Jan Murphy
@packrat74.bsky.social
Enthusiastic family historian since 2006; moderator pro tempore at Genealogy & Family History Stack Exchange. http://genealogy.stackexchange.com Fan of F&SF, figure skating, baseball, equestrian sports, cycling. Former bookseller; book junkie.
Pinned
Jan Murphy
@packrat74.bsky.social
· Dec 5
Tour
Q&A for expert genealogists and people interested in genealogy or family history
genealogy.stackexchange.com
Need a #genealogy help desk? Go beyond the query, and focus on the problem you are trying to solve.
Ask specific, answerable research questions. If you have answers, share your expertise!
The tour shows how #Genealogy and #FamilyHistory Stack Exchange works: genealogy.stackexchange.com/tour
Ask specific, answerable research questions. If you have answers, share your expertise!
The tour shows how #Genealogy and #FamilyHistory Stack Exchange works: genealogy.stackexchange.com/tour
Reposted by Jan Murphy
A lot of people work on Thanksgiving. Patients don’t magically heal for a few days, so hospital staff and nurses never stop. A lot retail workers. Military stay deployed. But there’s one group who are also away from home and are rarely thanked: truck drivers and transportation workers. Thank you.
November 27, 2025 at 7:21 AM
A lot of people work on Thanksgiving. Patients don’t magically heal for a few days, so hospital staff and nurses never stop. A lot retail workers. Military stay deployed. But there’s one group who are also away from home and are rarely thanked: truck drivers and transportation workers. Thank you.
Reposted by Jan Murphy
If writing is so easy why do people argue that they can’t do it without the pablumatic verbiage extruder
And if it’s so difficult then why do people think it’s not labour and writers are not workers
And if it’s so difficult then why do people think it’s not labour and writers are not workers
November 27, 2025 at 4:10 AM
If writing is so easy why do people argue that they can’t do it without the pablumatic verbiage extruder
And if it’s so difficult then why do people think it’s not labour and writers are not workers
And if it’s so difficult then why do people think it’s not labour and writers are not workers
Reposted by Jan Murphy
I'm old.
If you're not, listen to this.
Get a guitar or some drums, or a trumpet. Pick up a brush, a pencil, some clay or a welder.
Just make shit. It doesn't have to be good (eventually it will be) just make music, art or write or whatever.
It's literally never been more important.
If you're not, listen to this.
Get a guitar or some drums, or a trumpet. Pick up a brush, a pencil, some clay or a welder.
Just make shit. It doesn't have to be good (eventually it will be) just make music, art or write or whatever.
It's literally never been more important.
November 27, 2025 at 4:21 AM
I'm old.
If you're not, listen to this.
Get a guitar or some drums, or a trumpet. Pick up a brush, a pencil, some clay or a welder.
Just make shit. It doesn't have to be good (eventually it will be) just make music, art or write or whatever.
It's literally never been more important.
If you're not, listen to this.
Get a guitar or some drums, or a trumpet. Pick up a brush, a pencil, some clay or a welder.
Just make shit. It doesn't have to be good (eventually it will be) just make music, art or write or whatever.
It's literally never been more important.
📚❤ Tagging this (I hope) for #BookSky
Some of my favorite fantasy authors are in this bundle, and I am looking forward to the books which are new to me.
Some of my favorite fantasy authors are in this bundle, and I am looking forward to the books which are new to me.
Do you have all these wonderful fantasy books in your e-reader? If not, why not?
Buy through Storybundle, pay what you want - and you can even donate to charity at the same time!
storybundle.com/fantasy
Buy through Storybundle, pay what you want - and you can even donate to charity at the same time!
storybundle.com/fantasy
November 27, 2025 at 9:05 AM
📚❤ Tagging this (I hope) for #BookSky
Some of my favorite fantasy authors are in this bundle, and I am looking forward to the books which are new to me.
Some of my favorite fantasy authors are in this bundle, and I am looking forward to the books which are new to me.
Reposted by Jan Murphy
I highly recommend people watch @helenpdrabble.bsky.social's video about her new book "Yet", a story about her father's resilience following a diagnosis of bovine tuberculosis as a child.
📖 Discover a Forgotten Chapter of History
'Yet' my father’s incredible story of resilience in the face of childhood trauma & disability caused by bovine tuberculosis. It’s a story of hope, love, & transformation.
🎥 Watch here: youtu.be/G2TGkACKgCA
#Resilience #DisabilityHistoryMonth #Memoir
'Yet' my father’s incredible story of resilience in the face of childhood trauma & disability caused by bovine tuberculosis. It’s a story of hope, love, & transformation.
🎥 Watch here: youtu.be/G2TGkACKgCA
#Resilience #DisabilityHistoryMonth #Memoir
November 25, 2025 at 12:51 PM
I highly recommend people watch @helenpdrabble.bsky.social's video about her new book "Yet", a story about her father's resilience following a diagnosis of bovine tuberculosis as a child.
#AncestryHour Thanks all for a fun chat, see you on Thursday for #GenHour! (Yes, I'll likely have time to join in despite it being Thanksgiving in the USA.)
November 25, 2025 at 8:05 PM
#AncestryHour Thanks all for a fun chat, see you on Thursday for #GenHour! (Yes, I'll likely have time to join in despite it being Thanksgiving in the USA.)
#AncestryHour New arrival to my TBR pile from Pen & Sword, (from the monthly ebook sale pages):
Using Gravestones to Trace Your Ancestors (eBook)
Pen & Sword have Black Friday deals too, of course.
www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Using-Graves...
Using Gravestones to Trace Your Ancestors (eBook)
Pen & Sword have Black Friday deals too, of course.
www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Using-Graves...
Using Gravestones to Trace Your Ancestors
Everyone dies, it’s the one certainty in life. Whilst burials have been taking place for thousands of years, the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries saw the…
www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
November 25, 2025 at 7:53 PM
#AncestryHour New arrival to my TBR pile from Pen & Sword, (from the monthly ebook sale pages):
Using Gravestones to Trace Your Ancestors (eBook)
Pen & Sword have Black Friday deals too, of course.
www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Using-Graves...
Using Gravestones to Trace Your Ancestors (eBook)
Pen & Sword have Black Friday deals too, of course.
www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Using-Graves...
#AncestryHour News of the week (good & bad):
My old Fire tablet died, but just in time to snag a Black Friday deal on a new one. I upgraded from the Fire 8 HD Plus to a Fire 10. Much better for my Kindle Print Replica items, the digital mags from Pocketmags, etc.
My old Fire tablet died, but just in time to snag a Black Friday deal on a new one. I upgraded from the Fire 8 HD Plus to a Fire 10. Much better for my Kindle Print Replica items, the digital mags from Pocketmags, etc.
November 25, 2025 at 7:29 PM
#AncestryHour News of the week (good & bad):
My old Fire tablet died, but just in time to snag a Black Friday deal on a new one. I upgraded from the Fire 8 HD Plus to a Fire 10. Much better for my Kindle Print Replica items, the digital mags from Pocketmags, etc.
My old Fire tablet died, but just in time to snag a Black Friday deal on a new one. I upgraded from the Fire 8 HD Plus to a Fire 10. Much better for my Kindle Print Replica items, the digital mags from Pocketmags, etc.
#AncestryHour Mood of the month: waiting
- waiting for wills to arrive
- waiting for Full Text Search beta to show up at Ancestry
- waiting for some new and exciting recorset
- waiting for more FigureSkating to happen
- waiting for wills to arrive
- waiting for Full Text Search beta to show up at Ancestry
- waiting for some new and exciting recorset
- waiting for more FigureSkating to happen
a black and white photo of a young boy with his hand on his chin .
Alt: animated gif of Spanky from the original Little Rascals with his hand on his chin, and a resigned expression. He is impatiently drumming his fingers on a desk.
media.tenor.com
November 25, 2025 at 7:20 PM
#AncestryHour Mood of the month: waiting
- waiting for wills to arrive
- waiting for Full Text Search beta to show up at Ancestry
- waiting for some new and exciting recorset
- waiting for more FigureSkating to happen
- waiting for wills to arrive
- waiting for Full Text Search beta to show up at Ancestry
- waiting for some new and exciting recorset
- waiting for more FigureSkating to happen
Reposted by Jan Murphy
This sounds like a question for #AncestryHour.
Having already received one will I am left wondering why beneficiaries were the living sons & not any married daughters or kids of a son who had predeceased.
I am aware that the will was written before the Married Women’s Property Act 1925
I am aware that the will was written before the Married Women’s Property Act 1925
November 22, 2025 at 5:04 AM
This sounds like a question for #AncestryHour.
Roman, I will pay for you to get a new shirt that doesn’t look like a paper cup so I can focus on this lovely FS. Call me.
#FinlandiaTrophy #GPFigure
#FinlandiaTrophy #GPFigure
November 25, 2025 at 1:07 AM
#GPFigure #FinlandiaTrophy theory:
Some composers and musicians understand that if skaters use their music, that is *advertising* and those artists are more free with the music rights. More likely to happen with younger artists, maybe?
Some composers and musicians understand that if skaters use their music, that is *advertising* and those artists are more free with the music rights. More likely to happen with younger artists, maybe?
Once again I am asking: are skaters allergic to original versions of songs #GPFigure #FinlandiaTrophy
November 25, 2025 at 1:01 AM
#GPFigure #FinlandiaTrophy theory:
Some composers and musicians understand that if skaters use their music, that is *advertising* and those artists are more free with the music rights. More likely to happen with younger artists, maybe?
Some composers and musicians understand that if skaters use their music, that is *advertising* and those artists are more free with the music rights. More likely to happen with younger artists, maybe?
#FinlandiaTrophy #GPFigure
... but the DVDs will not have the same music as the original broadcast because they couldn't clear the music rights.
... but the DVDs will not have the same music as the original broadcast because they couldn't clear the music rights.
Valter Virtanen should be the inspiration for a sitcom. Like Marcus Welby, MD, only Dr. Welby skates in international competition, coached by his wife. #FinlandiaTrophy #GPFigure
November 25, 2025 at 12:50 AM
#FinlandiaTrophy #GPFigure
... but the DVDs will not have the same music as the original broadcast because they couldn't clear the music rights.
... but the DVDs will not have the same music as the original broadcast because they couldn't clear the music rights.
#FigureSkating #GPFigure Post #FinlandiaTrophy timeline cleanse.
Okay, hear me out. Jimmy Ma should start his Rudy Galindo tribute program with Swan Lake instead of "Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You". And then segue into "It's Raining Men" and "YMCA".
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ws2H...
Okay, hear me out. Jimmy Ma should start his Rudy Galindo tribute program with Swan Lake instead of "Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You". And then segue into "It's Raining Men" and "YMCA".
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ws2H...
1996 US National Championships - Mens Free Skate (ABC) - Rudy Galindo
YouTube video by The Skating Session
www.youtube.com
November 24, 2025 at 11:09 AM
#FigureSkating #GPFigure Post #FinlandiaTrophy timeline cleanse.
Okay, hear me out. Jimmy Ma should start his Rudy Galindo tribute program with Swan Lake instead of "Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You". And then segue into "It's Raining Men" and "YMCA".
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ws2H...
Okay, hear me out. Jimmy Ma should start his Rudy Galindo tribute program with Swan Lake instead of "Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You". And then segue into "It's Raining Men" and "YMCA".
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ws2H...
#GPFigure #FinlandiaTrophy Timeline cleanse.
Beth Hart's band is good when they aren't trying to channel Led Zeppelin. Remember the 2nd half of this FD from Hubbell & Donohue? "Caught out in the rain"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBvN...
Beth Hart's band is good when they aren't trying to channel Led Zeppelin. Remember the 2nd half of this FD from Hubbell & Donohue? "Caught out in the rain"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBvN...
November 24, 2025 at 10:58 AM
#GPFigure #FinlandiaTrophy Timeline cleanse.
Beth Hart's band is good when they aren't trying to channel Led Zeppelin. Remember the 2nd half of this FD from Hubbell & Donohue? "Caught out in the rain"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBvN...
Beth Hart's band is good when they aren't trying to channel Led Zeppelin. Remember the 2nd half of this FD from Hubbell & Donohue? "Caught out in the rain"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBvN...
#FinlandiaTrophy #GPFigure Re: favorite moments
I forgot the best one:
Doctor Valtter going to the referee, you can *clearly* hear him saying, "It won't bother me, but it might bother" someone else/other people.
And then finding out they're cleaning up blood on the ice.
I forgot the best one:
Doctor Valtter going to the referee, you can *clearly* hear him saying, "It won't bother me, but it might bother" someone else/other people.
And then finding out they're cleaning up blood on the ice.
I love Uncle Doctor Valtter so much. And apparently his medical skills were needed on the warmup, yikes. I wish he were going to the Olympics. #FinlandiaTrophy #GPFigure
November 24, 2025 at 6:08 AM
#FinlandiaTrophy #GPFigure Re: favorite moments
I forgot the best one:
Doctor Valtter going to the referee, you can *clearly* hear him saying, "It won't bother me, but it might bother" someone else/other people.
And then finding out they're cleaning up blood on the ice.
I forgot the best one:
Doctor Valtter going to the referee, you can *clearly* hear him saying, "It won't bother me, but it might bother" someone else/other people.
And then finding out they're cleaning up blood on the ice.
#FinlandiaTrophy #GPFigure My husband is a physicist and I made him watch the replay at the end where Mark Hanretty gave a shout-out to the director for replaying the clip that really shows off her exquisite control on the outside edges. ⛸️😮
I need a clip of Rino Matsuike’s forward outside edge because I keep on trying to explain to people how that felt like being on drugs and no-one’s believing me #GPFigure #FinlandiaTrophy
November 24, 2025 at 5:54 AM
#FinlandiaTrophy #GPFigure My husband is a physicist and I made him watch the replay at the end where Mark Hanretty gave a shout-out to the director for replaying the clip that really shows off her exquisite control on the outside edges. ⛸️😮
#FinlandiaTrophy #GPFigure
Moments I love the most: 🧵
- Mark Hanretty fanboying over Matsuike Rino's outside edges (when an ice dancer praises a singles skater's edge control, pay attention)
- listening for loanwords in the Japanese skaters' interviews
Moments I love the most: 🧵
- Mark Hanretty fanboying over Matsuike Rino's outside edges (when an ice dancer praises a singles skater's edge control, pay attention)
- listening for loanwords in the Japanese skaters' interviews
November 24, 2025 at 5:49 AM
#FinlandiaTrophy #GPFigure
Moments I love the most: 🧵
- Mark Hanretty fanboying over Matsuike Rino's outside edges (when an ice dancer praises a singles skater's edge control, pay attention)
- listening for loanwords in the Japanese skaters' interviews
Moments I love the most: 🧵
- Mark Hanretty fanboying over Matsuike Rino's outside edges (when an ice dancer praises a singles skater's edge control, pay attention)
- listening for loanwords in the Japanese skaters' interviews
#GPFigure Valtter Virtanen - 17 times at #FinlandiaTrophy 💙
Reminds me of the meme that has been going around --
Athlete born in 1987 = ancient!
Politician born in 1987 = infant!
Reminds me of the meme that has been going around --
Athlete born in 1987 = ancient!
Politician born in 1987 = infant!
November 22, 2025 at 6:15 AM
#GPFigure Valtter Virtanen - 17 times at #FinlandiaTrophy 💙
Reminds me of the meme that has been going around --
Athlete born in 1987 = ancient!
Politician born in 1987 = infant!
Reminds me of the meme that has been going around --
Athlete born in 1987 = ancient!
Politician born in 1987 = infant!
Finally catcing up with replays of #GPFigure #FinlandiaTrophy Pairs short program
music rights issues!
Only the tippy top teams are likely to have the resources to commission their own new music.
What the BLEEP is everyone else supposed to do?
Only the tippy top teams are likely to have the resources to commission their own new music.
What the BLEEP is everyone else supposed to do?
November 22, 2025 at 6:07 AM
Finally catcing up with replays of #GPFigure #FinlandiaTrophy Pairs short program
music rights issues!
Only the tippy top teams are likely to have the resources to commission their own new music.
What the BLEEP is everyone else supposed to do?
Only the tippy top teams are likely to have the resources to commission their own new music.
What the BLEEP is everyone else supposed to do?
This sounds like a question for #AncestryHour.
Having already received one will I am left wondering why beneficiaries were the living sons & not any married daughters or kids of a son who had predeceased.
I am aware that the will was written before the Married Women’s Property Act 1925
I am aware that the will was written before the Married Women’s Property Act 1925
November 22, 2025 at 5:04 AM
This sounds like a question for #AncestryHour.
Reposted by Jan Murphy
#DisabilityHistoryMonth starts today!
The Railway Work, Life & Death project is an important resource for understanding occupational disability in the past, via the railways.
Read more about just a few of the people whose life stories we've explored:
www.railwayaccidents.port.ac.uk?s=disability
The Railway Work, Life & Death project is an important resource for understanding occupational disability in the past, via the railways.
Read more about just a few of the people whose life stories we've explored:
www.railwayaccidents.port.ac.uk?s=disability
You searched for disability - Railway Work, Life & Death
www.railwayaccidents.port.ac.uk
November 20, 2025 at 3:29 PM
#DisabilityHistoryMonth starts today!
The Railway Work, Life & Death project is an important resource for understanding occupational disability in the past, via the railways.
Read more about just a few of the people whose life stories we've explored:
www.railwayaccidents.port.ac.uk?s=disability
The Railway Work, Life & Death project is an important resource for understanding occupational disability in the past, via the railways.
Read more about just a few of the people whose life stories we've explored:
www.railwayaccidents.port.ac.uk?s=disability
#GPFigure #FinlandiaTrophy Entries, schedules, live results (updated after each skater) and (eventually) judges' scores.
#FigureSkating
www.isuresults.com/results/seas...
#FigureSkating
www.isuresults.com/results/seas...
ISU GP Finlandia Trophy 2025
Event results for ISU GP Finlandia Trophy 2025
www.isuresults.com
November 21, 2025 at 8:18 AM
#GPFigure #FinlandiaTrophy Entries, schedules, live results (updated after each skater) and (eventually) judges' scores.
#FigureSkating
www.isuresults.com/results/seas...
#FigureSkating
www.isuresults.com/results/seas...
#genealogy Disclaimer: Thomas MacEntee uses ChatGPT to write articles. Who knows why, he doesn't need that kind of "help".
His roundup of recently-digitized record sets which help fill in gaps left by the lost 1890 US Census. 👇
genealogybargains.com/reconstructi...
His roundup of recently-digitized record sets which help fill in gaps left by the lost 1890 US Census. 👇
genealogybargains.com/reconstructi...
Reconstructing the Lost 1890 Census: Recent Records and AI Tools (2025 Updates) - Genealogy Bargains
Author’s Note: I want to be transparent that this article – Reconstructing the Lost 1890 Census: Recent Records and AI Tools (2025 Updates) – was created in
genealogybargains.com
November 21, 2025 at 2:55 AM
#genealogy Disclaimer: Thomas MacEntee uses ChatGPT to write articles. Who knows why, he doesn't need that kind of "help".
His roundup of recently-digitized record sets which help fill in gaps left by the lost 1890 US Census. 👇
genealogybargains.com/reconstructi...
His roundup of recently-digitized record sets which help fill in gaps left by the lost 1890 US Census. 👇
genealogybargains.com/reconstructi...