“Sancho Panza by name is my own self, if I was not changed in my cradle.” — Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (1547-1616), Don Quixote Name Choice “Name Choice Freedom is not a new concept; it’s just that few people exercise or realize that they have such freedom. The result is that nearly every woman gives up her…
Author: Justin Durand
Oriental Lore
In the Orient, swans represent gracefulness, nobility and valor. They are also symbolize music. Stories from Siam and Malaysia mention swan maidens. Li Tzu reported that the Mongols made the Chou Emperor Mu drink swan’s blood. A Chinese idiom refers to someone who demands an undeserved reward: “You are a scoundrel who wants to eat…
Biology
Swans, both genera Cygnus and Olor, belong to the family Anatidae, which includes geese and ducks. They mate for life, although couples sometimes separate following a nesting failure. Young swans are known as cygnets from the Old French cygne, from the Latin cygnus, from the Greek kuknōs (swan). An adult male is a “cob.” An adult female…
Barnett Cemetery
I received the following from a Barnett researcher, but I’ve forgotten who it was. If you recognize this write-up, please let me know. Barnett Cemetery is located on what was the original land bought by John I. Barnett in Barnett Township Section 34 and registered in 1831. It is off the road perhaps about 1/4…
mtDNA Haplogroups
Each of us has inherited mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), along with the mutations that have accumulated in our individual family lines. Geneticists can test for these accumulated mutations. Individual test results are called a haplotype or mitotype. People with the same cluster of mutations belong to the same haplogroup, and are descended from the same female…