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George Will: For GOP substance, deregulate
?Because of the grotesquely swollen place the presidency now occupies in the nation's governance and consciousness, we are never not preoccupied with presidential campaigning. The Constitution's Framers would be appalled.
The nation reveres the Framers, but long ago abandoned the presidential selection process they considered so important that they made it one of the four national institutions created by the Constitution. Hence the significance of the Republican National Committee's suggested reforms for the 2016 process.
University of Virginia professor James Ceaser says the four national institutions the Framers created were Congress, the Supreme Court, the presidency and the presidential selection system based on the Electoral College. The fourth, wherein the selection of candidates and election of a president by each state's electors occurred simultaneously -- they were the same deliberation -- soon disappeared.
Since the emergence of the party system in the 1790s, and the ratification of the 12th Amendment in 1804, candidates have been selected by several different processes. First by their party's congressional caucuses; then by nominating conventions controlled by the party's organizations; then by conventions influenced by primaries and caucuses (Vice President Hubert Humphrey won the 1968 Democratic nomination without entering any primaries); and, since 1972, entirely by primaries and caucuses that have made conventions nullities.
Now, responding to the fact that the 2012 nomination process was ruinously protracted, the RNC suggests reforms that might, like many improvements, make matters worse. This is because of a prior "improvement" -- campaign finance reform.
The RNC suggests a shorter nominating season with fewer debates -- none earlier than Sept. 1, 2015. The 20 debates in 2012 were actually one fewer than in 2008. But in 2000 there were 13. In 1988, seven. In 1980, just six. The May 5, 2011, debate was eight months before the Iowa caucuses. In 1980, the first was 16 days before Iowa voted.
The RNC report does not challenge the role of Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada in beginning the delegate selection. Perhaps it is not worth the trouble to challenge these states' anachronistic entitlement; like all entitlements, it is fiercely defended by the beneficiaries. But a reform process that begins by accepting this crucial component of the status quo substantially limits possibilities. By the time these four states have had their say, the field of candidates often has been considerably -- and excessively -- winnowed, and the outcome is, if not settled, given a trajectory that is difficult to alter.
Supporters of Sen. Rand Paul, or of any other candidate thoroughly unenthralled by the policies and procedures that have resulted in Republicans losing the popular vote in five of the last six presidential elections, are understandably suspicious of any proposed changes that might tilt the nomination process against the least known and less-lavishly funded candidates. They are especially apt to squint disapprovingly at the RNC's suggestion of regional primaries.
The party, however, must balance two imperatives. One is the need to enlarge the number of voters participating in the process. Hence the suggestion that primaries should replace all nominating caucuses and conventions -- events where ideologically motivated activists and insurgent candidates can more easily predominate.
The party's second imperative is to preserve opportunities for less-known and financially challenged candidates to break through. This is where government restrictions on campaign contributions restrict the range of candidates from which voters can choose.
Existing restrictions on large contributions to candidates are commonly called "post-Watergate" reforms. This is more accurate as a matter of chronology than causality. Democrats began advocating contribution as well as spending limits years before Watergate concluded in 1974. They were appalled that large contributions from a few wealthy liberals made possible Eugene McCarthy's 1968 anti-war insurgency against President Lyndon Johnson, and propelled George McGovern's doomed nomination in 1972.
Suppose political contributing were deregulated, which would deregulate political speech, the dissemination of which is the principal use of campaign contributions. This would make it easier to design a more compressed nominating process, with a reduced role for the first four states, which also would allow marginal candidates a financial opportunity to fight their way into the top tier of candidates.
Anyway, tinkering with the party's political process is no substitute for improving the party's political substance. No nominating process featuring an array of candidates as weak and eccentric as the Republicans' 2012 field would have produced a much better result. So the party must begin whatever 2016 process it devises by fielding better candidates, which should not be so difficult.
George Will's email address is firstname.lastname@example.com.
Washington Post Writers Group


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Happy September everyone! I love this time of year : crisp, bright mornings, bouquets of freshly sharpened pencils, carefully laid-out clothes for the first day of school…and especially all the crafty projects the autumn and the fast approaching winter holidays promise to inspire.
After a brief summer break, I'm truly happy to ring in the new school year (well, for the Northern Hemisphere anyway!) by presenting our September Featured Wipster, Michelle, who blogs at Living Slowly. Her beautiful contributions to the W.I.P. Wednesday Flickr group caught my eye, and I just had to share her talents with everyone! Here's a little about Michelle, in her own words:
I think the desire to create runs in my family. My grandfather was a very talented carpenter and my mother spent much of my childhood sewing and crocheting things for my siblings and me.
Recycled Patchwork Beach Blanket
For me, creating art and crafting has been something I have enjoyed my entire life. Even in elementary school, art was my favorite class. I fondly remember walking through the isles of the storage room in my art class looking at all the supplies and being excited by the endless possibilities of what they could become.
I learned to hand sew as a Girl Scout Brownie and learned to use a sewing machine in middle school Home Economics class. To my amazement, I remembered the skills I learned as a girl when I returned to sewing many years later in college.
I don't really recall what prompted my urge to learn knitting five years ago, but once I figured it out I was addicted. Knitting is so meditative and very calming for my mind which always seems to be going in too many directions at once. Knitting is my therapy.
As unoriginal as it may sound, my biggest source of inspiration truly has been my children. Crafting has taken on a new meaning since they were born. Being able to give them items that I have made by hand and filled with love brings me so much joy. Now that my son is talking, I can hear first hand his excitement when I give him something I made. That certainly fuels my desire to make crafting a daily part of our lives and to share my love of art with them.
Thanks so much to Michelle for taking the time to hang out with us at the Fishbowl! Do you have a favourite creative blogger you'd like to see featured next month? Remember, whatever your medium, we would love to see what you're up to.
Do you have any new W.I.P.s in the works for Autumn, or even, gasp!, the holidays? We would love to see what you're up to! Snap a shot of your "in progress" masterpiece and add it to the W.I.P. Wednesday Flickr Pool. Whatever your works-in-progress, have a crafty week, and don't forget to see what the other Wipsters are working on.


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In the Digital Age it's easy to get a case of the computer blues. Don't let technology get your down! Look no further than the Library Computer Training Bridge July & August computer class line-up to cure what ails you. From the basics to advanced level classes, we've got you covered.
Here is a just a taste of what's happening in July and August:
Computer ABC's – Learn the basics of the computer
Reynolda Manor Branch Library (1 Session Class)
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*1-3pm Thursday, August 29th
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*1-3pm Mondays & Wednesdays, August 5th, 7th & 12th
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*1-3pm Thursday, August 8th
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SeaWorld, Southwest Airlines ending partnership
ORLANDO - Southwest Airlines and SeaWorld Entertainment are ending their 25-year-old marketing partnership, officials with both companies said Thursday, as the airline has been urged by animal rights activists to terminate the relationship.
The partnership won't be renewed at the end of the year when the current contract expires. As part of the partnership, three Southwest airplanes had various SeaWorld animals painted on their bodies. Those planes will be painted over to Southwest's traditional look. SeaWorld also had Southwest signs in its parks, and Southwest offered vacation packages to SeaWorld, as it does to other tourist destinations. The vacation packages will continue.
SeaWorld officials said the decision was mutual.
SeaWorld wants to concentrate on growing markets in Latin America and Asia, the marine park company said in a statement.
"Southwest and SeaWorld have enjoyed their long relationship, and wish each other continued success," the statement said.
SeaWorld has parks in Orlando, Florida; San Antonio and San Diego.
Southwest spokeswoman Marilee McInnis said it was a business decision as the airline intends to focus on international service.
Earlier this year, animal rights activist held a rally and dropped off a petition at Southwest, urging the airline to end the relationship. The activists cited the documentary "Blackfish," which explores what may have caused the killer whale Tilikum to kill SeaWorld trainer Dawn Brancheau in 2010.
The documentary argues that killer whales, when in captivity, become more aggressive to humans and each other. Since the documentary, several entertainers have pulled out of planned performances at SeaWorld Entertainment Inc. parks.
Regarding the pressure from the activists, McInnis said Southwest has been in "listening and education mode."
"We ... have engaged and heard from conservationists, SeaWorld supporters, and others on all sides of this issue," McInnis said.
The president of the animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said in a statement that workers in her office were delighted to hear the partnership was ending.
"Champagne corks were popping at PETA today when we heard that Southwest will no longer support SeaWorld and will repaint its planes," said Ingrid Newkirk. "The second I heard the good news, I knew that I'd be booking my next trip on Southwest."


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Front Runners List: Click to see list completion progress by climbers that log their climbs using Peakbagger.com.
Compare Climbers: Click to compare ascents of up to 5 climbers working on this list.
The Canadian Rockies list is a well-known and theoretically popular pursuit, although the overall difficulty of the peaks means that there are few completers. However, there is no universal consensus on which peaks are on the list, and no official club or governing body is responsible for its contents.
Surveyed summit elevations for many peaks, especially in Alberta, are not especially accurate, so there are a few peaks that may be on or off the list pending more accurate measurements. Also, there is no standard prominence cut-off for minor sub-peaks, so some versions of the list include minor bumps like Lunette, Rae, North Victoria, etc.
The list on this page shows the 50 peaks with an elevation over 11,000 feet and a clean prominence (rise from col) of 300 feet. This site also has a "club list" based on the 54 peaks in Bill Corbett's definitive guidebook.
All versions of the list include some very challenging peaks that make completing it a job for experienced alpinists who have taken time to become experts in the loose rock and other hazards offered by these mountains. Mount Alberta and Mount Robson are usually cited as the toughest objectives.
Caution: These books feature many of the peaks on this list, but may not have information on all of them.
= Peak with Rank #1 on List;   = Other Peaks
This page has been served 748091 times since 2004-11-01.


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Today's News: Our Take - The Vampire Diaries New Posters: Who's Uniting and Who's Returning?
Will the search for the cure on The Vampire Diaries unite Elena with her former boyfriend Stefan and arch-nemesis Rebekah? And is a certain doppelganger making her return?
The CW has released two new promo posters that are not only typically hot and sexy, but also hold little hints as to what's to come.
The Vampire Diaries' Graham: Bonnie and Kol's run-in is one of her most intense scenes yet
In the first poster, Stefan (Paul Wesley) stands behind Rebekah (Claire Holt) with Elena (Nina Dobrev) slightly off to the side. The tagline reads, "An unlikely threesome." We know the other Salvatore never said no to having two ladies in his bed, but in this case it seems that something has forced the trio to team up in their search for the vampire cure. But where's Damon (Ian Somerhalder)? Perhaps he's tied up.
The Vampire Diaries: Who's going to die?
In the second poster, a striking Elena sits in front of Bonnie (Kat Graham), Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen) (armed with a crossbow!) and a vision of Klaus (Joseph Morgan) in the mirror. "Prepare for houseguests," the tagline reads. But if you look closely at Elena, could it really be her doppelganger Katherine? The sexy shoes, wavy hair and manipulative look certainly point to that.
What do you think these two posters mean? Tell us in the comment section below!
View original The Vampire Diaries New Posters: Who's Uniting and Who's Returning? at TVGuide.com
Other Links From TVGuide.com


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In Search of a Retreat
I was invited to join some quilters I know to a retreat. What is a retreat? I had no clue. Never having been to one, I was a bit nervous (TERRIFIED actually). I've never been to a girl's slumber party or anything of that nature. I've heard of them but the opportunity never presented itself. The only people I've ever shared a room with was my sister, daughter and mother.
I was told they would sew all day long except to eat and sleep. How was I going to fit in with my vision limited to a few hours of good sewing time at best? I almost backed out.
My friend, Emily, picked me up at 9 a.m. and drove another woman I had never met and myself the 45 minutes to Vancouver, Washington. I met Emily a few months ago and she and all the rest of the ladies going are quite well experienced quilters. I am not. We shall leave it at that.
The retreat began with an introduction to the quilting room. There were only eight of us which gave each of us an entire table to ourselves. We could really spread out and we did. Machines were up in a flash and suitcases set aside for later. The room was simple but filled with everything necessary.
Fabric by the fat-quarter or the bolt and even scraps should we need them were in every corner. Books, magazines for ideas and inspiration, and quilts hung in any spare spot that didn't have a design flannel board. There were cutting tables, tools and ironing boards already set up for us.
We won't mention the copious amount of snack foods, coffee machines, (drip and Keurig) tea and the list goes on. So will my words in this post, so bear with me please.
This place was the home of Nancy Fosburgh. She had stopped by to rent the barn for more space to manufacture her traveling ironing boards for quilters as the business had outgrown her garage. Nancy is a master quilter and instructor. She ended up leasing the whole house and the barn set on 10 acres. Nancy takes care of it with a little help from family and kind friends, many of whom are avid quilters as well.
Nancy is one of those women that make the energizer bunny look like a slacker. A strong, single mother of three now adult children, and an entrepreneur, her avocations have become a dream come true vocation.
The food Nancy prepared for us was phenomenal to say the very least. I must admit here that I'm a fussy eater. Childish, I know, but too true. I turn my nose up at so many things, though I am more open now than ever before. I will tell you I ate asparagus this week for the second time in my life. It's the first time I liked the taste. Nancy was experimenting on us and can continue to do so forever on me.
I went to bed one night aching from the amount I could not let pass me by. Scones and Devonshire cream, German pear pancakes or egg casserole with fresh fruit for breakfast, lunches had everything from sandwiches all homemade to soup. I was still groaning when we came in from sewing for dinner but I turned nothing away. Everything was homemade and scrumptious. If this quilting thing doesn't pan out for her, the cooking thing surely will. I'd like to volunteer to help write her cookbook.
We also learned a new craft from one of her volunteers, Linda. Round boxes made of paper. We all worked hard on those too.
My fellow quilters were so patient with my learning curve and even took a square that I could no longer look at and finished it for me. I found a walking friend to keep working the kinks out and enjoy the beautiful scenery. No one complained that I was first each night to retire to bed with my journal.
You really get to know people when you share a room. Half of us liked the window open so we shared a room, those that did not, shared another. There was no rowdiness at bedtime. We'd had our wine at our machines as we worked and bedtime was for rest.
Our favorite pot stirrer, (picture an imp) managed to keep us on our toes and giggling. Patti would point out near invisible threads left on the ironing board so someone (the culprit who left them behind) would make a big show of getting out the blue tape to make sure it was properly cleaned.
I don't know about other retreats but this one brought some real bonding.
I know there are writing retreats, spiritual retreats, spa retreats but I don't know that any would have all the elements that this one had. I witnessed a vast amount of comradery, creativity, generosity, and fun.
Would I do it again? In half a heartbeat. What is your idea of a retreat?
From my heart to yours,
Marlene Herself


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Ramon Julian Sends Three New 5.14's in Spain
Ramon Julian Puigblanque has established three new 5.14 routes in Spain--one 5.14b, one 5.14c, and one 5.14d.
Ramon Julian Puigblanque has established three new 5.14 routes in Spain–one 5.14b, one 5.14c, and one 5.14d. This formidable Spanish climber has performed at the top level of competitions for years, often dominating the lead climbing circuit of the World Cup; but his skills on the rock are just as impressive. In 2011, he blew the American climbing community away by visiting Rifle, Colorado and onsighting Living in Fear (5.13d) and The Crew (5.14c) in one afternoon.
Recently, on March 24 Julian worked on a new 5.14d called La Parada de los Monstruos, or Stop the Monsters, in Montanejos, Spain. He ended up leaving the project unfinished for the day due to some wet holds. "Then on Sunday we went back and I tried to send the route," Julian wrote on his blog, ramonjulian.blogspot.com. "On my second try I was finally able to send this impressive 45-meter route. I call it La Parada de los Monstruos and I propose a grade of 5.14d."
Next up Julian went to the Pilas Alcalinas area. "I decided to try a climb called Exotica (5.14c) there, but I couldn't do it because the crux was wet, and I encountered the same thing on the nearby project The Machinist (5.15a), which I also wanted to try but gave up on because it was wet."
Still, Julian continued his parade of hard sport climbing and achieved a new link-up of two 5.14a's in the Pont de Valenti area on Tuesday, March 26. "I was able to link up Orion (5.14a) and Mariscada (5.14a), still doing the hard parts of both routes, and ended up with a great 5.14b route," wrote Julian.
On Thursday, March 28 Julian moved on to Monserrat to climb at La Balma de Gaiato. After warming up, he set to work on El noi de Manlleu (5.14c).
"I had been trying this route for about eight or nine years, and I knew there was a hard dyno from a monopocket to a sloper. After trying it again and working through the movements, I gave it two tries and fell both times at the dyno. Then finally on the next try I made it through the dyno and through an endurance section on tiny pockets, and finally sent the route, El noi de Manlleu, for which I propose a grade of 5.14c."
Translations from Spanish by the author.


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Today's News: Our Take - 2013's Best Episodes: SVU's Torturous Premiere and Glee's Emotional Tribute
Torture! Clones! Betrayal! Sexting! And just sex! From touching series finales (farewell, 30 Rock and The Office!) to Game of Thrones' brutal Red Wedding, 2013 was brimming with fantastic hours of television. TVGuide.com has compiled the top 25 episodes. Which ones made the cut? Tune in all week to see the full list.
What were the best TV shows of 2013?
Here are Episodes 15-11. (Catch up with Episodes 25-21 and Episodes 20-16.)
15. "Decoy," Justified
After a bumpy start thanks to the convoluted, season-long Drew Thompson mystery, this episode kicks Season 4 of the FX drama into another gear entirely. With Drew's identity finally revealed (Shelby was under their noses the whole time!), the task becomes getting him out of Harlan before one of a number interested parties kills him. Although the hour is chock-full of amazing scenes (the sniper stand-off between war vets Tim and Colt, Constable Bob's hilarious refusal to give up Drew's location despite being beaten senseless), it's perhaps most effective because it once again puts hero Raylan Givens at odds with Boyd Crowder. Their mental chess match is made all the more powerful because of their forever-entwined history, but it also reminds us that, when the show is operating at its best, we're not sure which of the two men we really want to see win.
14. "Variations Under Domestication," Orphan Black
We take a break from Orphan Black's intense melange of bioethics, murder and identity for treachery of another sort: the suburbs. When the clone Alison suspects that her husband Donnie has betrayed her, she clocks him with a golf club, ties him up and interrogates him with a hot glue gun. Oh, and no big deal, but the monthly potluck is going on upstairs. This episode is the first time we were rooting for all the clones, not just Sarah.
13. "Surrender Benson," Law & Order: SVU
If you've seen SVU's Season 15 premiere, there was no doubt Mariska Hargitay deserves to be on our Best Performances list. The first half of the two-parter is unnerving, as Pablo Schreiber's The Beast tortures Detective Benson for four days, beating, burning and drugging her, and forcing her to drink vodka, while the rest of the precinct is rendered helpless in their search for the leader of their squad. Although the episode includes more than a few cringe-worthy moments that will make you watch through your fingers, it proves that even in its 15th season, this procedural has some juice left in it.
12. "Two Parties," Parks and Recreation
For two people so dedicated to caring for others, it makes sense that Ben's and Leslie's respective bachelor/ette parties would transform into a celebration for others. Ben's night turns into mini-parties dedicated to each of the guys whom he befriended in Pawnee and Leslie's becomes a quest to save her park project for the city and foil her enemy Councilman Jamm. Even though Ben and Leslie don't really share the spotlight in the episode, their relationship resonates throughout, providing a great balance of comedy and heart.
11. "The Quarterback," Glee
When Cory Monteith overdosed on drugs in July, it presented Fox's musical drama with a nearly impossible feat: How would the show say goodbye to Monteith's character Finn? In the end, the story is practically irrelevant (the show never specifies how Finn died). Instead, standout performances by Monteith's TV mom Romy Rosemont, Mark Salling, Chris Colfer and Monteith's real-life and on-screen girlfriend Lea Michele are chilling, in that it's difficult to tell if what we're watching is acting at all. The hour manages to take a celebrity's highly publicized death and turn it into something intimate and profound.
Check back Monday to see the rest of the list!
View original 2013's Best Episodes: SVU's Torturous Premiere and Glee's Emotional Tribute at TVGuide.com
Related Articles on TVGuide.com
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A must-have Disney World vacation accessory!
A few months ago, I arranged with Tracy at Magic YOUR Band to review their MagicBand Skins. If you aren't familiar with this product, these adorable decals attach directly to your Disney World MagicBand creating your own personalized look.
The Review
Tracy asked me to pick out a MagicBand Skin that I liked as well as try out their online design tool for this review. My youngest son was excited to test the product with me so he choose the two piece "Slice of Pizza" design to go on his orange MagicBand. I decided to try putting my DisneyWorldEnthusiast.com logo on a skin for my red MagicBand. I was amazed at how easy Magic YOUR Band's editing system worked. In a matter of minutes, I had a background selected and my logo in place and looking great! Then my son and I eagerly waited for our MagicBand Skins to arrive. Just as promised, they arrived in about a week.
We opened our delivery to find our MagicBand Skins nicely packaged and looking gorgeous! The first thing that struck me was how bright and vibrant the colors appeared. Upon further inspection, the MagicBand Skins looked perfectly cut and well made. Next up was getting them on our MagicBands.
The process was much easier than I thought it would be. I spent a few minutes watching the installation video on their site and then gave it a try. I found the skins to be very forgiving and I was able to lift them and adjust them until they were just right. Once I had the MagicBand Skins where I wanted, I went back over them pressing down firmly to make sure they were in place. It only took a couple of minutes until our MagicBands were looking quite magical!
I continued to wear my MagicBand with the Magic YOUR Band Skin throughout the day. It held up beautifully to a day filled with errands, cleaning, cooking, laundry, rain, and the movies. My son and I can't wait to wear our new favorite Disney vacation accessory on our upcoming trip!
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- MagicBand Skins are available for purchase on MagicYOURBand.com.
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- Magic YOUR Band is located in the United Kingdom and offers free international shipping on all orders.
- The average delivery time is 7 days from the date of postage. You can upgrade to 2 business day FedEx International Priority Shipping for an additional fee.
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I knew all about the brothers of Sarah Harman before I knew anything of her other than she travelled to Sydney with her parents Joseph and Sarah Harman aboard the "Queen of England" in 1855. Finally, I decided the time had come to find out more about Sarah.
I quickly discovered she had married George Adams in 1885 and they had one daughter in 1886. For some time I thought that was Sarah's story. It was while searching the Victorian Pioneer Index 1836-1888 using only "Harman" in the "Mother's name" field, I realised there was more to Sarah than I first thought. I have found this method of searching to be very successful over the years and has unearthed many unknown children and marriages of the females on my tree.
In the index, I found children born at Byaduk to Sarah Harman and a Walter Oakley. I then found the marriage of Sarah to Walter Oakley in 1864. Suddenly, Sarah had five children and not one and another spouse. Sarah's story had become very different.
Sarah Harman was the only daughter of Joseph and Sarah Harman to come to Australia and she was the eldest of the children to travel with them. Sarah was born in Melbourn, Cambridgeshire in 1843 and was 12 when she immigrated on the Queen of England.
The Harman family arrived in Byaduk around 1863 and by then Sarah would have been 20. The following year she married Walter Oakley, son of Henry Oakley and Susan Bullock. Walter had family links to Port Fairy and Sarah may well have met him during the time the Harmans spent in the town.
The children of Sarah and Walter were:
SUSAN – Born 1865, Byaduk; Marriage Robert Warwick Cruikshank, Birchip 1892; Death 1949, Wangaratta, Victoria
JOSEPH HARMAN – Born 1867, Byaduk; Marriage Annie Margaret Simpson, 1891; Death 1957, Blackburn.
HENRY – Born 1868, Yambuk
ALFRED JAMES – Born 1870; Marriage Kathleen Maud Hodgson, 1910; Death 1951, Stawell.
To this point it would seem that Sarah was going to live a life similar to her older brothers, living in Byaduk and raising a family. However, for Sarah, there was a turning point. Sometime between the birth of Alfred in 1870 and 1884, something happened to Walter Oakley. What, I am not sure. I have never found a death record. He just seemed to disappear.
One of the great things about writing a blog, is you get to meet people with similar research interests. After my post A Small find at the Vic Expo, I heard from Brad who is an Oakley descendant. He told me of the family story that Walter had disappeared while on a trip delivering live horses to India. While this a family story, it is not outside the realm of possibility.
Thousands of horses left Australian shores for India during the mid half of the 19th century and naturally, there were perils. This is an incredibly interesting part of our history which led to Australia's own breed of horse, the Waler. The story of live horse export in Victoria is worthy of its own post at another time. I like the idea that this is how Walter met is demise, a tragic but romantic end. Whatever happened, he was gone and Sarah was alone.
Have you found the marriage record of a family member and wondered how on earth did he/she meet that girl/guy? Sarah's marriage to George Adams is one such occasion. How did Sarah from Byaduk, meet George from Melbourne, 12 years her senior, in the 1880s. Certainly not online dating!
In the last day or so since I started writing this post, I have added Kerryn Taylor to my circles at Google+. She is a descendant of George Adams and Catherine Barry and told me George's father Edward was living in Cambridgeshire when the Harmans were still in Melbourn. The 1851 England Census lists him living at Bassingbourn, just down the road. Maybe this link to the old country is the reason why George was in Byaduk and in the life of Sarah Harman.
Who was George Adams? He was born in Essex, England in 1831 and immigrated to Western Australia around 1852. He married an Irish girl, Catherine Barry in 1853 in Western Australia. After the birth of one child, they headed east for Melbourne, where a further six children were born. Two more children were born in Western Australia in 1868 and 1870.
I pick them up next in 1884. Catherine passed away in Parkville on May 4. George is listed as a builder and contractor.
The next record of George is the following year, 1885, with his marriage to Sarah Harman. Not a lot of time elapsed between the death of Catherine and his remarriage, but that was not that unusual.
One child was born from the marriage of George and Sarah. Sarah was around 42 at the time of the birth.
SARAH SELINA ("Sadie") – Born 1886 at Kensington; Marriage Harold Charles STONE, 1915; Death 1977 at Kew.
While it seems that George and Sarah returned to the city, in 1888, George had a listing at Byaduk in that year's Victorian Post Office Directory, his occupation listed as builder. He may have kept his work options open. It may also be why George was in the Byaduk area to start with, to build something.
In 1921, George passed away. He was 91. The first family notice to appear was from Sarah and "Sadie".
The following day a notice appeared from the children of George's first marriage to Catherine Barry.
Then three days later another, more detailed family notice presumably again from George and Catherine's children, but unlike the first, it gives the instructions to copy to the Hamilton papers as in the first notice from Sarah and "Sadie"
Are we beginning to see some tension between Sarah and her stepchildren?
George's Will gives some sign that his children from his first marriage may not have played a big part in his life during his second marriage. Firstly, Sarah's son Joseph Harman Oakley and son-in-law, Harold Stone, husband of "Sadie" were executors of the Will. Sarah was to receive all the household furniture, ornaments and the like as well as all George's property in his estate. Upon Sarah's death, everything was to be sold and distributed as George had nominated. Aside from his oldest son Edward who was to receive £75, all of his living children from his first marriage were to receive only £20 each. On the other hand, "Sadie" was to receive the balance of the estate, which sounded as though it would be quiet a considerable sum.
Sarah passed away 10 years later in 1931. She was 87. Or was she? According to her death notice she was in her 90th year. Her cemetery record lists her as 89. Her birth record on the England and Wales, Free BMD Birth Index lists her birth in 1843. The 1851 census has her at seven and as her birth was registered in the last quarter of 1843, this would mean she was turning eight in the year of her census. The Assisted Immigrants Index lists her age as 12 in 1855, which again fits. In A Life Cut Short, I posted an article from September 1929 which has Sarah's age at 85. Again, if Sarah's birthday was in the last quarter, this also fits. I would assume the information for the article came from her brothers. With 1843 looking like the correct birth year, Sarah should have been 87 at the time of her death, her 88th year, almost 89th but certainly not 90th. Poor Sarah, what woman would want two years added to her age!
Both Sarah and George are buried at the Fawkner cemetery.
There is something about Sarah's story that attracted my attention. Her address at 5 Brixton Street, Flemington. My first thoughts of Flemington are, of course, of the famous racecourse but having driven through the area several times, it also the historic feel of the suburb that comes to mind. Also, not far away were the Newmarket Saleyards, the City Abbatoir and the Melbourne Showgrounds. Racing stables were in back lanes and cattle would be herded through the streets en route to the saleyards. Sarah would only have to step out onto Brixton street for a reminder of country life, horses being led to the track, cattle mooing, drovers' dogs barking and the smell, well it was bad.
The Australian Electoral Roll (1903-1980) shows George and Sarah living at 5 Brixton Street in Flemington in 1903. George died in the house and Sarah lived there after his death. I like that when Sadie married Harold Stone, they moved into 7 Brixton Street next door and at some stage Sarah, in her later years, moved in with "Sadie". In the same year as Sarah's death, her son Joseph Oakley is listed at 5 Brixton Street in the Australian Electoral Rolls (1903-1980).
Google Street View, points to the painted terrace with the fence as 5 Brixton street. I'm always a bit wary of where the place the marker lands. If only I could see the street numbers. I have not been to the house myself but it is on my "to do" list. Only a couple of months ago I was only about one kilometre away, but with a grumpy driver and child from a day out in the city, I didn't think they would have appreciated being dragged off course to look at yet another house. Also the grumpy driver thinks one day we will be arrested photographing strangers' houses. Back to Street View, if you pan around the street, you will see what I mean about the ambiance of the suburb.
Having read George's Will, it reveals he did own a number of properties, so he may have owned 7 Brixton street, Sadie's house, also. In fact he may have owned the entire terrace. Being a builder, he may have even built the terrace. As this extract shows, in 1885 land was being offered for sale in Brixton Street.
The Will states that Sarah was to receive "the rents and income which may arise and be derived from my lands and tenements and from all property in my estate…". Also if "she shall so desire to permit her to reside in any of my messauges or tenements". Electoral rolls also listed George has having lived by "Independent means", so he must have lived off the rent of his properties. Secretly I used to hope that it meant he was an SP bookie, living so close to the track and all!
So ends Sarah Harman's story. A woman who looked set for a life like that of her sister in-laws, a farming wife in a small country town, surrounded by her family including her brothers, nieces and nephews. A twist of fate would see her live 50 years of her life in the growing city of Melbourne, away from her brothers, but I'm sure never far from their hearts and minds.
If anyone is interested in more information on George Adams, I have found a website with a very good story of him at Adams Generations.


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What Size CrockPot Slow Cooker To Buy
Frequently Asked CrockPot Slow Cooker Questions, Part 2.
I've gotten a slew of related questions the past few months, and while I absolutely LOVE answering questions
(I really do, don't read this with sarcasm.
The idea of actually helping real, breathing people in any way I can is exhilarating---please don't ever feel like you're bugging me with any of your questions. I promise if you're asking, somebody else already has. :-) )
I figured it might be helpful to round up some of the recent most frequently asked.
Part I of Frequently Asked A Year of Slow Cooking Questions is located here.
also see: Slow Cooker Troubleshooting
1) How do you keep your slow cookers clean?
I use Adam.
HA! No, really, Adam is pretty much the slow cooker washer guy. He's an expert you know, one of his first jobs was washing dishes in the kitchen at the local hospital.
For the most part, I'd suggest emptying the stoneware as soon as you can.
If you have leftover food, scrape it into a tupperware or some other sort of storage container.
This isn't mandatory, you can certainly store the food safely in the fridge in the stoneware, but it is NOT recommended to reheat in the stoneware in the crock for leftovers, so you might as well clean it out on day 1.
If you have baked on gook, the absolute best way to get it off without ruining your manicure
(HA! on the manicure. Although you can get a pretty nice pedicure...) is to fill the stoneware insert with hot water and add a tablespoon of dishwasher powder.
Then float a fabric (dryer) softener sheet in the water and let it soak overnight.
Then wash in the dishwasher, or by hand in the morning as usual. If you do not have the dryer sheets, a gollop of liquid fabric softener will do the trick, too.
DO NOT ever put a hot stoneware into your sink and fill it with cold water.
It will crack. And then you'll be super sad.
As for the slow cooker base with the heating element, do NOT fill it with water, ever.
Make sure to read the pamphlet that comes with your particular slow cooker for the manufacturer's suggested cleaning technique, but what I do is use a very slightly damp paper towel to wipe out any dribbles or a clorox wipe (I puffy heart love clorox wipes).
2) What's the difference between a Crock-Pot and a Slow Cooker?
Nothing. Crock-Pot is a brand name of the first type of slow cooker, formally under the Rival label.
There actually isn't such thing as a "crockpot"----although many people do call their slow cooker a "crockpot."
There are many manufacturers of slow cookers on the market. These are the ones that I happen to use in my own home kitchen.
3) What size slow cooker should I buy?
It depends on what you are interested in cooking, and your family size.
Slow cookers work the best when they are 2/3 to 3/4 of the way full. The recipe times are for this amount of food---if your pot isn't full enough, the food will cook faster and might burn.
If it's a bit too full, your food will take longer to cook than the suggested cooking times.
Before my year-long challenge, I had 2 slow cookers that I used for everything: a 5.5-quart Smart Pot and a 1.5 quart mini crock I got at a Black Friday sale at Walmart for $4.95 (score!)
These pots served my family of 4 quite well until I started this challenge.
I then upgraded to a 6.5 quart eLume (I was given it from Crock-Pot), and now my Go To is The Ninja Cooking System.
I also like the Hamilton Beach Set and Forget, especially the locking lid---it's fantastic for potlucks and travel.
These are the slow cookers and accessories (hand mixer, pyrex/corningware inserts I happen to use in my own home kitchen.
For a family of 2-3, buy a 2-4-quart
For a family of 3-5, a 5-6-quart
For a large family, or for entertaining groups of people, opt for a 7-8 quart slow cooker
I adore my Little Dipper, and use it quite often for dips, fondues, and even as an air freshener!
Can I still make recipes that call for a smaller size?
4) What if I only have a huge slow cooker?
Yes. It's super easy.
Simply insert an oven-safe dish (Pyrex, Corningware, etc.) into your large stoneware, and load the ingredients into the dish.
This will create a smaller cooking vessel inside of your slow cooker. Then cover and cook like normal.
It will take a bit longer for the dish inside to get up to temperature, but your food will cook just fine.
If you are cooking a dish (chicken, for instance, which has the tendency to dry out) and the recipes calls for a 4 quart, but you only have a 6 quart (this is an example...)
put the ingredients into your slow cooker, then put a layer of foil or parchment paper down near the food to help trap in the steam and moisture near the food. Then cover and cook like normal.
This is also a big help if your slow cooker has one of those super helpful (now this is sarcasm..) "vent" holes in the lid or in the side of the stoneware insert.
PLEASE BE CAREFUL when removing the foil or parchment paper at the end of the cooking time. The steam will be quite hot and will shoot out. Keep small children far away.
5) Are all of your recipes gluten free? What about the ones in the books?
Yes. We happen to be a gluten free family, because my 4 year old has been diagnosed with Celiac, which is an intolerance to gluten (found in wheat, barley, and rye).
The books are completely gluten-free, and
all the recipes on this site have been made gluten-free.
PLEASE! read all labels carefully on your own, because manufacturers are known to sometimes change ingredients with little-to-no warning.
If you are not gluten-free, simply ignore my notes and use the ingredients you normally would use when cooking for your family.
Want more info on going gluten free? I wrote about our journey a bit, here, and there are links at the bottom that will be helpful.
Yes. I am not the best at following rules, and I often taste, stir, and poke at my food while it's in the slow cooker.
6) Do you peek while slow cooking?
I've heard from reliable sources that you can lose up to 20 minutes of valuable cooking time each time you peek, but I have not noticed that to be the case.
Peeking and tasting makes me feel like I'm doing something, and it makes me happy.
I like being happy.
That said, if you are baking with your slow cooker, or are making a layered casserole such as lasagna or tamale pie, try not to peek until the very end of the cooking time, so moisture doesn't escape.
And DO NOT peek on the yogurt recipe---keep the valuable heat inside.
7) How come you aren't posting every day anymore?
Because my year-long challenge is over! I'm currently slow-cooking baby number three, and am working on some other freelancing commitments, along with trying my hardest to give my children more of me than they got last year.
I am still completely infatuated with my slow cookers and use them VERY regularly. I'd be absolutely lost without them.
8) Have you seen Julie & Julia? Not yet! It looks like a group of my friends will go together next week. I can't wait.
I hope this helps, some! If you have other questions, let me have 'em in the comment section. xoxo steph
related topics:
Frequently Asked A Year of Slow Cooking Questions, Part 1
Slow Cooker Troubleshooting
My New Year's Resolution
Alphabetical Recipe List
Holiday Recipe List
Help! My Slow Cooker Cooks Too Fast!


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Morning Minutes: April 25
Staff Writer
The McDonough County Voice
Morning Minutes: April 25
Word of the Day
Tenet TEN-it (noun) Any opinion, principle, doctrine, dogma, etc., especially one held as true by members of a profession, group, or movement - dictionary.com
Website of the Day
HubbleSite Gallery
See pictures of galaxies, nebulas and stars sent back by the Hubble Telescope.
Number to Know
3: The Toronto Maple Leafs won their third Stanley Cup in a row on this date in 1964.
This Day in History
April 25, 1990: The Hubble Space Telescope is placed in orbit.
Today's Featured Birthday
Actor Al Pacino
Daily Quote
"Either you run the day or the day runs you." - Jim Rohn


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Steelers secondary finding its footing even without injured star Troy Polamalu
PITTSBURGH – Will Allen knows he's not Troy Polamalu. He also knows the Pittsburgh Steelers don't need him to be for the defense to play with its typical cruel efficiency.
The checklist for Allen on a given week never changes: Run to the ball. Don't get beat deep. Go where you're supposed to. When appropriate, hit somebody.
Allen has no delusions about what will happen whenever Polamalu's right calf finally heals. He'll go back to the bench and watch one of the best safeties of his generation go to work.
Until then — and Polamalu has already been ruled out for Monday night's home game against Kansas City — Allen will do his best to be Polamalu-lite.
Very lite.
"I'm just doing my job," Allen said Wednesday. "I just want to be on my Ps and Qs and I want to be effective and have urgency. When I'm reading my keys and I'm helping this team, that's the main thing that I care about."
The Steelers turned to Ryan Mundy to fill in when Polamalu initially hurt his calf in the season opener against Denver. Mundy, however, struggled in pass coverage and earned a couple of costly penalties at crucial times, most notably an unnecessary roughness penalty against Oakland that send wide receiver Darius Heyward-Bey to the hospital.
Polamalu returned against Philadelphia on Oct. 7, though his comeback lasted all of a quarter before he reinjured the calf, this time more seriously than the first. He hasn't stepped on the field since, though the secondary hasn't missed a beat.
Pittsburgh (5-3) leads the NFL in pass defense at the midway point, allowing 174 yards per game. That number is dropping every week and took a big plunge when Allen and company shut down Eli Manning and the defending Super Bowl-champion New York Giants last week in a season-turning 24-20 victory.
Manning completed 10 of 25 passes for 125 yards and an interception as the Steelers frustrated one of the league's most dynamic passing attacks.
Then again, it's becoming a habit.
Pittsburgh has beaten Andy Dalton, Robert Griffin III and Manning during its three-game winning streak, three very different quarterbacks with three very different ways of going about their business.
None of them were successful against a defense that has rediscovered its bite even without Polamalu and his flowing locks freelancing all over the field. The only place where the Steelers have really missed Polamalu is in splash plays.
There are few — if any — better than Polamalu when it comes to instinctively creating turnovers. With the four-time All-Pro standing on the sideline for the last month in grey sweats, Pittsburgh has taken the ball away just three times.
The Steelers hope those numbers will pick up against the woeful Chiefs (1-7), whose minus-21 turnover differential is by far the NFL's worst. Pittsburgh just doesn't need to get its hands on the ball to survive, though. The defense is just fine sending the opposition trudging off the field to punt, something happening with increasing regularity.
Pittsburgh is allowing teams to convert just 30 percent (11 of 37) of third down opportunities during its winning streak thanks to better execution on first and second down, and a sudden burst of chemistry in the secondary.
"We're starting to put the pieces together for where we need to be," cornerback Keenan Lewis said. "The (defensive) line, they're getting to the quarterback much faster. The linebackers are playing out of control. It's helping us out in the back end."
Then again, Lewis and fellow corner Ike Taylor are doing their part. Victimized early in the season — particularly in road losses to Oakland and Tennessee — the duo have shut down the likes of A.J. Green and Victor Cruz in recent weeks.
Lewis sent a message on the first play against New York, swatting down a deep ball from Manning to Hakeem Nicks. It was Lewis' way of saying he wasn't going to be intimidated by the surroundings or the circumstances.
"I just wanted to let 'em know that they can't catch us off guard," Lewis said.
The Giants never did. Taylor collected his first interception of the year late in the first quarter with a spectacular diving grab. It was a difficult catch, one that allowed him to laugh about the easy one that clanged off his chest in the end zone later in the game.
"I'm inconsistent," Taylor said. "You know my hands (are) suspect, that's just how it is."
Taylor knows he can afford to joke about it when the Steelers win but he's only too aware the drop extended a New York drive the Giants eventually scored on.
"Is it something we can work on? Yes," Taylor said. "Does it help your team out? Yes, because it gives the offense more opportunities to make plays."
Just don't expect the defense to take any unnecessary chances to make them happen. That's what Polamalu does. Until his familiar No. 43 is back in the lineup, Allen and the rest of his buddies are fine just sticking to the fundamentals.
Besides, in a way, Allen notes the only difference between a punt and a turnover is who gets to run around with the ball.
"The more and more we play together, the better we're getting," Allen said. "We've just got to continue executing and having a sense of urgency and attention to detail and playing fast and playing hard and I think that'll take us a long way."
NOTES: The Steelers signed WR Derek Moye and put him on the practice squad while cutting TE Jamie McCoy from the practice squad. ... Pittsburgh is 3-0 at home.
Online: http://pro32.ap.org/poll and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL


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Color Grades are on a scale from D to Z. D is the most white, and Z is the most yellow. Diamond Harmony never sells below the fine grade of G-H.
Clarity describes the presence or absence of inclusions within the diamond and blemishes on its surface.
Setting is the method of fixing the stones to the metal of the jewelry.
By Smart Age Solutions


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Around 300 people in their evening finest showed up Friday at Rio de Janeiro's stately Copacabana Palace hotel for the $2,500-a-plate black tie gala organized by the international nonprofit organization amfAR. The AIDS research foundation hosts some of the world's most glamorous events, including the annual dinner during the Cannes Film Festival that's become a virtual Who's Who of the movie business.
This was the organization's first event in Rio, which is in the midst of its own film festival, and Brazilian celebrities were out in force. In addition to the gaggle of lanky models who towered over the rest of the crowd, there were designers including bikini queen Lenny Niemeyer, socialite Andrea Dellal and her daughter, punky model Alice Dellal, as well as several of the country's top soap opera actresses.
Hawn lavished praise on Rio, calling its residents "so kind and wonderful," and promised to return soon. In the meanwhile, the Academy Award-winning actress exhorted the crowd to bid generously at the auction.
"It's great to help and it's great to have fun," she said, adding that attendees should drink more Champagne to get the generosity flowing.
Over plates of filet mignon, attendees bid on seven lots that included a trip for two to a French chateau owned by the family behind Moet & Chandon Champagne, complete with a visit to the French Open and a gold-leaf covered magnum of bubbly. The package fetched $30,000.
A sepia print by Romanian-born photographer Roberto Dutesco went for $34,000, while a piece by Brazilian artist Ernesto Neto fetched $35,000. But the lots that elicited the most excitement among the crowd involved high-wattage jewelry. A pair of hoop earrings by Brazilian designer Carla Amorim embellished with more than eight carats worth of emeralds went for $30,000, and a pair of Jack Vartanian diamond studs totaling nearly four carats touched off a bidding war, finally fetching $35,000.
The exact amount raised at Friday's gala was not immediately released, but Brazilian news reports put it at around $1 million.


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Wounded Iraq War veterans find solace on the golf course
Army Staff Sgt. Dan Nevins (retired); age: 34. Sgt. Sean Lewis (retired); age: 23. You will know them by their stories. You should know them.
"One PFC, most of his body blew up all over me. Another one, his body was cut almost in half. I heard him gurgle; he reached out, and died. Then I saw my leg. It was six feet away from me." - SEAN LEWIS
He was about 5-2, 95 pounds in high school, in Indiana. He wanted to play football. The coach told him to take a hike. One day in gym class he was playing rugby and put a hit on a kid twice his size. He was the captain of the rugby team. "You got a heart, don't ya?" he said to the skinny kid. "Why don't you come out for rugby?" The year was 1997.
Sean Lewis enlisted in the Army on his 17th birthday, in 2001. In 2003 he was part of the first ground landing in Iraq. In January 2004, a mortar blasted his right leg off. Shrapnel put a hole in his left one. The first thing Lewis did when hit was see how his men were; survey the damage. That's what an NCO was supposed to do; take care of his men. "We're all brothers," says Lewis. How were they doing? They were dying around him. And on him.
Slowly, surreally, Lewis undersood how badly he was injured. He was bleeding wildly from the neck and both legs, or what remained of the the right one.
Then: "I reached down in my pants and starting counting. To make sure it was still all there." His sexual organs. Check.
There was no stretcher. Six soldiers picked Lewis up and loaded him on a truck. Six still alive, several dead, their leader bleeding all over. Brothers all.
It took seven days to get Lewis to Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington, D.C., because of bad weather. Four days in Germany, three days in an Air Force facility in Illinois, first. He was at Walter Reed for 15 months.
"I wanted to be in the Army for 30 years," he says. "Be a Command Sgt. Major." But when they told him he could never return to the fields of battle, where he "could take care of my soldiers," he took medical retirement last year, at the age of 22.
He has a prosthetic limb, but he plays golf anyway. "I hated golf. I never played. I thought it was stupid." Then he met Bill Bartlett, an avid golfer, and a Vietnam vet. He talked Lewis into trying. "The first time I played, I got real frustrated," says Lewis. "I said some choice words. Then I took off the prosthetic and threw it aside." And played on.
On one leg, the one shrapnel put a hole in. But he plays. "I can stand on one leg all day," he says. "I don't have any problem with balance."
He's 5-10 and a skinny 155. According to Lewis you feel nauseous, not hungry, when you go through the surgeries and morphine and swallow all the meds they dump in you. "My right leg was 25 pounds." Gone. Some diet, huh? He'd been up to 180 as a fit soldier. "I looked like a G.I. Joe action figure." Now his goal is to get up to 160 pounds. Nobody's betting against him.
Thursday, Lewis and Nevins played a round with pro Larry Nelson at Nashawtuc Country Club where the Bank of America Championship started Friday. Lewis and Nevins are involved with the Wounded Warrior Project, in partnership with Disabled Sports USA.
Lewis didn't want to get involved with all this, didn't know what he could really do. "I hated talking to the press" about what happened in Iraq, and about the prosthetic. But his wife, Cindy - "my strongest support" - helped convince him that it could lead to more support for the Wounded Soldier Project, not to mention how his story could inspire amputees to "get off the couch and try," says Lewis.
He loves golf now, says he could play it every day. His wife loves the game; 7-year-old son Jerred, too. Sean Lewis has a life. The heartache, the memories don't diminish. He's still a soldier. Remember, he wanted to be a 30-year man. But he has a life!
"If I know anything about tomorrow, I know I'll have pain." - Dan Nevins
Nevins was in the Army for 14 years, with eight years of active duty. Then he went to Iraq. In November, 2004, he was in his jeep on a rough road. An IED went off under the vehicle. He lost his left leg, below the knee. The right leg was a mess. Now it hurts so much "I think about chopping it off," he says.
He has a prosthetic left leg. He spent 18 months at Walter Reed, "the first four flat on my back." His damaged right leg has been operated on 27 times. "Surgery every other day," says Nevins. "Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday." Until they got to 27. Then rehab for a year.
Then came the fear, the doubt, when it was time to leave the hospital. "The hardest transition was going from the hospital to civilian life. Just trying to stand up was horribly painful." The right leg was swollen, purple. It still had open wounds, pins coming out of it and ... horrible. Could he bear people staring at him, or trying not to?
Welcome to civilian life.
He had to get acquainted with the prosthetic. The pain was a constant presence. "I don't think I ever got discouraged," says Nevins. "I accepted that it was going to be painful, and take a long time." Encouragement came from Laura Friedman, his therapist at Walter Reed. He learned - practiced really - to rely on his hips and thighs for mobility. He had no push off the good leg, as it were. "It's like walking on two prosthetics."
But he's decided to not have the "good" leg amputated. "Maybe they'll come out with some great surgery," he says. As for the pain, "it's part of my life." Just as the prosthetic is, which can act up at times. "I'm always bumping into things with it, and getting it caught in things."
He was 26 when he played golf for the first time. He played only a few times, but he could hit it off the tee a ton. Otherwise, he was terrible. The fun part was drinking beer with his pals at the 19th hole. Now he's playing again, at the suggestion of his therapist. "It was just a nonchalant conversation," says Nevins. They were watching the Booz Allen tournament on TV at the time.
Nevins lives in Florida with his wife, Nicole, and 13-year-old daughter, Karyssa. He signed on with the Wounded Warrior Project and has traveled with the PGA Tour as manager of Community Outreach, a group which works with the Department of Defense and the PGA for fundraising purposes to help military families. Yesterday, the gig took him to Nashawtuc. "I try to play once a week," he says. "Realistically, I'd like to play two or three times a week." That's a big stretch.
"The golf course is where I forget my pain, and everything that bothers me. It's a great escape."
There are plenty of things that bother him. Where to start? Iraq? "I had a friend who was killed in the same accident," he says, slowly becoming emotional. "I'm alive. Living. Breathing. Playing golf. It could be a whole lot worse."
Take it from someone who has seen the worst, and still feels it.
(Lenny Megliola is a MetroWest Daily News columnist. His e-mail is firstname.lastname@example.com)


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Geese close with win; LTC perfection for Galva
Wethersfield 74,
Annawan 60
The Flying Geese closed the regular season Friday with win No.23 on Senior Night.
"We were a little out of our rotation, but I wanted to make sure our seniors got a lot of minutes," said Wethersfield coach Jeff Parsons. "I thought Annawan gave us another good punch. I knew they would."
The Geese rode two big quarters from junior guard Trevor Lay to the win.
With Wethersfield on top 19-13 at the quarter, Lay scored 11 points in the second frame to push the lead to 41-31 at the half.
Lay's offense countered a barrage of three straight 3-pointers by the Braves that trimmed the deficit to 27-26.
Wethersfield led 55-42 after three quarters, and withstood one more late Annawan burst.
Tony Gripp buried a 3-pointer with 3:43 remaining to bring the Braves within 62-56. The teams traded a bucket each before Lay sealed the game at the free-throw line. Lay finished with 14 points in the fourth quarter, including 7 of 8 from the line.
Lay led all scorers with 25, while Kegan Jacobson added 11 points for the Geese, who finish 23-6 overall and 8-2 in the LTC.
"I'm proud of my seniors," said Parsons. "They've brought a lot to our program. I told the moms this isn't the ending, it's the beginning of a fun postseason. That's what we're looking forward to. These guys are gamers. They've been kind of bored a little bit, I think, for a couple of weeks. Now I'm starting to see the eye of the tiger in them when that game was over."
Tony Gripp topped the Braves with 16 points, followed by Grant Baele with 11. Annawan ends the regular season at 10-19 and 4-6 in the LTC.
Wethersfield won the fresh-soph game 46-36 to earn at least a share of the Lincoln Trail title with a 9-1 record.
Galva 52, United 39
The Wildcats completed an unbeaten run through the Lincoln Trail Conference with Friday night's win at United.
Dexter Ingels led the Wildcats with 17 points, followed by Reece Hoxworth with 12.
Galva finishes the regular season 22-4 and 10-0 in the LTC.
Ridgewood 82,
West Central 70
Elisha McCreary scored 25 points to lead the Spartans to a run-and-gun victory over the Heat Friday night.
Ridgewood led 51-39 going into the fourth quarter and the teams combined for 62 points — 31 apiece — in the final eight minutes.
Ridge Greenman added 18 for Ridgewood and James Brooks scored 16.
Kevin Burgus paced West Central with 21 points.
Also Friday night...
In the Lincoln Trail Conference, ROWVA slipped past Princeville 41-40. Princeville's Luke Kieser led all scorers with 23 points. ... Tyson Nylin scored 26 points to lift Mercer County over West Prairie 66-56.
In the Three Rivers Conference, Jacob Johnston scored 37 points to lead Erie over Fulton 78-59.


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TV: Sign me up for 'Game of Thrones' doomsday fireplace club
[WARNING: This post contains major spoilers from the second episode of "Game of Thrones'" final season. You have been warned.]
You have one night until the army of the dead arrives on your doorstep - how do you spend it?
Maybe you choose to take your first taste of passion in the forge like Arya and Gendry. Or you sulk away in the crypt to learn you've been sleeping with your nephew who can totally take your claim to the Iron Throne like Dany and Jon. Or instead, you make slightly amorous eyes over bread bowls at the height of a grain shortage like Sansa and Theon.
Wherever you can find comfort as the doomsday clock ticks closer to midnight is your business. Where would I be, you ask? You could find me crowded around the fireplace for, perhaps, the most humorously and emotionally satisfying casual gathering of characters "Game of Thrones" has ever mounted.
Sunday's second episode of the HBO drama's final season - one of my favorite hours of the whole series - felt like that teen comedy that unfolds over the last night before high school graduation.
All of the feelings of the prior four years bubble up until you can't hold onto your words, emotions or hormones anymore. This was certainly the case as nearly every major character - save for Cersei and a pair of dragons - contemplated their mortality with news the Night King and his White Walkers were to arrive at Winterfell before dawn.
A sleepless night can be a rich framework with which to explore the combustible relationships between characters who have books and books of history. But with only five episodes of "Game of Thrones" to go, the show had to pick the right moments to flesh out and give attention to with about six dozen options from which to choose. For the most part, it chose the right ones.
But none of the sequences were more entertaining and quietly powerful than the consortium of fireplace dwellers in Tyrion, Jaime, Brienne, Tormund, Pod and Davos.
Call it a sort of "Breakfast Club" on the edge of doomsday.
We start off with some brotherly banter between the Lannisters boys after years apart, only to have Brienne and Pod join the party just in time for Brienne to nurse her tense friendship with Jaime and her apprentice to start pre-gaming the coming battle with wine.
Then enter a freezing Davos looking for warmth, followed by a sexually aggressive Tormund and his disturbingly awkward story of how he got his "Giantsbane" nickname. Not to mention more of his not-so-subtle advances toward Brienne.
The night led to Brienne lamenting that tradition states women can't be knights, something Jaime balked at. So the Kingslayer, a knight himself with the ability to knight others, took it upon himself to give Brienne the title she always wanted in, hands down, one of this show's best scenes ever.
As Jaime touched the sword to each of the battle-harden warrior's shoulders, you felt the emotion, the respect and the honor of what he was giving to her.
Brienne of Tarth has come so far since we first met her, battling for respect and fighting to keep the promises she made to the Stark family. In this moment, as three relatively important people in her life looked on, she was finally bestowed the honor deserved.
When Ser Brienne of Tarth rose with tears in her eyes and a proud smile on her face, she wasn't alone. It was a masterful performance from Gwendoline Christie - and really the whole lot of actors, whose peanut-gallery cheers felt genuine.
As revealed after the episode aired, Brienne's big moment also inspired the hour's title - "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms." I'm not crying, you are!
For casual viewers, "Game of Thrones" can, at times, feel like a game of catch-up, trying to remember the intertwined threads of the 1,200 or so characters, where their stories have taken them and who likes/hates who.
But as these people crowded together with only their quiet fear, warm fire and Pod's smooth singing voice to comfort them, there was no question who they were, all they had done to get here and why this moment of levity, drunkenness and rightful poignancy carried so much weight.
By the end of the episode, the White Walkers had arrived and next week's all-out war is going to be the biggest thing "Game of Thrones" - or any show for that matter - has ever put on your TV screen.
But for those fleeting moments on the brink of war, there is no place in Winterfell I'd rather be than a member of the doomsday fireplace club.
Hunter Ingram can be reached at email@example.com. Hunter is a member of the Television Critics Association.


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ST. LOUIS (AP) — Stan Musial, one of baseball's greatest hitters and a Hall of Famer with the St. Louis Cardinals for more than two decades, has died. He was 92.
Stan the Man won seven National League batting titles, was a three-time MVP and helped the Cardinals capture three World Series championships in the 1940s.
The Cardinals announced Musial's death in a news release. They said he died Saturday evening at his home surrounded by family. Musial was so revered in St. Louis, two statues of him stand outside Busch Stadium. He spent his entire 22-year career with the Cardinals and made the All-Star team 24 times — baseball held two All-Star games each summer for a few seasons.


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Morning Minutes: July 15
Word of the Day
blighter BLAHY-ter (noun) a chap or bloke; a contemptible, worthless person, especially a man; scoundrel or rascal. - www.dictionary.com
Website of the Day
Want to know if you should head to that new Mexican joint down the street? Urbanspoon provides reviews of restaurants from food critics, bloggers and users, also allowing anyone visiting the site to make reservations at their favorite spots.
Number to Know
83 million: "Die Hard," credited as one of the greatest action movies of all time, makes its debut on this date in 1988. The film, produced on a $28 million budget, made $83 million at the domestic box office.
This Day in History
July 15, 1983: The Nintendo Entertainment System is released in Japan.
Today's Featured Birthday
Comedian Eddie Griffin (45)
Daily Quote
"They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself." - Andy Warhol


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Last surviving Ramones member Tommy dies
Tommy Ramone, a co-founder of the seminal punk band the Ramones and the last surviving member of the original group, has died, a business associate said Saturday.
Dave Frey, who works for Ramones Productions and Silent Partner Management, confirmed that he died on Friday. Frey didn't have additional details. Ramone was 62.
Tommy Ramone, a drummer, co-founded the Ramones in 1974 in New York along with singer Joey Ramone, bassist DeeDee Ramone and guitarist Johnny Ramone. All four band members had different last names, but took the common name Ramone.
The band influenced a generation of rockers, and their hit songs I Wanna Be Sedated, and Blitzkrieg Bop, among others, earned them an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002.
Clad in leather jackets and long black mops of hair, the group of motley misfits started out in legendary New York clubs like CBGB and Max's Kansas City, where they blasted their rapid-fire songs.
Since its debut album in 1976, the band struggled for commercial success, but they left a formidable imprint on the rock genre. Though they never had a Top 40 song, the Ramones influenced scores of followers, including bands such as Green Day and Nirvana.
Even Bruce Springsteen was moved. After seeing the Ramones in Asbury Park, N.J., Springsteen wrote Hungry Heart for the band. His manager, however, swayed him to keep the song for himself and it became a hit single.
The Ramones' best-known songs reflected their twisted teen years in Queens: Beat on the Brat, Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue, Teenage Lobotomy, Sheena Is a Punk Rocker.
The Ramones disbanded in 1996 after a tour that followed their final studio album, Adios Amigos. A live farewell tour album, We're Outta Here!, was released in 1997.
Johnny Ramone, whose birth name was John Cummings, died in 2004 of prostate cancer. Joey Ramone, whose real name is Jeff Hyman, died in 2001 of lymphatic cancer. Dee Dee Ramone, whose real name is Douglas Colvin, died from a drug overdose in 2002. Tommy Ramone was born Erdelyi Tamas in Budapest, Hungary.