SCIENCE: 1 psychedelic psilocybin dose eases depression for years & helps Parkinson's patients

Breakthroughs in medicine are always exciting, and these 2 latest studies reveal something that works for people who suffer from depression and  helped people with Parkinson's disease!  Here are the latest breakthroughs!

1 psychedelic psilocybin dose eases depression for years, study reveals 

Half a decade after receiving a psychedelic treatment for depression, two-thirds of patients in a new study remained in remission.

 Jane Palmer LIVE SCIENCE, June 18, 2025

DENVER—Psilocybin, the main psychoactive ingredient in magic mushrooms, can alleviate depression for at least five years after a single dose, a new study finds.

The research, presented June 18 at the Psychedelic Science 2025 conference in Denver, focused on patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), which is often called clinical depression. The serious mood disorder causes a persistent feeling of sadness and a loss of interest or pleasure in activities that were once enjoyable. The most common treatments for MDD include talk therapy and medications such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, and both can take a long time to show any benefits.

When early studies hinted at psilocybin's potential as an antidepressant, a team of researchers undertook the first-ever randomized clinical trial to explore the use of the psychedelic for treating severe depression. The trial included 24 patients, half of whom received psilocybin at the very start of the trial and half of whom received the same dose eight weeks later—the "waitlist" group. Each patient also received 11 hours of psychotherapy.

Even in that short time frame, "there was a significant reduction in depression in the immediate-treatment group compared to those on the waitlist," study co-author Alan Davis, director of the Center for Psychedelic Drug Research and Education at The Ohio State University, told Live Science.

Once all of the patients had completed the four-week study, the psilocybin appeared to be four times more effective than traditional antidepressant medications, based on previous research data. One month after the treatment, 17 patients had relieved symptoms, including 14 who were in full remission from depression. Patients also responded much faster to psilocybin than is typical for conventional antidepressants.

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How ‘Magic Mushrooms’ Could Help Parkinson’s Disease Patients

A UCSF pilot study finds psilocybin therapy surprises, showing meaningful improvements in mood, cognition, and motor symptoms.

By Victoria Colliver, Univ. of California, San Francisco, April 29, 2025

Psilocybin, a natural compound found in certain mushrooms, has shown promise in treating depression and anxiety.

UC San Francisco researchers wanted to know if it could be used to help Parkinson’s patients who often experience debilitating mood dysfunction in addition to their motor symptoms and don’t respond well to antidepressants or other medications.

The results were surprising.

These results raise the exciting possibility that psilocybin may help the brain repair itself.” Joshua Woolley, MD, PhD

Not only did participants tolerate the drug without serious side effects or worsening symptoms, which is what the pilot study was designed to test, they also experienced clinically significant improvements in mood, cognition, and motor function that lasted for weeks after the drug was out of their systems.

SpaceX's Starship explodes on Texas launch pad in 'catastrophic failure'

As someone who retired from NASA, I'm happy I did before the felon took office and gutted the agency of all science research in favor of human spaceflight for Musk's SpaceX. It's going to take decades for NASA to recover and return to giving us amazing science again. Meanwhile, SpaceX continues to rake in billions, and their latest rocket Exploded. Here's the story.

SpaceX's Starship explodes on Texas launch pad in 'catastrophic failure' during routine test

LIVE SCIENCE, June 20, 2025

SpaceX's Starship 36 underwent a "catastrophic failure" on the stand at its Texas launch site, but the latest setback is unlikely to dent the company's ambitions.

SpaceX's Starship has exploded once again — adding to a growing list of setbacks for the company's rocket.

The upper stage of the rocket, the largest ever built, was undergoing routine testing to prepare for its 10th test flight at SpaceX's South Texas Starbase site on Wednesday night (June 18) when it "suffered a catastrophic failure and exploded," local authorities wrote on Facebook.

The gigantic fireball adds to a string of recent headaches for the rocket's upper stages. The ship exploded mid-flight during two previous test flights in January and March, and fell to pieces during an earlier-than-planned reentry in May.

WATCH THE EXPLOSION VIDEO: https://youtu.be/71AwkBt3_ts?si=-pcbV5ObI9xqkqcQ

In a post on X, SpaceX has attributed the latest explosion to "a major anomaly while on a test stand at Starbase," yet the exact cause of the malfunction is unclear.

"A safety clear area around the site was maintained throughout the operation and all personnel are safe and accounted for," SpaceX added in the post. "Our Starbase team is actively working to safe the test site and the immediate surrounding area in conjunction with local officials. There are no hazards to residents in surrounding communities, and we ask that individuals do not attempt to approach the area while safing [sic] operations continue."

Starship is key to SpaceX majority shareholder Elon Musk's ambitions to transport spacecraft, crew members, satellites and cargo into orbit around Earth and to the moon and Mars.

Rob's SC Visit- A Quick Tour of Greenville and a Haunting

 When I visited my mother-in-law in June, I took a drive north to briefly walk around downtown Greenville, South Carolina and experience the city.  Today provides a quick look at some of the limited number of things I got to see., and a haunted hotel that I didn't get to go in... but good stories! 

UNDERGROUND COFFEE- I stopped in for a coffee in this place off Main Street. It actually IS underground!!  You have to go down a stairway and the shop is in a basement. It's dark inside, and has a darkly painted wooden ceiling and walls. The coffee was pretty good, although a bit strong for me. I recommend the Chocolate Chip cookies- loaded with chocolate. My mother-in-law loved them!  

CANDY STORES- There are two stores that specialize in candy sales- Rocket Fizz and Mast General Store. Despite the tons of candy, neither had grape licorice, which is what my sister-in-law Lisa has been looking for. 

PARKING ON MAIN STREET - You can find on street parking for 2 hours, free... but you have to get their early! 

THE WHISKEY HOTEL-  This business looked cool and old, but it wasn't open. It is a proposed restaurant and bar concept located at 724 S. Main St. It will feature a rooftop bar and terrace, a main floor with a bar, wine cellar, and stage, plus a signature Whiskey Hotel ribeye. In 2025, the project was under review by the Greenville Design Review Board. That's too bad, because it gave a "haunted" feeling.  

COOL DOG STORE! - I was pleased to see that a store that sells dog-related products, "Paw Paws" had a little Pride flag up. That was welcoming. They sell handcrafted collars, harnesses and leashes,made in SC, and they can embroider your dog's name on them. It's located at 816 South Maine Street, Greenville, SC.  Visit them at: https://pawpawsusa.com/ 

HOTEL WITH A HAUNTED HISTORY - The Westin Poinsett Hotel in Greenville, SC, is rumored to be haunted. There have been sightings of ghostly apparitions, strange noises, and objects moving on their own. Guests have reported seeing apparitions, including an elderly man disappearing around a corner. Some guests have reported lights turning on and off on their own, or sounds coming from areas where no one should be. Another guest encountered a ghostly man in a black coat, a figure often associated with the hotel's history and lore.

Dash's (and Cody's belated, and Tyler, too) Birthday Petsmart Adventure!

Dash's 17th birthday was on June 19th, so as is our tradition, we take the birthday dogs to Petsmart, Petco or Pet Supplies plus to pick out a treat or toy.  Since Cody missed his on April 30th, Cody joined Dash, and of course Tyler had to come, too!       But Dash, Cody or Tyler didn't have a desire for a toy, despite our squeaking them. They know they have two big toy bins full at home, I guess. We were surprised at the serious down-sizing of treats in the store, too...  Here's the story.

REDUCED VARIETY OF TREATS IN STORE - One thing we noticed is that Petsmart only has one quarter of an aisle of treats. We remember when the store would have an entire aisle, both sides, filled with dog treats. Now it's been cut by 75% and they didn't have any of our kids' favorite treats.

(Pic: Cody leads Tyler and Dash searching for something)

THEIR FAVORITE TREATS- Dash, Tyler and Cody love the Full Moon brand of Chicken Jerky treats, and Beggin' Strips and Pupperoni.... but Petsmart didn't have ANY of these!!

SETTLED ON FOOD - They also didn't have Beneful wet food, which they prefer over every other wet food, so we opted for Rachel Ray wet food to top their Rachel Ray DISH dry food (it's all natural). 

   It was a really odd discovery about Petsmart... 

   (Side note: Over the years, we tried them on Blue Buffalo and a bunch of other foods, and they don't like them. )

(Pic: Dash exploring Petsmart for anything good)

MORNING MEALS - On top of their regular food, they get fresh shredded chicken each morning, and we've been doing that for years. They'll also get scrambled eggs, bacon, tuna  (except for Cody who hates it), hamburger or other proteins on their food.

Idiots of the Week: Dozens of drivers caught speeding over 100 mph on I-93 in NH

There's a dangerous problem in New Hampshire, and it's drivers who decide that driving at excessive and dangerous speeds is something to do. They obviously have no regard for anyone's safety. Memorial Day weekend brought out dozens of insane, selfish drivers on Interstate 93 in NH, which goes through the large cities of Manchester and state capitol of Concord. Here's the story.

‘Reckless driving’: Dozens of drivers clocked at speeding over 100 mph on I-93 in NH

By Maria Papadopoulos, Boston 25 News May 26, 2025 at 8:34 pm EDT

SALEM, N.H. — A Massachusetts man driving a sports car at approximately 140 mph was among dozens of drivers who were stopped for excessive speed on Interstate 93 on Memorial Day, state police said Monday.

Brandon E. Babcock, 22, of Salem, Massachusetts, was arrested on multiple charges, including reckless driving and disobeying an officer, state police said.

Babcock was released on personal recognizance bail and is scheduled to appear in Salem District Court on July 17.

Babcock is among 42 drivers who were clocked traveling at 90 mph or faster, and six drivers who were seen driving recklessly at 100 mph or faster, state police said.

On Monday morning, troopers assigned to the Special Enforcement Unit used the unit’s fixed-wing aircraft to detect dangerous driving behaviors on I-93 northbound in Salem, state police said.

Troopers noted 111 motor vehicle violations, which included excessive speed, cell phone use, following too closely, “Move Over” law violations, and reckless driving, state police said.

At 7:45 a.m. Monday, troopers saw a white 2024 Corvette traveling at 110 mph.

When troopers attempted to stop the Corvette, the driver, later identified as Babcock, “sped up significantly and passed other drivers recklessly, across all other lanes of travel,” state police said.

Trooper Thomas Lombardi monitored the vehicle from the State Police aircraft, noting speeds of approximately 140 mph before the driver of the Corvette got off the interstate at Exit 3 and continued onto side roads in Windham.

Lombardi kept an eye on the Corvette from the sky and guided troopers to its location on the ground, state police said.

Ultimately, Sgt. John LaPointe pulled Babcock over on Johnson Road, and arrested him.

The minimum penalties for reckless driving in New Hampshire include a fine of $620 with an additional mandatory penalty assessment and a 60-day loss of driver’s license, state police said.

The standard fine for traveling 86 mph or greater is $434.

“The members of the State Police extend their gratitude to all drivers who traveled through the state safely during the holiday weekend and encourages residents and visitors to remain alert and responsible during the summer season,” state police said.

Heroes of the Week: MD Police, Public Works Rescue Kittens in 2 Places

It was a busy week in Maryland for rescuing cats! Department of public works employees, residents, volunteers and a police officer were all part rescuing 2 kittens in different places. Those are today's heroes.

(Photo: Two kittens have a second lease on life after being saved by department of public works employees, residents, volunteers and a police officer. Photos courtesy of the Hyattsville Government and Hyattsville Police Department)

Kitten Rescued From Storm Drain, 2nd Kitten Saved In Busy Traffic By Police Officer

Kristin Danley-Greiner, Patch Staff, Jun 13, 2025

HYATTSVILLE, MD — Two kittens can count themselves lucky after being rescued recently by Hyattsville city employees.

Two kittens have a second lease on life after being saved by department of public works employees, residents, volunteers and a police officer. One kitten was rescued from a storm drain in Hyattsville Thursday while last week, a police officer scooped up a kitten lost in traffic.

On Thursday, June 19, 2025, residents, the Hyattsville Department of Public Works and A Cat’s Life Rescue teamed up to rescue a kitten from a storm drain near Driskell Park. Neighbors heard the kitten crying, but it was too scared to be lured out. Department of Public Works Director Lesley Riddle helped open the storm drain so a humane trap could be placed, according to the city. The kitten, now named Stormy, has been placed with its foster family.

Last Friday, June 20, Hyattsville Police Officer Carrillo spied a kitten sprinting across Queens Chapel Road near Belcrest Road, just barely missing cars. Carrillo jumped out of his vehicle and safely scooped up the kitten before anything could happen to it. With help from his squad supervisors, he connected with Last Chance Animal Rescue and now the kitten is safe and sound at their Waldorf, Maryland office.

Book of the Week: LGBTQ Fantasy: Parker's Forbidden Mate by Blake R. Wolfe

I recently read a great book by author Blake R. Wolfe, who writes about werewolves and their relationships with gay men. He has several fantasy series about werewolves, and "Parker's Forbidden Mate" is part of his Ombra Pack Chronicles series. He also writes other series. This one is a 5 Star Book!  It grabs you and keeps you reading. 

This book was engaging from the first chapter. A down on his luck 20 something guy named Aiden, who works in an office and gets in trouble sets the stage for his struggle - that weighs heavily on his new relationship... not to mention Parker, the new boyfriend, is a werewolf. 

There's werewolf family drama, Aiden's distant family and a guy that really pulled a fast one on Aiden. It was a page turner, and I finished the book in 3 days (that's super quick for me). Loved the characters (there were several other important characters but I don't want to give it away). For those who are a little shy when it comes to reading intimacy, be cautioned... it gets steamy a couple of times.... and the cover is also eye-catching!!

ABOUT THE BOOK: Falling for the cute handyman renovating my kitchen probably isn't a good idea. He's human and I'm a werewolf. Not to mention, my parents have already picked out a new boyfriend for me. But those green eyes and strong arms are impossible to resist.

AIDEN
Just when I thought things were looking up, my entire life falls apart, thanks to some guy. Now I've sworn off men forever since I can't trust myself to pick the right one. And that's the moment I met him, the tall, dark, and handsome man with golden eyes. But I can't have him.My life is crumbling around my ears, and the last thing I need is to complicate it with a man in the picture.

Now if I could just get him to leave me alone...

PARKER
Begrudgingly I came home for the summer to blow off some steam after another failed relationship, intent on spending the summer alone to recover. But when a storm threatens a man out on the lighthouse pier, I run to save him. The moment my hand touches his skin, I hear a single word. Mate. But he's human, and I'm a werewolf. If I pursue him I'll be kicked out of the pack. And if I don't I'll be miserable for the rest of my life.

All I know is that I can't resist him. But can a werewolf and a human really find happiness together? I'm willing to sacrifice my place in the pack for him.

Maybe I'll just create my own pack so we can be together.

Architecture: What are Witch Windows in New England?

 Some of the architecture in New England is fascinating. A couple of weeks ago, I blogged about the reason for double front doors. Today's blog is about oddly placed windows called "Witch Windows" in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine, but known as "Coffin Windows" in Vermont. Those names have different meanings, and you'll learn about them in today's blog.

Architecture: What are Witch Windows in New England?

WHAT ARE THESE WINDOWS? - These "witch" or "coffin" windows are both the same in appearance and location. They are rectangular and they are titled diagonally, located in the gable end of the second or third floor. 

WHY COFFIN WINDOWS? - In Vermont, these tilted windows are called“coffin windows." According to the "Obscure Vermont" blog, the author, Chad Abramovich, said, "Growing up, my mother would always point them out as “coffin windows” whenever we would take a trip out of suburban Chittenden County to more rural parts of the state, where older structures far outnumbered the new." 

 Chad noted, "The reason they are called coffin windows is if a family member died upstairs, it was far easier to maneuver the needed coffin out the window and slide it down the roof as opposed to figuring out just how to haul it down a steep and narrow Vermont farmhouse staircase." 

WHY WITCH WINDOWS? - In Massachusetts, Maine and New Hampshire, these are rare, but they exist. Folklore says that witches cannot fly their broomsticks through the tilted windows. Although I haven't been able to find a direct tie-in with the 1692 Witch Trials in Salem, Massachusetts, it would make sense that there's a connection. 

(Photo: Witch Windows. Credit: Window Outfitters, Inc.) 

Obscure Vermont noted an interesting historic reference - A similar superstition that comes to mind is how the ancient Chinese thought bad spirits traveled in straight lines, so their architecture took on steeply peaked rooflines.

SCIENCE: Why do elephants have big ears?

If you've ever wondered why elephants have large ears, after reading today's blog, you'll know. But not all elephants have super large ears. Some have smaller ears, and the elephant relative, the Mammoth, had very small ears. You'll learn why in today's blog.

 

(Photo: Asian-Elephants in the Udawalawe National Park, Sri-Lanka.Credit Cory-Brown_USFWS) 

Why do elephants have big ears?

By Sara Hashemi, LIVE SCIENCE, May 17, 2025

Elephants are known for their intelligence, complex social behavior, memory and size, including their giant ears. The ears of African elephants (Loxodonta africana) can grow up to 6.6 feet (2 meters) long and 4 feet (1.2 m) wide, while Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) have slightly smaller and rounder ears.

That’s about 17% of their body length, which means that while they’re the animal with the largest ears, they’re not actually the one with the largest ears relative to the size of their body. That award goes to the long-eared jerboa (Euchoreutes naso), but it's still impressive to have 6-foot-tall ears.

So why are elephants' ears so big? There's a practical reason for their large size, experts told Live Science: It keeps elephants cool.

An animal that big generates a lot of heat, especially in the hot savannas, forests and grasslands where they live. But unlike humans, elephants don't really sweat, William Sanders, a vertebrate paleontologist at the University of Michigan who specializes in fossil elephants, told Live Science. Instead, they have very little body hair and "spectacular cooling devices" — massive ears filled with large blood vessels that help the giant animals thermoregulate.

"When the animal gets really warm, it can force blood into its ears, and then it'll flap them," said Advait Jukar, an assistant curator of vertebrate paleontology at the Florida Museum of Natural History. Elephant ears have thin skin that is only millimeters thick and the blood vessels that pass through them are large, enabling elephants to move about 20% of their blood supply through their ears at any one time.

The larger the ears are, the more surface area they have to release heat into the surrounding air. Because the blood flowing through them is warmer than the air, the heat dissipates into the elephant's surroundings. Cooler blood then circulates back into the body, helping to reduce the animal's overall temperature, Jukar told Live Science. The animals can expand or constrict their blood vessels depending on whether it's cool or hot, which helps regulate their temperature.

EDUCATE YOURSELF : Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill" Would Destroy Federal Workers

As a retired Federal government employee, I'm FURIOUS about what the Administration has been doing to federal workers and what's in the ridiculous "Big beautiful bill." They've already forced many to QUIT or "retire early" with the FALSE promises of some compensation (that is NOT approved by Congress). These idiots ELIMINATED government agencies, KILLED Science research, and are also closing the NASA Office where I worked and provided valuable science to the public. NOW, his "big beautiful bill" GUTS JOB PROTECTIONS for federal workers and MAKES IT EASY TO FIRE anyone who isn't a Trump loyalist. There's ALSO a provision that would force new federal workers to PAY FOR TRADITIONAL CIVIL SERVICE PROTECTIONS by raising their retirement contributions unless they agreed to be “at-will” employees who could be terminated at any time. How Barbaric. How Hitler-like. How Fascist. Here's the story of how the Senate Parlimentarian said "NO," but Republicans can over-ride her and say "yes."

 

Senate Parliamentarian Kills Civil Service Cut In Continued Scrub Of 'Beautiful Bill' 

 By Arthur Delaney and Dave Jamieson , Jun 23, 2025, 09:24 AM EDT

WASHINGTON — The Senate’s rules referee has thrown a roadblock in front of congressional Republicans’ plan to gut job protections for federal workers through their “big, beautiful bill.”

The Senate’s parliamentarian ruled lawmakers cannot include the proposal under the fast-track procedures they’re using for President Donald Trump’s sweeping domestic policy bill, Democrats said late Sunday.

It’s the latest in a series of decisions by the parliamentarian dismantling key provisions of the bill, including a major change to federal food benefits and an attempt to stop courts from enforcing injunctions against the Trump administration.

The so-called budget reconciliation process allows Republicans to pass legislation through the Senate with a simple majority vote, which is a huge convenience, but there are rules against provisions deemed “extraneous” to the budget. It’s up to the parliamentarian to decide what counts.

“Democrats are on the side of families and workers and are scrutinizing this bill piece by piece to ensure Republicans can’t use the reconciliation process to force their anti-worker policies on the American people,” Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), the top Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee, said in a news release Sunday night.

The heart of the legislation is a $4 trillion package of tax cuts, with their cost partly offset by about $1 trillion in spending cuts, though the parliamentarian has been whittling those.

The proposal struck Sunday essentially would have forced new federal workers to pay for traditional civil service protections by raising their retirement contributions unless they agreed to be “at-will” employees who could be terminated at any time.

The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that most new workers would give up their rights rather than pay for them.

Unions have derided the plan as “extortion.” They warned it would turn the civil service into a spoils system wherein the president could reward loyalists and fire whomever he wanted.

Democrats said the parliamentarian, Elizabeth MacDonough, also blocked several other GOP provisions meant to undermine federal workers. (MacDonough’s decisions typically aren’t made public.)

One would have created a “filing fee” for workers to challenge what they believe to be illegal terminations, while another would have forced federal unions to pay for the use of government buildings and equipment and other “agency resources.”

Senate Republicans also hoped to give the president greater leeway to pursue “reorganization” plans — that is, lay off federal workers without approval from Congress. But that provision also ran afoul of the rules, the parliamentarian said.

Another proposal MacDonough ruled out of bounds on Sunday would have given Congress more say over regulations promulgated by federal agencies.

Republicans can overrule the parliamentarian, though doing so would be controversial, or they can try to redraft their proposals so they comply with the Byrd Rule disallowing extraneous matter in budget reconciliation. Otherwise, anything deemed ineligible would be subject to a 60-vote threshold, meaning it would have no chance of passing the Senate without help from Democrats.

Discovery: 500-year-old artifacts from a little-known Mexican culture

 Cave explorers in Mexico stumbled upon jewerly from an ancient civilization in Tlayócoc cave, in Mexico.  Today's blog shares that cool story from Livescience.

(Photo: A small phallic stalagmite is encircled by a 500-year-old bracelet carved from shell with Maya-like imagery.  About 500 years ago, someone placed a shell bracelet on a stalagmite in a Mexican cave. (Image credit: Katiya Pavlova)

'Trash' found deep inside a Mexican cave turns out to be 500-year-old artifacts from a little-known culture 

NewsBy Kristina Killgrove, Live Science, May 26, 2025

When two spelunkers investigated what they thought was trash in a cave in Mexico, they discovered more than a dozen artifacts dating back centuries.

 While investigating a cave high in the mountains of Mexico, a spelunker thought she had found a pile of trash from a modern-day litterbug. But upon closer inspection, she discovered that the "trash" was actually a cache of artifacts that may have been used in fertility rituals more than 500 years ago.

"I looked in, and it seemed like the cave continued. You had to hold your breath and dive a little to get through," speleologist Katiya Pavlova said in a translated statement. "That's when we discovered the two rings around the stalagmites."

The cave, called Tlayócoc, is in the Mexican state of Guerrero and about 7,800 feet (2,380 meters) above sea level. Meaning "Cave of Badgers" in the Indigenous Nahuatl language, Tlayócoc is known locally as a source of water and bat guano. In September 2023, Pavlova and local guide Adrián Beltrán Dimas ventured into the cave — possibly the first time anyone has entered it in about five centuries.

Roughly 500 feet (150 m) into the cave, the ceiling dipped down. The pair of explorers had to navigate the flooded cave with a gap of just 6 inches (15 centimeters) between the water and the cave ceiling. "Adrián was scared, but the water was deep enough, and I went through first to show him it wasn't that difficult," Pavlova said.

While taking a break to look around, Pavlova and Beltrán were shocked to discover 14 artifacts. "It was very exciting and incredible!" Pavlova said. "We were lucky here."

Archaeologists removed the bracelets from the stalagmites and cleaned them to reveal the design. Among the artifacts were four shell bracelets, a giant decorated snail shell (genus Strombus), two complete stone disks and six disk fragments, and a piece of carbonized wood. Pavlova and Beltrán immediately contacted Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), which sent archaeologists to recover the artifacts in March.

Given the arrangement of the bracelets — which had been looped over small, rounded stalagmites with "phallic connotations" — the archaeologists speculated that fertility rituals were likely performed in Tlayócoc cave, they said in the statement.

"For pre-Hispanic cultures, caves were sacred places associated with the underworld and considered the womb of the Earth," INAH archaeologist Miguel Pérez Negrete said in the statement.

Three of the bracelets have incised decorations. An S-shaped symbol known as "xonecuilli" is associated with the planet Venus and the measurement of time, while the profile of a human-like figure may represent the creator god Quetzalcoatl.

Pérez dated the artifacts to the Postclassic period of Mesoamerican history, between A.D. 950 and 1521, and suggested that they were made by members of the little-known Tlacotepehua culture that inhabited the region.

"It's very likely that, because they were found in a close environment where humidity is fairly stable, the objects were able to survive for so many centuries," Pérez said.

Rob's Fun Visit to SC- HEAVY on the Gaming!

Last week, I flew to South Carolina to visit my mom-in-law, and sister-in-law and her husband for 3 days. Although Tom recently visited, I wasn't able to, so I could care for our three dogs. This time, Tom took care of the kids, and I visited! There was a Game marathon and an exciting BINGO Game with a surprise win!  That's today's blog.

(L to R; Rob, Mom, Lisa) 

SERIOUS  GAMERS - One day we played two different games, and it was about 6 hours of gaming!  The first was Rummikub. I had never heard of the game, but caught on. We played that for about 2/ 1/2-3 hours! The second game was Uno. 

CHEATERS???  Sometimes Mom "innocently" played cards when it wasn't her turn... and Greg seemed to take extra turns, too... but we caught on!  Hahahahaha!!!

(Pic - left : L: to R: Rob, Mom, Greg)

(Pic below:  Greg, Harley and Lisa)

WHAT IS RUMMIKUB? - Rummikub is a tile-based game where players aim to be the first to get rid of all their tiles by forming them into sets and runs. Players start with 14 tiles and take turns placing them on the table. Sets are groups of three or four tiles with the same number but different colors, while runs are three or more consecutive numbers of the same color. Players can also add tiles to existing sets and runs on the table, or rearrange them to create new combinations, provided the resulting sets and runs are valid. 

(pic: all of us playing Uno!) 

 PLAYING UNO FOR 3 HOURS! - After a Pizza dinner, we opted to play Uno! 

WHAT IS UNO? - UNO is a popular card game where the objective is to be the first player to get rid of all the cards in your hand by matching the color or number of the top card on the discard pile. Players can also use special action cards like "Skip," "Reverse," and "Draw Two" to hinder opponents and change the game's flow. The game also includes wild cards that can be played on any card and allow the player to change the color in play. The game is won by the first player to empty their hand and can also be scored based on the cards remaining in opponents' hands.  

BIG NIGHT AT BINGO!!!

(Pic: Rob and Mom)

Lisa found a cash Bingo event about 25 minutes north and we all piled in her SUV. The night was fun, but no one won... until the LAST GAME.. when you had to fill up the entire Bingo card.

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING... CORRECT!   Greg got a big kick out of watching my cards usually never get ANY or many numbers, so for the last game he bought everyone 2 extra cards. He said "Statistically, you should win after not getting much of anything all night."  He was right.

   The pot was $150 and I won!!! 2 other people won, so I received $50 like the other two winners.

 I then gave mom, Greg and Lisa $10 each so we all won!