, Marc McClure's Jimmy Olsen and Marlon Brando's Jor-El in those Superman films (1 through 4). OUTSTANDING.

The first graphic novel "Superman 78" featured Brainiac and the second "Metal Curtain" featured Superman's villain Metallo, but with a twist - they had him coming from Russia instead of the U.S. Both were really enjoyable and it was great seeing the depictions of the on-screen actors. It made it easy to picture in my mind with their voices as I read the stories. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

(L to R: Gene Hackman as Lex; Christopher Reeve as Superman; Margot Kidder as Lois Lane)