How Misinformation & Extremism Ended a 15 Year Friendship

Politics can be divisive, and in the current political climate we are taught to fear or hate each other. Misleading propaganda and extremism is behind much of it on both sides.  I became physically sick to my stomach over a recent interaction.   As a liberal and inclusive person, I have some conservative friends who also disagree with some of the awful things this country is experiencing (like medicare cuts, hospital closings, targeting  ethnic and LGBTQ groups, etc.). Last week, someone I called a friend for about 15 years said he "Stands 100% behind everything happening" - including gutting science (I'm a scientist) saying science is useless and invalidating gay marriages (it's AGAIN going to the Supreme court next year). I would never tell someone their career or marriage is useless. That's insulting and hurtful. But, today's Blog is about how Misinformation and Extremism blinded this person, and led to the end of a long friendship, sadly. HERE'S THE BLOG   

I found it revealing to see how Fox and other right wing and left wing outlets have presented their own "truths" and how they affect the beliefs and minds of watchers. I don't believe right or left wing news.

So why do right-wing people hate liberal people?  They're being fed select bits of information and untruths, repeated over and over to generate hatred of others. (We need to question what we read) . 

As for my situation, despite the insults, this friend of 15 years obviously doesn't know who I am nor really care. I've helped this person through deep grief after his pet passed and loaned him money several times to help get out of debt during crises. Sadly, all of those things meant nothing. His statements and my responses are below.

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TODAY'S BLOG EXAMINES THOSE CLAIMS and either supports or debunks them.  Fox has focused on several things: Trans people, fake stories about litter boxes in classrooms, a 1994 science experiment with animals, mis-characterizing all anti-Trump protests (calling them all violent because of two out of hundreds) and more.

Here's his email in RED  (and my Fact checks & thoughts in BLUE)

I'm a scientist and I told him that science is critical to understand things from medical science, to sickness to weather and climate, pollution, etc. I explained how cuts to the National Weather Service (like removing funding for PM balloon atmospheric soundings to go into forecast models) have led to the degradation and inaccuracies of forecasting this year, especially in the last 3 months. Instead, he dismissed science, and my entire career to focus on a study from 31 years ago. 

OK, so I've thought long and hard on my response to this. 

First, science? 

Federal funding on research to see what the effects cocaine had on the sexuality of monkeys? Really? That's where hard working American tax dollars was best sent?

THIS RESEARCH WAS DONE IN 1994 - Using Animals to see the effects of Cocaine on humans. - Why Fox News keeps repeating it is absurd.  

Method: Researchers administered different doses of cocaine to male rhesus monkeys and observed changes in their copulatory behavior. Results: The study found that higher doses of cocaine impaired sexual performance in the monkeys, causing them to take longer to initiate and complete copulation. Relevance to human health: Animal models, particularly those using non-human primates like rhesus macaques, are used in substance abuse research because their brain systems and menstrual cycles are physiologically similar to humans. This type of research aims to provide insights into how drugs like cocaine affect human health and behavior, including issues like addiction and risky sexual behavior

I watched 4 years of teaching children that because you have a sex change you are now the opposite sex. He/she doesn't exist anymore.

FALSE. He/she Exists. 

AND TRUE. Children are introduced to the concept of being gay or transgender by 4th grade. It's to make them understand and accept, and prevent bullying. (it's different for every kid. I was 4 when I knew I was attracted to men. - Some kids feel drawn to things the opposite sex liked- like girls doing traditional 'boy' things, and boys doing traditional "girl" things. - I get that it makes the kids feel more comfortable.

yes, schools put litter boxes in restrooms because we allowed kids to identify as cats. That's not a joke, it happened here. 

FALSE - here's Snopes article debunking it: https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/litter-boxes-bathrooms/  AND https://www.snopes.com/news/2023/01/30/how-furries-got-swept-up-in-anti-trans-litter-box-rumors/ 

WHAT IS THIS ABOUT? Rumors that litter boxes were installed in schools for cat-identifying students affected a number of schools in different states, but the chain of events in each location was more or less the same. People would claim that they had heard secondhand information about the alleged litter boxes and get outraged, and then school officials, news outlets, and fact-checkers would step in and debunk the specific rumor. Despite those efforts, some would maintain their belief that litter boxes were being placed in schools. Rinse and repeat.  (Source: SNOPES) 

I watched a sporting event allow an adult male who had a sex change and now identifies as a woman almost kill the female opponent. I'm not ok with that and no man should be. I was raised to protect a woman. Fake science gave us that. 

AGREE - I don't know what "Fake science" means, but I agree that transgender women who were born men, shouldn't compete in sports. Despite their soul as a woman, the muscularity of their bodies are male.  BTW - Transgender people who make up less than 1% of the population. 

Attack on education? Did you see what 8 years under Obama did to school lunches and math? 2+2 equals 4 still but takes you an hour to get there. 

FALSE - That's another right-wing conspiracy theory. 

Look at all the monuments that were torn down under the democratic leadership, the irony is, the "racist" monuments were because of the confederate, democratic generals that wanted to keep slavery. They don't teach that in school because they'd lose the ability to pander the black vote. Veterans? 

I never supported tearing monuments down, because they are a sad reminder of that terrible time in history, and history needs to be remembered to prevent those tragedies from happening again. 

TRUE - Confederate generals were either southern democrats or without a party. However, once the Confederate States of America was formed, it officially operated without a party system, as leaders like Davis sought a unified front.   

Come on, we both know that your comment about attacking veterans is absurd. 

NO, IT'S NOT ABSURD. FACT: Trump Did Insult Veterans - So my comment was correct: GOOGLE IT- 

In 2020, The Atlantic reported that Trump privately referred to American war dead at a cemetery in France as "losers" and "suckers," and said he did not understand why people would volunteer for military service. John Kelly's corroboration: In 2023, John Kelly, a retired Marine general and former White House chief of staff under Trump, confirmed the contents of The Atlantic's reporting. 

**Further, during his 2016 campaign, Trump criticized Senator John McCain, a former prisoner of war, by saying, "I like people who weren't captured." 

Now, on to federal spending cuts. You and I both worked for the government and know of the absurd amount of waste that was being charged to the American taxpayer. I know for a fact that too many federal employees got cushy positions and did nothing to earn their pay. Their pay was paid for by American tax dollars. 

FACT (Google it) - While individual VA disability payments have not been reduced, the current administration, in coordination with the newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has initiated staff and contract cuts within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The administration argues these cuts are aimed at increasing efficiency, while critics, including veterans' groups warn they will negatively impact veterans' access to care and benefits. 

HOWEVER, there are beneficial things Trump did for Veterans (to prove that this is NOT Partisan) * Healthcare choice: He signed legislation such as the Veterans Choice Program Extension and Improvement Act to allow veterans to seek private healthcare outside the VA system when VA care is not readily accessible. * VA accountability: Trump signed the VA Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act, which made it easier to dismiss VA employees for misconduct or poor performance. *Student loan debt: His administration eliminated federal student loan debt for permanently disabled veterans.    

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FACT: Federal funding changes and contributing factors to CLOSURES OF HOSPITALS IN 2025 (GOOGLE "how many hospitals have closed in 2025 due to federal funding") Reduced Medicaid spending: In July 2025, President Trump signed the "One Big Beautiful Bill" (OBBB) into law, which included an estimated $1.02 trillion in Medicaid spending cuts over ten years. 

Impact on rural hospitals: Rural hospitals, which rely heavily on Medicaid reimbursements, are especially vulnerable to these cuts. The Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform reported in May 2025 that more than 300 rural hospitals were at "immediate risk" of closure.

Government waste needed cleaned up and if it had been Obama or Biden who had decided to get it done, everyone would have cheered until they were blue in the face. But instead, trump did it and everyone can't stand it, because they got caught wasting our money. The facts are there, plain as day but until people stop drinking the kool-aid and stop following the sheep in front of them, the Slaughter of common sense and individual thinking will continue to go out the window. 

Government spending does need to be reigned in. But that study was done 31 YEARS AGO. Trump didn't stop it. What he DID do was fire thousands of civil servants like me without due cause. He also took people off the streets and deported them without due process. Sure, some were illegally here, but they deserve due process. Also, thousands of people lost their jobs that provided services to the American public. 

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The fact that you support a group of people that called for riots after George Floyd died, watching thugs cut hoses being used by firefighters to put out their own town confuses me a bit. That's not an opinion,it's facts. I saw the riots and heard them call for rioting. Think long and hard before you condemn one man for trying to save this country then turn around and support those that have been trying to destroy it for decades.

First, NO Democrat supported the riots after George Floyd's death. That's propaganda. It was also an ANOMALY. 

Second, Democrats are known for Peaceful protests: Look at the hundreds of peaceful protest from coast to coast on "No Kings Day" against Trump's Policies. There was no violence.  

RESEARCH THEM ALL HERE:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protests_against_the_second_Trump_administration 

Only 1 other protest turned violent in 2025: In Los Angeles June 6, 2025 when protestors clashed with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and ICE,  but most remained peaceful and occurred within a small stretch of downtown Los Angeles. 

Third, I NEVER promote violence against anyone. I try to talk with people who disagree to reach an understanding. Sadly, it didn't work here because I've already been accused of promoting violence that I totally, morally disagree with. 

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So there are good and bad points on both sides. 

Sadly, since he supports everything that has been done and is being done- and he's attacked my profession and marriage as both useless, It's toxic to me to maintain that relationship.  

We need to surround ourselves with people who support us. True, we may not all agree on everything and that's not expected. 

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My Sold Out Animal Rescue Fundraiser!

Recently, I completed my 7th year of doing a fundraising lecture at the Animal Rescue League of New Hampshire (ARLNH) and had help from a good friend. Today's blog is about that amazing event and the incredible people who made it possible.

Seven years ago, I decided that I would teach people how to recognize signs from their late pets and ask them to share their experiences. Every time I do this lecture, many people share, and some of the experiences are amazing.

The ARLNH operates ONLY through donations. There is no state or federal funding for this shelter, so fundraising and donations are critical, and anyone can donate from anywhere in the world! Marianne and Charlotte from ARLNH coordinated and promoted the event - and it was amazing!

On Sunday, Sept 21, 2025 I gave a lecture about "Learn How Pets Communicate from the Afterlife." The event was booked for 30 people and 41 bought tickets. All of the proceeds from the event go entirely to the rescue. The rescue made over $1,000 in those 2 hours!

During the 90 minute lecture I taught attendees how their spirit pets send signs from the afterlife. The lecture is based on my best-selling Pets and the Afterlife series (books 1,2,3, and 4).I talked of ways to cope with grief and loss, identified signs they give us and I explained the science behind it. I talked about how and why living pets can sense spirits. 

(Photo: Rob and Kevin helped bring healing to the attendees)

My friend Kevin volunteered to join me and share his story and experiences about his dog, Pupeye, now in spirit. I met Kevin and his wife Lauren at this same event 2 years before. Kevin said he went from skeptic to sharing experiences as Pupeye has done amazing things from manipulating electricity, to making appearances to his young son, to Kevin finding himself in traffic behind a car with a license plate that said "Pupeye" - spelled the exact same way (Popeye is the sailor character, btw, so this was unbelievable).

Another amazing story was shared by an attendee who said she had 2 cats. One was her "heart cat" (closest cat), so lovable, and used to climb on her whenever she sat down, and the cat would lay his head on the mom's shoulder. That cat passed.

She said the surviving cat was the "meanest cat, ever" and would scratch her and never be affectionate. After the heart cat died, she said the mean cat climbed on her when she was sitting, and rested his head on her shoulder like the "heart cat!" She was stunned and befuddled. - I told her the Heart cat had instructed the mean cat to do that. That's what spirit pets do. They teach others to do what they used to do, so we would know the spirit is around.

For MORE stories, Read the "Pets and the Afterlife" series of books by Rob Gutro.

PLEASE donate to ARLNH! The rescue is located at 545 State Rte 101, Bedford, NH 03110 Phone: (603) 472-3647 https://www.rescueleague.org/

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Idiot of the Week: Maine Teen Accused Of Driving 125 MPH While Under The Influence

This week's idiot is a teenager, already arrested for drunk driving and excessive speeding on an Interstate. His parents must be so proud...

Maine Teen Accused Of Driving 125 MPH While Under The Influence On I-95 And Crashing On Route 1

PATCH.COM, May 5, 2025

A teen from Maine is facing several charges after being accused of driving 125 mph while under the influence.

Michael A. Wozny, 18, of Westbrook, ME, was arrested on April 29, 2025 on three felony counts of reckless conduct, two counts of disobeying an officer, three counts of aggravated driving under the influence of drugs or liquor, three counts of endangering the welfare of a child, operating without a valid license, criminal mischief, and reckless operation charges as well as a transportation of alcohol by a minor violation.

Around 1:30 a.m. on the day in question, a state trooper patrolling Interstate 95 in Greenland closed the driver of a 2017 Subaru Legacy traveling at 125 mph in the 65-mph zone. The trooper coordinated with others to stop the vehicle but the driver continued to drive at a high rate of speed, Michal Sventek, a public information officer for state police, said.

“The driver then left Interstate 95 northbound via Exit 5 and continued to the Portsmouth Traffic Circle, where the Subaru crashed into multiple traffic signs,” he said. “The driver then attempted to continue for a short distance before stopping on the Route 1 Bypass North, where troopers and members of the Portsmouth Police Department detained all occupants of the Subaru.”

Wozny was arrested while multiple passengers, all juveniles, were identified. Wozny was accused of giving troopers a false identification. After they were able to identify him, they found he was not licensed.

Wozny was taken to a local hospital and was cleared. Two passengers were treated for minor injuries. All the juveniles were released to parents or guardians.

Along with police, Portsmouth fire and rescue teams also assisted state police.

All aspects of the incident remain under investigation. Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact Trooper Vetter at patrick.r.vetter@dos.nh.gov.

Heroes of the Week: Drone helps find ‘disoriented, exhausted’ dog with pretzel jar stuck on her head

Here's a good news story with THREE heroes who don't know each other, but each of them helped a dog in a serious situation. One is a rescue that recruited help. The second hero is a drone operator who helped find a missing dog with a plastic container stuck on her head, preventing her from eating and drinking. The other is a food manufacturer, who learned the jar was one from their product that was poorly discarded that led to the situation - and they offered to pay for the dog's veterinary bills. THREE heroes! Thanks to our friend Linda who shared this story.

(Photo: (Photo: "Dallas," a collie-type dog, was rescued overnight Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025, in York County. Volunteers searched for her for days after spotting her with a pretzel jar over her head. (Photo courtesy of Canine Rescue of Central PA)Canine Rescue of Central PA)

Drone helps find ‘disoriented, exhausted’ dog with pretzel jar stuck on her head

By DaniRae Renno | pennlive.com

A York County, Pennsylvania dog found with a plastic jar over her head after a two-day search is well on her way to a full recovery.

“It’s a true testament to dogs in that even though she’s been through so much, she still just loves people,” Emily Egenrieder, volunteer with Canine Rescue of Central Pa. said. “So we’re super happy to see her journey as she heals.”

HERO #1: Canine Rescue of Central, Pa.

Canine Rescue of Central Pa., a 100% volunteer-run shelter, helped coordinate rescue efforts, along with "Find Toby PA." a statewide Facebook group that helps spread the word about and find missing pets. Volunteers searched all day Monday and Tuesday, Aug 18 and 19, with two drone operators joining the campaign late Tuesday night.

HERO #2: Dallas Fuhrman from Nighthawk Drone Services and "Find Toby PA"

At 3 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 20, drone pilot Dallas Fuhrman from Nighthawk Drone Services found the dog deep in a cornfield, “disoriented, exhausted, and still struggling with the jar,” Canine Rescue of Central PA wrote on Facebook.

The dog — who’s since been named “Dallas” in honor of the pilot who found her — was taken to Shores Veterinary Emergency Center in Cumberland County for emergency treatment, the shelter said.

Dallas was immediately taken to the emergency vet and extracted from the cheese puff jar, which volunteers originally thought was a pretzel jar.

(Photo: The large cheese balls container that Dallas, the dog was stuck in is displayed at a press conference held by Canine Rescue of Central Pa, to provide an update on her condition. Aug. 21, 2025. Joe Hermitt | jhermitt@pennlive.com)

The pup, a collie mix about one-year-old, is now in a foster home with a a dog sister. Dallas wasn’t microchipped.

HERO #3: Hanover Foods Covers the Veterinary Fees

The company that manufactured the cheese ball barrel said it will pay for Dallas’ veterinary fees.

Jeff Warehime, CEO of Hanover Foods, said multiple people sent inquiries to him about the pup. Bickel’s Snack Foods, a division of Hanover Foods, manufactured the jar. The company decided to pay the veterinary fees associated with her recovery “out of our love for dogs and to unconditionally give back to the community who supports our brand,” Warehime wrote on Facebook.

Book of the Week: Fire and Ice by J.A. Jance (A Beaumont and Brady Novel)

 J.A. Jance is one of my all time favorite mystery writers, and in the book "Fire and Ice" she brings together two characters from their own series into this novel. 5 of 5 stars! WOW. This is one of the best mysteries I've ever read.

Sheriff Joanna Brady from Bisbee, Arizona winds up working with Seattle Detective J.P. Beaumonth (each have their own series) to solve a mystery that touches both of their states. I read this large book in a week. I couldn't put it down. I've read most of the books in each of the series, so when she had them meet and work together, this was just fantastic. In Fire and Ice, as the separate investigations into grisly homicides in two different states shockingly intertwine. As Jance proved in her previous Beau/Brady pairing, Partner in Crime, when these two join forces, fireworks happen. 

(This is book #19 in the JP Beaumont Series and Book #14 in the Joanna Brady series) 

ABOUT THE BOOK:  From the Back Cover

In Seattle . . . six women have died terrible deaths—wrapped in tarps, doused with gasoline, and set on fire—their charred remains unceremoniously scattered in various dump sites around the city. Investigator J. P. Beaumont is working overtime to unravel a killer's grisly pattern.

In the Arizona desert . . . Sheriff Joanna Brady of Cochise County investigates the cold-blooded slaying of the elderly caretaker of an ATV park, heartlessly run over and left to die—the innocent victim in a brutal turf war . . . or possibly something far more sinister.

Two cases separated by thousands of miles are drawing closer together by the hour—and drawing Beau once more into Brady country. Sparks flew the last time they joined forces. This time, it'll be murder . . .

'New' island emerges from melting ice in Alaska

Because the world continues to warm, and ice packs and glaciers are melting and retreating, satellites are discovering land underneath that was hidden from civilization. Along the coastal plain of southeastern Alaska, one of these growing watery expanses, a new island has emerged.

Photo:  A satellite photograph of Alsek Lake and the new island of Prow Knob as Alsek Glacier retreats. Alaska's Prow Knob (the big island on the right of the lake) used to be surrounded by ice. (Image credit: NASA Earth Observatory images by Michala Garrison, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey.)

 'New' island emerges from melting ice in Alaska 

News By Patrick Pester< Live science, Sept. 11, 2025

 NASA's Earth Observatory has announced that Alaska has a "brand new island" after a retreating glacier lost contact with the Prow Knob mountain landmass in Alsek Lake.

A 'new' island has appeared in the middle of a lake in southeastern Alaska after the landmass lost contact with a melting glacier, NASA satellite images reveal.

The landmass, named Prow Knob, is a small mountain that was formerly surrounded by the Alsek Glacier in Glacier Bay National Park. However, Alsek Glacier has been retreating for decades, slowly separating itself from Prow Knob and leaving a growing freshwater lake in its wake.

A recent satellite image, taken by Landsat 9 in August, reveals that the glacier has now lost all connection to Prow Knob, according to a statement released by NASA's Earth Observatory. Prow Knob provides a clear visual example of how glaciers are thinning and retreating in southeastern Alaska.

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  (Photo: Alsek on July 5, 1984. Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory images by Michala Garrison, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey.

"Along the coastal plain of southeastern Alaska, water is rapidly replacing ice," Lindsey Doermann, a science writer at the NASA Earth Observatory, wrote in the statement. "Glaciers in this area are thinning and retreating, with meltwater forming proglacial lakes off their fronts. In one of these growing watery expanses, a new island has emerged."

Alsek Glacier used to split into two channels to wind its way around Prow Knob, which has a landmass of about 2 square miles (5 square kilometers). In the early 20th century, the glacier extended across the now-exposed Alsek Lake and as far as Gateway Knob, about 3 miles (5 kilometers) west of Prow Knob.

The late glaciologist Austin Post, who captured aerial photographs of Alsek in 1960, named Prow Knob after its resemblance to the prow (pointed front end) of a ship. Post and fellow glaciologist Mauri Pelto, a professor of environmental science at Nichols College in Massachusetts, previously predicted that Alsek Glacier would release Prow Knob in 2020, based on the rate it was retreating between 1960 and 1990, according to the statement. The glacier has therefore clung on to its mountain for slightly longer than initially predicted.

 (Photo: Alaska's Prow Knob (the big island on the right of the lake) used to be surrounded by ice. (Image credit: NASA Earth Observatory images by Michala Garrison, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey.)

Prow Knob completely separated from Alsek Glacier between July 13 and Aug. 6, according to the statement.

Many of Earth's glaciers are retreating as the planet gets warmer due to climate change. Last year was the hottest year for global average temperatures since records began, while 2025 has been marked by a string of record-breaking and near-record-breaking hot months.

Discovery! New Research Changes Francis Scott Key's Location when inspired to write Star Spangled Banner

Francis Scott Key wrote the words to the National Anthem, "The Star Spangled Banner" while being held prisoner aboard a British Ship off the coast of Baltimore's Fort McHenry as the British were firing upon it in 1814. When the bombardment stopped and the fort raised the American Flag, Key wrote the words to what would become the Star Spangled Banner. But the location from which he watched that on the British ship has always been in question, until now. Thanks Scott Sheads, a reporter for the South Baltimore Peninsula Post newspaper, created by my friend Steve C. (I'm so proud of him for bringing news to South Baltimore that had been lacking for years, but that's another story. Here's the story about Francis Scott Key's location that inspired the National Anthem!!

(Photo: The Francis Scott Key Buoy (above) was placed in the Patapsco River near FSK Bridge where it was once thought Key witnessed the bombardment of Fort McHenry that inspired his "Star-Spangled Banner." But recent historical research has found that Key actually watched the “rockets’ red glare” on September 13-14, 1814, onboard a ship that was much closer to Fort McHenry than previously thought. Photo: Steve Cole   (This article originally appeared in the August 2025 issue of the South Baltimore Peninsula Post.))

New Research Changes Francis Scott Key's Location

By Scott S. Sheads, SOBO Peninsula Post, Aug 25, 2025

On June 18, the U.S. Coast Guard once again returned the red-white-and-blue Francis Scott Key Buoy to its position in the Patapsco River near the Francis Scott Key Bridge, an annual ritual started in 1914 during the National Star-Spangled Banner Centennial. Removed each winter for maintenance and repair, the buoy marks the location in the river where it was once thought that Key witnessed the bombardment of Fort McHenry in September 1814, inspiring him to write the poem that would become our National Anthem.

Recent historical research, however, has found that Key actually watched the “rockets’ red glare” from a location much closer to the Fort.

When the buoy’s location four miles from Fort McHenry was selected in 1914, there was scant evidence available documenting the name of the American flag-of-truce vessel on which Key stood, much less where the ship was located on the river. (The location was the suggestion of Dr. Arthur B. Bibbins, chairman of the board of directors for the 1914 celebration.) When it was discovered in the 1950s that the leading candidate for the British vessel that Key stood on (the 74-gun HMS Minden) was serving in Southeast Asia at the time, a renewed search began to find the flag-of-truce vessel’s actual name and location during the bombardment of Fort McHenry.

It was a daunting task, as Fort McHenry superintendent George Mackenzie pointed out in 1956: “The problem of determining the location of the cartelsloop from which Francis Scott Key saw our flag on the morning of September 14, 1814, is a perplexing one.”

Since then, the improved availability of documents from archives in the United States and the United Kingdom as well as regional newspaper accounts of ship movements in the Chesapeake Bay during the battle have shed new light on this important American story. Recent research by local historians revealed that Key’s vantage point was much closer to Fort McHenry – just two miles away – near the mouth of Colgate (formerly Colegate) Creek at a spot that now lies beneath the Seagirt Marine Terminal.

An initial clue as to what ship Key was on came from knowing who he was traveling with. Key was on the Patapsco River in September 1814 as part of a diplomatic mission with Colonel John S. Skinner, the U.S. State Department commissary for Prisoners of War, that successfully negotiated the release of a prominent American prisoner. Their vessel was detained by the British so that the Americans onboard would not reveal details of the British naval forces preparing to attack Baltimore.

In a series of articles published in 1956 in Baltimore Magazine, Port of Baltimore historian Ralph J. Robinson determined that Skinner “used a single vessel for diplomatic missions throughout 1814.” Subsequent research by Lou Giles, president of the Society of the War of 1812, and this author, a retired National Park Service ranger at Fort McHenry, determined that the truce ship was probably the Stephen Decatur.

The Stephen Decatur was one of several packet boats owned by brothers John and Benjamin Ferguson operating out of Fells Point to carry passengers and mail between Baltimore and Norfolk, Virginia. In 1811, Benjamin Ferguson advertised that he “has added to his line of Norfolk Packets two copper vessels.” These vessels were the sloop Stephen Decatur and an unnamed schooner which was sold in 1812. The Decatur’s master was Captain John Ferguson, who utilized the sloop in May and June of 1814 on two missions on the bay.

A timeline of the Decatur’s location before and after the Fort McHenry bombardment can be reconstructed from U.S. and British reports and entries in the captain’s logbook of the HMS frigate Surprise, flagship of British Vice Admiral Cochrane during the Baltimore campaign, to which the Decatur was tethered.

On Sunday, September 11, 1814, the Surprise and Decatur were off North Point (8 miles from Fort McHenry) after the landing of British troops there, sailing upriver to keep in communication with the troops as they moved toward Baltimore.

On Monday, September 12, the two ships were about 4 miles from the Fort, off Bear Creek. (This is approximately where the Key Buoy is currently located.)

On Tuesday, September 13, the ships were off Colgate Creek, about 2 miles from the Fort, as the bombardment began. Early in the morning of Wednesday, September 14, the last cannons and bombs were fired, and shortly after the garrison flag was raised over the Fort’s ramparts, inspiring a nation’s anthem. The British bombardment squadron then sailed down the river with the Decatur in tow.

On September 16, after the British withdrawal, the Decatur and Francis Scott Key returned to Fells Point. Within a few days, Key’s poem was printed in a Baltimore newspaper and the “Star-Spangled Banner” was born.

NASA discovers 'a new kind of climate' on Pluto, unlike anything else in our solar system

 Here's something cool- NASA' James Webb Space Telescope (that I used to do communications about) discovered something about the atmosphere of Pluto!

(image: Pluto's mysterious blue haze is the primary driver of the dwarf planet's climate. (Image credit: NASA/JHUAPL/SwRI)

James Webb telescope discovers 'a new kind of climate' on Pluto, unlike anything else in our solar system

LIVE SCIENCE, Sharmila Kuthunur published June 15, 2025

When NASA's New Horizons spacecraft flew past Pluto in 2015, it shattered the notion that the dwarf planet was a dormant ball of ice, instead revealing it to be rich with icy plains and jagged mountains. But one of the biggest surprises floated above it all: a bluish, multi-layered haze blanketing the world's sky, stretching more than 185 miles (300 kilometers) above the surface — far higher and more intricate than scientists had predicted.

Now, nearly a decade later, new data from the Webb telescope confirm that Pluto's haze isn't just a visual oddity, it also controls the dwarf planet's climate.

"This is unique in the solar system," Tanguy Bertrand, an astronomer at the Paris Observatory in France who led the analysis, told Live Science. "It's a new kind of climate, let's say."

The findings, described in a study published June 2 in the journal Nature Astronomy, suggest similar dynamics may be at play on other haze-shrouded worlds in our solar system, and even offer clues about our own planet's early climate.

Lifting the haze 

Pluto's high-altitude haze is made of complex organic molecules from sunlight-driven reactions of methane and nitrogen. The idea that this haze could control Pluto's climate was first proposed in 2017. Computer models suggested these particles absorb sunlight during the day and release it back into space as infrared energy at night, cooling the atmosphere much more efficiently than gases alone. This could also explain why Pluto's upper atmosphere is roughly -333 degrees Fahrenheit (-203 degrees Celsius) — 30 degrees cooler than expected.

These findings also open up the possibility that similar haze-driven climates might exist on other hazy worlds, such as Neptune's moon Triton or Saturn's moon Titan, Bertrand said.

Even Earth's distant past might bear a resemblance, the researchers said. Before oxygen transformed our planet's skies, it's possible that Earth was veiled in a haze of organic particles — a blanket that may have helped stabilize temperatures and foster early life.

"By studying Pluto's haze and chemistry, we might get new insights into the conditions that made early Earth habitable," Zhang said in the statement.

A Mom-in-law Birthday Celebration!

 In mid-September I flew down to South Carolina to visit my mom-in-law for her birthday. One of us always stays home with our senior dogs, so Tom will be visiting around his birthday next month, so we're covered. I'm a BIG believer in celebrating a birthday, so I tried to ensure we had all the birthday stuff!

(Photo above: Mom and I on her birthday, complete with sign and party hat!) 

(Photo below: Greg. Rob, Lisa, Mom playing board games!)

GAME TIME- Mom loves playing board games. She lives with her daughter, Lisa and her hubby, Greg so they broke out "Rummikub," which I learned on my previous visit. Everyone won a game before we called it quits, so that made for a good afternoon. :) 

DINNER OUT - Mom has mobility challenges so she uses a walker, and there's also a fold up wheelchair that goes in Lisa and Greg's SUV. Mom wanted to go for Chinese food so we went to one of her favorite places. It seems like Mom got the royal treatment being wheeled into the restaurant, and she loved it. 

  It was nice to get mom out of the house and to the restaurant. Changes of scenery are important! 

(Photos: Getting wheeled in, and enjoying the atmosphere of the restaraunt)

THE BIRTHDAY STUFF!!  

As I said earlier, I love birthday celebrations, so I put together all the ingredients. 

  I found a small birthday cake, got some birthday candles, a birthday hat, birthday napkins and paper plates. 

  Of course a birthday isn't complete without a big batch of flowers and at least 3 birthday balloons!

Lisa and Greg had a really cool light up birthday sign and we played "Happy Birthday" on the phone (I can't hold a tune for anything).  The cake was amazing- of course, to me, most cakes are amazing. :) 

     FIRE PROTECTION STATEMENT - We did not put 87 candles on the cake to avoid a fire hazard. LOL   :) 

BINGO NIGHT OUT!! -  One of Mom's favorite things is playing BINGO!  Lisa found a great Bingo hall last time I visited, and we returned there on Mom's birthday night. It was fun!  One of the women that worked the Bingo hall in June when I last visited, remembered all of us. 

A GROUP WIN! - Although Mom, Lisa and Greg were close on several games they didn't win one. Fortunately, I did win a game and there were no other winners in the room, so I was awarded $75, which I split with everyone. So, each of us won $19.00! It was a great way to conclude Mom's birthday!! 

(Photo: Mom and Rob at the Bingo hall!) 

Idiot of the Week: Ice Cream Worker pleads guilty to lacing ice cream with pot

This week's idiot worked in an ice cream shop, made a batch of pot-laced ice cream for himself and stored it in their freezer, which was unfortunately sold. If he just put a NOTE on it, it wouldn't have been served to and sickened customers. 

 Man pleads guilty to lacing ice cream with THC in New Hampshire

Ariana St Pierre,WGMETue, July 22nd 2025 at 6:29 AM

CONCORD, New Hampshire (WGME) -- A Maine man pleaded guilty to lacing ice cream with THC, which made four people sick in New Hampshire two years ago. [It has taken two years for this case to go forward].

The Department of Justice says 45-year-old Marc Flore of Portland pleaded guilty on Monday to tampering with consumer products. He laced a batch of coffee-Oreo flavored ice cream with THC, short for tetrahydrocannabinol, and putting it with other batches of ice cream in a freezer at Roots Café in Newmarket. THC is the main psychoactive compound in cannabis (marijuana) that produces the feeling of being "high." 

According to court documents, Flore said he added THC to the ice cream when he made a batch in September 2022. 

Six months later, four people in Newmarket got sick after eating coffee Oreo ice cream from Angelo’s Amore in March 2023. All four experienced dizziness, elevated heart rate, vomiting, and three had to be briefly hospitalized.

While the ice cream was intended for Flore’s personal use, officials say he stored it in the ice cream café’s freezer with other commercial ice cream, without properly labeling that it contained THC.

Officials say staff then unknowingly served the THC-laced ice cream batch to the four customers who got sick in March 2023.Flore will be sentenced on November 4. He is facing up to 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.

Hero of the Week: Sanitation Worker in PA Thwarts Arsonist

Heroes are those who unselfishly care about others. This week's hero is a nameless sanitation worker in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania who reported a man he noticed setting fire to a business. His quick actions allowed for firefighters to arrive quickly enough to save the store.

Harrisburg sanitation worker thwarts arsonist at Family Dollar store

Sep. 10, 2025 , By Jenna Wise | pennlive.com

A sanitation worker was picking up garbage early Monday morning at a Family Dollar in Harrisburg when he saw a man setting fire to the back of the store.

The worker’s quick call to 911 around 3:45 a.m. saved the building on the 900 block of South 13th Street from extensive fire damage and helped police arrest Abdiel Angueira-Vazquez, 30, who was charged with arson.

Harrisburg Bureau of Fire Chief Brian Enterline said if the worker’s call had come even minutes later, the fire would have made it to the roof of the building, “which was a rubber roof and probably would have burned a significant portion of the roof off.”

Enterline said the fire department is still investigating what accelerant or material was used to start the fire. He said the fire destroyed an HVAC unit and burned part of the building’s exterior, as well as a small part of the roof. There was no damage inside the store.

In court documents, Harrisburg police said a 911 caller reported the fire and said the suspect was wearing black and red shirts with black pants.

The store was on fire when Harrisburg police arrived. An affidavit of probable cause said police soon found Angueira-Vazquez at South 16th and Sycamore streets, wearing clothing matching the 911 caller’s description.

Police forced Angueria-Vazquez to the ground on his abdomen and put him in handcuffs. According to the affidavit, he had a “distinct odor” that police believe came from a drug that could have altered his mental state.

The witness identified Angueria-Vaquez as the man he’d seen behind the Family Dollar at the time of the fire, according to the affidavit.

Enterline said replacing the HVAC unit will cost Family Dollar at least $50,000 to $60,000. The store remains closed.

“From a fire standpoint, small fire, but from a business disruption and loss standpoint, significant,” Enterline said.

In addition to arson, Angueria-Vazquez was charged with resisting arrest, a misdemeanor, and a summary count of public drunkenness. Angueria-Vazquez is homeless, according to court records. He was unable to post $25,000 bail and is being held at Dauphin County Prison. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Sept. 23 before Magisterial District Judge Paul Zozos.