2nd Idiot of the Week: Newsmax - Conservative network to pay $67M in defamation case

 This weekend there are two idiots of the week, because, well, I'd be posting them into December. NewsMax, the conservative network, who knowingly broadcast lies about the 2020  presidential election being stolen. These companies, people and organizations that bought into all of those lies from the felon, like Fox News - have successfully been sued and lost millions once the truth was known. But, they don't learn.  Think about all of the people who worked in the felon's first administration - where are  they now? Either in prison, sued, or not supporting him. Again, all these idiots. This story is about Newsmax, though- Idiot #2 of the week.

Conservative network Newsmax agrees to pay $67M in defamation case over bogus 2020 election claims

By NICHOLAS RICCARDI , AP August 18, 2025

DENVER (AP) — The conservative network Newsmax will pay $67 million to settle a lawsuit accusing it of defaming a voting equipment company by spreading lies about President Donald Trump’s 2020 election loss, according to documents filed Monday.

The settlement comes after Fox News Channel paid $787.5 million to settle a similar lawsuit in 2023 and Newsmax paid what court papers describe as $40 million to settle a libel lawsuit from a different voting machine manufacturer, Smartmatic, which also was a target of pro-Trump conspiracy theories on the network.

Delaware Superior Court Judge Eric Davis had ruled earlier that Newsmax did indeed defame Denver-based Dominion Voting Systems by airing false information about the company and its equipment. But Davis left it to a jury to eventually decide whether that was done with malice, and, if so, how much Dominion deserved from Newsmax in damages. Newsmax and Dominion reached the settlement before the trial could take place.

The settlement was disclosed by Newsmax in a new filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. It said the deal was reached Friday.

Idiot of the week Mass. driver charged with speeding 120 mph

Another weekend, another idiot speeding. This moron was doing TWICE the speed limit on a well-traveled state highway in New Hampshire. He also drove north from Massachusetts to share his stupidity.

Mass. BMW driver charged with speeding 120 mph 

The New Hampshire Union Leader, Manchester, Mon, May 26, 2025 at 6:51 PM EDT

A Massachusetts man was arrested after he drove more than double the speed limit on Route 16 in Ossipee.

At 2:49 p.m. on Sunday, a state trooper was patrolling Route 16 in Ossipee when he observed a BMW traveling at 120 mph.

The trooper conducted a traffic stop and identified the driver as Jacob Driscoll, 28, of Peabody, Mass.

Driscoll was arrested and charged with reckless operation. He was released on personal recognizance bail and is scheduled to appear in Ossipee District Court on July 30, 2025.

Heroes of the Week: Phoenix, AZ Firefighters use Fido bag used to save cats after house fire

This week's heroes are Arizona Firefighters who rescued several cats while fighting a house fire in west Phoenix and had to use a "Fido bag" to help resuscitate them.

(Photo: Fido bag used to save cats after house fire in Phoenix. Credit: News 12)

Firefighters rescue 3 cats and a woman from west Phoenix house fire

Fido bag used to save cats after house fire in Phoenix

Author: Jolyn Hannah, August 10, 2025 12 News, Phoenix, AZ

PHOENIX — Firefighters rescued one person and three cats from an early morning house fire in the West Valley, Phoenix, Arizona, according to authorities.

The Phoenix Fire Department said the fire broke out just after 6 a.m. at a home near 59th Avenue and McDowell Road.  "On arrival crews had smoke coming from the front of the house, pulled handlines inside to fight the blaze," the fire department said.

Once firefighters made their way into the house, they found a person and three cats.

"All were rescued safely out of the house," the fire department said.

VIDEO REPORT: https://youtu.be/4MCDqnkCQA4?si=cPKkhJhORZD0J-qg

 

But the cats needed help with their breathing. "Firefighters used the Fido bag on three cats, successfully resuscitating them," the fire department said.

The person was evaluated at the scene and chose not to go to the hospital.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Book of the Week: Tombstone by J.M. Thompson & Fred Bean (5 Stars!)

Several weeks ago the book of the week was Hangman's Legacy by Frederic Bean. This week's book is another by Fred Bean with a collaborator named J.M. Thompson (who happens to be a doctor in Maine of all places!). It's called "Tombstone" and its about Dr. Leo LeMat, a doctor turned portrait artist and gun for hire and his sharpshooter friend, Jacques, who travel to Tombstone to paint Wyatt Earp's portrait after the infamous "Shootout near the O.K. Corral."  5 of 5 stars! 

As someone who has always liked westerns, and I have a fascination with Wyatt Earp (since the film Tombstone in 1993), and the town of Tombstone, Arizona (where I had a past life experience), I LOVED this book. It was so hard to take reading breaks! The way the authors weaved the characters of Dr. Leo and Jacques into the events that followed the O.K. Corral shootout was creative, believeable and awesome. I could picture everything that was happening (of course, having been to Tombstone several times helped).

This book was awesome, and Frederic Bean has become one of my favorite authors. Now to find all his other out-of-print westerns!!

ABOUT THE BOOK: Leo LeMat heads to Tombstone, Arizona, to paint a portrait of infamous lawman Wyatt Earp only to find the town overrun with desperadoes, and he discovers that to complete his painting he will have to perfect the art of the quick draw. Published 2001.

Discovery! 8 ancient Roman shoes of 'exceptional size' discovered at Roman fort in England

How many men do you know with a size 14 sneaker? Recently archaeologists excavating near Hadrian's Wall in England (the site of an ancient Roman settlement) found footwear from soldiers that large!  Here's the story.

 

(Photo: The largest Roman shoe ever discovered has been found at Magna fort in the U.K.   Image credit: The Vindolanda Trust)

8 ancient Roman shoes of 'exceptional size' discovered at Roman fort near Hadrian's Wall

By Kristina Killgrove Live Science, July 3, 2025

Eight XXL leather shoes have been recovered from Magna, a Roman-era fort along Hadrian's Wall.

Archaeologists excavating a Roman-era fort in northern England have unearthed several enormous ancient leather soles that measure more than 11.8 inches (30 centimeters) long. Hadrian's Wall is a former defensive fortification of the Roman province of Britannia, begun in AD 122 in the reign of the Emperor Hadrian.

The finds add to the archaeologists' growing collection of supersized ancient footwear found at the ancient fort, known as Magna. The researchers now have eight of these extra-extra-large shoes — a quarter of the total found at the site.

Hadrian's Wall is located in England and identifies where Roman settlements were located. It spans 73 miles from coast to coast. Hadrian’s Wall was built to guard the wild north-west frontier of the Roman Empire. Discover the remains of the forts, and towns that once kept watch over the Wall.

"I think there is something very different going on here at Magna," Elizabeth Greene, an archaeologist at Western University in Ontario, Canada and a specialist in ancient shoes, said in a statement. "Even from this small sample uncovered, it is clear that these shoes are much larger on average than most of the Vindolanda collection."

The shoes were discovered at Magna — also known as Carvoran — a fort along Hadrian's Wall, which was built around A.D. 122 to demarcate the northern extent of the Roman Empire. Magna is situated about 7 miles (11 kilometers) west of Vindolanda, the large Roman auxiliary fort that's well known for the remarkable preservation of writing tablets, military medals and leather shoes.

In May, 2025, archaeologists unearthed an enormous leather shoe while digging at the bottom of one of Magna's "ankle-breaker" defensive ditches — narrow, deep trenches that, when full of water, could cause an enemy soldier to trip and snap their ankle. The waterlogged conditions in the ditch created an oxygen-free environment that preserved the leather shoe. 

The sole of the giant shoe measured 12.6 inches (32 cm) long, which is the equivalent of a men's U.S. 14 or U.K. size 13 shoe today. For context, the average U.S. men's shoe size is around 10.5, while basketball player LeBron James wears a size U.S. 15 and Michael Jordan wears a U.S. 13.5.

Further excavations revealed the Magna ditch contained a total of 32 shoes in a range of sizes, from children's to adults', which adds to the collection of more than 5,000 ancient leather shoes found at the nearby fort of Vindolanda, according to the statement.

Architecture: Why Old New England Homes Had 2 Front Doors

If you live in New England or have ever visited, you'll notice some older homes have 2 doors side by side. We've seen them in southern New Hampshire and southern Maine. Today's blog shares a story about various reasons why homes were built that way. 

(Photo: Home in Somersworth, NH built in 1900. Credit: Zillow) 

Six Intriguing Reasons Why New England Homes Originally Had Two Doors 

 Jolana Miller, May 12, 2025, Theshark105.3 Radio 

When you see houses with two front doors, do you assume they're duplexes or two-family homes? We have so many around New England, and while they're duplexes now, or have several apartments inside, historically speaking, two front doors had literal reasons behind them.

Living in the oldest part of the country, there's also a good chance that some of those two-door homes you see in Maine or Massachusetts just kept the aesthetic while being a single-family home.

Let's go back to the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, where, according to Family Handyman and The Spruce, there are six reasons homes originally were built with two doors.

DEATH DOOR

In some cases, one door was reserved for the dead, lying in repose in the front parlor, and was only used when someone passed away.

SYMMETRY 

Two Doors Made the Exterior Symmetrical According to an article on Taste of Home.com, symmetry was in style. Georgian-style homes (which were trendy at the time) were designed around balance, order and classical symmetry, often achieved through the use of many windows, two chimneys and a front entry hallway that ran straight through the middle of the house. If a home, for whatever reason, didn’t have this centered hallway, a centrally-placed front door threw things off. The easy fix? Add another door to keep things balanced.

APPEARANCES

Simply put, more than one door looked like you had a home with more rooms.

(Photo: Credit: https://hellofarmhouse.com/) 

HOUSEHOLD FUNCTION

Each door was a separate entrance into the home, with one of the doors being the entrance to the more formal side of the house for parties or important meetings. The other was used for day-to-day living.

Also, if the family had servants, the owners of the home used the right side while servants used the left door.

TEMPERATURE REGULATION

Most homes had one single hallway that stretched the length of the house. However, if you opened the front door, you could send a wind tunnel of hot air or cold air through the house, so two doors helped keep homes temperature-friendly no matter what time of year.

BUDGETARY

Many single-family homes with two front doors did it for budgetary reasons.

Glass was quite expensive, and having it shipped from Europe or literally made onsite in America was not doable, especially since making glass was a specialty trade. That second door was the cheaper alternative since doors don't use nearly as much glass as windows. 

 

DISCOVERY: Changes to the polar vortex that are plunging parts of US into deep freeze

If you live in the U.S. you've noticed more and stronger Polar Vortexes (and hotter summers, more extreme storms, etc.). Science is CRITICAL to explain what's happening on our planet and around the Universe. Sadly, in the U.S., the Republican Party doesn't understand that, and have Defunded Government Science agencies and fired many scientists. Ignorance doesn't help anyone. We need to understand the changing climate, and fortunately MIT Scientists have been studying how global warming (Yes, it's a reality and has been for 100 years) is affecting the Polar Vortex in Winter and bringing brutally cold temperatures to parts of the U.S. Here's the study:

(Image: Credit: NOAA) 

Scientists discover changes to the polar vortex that are plunging parts of US into deep freeze

By Stephanie Pappas Live Science, July 18, 2025

When the polar vortex stretches, North America feels the chill. New research reveals some of the stratospheric patterns controlling these cold snaps.

Though global temperatures are warming, winters in the Northern Hemisphere are still marked by cold snaps and extreme snowfall events — sometimes to an unprecedented extent, such as the 2021 deep freeze in Texas and Oklahoma that caused over $1 billion in damage.

Now, a new study suggests that these cold extremes are due to an increasingly common pattern in the polar vortex, the zone of low pressure that usually circulates over the Arctic. Disruptions to this vortex cause it to deform and stretch, spewing cold air into Canada and the U.S. These disruptions are becoming more common as the Arctic warms.

"Overwhelmingly, extreme cold and severe winter weather, heavy snowstorms and deep snow, are associated with these stretched events," study co-author Judah Cohen, the director of seasonal forecasting at Atmospheric and Environmental Research and a visiting scientist at MIT, told Live Science.

Cohen and his team looked at how these events evolve in the stratosphere, the middle layer of the atmosphere that starts about 12 miles (19 kilometers) up. Understanding how these patterns shift could help meteorologists make longer-range forecasts, said Andrea Lopez Lang, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Wisconsin—Madison who was not involved in the research.

"Knowing this information is useful for a lot of applications in energy [and] applications in insurance or reinsurance," Lang told Live Science. "How cold is it going to get? Are pipes going to burst? Are insurance claims going to spike this winter?"

Usually, the polar vortex circulates around the North Pole like a spinning top. Occasionally, it collapses dramatically, which usually leads to polar air rushing toward northern Europe and Asia. These collapses can sometimes cause cold snaps in North America — but not always.

"There's been this big question mark over what happens in North America," Lang said.

Dash's Respiratory Distress Hospitalization- He's okay now

Dash is our 17 year old Dachshund/Chihuahua mix who followed Tyler (our Dachshund who passed on July 29, 2025) everywhere. Dash has been under tremendous stress trying to figure out life without Tyler, and he's been prone to bronchitis and asthma issues. On Thursday, August 14th the stress finally took a toll on him and he was gasping for breath, so I called our vet's emergency line and they said to rush him to the Vet Emergency Room.That's today's blog.

RESPIRATORY DISTRESS - Dash went into respiratory distress on August 14th around 5:30p. He was bonded to Tyler who passed just 2 weeks before and I understood that was the catalyst of his labored breathing. Dash had been showing signs of depression by not eating and had become increasingly stressed out without Tyler to follow around the house. He wouldn't eat his dinner and then he started breathing heavily. He pulled his stomach in with deep gasping breaths, and I could tell he was struggling. I called the local vet who said to get him to an ER quickly, so I did. 

 VIDEO OF HIS LABORED BREATHING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tthUk7nYdSs

A NIGHT IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM -     I  drove Dash to the Veterinary Emergency Critical Care in Newington, NH.  The doctor on staff the evening of August 14th was wonderful. Dash, was still very much in respiratory distress. Xrays were taken at 2 different times, and bronchitis with poss. pneumonia was the diagnosis. I also think he has asthma, because he sounds like me when I have an asthma attack. 

I waited for the radiologist to provide an xray report. The in-house doctor looks at it and they also email it a radiologist on call who reviews it. During that time (it was 5 hours), the doctor explained about the likelihood of what was going on, and his plan for medications, and recommended keeping Dash overnight in oxygen to help his breathing. 

OVERNIGHT AND OXYGEN -  Dash stayed overnight on oxygen and he received prednisone and antibiotics through IV.  Dash received great care overnight, and his breathing returned to near normal the next morning when we picked him up at 10 a.m.

I'm so grateful the the doctor and staff of the hospital. It was the right thing to do to rush him to the ER.  His new meds are working, and he's finally eating his meals and treats again. He's also showing energy and went on a walk on day two.

If you see your dog breathing heavily and their stomach goes in and out your dog is in respiratory distress and needs to go to an ER immediately. 

Idiot of the Week: Another Jan. 6er Imprisoned for Life. He plotted to kill FBI special agents who investigated him

 There's a reason why the criminals who participated in Jan. 6th were imprisoned. Since the felon pardoned them all earlier this year, quite a few have committed more crimes and have been imprisoned again. This week's idiot got life for plotting to kill 2 FBI agents who investigated him. And his co-conspirator's trial is next. Sigh.

(Photo: Edward Kelley at the Peace Monument across from the United States Capitol Building using a cell phone and wearing a red MAGA on Jan. 6, 2021.FBI)

Jan. 6 defendant sentenced to life in prison for plotting to kill FBI special agents who investigated him

President Donald Trump's mass pardon of Jan. 6 rioters did not apply to Edward Kelley's separate plot to murder law enforcement officials, the Justice Department said.

Edward Kelley at the Peace Monument across from the United States Capitol Building using a cell phone and wearing a red MAGA on Jan. 6, 2021.

July 2, 2025 MSNBC, By Ryan J. Reilly

WASHINGTON — A Jan. 6 defendant who plotted to murder FBI special agents who investigated him over his actions at the Capitol was sentenced to life in prison on Wednesday.

Edward Kelley was convicted in November of conspiracy to murder employees of the United States; solicitation to commit a crime of violence; and influencing or retaliating against federal officials by threat. President Donald Trump pardoned Kelley, alongside roughly 1,500 other Jan. 6 defendants, in January.

U.S. District Judge Thomas A. Varlan imposed the sentence on Wednesday, July 2, 2025 during a hearing in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Kelley's team argued that Trump's pardon should apply to his conduct in the murder plot. While the Justice Department had argued that the pardons should apply to separate gun cases against other Jan. 6 defendants, they said the pardon did not apply to Kelley's conduct. A federal judge ruled that Trump's pardon did not apply to the murder plot.

Federal prosecutors sought life in prison for Kelley, calling him “remorseless" and writing that he had "shown neither a capacity nor desire" to rehabilitate.

"On the contrary, Kelley not only believes the actions for which he was convicted were justified but that his duty as a self-styled ‘patriot’ compelled him to target East Tennessee law enforcement for assassination,” federal prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memo.

Kelley, prosecutors wrote, "committed crimes that are serious, violent, and all designed to achieve the same end: the murder of federal, state, and local law enforcement."

Kelley "formed a self-styled militia to attack the FBI," and "conducted combat drills to realize his plan," they wrote. He "strategized ways to bomb the FBI Knoxville office" and "identified a 'hornet’s nest' at which to store his various weapons at 'arms’ reach.'" Kelley also "devised a kill list of individual agents to be targeted" and then "gave the go-ahead command — 'start it' — to his confederates, noting that 'every hit has to hurt.'"

Kelley's lawyer wrote that "no individual was directly threatened with harm or violence by Kelley, and no one was injured" and that "Kelley does not deserve the same sentence as an actual 'terrorist' who injured or killed hundreds or thousands" of Americans.

Austin Carter, who admitted that he conspired with Kelley in the murder plot and pleaded guilty, is scheduled to be sentenced next month.

Heroes of the Week: Firefighters Rescue Dog in W. Virginia House Kitchen Fire

 This week's heroes are firefighters in West Virginia who were called to the scene of a house fire, and broke in, rescuing a dog inside. 

Photo: Fireman from the Nutter Fort Volunteer Fire Department carries a dog out of a burning home. Credit: WBOY TV)

Firefighters rescue dog from house fire in Nutter Fort, W. VA

by: McKenna Galloway, WBOY TV, Aug 10, 2025 / 01:38 PM EDT

NUTTER FORT, W.Va. (WBOY) — Officials have given more information on the house fire that occured in Nutter Fort Sunday afternoon, August 10, 2025.

A 12 News reporter at the scene stated that it was a house on fire next to Roosevelt-Wilson High School. While there, the reporter observed a dog being carried out of the residence.

12 News spoke with Chief of the Nutter Fort Volunteer Fire Department Jeremy Haddix who confirmed that it was a kitchen fire.

“Got the fire knocked, saved a dog, the crews are working with it right now,” Chief Haddix said. “It was awesome just to look down and see that it was still alive and we were able to get it out and get some oxygen and save its life.”

Haddix also confirmed that no individuals were injured as a result of the fire and that the fire will be investigated.

Nutter Fort, Stonewood, Anmoore and Bridgeport fire departments, along with the Nutter Fort City Administration and EMS has responded to this incident.

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Book of the Week: Bookmarked for Death by Lorna Barrett (Booktown Mystery series)

 I recently enjoyed the second book in Lorna Barrett's Booktown Mystery series called "Bookmarked for Death."  Last month I read the first in the series and wanted more. This second book in the series was also 5 of 5 stars!!

The small New Hampshire town of Stoneham has reinvented itself as a vacation spot for bibliophiles. Tricia Miles, the owner of the mystery bookshop, frequently finds herself mixed up in murder. There are a lot of great supporting characters. These books will keep you wanting to read until to finish them! I absolutely loved the second book in the series. The first one was a fantastic introduction (see below). The second one developed the characters further and really made you guess until the end! LOVE this author! I plan on reading all of these. If you like Cozy mysteries, you should consider them, too.- Rob

SOME MAIN CHARACTERS -  Like any small town, Stoneham, New Hampshire is populated with shop owners, business people, and residents. 

 1) Tricia Miles owns the mystery bookstore, Haven’t Got a Clue. Along with her employee, Ginny Wilson, and her cat, (scene stealer) Miss Marple, Tricia’s store caters to mystery lovers looking to complete their collection of their favorite authors. Tricia sells rare and out-of-print editions, as well as some new titles, and lives above her store. 

2) Angelica Miles, Tricia’s older sister, who arrived in Stoneham for what Tricia hoped will be a short visit, but stayed on to open the Cookery and Booked for Lunch. Angelica also writes cookbooks. (Try her recipes - in the back of each book) 

3) Bob Kelly: President of the local chamber of commerce and the mastermind behind changing Stoneham from a dying village into Booktown, a tourist destination. Bob also owns Kelly Real Estate. 

4) Mr. Everett, works for Tricia at Haven’t Got a Clue. 

5) Ginny Wilson, works for Tricia at Haven’t Got a Clue. **AND THERE ARE SEVERAL MORE:

**Booktown Mystery: A series by Lorna Barrett The series in order**

1 Murder is Binding (2008) 5 Stars!! Read this in 2025

2 Bookmarked For Death (2009) 5 Stars!! Read this in 2025

3 Bookplate Special (2009) **Have this- On the reading list!**

4 Chapter and Hearse (2010) **Have this- On the reading list!**

5 Sentenced to Death (2011)

6 Murder on the Half Shelf (2012)

7 Not the Killing Type (2013)

8 Book Clubbed (2014)

9 A Fatal Chapter (2015)

10 Title Wave (2016)

11 A Just Clause (2017)

12 Poisoned Pages (2018)

13 A Killer Edition (2019)

14 Handbook for Homicide (2020)

15 A Deadly Deletion (2021)

16 Clause of Death (2022)

17 A Questionable Character (2023)

18 A Controversial Cover (2024)

19 A Perilous Plot (2025)

FOUND: 600-year-old amethyst found in medieval castle moat in Poland

Imagine finding a 600 year old piece of royal jewelry in a moat! That's what one archaeological team did in Poland at Castle Kolno. 600 years ago in the 1400s, Castle Kolno was no longer a ducal or royal residence after being sold by the Duke of Brzeg in the early 14th century. Once sold, it lost its strategic importance as a customs house. It was owned by various knights throughout the 1400s, and was destroyed in 1443. Today's blog is about the jeweled brooch discovered there.

(Photo: An amethyst set in silver was discovered in a castle moat in Poland. (Image credit: Lech Marek; CC BY 4.0)

600-year-old amethyst 'worthy of a duke' found in medieval castle moat in Poland

By Kristina Killgrove Live Science, July 17, 2025

Around 600 years ago, an aristocrat visiting a medieval castle lost an ornate piece of jewelry. But archaeologists recently dredged the unique amethyst set in fire-gilded silver from the muck of the old moat. The amethyst was set in high-quality silver and probably once formed part of a brooch.

"I believe the item was originally part of a brooch or, less likely, a coronet or a crown," Lech Marek, an archaeologist at the University of Wrocław in Poland, told Live Science in an email, "which makes it so unique in a medieval settlement context."

Medieval jewelry is often found in hoards or in tombs, Marek and Beata Miazga, another archaeologist at the University of Wrocław, wrote in a study published online July 11 in the journal Antiquity. But this one was discovered in a more "everyday" situation, they wrote, having presumably been lost by someone traveling to or from Castle Kolno.

Castle Kolno was founded in the early 13th century as a fortress and duke's palace that also served as a customs house controlling the transport of wood. The original owner, Duke Bolesław III of Brzeg, eventually sold the property to some wealthy knights. In 1443, Castle Kolno was burned and destroyed during the civil wars in Silesia. And in 2010, Marek and his team began archaeological excavation at the ruined castle, discovering military artifacts, cavalry items and ceramics typical of the 14th and 15th centuries.

Using Raman spectroscopic analysis, which measures the light emitted from lasers bombarding a substance to determine its molecular composition, the gemstone was identified as an amethyst, and X-ray fluorescence analysis revealed the metal parts were silver and fire-gilded, which involved considerable amounts of mercury, Marek and Miazga wrote in the study.

"Because of their symbolic meaning, availability and aesthetic qualities, amethysts were popular in the medieval period," Marek said.

Medieval folklore suggests that amethysts could protect their wearer from intoxication, venom, gout, bad dreams, treason, deceit, captivity, blindness, enchantment and strangulation, the researchers wrote, and they could also represent faith, modesty and martyrdom.

"In the sophisticated medieval play of symbols, the choice of gems for jewelry always had a deeper reason," Marek said, and "if a jewel was believed to be charged with supernatural powers, its value increased rapidly."

It is unknown who lost this semiprecious gem or how they lost it, but the researchers have no doubt the person lived an aristocratic lifestyle. Similar jewels in similar settings have been found on high-end jewelry of the period, Marek said. But the Castle Kolno amethyst is unusual because it is a high-status jewel worthy of a duke that was likely lost in a very mundane activity several centuries ago.