Memorial Day

 

Memorial Day Parade Beverly, Morgan Park, Mount Greenwood

Remembering our fallen:

Our Classmates:   https://empehiheroes.blogspot.com/

Joseph Warren - Bunker Hill

 

Joseph Warren was born on June 11, 1741, in Roxbury, Massachusetts. He received his education at Harvard University and briefly taught at a Latin school in Massachusetts before deciding to pursue a career in medicine.

Warren’s involvement in the Revolution began when the Townshend Acts were passed in 1767. Under the pseudonym “A True Patriot,” he wrote a series of articles that angered the Royal Governor. Despite attempts to charge him with slander, the grand jury refused to do so. Warren had close connections with other patriots, including Paul Revere, Samuel Adams, and James Otis.

After the Boston Massacre in 1770, Warren became the chairman of the Committee of Safety. He delivered two famous orations on the event’s anniversary. In 1774, he spent most of the year in Philadelphia with the Continental Congress, where he became involved with the militia. On April 18, 1775, Warren and Paul Revere learned that King George III had put a price on the heads of John Hancock and John Adams. Revere’s famous ride warned them, saving them from arrest1.

When the battles of Lexington and Concord erupted, Warren left his patients with an assistant and rode to help prepare soldiers for battle. His dedication led to his promotion to second general in command of the Massachusetts forces on June 14, 1775. Tragically, during the Battle of Bunker Hill on June 17, 1775, Warren was shot in the head and died instantly. His bravery and sacrifice remain etched in history12.

Warren was commissioned into the Continental Army at the rank of major general by the Second Continental Congress on June 14, 1775. Three days later, he arrived at Charlestown just before the battle of Bunker Hill began and made his way to where Patriot militiamen were forming. Upon meeting General Israel Putnam, Warren asked where he thought the heaviest fighting would be; Putnam responded by pointing to Breed's Hill. Warren subsequently volunteered to join the militia at the rank of private against the wishes of both Putnam and Colonel William Prescott, both of whom unsuccessfully requested that he serve as their commander instead. Warren declined their request due the fact that Putnam and Prescott held more military experience.

During the early stages of the battle, Warren repeatedly stated that "These fellows say we won't fight! By Heaven, I hope I shall die up to my knees in blood!"^[16] Defending the Patriot redoubt against two failed attacks by British troops, he kept firing his gun until running out of ammunition and was killed in action during the third and final assault by British gunfire. The man who killed him was possibly Lieutenant Lord Rawdon, who personally recognized him, or by a British officer's servant, an account supported by a forensic analysis conducted in 2011.^[17]

After the battle, Warren's body was stripped of his clothing, repeatedly bayoneted and then buried in a shallow ditch by British forces.^[18] Captain Walter Laurie, who participated in the battles of Lexington and Concord, later wrote that he "stuffed the scoundrel with another rebel into one hole, and there he and his seditious principles may remain."^[19] American soldier Benjamin Hichborn subsequently wrote a letter to John Adams on December 10, 1775, claiming that Lieutenant James Drew, a Royal Navy officer stationed onboard the sloop HMS Scorpion, went to Breed's Hill "a day or two" after the battle and exhumed Warren's body, "spit in his face, jumped on his stomach, and at last cut off his head and committed every act of violence upon his body... In justice to the officers in general I must add, that they despised Drew for his Conduct."^[18] 

Dr. Joseph Warren’s life exemplified courage, leadership, and unwavering commitment to the cause of American independence. His legacy lives on as a hero of the Revolution.

Face Recognition

Dear Copilot Artificial Intelligence  https://copilot.microsoft.com/

Write an article about compare a face on familysearch.org and tell us how accurate it is.

________________________________

Certainly! Let’s delve into the fascinating world of facial recognition technology and explore FamilySearch’s Compare-a-Face feature.

Facial Recognition Technology on FamilySearch

FamilySearch is a genealogy platform that allows users to build their family trees, discover ancestors, and connect with relatives. One of its intriguing features is Compare-a-Face, which enables users to compare their own faces to those of their relatives. Here’s how it works:

1. Uploading Photos: Users can upload family photos containing faces. The system then isolates the faces from these photos.

2. Measurement and Comparison: Compare-a-Face makes a series of measurements based on facial features. It analyzes factors such as the distance between eyes, nose shape, and jawline. These measurements are used to determine how closely related two faces are.

3. Matching Algorithm: The system compares the uploaded photo to portrait photos of ancestors available on FamilySearch. It looks for similarities and calculates a similarity score.

4. Interpreting the Score:

   • 50% and Above: A similarity score of 50% or higher indicates a strong likelihood of family connection.
   • Below 30-35%: Scores below this range are less conclusive and may not indicate a family relationship1.

Accuracy and Considerations

Now, let’s address the accuracy of Compare-a-Face:

1. Quality of Photos: The accuracy of the tool depends on the quality of the uploaded photos. Clear, high-resolution images yield better results. Poor-quality photos may affect the accuracy.

2. Ancestor Portraits: The system matches against portrait photos of ancestors. If an ancestor’s portrait is a tombstone photo, it will compare against that image. Keep in mind that tombstone photos may not capture all facial features accurately.

3. Negative Matches: Scores below 30-35% are less reliable. However, a low score doesn’t necessarily mean no family connection—it simply indicates a weaker resemblance.

4. Additional Context: Compare-a-Face doesn’t consider all photos on FamilySearch for a given person. It focuses on portrait photos. Therefore, if your ancestor has other types of photos (e.g., candid snapshots), they won’t be part of the comparison.

Conclusion

In summary, FamilySearch’s Compare-a-Face is a valuable tool for exploring potential family connections based on facial features. While it’s not infallible, it provides intriguing insights into our shared genetic heritage. Remember to use it alongside other genealogical research methods for a comprehensive understanding of your family tree.

If you’d like to try it out, you can access Compare-a-Face on FamilySearch’s website2. Happy exploring! 🌟

______________

So I tried this program myself. Very interesting.  My father and I have the closest appearance. My paternal grandfather is almost as close, and we do look alike. And as you can see, I also look like many of my great great grandparents.

The program also lets you compare how you look to celebrities. Since we are not related to these people the percent is lower.

Beth's Flowers

 

Immigration the the USA Continues to Increase

 

https://usafacts.org/data/topics/people-society/immigration/immigration-and-immigration-enforcement/immigrants/

Immigration to the USA continues to increase.  Immigrants are a mix of highly educated highly skilled - look at the doctors and nurses of most hospitals.

And many low skilled jobs are done by migrants - landscaping, fast food, etc.

Illegal immigration has flattened.  You would never know it based on political screeds. 

https://www.pewresearch.org/topic/immigration-migration/

This is an interesting article that explains illegal immigration in substantial detail. The truth is of course much more complex then the political screeching.

https://www.cato.org/blog/us-labor-market-explains-most-increase-illegal-immigration

The Washington Post has a detailed article on the issue

https://www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/2024/02/11/trump-biden-immigration-border-compared/

What Drives Illegal Immigration?

It is the success of our economy, which is the most dynamic in the world, and the failure of economy in many countries. Young people desparate for jobs make the difficult and dangerous trek from central and South America to the Mexican/American border and then sneak across.

How do we stop this?  Tank our economy.

Kanga and Rue, as Drawn by CoPilot

 

CoPilot, please write a poem about the amazing and lovely Kanga and her brilliant and beautiful daughter Roo

Certainly! Here’s a heartfelt poem about Kanga and her daughter Roo:

---

Kanga and Roo

In the Hundred Acre Wood, where dreams take flight, Lives a mother and daughter, bathed in golden light. Kanga, the gentle soul with eyes so kind, And Roo, her little one, full of wonder and mind.

Kanga, the nurturing heart, strong and true, Her pouch a haven where Roo finds refuge too. She hops through life, carrying her precious load, A love that blooms, a bond that forever glowed.

Roo, the sprightly spirit, leaps with glee, Tiny paws dancing on the grass so free. Her laughter echoes through the sun-dappled glade, As Kanga watches, her heart both proud and swayed.

Together they explore the meadows and streams, Kanga’s wisdom guiding Roo’s wildest dreams. They chase rainbows, count stars, and share secrets untold, A duo woven by love, more precious than gold.

In the twilight hours, when the stars align, Kanga sings lullabies, her voice a soothing sign. Roo nestles close, eyes fluttering with delight, Wrapped in warmth, cocooned in love’s sweet light.

And when storms brew, and shadows creep near, Kanga shields Roo, whispering away every fear. Their bond unbreakable, like roots in the earth, A tale of courage, resilience, and boundless mirth.

So here’s to Kanga, the amazing and lovely, And Roo, her brilliant daughter, dancing so sprightly. May their love endure, across the seasons anew, In the heart of the Hundred Acre Wood, forever true. 🌟

---

I hope you enjoyed this poetic tribute to Kanga and Roo! If there’s anything else you’d like, feel free to ask

Drawn by: https://copilot.microsoft.com/

Inputs:  Draw a cartoon of a mother and daughter, 1/2 human and 1/2 kangaroo

Bootherium Bombifrons

Bootherium Bombifrons is a term that is not well known. The common name for Bootherium Bombifrons is Harlan's Musk Ox, named for a distant relative of mine. The species is extinct.

My middle name is Harlan, which was my paternal grandmothers family. Dr. Richard Harlan.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bootherium

https://iceage.museum.state.il.us/mammals/helmeted-muskox

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Harlan

Dr. Richard Harlan also collected and received natural history specimens from a number of his friends and colleagues. He collaborated with other naturalists and supported Audubon during his travels. He described a number of species including Macroclemys temminckii, Harlan's ground sloth, Harlan's muskox and the Indian Hoolock gibbon. A parasite of the alligator snapping turtle is named after him Eimeria harlani.[7][8][9]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Harlan

Harlan's Ground Sloth

 

My Middle name and my grandmothers family was Harlan. Members of the family include a Senator and two Supreme Court Justices.  It is good to see that a Ground Sloth also received our name.

Craig Harlan Hullinger

Paramylodon harlani


Paramylodon (†Paramylodon Brown, 1903)

Order: Pilosa

Family: †Mylodontidae

Temporal range: endemic to North America during the Pliocene through Pleistocene epochs, living from around ~4.9 Mya–11,000 years ago

Dimensions: length - 20 feet, weight - 2,200 lbs. A typical representative: Megatherium harlani


Paramylodon measured about 3 m in length and weighed as much as 1,000–1,089 kg. It is known from North America deposits, including in Mexico and the United States and as far south as Guatemala, and often mistaken as Glossotherium. Currently there is just one recognized species, P. harlani, (Owen) 1840, which is commonly referred to as Harlan's ground sloth in honor of American paleontologist Dr. Richard Harlan who first discovered and described a lower jaw in 1835. Paramylodon exhibits the interesting characteristic of having had dermal ossicles, small bones embedded in the skin, presumably adding a degree of protection to the animal. This characteristic is also shared by the South American Mylodon.
Tags:oligocene, omnivorous, sloths, north america, paramylodon, central america, pleistocene, herbivorous

EEEEEECK!! Cockroaches and the Praying Mantis

EEEEEECK!!   COCKROACHES AND THE PRAYING MANTIS

I lived in Norfolk, Virginia when I was 18, doing volunteer social work in the inner city. When we moved into our house we discovered incredible numbers of cockroaches. Many of them lived under a cupboard. When we turned it over they ran for it, and I did a war dance and dispatched many, many little beasts. But this was only a small start - we had plenty of them left - everywhere.

I found a very large and cool praying mantis a week later. I had read that the Chinese released praying mantis in their homes to control bugs. So I released my fine large green mantis in our home.  

I did not see Mr. Mantis for a couple of weeks. I hoped he was doing his duty and eating our roaches. Then I forgot about him.

Pastor and later Navy Chaplain Deramis came to our home bringing his very proper and dignified wife with him. We sat at our kitchen table. Mrs. Deramis was clearly a little concerned with being in our less than palatial home but she was trying hard. Just then, wouldn’t you know it, Mr. Mantis flew out and landed on Mrs. Deramis shoulder.

EEECK!  I brushed Mr. Mantis from her shoulder. She handled it as well as could be expected, after I explained that I just kept the Mantis in our home to keep the cockroaches down.

This is a true story. The full story of my year in Norfolk can be read at:

https://popv.blogspot.com/

_________________

The images are from the AI program Craiyon.com.  You write your verbal description of the image and the results take about a minute. The free version of Craiyon.com takes longer with advertising, and has their craiyon.com

logo in the image.

Here is another story - this one fiction written by AI (Artificial Intelligence. I think my real human story is better, but AI is improving rapidly. The program gives you three drafts.

https://gemini.google.com/app

The input for the story was:

write a story about a Craig with cockroaches and a tame praying mantis loose in his home visited by his pastor and the pastor's wife.

And the result is:

Craig squinted through one eye, the other squeezed shut in concentration. He wasn't trying to achieve nirvana, just a roach-free counter. Armed with a can of Raid and a grimace, he balanced precariously on a chair, aiming at a particularly smug-looking cockroach scuttling across the granite.

A loud rapping at the door sent the roach scattering and Craig tumbling off the chair with a yelp. "Coming!" he hollered, rubbing his backside. He straightened his rumpled shirt and opened the door to find Pastor John and his wife, Deborah, standing on the porch with bright smiles.

"Craig! Good to see you!" boomed Pastor John, his booming voice at odds with his slight frame. Deborah, ever the diplomat, gave Craig a warm smile. "We thought we'd drop by and see how you're doing."

Craig, ever the hospitable soul, ushered them in despite the domestic chaos. Dishes piled high in the sink, a trail of crumbs led from the pantry to a shadowy corner, and a half-eaten can of Raid sat precariously on the counter – roach war evidence.

"Sorry about the mess," Craig mumbled, gesturing vaguely at the room. "Been a bit…busy."

Deborah's smile faltered slightly, her eyes landing on the Raid can. "Everything alright, Craig? You don't seem yourself."

Craig sighed. "It's the cockroaches," he confessed. "They've declared war on my kitchen."

John chuckled. "Well, maybe we can offer some spiritual guidance to those little heathens." He winked at Deborah, who rolled her eyes fondly.

Suddenly, a green blur shot across the room, landing with a graceful plop on the curtain beside the window. All three stared, open-mouthed, at the creature perched there – a magnificent praying mantis, its alien limbs folded in a posture of serene menace.

"Well, that escalated quickly," Craig finally managed.

John, ever the optimist, boomed, "Looks like God sent you some backup, Craig!"

Deborah, however, was not as enthusiastic. "A praying mantis? In the house? Craig, how did this even happen?"

Craig shrugged, the encounter with the roach momentarily forgotten. "Honestly, no idea. Maybe it wandered in seeking refuge from the cockroach apocalypse?"

The next hour was a whirlwind of activity. Deborah, surprisingly adept with a broom, gently ushered the mantis outside, while John offered sage advice (mostly about keeping the kitchen clean) and fervent prayers for roach eradication. Craig, meanwhile, mentally composed a grocery list that began with roach traps and ended with a gallon of heavy-duty cleaner.

As John and Deborah said their goodbyes, Deborah squeezed Craig's arm. "We'll be praying for you, Craig. Against the roaches, and for a slightly less…wild menagerie."

Craig chuckled. "Thanks, Deborah. Maybe next time, I'll just stick to spiritual guidance." He watched them drive away, then turned back to the kitchen. The mantis was gone, but a newfound determination flickered in his eyes. "Alright, roaches," he muttered, brandishing the can of Raid. "Let's finish this."

Draft 2

Craig winced as he heard the doorbell chime. He wasn't exactly expecting company, especially not his pastor, Reverend Henderson, and his wife, Mildred. He'd been battling a two-pronged war at home: an escalating cockroach infestation and Dennis, the rather sizeable praying mantis Craig had relocated from his garden.

"Hold on a sec!" he called out, shoving a stray cockroach under the fridge with his foot. He wasn't sure how the mantis would react to the visitors, and frankly, he didn't want to find out. Dennis, currently perched regally on a potted fern, seemed content munching on a hapless fly. Craig wasn't sure Mildred, a woman who fainted at the sight of a spider, would appreciate the unorthodox pest control.

Taking a deep breath, Craig opened the door. "Reverend Henderson! Mildred, what a surprise." He tried for a casual smile, failing miserably.

"Craig, my boy! How lovely to see you," boomed the Reverend, a portly man with a booming voice. Mildred, a wisp of a woman with tightly curled hair, offered a thin smile. "We were just in the neighborhood and thought we'd drop by."

"That's...that's great," Craig stammered, ushering them in. He strategically positioned himself between them and the fern.

"My, it looks lovely in here, Craig," Mildred said, her eyes widening as they landed on the fern. "Is that...?"

"An orchid!" Craig blurted. "Yes, an orchid. Very delicate, needs lots of…" he trailed off, hoping she wouldn't reach out.

"Isn't that wonderful, Mildred?" the Reverend boomed, completely oblivious. He settled himself on the couch, making it groan in protest.

Craig perched on the edge of a chair, his eyes glued to Dennis. The mantis paused mid-fly, its triangular head swiveling towards the visitors.

Suddenly, with a speed that belied its size, Dennis launched himself off the fern. Craig yelped, bracing himself for Mildred's inevitable scream. But instead, there was a startled yelp from the Reverend.

Dennis had landed, not on Mildred, but on the Reverend's bald head. The man swatted at the mantis, who clung on with surprising tenacity. Mildred, instead of fainting, burst out laughing.

"Oh, Harold! Look at you!" she wheezed, tears welling up in her eyes.

The Reverend spluttered, a mixture of fear and indignation on his face. Craig, unable to contain himself any longer, doubled over with laughter.

The tension broken, Craig sheepishly explained the cockroach problem and his unconventional solution. To his surprise, the Reverend chuckled.

"Well, Craig," he boomed, "it seems you've found a rather… unorthodox way to deal with your pest problem."

Mildred, wiping tears from her eyes, patted Craig's shoulder. "Just make sure Dennis doesn't develop a taste for clergymen, alright?"

The rest of the afternoon was filled with laughter and surprisingly deep theological discussions (apparently, there was a surprising amount of scripture about insects). As the Reverend and Mildred left, Craig thanked them, feeling a warmth he hadn't expected. He looked at Dennis, who was now peacefully preening himself on the fern.

"Maybe," Craig said with a smile, "unorthodox isn't so bad after all."